10$ tourneys with friends

Tonight I played three small tournaments with some friends at $10 each (there were six of us). I managed to win the first one by catching cards at the right time - I was down to $2500 heads-up against Chuck who had $21500. It took me about 20 minutes to finish it off... last hand I had 45 spades, and he didn't raise his JJ. Flop came 443, he bet, I went all-in and he called.

I also won the 2nd tourney... last hand three-handed, Chief raised under the gun to $2400 (blinds 600/1200). I'm in the small blind with pocket Aces so I raised him all-in ($2500 more), and Chuck also called with J2 diamonds for $2550. Chief had AK clubs... neither of them caught and I took it down.

I got busted out first in the last one - I went all-in with an inside straight draw (because I had to leave).

I finished the night $70 up. And the Senators won 8-4 too, so it was a good night!

Short tourney

Tonight I was back at the local bar for the weekly $40 NLHE tournament. Third hand, blinds are at $50/$100 (we start with $3500 in chips). I'm in the small blind. Under the gun (very loose player) raises to $200, one player calls, it comes to me and I call the extra $150 with 910o. Big blind also calls. Flop Kh 7c 8s. We all check. Turn 6 of spades. I lead out with $500, bb folds, loose pf raiser raises again, this time to $1500, other player folds and I go all-in for $1800 more. He calls and turns AJ of spades... and of course, he hits his spade on the river (I was an 80% favorite to double up).

I decided this wasn't the night to play cash games, so I just went home after playing for 6 minutes.

Degree Poker Championship

My trip to Niagara Falls is now finalized. I'll be leaving Wednesday May 3rd, and coming back on the 5th. My session for the Degree Poker Championship starts at 8:00 am on the 5th, and then I have to drive straight back home to play in a ball hockey tournament at 7:30 pm in Ottawa.

I'm hoping to play cash games on Wednesday evening, and all day Thursday. I'll try to update the blog during the trip. The Degree tournament is a little like playing bingo (few chips, blinds increasing quickly), but when will I get another chance to win $100,000 for free? That session will have 250 players, playing down to 20. If I survive, I'll have to drive back to play again on the 8th. The tournament ends on May 12th.

Last night, I played small $10 tourneys with 4 buddies... I won 2 out of 3 for a $60 profit - but I lost $20 of that to Chief as he beat me heads-up 3 out of 4. The student beats the master LOL !

A little online poker

I didn't play much today... I tried the $10,000 guaranteed $3 re-buy on Pokerstars at 2:10 pm, and my total buy-in was $12. My QQ got busted by 77 all-in preflop when we were about 240 players left (paid up to 198). I would have been in good chip position if I won that pot, but that's poker!

I played about an hour of 1/2 NL also on PS before going to bed, buying in with only $80 since my account's been up and down like a yoyo lately - I cashed out $245. Here's the hand I made most of my money on... I had a feeling I was trailing in the hand when he just called with the two aces on board, but then the river saved me (note that the other player made his big move too late - I don't know why he didn't put me on the Ace the way the hand was played - did he think I'd fold the full house?)

Poker Stars
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $1/$2
9 players
Converter


Stack sizes:
UTG: $50.45
UTG+1: $190.75
MP1: $206.55
RockHD: $120.45
MP3: $200
CO: $200
Button: $140.70
SB: $137.65
BB: $78


Pre-flop: (9 players) RockHD is MP2 with A♠ T♦
3 folds, RockHD raises to $8, 5 folds, SB calls, BB folds.


Flop: K♣ 6♦ A♥ ($18, 2 players)
SB checks, RockHD bets $12, SB calls.


Turn: A♦ ($42, 2 players)
SB checks, RockHD bets $20, SB calls.


River: K♠ ($82, 2 players)
SB is all-in $97.65, RockHD calls all-in $80.45.

Uncalled bets: $17.2 returned to SB.



Results:
Final pot: $242.9
SB showed 6♠ 6♥
RockHD showed A♠ 10♦

What a night for Matt

We played our usual $40 tourney last night at the local bar - 43 people showed up. I didn't last very long as I raised AQs about half of my low stack, and got flat called by AA. I went all-in on the turn as we both had checked the flop, and that was that.

There were two cash games going on at that point. In one there were 10 people playing 1/2 NL, the other had 4 guys playing 5/10 NL, with a minimum buy-in of $300. I debated about going to the cash machine for the extra $60 I was missing, but I knew the players in the game and I thought it was a good chance to make some $$. So I bought in, and proceeded to build my stack to about $500 when I got pocket Aces twice, and also won a race with 44 against A9 when his A gave me a straight.

Two of the players left, but three more came in, including young Matt who decided to gamble since he had cleared over $1000 the week before playing cash games and tourneys. More about Matt in a minute, but here are my key hands this evening:

Got AA again, raised preflop to $35, agressive player re-raises to $90, very loose player calls, I go all-in for $340 more, they both call. Agressive players has AKo, loose player has QQ to my surprise. My hand held up. Three hands later, I have KK. I raise it this time to $60, and I get two callers (two very loose players). Flop K 10 7 with two diamonds. I lead out with $75, first player calls, 2nd raises to $150, I call. Turn A, no diamond. I bet $130, putting both all in, they both call. First guy has 99, and is drawing dead. 2nd player has A7, two pairs needing an Ace for a boat - but the river misses him.

The only substantial pot I lost went this way: I flat called on the button with KJo, 4 players in the hand including the same loose player I beat on the two hands above (we'll call him Mr. C). Flop comes 2 4 K, Mr. C bets $50, I call, everyone else folds. Turn 7, he checks, I bet $150, he calls. Ace on the river - he bets out $400. I got that feeling again that I had just been rivered, but he had been trying to buy every pot (and not succeeding) and I thought the A was a good card for him to bluff on. So I called, and he showed 3 5 of spades for a straight.

I ended the night up $1260 in the cash game, so $1220 for the evening.

Now back to Matt... he got nice hands as well, and built up an impressive stack to about $2200 from his $300 buy-in. With about 10 minutes to go before closing time, he makes an A high flush on the river (he's holding the A, the Q and K and two other hearts are on the board). He bets out $400 (everyone knows he has the A, except Mr C.). Mr C. decides calling the $400 with his J of hearts is not the play for him, he re-raises and puts Matt all-in! Me and the rest of the players can't believe it. There is no pair on board, Matt has the nuts, so he makes another $2200 in that pot! So he ended the night up a little over $4300 - the best night of his young poker life I'm sure.

Welcome

Thanks for visiting my blog.

I'll post something more meaningful when I actually do something that warrants it!

RockHD