Poker Pond

Metro Donkathon

2009-11-02T00:20:00.000-08:00

Help me out here.... should I not even bother playing LIVE ring?

I just played 25P/50P cash games in Metro and bought in for P5,000.

The table was full of full fledged MANIACS and I do mean MANIACS . A raise of 15 BB would get 2-3 callers. I didn't like the table but I felt that flopping the nuts would do the trick here.

So I limp in with 8-9o in a very rare unraised pot. Flop comes down 5-6-7 and I check. MP bets P500 and gets 3 callers. I raise all-in and surprise surprise every single caller CALLS me. 2 Flush draws and one holding a 4 for crying out loud. No one improves and I net a P15,000 pot. Not bad this is going to be easy....

Or so I thought. A few hands later I get dealt AK. I raise 8 BB and get 2 callers. Flop comes A-Q-8 rainbow and I bet the pot. I get one caller and turn comes 3 so I bet 3/4 pot and still a call. River is a 6 and I put the guy all-in. He instacalls and shows Q-6. Ok ok fluke but that hits my stack for 5K.

I also saw one hand with one raise to P300 and a limp reraise to P1,200 from UTG (obvious play right). Guy calls and flop comes A-10-4 with 2 spades. UTG doesnt slow down (he holds AA) and bets the pot of P2,000 (maybe scared of the draw but I'd slow down here and have LAG player hang himself). The initial caller throws his cards face up 8c-5c and says "no draw". What in heaven's name is going on??? How can I even put anyone on anything with everyone calling 3X reraises!?!

Last major hand I get dealt JJ. I limp UTG for P50 and MP raises P500 and 2 more callers. I decide I want to isolate... I raise all-in ON TOP for P10,000...

EVERYONE CALLS the freaking all-in and the hands show up AK, Q-J and A9s. The flop comes K-K-3 and the turn and river completes the flush for the A9s guy. I understand the call of the AK guy but everyone else????

My point.... how the hell can I even play poker when almost everything degenerates into a bingo game??? Playing deep stack BINGO like this has too much variance written all over it.

The Power of Coaching

2009-10-20T04:27:00.000-07:00

October has been a pretty strong month for me. I have broken the $2,000 mark in my bankroll and slowly making my way to the $1/$2 limits.

My game has improved tremendously the past few weeks and I attribute it to 2 of my friends who I have introduced the game to! They both had started online poker (with me being the beneficiary of the referral bonus) and I am helping both of them in their game. Usually on the weekends they would troop over to my shop and all 3 of us would grind out for a few hours and discuss how we played.

I have also monitored and coached their actions at the lower limits and it was amazing that I was making a lot of correct moves.... all with THEIR money! Apparently if I wasn't blinded by tilt or pressure, the decisions were becoming easier.

They weren't the only people benefitting from my coaching as my own game has improved considerably as well. I also got a chance to study Ring from $.5/$1 down to the microstakes level which gives me perspective on the gameplay changes between levels.

Overall its a win-win-win situation for me with referral bonuses, friends to talk to about online poker and improving my own personal game.

Hmmmm maybe I should start a cult or something....

Miscalculation

2009-10-01T05:41:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Atty Bubba for pointing out that I ws being way too aggressive with my strategy. I was calculating with only 40BB in mind and when I took a look at how much bankroll I would need with a full stack of 40 buy-ins I realized how seriously underfunded my bankroll was for this level.

It makes sense since the pressure was more then I was comfortable with and has caused my concentration and nerves to dip.

I have gone back down to the 50c/$1 tables and had suffered 2 devastating beats. AA vs opponents KK spiking it on the river and JJ vs 99 on a J-Q-A-10-8 board lol.

The beats hurt but it was reassuring to know that it was nowhere as painful as if it had happened at the $1/$2 limits.

Thanks for the comment bro! Grinding it out at least to maybe $2,400 before moving up. Sigh.... so far away....

$1/$2 Move

2009-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

On September 29 I had reached $1,600 on my bankroll and given that it is now at 40 buy-ins of the $1/$2 tables (at 40BB per table) I have gone ahead and decided to move up. My move down rate would be 30 buy-ins which means I would move back down if I went down to $1,200.

It has started out pretty rocky across 3 sessions of 3 tables at a time. The results are:

Starting Bankroll - $1,510.9 (with a $50 bonus coming and close to $80 in rakeback)

Session 1 - $1,582.65 (+$71.75)
Session 2 - $1470.05 (-$112.6)
Session 3 - $1,310.00 (-$160.05)

Tilt has been a serious factor as I had started both losing sessions with either a bad decision or a bad move. I had called a short stack's all-in move with 9-9 where he showed Q-Q. Not exactly sure why I called as I am either in a race of completely dominated by short stack shoves since I know the range of the player who was pushing.

Another one was I had played for my entire stack with A-10 in an unraised pot. Board was 8-9-A-2-6 and I still played until the end. looking back, there was absolutely NO HAND I could beat except for a complete bluff given my opponent was calling on all streets. My opponent shows A-J and I lose my stack.

No beats but the pressure is there when you move up. All the stakes are higher and the mistakes are exponentially felt. Am going to stick to this though.... I am going to need to take some pain and become better or I am going to have to get contented winning peanuts at the lower levels.

Am Back!!!!!

2009-09-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Took a long break from poker and played some World of Warcraft for a few months.

Nothing beats earning an extra $1,000 a month though so am back to my old tricks! Started out with a $100 deposit and so far I have run it back up to $1,530 the last month with a few loans to some friends amounting to another $200.

Currently running at the 50c/$1 tables again and it seems to be my bread and butter as the game is pretty soft with a lot of weak maniacs who are easy to trap. I am seeing JackCadillac on the tables too and it's good to see a friendly avatar (except when he's taking my money).

Am trying to make my way up to at least $2,000 before I try and move up to $1/$2 again. I have been able to get to that level twice but have always moved down due to some truly horrendous runs so maybe the third time is indeed the charm.

I will try to update this ancient blog once a week so give me a shoutout in the comments section. It kinda helps to know that some of the bloggers are still online.

Go 11 Finger!

2008-10-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

I just passed by the metro to check out who made the final table and lo behold, my first day tablemate and friend 11finger sits there with a monster stack!

heard some truly twisted and sick stories about the bubble time but I will let him tell it to you guys on his blog.

3 words bro..... BURGER! BURGER! BURGER!

Metro 2M Tournament Report

2008-10-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

First Break

Here at the frog after the first break and thought to write how I am doing which would hopefully give me some clarity.

I had some pretty good hands for the early part of the tournament but unfortunately I wasn't getting paid on any of them.

I had gotten a royal flush which only got in a measly 1,500 chips and another hand I folded pre-flop with A-9 which would have turned quad 9s.

I had also gotten great starting hands that came up one card short of allowing me to triple up. I had called a small raise with 9-9 and the flop came K-J-7 rainbow. Pot bet got me out and turn brought the 9. The pot became massive versus K-J 2 pair and AA which won in the end when the board paired the 7. Sigh what could have been!

