More Cashout Problems

Minor but irritating nonetheless.

I check my neteller account from work to see if the money from Stars is in, and neteller, in their infinite wisdom decide I'm trying to login from America (as oppose to England, where I actually am) and freeze my account.

Thanks guys!

Cashout problems

Ladbrokes are doing their best to pee me off.

The problem started when I opened an account in £. The intention was to be able to withdraw money as a cheque in sterling so saving on currency conversion and neteller fees. I deposited from neteller in $ (losing money in the conversion) and then found I could only withdraw back to my neteller account. Which I should have seen coming. My own fault, at least in part.

I wasn't going to carry on playing in £, losing money on each withdrawal (£ in Ladbrokes -> $ in neteller -> £ cheque) so with some help from the people at ladbrokes I opened a second account in $ and they transferred the money from one account to the other for me. Which was nice, because it meant I didn't have to incur charges, but has led to todays problem.

I haven't got neteller registered with my new ($) account, and I can't withdraw without it. The only way to register it is to deposit some money in (minimum $20) and then withdraw it. I checked my neteller account and I have $6 in there. Fantastic. So I've got to withdraw $20 from my Stars account, wait 2-5 days for it to appear in my neteller account, deposit it into my Ladbrokes account, withdraw back to neteller, request a cheque from neteller and wait for the post. Heavens.

Its not the end of the world, but its a lot more faff than I expected. Grrr.

Biggest win so far!

Last night I played only about my second or third tournament on the Ladbrokes site. I've been looking for a tournament that starts at 10.00, and has a buy-in somewhere between the two on Crypto of £2 and £25. By fortune Ladbrokes has a $25 tourny at this time, so I signed up.

Sadly, this will be a weekend-only activity, for the structure is exceedingly generous. The blinds only go up every 15 minutes, and when they do not by much. One raise saw them go from 400/800 to 500/1000. Which is fine if you've got ages to outplay your opponents, and definitely gives the better players more of an edge, but I wanted to get to bed at a reasonably time. Anyway, 4 and a half hours later, I beat 190 people to first place, for $1425.01. That extra cent will make all the difference!

This is my largest win at poker so far (first over $1k), which has been a target of mine for a while. I guess my next would be to win over £1k. Either I'll have to enter more large entry tournaments, or the dollar will have to rise. I thought briefly about using some of the winnings to enter the Sunday warm-up on Stars, but I would have been too tired to do myself justice.

The tournament last night was actually won by good cards and good play, with not too much luck involved. I had the good fortune to be dealt Kings four or five times, and they only lost once, but I don't recall any outrageous suck-outs on my part.

That said the competition was weak. There was one fellow who decided it was his job to bully the table and so he raised about 60% of hands. Astoundingly everyone let him, and kept folding! He'd raise quite a bit (3-5x) and pick the hands up pre-flop, or otherwise with a continuation bet. It was immensely irritating to me that he was sat on my left - meaning he had position on me or I'd have had his chips earlier. I did though pick up aces on a small-big battle against him. I completed, he raised (as I knew he would) and then he pushed onto a junk flop. He was holding 22, which missed.

Some more bluffs against him later (by which time we'd both moved to another table - again with him on my left!) and I had a couple of times more chips than him.

Later on, I made one of my most obvious mistakes when I defended my blinds with A5. when down to about 6 players against someone with a stack size making them vunerably to a resteal. I shouldn't have done it with A5 though - as I'm way behind any hand that calls. 89s is much better here. He thought for ages and called with A10, which held up.

4 handed, there were two largish stacks, and two smaller ones, which meant that the two biggies were quite dominant and it went heads-up quite quickly. There was still plenty of play left. We had around 180,000 chips each, with blinds only 3,000/6,000 (level 17).

As usual heads up I tended to win lots of small pots, but lose the occasional big one. I had a small chip lead when the final hand occured.

I raised to 15k from the button with AQ and he re-raised to 24k which I called. Flop A36. He bet 48k and I pushed. This was the first time either of us was all-in heads up. I didn't expect him to call to be honest, and he thought for long enough for me to realise I was ahead before calling and turning over KK.

