Poker Articles

By elfleader

Last weekend I had a few chances at a big prize...it was the weekly big deal 300 buyin tourney on pokerroom where i ended up 11th on a bluff in the bb with 103 vs the sb who ended up having AQ.  I wish I could of shared some of the hand historys as there were lots of interesting hands, but I have no clue how to get them. 

My next chance was in a 100 buyin tourney on stars with around 300 entries and a 7.5k first prize.  The first big hand came early (I cut out the other crap like other ppl folding and stuff out and just kept the ppl involved in the hands in) 

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this was a fairly simple hand.  I am willing to gamble early in these and i find lots of people early on will just call with crap and I can easily double up early.

Seat 3: Killbill1 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: elfleader (1530 in chips)
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to elfleader [Js Jh]
pnoles: raises 60 to 80
Killbill1: raises 260 to 340
elfleader: raises 1190 to 1530 and is all-in
Killbill1: calls 1160 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [4c Qc 9h]
*** TURN *** [4c Qc 9h] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [4c Qc 9h 6d] [2s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Killbill1: shows [Tc Td] (a pair of Tens)
elfleader: shows [Js Jh] (a pair of Jacks)
elfleader collected 3110 from pot

next eventful hand was a while later.  by this time i had built a aggresive image stealing alot of small hands.  another straight forward play.
Level IV (50/100) -

Seat #9 is the button
Seat 6: MpireMaker (1305 in chips)
Seat 9: elfleader (3795 in chips)
Walt75904: posts small blind 50
i fold u win: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to elfleader [Kc Ah]
MpireMaker: raises 200 to 300
elfleader: raises 3495 to 3795 and is all-in
MpireMaker: calls 1005 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [2c 8c 7d]
*** TURN *** [2c 8c 7d] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [2c 8c 7d 9d] [3h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
MpireMaker: shows [Kh Js] (high card King)
elfleader: shows [Kc Ah] (high card Ace)


this hand below was the next eventful hand (notice the famous actionjeff whining throughout the hand in the chat)  i was thinking about slowplaying it but i didnt want  to deal with the problems if a face card came on the turn as i was out of position and thought i could get a call as i had been bluffing alot to that point and wanted it to look like a bluff.  my talking did not get him to call...shame worked so hard for the call
 Level V (75/150)
Seat #3 is the button

Seat 5: elfleader (5250 in chips)
Seat 7: btmack13 (2320 in chips)
emilsaeidy: posts small blind 75
elfleader: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to elfleader [9c 9s]
ActionJeff said, "vs 88"
btmack13: raises 300 to 450
ActionJeff said, "and of course he hit the backdoor flush"
elfleader: calls 300
*** FLOP *** [5d 7s 2d]
elfleader: checks
btmack13: bets 600
elfleader said, "odd bet"
elfleader said, "lest dance the tango"
elfleader: raises 1800 to 2400
btmack13 said, "not this time"
btmack13: folds
elfleader collected 2175 from pot
elfleader: shows [9c 9s] (a pair of Nines)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2175 | Rake 0 
 

this was a very weird hand and now that i look back, i probably played it wrong and should have slow played to the river, since his most likely holdings were Ax and i was a pretty much a lock on the hand

Level VII (100/200)
Table '10124536 20' Seat #7 is the button
Seat 5: elfleader (7085 in chips)
Seat 9: DestinyBound (6355 in chips)
sdm9201: posts small blind 100
DestinyBound: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to elfleader [Ah Qh]
elfleader: raises 500 to 700
DestinyBound: calls 500
*** FLOP *** [Js As Qc]
DestinyBound: bets 600
elfleader: raises 1200 to 1800
DestinyBound: calls 1200
*** TURN *** [Js As Qc] [3d]
DestinyBound: bets 600
elfleader: raises 3960 to 4560 and is all-in
DestinyBound: folds
elfleader collected 6525 from pot

i then hit a rush of cards and picked off a few bluffs and reraised some raises with premium hands, and then i eventually doubled up here.  Up to this point, i had been raising a lot of pots and thought the range of hands that would have called me would go all the way down to kq and a8 with the way I had been playing at the time...unfortunately it ended up being a race

