BBT4 is winding down

I donked my way to another final table...this time in limit HE Skeeeeelz. I haven't had problems getting to the final table in the BBT...except for the month of April. The problem is I'm usually short stacked when I get there. Last night I built up to a decent stack of over 16K but started to donk it off slowly. My last hand was AxKx....and a rag board flopped. I raised going in and LJ called. I bet the flop and we RRaised all the way to the river and lo' and behold LJ read me correctly. My problem is when I showed strength with the pre-flop raise I thought she would fold. Well she didn't and I donked out 8th. I'm sure that the people at the final table were not too happy with me doubling up LJ. I made the decision to go for it at that time because 1st is the only thing we should be going for...that is those of us without a TOC seat. Nice read LJ....and apparently she went on to win so that leaves me with exactly 6 or 7 chances left. I'm not gonna lie...I didn't stick around to see the conclusion after my crap final table play.

March : I started out with some good play. I made 6 Final tables...made 6 cashes...made 7 in the points finishes. That's not bad out of 18 tourneys played. No win but I figured I have 2 months to go.

April : I figured I can make the points and final tables but I needed to change the way I get there...get there with a stack or don't get there at all. That was a mistake as I only had 1 final table (3rd or 4th in RiverChasers).....made 2 cashes....and only 2 in the Points finishes for the month out of 12 tourneys played. I'm not sure why I missed 5 tourneys but the Sunday start time of 4:30 for the Brit was just not a good time for me and my kids (not that I'm complaining about anything....it's just hard to justify playing online poker with a toddler and baby running/crawling around the house). People with kids will know what I'm talking about and people who don't have no idea what I'm talking about....those who are planning to have kids...plan on it interrupting your poker time for the foreseeable future. So anyway, I changed my play and went for all or nothing in order to get to the final table with a big stack. It worked once but I could have probably made better decisions at certain times. I figured...no big deal...I have a whole month of tourneys left.

May : I reverted back to my original half LAG half tight approach and so far out of 9 tourneys played I have made the final table 3 times (again missing the Brit Bloggerment...for the month...although if there is one on the 31st I will play that and the Big Game that night as well)
I made 3 times in the points but only 1 cash so far. So I need to take advantage of the final table when I get there. If I ever get there with a big stack I need to just run over the final table (ya right...I just sit there in awe of some of the the people who have won multiple tourneys..they just seem to steamroll with good hands and bad hands)....and if I get there as i did last night...I need to at least not make a single mistake.

Two things that have been pointed out to me :

If I have 10 BB's or less just shove. Don't try to steal the Blinds and then fold to a shove. I folded to a couple of shoves on the final table bubble with 10 or less BB's and that is just not the way to win a tourney. I know this but I was practicing it like I have been on Stars for the last year and a half. As I am typing this that is probably my whole problem with my play on Full Tilt. I've had more problems on Full Tilt than PokerStars or Bodog....I am just giving my chips away at the end. Again I know this but for some reason I haven't been executing it. (It may look like I am chip dumping but I can assure you In my twisted mind I am doing the right thing at that time...so I will stop gifting my chips away Limit HE not withstanding).

Don't raise so much out of position. I raise more out of position then I do in position. It seems that I get better hands OOP then In Position. That continues to creep into my play in almost all tourneys...and we all know that is just not a good way to accumulate chips in NLHE tourneys....

These are two things that I struggle with when playing tourneys online. I guess I'll have to revisit the changes I made at the beginning of 2008 and get back to what works. That brings up the other problem I have....Making time to study HH's and training videos etc. Good luck to everybody in the BBT and the TOC should I get there or not. The only way I get to the WSOP is by satellite or a BBT challenge so that is looking unlikely. Not that I won't blow out a small bankroll trying :)

Big time kudos to Al for the BBT4. I salute you and the next time I meet you I will buy you a Soco 'neat'. I met Al at the 2007 Winter gathering for a brief second but he was inundated with multiple shots and people looking for a party messiah.

See all of you BBTrs and stragglers at the MOOKIE tonight!

