A Victory!

I played in the 9.30 £22 Crypto tourny tonight. 79 entrants, top prize of £474, which I took down!

My feeling before having read through the hand history was that I played pretty well. I was card dead at the beginning, and just folded all my hands, stole well in the middle and then played very well at the end, combining good people reading with some good cards.

I'll watch the HH now and comment on anything that leaps out at me:

Level 1(10/20)
2nd hand I folded ATo from the HJ following an UTG min-raiser and 1 call. Surprisingly tight, especially seeing that UTG had 78s

My first BB I folded ATs to an 8x raised. He had KJo(!)
,
Level 2(15/30)
I'm UTG+2 and UTG and UTG+1 both limp. I call with AQo. An obvious raising opportunity, but I'm looking really to outplay some of these early muppets post flop. I check/fold on a J-high flop.

Level 3 (25/50 I've got 1350)
I steal once in a SB/BB but fold everything else

Level 4(50/100 I've got 1275)
I see a free flop with 76o 3-way and check a flop of 6s7h2s. The turn is a Ks completing the flush draw. the SB bets 200 into the 300 pot. I push and take it down. 1625.

Level 5(75/150 - 1625)
In the BB I've got K7o and the SB completes. We both check the 554 flop and he bets 150 onto the 8 turn. I call planning to bluff the river, but my 6 hits on the river giving me the straight. He bets 150, I raise to 750 and he folds. 2075. Still short stacked.

I'm moved table to UTG+2, and UTG min-raises and I've got AT. I fold correctly this time as he has AJ.

Next hand I raise to 450 with AdJh. UTG+1 calls. The flop is 5d8d9d. I push my draws (nut-flush, 2 overs and very unlikely runner-runner-straight) and he calls with a set of 8s. Fortunately I river a diamond to get to 4525. Once he calls the raise pre thats always going one way. I've got some chips at last.

Level 6 (100/200)
Shortly after I piss some away though. I've got KJ on the button and raise to 600. The BB who is playing 2145 min-raises back to 1200. I call. His min-raise looks so strong, but I just hate folding to them. The flop is AK2. Check-check. I think he's got an Ace. the turn is a T, and he bets 400 of his 945 chips into the 2.5k pot. I can't get away from it here - there is the odd nutter who with min-betting 88 here, and although I'm behind I put him in and he turns over AA. My hope has to be as well as the gutshot, my K or J are live, but they are not. I can't see how I can get away from this at any stage. Grim. 2155.

Holding 69o in the BB I push over the SBs min-raise and he folds. 2455.

Level 7 (150/300)
I steal a couple of blinds with valid hands. (open-pushing), then push into the BB from the SB with K4 which he lays down having typed 'this time'. Next hand I get JJ in the button, push over the CO's min-raise and they all fold. 4205.

Level 8 (150/300/25a)
On the button I fold AJs to a mid-position 3x raise. My stack is 3655 at this point. The flop was AJx, but he claimed to be claimed to be holding AJ too. I'm pleased with the fold here, which was a feature of my play tonight - targetting my re-raises well.

There was one player limp/folding all the time and he limped when I was in the CO with KJs, so I (loosely) pushed. 4555.

I then take a hit when the SB pushes into my TT with AT, and he rivers a straight. Down to 1845, which then goes to 1670 as I fold my SB. Struggling for air.

I push A9 over 1 limper from the button. 2500.

Level 9 (400/200/50)
I fold my blinds (down to 1645) push Q9 on the button, then fold KQo from the CO to an EP min-raiser. If he calls my push I'm behind and I haven't got enough chips to worry him.

I double up when my KJ beats AQ. 5690. Actually the caller was the button and there is nearly 1k in dead money in the middle, so its not far off an +EV move anyway.

At this stage I think I've about 11th of 16.
I push twice, then fold KTs in the BB to UTG's push. Its 2600 for a pot of 4600. It looks like a clear call in the light of day but its a tight table and I think I'm better off stealing more here, rather than calling light.

Level 10 (300/600/75 6860)
First hand on the FT I've got QQ, push and take it down. 8415. There are two big stacks to my left (30k and 23k). I'm in 8th. Another push with AK takes the pot.

Again I fold KTs in the SB to a raise. This was something of a feature tonight.

Level 11 (400/800/100)
I do call from the BB though with QJ when the CO pushes to 1900. He has an rag-ace, but I won. 10.5k Some nice aggression takes me up to 14k, then I limp-push in the SB with KK. The BB is aggressive (and not very good) and I knew he'd defend, but thought he might call my re-raise. Maybe I should have seen a flop and played it very slow. 16.6k. 4th out of 7. Its close though, and a weak table.

I've then got 88 in the BB, and UTG+1 raises 3x. My play is to check-call his continuation bet on a board without an Ace (and hopefully a K) but the Q83r makes it easy to call his push! 33k. Chip leader. 6 left.

