Drop Down n Loosen Up

Today as I was watching the World Cup Cricket match between Sri Lanka & New Zealand I decided to fire up some some NL25 tables

I only opened up 6 tables so I could concentrate on the TV

Anyway without even thinking about it my game opens up and I loosen up. Im not sure whether its due to the level or the number of tables but I certainly did not think oh its only NL25 so let me up the agression

Sri Lanka crushed New Zealand and the business end of the World Cup is very close now so I'm pretty excited about that. England have also made it through to the quarter finals and have been invovled in the most nail biting matches so far

Here are my stats from today's sessions. As you can see I ran at around 19/14 at NL25 and I nitted it up at NL100

The Graph was all over the place:

I would have had an awesome day if the biggest hand of the day went my way. One time it will..!!

Poker Stars $100.00 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players

BB: $307.20
UTG: $253.85
UTG+1: $69.60
UTG+2: $250.00
Hero (MP1): $132.05
MP2: $132.05
CO: $248.00
BTN: $250.00
SB: $145.55

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is MP1 with K K
2 folds, UTG+2 raises to $3, Hero raises to $10.85, MP2 raises to $30, 5 folds, Hero raises to $131.85, MP2 calls $101.85

Flop: ($268.20) 6 8 9 (2 players)

Turn: ($268.20) Q (2 players)

River: ($268.20) 6 (2 players)


Final Pot: $268.20
Hero shows K K
MP2 shows Q Q

MP2 wins $267.00
(Rake: $1.20)



All in all today was a good day

Poll

Which is the Most Multicultural City in the World?

Gone Fishing

I had heard a few rumours that the NL100 tables were a lot better since stars implemented the table changes.

I have been playing NL50 all month and yesterday I played 2 short sessions at NL100. I made small wins in both sessions but I decided to play only 10 tables. When I was winning at poker I never played more than 10 tables at any one time.

Today I fired up my 10 tables again and have won again, all 3 sessions today. So that's 5 sessions out of 5, hmmmmmmm.

I can say that there were 2 extremely tough spots where I made big lay downs, correctly or incorrectly I don't know but if I was 24 tabling they would have probably been insta calls where I wouldn't have had the time to think through how the hand played. I usually get shown the nuts in these situations and cry for a little bit.

I will try and stick to this new set-up unless I have a hugely bad run.

Some nice fish are back at NL100 and here is an example. You would never see a reg call pre with this hand in the SB


Poker Stars $100.00 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players

UTG+2: $102.75
MP1: $100.00
MP2: $100.00
Hero (CO): $100.00
BTN: $122.65
SB: $48.20
BB: $134.30
UTG: $100.00
UTG+1: $129.60


Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is CO with Q K
4 folds, MP2 raises to $3, Hero calls $3, 1 fold, SB calls $2.50, 1 fold

Flop: ($10.00) K Q 7 (3 players)
SB checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets $5.85, SB raises to $11.70, MP2 folds, Hero raises to $97, SB calls $33.50 all in

Turn: ($100.40) 9 (2 players - 1 is all in)

River: ($100.40) 8 (2 players - 1 is all in)

Final Pot: $100.40

Hero shows Q K
SB shows 7 K

Hero wins $97.40
(Rake: $3.00)


Peace

Sometimes you just can't let go

This post is in part to celebrate the fact that I have just found out how to convert hand histories, lol

Hope I am not this slow on the poker table

The Villain in this hand is a 16/9 but as I only have 76 hands on him i'm not sure what I can gauge from this. I will assume that he is not a fish though

He can beat JJ-KK, 99 but I think sometimes you just have to let go. Its unlikely that I barrel 3 streets with 99 and I would mostly 3bet QQ-KK pre. So he only beats JJ

The turn card is very interesting as it completes the flush and 56 just completed the straight. However as he holds the A he could have moved all-in and possibly taken me off the hand as I assumed that he was not a fish. I probably call a fishes shove though on the turn


Poker Stars $50.00 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players

CO: $50.00
BTN: $90.25
SB: $74.90
Hero (BB): $72.65
UTG: $2.10
UTG+1: $50.00
MP1: $102.05
MP2: $72.15


Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is BB with T T
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $2, 5 folds, Hero calls $1.50

Flop: ($4.25) T 7 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $2.75, Hero raises to $7.90, UTG+1 calls $5.15

Turn: ($20.05) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $11.80, UTG+1 calls $11.80

River: ($43.65) 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $50.95, UTG+1 calls $28.30 all in

Final Pot: $100.25

Hero shows T T
UTG+1 shows A A

Hero wins $74.60
(Rake: $3.00)

What an Event

So my prediction for the runners on Sunday was only 20,000 out, lol.