These cards, although good got me a little tilting which is weird. Then came the fateful hand where I held J-J where there was a raise and reraise. Auto fold right? Of course not I was running hot and called. Flop was rags and I bet the pot and my opponent raises all-in. I called covering him and he had KK which held up.

Reduced my starting stack of 15,000 to 12,300 (had it all the way up to 22K) so still in there. Need to get my mind on track.... I am playing soooo badly but getting really lucky. That's always a bad combination as it never holds up in consistency.

Let's see how this comes along.

Second break.... NOT

Well that was quick. Blinds now at 300-600 with antes of 100. I got blinded down to 8500 given I had absolutely no playable hands along with early raises which I couldn't reraise. First time it comes to me unraised I push all-in with 4-4 and 11finger calls me down with 10s. No miracle card for me and I am out.

If anything, I just realized my live game sucks so bad now. Gotta get out of the online thinking...

Taking a Break From Online

2008-09-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Sigh I don't know how many times I have been down this road playing online....

I was doing pretty well with a bankroll of over $1,200. That was 3 days ago.

I had gone through a very nasty swing the past few days and I saw my bankroll obliterated down to $445. I reviewed and re-reviewed my hands and I had played well! There just is so much luck in poker and Full Tilt is really feeding the fish.

Case in point, I had stopped my last session at -$275 all from losing 2 KK and 2 AA. I had exerted maximum control over this and managed to limit my losses but it still hurts like hell.

First hand KK raised on pre-flop and the flop comes 10-8-4 rainbow. I bet half pot into a guy with a lot of cash and he smooth calls. Turn 2 and I half pot again so as not to scare him and he calls again. River was an innocent Q so I bet half the pot again and he reraises me minimum. I felt he had a set so I just called and he turns over....... 4-2.

Holy shit that hand should have thrown me on tilt but I just grit my teeth and continued play. A few hands later I got AA on another table. A raise and reraise got all the money in before the flop against KK but of course a K on the flop did it for me.

AA again versus A-3 suited (but the guy was short stacked) and flop was 2-4-5. LOL. Final hand was KK versus A-10 and Ace seals it on the turn.

I have to apologize since I had promised I would try to rant less about bad beats but 3 straight days of this shit is really something worth mentioning. I'm going to try to swing my luck the other way by playing some live poker. Hopefully I won't fall asleep from playing only 1 table.

Moneybooker Problem

2008-09-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

Sigh...

One major thing that keeps me going with playing online is the knowledge that I can confidently get the money that I have won. This is no longer the case and I find myself slowly drifting away from online play.

Moneybookers recently closed its doors to the Philippines without warning and has robbed me of the fastest and most efficient way of transferring funds out of my poker account. The effect on me is strange as I find myself tilting more and losing control more frequently. The money in my account, with no easy access to withdrawals, seem more like play money then real hard earned cash.

I am exploring other options such as Click2Pay but my other deadly flaw is laziness. I just can't get myself up to going through all of the trouble again.

Overall standing:

Withdrawn - $1,800
Bankroll - $1,125

Still a tidy sum considering I had started with $15 at the start of the year. Wish it could have been more though... (especially the withdrawn part)

Hopefully, the metro 2M guaranteed would get me back in the flow of things.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2008-08-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

Finally posting positive results.

Withdrawn $850 this month just to buy some nice toys for myself.

Still have a $1522 bankroll so that should be enough to keep me swinging.

Overall I am once again over the $2350 mark and slowly climbing my way back up. I have posted consistent winning sessions averaging $100 a night with some nice paydays of +$300 or more.

One winning tip I had read was simply this: "Remember this is a game. It's meant to be enjoyed"

I had reached Poker burnout relatively fast and I realized I was no longer enjoying the game. I was playing because I had to and it became more and more like work. I no longer had the drive to analyze my play or think about poker as an ever-changing puzzle that was meant to be solved. I was only playing to reach a set 200 points for rakeback which in turn was becoming a second job.

I took a break and reread some books that got me hooked again. Posting a nice 2nd place finish in a $26 90 man KO tournament solidified my missing passion for the game.

I now come away from a bad beat feeling good knowing I had gotten my money in with the best hand. I smile whenever I make a good read and call down an opponent with middle pair. Best of all, I have reduced the number of smashed mice in my internet shop due to the bad beats I have received.

It's interesting how Poker is so much like life sometimes. All it takes is for you to enjoy it, learn from mistakes and reap it's rewards.

Still Alive

2008-08-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

Realized I havent posted in awhile. Nothing really much but I am still here.

I had cashed out $700 in order to lock some winnings from my devastating swings and it has forced me down a few levels. I went all the way down to $400 but July promised a $525 bonus from Ironman which served to re-ignite my passion for the game.

I was not able to clear the entire bonus but got a decent $400 cleared along with about $270 in rakeback. I was able to claw my way back up but just got bulldozed for $200 in my last session.

Current bankroll now standing at $1,040 with $270 on the way and $400 further locked away. I am setting a goal of locking away $100 a week just so I can see some short term progress with my game.

Overall at $1,670 so yes I'm still alive.

Lesson In Humility

2008-06-03T05:42:00.001-07:00

I had thought I was the bomb. I had thought I was untouchable.

But then I came to the realization that I was still definitely mortal and capable of losing. And I lost big.

I had reached an unprecedented level in my bankroll of $3,500 in the early parts of May. My ending balance is now:

$1090 cash
1 $25 token
$355 in rakeback
$600 withdrawn

Total cash is $2,070. total bankroll $1,470.

A far cry from the near $4,000 level but I am still surviving. What did I do wrong? it was a combination of bad beats, chasing bad draws and bad plays. I don't necessarily know which contributed the most but I do know that I played bad.

I guess admiting the truth is the first step in recovery.

Should I Quit Ring?

2008-05-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

All good things must come to an end. Coming from a great upswing early this month I am now totally crushed at the turn of events. I am once again in a similar predicament that I have met many times in playing online poker but I am seriously contemplating of quitting ring.

There is a limit to how many times a person can take a runner runner flush and runner runner full house. And when they happen 4 times within 5 minutes one can doubt the randomness of the software.

My $3,500 roll has been reduced to a mere $1500. I have withdrawn $600 which means I have just lost $1,400 in the last 7 days. I have also initiated measures to contain my losses by once again moving down to the 50c/$1 tables to no avail as I am still running horrendously bad.

Case in point I made a loose call with KdQd and was rewarded with a 9d 10d Js flop. Nut straight, straight flush draw.... what else can you ask for? EP player pushes all-in and I instacall a $250 pot. He shows 8c-8h for a pair and the idiot end of a straight.

Money in the bank right????? Turn 10 River 8. Runner runner full house. Of course that happens.... in fact its as normal as rain in the fucking Sahara dessert.

That was the very last hand before I closed all tables and wrote this post. I understand that this may not be the best time to write (when I am fuming) but I really need to release some tension.

Will take a break for awhile before I do so more serious damage to my remaining roll.

When Playing Well Doesn't Matter

2008-05-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

Yes Yes I know that bad beats are part of the game. If the chance to suckout did not exist then we wouldn't have a game.

But is it even possible to lose the last 6 overpairs to a set??

