JSaw - The Constant Limit Poker Grinder
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Where is my luck!
¶ 2:12 PM 0 comments 
I've not had what I would call a good finish in a money MTT in a couple of weeks now some of it has been a bad play by me or not getting the right cards at the right time. But some of it has been I've been with out luck. I was playing a $5 MTT on UB last night and get 
in the SB. Blinds are 20/40 and 4 players have limped in so I also just limp. Flop comes
in the SB. Blinds are 20/40 and 4 players have limped in so I also just limp. Flop comes
It is checked to MP who fires out 140 and called by the button. I'm sure I have the best hand right now so I bet the pot 7oo to get reraised by EP. MP folds Button calls I raise 45 more to go all in. I thought EP my have slow played a set on me but I had a feeling that my 8's were good. The players flip and EP shows 
and Buttons shows 
. I was glad to see there was no set and in fact I was ahead in the hand. I thought also with both players being on the flush draw I wound be good as long as they didn't spike an Ace or King.
Boy was I wrong...the turn brings the spade and I'm gone. I still think I made the right play here and would have been in great shape if my favorite held up!
And here is another hand where luck is not helping me out. Today in the ITH event I'm short stacked (after a bad play with 77). I get all my money in preflop with
and am Heads up vs 
to see this flop:
I've now got a pair of queen great, but the turn brings the so I've now got the flush draw, queen, and ace for the win.
I catch a blank on the river. I know these are spots I don't want to get in, but it looks like I could get luck ever now and then. I just hope my luck turns in the right event so these suckouts and non lucky hands are made worth while!
My limit game is going good right now. I'm at UB working of one of my last bonuses to clear. After this I'll just have Full Tilt to work off. January got off to a rough start but has been a good month over all.
and Buttons shows . I was glad to see there was no set and in fact I was ahead in the hand. I thought also with both players being on the flush draw I wound be good as long as they didn't spike an Ace or King.
Boy was I wrong...the turn brings the spade and I'm gone. I still think I made the right play here and would have been in great shape if my favorite held up!
And here is another hand where luck is not helping me out. Today in the ITH event I'm short stacked (after a bad play with 77). I get all my money in preflop with
and am Heads up vs to see this flop:
I've now got a pair of queen great, but the turn brings the
so I've now got the flush draw, queen, and ace for the win.
I catch a blank on the river. I know these are spots I don't want to get in, but it looks like I could get luck ever now and then. I just hope my luck turns in the right event so these suckouts and non lucky hands are made worth while!
My limit game is going good right now. I'm at UB working of one of my last bonuses to clear. After this I'll just have Full Tilt to work off. January got off to a rough start but has been a good month over all.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
It's hard for a Grinder to find time to post!
I know I posted that I would do better the first of the year at keeping the blog updated, but I have failed. It is hard to pull myself a way from the tables to post. Guess I'm still working on this time manament thing. No big updates. I've won 3 live SnGs this year, which has been a nice change of pass to get to play some live events. Rumors has it Cherokee, NC is getting a cardroom but not much poker action in the hills of SW Virginia.
I hope to be a better blogger for this day forward!
¶ 9:42 PM 0 comments
I hope to be a better blogger for this day forward!
¶ 9:42 PM 0 comments
Thursday, January 13, 2005
First "live" events!
Last night I played in my first live tournament. A bar has fromed a poker league that plays 10 player SnGs where you earn points toward prizes. Each player has to play 12 events, but can play more and have their top 12 finishes count. I'm not 100% sure yet on how the prizes are going to work, but at the end of they season a 2005 WSOP seat will be up for graps. I live not to far from fellow ITHer and Blogger Vatrlrman, so I asked him if he wanted to meet me after work and we would go check out the local poker scene. I had been very excited about getting to play live, and wanted to see if I could. We get there about 15 mins before it is about to start, and see it is a bunch of regulars that know each other pretty well. I had talked to BD the night before on IRC and he had given me some pointers and a link to a Caro video that helped.
