Bogey free

Today, I was finally able to achieve a goal that I've had for over 10 years... I played a bogey-free round of golf at Outaouais. Why was this a goal? Simple. After a round of 67 at my old club (Heritage in Notre-Dame de la Paix, QC), the head pro congratulated me, and then asked: "but have you ever played a bogey-free round?". The answer was no. And thus began the quest to achieve this elusive bogey-free round. Every round I've played, the goal when I tee up on the first hole has been to play 18 holes without a bogey.

I've shot under par a number of times, but always with at least one bogey. I even shot 5 under 67 at Outaouais twice, but even those rounds included the dreaded bogey.

Earlier this summer at Montpellier, I shot 4 under 67 with 6 birdies, but I made a stupid double bogey (40 yards away from the green in two on a par five...). Even last week, I started off 3 under on the front nine, and then I missed a two foot par putt on 10... But today was the day. Here's the scorecard:


Hole Par Score
1 4 4
2 3 3
3 5 4
4 4 4
5 4 3
6 5 5
7 4 4
8 3 3
9 4 4
OUT 36 34
10 4 4
11 5 5
12 3 3
13 4 4
14 4 3
15 5 4
16 4 4
17 3 3
18 4 4
IN 36 34

TOTAL 72 68


Poker wise, I haven't made much progress since the last blog entry. On Eurolinx, my $1500 was down to below $600, but I managed to bring it back up to $1650. I haven't taken out any money from the site since that last blog entry either. But I'm working on it....

Don't bluff someone holding the nuts

As you can tell from the title, things didn't work out at the QPT event. In the first hour, I got my stack up from the original 10,000 to over 13,000. No big hands, just picked up some blinds and a few pots after the flop.

Then I made the big mistake... I have A 10, in early position. Blinds are 100/200. I think of folding, but I decide to limp in to try to see a cheap flop. Everyone folds to the SB, and he raises it $750. I should have folded right there, since I couldn't see a cheap flop. But I called.

Flop came 3, 10, K. He leads out and bets $2000. I am very confident that I have the best hand... my instincts tell me he's making a continuation bet. Here's the 2nd mistake I make: I should have raised to find out. A $3000 or $4000 raise would have been a good play. Instead I flat called. Turn J. Another over card. He bets out $3000... I think for a few seconds (my thinking is if he has nothing, or maybe even a AK, and I go all-in he might fold thinking I've made a straight or trips , and I'll pick up a BIG pot and be in control of the table). So I go all-in. Then I hear the dreaded words almost instantly "I call". He shows AQ for the nut straight... So my instincts were right, he had nothing. A gut shot straight draw and only one overcard. 7 outs. He wouldn't have called a raise, and I would have picked up a nice pot. BAD PLAY!

I was left with $1500 chips... I went all-in twice with no callers, and then got called by two players when I had K 10. I didn't hit and got knocked out in the first 2 hours... probably in the first 10 players to be knocked out in the tournament!

But I think I learned that lesson... if I'm trying to see a cheap flop, don't get stubborn and call a raise with a hand that I know isn't worth it.

Quebec Poker Tour

Tomorrow, I'll be playing in the Gatineau event of the Quebec Poker Tour (QPT). It is a $150 buy-in, no limit freeze out. The event is sold out with 250 participants, which makes a very nice prize pool of over $35,000.

I'll try to update this blog during breaks... I'll be going with the same approach I've been using for cash games on Eurolinx. Play position and be agressive. I normally play really tight in tournaments like this, but I've decided to change things up. Especially at the beginning, I will try to set the tone at my table by picking up lots of small pots, raising often, re-raising in position and generally being a tough opponent to read.

I haven't played in a tournament in over two months... online or live. The little poker I've played has been in online cash games. So my performance in tomorrow's tourney will go a long way in deciding if I'll play any WSOP tournaments while I'm in Las Vegas in July. If I determine that my tournament game isn't up to par, I'll stick with cash games for the whole trip (6 days).

Wish me luck!

Wednesday morning quickie

Yesterday, I learned what it feels like to give birth... or so that's what the Dr. told me. I was hit by a kidney stone attack! It was the worst pain I've ever felt, and I hope the pain killers will do their job until it passes...

Today, since I'm at home getting better, I decided to try another $250 on Eurolinx. 2/4 NL as always.