The event turned out to be absolutely massive. There were 59,128 players creating a pool of $11,825,600.

This was the biggest event that I have played in.

A deal was done at the final table between all nine players and the eventual winner was player Bdbeatslayer.

The Deal was as follows:

Seat 1: guccyka (50,203,242 in chips) = $411,090.13
Seat 2: Syndrome1977 (102,993,561 in chips) = $799,842.09
Seat 3: Jan10004 (36,614,737 in chips) = $311,023.33
Seat 4: sheppyshape (57,611,760 in chips) = $465,647.02
Seat 5: nhar818 (54,338,307 in chips) = $441,541.06
Seat 6: Bdbeatslayer (86,189,244 in chips) = $671,093.81
Seat 7: wrzr123 (108,339,484 in chips) = $844,209.88
Seat 8: Battmeister (30,213,033 in chips) = $263,888.06
Seat 9: zeurrr (64,775,632 in chips) = $518,402.33

Big numbers. I would have loved to have made this table!


The Actual Prize breakdown before the deal was:

1st -             $1,655,629.38 + Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
2nd -            $1,182,560.00
3rd -            $792,315.20
4th -             $449,372.80
5th -             $271,988.80
6th -             $153,732.80
7th -             $107,612.96
8th -             $72,136.16
9th -             $41,389.60
10th-12th -   $27,790.16
13th-15th -   $21,877.36
16th-18th -   $16,555.84
19th-27th -   $13,008.16
28th-36th -   $11,234.32
37th-45th -   $10,051.76
46th-54th -   $8,869.20
55th-63rd -   $8,277.92
64th-72nd -  $7,686.64
73rd-81st -   $7,213.61
82nd-90th -  $6,858.84
91st-99th -   $6,622.33

So how did I do then? Well, I finished in 4313th place for a min cash of $354. I made a Swap deal with 4 other poker players who were all knocked before the cash so I lost another $60 in payouts. So all in all it was a fun experience for not much financial reward.

I am pretty sure that Stars could make the Sunday Million $2m guaranteed without losing out.

Here some of the hands from my run. Unfortunately I don't know how to do the hand history conversions that lots of people do so its described in good old fashioned narrative! (If anyone could teach me please leave a comment on how to and it will be much appreciated)

1. AK
2. A9 vs TT
3. 66 vs 33
4. 66 vs KK


1. AK

This hand was interesting for a number of reasons: bet sizes, villain and being OOP. I pick up AKo in the SB. Villain is 32/17 and MP1. With the blinds at 225/475 + 25 Ante he opens to 1000. I have 8142 and think I have 3 options:

Smooth Call
Shove
Raise

I could easily call here and get away from my hand if I miss the flop but AK is a monster in a tourney situation

I could also shove here and take it down pre and given how wide he is with a VPIP of 32 I am probably ahead or still have good equity. This was probably the play I should have made

I decide that if I raise and he calls and I miss the flop I will be in a bad position and check folding will be such a bad play. I decide that I will lead shove any pretty much flop unless I hit monster then I will check raise. I make it 3333 and he call. Flop is 2T7 (2 Spade). I shove with A of spades and he folds. I guess he had AT-AQ perhaps AK too. (comments on this hand appreciated)


2. A9 vs TT

With the blinds at 900/1800 + 200 ante I find A9 in mid position with on 14500 chips left. I shove and get insta called by a 12/9, uh oh, he aint calling with anything worse. He shows TT but the board runs:

593AA

for a nice full house and I double up.


3.  66 vs 33

I had just folded for around 2 orbits, havin had no hands and hung in there to mincash. 2nd hand after bubble burst i have like 3bb left, lol and get 66. Shove. Button calls with 33. Flop is

K37

Turn
J

River
6

Wooohooo!


4.  The Final Hand

Villain is the 32/17 guy again. All night he had been opening between 2.5x - 3x. A few hands earlier he min raises UTG and I shoved with A8s, he called with A6o. I hit a flush and doubled up. That told me that his min raise means weakness.

Now he just limps so this could mean an even weaker hand or a monster. I find 66 in the CO and with the blinds at 2400/5400 + 600 ante I decided to go for it with 76716 chips (around 14bb). He slow played KK and that's all she wrote for me!