Sunday Millions questionable hand and Quad Q's

I cashed in the Sunday Millions...and it feels good. I haven't been able to cash in a Sunday major except the Bodog 100K. I got bad beat out 13th with A's BTW in that one..that would've been nice but that's ancient history now. This following hand is of particular interest. It is against one of the better MTTers on PokerStars. I had KK...

p0kerStars Game #27786223379: Tournament #158061334, $200+$15 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (150/300) - 2009/05/03 17:51:17 ET
Table '158061334 109' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: dupie20 (22417 in chips)
Seat 2: Maestrificus (13742 in chips)
Seat 3: jyaku (11976 in chips)
Seat 4: tjhb (13988 in chips)
Seat 5: BurnsMan666 (18000 in chips)
Seat 6: Ice B (15654 in chips)
Seat 7: JustPray (8312 in chips)
Seat 8: DoubleDave (10629 in chips)
Seat 9: kloun7 (20025 in chips)
JustPray: posts small blind 150
DoubleDave: posts big blind 300
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DoubleDave [Kh Ks]
Maestrificus said, "What I mean is has it always been like this?"
kloun7: folds
dupie20: folds
Maestrificus: folds
jyaku: folds
tjhb: folds
BurnsMan666: calls 300
Ice B: raises 800 to 1100
JustPray: folds
DoubleDave: raises 1000 to 2100<-------I know...its a wacky min-raise...looks weird
BurnsMan666: folds
Maestrificus said, "Lol ok phil"
Maestrificus said, "in bit"
Ice B: raises 3400 to 5500
DoubleDave: raises 5129 to 10629 and is all-in
Ice B: calls 5129
*** FLOP *** [Ts Tc 4c]
*** TURN *** [Ts Tc 4c] [3h]
*** RIVER *** [Ts Tc 4c 3h] [8d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***

So what do you think this guy has to battle with at the end of our re-raises all in pre-flop??? Oh and he has the following stats on OPR :

He has over 161.5K in prizes, over 61K in profit...a whopping +61% overall ROI On PokerStars......


Edit : This is what he had

DoubleDave: shows [Kh Ks] (two pair, Kings and Tens)
Ice B: shows [7c Jh] (a pair of Tens)
DoubleDave collected 21708 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 21708 | Rake 0
Board [Ts Tc 4c 3h 8d]
Seat 1: dupie20 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Maestrificus folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: jyaku folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: tjhb folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: BurnsMan666 folded before Flop
Seat 6: Ice B (button) showed [7c Jh] and lost with a pair of Tens
Seat 7: JustPray (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: DoubleDave (big blind) showed [Kh Ks] and won (21708) with two pair, Kings and Tens
Seat 9: kloun7 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

ummmm J-7 off suit...WOW


This is thrown in for good measure...I decided to play the 40K guar. on Full Tilt Phucker and this happened :



Quadius Queenius Bitchius!!!!!!

Ober....Unger....Unger....Dunn.....Dunn....Ober

This is how every tournament ends for me on Full Tilt Phucker....it's true. The only thing I can think of to do is maybe utilize a stop 'n go type play from now on. I just can't get it done on FTP. I realize its painful to read about bad beats but I'm posting them anyway...it's the only way to fade them away. I also tried to get my chat banned so stay tuned for no words from me in any BBT tourneys...

Another thing I can't understand is how someone can win multiple 28K's or even multiple top threes. Chad should write a book. How the eff do you do it man????....


Full Tilt Poker Game #11996783897: $28,000 Guarantee (89724697), Table 56 - 120/240 Ante 25 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:49:42 ET - 2009/05/02
Seat 1: Mr_Evil71 (6,150)
Seat 2: DDionysus (3,265)
Seat 3: yo no more taco (16,253)
Seat 4: jaymello (7,771)
Seat 5: Saane17 (4,067)
Seat 6: wizdoom (11,825)
Seat 7: hawaimushroom (10,895)
Seat 8: andy_84_02 (6,075)
Seat 9: Soccerprep205 (7,201)
Mr_Evil71 antes 25
DDionysus antes 25
yo no more taco antes 25
jaymello antes 25
Saane17 antes 25
wizdoom antes 25
hawaimushroom antes 25
andy_84_02 antes 25
Soccerprep205 antes 25
yo no more taco posts the small blind of 120
jaymello posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DDionysus [Jh Js]
Saane17 folds
wizdoom folds
hawaimushroom folds
andy_84_02 folds
Soccerprep205 calls 240
Mr_Evil71 calls 240
DDionysus has 15 seconds left to act
DDionysus raises to 1,545
yo no more taco folds
jaymello folds
Soccerprep205 folds
Mr_Evil71 raises to 6,125, and is all in
DDionysus calls 1,695, and is all in
Mr_Evil71 shows [7h 7d]
DDionysus shows [Jh Js]
Uncalled bet of 2,885 returned to Mr_Evil71
*** FLOP *** [9d 6h 6d]
*** TURN *** [9d 6h 6d] [Qc]
*** RIVER *** [9d 6h 6d Qc] [7c]
Mr_Evil71 shows a full house, Sevens full of Sixes
DDionysus shows two pair, Jacks and Sixes
Mr_Evil71 wins the pot (7,305) with a full house, Sevens full of Sixes
DDionysus stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 7,305 | Rake 0
Board: [9d 6h 6d Qc 7c]
Seat 1: Mr_Evil71 showed [7h 7d] and won (7,305) with a full house, Sevens full of Sixes
Seat 2: DDionysus (button) showed [Jh Js] and lost with two pair, Jacks and Sixes
Seat 3: yo no more taco (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: jaymello (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: Saane17 folded before the Flop
Seat 6: wizdoom folded before the Flop
Seat 7: hawaimushroom folded before the Flop
Seat 8: andy_84_02 folded before the Flop
Seat 9: Soccerprep205 folded before the Flop