3X AA, 2X KK and a QQ was all beaten by an underpair that hit a set. Each time I was able to get my money in with the absolute best hand and having my opponent drawing to 2 outs. One hand I had AA vs JJ vs KJ. And the lone Jack hits the flop? Tell me where the justice is in that?

I have stopped playing given the utter ridiculousness of the situation. I mean 20%X20%X20%X20%X20%X20%.

There is a .000064% chance of that happening. Well it did.

Down massively but still looking good. Gotta pull myself together.....

Cashing In At The $1/$2!!!

2008-05-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Finally after trying to move up from $.5/$1 twice and failing I have finally broken through and successfully moved up to the $1/$2 tables. I think I am starting to crush the game at this level and I can tell you the rewards are staggering!!

I have gone through 9 straight winning sessions with wins from $100 all the way up to $600! My bankroll is now currently at $3,700 and I have no plans of looking back!

For those who are about to make the same leap here are some strong tweaks that I needed to make in my game to be successful at this level.

1. Raise more with AK. I now reraise 3X any raise with AK or AQs instead of just calling and seeing the flop. If I get reraised again I need to check my notes on a certain player and if he is LAG I will call. The beauty with this move is that players here are loose enough to call you with KQ or AJ and are extremely aggressive after the flop. Once the A or K hits then pretty much all the chips are headed your way. Most of the time you will just take the pot away pre-flop.

2. Raise pocket pairs in any position. The value of sets are once again augmented because the players will try to outplay you a lot more on the flop. When you hit your set on a non-threatening board go ahead and bet around 1/3 of the pot and see yourself raised with middle pair!

3. Betting the flop and checking the turn with the nuts. I love this move. When you flop the nuts (flush on the flop or a set) go ahead and bet around 1/2 the pot. Quite a bit of players will call you with nothing and try to steal on the turn. I go ahead and oblige by meekly checking the turn where they will make a massive overbet which I simply go over. Then they are commited and the chips are all yours.

4. Increase your tolerance for losses. A raise for me now costs $7 from $3 and that is quite an increase with my roll before. I also usually started out at a $100 loss before I got my bearings and then playing tough poker. If losing that first $100 will affect your game then you're not yet ready to move up.

It does feel great to be riding the swings of a massive positive variance. Hope I can keep this up!

April Results In The Books

2008-04-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Current Bankroll - $2,073
Rakeback - $230
$26 tokens - 2

Grand Total - $2,355

I took out my $500 withdrawal from the listing because when I backtracked my deposits, it seems I had just recovered my early losses of late last year. This is now an accurate stand of where I am at ever since I started playing again online last August 2007.

Hope everyone is running good!

Broken The $2,500 Mark!!!!

2008-04-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Yeah baby!

I have just recently reached my second milestone after some good swings. I had been dabbling in a lot of SnGs and minor MTTs lately looking for a big score but sadly it was counter productive. I have found my place in 100NL and was constantly crushing the game cashing out $100 a night but my SnGs losses were pulling me down. I would lose three $26 sessions and would end up being up by just $20+

The worst is on Sundays with the frenzy of the big money tournaments. I usually played 3-4 satellites and even dabbled in some super turbos (starting chip stack of 100 LOL) and went 0 out of 6,580,236. For some reason I can't serve two masters and when I crush ring my tournament game sucks.

I then made the conscious decision to play primarily ring until I can break the $2,000 mark in my bankroll. It has worked wonders and after 5-6 winning sessions I have reached my second milestone. I have cashed out $500 on top of my $2,000 so overall I have now finally made $2,500!

It's been 123 days since I started with a $15 roll I am 1/8 of the way to making my ultimate goal of building a $20,000 bankroll and rolling with the big boys online.

Next stop..... $5,000

Imaginary Bubble On Bankroll

2008-04-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

I have played the last 15 days floating around the $1,000 and not really making a breakthrough. I have gone all the way up to $1,600 and after a few bad sessions back down to $1,100. The weird thing is everytime I near the $1,000 mark I tighten up a lot and I am able to slowly build my roll again.

Is this normal? I mean it seems I am just playing $500 of my roll when I really have $1,500. I also tried my hand again at the $1/$2s with some pretty good results but I have to admit the swings are terrible since all-in seems to be the word for the day at this level.

Roll currently at $1,210 with quite a bit of 500 point days so I am planning to break the $300 mark on rakeback.

End of March

2008-03-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well I ended March on a good note. Total status is:

- $1,138 bankroll
- $25 in Tournament Cash
- Two $26 tokens from Ironman
- Roughly $200 in rakeback
- Transferred out $125 for cash to a friend

Net result is that I am at $1,540 when all is said and done.

If you guys will notice I have $25 in tournament money and I am experimenting on trying to make some money off satellites. With the new feature of FTP I can now convert satellite buy-in amounts to tournament points which I can use to enter in any MTT or SnG. I also have the option of converting it to real cash for a 5% fee.

The reason why I am thinking of playing these satellites is that it is so much easier to win consistently then MTTs and SnGs. Granted the wins are not as high, the usual $14+1 satellite gives out seats worth $55 to the top 30% of the field. The skill set required here is very different meaning one must excel at blind stealing. In fact I had won my first $55 without a single showdown!

I played 2 more of these satellites but got sucked out on and the net result is $25. The cool thing is now I have a way to track how much money I am sinking into MTTs and keep my ring game cash free from the extremely volatile swings of MTTs.

Hmmm just a few days back I was way down to the $700 mark. I guess you just can't keep a good man down.

Ok Ok at least I'm persistent.

Devastating Drought

2008-03-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

I wasn't kidding when I said I was running bad. Let's put it into perspective....

I have lost the last 4 days playing online.

I have lost the last 17 consecutive playing sessions I played.

I have lost 23 of the last 24 big pots that I have played. I had my money in with the best hand on 19 of them (seriously! I started taking notes) and 8 of these hands I had my opponent completely dominated. The only hand where I won was when I sucked out on a dominated hand. It seems FTP is really dishing out the beats! (Maybe it's Feed The Fish Day)

I had gone from $1600 down to $710 (but a friend of mine had asked me to transfer $250) which translates to a net loss of $640.

I had moved down from $1/$2 back all the way down to 25c/50c again.

The key to recovering is through proper bankroll management and building up my confidence again and the only way I could do that is to move way down and build my roll again from the lower limits. I am seriously feeling rotten and depressed with how lady luck has treated me but I havent come this far just to turn away and give up.

Hmmmmm I just won $30 on my last session. Maybe things are about to turn around.

Hope everyone's running good

Fluke??

2008-03-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

Well I broke the $1,600 mark last Sunday and true to my word I had moved up to the $1/$2. The first session showed good signs as I was able to scratch out a $100 profit and was able to reach my 200 point quota in under an hour. The game isn't so different actually except that there are more raises being put in post flop. Overall I know I can hold my own at this level.

However, I just encountered an unpleasant event called variance.

This probably ranks as one of the worst sessions I have had in FTP.

KK in the BB and a raiser in MP. I reraise and he calls. The flop comes 2-K-7 and I check my set followed by a check. Turn is a Jack and I bet out hoping he hits it. MP flat calls and river comes 10. I bet out the pot and he raises me all-in. I stop to think and feels that he may have 2 pair, a smaller set, a bluff or A-Q. I call with my top set only to see the dreaded straight.