First event - The first event starts right at 8:00pm everyone is given a stack of 3500 chips (5 - $500 & 10 - $100) with blinds starting out at $100/$200 on 30 min. levels. I was cold deck the whole event. One hand I should have taken down was my pocket 8s I limp in for $200 to get raised another $300. I call the beat to see a flop of 10s 2s 7s . The hand is check around on the flop. The 3c comes on the turn. I should have took a shot at the pot with 5 people in the hand, but for some reason checked. The river brought a 5d two players got in a battle and I folded my hand. One was playing Ac4c and river a str8, and the other had two pair. The player with 2 pair was very hard to play with (more will come on him later), but it was very interesting to see all the styles of play at the table. Most of the play was very passive, and sometime you could see a pained look on the players face as they made a call with overcards or chasing str8s. For this event I basiclly folded my way into the top 3 only to look over and see Vatrlrman had done the same. I'm down to 2200 UTG with K10os and push all in. Big stack calls with 68os and gets an 8 on the flop to knock me out. I'm not very impressed with play, but really didn't get the cards in this one to do much. So VA gets HU with the chip leader with about T$2000 vs. T$28600. Well they are heads up for about 20 to 25 mins. and VA has the guy going allin with not much left to pull off a very nice come back win. The guy ended up telling VA that he just wanted a top 3 finish for the points, but this was just to cover up the fact he got waxed HU.
Event 2 - After a short break we play another SnG. After doing some thinking I know I have to get out to a chip lead early and start putting some pressure on the guy/gals early. Well it happened, but not how I really wanted it to go down. On the first hand I get Ac7c in ep. I limp for $200 and get raised $500 from the player in event 1. He was drinking pretty good in event one, but must have went str8 to the bar after he busted out because his eyes are almost shut together. I call his raise along with 2 other players to see a flop of 6d 8h 9c. Ok I've now got a OESD and a back door flush. I bet $600 in to the pot and get everyone out but the beerman, who looks at his cards shakes his head then calls. Turn is the 9h ...ok I want this pot right now! I think for a second and feel a $1000 bet will not move him off this pot, so I push "all in". He sit a second and thinks then I see him reach for his chips...the bottom falls out of my stomach and in a drunken slur he says "Call". The dealer says flip them and I keep thinking no way he has a 9. Sure enough he doesn't have a 9, he has Q6os and called me with bottom pair. Well I've got 11 outs to save me...bam 5d on the river! Woot I give a fist pump (only time I broke from my poker face). Now I'm up to $6500+ in chips. 3 hands later I limp in the BB with AA (I know in this post I've said I limped a lot, but that was not how I played most of the night). 5 players see the flop of 2d Js Ah. The small blind bets out $400...I raise it $900 (thought I grabbed 4 $100 chips but only 3...D'oh ) Player in LP calls my $1300 and the SB calls also. Turn is a blank and I bet out $2000, LP calls and I'm hopeing she has AJ. River is a 4, I look down at my chips and go all in again, she calls with A4 and had rivered 2 pair. I didn't have her covered, but left her with $400. Now I'm well over $10K. From here on I'm able to cruise most of the way. Till we are down to 5 and I take an $4500 hit when my TT loses to AKs (to the lady I had left with $400). That hit takes me down to 2nd in chip count, but I keep stealing blind and picking up pots that no one wants to get me back close to first. Then hand of the night takes place for me. Down to 3 players I get J8os on the button. I raise to $3000 with blinds of $800/1500. SB calls and BB (small stack) folds. I got just what I wanted HU with the chip leader. Here is what I now love about NL poker live. I don't remeber the flop turn or river on this hand. I know all the cards where below 10 and no flush or str8s out there. On her call I put her on overcards. So on the flop I bet out again with $2000. She calls. I beat $4000 on the turn, and from the way she looked I knew she didn't have a piece of the flop nor did I, but she called. River comes a blank so I push all in....All I can think is Mike on he's WSOP casting call! Not sure how long it was, but felt like forever. When her hand grabs her cards and mucks them to the dealer. She just folded away 3/4 of her stack to me. I wanted to show my bluff so bad, but I muck and start stacking chips. A few hands later I'm able to finish her off with TT this time and the very next hand get the small stack to go all in preflop as I look down at KK. It was a nice rush to win, and I think I'm going to try and play some more events in this league. The bar owners had a great set up (even had dealers), and I enjoyed the night of poker. I'd don't think I really gave off any tells last night, and did notice that I was the only one waited to look at my cards till it was my turn to act, and the aggression for the most part paid off.
¶ 1:30 PM 0 comments
First event - The first event starts right at 8:00pm everyone is given a stack of 3500 chips (5 - $500 & 10 - $100) with blinds starting out at $100/$200 on 30 min. levels. I was cold deck the whole event. One hand I should have taken down was my pocket 8s I limp in for $200 to get raised another $300. I call the beat to see a flop of 10s 2s 7s . The hand is check around on the flop. The 3c comes on the turn. I should have took a shot at the pot with 5 people in the hand, but for some reason checked. The river brought a 5d two players got in a battle and I folded my hand. One was playing Ac4c and river a str8, and the other had two pair. The player with 2 pair was very hard to play with (more will come on him later), but it was very interesting to see all the styles of play at the table. Most of the play was very passive, and sometime you could see a pained look on the players face as they made a call with overcards or chasing str8s. For this event I basiclly folded my way into the top 3 only to look over and see Vatrlrman had done the same. I'm down to 2200 UTG with K10os and push all in. Big stack calls with 68os and gets an 8 on the flop to knock me out. I'm not very impressed with play, but really didn't get the cards in this one to do much. So VA gets HU with the chip leader with about T$2000 vs. T$28600. Well they are heads up for about 20 to 25 mins. and VA has the guy going allin with not much left to pull off a very nice come back win. The guy ended up telling VA that he just wanted a top 3 finish for the points, but this was just to cover up the fact he got waxed HU.