Friday nights on PokerStars....

Why do I bother....this is my typical Friday night (of course...I know....it's a 3$ re buy...and it's what I'm supposed to want...but I'll never get used to this. Also keep in mind that this is AFTER the re buy period) :

PokerStars Game #27717737031: Tournament #158091112, $3.00+$0.30 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (125/250) - 2009/05/01 21:50:53 ET
Table '158091112 9' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: camdzic (9374 in chips)
Seat 2: DoubleDave (6005 in chips)
Seat 3: GUSEE (32431 in chips)
Seat 4: PinchEndo (4245 in chips)
Seat 5: joe60 (9395 in chips)
Seat 6: chrispy2005 (8428 in chips)
Seat 7: JRDurham (3398 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 8: mr.speank (13260 in chips)
Seat 9: zazx (9205 in chips)
camdzic: posts the ante 30
DoubleDave: posts the ante 30
GUSEE: posts the ante 30
PinchEndo: posts the ante 30
joe60: posts the ante 30
chrispy2005: posts the ante 30
JRDurham: posts the ante 30
mr.speank: posts the ante 30
zazx: posts the ante 30
joe60: posts small blind 125
chrispy2005: posts big blind 250
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DoubleDave [Kd Kc]
JRDurham: folds
mr.speank: calls 250
zazx: calls 250
camdzic: calls 250
DoubleDave: raises 1000 to 1250
GUSEE: folds
PinchEndo: folds
joe60: folds
chrispy2005: folds
mr.speank: calls 1000
zazx: folds
camdzic: calls 1000
*** FLOP *** [Tc 7c 2s]
mr.speank: checks
camdzic: checks
DoubleDave: bets 1000
mr.speank: calls 1000
camdzic: raises 7094 to 8094 and is all-in
DoubleDave: calls 3725 and is all-in
mr.speank: folds
Uncalled bet (3369) returned to camdzic
*** TURN *** [Tc 7c 2s] [Qd]
*** RIVER *** [Tc 7c 2s Qd] [9d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
camdzic: shows [9h Ts] (two pair, Tens and Nines)
DoubleDave: shows [Kd Kc] (a pair of Kings)
camdzic collected 15095 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 15095 | Rake 0
Board [Tc 7c 2s Qd 9d]
Seat 1: camdzic showed [9h Ts] and won (15095) with two pair, Tens and Nines
Seat 2: DoubleDave showed [Kd Kc] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 3: GUSEE folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: PinchEndo (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: joe60 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: chrispy2005 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: JRDurham folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: mr.speank folded on the Flop
Seat 9: zazx folded before Flop

This guys stats are much worse than mine on Full Tilt (I lost it and told him to basically die a horrible death :) )

Game Prizes ROI ABI AFS R/A ITM ITM
Hold'em NL $2,140 <$0 -59% $5.66 2226 23% 93/922 10%
Hold'em L/PL $0 $0 0% $0 0 0% 0/0 0%
Omaha $0 <$0 -100% $0.10 240 0% 0/6 0%
Omaha Hi Lo $0 <$0 -100% $1.10 405 0% 0/1 0%
Other $0 $0 0% $0 0 0% 0/0 0%
$2,140 <$0 -59% $5.62 2211 23% 93/929 10%