Fast forward pocket queens with low cards on the board. I check inducing a bet and I reraise. Guy pushes and I call. He shows A-7 suited and runner runner flush rewards him for a great call (dripping sarcasm)

For the Coup De Grace..... AK vs AK and he draws out a 4 flush.

I was able to slowly build my stacks though so damage was cushioned a bit but it still was pretty painful. I can confidently say that in every situation I had placed my money in with the best hand. In fact I had been able to trap my damn opponent drawing to 938,837 to 1 odds but they have pulled it out. I was able to minimize the damage to $190 but I can still feel the sting.

So is this a fluke or what? Given this streak of disastrous luck I will take it a sign from the powers that be and move down for the time being until I hit $1800.

Crossroads

2008-03-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well my play has been consistent so far and I have etched out a small profit over the last 4 sessions. I keep track of the times where I have made bad calls and it has definitely gone down to minimal levels. Suckouts of course still happen and I guess that really does happen if you can get in your money with the best hand.

I have almost crossed the threshold that I have set for myself of $1,200 and I am torn between moving up to the $1/$2 or staying in the .5/1 until the end of the month to ensure that I am truly crushing the game at this level.

So to the 7-8 (I think my reader base has increased by 15% over the last few days! Meaning I got another reader) I pose a question...

Should I move up given that I only have enough for 15 sessions? (I buy in at $80 in the $1/$2s) Let me know what you guys think.

Broken the $1,000 Mark!

2008-03-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

Just came from a nice +$170 session and just wanted to share a great hand where there was just no way I could go wrong.

I held pocket queens on the Button and EP player makes a 4X raise to $4. MP player calls and I reraise to $12. Both players call signaling significant power in their hands. $37.5 in the pot.

The flop was a beautiful but dangerous A Q J. EP checks and MP bets out $15. I call and EP goes all-in with an instacall from MP. WTF? Obviously I had to make the call with a whopping $130 pot.

EP - AJ
MP - JJ

The Ace didn't show on the turn and river. Pass the sugah!

With this session and with rakeback for February I have finally broken the $1,000 mark!!!

Not bad from a roll of $15 at the start of the New Year. Let's see how far I can take this.

Extending My Play

2008-03-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

Well it had been a good February and I was able to ask MnlGrind to help me cash out $300. What a difference to finally feel some cold hard cash from playing online poker! Made me increase my enthusiasm into putting in more time in this experiment. With the cashout my bankroll dipped to $540 (without rakeback for february set at around $120) but I really needed the morale boost.

Now I want to play higher but I could not increase in limits yet (to the $1/$2) until I could raise my bankroll to around $1200. Given that, the only choice I had when it came to increasing my play was to extend my playing time. I am now gunning for 200 points a day and trying to reach Ironman.

The increase in playing time is mixed blessings though. I had been running OK and for the first 5 days I have reached my quota of 200 points a day. I can only excitedly wait for the $250 or so in rakeback that I can expect to receive but at the same time I find my game deteriorating a bit in this extended play. I also find myself tired after a session so I will probably need to re-assess after a few more days.

Overall my roll is now at $640 (took a bad hit of -$110 just now) and still on track with meeting my goals. I am also raking in the medals for $26 tokens so I should be taking shots at the MTTs by April.

Bankroll Management

2008-02-25T00:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you Chris Ferguson.

I was running very very badly these past few days. One hand almost sent me to the brink of quitting.

I had 5-6 and raises on the button. BB calls me and flop comes 3-4-7 rainbow. BB bets the pot, I think for awhile and min-raises. Loose BB reraises all-in and I instacall. The pot was at a whopping $135. BB shows A-7.

Turn 7

River 7

Are you kidding me?!?!?! I was really hurting and I closed all tables after that hand. Then I went to check some emails and read again through Chris Ferguson's article on bankroll management and how he turned $0 to $10,000. I decided to give his advice and moved down.

It was amazing how much my confidence shot up again at a lower level. I was beating the game again and finally posted a winning session of $30. Every little bit helps. I decided after a few more sessions I had the mental discipline to try the higher level again.

This hand probably cemented my confidence. I had Q-Q and raised in the cutoff. Got 2 callers. Flop comes Q-10-2 rainbow and SB bets the pot (about $10) and mid player calls. I think about reraising here but just call with my monster. Turn was an Ace and SB pushes all-in for $30. Mid player reraises to $60 and I made the call. I say to myself "just please do not have K-J"

SB turns over A-Q and Mid player turns over K-J.

River - the most beautiful 2 I had ever seen in poker. The full house gave me a massive pot of abour $140 and I was feeling it! Then came a hot streak that made a volcano seem like a slight cold.

I held AA about 9 times and 7 of them got paid off. I finished the session winning around $340. It's not much by normal poker standards but you have to understand I started this roll with $20 in my account. It's a pet project which is now back up to a healthy $780.

Bankroll Management - an underrated and misunderstood concept in playing successful poker. Taking that refresher course on this subject seemed to have saved my ass once again.

Ridiculous Beats Within 8 Seconds

2008-02-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

Well I wish things could be better but just recently I got crushed in ring. I am still happy with how I was playing but getting in your money with the best hand on 3 tables but losing all of them stings.

Hand 1 - 5-6s late position. Raised it 3.5 BB and got one caller. Flops comes 5-6-7 and I bet it out. Opponent calls and turn comes J. I felt he either had the nuts or was drawing to it. He may also have pocket 8s to 10s so I decided that I was ahead and tried to make him pay. I pushed all in and he called with A7s. River was a jack counterfeiting my 2 pair.

Hand 2 - KK vs JJ and a Jack on the flop.

Hand 3 - pocket 4s on a 4-9-J flop. I bet it out, opponent raises, I min-raise and he pushes all-in with pocket Queens. Turn 10, River King for a straight. Are you kidding me?!?!

All 3 hands happened at the same freaking time and that was enough to almost make me throw my laptop across the room. Good thing my tilt control was starting to improve and I check my points. 8 points before I ended my session so I just played my 4th table without playing a single hand untill I made 100 points.

Down $120 (3 tables at $40 each) and now down to $620. Rakeback however is soaring and is at around $120.

I am thinking of re-analyzing my playing styled from an article I read at Bluff Magazine. A hyper-aggressive but intelligent approach which is in extreme contrast to my tight aggressive style. I am averaging about $40 a day on TAG but I am pretty sure my style will not fair well in the upper limits.

Well I guess I still need to grind it out until I improve my bankroll before I make that leap

Sets Are the Bomb

2008-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Well to my increasing horde of readers and fans.......

I just came from a pretty insane session where I had hit 4 sets with KK, KK, JJ and 88. It all pretty much ended up with all the chips in the middle and a all of it under my avatar after everything's been said and done.

Variance does come around after all.

Roll is now at $840 but I realized I am going to need about $1200 to go up to the $1/$2 levels.