I went up to over $600 in the first hour, and then I lost a couple of medium pots to el_matador... and I was down to around $450. This hand comes along:

RockHD Card dealt Ad Qc on the button

Zap99 Small blind 2.00
el_matador Big blind 4.00
Everyone folds
RockHD Raises to 12.00
Zapp99 folds
el_matador Calls 8.00

Flop Ac 6c 10h

RockHD Checks
el_matador Bets 28.00
RockHD Raises to 64.00
el_matador Raises to 210.00
RockHD goes All-in for 438.00
el_matador Calls 228.00

el_matador shows Kc 8c - he has the nut flush draw

Turn dealt to table 8h - now he has more outs

River dealt to table As - yes!

RockHD Hand result $902.00

So I win with my trip Aces... But to be honest, when he re-raised, I thought there was a chance that he dominated me (AK or a set). I decided to go with the "what the fuck" philosophy, and go all-in. I was happy to see I was ahead before the turn. Was it a great read? Or just frustration from losing two pots to him earlier (when I didn't get to see his cards)? A little of both - I'm just happy it worked out!

So I got that $400 back from Monday evening... and a bit more.

Now I have to go see the Dr. again...

Due to take a loss

No, I don't always win... I bought in tonight with $250, and I was up to about $300. Then I get 44 in the SB, everyone folds, I call the $2, BB raises to $16 and I call. Flop 8 8 5. I check, he bets $24. I think I have the best hand, so I raise it to $64. He calls. Turn 3. I bet $80, he calls. River Q. I check, he goes all-in for about $200... I don't believe he had the 8, and I have the feeling I had the best hand all the way, so I call. He shows AQ. The guy got stubborn and it paid off for him.

I then bought in for another $400 - hoping I could get my money back from this guy (Eurolink name AlwaysBluff). Unfortunately, he exited the table two hands later. I made a few more bad calls, and decided I had enough after losing another $150 of that $400.

So I suffered a $400 loss for the evening in about an hour. I'm not impressed with myself. I shouldn't even have played tonight... I just decided to go online for a "quickie" since I wanted to watch the hockey game at 8:00. And I played loose, and it showed. I'll have to go read Bill Spark's blog again about intent and not playing when you're not ready to give it 100% of your concentration!
(http://billsparkspoker.blogspot.com/)

Monday online poker

I had little time to play poker this weekend with the inter-sectional playdowns at my golf club taking up Saturday and Sunday. I did manage however to get my Eurolinx account to just under $1800.

After about 90 minutes of play, my $250 is up to about $500 (I doubled up against _myst_ when my 88 hit a set against his AsKs).

Then this hand comes along...

RockHD Card dealt 5d 4s in the small blind

RockHD Small blind 2.00
_myst_ Big blind 4.00
Lars_vegas1 Folds
GolliGolli Calls 4.00
Face_OFF Folds
RockHD Calls 2.00
_myst_ Checks

Flop 5s 4d 5c

RockHD Checks
_myst_ Checks
GolliGolli Bets 12.00
RockHD Calls 12.00
_myst_ Folds

Turn dealt to table 10h

RockHD Checks
GolliGolli Bets 44.00
RockHD Raises to 120.00
GolliGolli goes All-in for 307.50
RockHD Calls 231.50

GolliGolli shows 4c 4h - Poor guy flopped a full house, but he's drawing dead!

River dealt to table 10c

GolliGolli Showdown Show card: Full House
4 4 4 10 10

RockHD Showdown Show card: Full House
5 5 5 10 10

RockHD Hand result $737.00

I played a bit longer, still using my agressive, but solid play and my account now stands at over $2500... (current profit on Eurolinx of $3500). I'm withdrawing another $1000 - leaving $1500 on the site.

Eurolinx rules!

I've been playing about 2 hours, and I started with $250. I had to put in another $100, and then another $200, so my buy-in is $550. I lost about $275 when my QQ ran into AA... but I've made my way back playing solid, but agressive... I'm up to over $900. This hand comes up against someone I'd already taken $300 from earlier.

I'm on the button...

RockHD dealt Ah Ks
pokerlomme Fold
willie_beaman Fold
s00t_donkey Fold
RockHD Raise to 12.00
Rosapantern Fold
Mr_Norris Call 8.00

Pretty standard, I raise a good hand on the button.

Flop 9h 9s 4c

Mr_Norris Check
RockHD Bet 13.00 (half the pot)
Mr_Norris Raise to 30.00 - now I'm pretty sure he's stealing, so...
RockHD Raise to 60.00
Mr_Norris Fold

I never show my cards, but I knew he was trying to steal, so I ask him:

AK Good??