Level IX (300/600)
Table '10124536 1' Seat #3 is the button
Seat 4: elfleader (15947 in chips)
Seat 9: TiltHappens (11865 in chips)
elfleader: posts small blind 300
jethro: posts big blind 600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to elfleader [Qs Ad]
TiltHappens: raises 1200 to 1800
elfleader: raises 14097 to 15897 and is all-in
 TiltHappens: calls 10015 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [7h As 3s]
*** TURN *** [7h As 3s] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [7h As 3s 6d] [2c]
mongo139 said, "gg tilt"
*** SHOW DOWN ***
elfleader: shows [Qs Ad] (a pair of Aces)
TiltHappens: shows [Jd Js] (a pair of Jacks)


this is the next hand where i made a nice bluff and felt like i played it well just calling his flop bet then raising the turn pretending to have the flush

Level IX (300/600)
Table '10124536 1' Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: elfleader (28712 in chips)
Seat 7: mongo139 (18135 in chips) 
jethro: posts small blind 300
mongo139: posts big blind 600
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to elfleader [8c Ac]
TiltHappens [observer] said, "not really"
SheddHunter said, "elf u owe me my chips back since tilt lost them"
mongo139 said, "lol"
elfleader: raises 1200 to 1800
mongo139: calls 1200
*** FLOP *** [6s 3d Td]
mongo139: bets 2400
elfleader: calls 2400
*** TURN *** [6s 3d Td] [2d]
mongo139: bets 2400
elfleader: raises 2400 to 4800
TiltHappens [observer] said, "elf will lose them"
SheddHunter said, "im hoping to me on the final table if you know what i mean"
mongo139 said, "ur kiddin me if u called lookin for the flush"
mongo139: folds
elfleader collected 13850 from pot
elfleader: doesn't show hand
elfleader said, "kk"

this next hand was a big boost. my opponent was terrible, limping in early and middle position with crap, calling raises then folding when he missed.  He was a straight forward player, so when he checked the flop, i knew he did not have the ace, as he was always betting out his good hands.

 Level XI (600/1200)
Table '10124536 1' Seat #7 is the button
Seat 3: SAILFISH99 (8088 in chips)
Seat 4: elfleader (47687 in chips)
BPA234: posts small blind 600
OldGrowth: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to elfleader [Kh Kd]
SAILFISH99: calls 1200
elfleader: raises 2400 to 3600
SAILFISH99: calls 2400
*** FLOP *** [Qh Ad Ah]
SAILFISH99: checks
elfleader: bets 12000
SAILFISH99: calls 4413 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [Qh Ad Ah] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [Qh Ad Ah 6d] [5d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
SAILFISH99: shows [8h 9h] (a pair of Aces)
elfleader: shows [Kh Kd] (two pair, Aces and Kings)
elfleader collected 18351 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 18351 | Rake 0 
 
that last hand was around my peak in chips, and i was not given any chances to steal.  everytime i had a marginal hand, 2 people were all in.  I ended up on the shortstack at the final table and was somewhat desperate for some chips.  I ended up going  all in with 44 preflop and was called by 99 and ended up 9th.

Finishes like 11th and 9th are very frustrating, but I was happy with my play.  I would recommend the big buyin events on pokerroom, as the competition is very easy (weak-tight) and you can get far without the cards and get few bad beats. 

I was unable to play in any of the big sunday tourneys as i was at a sweet cabin for the last few days and am very sore and bruised from tubing and sleep deprived from getting around 6 hours of sleep total for the last few days..if anyone wants the full Hand History from my tournies, just instant message me at greyknight1400 or e-mail me.