First Week of Feb

2008-02-05T05:28:00.000-08:00

Ok to my six avid readers (which was vehemently corrected by Pepesmith :P ) I am now up $550 in my roll and doing pretty well in the .5/$1. Apparently the games at this level is a lot more aggressive and the average pot is somewhere at $25. This is a good area for tight aggressives like me who sometime like to mix it up with some loose action in late position.

The 4 table structure allows me to basically sit back and wait for the premium hands. After sitting for quite awhile folding everything (even from the SB) I am usually able to get away with stealing to replenish what I have lost from the blinds. When I get a premium hand I tend to let LAGs do the betting for me but I usually bet into the raiser with premium hands. More often then not they raise to take it away and it's easy enough to get all my money win as a huge favorite.

This takes patience but it seems I have cut down my poker sessions to down to one hour a day (time it takes to reach 100 FTP points). I am also maximizing my rakeback as well since most of the rake is coming from the other players.

Will post some hand histories if something interesting comes up.

January In The Books

2008-02-02T22:35:00.000-08:00

Well I can't say my winning streak lasted all the way to the end of January. My $600+ roll took a few hits the last few days of January and I went down all the way to $350. I was feeling dejected but I took the time to really go through how I lost.

I tried to list out all the big pots where I had all my money in and in turns out that I was the favorite on almost all of them. I had probably lost close to $300 on hands that were crushed by 3 outers. Some hands were totally my fault though. Idiotic bluff attempts against AA (the effects of tilt I guess) stained my losses as well and I figured that the best medicine was to tighten down.

And even though this wasnt the best time to move up levels, I felt that I was playing good but running bad. Maybe a shift in levels would do me good.

I moved up to the 50c/$1 tables at the start of February and it started out OK. I was playing very tight and my rakeback indeed was benefitting from the increased blinds. As of this date I am back up to $440 (not counting rakeback from January) and looking to stay in the .50/1s for the next 2 months. If I can hit my goal of $800 I may finally move up to the $1/$2.

Will keep my avid readers (all four or five of you......) up-to-date.

Why Saving That Extra Chip Counts

2008-01-11T02:56:00.000-08:00

I started off the New Year playing online and it was BAD. I had transferred out a bunch of my cash to some friends so I had already recovered my initial load of $200. I still had $145 and another $110 coming from rakeback plus a $75 bonus from FTP for their Iron Man promotion.

Things were looking good! Or so I thought. It was either the booze or the massive amount of meat but I wasn't thinking straight. I took a horrible beat when my nut flush was broken by a full house and I instantly reloaded. It went all downhill from there. All 4 tables I played went busto.

Now I usually play 100 points everyday and stop regardless if I win or lose. I find it a good stopping point because I am forced to play as if poker was an ongoing session. In fact I had played 29 days in December for 100 points each allowing me to get gold Ironman. I had exactly the same mentality this year and I looked at my point count. I was at 96.45 points but I only had $15 left from $145!!!

I was so tempted to just blow the $15 or get to 100 points as I usually did but I held back... I thought that this $15 spelled my last chance and I wasn't taking that chance when I was on tilt especially since I still had $110 from rakeback coming. I shutdown my computer... and was glad I did.

The next day I did pretty well and doubled the $15 to $30 (it really sucks to move down limits). I then entered a small $3 KO tourney and placed second for a tidy $45. I was back up to $75 and feeling good. Now I must have appeased the poker gods a bit because they started showing some pity of my tiny bankroll and I posted 9 straight winning sessions.

Net result is I am now up $615 and here to stay!

The morale of the story: Don't throw away that last chip just to get it over with. Every dollar saved is a dollar won. And every dollar is capable of winning more. A lot more.

Massive Bluff for the Win

2007-11-18T03:37:00.000-08:00

I won't post winning results anymore since it seems that whenever I do I take a bad swing of beats (might be the poker gods telling me to practice a little more humility) so I will start posting only hand analysis and plays that I felt merits mention.

Here is one at the Metro playing the 25P/50P tables. I had won 4 straight pots recently showing down an AK, AA and 2 pair at the showdown. The other one was a semi-bluff that was successful. On the fifth hand I was in the cutoff with 9-6o and wanted to keep the rush alive so I raised to P300.

The small blind was a somewhat smug and LAG player who calls my raise. My profile for this guy was that he pushes with a marginal advantage and likes to slow play big hands.

The flop comes Qh-2c-7d. I miss the flop all the way and LAG player checks at the flop. I fire one bullet to the tune of P500 and the LAG calls me.

Turn comes 7h and LAG once again checks. I play out the possible hands he could be holding against me:

pocket 2s - which means he is slowplaying the hand since he has a full house on the turn.
trips 7s - he could have easily called me with 7-8s or 6-7s.
pair of queens - I doubted he had this because I felt he would protect top pair and would push.

With his check I pulled in my gut and bet another P1500 to the pot. He takes a few seconds and calls me again! I knew I was done with the hand. He either had a 7 or pocket 2s because nothing else would make sense with that massive call.

Now here is where it gets interesting. The river..... 7c! he checks again and I take a minute to think about my situation.

I had been representing the queen from the very start of the hand. The 3rd 7 makes it unlikely that he was holding quad 7s (although the possibility is there) and if he had pocket 2s then his full house would be reduced to him holding a pair of 2s!!!

9-6o... obviously the only way I could win was to bet at this pot. I took a deep breath and went with my instincts. I pushed all-in for another P3000 and the guy almost goes berserk. He shows his pocket 2s and agonized over how evil this world is and how he could be dealt the only card he didn't want to see. In the end he folds his hand.

I was pretty happy with the outcome and the entire table goads me to showing just one card. I take a sly grin and asked the guy politely "Bro, can I show my hand?" He says "yes" and I show my 6-9o which sent him on massive tilt. Over the next 40 mins I steered out of the guys way as he probably burned through another P5,000 on no-look all-ins and such. Gotta say I never knew putting a guy on tilt could be so much fun!

Now I know why so many people limp in with terrible starting hands. The potential positive ev of sending a person on tilt sometimes makes up for being loose.

And Now... Running Bad

2007-10-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

I really better stop posting great results because the moment I do, an electronic impulse sends a message to the online poker site and tells me to f*ck with me.

I had retransferred the loan I got from MnlGrind for my online account with about $200 leftover. 6 days later and a bunch of really really sick sick beats I am down to ZERO. It's a good thing I can't redeposit immediately which allows me to cooldown a bit.

Played some live poker at the Metro and lost around P500. Peanuts really but I was actually happy with my game because I was completely card dead. It was a great time to practice some other plays and reads. I actually won a P2,000 pot with a pair of 4s when I sensed my opponent was on a total bluff. That felt really cool.

Well I guess I have to wait and see. Am thinking of sinking around P200K in a real bankroll so I can truly do some damage (to myself?). Bit for now, its casual playing at the 10/20s and 25/50s.

Officially Running Good

2007-10-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

I seem to have made the transition to Ring Games very well. I havent been able to hit the Metro because I found that the 25c/50c blinds at FTP are basically the same as the P25/P50 games there. I buy in for $20 which is similar to buying in for P2,000.