Event 2 - After a short break we play another SnG. After doing some thinking I know I have to get out to a chip lead early and start putting some pressure on the guy/gals early. Well it happened, but not how I really wanted it to go down. On the first hand I get Ac7c in ep. I limp for $200 and get raised $500 from the player in event 1. He was drinking pretty good in event one, but must have went str8 to the bar after he busted out because his eyes are almost shut together. I call his raise along with 2 other players to see a flop of 6d 8h 9c. Ok I've now got a OESD and a back door flush. I bet $600 in to the pot and get everyone out but the beerman, who looks at his cards shakes his head then calls. Turn is the 9h ...ok I want this pot right now! I think for a second and feel a $1000 bet will not move him off this pot, so I push "all in". He sit a second and thinks then I see him reach for his chips...the bottom falls out of my stomach and in a drunken slur he says "Call". The dealer says flip them and I keep thinking no way he has a 9. Sure enough he doesn't have a 9, he has Q6os and called me with bottom pair. Well I've got 11 outs to save me...bam 5d on the river! Woot I give a fist pump (only time I broke from my poker face). Now I'm up to $6500+ in chips. 3 hands later I limp in the BB with AA (I know in this post I've said I limped a lot, but that was not how I played most of the night). 5 players see the flop of 2d Js Ah. The small blind bets out $400...I raise it $900 (thought I grabbed 4 $100 chips but only 3...D'oh ) Player in LP calls my $1300 and the SB calls also. Turn is a blank and I bet out $2000, LP calls and I'm hopeing she has AJ. River is a 4, I look down at my chips and go all in again, she calls with A4 and had rivered 2 pair. I didn't have her covered, but left her with $400. Now I'm well over $10K. From here on I'm able to cruise most of the way. Till we are down to 5 and I take an $4500 hit when my TT loses to AKs (to the lady I had left with $400). That hit takes me down to 2nd in chip count, but I keep stealing blind and picking up pots that no one wants to get me back close to first. Then hand of the night takes place for me. Down to 3 players I get J8os on the button. I raise to $3000 with blinds of $800/1500. SB calls and BB (small stack) folds. I got just what I wanted HU with the chip leader. Here is what I now love about NL poker live. I don't remeber the flop turn or river on this hand. I know all the cards where below 10 and no flush or str8s out there. On her call I put her on overcards. So on the flop I bet out again with $2000. She calls. I beat $4000 on the turn, and from the way she looked I knew she didn't have a piece of the flop nor did I, but she called. River comes a blank so I push all in....All I can think is Mike on he's WSOP casting call! Not sure how long it was, but felt like forever. When her hand grabs her cards and mucks them to the dealer. She just folded away 3/4 of her stack to me. I wanted to show my bluff so bad, but I muck and start stacking chips. A few hands later I'm able to finish her off with TT this time and the very next hand get the small stack to go all in preflop as I look down at KK. It was a nice rush to win, and I think I'm going to try and play some more events in this league. The bar owners had a great set up (even had dealers), and I enjoyed the night of poker. I'd don't think I really gave off any tells last night, and did notice that I was the only one waited to look at my cards till it was my turn to act, and the aggression for the most part paid off.
¶ 1:30 PM 0 comments
Friday, January 07, 2005
Friday Night Freeroll!
Yes I am playing a freeroll at 11 pm on a Friday night. I started out just going to play a two table SnG on PokerStars then hit the sack, but for some reason I've signed up to this freeroll. Lets see if I can give you a play by play and not bore you to death at the same time!
Time to kick of this Freeroll at Poker Host. 117 players battling for 3 cash spots of $20, $10, and $5 (no I'm not drunk). I have played one of these before just to test out the software. I went all in on my first hand equal to 20 (AQos) and busted out 57th. On the second hand of action I see 67s vs 56s split a pot with trip sixes. In my first chance to acted I get raise out of my BB with J7s with a bet of $62. The slider is a little hard to control. After my 4th hand I get moved to a table with my good buddy Vatrlrman. This should be fun now! Where get gets sucked out on the first hand I see him play. His KQ vs Q9 when the Q9 pairs on the turn. So far in 10 hands I've folded everyone of them. Did have TT in the SB but a T560 bet in front of me. I thought about going all in, but passed for a better hand.