A nice evening, and a nice win, but a tournament that seemed to last just too long. Despite the good result I'm not sure whether to carry on playing at Ladbrokes. Maybe if they keep dealing me Kings I will, and the other players were very weak. We'll see.

Anyway, I'll cash-out about $1100 so I can add the enourmous swings and slide set that my son's recently acquired to the Things-My-Poker-Has-Paid-For list, which still leaves me a bankroll suitable for the limits I play at. Long may this good run I'm on continue.

Poor play in the £20 tourny

Poor play by me that is.

I got my share of good hands - and had a good chip stack at one stage, but I didn't feel I played that well.

Early was fairly straightforward, and I'd taken down a few pots without going to showdown - but usually having the goods, (I never show - a topic for another day), and my stack moved from 1500 to 2500.

I then pick up 77 in the hijack seat, raise 3x to 300, and the BB playing 1480 pushes. Its 1180 to see a pot of >3k (counting my chips if I call) and I have to call. I think villain's range is reasonably large based upon previous hands and the relatively low chip-count so do. Villain turns over KJ, and I lose the race. Down to 1075.

I get back into the game 4 hands later when UTG+1 calls, I raise 4x with AQo from UTG+2, and the SB pushed for 2205. Folded round to me. Its 675 to see a pot of 2350, and I suck-out against AK.

4 hands later and I see 44 in the BB. rather optimistically I call a 3x raise from the CO with one earlier limper (who I am happy to see call this raise) and then I check the flop of Q43 rainbow. The earlier limper bets 200, the original raiser pushed for 2300 and I of course call. Up to 5200.

5 hands later (this all happens in short order - despite my chips rising my table image is terrible, as I'm also raising and betting quite a bit - all with made hands minds - for once) and I get KK in MP. I open-raise 3x to 300, the button and the SB call (my terrible image y'see) and I'm chuffed to see a flop of 48K rainbow.

I check the flop, and call a small bet from the button. The turn brings a 2 (a second heart) and I bet 1000 into about a 1800 pot, to price the heart draw out, and he pushes, with the draw. which misses on the river. I now have just under 10k chips, good enough for 4th in the tourny at this point where I stay for ages.

I do wobble around +/-2k though, as I play badly, but pick up KK and QQ to get my chips back.

Things start to go wrong here though. My attempts at blind steals go awry when they are defended, and the same couple of people are attacking mine for a few orbits. I *think* this is coincidence, but it might not be.

I pick up KQ with connects with a K25 board to see me back to 9900. No cards for the next 3 orbits frustrates me (the best was 66 UTG) and I'm a bit fortunate to win with my AQ against AJ on a JT9 monochromote flop. I rivered a Q, rather than representing a better hand. Back up to 11.5k

I lose some of my chips when my MP raise with TT is runs into KQs. I raise 3x to 900, the person to my left pushes to 4800, and I call. I'm not at all sure whether this was the right play. If I can see their cards its a no brainer, and they had just lost a large hand. Anyway I flip for 1/3 my chips and lose.

Then I lose the rest, really badly, again with TT. I raise, its flat called by someone who is involved in too many pots from the BB. He leads into a J75 board for 1200, about 1/2 the pot. I suspect he's bluffing and call, planning to take this away from him on the turn, but the suspicion doesn't match with the action or his history. Here I should raise or fold. I've got 8k left and could consider pushing, but I flat call.

The turn is a 7, so I'm losing to a 7 or a jack (or a slow-played higher pair/set) and he pushes. I don't even think this one (possibly fatigue) and call quickly, and he turns over QJ.

I bust out in 45th with the top 30 paying.

My late game image was 1) tight - as I had very few hands and 2) weak as the few raises I did make were defended and I had to let go. With this in mind I was reluctant to fold because it looked weak, but I didn't even think about it which is poor. I'm not sure even how much everyone's table image matters. I'm aware of my history, and tend to spot the patterns of a couple of players at my table - but I don't pay enough atttention to see the activity pattens of about 2/3 the table, so perhaps I give the other players too much credit when they attack me. Perhaps rather than picking on the weakest player at the table they've actually got a hand, and are fortunate to get called by someone holding second pair.

