Two days of losses, a week of wins

After the massive wins (for me) on Sunday and Monday, I signed on Tuesday night fully expecting to make more money. The poker gods had other ideas, and I lost about $25 a day two days in a row. One of the problems was the fact that I was playing really late at night, and Sunday night’s 2/4 session notwithstanding, late night play = -EV for me. Also, I wasn’t able to play during “prime time” on Tuesday or Wednesday because I was out or watching a movie. I probably should have skipped playing those days altogether.

Still, it’s been a good week:

Fri  $38.01
Sat -$15.50
Sun  $37.13
Mon $112.75
Tue  -$5.50
Wed -$50.25
Thu  $22.50

Total: $140, 4.21BB/100 hands.

Weekly home game tonight. Wish me luck.

Bang Bang Bang Bang!

Played 118 hands at the 1/2 tables and made some crazy money: 21.36BB/100 hands at one table, and 48.08BB/100 hands at another. $71 total.

In the first session I think I played the same number of hands as usual (VP$IP of 18.99%), but just made the most of them. In fact, it got to a point where a pre-flop raise or first-in bet on the flop got a bunch of folds around the table, cutting into my win rate.

In the second session I got a good run of cards (VP$IP of 28.21%) and made most of my money from a few select hands: bigger flopped set beating a smaller flopped set, flush on the river beating flopped two pair (he slow-played it), and some others. Yeah. I’d rather be lucky than good.

I also watched HD at the 5/10 short-handed tables. Talk about variance. I don’t think I could stomach it myself. That 2/4 session last night was crazy enough as it was. Sure, it paid off, but it could have just as easily left me with nothing, preventing me from making another $71 today.

I think I’ll stick to 1/2 for now.

Hit and run at the 2/4 tables

Okay, I’m playing way above my bankroll’s limit. And it’s 1 in the morning, a time that has never worked out for me. But after losing 24 bucks at the 1/2 tables a little earlier, I decided to see if I could make a quick buck at a higher limit. Good God. People at this table were raising pre-flop a lot, and there were very few showdowns. I got caught in a few situations where I’d fold on the flop or turn, and I have no idea whether or not those people had anything. Thankfully a few hands worked in my favor:

Party Poker 2/4 Hold’em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with Kd, 9d.
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 (Serial Raiser) raises, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button folds, SB folds, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (8.50 SB) 4c, Ad, Qd (4 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Serial Raiser bets, CO calls, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Turn: (6.25 BB) 3h (4 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Serial Raiser bets, CO calls, Hero calls, UTG folds.

River: (9.25 BB) 3d (3 players)
Hero checks, Serial Raiser checks, CO bets, Hero raises, Serial Raiser folds, CO calls.

Final Pot: 13.25 BB
Main Pot: 13.25 BB, between CO and Hero. > Pot won by Hero (13.25 BB).

Hero shows Kd 9d (flush, ace high).
CO shows Ac 5c (two pair, aces and threes).
Outcome: Hero wins 13.25 BB.

Party Poker 2/4 Hold’em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with Ac, Ah.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 raises, MP1 (Serial Raiser) 3-bets, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button folds, Hero caps, BB folds, UTG+2 calls, MP1 (Serial Raiser) calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (17 SB) Ts, Kh, As (4 players)
Hero bets, UTG+2 calls, Serial Raiser folds, MP3 calls.

Turn: (10 BB) Td (3 players)
Hero bets, UTG+2 calls, MP3 raises, Hero 3-bets, UTG+2 calls, MP3 calls $1 (All-In).

River: (18.25 BB) 7c (3 players, 1 all-in)
Hero bets, UTG+2 folds.

Final Pot: 19.25 BB
Main Pot: 16.75 BB, between MP3 and Hero. > Pot won by Hero (16.75 BB).
Pot 2: 1.50 BB, returned to Hero.

Hero shows Ac Ah (full house, aces full of tens).
MP3 shows 2s 2h (two pair, tens and twos).
Outcome: Hero wins 18.25 BB.

As a result, I quickly made $40 in 26 min for a win rate of 29.64BB/100 hands.

Now I can go to sleep.

Pounding the tables

Otherwise known as getting lucky with cards and lucky with opponents at the 1/2 tables. A lot of my big hands and medium pairs got hit by the flop or the turn, and I managed to make about $60 or 22.11BB/100 hands. It’s been a while since I’ve pulled off that kind of win rate. And hey, it still feels good.

Biggest pot I won:

Party Poker 1/2 Hold’em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Tc, Td.
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB raises, BB calls, UTG calls, Hero calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (12 SB) 2d, Ts, Js (6 players)
SB bets, BB calls, UTG calls, Hero raises, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls.

Turn: (11 BB) 3c (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets, MP2 folds, SB calls, BB calls, UTG folds.

River: (14 BB) Ad (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, SB calls, BB folds.

Final Pot: 16 BB
Main Pot: 16 BB, between Hero and SB. > Pot won by Hero (16 BB).

Hero shows Tc Td (three of a kind, tens).
SB shows Kh As (one pair, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins 16 BB.

Biggest pot I lost:

Party Poker 1/2 Hold’em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with Kd, Qc.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (5 SB) Ts, Jc, 9s (5 players)
SB bets, Hero raises, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls, SB calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) 2s (5 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 folds, SB calls.

River: (11.50 BB) 4h (4 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, SB raises, Hero calls, UTG folds.

Final Pot: 16.50 BB
Main Pot: 16.50 BB, between SB and Hero. > Pot won by SB (16.50 BB).

SB shows 6s 4s (flush, ten high).
Hero shows Kd Qc (straight, king high).
Outcome: SB wins 16.50 BB.

Morning freeroll results were pretty mediocre. I’m playing pretty well all morning, but by the time we’re down to four tables, I’ve got below average in chips. I figure I can make it to the money (20 places get paid), and right after I do this calculation, the flop comes up Axx, and I try to win with my A8s. I bet, AK raises, I call. This happens two more times! What was my problem? I should have folded. Anyway, after this fiasco, he takes the pot, and I’m left with 1.5 times the big blind. Next BB, I call a raise with T8 and my sorry ass goes out in 37th place. How annoying.

Also managed to catch Pauly at an Omaha SNG. Like I told him at the table, Omaha freaks me out. I like playing it, and I think it’s good to learn how to play it, but I’m really pretty shitty at figuring out what the hell makes a good hand. Pauly gets props for playing it. Alas, he bubbled out in 4th.

Kinda like my SNG Friday night with JC. Or rather, my second SNG Friday night. JC didn’t manage to secure a place in the first one. First hand I get KQ suited or something, and the flop comes up AJ9. I forget the particulars, but I had a straight draw and flush draw and called someone’s all-in. They had AK. Turn makes my flush, river makes his boat. Ugh. Out in 10th place, first hand! Something tells me I should avoid tournament play when an entry fee is involved.

SaTARDay

My Internet connection’s been spotty all day, and getting progressively worse. I sat through two freerolls and some limit ring games with the connection going in and out, in and out. Ugh.

Then it occurred to me just fifteen minutes ago that I ought to restart the modem.

That fixed everything.

So my plan to win some more money at 1/2 on Saturday was shot to hell, but at least I’ll have a good connection for tomorrow morning’s weekly freeroll.