He doesn't say anything. If he had a small pair, he's steaming. If he knows I just caught him trying to steal the pot, he's still steaming...

And then this comes up the very next hand:

RockHD dealt Qs9s. I'm in the cutoff, Mr_Norris is the SB.

Mr_Norris Ante/Small blind 2.00
pokerlomme Big blind/Bring in 4.00
RockHD Raise to 12.00
everyone folds
Mr_Norris Raise to 34.00
RockHD Call 22.00

It's a bit of a loose call, but I know my hand is only good if I flop something big... straight, flush, three-of-a-kind or two pair. I can then just throw it away if I don't hit...

Flop As 4s Js
- Bingo, I flop the 2nd nut flush
Mr_Norris Bet 70.00
- I don't think he has a flush, and I certainly don't think he's got a higher flush than I do with this bet.
RockHD Raise to 186.00
- Raising here hides the strength of my hand... he might believe I have an Ace and want to protect against the flush.
Mr_Norris goes All-in for 512.10
RockHD Call 396.10

Mr_Norris shows KsQd
- he has the nut flush draw. I hold two of his spades, so he has 7 outs... about 28% with two cards to come.

Turn dealt to table 9d
River dealt to table 4d

YES!!!!!!!

So I won a huge pot (over $1200)... I played a few more hands, and exited with over $1500 ($1000 profit for the session). My $250 initial deposit on this site is now up to $2763.54.

I withdrew $1263.54 today, leaving $1500 on the site.

Sunday online poker

I decided to go back to PokerStars today since all the 2/4 tables on Eurolinx were full. I bought $250 and sat at a 2/4 NL 6 handed table. Here's how that went - I only played one hand. Went all-in being an 88% favorite and got sucked out by a beginner who called $149 on the turn with nothing but Ace high. What did he think I had? He had nothing, but got rewarded:

PokerStars Game #5151621084: Hold'em No Limit ($2/$4) - 2006/06/04 - 16:14:39 (ET)
Table 'Hamal' 6-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: nekpinder ($382 in chips)
Seat 2: donrik327 ($505.30 in chips)
Seat 3: spin to win ($102.20 in chips)
Seat 4: bpeeples11 ($271.10 in chips)
Seat 5: revbr ($360.10 in chips)
Seat 6: RockHD ($250 in chips)
donrik327: posts small blind $2
spin to win: posts big blind $4
RockHD: posts big blind $4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RockHD [6s 7s]
bpeeples11: raises $12 to $16
revbr: folds
RockHD: calls $12
nekpinder: folds
donrik327: folds
spin to win: folds
*** FLOP *** [8d 2s 6c]
bpeeples11: bets $36
RockHD: raises $49 to $85
bpeeples11: calls $49
*** TURN *** [8d 2s 6c] [Tc]
bpeeples11: checks
RockHD: bets $149 and is all-in
bpeeples11: calls $149
*** RIVER *** [8d 2s 6c Tc] [Jc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
bpeeples11: shows [Jh Ah] (a pair of Jacks)
RockHD: shows [6s 7s] (a pair of Sixes)
bpeeples11 collected $503 from pot
RockHD said, "nice call"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $506 | Rake $3
Board [8d 2s 6c Tc Jc]
Seat 1: nekpinder (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: donrik327 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: spin to win (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: bpeeples11 showed [Jh Ah] and won ($503) with a pair of Jacks
Seat 5: revbr folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: RockHD showed [6s 7s] and lost with a pair of Sixes


So I went to Eurolinx... and I sat with $250 at a 2/4 NL table again. I got a few good hands, but picked up a lot of pots with agressive play... my new style!

I was up to over $900... then I got dealt KQs. I raised to $12, got re-raised to $24 by the BB. Flop JQ3, he bets $12 I call. Turn K. He bets $24, I call. River 3. He checks. Now, my instincts told me when he min-raised that he had a very good hand... could be JJ, QQ, KK or AA. I should have checked when he checked. Instead, I went and bet $80, he raised all in another $77. I had no choice but to call at this point, and he showed JJ for a full house. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS! I was beat by all of the four hands I thought he might have. I lost $217 on that hand, instead of just losing $60... dumb move!

I then lost another hand when I limped in on the button with 57s, flop 4 6 8. I check, he bets $8. I call. Turn 4. He bets $20, I call. River blank, he bets $44. I'm pretty sure I'm beat, but I call. He shows 44 for four-of-a-kind.

So I left the table with $600 - up $350 for the session, and bringing my Eurolinx account to just under $2k.