Next hand I've got Aj in the SB. and there's a raise from UTG+1 to 3200. I flat call (pobably should have pushed) and check-fold a KQ8 board.

Level 12 (600/1200/150)
25k. 5 left. 2nd place. I steal up to 32k then raise to 3600 on the Button with KJ. SB calls (he of the KK hand) and the flop is K84. I read the situation perfectly here. He's defending with the Kings that have me beat, laying down K8 pre and checking a set. I call his continuation bet of 6k, we both theck the turn, and I bet 1/3 of the pot on the river, certain I'm ahead. He calls with 77. 50k. Chip leader again (50k/28k/17k/10k/10k). I knock one more out when my AA>Q4s, and I'm thinking about winning (72k/17k/15/13k).

One more busts (the fellow from the KK and KJ hands, who had been one of the big stacks early). I'm not impressed with either player remaining. I knock out one more when AQ>A7.

2 left 96k v 21k. We play cagily for the first 16 or so hands or so staying largely in the same positions. I don't want to double him up, and so I'm prepared to wait for a decent hand to defend his ocassional raises. He can't afford to raise/fold more than once (if that) and so when I get dealt AKo it all goes in. He's got QJ and rivers a Q. 75kv42.

I attack for a couple more hands, until he tries a steal pre - I push with A7s, and he calls with QJs. I flop and Ace and its all over.


I really enjoyed this tourny - getting lucky when I needed to but keeping out of trouble well with some solid pre-flop folds, good reads, and good patience when I was short stacked.

Its good to be heading to Vegas with that behind me!

My bankroll is now a much healthier $3379.

Planning for Vegas

In my typical anal fashion I've been reading about all the poker tournaments in Vegas and planning my itinerary with meticulous detail. 2 weeks to go and I'm largely decided what my plans are.

Things are complicated because the casino with the best structured mid-level tournies (the ~200 at the Venetian) aren't running. The Venetian instead is running a deep-stack series of tournaments with buyins while I am there of 540 and 1060. The tournaments will probably last more than 1 day - with the final table running on the second day. I'd love to play in one of these - it will probably be as close to a World-Series type event that I will get. Deep stacked, big(ish) buy-in in Vegas and a tournament with some seriously good poker players in. Not the best - but pretty good. I'd learn loads if I played in one of these.

The timing of the events isn't ideal. On the Thursday is a $540 - but I'll have only arrived on the Weds and will be jet-lagged so I would really struggle later in the day, a $1060 on the Friday - too big a buy-in for me - and a $540 on the Saturday, but I'd be flying home before the tournament is finished on the Sunday.

I'd probably be best off playing in the Saturday tournament as there is a very very high chance I wouldn't be needed on the second day. I'd only make it there 2-3% of the time if I was an average player, but it would be like buying a ticket for the lottery but not being eligible for the jackpot.

As it is I'll play a couple of satellites to the Thursday event, and see how things go.

I also plan to play regular tournaments in the Mirage, Caesars (last time I went the buyin was too high for me here), Sahara (at least once, but probably more if the cash runs low as the buy-ins are cheap), Binions (so I can say I have), the TI and possibly Orleans.

Possibilities for cash games are the IP where I'm staying, Bally's, Excalibur, the MGM and all the ones I mentioned above.

Not that I've thought about the trip much or anything. In actual fact I've been thinking about it since I got back from the last one. I won't enjoy the trip as much as the last one, as it was fantastic spending time with my family while I was there and it will be a very solitary trip, but I'm still looking forward to this ludicrously.

I think I win the worst-played hand award

Playing in the £22 1500guaranteed last night I'd doubled up fairly early and was coasting through the game having not had many hands and not really paying attention.

We're down to about 35 left (top 10 pay) and I am slightly under the average stack with ~3500. Blinds 50/100. I am dealt QQ UTG and decide to limp-raise. I've no idea why. I haven't been paying enough attention to the table to work out if I'm going to get raised a high proportion of the time, I haven't open limped all evening (so it looks suss) and QQ isn't AA. Anyway plan A doesn't work. One caller from LP, the SB completes and its 4 to the flop which is AA6. Fantastic. I bet 300 into the pot, representing an Ace. I'm one of the few players at these tables who wouldn't check an Ace here. Anyway LP min-raises me. Now what? He may well believe I'm not betting an Ace there and is raising with air (I do some time) so I re-raise him back to 1k and he calls (I'm folding to a push here). I can't remember what the turn was, but we both check it and the river is a 4. I check/call a push and he turns over A4 for a rivered full house.