I'm peed off, because a few poor plays cost me lots in a tourny when I actually hit a lot of hands (several premium pairs, and 2 sets), and for patches played OK.

Lucky satellite win

Tonight I played the 10.15 satellite to tomorrow's 9.30 £6k tourny on Crypto and the 10.30 $20 tourny. The $20 tourny was something of a non-event, eventually busting when my AK ran into AA. I played the final hand really badly though. I had about 1500, with the blinds at 75/150. I raised to 450 UTG, and it was folded around to the SB (playing ~3k) who called.

Flop QJx rainbow.

Now he checked.

Any bet here and I'm folding. What is he calling with thats missed this flop. AA-JJ are clearly calling, as are AQ/AJ. The only possible hands I'd like him to have are A10 and a pair less jacks.

I pushed, hoping I had 10 outs, but of course if he calls I won't have. He calls and turns over a slow-played AA. I keep walking into slow-played monsters. I so rarely use position to take a free card, and I should much more often (I think).


Ironically I won a seat in the satellite by walking into slow-played monsters - and sucking out. Wahey!

First interesting hand (the sizes of the bets might be slightly out - I can't find the exact hand history).
When playing about 4/5k I picked up Ac2c in the BB. 1 call from MP, and I check. Flop 8h6h2d. I'm probably ahead, so I bet about 2/3, he calls. Turn Ad. There are now two flush draws on the board, so I over-bet the pot by pushing for about 1.4x the pot. He insta-calls with AK and I bust him.

Second (more) interesting hand
Top 4 win £20 seats;
5th, about £5;
6 remaining.

The stack sizes from memory were:

1 : 3k
2 : 4k
3 : 4k
4 : 12k
5 : 10k
Me: 8.8k

Button in seat 4. Folded around to the SB who completes. There's about 1k in the pot, and I've been folding for some time, only picking the blinds up once in the last 4 rounds or so.

I'm dealt 89o and push, figuring the SB can only call with AA/KK. The table has been incredibly tight, and I've got enough chips to cripple him if he calls and loses.

He calls, turns over KK, but a mirable flop of TJQ (with no A or 9 on the turn or river) and I've got a monster chip stack. Another slow-played monster against me. I wonder if everyone has the same comments in their player notes for me?

And Another!!

1st out of 303 in another £2+.25 on Crypto for £154. Lovely. I played quite well in this one actually, and I don't remember getting my chips in behind (although I probably did at one stage).

The final table was more interesting than the early play with one fellow establishing a big chip lead with about 5 left and bullying the table quite well. I knocked the other 3 players out, and went into heads-up still about a 3:1 underdog, but I played heads-up as well as I ever have. Not that well by many people's standards no doubt, but pretty well. I pulled back gradually and worked myself into a 3:1 chip lead without having to show down that many hands. Trip 10s was my best, and I was fortunate he called a river bet on that one.

After that he doubled up with the best hand till nearly equal, but I pulled away again (big cojones!) till I eventually won with top 2-pair against his second pair. Great!

This somewhat makes up for the disappointment last night of playing in a $22 tourny for a couple of hours only to go out on the bubble (in this case in 21st position). I was in the top 5-6 in chips, and there were a few shorties on my table trying to flold into the money. Stupidly I tangled with the only stack bigger than mine.

He limped from early position, and I raised 4x holding AJo. Passed round to him and he called. The pot was now about 2/3 of my stack size. He checked the rag flop and I thought for a bit and pushed. He insta-called and showed a slow-played QQ. I seem to be falling for this a bit too much at the moment - maybe my game is quite predictable in the later stages. I dunno. Anyway, thats the current hand that is sitting in my brain wondering what I could have done differently. I may dig the hand history out and ask the minds on 2+2.

A win!

Despite having had a decent run of results and some good cashes I haven't won an MTT for quite a while. My last win was probably 6 months ago in a 45-person Stars SnG (and that doesn't really count) and before that I'm not sure.

Partly this is because short-handed play is amongst the weakest parts of my game. I know I should work at this more, and one day I will. At least I should play some more 1-table SnGs to practise. My heads-up play isn't terrible - and is actually probably better than most of the people I have got heads up against - but thats more a criticism of them than a real boast.