The upside is that the rake in FTP is 5%, I have a 27% rakeback and I can play 3 tables at the same time. I will still make it a point to go to the metro but for now the convenience of online poker has me hooked.

I have ran close to 14 out 17 winning sessions (by winning session I mean winning at least 50% of my buy-in up to a maximum of 300% of my buy-in) and my once dismal $43 is now up to $290. Am getting close to my goal of having a $400 bankroll so I can grind the Rings for steady increases and taking my shots at the big MTTs without having to worry about what the buy-in will do to my bankroll.

Ok gotta get back to stealing those 75c blinds lol.

Winning Sessions at Ring Games at the Metro

2007-10-11T04:19:00.000-07:00

Well after having a horrendous run at online play (down somewhere like $300) I decided to play against my old nemesis: Ring Games.

I have not done well in ring before because I was stuck in my tournament mode. I just didn't find blinds that did not increase that appealing. But after busting out of 12 straight SnGs (8 of them on the bubble) I just felt I needed a change in atmosphere.

So last Tuesday I decided to give the 25/50 games at the Metro a shot. Bought in for P2,000 and in 20 mins I was down to P700. This was another downside to playing online poker. Playing 3 tables turbo SnGs had reduced my patience to that of a 2 year old.

I buckled down and thought this was the perfect time to re-enlighten my patience I finally caught some good cards and good flops. The net result? I cashed out close to P10,000 that night.

I then came back the next night and bought in for P3,000. I cashed out P8,500 so once again a good night. Now my goal is to play online casually and hit the metro close to every night. My experiment is to post 15 straight winning sessions. Let's see what happens.

The Metro Freeroll - Free 8k!

2007-09-05T05:38:00.000-07:00

I won the freeroll at the Metro last Tuesday for a nice 8k win. As Maverick put it best - "Nice win bro! Your ROI is infinity!!"

The first ever TRUE freeroll I have played is at the Metro and they guarantee 20K for just showing up. The game was pretty soft but is expected since there are so many first timers trying it out in a safe environment.

Of course sometimes poker can be cutthroat so I just took every advantage I could get LOL. I made it a point it give a person some pointers if he cared to listen and I made a few friends this way.

I won't go into details too much but I will say this: I think I have found the perfect strategy against soft fields. That is to say fields like the small tournaments at acf and some with a lot of newbies. I gotta try it out a bit more before I spill the beans so hope I rake in some more live tournament wins.

In that tournament I had gone in with the best hands roughly each and everytime and I was outdrawn when I had my opponent totally dominated about 3 times. Still I realized a poker theorem that Dan Harrington had said does work wonders.

Its all about the zones, reads and the all-powerful M. What do I mean? Either buy his books or wait until I've proven my theory. =)

ACF 100K Guaranteed Win!

2007-08-24T04:21:00.000-07:00

I'll keep this post short because I'm sure the people out there are a lot more interested with what is happening in the APPT. I couldn't play the APPT because it was grandma's birthday this Sunday plus I didnt have any chance to play a single satellite. Howell there will be other big games around.

Played the ACF 100k Guaranteed and by far it was THE EASIEST tournament I had ever played. There were plenty of dead fish in the mix and new players that it was as if they were playing with their hands shown. I knew when I was up against the nuts, a draw or a complete bluff.

Split the prize 4 ways to strongly to my advantage since I was the chip leader for a nie 22k win. I will probably play all Thursdays 100k tourneys going forward if the games there are that soft.

Chip and a Chair

2007-08-18T03:43:00.000-07:00

Ok ok so it took me TWO chips and a chair....

I had joined the Metro 2K+200 tournament and 32 players came despite the bad weather. The place was spectacular and I think I have found my new home.

It started out pretty well for me when I just went rock-mode for the entire first 2 levels and my "fishing" finally caught not one, but 2 big fishes. I had 44 with 9,000 chips in middle position when loose player raises to 900. I call and so does the BB. Flop comes KsQs4c and I am set to reel them in. Loose player bets 1500, I take my time and re-raises to 4500 and BB calls! To my utter disbelief loose player goes all-in for 12,000 and I instacall. BB thinks and thinks and folds KQ (2 pair). Great fold and loose player shows pocket aces. He didn't hit his 2 outer and I am really in the game!

With a pretty good stack I start systematically dismantling my opponents and it wasn't long when we finally made to the final table 9 handed. I had about 50K chips and was about 3rd in standing.

The very first hand of the final table UTG pushes all in for about 20K and I look down at A7s on the button. I figured that it was a steal and called his push. I was right and high carded him for the win. We were down to 8 players with only 5 to the money.

With the blinds now at 4k-8k stealing was a necessity. I look down at AQs on the button again and raise to 30k. Nickg pushes me all-in and I decide that if I wanted to win then this was the time to gamble. I call and he shows me AJo. I had him dominated but from the last 12 times getting outdrawn in FTP I just buried my head on the table and waited for the cards to be dealt. When I looked up, a jack had fallen on the flop and I was out.

Or so I thought. I looked back and saw two shiny 1 thousand chips still in my place and I took my seat. I had 2k with the blinds at 4k-8k and the average stack at a whopping 45 thousand! Even the 2nd shortest stack had more then 20K to their name. I felt I just wanted to get it over with.... I had half the freaking small blind for crying out loud.

I still had 3 free looks and I rejected the overwhelming urge to just throw my chips on the next hand. I got 10-3 then 8-5. UTG I got QJs and decided this was as good as it was going to get. No raises and a queen on the flop got me back to 6k! Still I was now the BB and I couldn't even complete the 8K. Nickg raises my blinds and gives me protection but turns over K-x and he has me high carded. The flop comes and I miss totally.... Nickg was cheering on the jack to keep me alive. (I appreciate the support bro!) Turn comes and no Queen or Jacks and and river lands an 8. But then I look back and see I just made a straight queen high!

I almost triple up and reraise the BB on the next hand and with his fold i got back up to 20k! With me on the button I was in position to just wait for the other short stacks to get blinded out! That round saw 2 other players bust out and we were on the bubble. Here I just pushed any hand with an Ace, King or Queen. In fact I didn't even look at the other card and when one other short stack called me I had him high carded again to bust the bubble!

Prize payout was as follows:

1st - 24,500
2nd - 15,000
3rd - 10,000
4th - 7,000
5th - 5,000

I was happy but realized that to complete my comeback story I wanted to win the damn thing. I picked my hands carefully and was able to bust a guy from Hong Kong when he shoved with just 1.5BB and I was the BB. 4 handed, I raise Nick's blinds again with K-10 and he shoves all-in. Went in the tank and decided I was pot committed and hoped my hand was live. He made the move with J-8s and I was glad he didn't have any more chips. If the raise was just a little bit higher I would have folded. I hit the King on the flop and we were down to 3 with me as the chip leader.

The 2 other guys duked it out and I was then heads up with equal stacks. I play head's up a little differently this time and it seemed to work for me. I always just called when I was the SB because I knew I had an advantage with the flop out. I didn't like coin flips at this stage and it cost me about 1/3 of my chips to gain some valuable information.... My opponent goes all-in on sub-optimal hands and raises 2 to 3 times when he had a monster.

