Still here.

Once again I must apologize for my infrequent blog entries. It seems that when I run into a cold streak at the tables I can't muster the energi to write about it. After a sensational first half of the month, things slowed down considerably the last couple of weeks. But still, the end result is a great month, enough so to make up for September which was downright bad.

I have combined all my game data for the last two months on one computer for scientific purposes, and here are the results.


400NL
Total: $4,743
Hands: 14,381
PTBB/100: 4.12

600NL
Total: $27,198
Hands: 87,503
PTBB/100: 2.59

1000NL
Total: -$1,345
Hands: 2,310
PTBB/100: -2.51

Total
Total: $30,597
Hands: 104,194
Hours: 145.87
PTBB/100: 2.69
Multitabling ratio: 6.91
Hourly rate: $209.76

Single session record.

As I continued my pursuit of the Partypoker Bad Beat Jackpot, I turned in a nice 4 hour session playing 8 tables at 600NL. Result: $8,529 in the bag, for 20.73 BB/100 over 3,429 hands. WUHU!

Here are a couple of hands. I didn't run hot in all of them.
First hand:

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $3/$6
4 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $836.40
Button: $1035.50
Hero: $1531.90
BB: $525.10

Pre-flop: (4 players) Hero is SB with :ah :ad
UTG folds, Button raises to $24, Hero raises to $80, BB folds, Button calls.

Flop: :3d :qh :5c ($166, 2 players)
Hero bets $130, Button calls.

Turn: :6d ($426, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $388, Hero raises all-in $1321.9, Button calls all-in $437.5.
Uncalled bets: $496.4 returned to Hero.

River: :5d ($2077, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $2077)

Results:
Final pot: $2077
Button shows Td 7d (flush)
Hero shows Ah Ad (two pairs, aces and fives)

I know the other guy well, and played him perfectly, and still lost a thousand dollars.
Second hand:


Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $3/$6
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $600
CO: $588
Hero: $637
SB: $655
BB: $2239.15

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is Button with :8s :9s
UTG folds, CO raises to $21, Hero raises to $70, 2 folds, CO calls.

Flop: :9d :3c :4h ($149, 2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets $110, CO raises to $330, Hero raises all-in $457, CO calls all-in $188.
Uncalled bets: $49 returned to Hero.

Turn: :8d ($1185, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $1185)

River: :6d ($1185, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $1185)

Results:
Final pot: $1185
CO shows 5c 4c (pair of fours)
Hero shows 8s 9s (two pairs, nines and eights)

This one is debatable. I knew even before I bet the flop that I was in for a tough spot if he raised me. Of course this shove is never even worth considering without some serious history.
Third hand:

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $3/$6
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $150
CO: $718.65
Button: $591
SB: $2091.45
Hero: $1358.25

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is BB with :ad :ks
2 folds, Button raises to $24, SB folds, Hero raises to $80, Button raises all-in $567, Hero calls.

Flop: :5d :qd :3h ($1185, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $1185)

Turn: :9s ($1185, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $1185)

River: :7c ($1185, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $1185)

Results:
Final pot: $1185
Hero shows Ad Ks (Ace high, King kicker)
Button doesn't show 8s Ah (Ace high, eight kicker)

People get crazy sometimes. Especially when they are 3-bet a lot preflop. The trick is to know if you are dealing with an aggressive guy gone over the edge, or a patient guy who hit his monster. Experience and stats are needed to make that decision correct as often as possible.

Wanna see a bad beat?

OK, here it is:

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

BB ($400)
UTG ($406)
MP ($523.40)
CO ($459.50)
Hero ($934.90)
SB ($495.70)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Kd, Kh. UTG posts a blind of $4.
1 fold, CO raises to $14, Hero raises to $50, 2 folds, CO calls $36.

Flop: ($106) 8d, Kc, 4d (3 players)
CO checks, Hero bets $75, CO calls $75.

Turn: ($256) Ah (3 players)
CO checks, Hero checks.

River: ($256) 8s (3 players)
CO calls $459.50 (All-In), Hero calls $334.50.

Final Pot: $1050

CO has 8h 8c (four of a kind, eights).
Hero has Kd Kh (full house, kings full of eights).
Outcome: CO wins $925. Hero wins $125.


I played 400NL instead of my normal 600NL because I wanted to try 10-tabling while the Partypoker jackpot was huge. Its still huge btw (I didn't win it yet). The playing went well except for the results, so I may try it again. Ran horribly bad though and lost 8 buy-ins, my first losing session in almost two weeks.


PS. Don't play at Absolute Poker. They cheat.

Much better.

What a difference a week makes. Pretty much everything has gone right since my last blog entry. Here is the same graph I posted then, with action since then:



Sometimes poker is much more fun than other times.

Another week.

I am still alive and still grinding.

Results wise I am doing ok, slowly padding the good old roll. Right now is not a very inspiring time from a blogging stand point. I am doing what I have been doing for a while until I feel I have enough money to move up and have fun.

When I come up with some exceptional new insight I will let you know. Until then, here is a bit of insight into what I have been dealing with the past month. Since I am playing in two different places, this is only half my play during the last month, but you get the idea. There are 34k hands with red numbers at the end. Also a 20 buy-in downswing. Poker is not always exactly wonderful.