I love playing musical chairs. In less that 25 hands I've sat at 4 different tables, but have seen a lot of players I know. Here is where boredom starts to kick in. After folding a crap load of hands in a freeroll I decide it is a good play to call a T335 raise with ATs, which does not hit for me. I've now played 2 hands and half my stack is gone. Only one think left to do...ALL IN baby. A6s seems like a good enough hand, and it is with a nice double up through A9 when I spike a 6 on the river. I love the limp in EP with A9os the a quick call to my all in. Feeling brave I raise 300 with A9s get min. Raise by QQ I go all in and get called I hit tips other player hits a full house. Next hand AA and I'm all in with T16 in chips. I win that pot and go up to T112. I have to call a reraise my BB for T12 with A7...only to get luck and hit two pair. Now at T204, Don't call it a come back yet! Right now with 46 players left I'm in 46th place. Another all in in my BB with AJos an I go down vs. AK...38 mins. of my life I'll never get back!
¶ 7:36 PM 0 comments
Time to kick of this Freeroll at Poker Host. 117 players battling for 3 cash spots of $20, $10, and $5 (no I'm not drunk). I have played one of these before just to test out the software. I went all in on my first hand equal to 20 (AQos) and busted out 57th. On the second hand of action I see 67s vs 56s split a pot with trip sixes. In my first chance to acted I get raise out of my BB with J7s with a bet of $62. The slider is a little hard to control. After my 4th hand I get moved to a table with my good buddy Vatrlrman. This should be fun now! Where get gets sucked out on the first hand I see him play. His KQ vs Q9 when the Q9 pairs on the turn. So far in 10 hands I've folded everyone of them. Did have TT in the SB but a T560 bet in front of me. I thought about going all in, but passed for a better hand.
I love playing musical chairs. In less that 25 hands I've sat at 4 different tables, but have seen a lot of players I know. Here is where boredom starts to kick in. After folding a crap load of hands in a freeroll I decide it is a good play to call a T335 raise with ATs, which does not hit for me. I've now played 2 hands and half my stack is gone. Only one think left to do...ALL IN baby. A6s seems like a good enough hand, and it is with a nice double up through A9 when I spike a 6 on the river. I love the limp in EP with A9os the a quick call to my all in. Feeling brave I raise 300 with A9s get min. Raise by QQ I go all in and get called I hit tips other player hits a full house. Next hand AA and I'm all in with T16 in chips. I win that pot and go up to T112. I have to call a reraise my BB for T12 with A7...only to get luck and hit two pair. Now at T204, Don't call it a come back yet! Right now with 46 players left I'm in 46th place. Another all in in my BB with AJos an I go down vs. AK...38 mins. of my life I'll never get back!
¶ 7:36 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Been in no writing mood!
What a way to end 2004, with a week plus of poker hell. I could not do anything right and when I did someone playing wrong took my lunch money! This was the 3rd time in my poker playing life that I've hit a dry run. My game seems to have 3 stages. One when I'm running red hot and can do nothing wrong, two when I have a slower profit run of 1 to 3BB/hr, and three when I get killed no matter what I do. I had a good Sunday and Monday of this week and hope I've turned the corner and am coming out of "how can I lose now stage."
One of the things I'm running into is I'm having a hard time finding the time for everything on my plate right now. I'm going to set down this week and try to lay out a better time management plan. I want to get to posting updates on my blog everyday, but have found it hard to find the time. With all the bonuses I've got to work off, I feel like I need to get 4 hours in each night. Anyone out there good at time management?
One of the things going on is the kick off of Season 3 of the 72os.com freeroll tour. I've been trying to get everything set up on it much of this week. Poker Host will be the home site of this Season's Tour. I've seen some good play for the last 2 seasons, so I don't expect any difference in this one.
¶ 2:28 PM 0 comments
One of the things I'm running into is I'm having a hard time finding the time for everything on my plate right now. I'm going to set down this week and try to lay out a better time management plan. I want to get to posting updates on my blog everyday, but have found it hard to find the time. With all the bonuses I've got to work off, I feel like I need to get 4 hours in each night. Anyone out there good at time management?
One of the things going on is the kick off of Season 3 of the 72os.com freeroll tour. I've been trying to get everything set up on it much of this week. Poker Host will be the home site of this Season's Tour. I've seen some good play for the last 2 seasons, so I don't expect any difference in this one.
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