It was easy enough to set up the trap and whenever I saw an Ace, King or Queen I was ready for the all-in move. First one he made I called with K-x and I high carded him for the win and a 3-1 chip advantage. His second all-in I had K-9 and high carded him again for the championship.

Long post I know but it was one of the best poker tournaments I have ever played. Every hand on the final table that I had played I came in with the best hand (except for the one with Nick where I made a gutshot straight) and that was the only thing I could hope for. I didn't get outdrawn and I was able to make my comeback.

Two chips and a chair. Well now I know anything is truly possible.

Running Bad

2007-08-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

Well I lost the $40 that MnlGrind transferred to me and I asked for another $60. Switched my game from ring to SnGs and did pretty well at the $6+.5. Moved up to 11+1 when I reached $100 and was up a good $120.

Then it all went downhill again. Didn't place ITM for the last 8 SnGs and 3 times I busted out on the bubble. The thing was every single time I busted I placed my money with the best hand. Not just higher cards with my opponent live but completely dominated hands!!

AQ vs AJ, A10 vs A8 and pocket queens over pocket jacks. Every single time I was outdrawn and I am losing my belief that FTP is a random site. I know the mantra of the great poker players is to just be able to place in your money when you have the best hand and let the cards play it out.

Still it's enough to put anyone on tilt when they get outdrawn the last 8 times. I am down to a paltry $22 and am back to playing the $6s. Not really a resounding welcome back to online play but I know the variance will iron out in the long run.

Busted 3X in one night on AA!!

2007-08-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

This just cannot be happening. I played a 100K guaranteed tournament at ACF last night and it is probably one of the worse poker sessions I have ever had.

I was running pretty good from the start and the fish were all biting. Small pocket pairs hitting the set, good pot bets against drawing hands etc. In short I had built my 5K stack to over 20K on the last level of the rebuy period.

Then tragedy struck. I was on the button and look down at AA. The guy from the cutoff raises to 3,000 and I reraise to 8,000. Action goes back to him and he calls!!! Flop comes Ad 7c 8d and I wish he got top pair or even 2 pair. He goes all-in immediately after the flop for 12,000 more and I instacall with my set. The guy had the balls to play a QdJd and the turn gave him the diamond for the flush. I had a few more outs if the board paired but it was not to be.

OK I rebuy and add-on and my 20K stack was reduced to 15K (and P2,000 less too). I play my usual mid game and was able to come back very well. I had around 60K when I ONCE AGAIN look down at AA. I raise 3X the BB and this foreigner guy calls me. The flop was K J 10. I felt weary of an AQ but it seemed doubtful since I already held both aces. I decided the pot was big enough to take and push!! He took some time, called me and showed pocket queens!!! I was way ahead with him down to 7 outs. Turn came 9 and that was it for me.

I was so frustrated and it took all of my call to say congratulations and good luck everyone. I strongly believe that poker is a gentleman's sport but my patience was being tested by busting out both time with pocket rockets.

I then saw a juicy ring game and sat down. Fish galore especially a Japanese guy to my right who kep raising to P300 every single hand. He had about a 20K stack so I made it my goal for the money to go in front of me. I managed to get my P3,000 buy-in up to around P8,000 and was feeling better from my losses when the Jap guy raises to P300 again (what else is new). I look down and see.... AA!!!

I raise to P900 and he calls me. Flop comes 9 7 2 and I knew there was no way he hit that flop. e checks and I bet P1000. He calls and the turn comes J. He checks again and I bet P2,000 then he check raises me all-in.

I stop to think... there was a possibility that he had 2 pair and J-9 was a hand he was known to play with. But then again he would have bet on the flop if that was the case. an 10-8 would give him a straight draw but with 8 outs, he would be crazy to put me on all-in. I figured he hit the Jack on the turn and was willing to gamble with top pair.

I call and turn over the rockets. He shows J-8 and I felt relieved I was right that he only had top pair. The pot was at a whopping P17,000!!!!

River 10. I forgot that he still had a gutshot straight draw which gave him 7 outs instead of 3. I wanted to vomit but gathered my resolve, smiled and said "good hand".

I think I am now traumatized by the pocket rockets. Last 7 hands and counting where I had the rockets it was cracked and had cost me the game. Each and everytime I had gotten all my money with the best hand and my opponent stuck at 7 outs or less... and each and everytime I have lost.

Currently reading Harry Potter and I am strongly wondering if pocket rockets are cursed for me.

Thanks for reading

The $40 Experiment

2007-07-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

Well as I said in my recent posts, I want to come back to Poker. I have been trying to look for some live games with no real success but this Saturday's 5K tourney looks promising. (I just wish by some miracle it would be moved a little closer to home)

Since the live tournament games are hard to find I am going to try to play a little bit of online poker again. I don't have access to deposit or withdraw so I asked a favor from MnlGrind and he accepted.

MnlGrind transfered $40 to my account and I will see how far I can take that. So far my online record was +$14,200 before I went home and that was from a starting capital of $200. I will play a lot less and can't even hit the big MTTs due to time difference but it's an interesting challenge.

Will keep you posted.

ACF 40K Event

2007-07-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Horrendous.

I was looking for a game today and saw the 40K freeroll that was up at ACF. Decided to take the day off to play so got there by 1 pm. Played a few rounds of Bacarrat and got myself up by around 8K so a P100 entrance seemed hilarious.

I was already blinded out for a few rounds which didnt matter and the first hand I saw was K-8s. Since it was a rebuy tournament and I knew aggression was key in the early rounds, I called two all-in bets and won when I hit 2 pair. I had a healthy stack and just kept on playing aggresive.

I was soon at around 18K from the 5K starting stack and looked down at AKo. Someone in early position goes all-in for 6K and I reraise all-in to isolate. I even stated so to make the other players know of the move....

I get called by 3 players.... One of them hits a trip 7s (he had Q-7o) and I am crippled. It was absolutely disgusting what some people will go all-in with on a rebuy tournament. I play a few more hands before I made use of the rebuys. I bought in for 2 rebuys and never got up again. But when add-ons were offered I took 2 and had 16K in chips going into the freezeout rounds.

Blind steals was key at this stage and this is were I love the game and soon enough through aggressive play and a couple of lucky all-ins I got to the final table.

Here is where I am ranting. This was absolutely THE WORST blind structure I have ever seen in my whole poker life!!! We had 3-6K blinds and 1k antes which were a little steep but still ok. However, the next round went 5-10K and 2K antes!! WTF??

The next round?? 8-16K and then 10-20K and then the ungodly 20-40K. When we got down to 5 handed I had about 185K and about 3rd in chips. I had less then 5BB for crying out loud!!! The game degenerated into a lottery where I lost when I ran up against pocket queens as I tried to steal with a K-8s. 4th place paid out P3,ooo something. Whoopeee (dripping sarcasm)

All in all it was a fun and light tournament but now I once again ask the tournament organizers to please let me know of any good poker tournaments around.

Thanks for reading

How's It Going World

2007-07-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

Well am certainly hit by a strong sense of nostalgia as I open up my blog again and read through the blogs of my friends. It has been a long time since I've been here and I once again post because the poker bug has bitten me again.