If I can see his cards what can I do? Obviously raise pre-flop, but there is actually a small chance a turn push will take the pot. He may not be good enough to fold trip aces with a 4-kicker (especially if he's playing A4 against an EP limper). I checked the river to induce a bluff - but what is he pushing here with? If he has TT, then he's probably checking behind, if he has KQ then he's folding to be flop re-raise.

Grim stuff.

Finally a cash!

Playing the £22 £1500 guaranteed tonight I finally hit the money, coming in fourth for £194. This is some way below my big cashes of recent past but a welcome relief nontheless.

I made one good laydown early with a Q-high flush on a paired board (the K was also on the flop - but I'm convinced my opponent rivered a full house).

I had some moments of luck. In short order near the bubble I pushed with QT from the SB and was called by the BB with 99 and won that, then shortly after my AK turned a K against QQ. Again all-in pre. Its been so long since I won some of these (near) conflips - especially when being on the wrong side of the marginal edge - that I felt more guilty than normal. Anyway that set me up with a nice stack, and I coasted really through to the final table.

I played quite well thereon really. I ran into AA twice on the final table. The guy on my right bad pushed into my BB several times and I'd never had 1/2 a hand to call. After than he flat-called, and I took it away from him on the flop with a small bet. Next time round, again he flat calls pre. I see a flop and hit a pair - but he has the bullets.

Shortly after this I try a button raise with K3s but get min-re-raised by the SB. I call (debatable play) and then call his push when the flop has a K but he too has AA.

Still I'm pretty happy with fourth and my play. I'm conscious that I'd struggle to try some of the moves I make live, but I just have to force myself to in Vegas.

Separetely I've been playing a bit of HORSE - just for play money. Boy is that a strange game. How anyone keeps track of it I don't know. I struggle to work out what my own hand is in Omaha, let alone in Omaha HI/LO or Stud HI/LO. And on top of that I'm supposed to be putting my opponent on hands. Crackers.

I can see why hold 'em took off so much. Wiser heads than me have said there is more of an edge to a skillful player in NLHE, and compared to the other games around, its just so easy to start playing.

Still playing badly ....

My confidence is falling like a stone at the moment. I played in a couple of £10 tournies on tuesday, and a $55 yesterday, and played badly in them all. I busted first hand in the £10 game - where my AQ hit a Q74 flop, and I got it all in against a set of 7s. This isn't awfully bad as there are plenty of people willing to go bust with KQ here, but there was a third person along for the ride (who also had AQ) and it was pretty unlikely I was ahead of them both.

In the $55 game I played vety tight early (good plan) and did OK, until the blinds were at 50/100. I raised to 300 UTG with AQs. There was one caller who had about 1200 chips (to my 2200). He had about 900 behind and the pot was 750. I missed the flop big style (junk, rainbow) and thought for some time about what to do. I can't bet/fold, so I'm either pushing, check/calling or check/folding. I pushed, but I'm pretty much only getting called by a hand that beats me here. Anyway, he had hit a set.

My play is shamefull at the moment, and I need to get my game back quickly, before I go to Vegas and before my bankroll disappears too quickly online.

Running badly, but off to Vegas!

The poker is not going well at the moment. I'm not playing great, I'm not getting many cards and I'm not getting lucky (when I'm ahead or behind). And my bankroll is getting a little light. I've withdrawn a good amount recently to take me back down to ~$2350 so I've moved down to the $20 level for a bit. This is partly because of bankroll issues, and partly just to get some confidence back. Every move I'm making is at the wrong time, and every marginal call I make at the moment wrong.

It could be argued moving down won't do me a vast amount of good as the play is so bad it will take me a while to adjust my ranges now, and then when I move back up again, but I am for a while.

Anyway, the reason my bankroll is a bit light is because I've withdrawn
1) £300 to pay for a food processor for my wife and DS for my son
2) £600 to pay for a flight and hotel in Vegas in early Feb and
3) £1200 as a bankroll while I am away.

It equally amazing that I am able to finance such a trip entirely though my poker winnings, and that my wife has allowed me to go. My brother is not allowed by his wife (although he does have a young baby to be fair) so I am flying solo. I don't mind that actually. The travelling should be easy as the flights are direct and as I've been before I know what to expect. The only thing that will be weird is eating by myself all the time, but I'll carry a book around with me to read at the (food)
tables.

I'm away for 3 full days, and 2 1/2 days (I won't play on the day I fly back), and the plan is to play in 2 tournies a day (probably coming to $900 in entry fees) and some $1/2 NL cash. My guess is I won't cash in any of the tournaments, but I will make a small profit on the cash tables. We'll see.

Funnily enough the last time I went to Vegas I cashed out of my poker account to pay for the trip and went on a terrible run online so got to Vegas low on confidence. I didn't play well while I was there really and got a bit unlucky too. This trip has started in exactly the same way - so I'm hoping my luck changes and my mojo returns.

29 days and counting ....