GG

Till the next time

BIGGIE Sunday Million Prediction

Today is the BIG one. It's the 5yr Anniversary Sunday Million. Stars have put up a guaranteed $5m prize pool with $1m for 1st place also guaranteed + a nice new Lambo.

I have managed to make the required 13500 FPPs for a ticket entry since I cashed a $1,500 bonus last week so its game on and I'm in for this tourney.

With a historic event like this in the making we can expect some serious volume of entries. I am going to guess that there will be close to 40,000 entrants once the extended registration period closes.

I think the prize distribution for 40,000 runners will be something like this:

1st -              $1,048,514.16 + Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
2nd -             $770,952.00
3rd -             $546,641.68
4th -              $367,120.00
5th -              $293,696.00
6th -              $220,272.00
7th -              $146,848.00
8th -              $80,766.40
9th -              $51,396.80
10th-12th -    $38,180.48
13th-15th -    $28,268.24
16th-18th -    $18,356.00
19th-27th -    $15,786.16
28th-36th -    $14,317.68
37th-45th -    $13,216.32
46th-54th -    $12,114.96
55th-63rd -   $11,013.60
64th-72nd -   $9,912.24
73rd-81st -   $8,810.88
82nd-90th -   $7,709.52
91st-99th -    $6,608.16

I wouldn't mind finishing in 99th place, 1st would be a dream.

GL to all

How fast could u drive the Lambo?

Yoga vs Drinking?....... You decide

Someone once told me that drinking a glass of red wine each day is beneficial to your long term health.

I've also been told that doing Yoga reaps rewards. Which one is better though?


You Decide







Savasana
Position of total relaxation

Balasana
Position that brings the sensation of peace and calm

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
This position calms the brain and heals tired legs

Marjayasana
Position stimulates the midriff area and the spinal column

Halasana
Excellent for back pain and insomnia

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dolphin
Excellent for the shoulder area, thorax, legs, and arms

Salambhasana
Great exercise to stimulate the lumbar area, legs, and arms

Ananda Balasana
This position is great for massaging the hip area

Malasana
This position, for ankles and back muscles

February 2011 Review

February has been an interesting month. The Buy-In structure at Stars changed for the better and now there are more recreational players in the mix at the 100bb tables.

I moved away from the 50bb / CAP tables and some experimenting with the short stacking. I now no longer play 24 tables and have set my max limit to 14.

I am back in profitville for the month although I have still lost at the tables. 2 drunken sessions at NL100 didn't help as I wildly shipped around $400 to the lucky recipients.

I had a little run bad in the final week but the main losses were due to the first 3 days of the month where I found myself -$700 down while playing the wild flippin gun slinger 50bb tables. I then went on to erase all the deficit by 14tabling 100bb tables only to lose it all again, lol.

I officially now announce that my SNE chase is over. My new target for 2011 will be 600k VPPs. My planning prior to commencing the year was poor. I was under-rolled and also over estimated the realistic VPP attainment rate at NL100. I was forced to step up to NL200 to get the daily VPP requirement. Being under rolled meant that I had to play the 500bb tables as opposed to the 100bb tables that I am used. The dynamic at the 50bb tables is far more gambling orientated and I sadly shipped around $5k losses in Jan. Stick to the game you know or build slowly to a new game!!

I haven't played any live poker for ages now, home games or casinos. I will try and get some of this action in for March. I sadly lost my streak bonus in the Turbo Takedown this month as I crashed out around 12,000th. I did well though in a Daily Ninety Grand Tourney finishing 202nd out of 7100 runners.

I did well at NL50 in Feb so I will base my fight at that level in March. I have decided to go for a tough challenge and attempt to make the TOP 50 Winners on Stars as stated on PTR for NL50 in march. To put it into context, I have never made that list before but I will go for it. If I eliminate spew in my game I have a good chance. I need to win 40 BIs to make the list.

Feb:

The final numbers for February are as follows:

89,000 Hands Played
19,733VPPs

-$928 (Cash Game Losses)
+$303 (Tourney Winnings)
+$200 (Stellar Rewards)
+$1,500 (FPP Cash Bonus)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
+$1,075 (Total Month)


The Ytd numbers as at the end of February are as follows:

253,000 Hands Played
75,067 VPPs

-$1,214 - Jan
+$1,075 - Feb
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-$139 (Total YTD)