Starting a new blog will be an experience for me. I've never attempted this anywhere, so, we'll see what this leads to. I will be using this blog to post some hands played as well as thoughts and results from online (mostly) and live tourneys. I rarely play cash games because I suck at them, really. Haven't figured out why yet, so maybe later.
For those who care to know, I play on a Mac. This means that I don't have effective tracking software and typically will be at a disadvantage when deep in a tourney. It doesn't bother me to not have some of the tools that you may be used to. I just study a bit harder online and off. This is what will give me an edge over most others that I play against. A typical day is reading and study of poker online about 1-2 hours a day. I also have a library of about 20 books on poker and theory, of which I read about an hour every day, sometimes more. I have always had enjoyment reading books and articles, so it works for me. Most players that I play against online are much younger than me. I will counter their aggressive edge with my knowledge and my own aggressive play. A quote I heard many years ago, but cannot remember who from, "Age and treachery will overcome youth and exuberance". Playing by that mantra and Amir Vahedi's "You must be willing to die in order to live" has allowed me some limited success at the tables.
I am a micro limit tourney donk, really. I occasionally will take a shot at $10-24 buy-in games online, but mostly play lower than that. When I play live, it's typically $100-300 buy-in range. So, I'm not making lots of money, just keeping my head above water, really. Eventually I will get a good score that will allow me to move up in stakes, but since I mainly play weekends due to work, it may take some time.
As far as results go, you can check out this link for my online play.
Just last weekend, I went to Tunica for my anniversary trip. The room was comped, so I had a little cash I could spend on some poker. I originally told my wife that I wasn't going to play at all. But, temptation crept in and I did play a tourney while I was there. $80 buy-in with a $10 add-on for 2k chips, total 5k chips to start and 39 players. 20 minute blind levels starting at 25-50. Things started ok and was able to chip up and pressure my table on many occasions. I was getting good reads and got in trouble a few times bringing my stack down from being up in the beginning. I got down to about 2400, blinds at 150-300 I think when I got a hand that I could raise with. Being short-stacked and having a tight-aggressive image was helping me stay alive, but now I was UTG with A6o. I raised to 1500 attempting to give off the image that I was stronger than A6. I wanted them to see that there was no way I would fold if someone pushed, and would bet any flop if called. It folds around to the BB and he raises me all-in. I have to call at this point given the BB will be me next and super-short to boot. Dreaded the call, but I was committed. I call and we turn em up. He has 55 vs my A6. Coinflip time. Flop brings me a 6, turn an A, river bricks and I double up.
After that I started running good again and knocked a few out before we get down to 2 tables. One particular hand that had everyone talking went down like this. So you know, I never look at my cards before I have to act. This lets me watch others reactions for their look. In the BB, everyone folds to the SB. SB completes and I peek at my cards, AA baby! Knowing if I raise here that he will fold, I lay the cards down and casually pat the table, check. Flop comes out T A 4 with 2 diamonds. No diamond in my hand, so I'm happy and worried as well. SB checks, and I pause for a sec or two and check behind. I gotta let him catch up if I'm going to get paid here! Relatively sure he doesn't have diamonds or he should have bet out something. With blinds and antes, there's about 2800 in the pot, 500/1000/50 level. Turn brings an off-suit 6. SB checks and I have to bet something here. I look at the pot and toss out a 1k chip. SB quickly calls, so I know he has something. I doubt he has an A, most likely a T. I don't feel like I'm going to get paid well here by this time. He might see me with a small A-rag or JT, QT, or a drawing hand, but he knows I've probably got something, just not much. River brings an 8, no diamond, so I'm golden here! How to get paid!? SB checks again and I'm thinking, shit, nothing. So I fire out 5k hoping he will call me with a good T or think I'm bluffing at the pot. Apparently, he thinks I'm bluffing as he pushes all-in. I've got him covered and I quickly run down some combinations that have me beat. 57 and 97 are the only hands that have me crushed. 57 is out, I just don't see it fitting the turn play, could have, but not likely. 97 is entirely possible. It fits the action so far, but so do a lot of other hands. T-x that hit 2 pair seems most likely. A slow-played AT or T8 is what I think he has, so I call. He turns over T8 for 2 pair and I flip my trips over to the sounds of everyone at the table wondering what happened. They had me on the flush draw and him on the A-x. I'm up to about 45k now and players were getting wary of me when I was in the pot. Fantastic to get that respect at this point. We hit the FT and I continued to put pressure on the table. Notch another player out and it looked like I had the CL. Someone else KO'd another just before the third break to make it 7-handed.
As I come back from break, the floor was coloring up chips on the table. One guy was sitting in my seat and had just finished coloring up when I heard a player ask how many chips I had. I hadn't really counted them down so when I saw him count them down, not by hand mind you, just an accurate visual, he said I had 39-40% of the chips in play. Man, talk about a good feeling, having the CL and having people worried about me being there at the FT! I was feeling good and playing great! I could sit back and take shots at unopened pots and play my good hands for the rest of the time till 3 handed. I took out 2 more short stacks before we get to 3 handed play and I have a guy that's a good player and smart on my left, and a maniac on my right. The maniac was running so damn hot, it was unreal. He caught up with my left and almost with me. After taking a few more smaller pots off of my left, he was practically even with me. Everyone of us are still deep, but this guys play was loose and fast. I have my work cut out for me. I finished in third on a big screw-up, my only real mistake of the tourney. I'm on the button with AJo and open for 20k, blinds are 2500/5000/200. SB folds, and the maniac calls from the BB. Flop comes out 8 5 5 and BB checks. I felt like he missed as he would usually bet out at any connection with the flop. I decided that if he missed, I must be ahead, so I quickly pushed all-in expecting him to fold. He flips over 65 suited for trips and I'm now down to just a little more than a BB. All-in next hand with 74o. Game over.
I cashed for $351 so that's ok. Been running good online too for some small cashes, so I'm looking to hit a good one soon. Till next time, good luck at the tables.
D