Anyway, todays victory ...

It was only in the crypto £2+0.25, 212 runners, but it was fun. It was a real chip-and-a-chair effort, as I was down to about 900 chips when the blinds were 150/300 with antes and I managed to come back. That had happened when my AQ on a Q-high board ran into someone with middle-pair and a flush draw. He correctly CRAI, I called and he hit.

3 hands later my A3 sucks out on A8 and I've got some fold-equity for my pushes, as the bubble approaches and I inch my way back.

Plenty of steals later and I am one of the chip leaders at the final table, where I actually play quite well. I figure out how the guy on my left is playing and manage to out-manouvre him a couple of times.


This hand was amongst the interesting ones. 4-players left. I'm dealt A7o on the button. I raise 3x and the BB calls. Flop 2d-9c-Jh. BB bets 3k (he's often bet weak and folded to a raise) I raise to 9k, he calls. I could have raised more here. Turn Ac. He checks. I don't put him on an ace at this point, and check-behind allowing him to bluff the river. The river is the 6s. He bets 18k, with ~45k behind him. I'm pretty sure I'm ahead, I think a bluff is far more likely than a value bet, but I'm don't think a raise will get paid off by a hand that I beat. So I call behind. He shows A6 for 2-pair and collects the pot.

If I can see his hand I should have bet the turn, but I'm actually quite happy with that.

After that I did get lucky a bit - getting a big stack when 66>A4 with 3 left, then winning 2 coin-flips: 66>KT and KQ>22.

So £120ish better off. Actually I've won quite a bit more than that recently - its just the first place which feels nice. Yay me!

Satellites

Goldmine. Absolute goldmine.

The standard of play in the satellites I've recently been playing has to be seen to be believed. Now I'm not an expert at poker by any means, but I can see mind-meltingly bad play here, and as we know that means $$$ moving from the people making the bad plays. Which sometimes is about 1/2 the table.

I've been reading the MTT forum at 2+2 for a long time, and the occasional reference to people playing Stars satellites for T$ made me look closer. So I started hunting for information about 'proper' play. And I didn't find much. Which is the key I think. Harrington doesn't cover this in his book, and there's much less literature online than for SnGs for example. Consequently so few people have a clue what they are doing. Additionally you are playing against people who aren't that skilled (or bankrolled) butare looking to take a shot at a higher level, hoping to win big. Few have any chance.

I've been able to coast into seats so easily because people are getting involved when they just shouldn't.

Example1: There are about 10 left for 7 seats. The two chip leaders (who could fold into a seat) manage to get it all in pre-flop with QQ v AK. Wp guys.

Example 2: The last hand of the last satellite I played in, about 3 minutes ago. I've not played a hand for the last 15 minutes or so, but I don't think anyones noticed. One player has less than 1SB remaining, and is on the button. I fold, 2 limps, shorty sticks it all in, SB completes and the BB checks. Fine. They'll check it down, shorty will lose, and we'll all have seats.

Flop Dealt. Check. Check. Min-bet. Call fold fold. Eh?
Turn Dealt. Min-bet call.
River Dealt. Check Check.

The fellow betting - who had been demonstrating poor skills had 109o on a 10-high board, and was called (thank heavens) by someone with a bit more sense holding K10. What that monkey (who earlier bluffed into 4 players, 1 of whom was all-in) was doing betting I've no idea. Still, thats why I've started to play satellites. And tomorrow I'm in the Cryto £6k.

I'm playing better generally too. Before my strategy (looking back) was largely to raise pre-flop and continuation-bet the flop and give up if I missed. I'm now much better able to judge when my continuation bets will be believed, and I'm starting to spot other people's and raising them accordingly. Its nice to have a few more strings to your bow.

What I do need to think about more is calling all-ins from shorty with marginal hands (eg A2) when I am probably ahead of this range (any two) and raising from the BB more with marginal holdings, when there are plenty of limpers (and antes ideally). Whenever I do it with bona fide hands it seems to get through so I should be doing it light a lot more I think. When playing deep I could even do it from the button.