I'm pretty much rusty, no internet connection to play online and overall a lot more busy then I used to. However, I do want to get back to the poker scene and start updating my blog again when time permits.

With that said.... I hope some of the tourney organizers can hit up my blog and let me know if there are any good games going around. Basically I am looking for 3K to 10k buy-in tournaments in the ortigas and QC area. I will also try to qualify for the upcoming APPT if I get the chance.

To my friends online, let's catch up sometime. Drop by at GameFrog and the beer is on me.

Sick

2006-10-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well after a week of intense partying it seems things caught up with me. I got sick yesterday and couldn't go to work. It started out on Monday which really sucked because I was planning on heading down to Serv with Erik but I couldnt make it.

Am pretty much booked this week as well although I really want to play the ACF5K. Its been awhile since I played any real poker and I am so itching to get my hands on some cards. I played a small tournament at elbow last Thursday which I placed 3rd but I wouldnt count that as a tournament as you wont believe the donkish plays some of the fish did.

I have finally met Mnlgrind, blondie Nutsboy, Suited Pairs and Maverick (who needs to teach me all those nifty coin tricks) I have also received emails on the contacts of Erik, Ariel, 11finger, jpt, jaz and others. Drop by at GameFrog on the weekends and send me a text message as I am usually there on the weekends. I will either try to go to servi on Friday or the ACF5K on Sat just to quench my poker thirst.

Last thing I wanted to mention was I just found out that our firewall in the office blocks blogs meaning I can't post as much as I want to. I had to post this at home on a freaking dial-up connection. I didnt realize internet connection could be THIS slow lol.

Back On Terra Firma

2006-10-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well am back and after 2 nights of intense drinking am ready to play some poker. Actually I've been looking for a freaking game for the last 2 days but I'm too lazy to go to ACF. The 41o game didnt push through and I was too jetlagged to play in ACF on Monday.

Well I hope to at least get to meet the people in person so 11fing, mark, nuts, mav, nickg, erick etc.... stop sleeping and come see me before my money for booze runs out LOL.

Cya peeps. Please send me your contact numbers at team_ertai@yahoo.com

Thanks all.

Coming Home!

2006-10-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well it has truly been a great experience. Being in the US for the last 3 months have taught me a lot of things. It's great meeting new people and doing new things. Hotel service has its perks but loses its luster fast. Online poker can indeed be pwned and money earned on a regular basis.

But the most important thing I learned: there's no place like home.

Coming home this weekend and looking to catch up on all that I missed out. I won't be updating the blog as often as I used to due to the fact that the poker games won't probably come as often. However, it should be a blast to finally get to play live games and tournaments. I am hoping to get some bracelets and final tables under my belt. Lots of things to be excited about!

There is also the blogger tourney in the works and the major booze fest the week I am back. Please send me your contact numbers in email at team_ertai@yahoo.com so I can contact some of you.

Thanks for reading. This is GameFrog signing off..... for now.

Blogger Tournament Series?

2006-10-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well I appreciate Mav holding up the Blogger Tournament until I get back. With that I will handle the booze for the first one hehe. Given that this is my last week in the US and I will be heading back home, let's go ahead and talk when and how we should do this. Please comment here so we can consolidate opinions and suggestions.

One Time or Series?

One Time Tournament would essentially mean we crown the winner of the event (and gets the pot) A series would mean more logistics and planning but would allow us more time to hang out and get to know each other (Like BBC?) and maybe get the true champion after the variances smoothen things out.

A series could be once a week, points being gained by participants and winners and the top 8 players get to play in the championship match. A small pot is collected per event to add to the Championship Pot.

Logistics

So where do you want to play? Given the uncertainties due to recent events it would be safer if no locations are published but the host contact be given. Lets keep it down to people we know and trust. I don't really think we are on the radar but better be safe then sorry.

If one-time then no worries as its not a regular thing. We can hold it maybe at servitek or just at a home game. I like places with actual dealers though hehe.

Buyin and prize payout

Everyone here I would think is comfortable at different levels in stakes so lets try to find a happy median. Here are just a few sample buy-in recommendations:

P500
P1000
P2000
P3000

I think keeping it below P5000 would allow us to keep the competition at a friendly level. Anything lower then P500 and I feel it would not be a good test of skill as the pressure is almost non-existent. In terms of payouts we can go with:

10% to host (or establishment if we do hold it at one) If host, they have to provide booze and some food!

20% to cumulative pot (if we choose to make it a series)

70% total pot. Let's use normal SNG payout settings.

When is the first one?

I am already excited to play live and I think 11finger and I will hit ACF on the first day I land LOL. But in a tournament setting I think Monday may be out due to people watching the WPT final table. Does Wed sound good?

Be heard boys and girls so we can get this thing rolling.

When Being In the Top 3% Doesnt Matter

2006-10-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Played an MTT today out of 570 people and finished at 20th. Honestly, it was a heart breaker and I would have preferred to be the first one out. It was a 3 hour marathon as usual and the swings were unbelievable. I made it ITM with an average stack.

However, I kept getting second best hands. It took all of my concentration and will power to lay most of them down when I knew I was beat. My set vs a made flush, AJ with an ace on the board vs what turned out to be AQ....

At last I couldn't help myself but push all-in with A8 on the button but wouldnt you know it, the BB had the balls to call with a 55. I guess I should have been happy with 2 overcards but I didnt hit and I was out at 20th.

Total Win - $55
Entry Fee - $26

Profit - $29

Woot.

First was a whopping $3K+ again and I could really smell the money! Hmmm probably lacking in practice and just went short on luck. Well too tired to play another one so I may try my hand in ring games again with my last $110. Most of the games I will play back home would be ring so I better not get too dependent on my tournament skills.

My first goal - double my bankroll.

My end goal - Get a $1000 more out of Online Poker before I head home.

7 Days and counting!!!!!

Wish me luck!!

10 Days And Counting

2006-10-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

Well its been a boring week as usual. Havent been playing too much poker since I need to finish up quite a bit of work due to the fact that I will be heading back home very soon.

With the upcoming bill banning transactions to Online Poker sites in the US I believe we are about to see a new giant coming to the shores of Asia. Hopefully it will now be a lot easier to open and fund accounts from our humble country. This would essentially mean a growing boom in the poker community and may even set us up for greater things in live events. I can't wait.

However, given the fact that I have been separated from society for a grueling 90 days I don't think I will be playing online poker when I get back home. If things work as we hope then I may open an account again but for now, I gotta get my fill of all the booze and parties that I missed during my US stint.

Poker is a passion and I long to drive that passion so it seems that it may become a journey in live tournaments and live games. During that passage I look forward to meeting most of you in person and gaining new friends. I will be playing quite a bit of live games, both big and small as well as all the major tournaments coming down the pipeline. I am setting aside quite a big amount from this trip (mostly profit from online poker) and creating a live bankroll that should be enough to roll with the big boys.

I do anticipate a transition period as I may not be able to stop myself from giggling when I get the rockets.... That and playing poker fully clothed =P

I think I should be able to hold my own.

So see you guys in 10 days.

PanAsia Poker Tour?

2006-09-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

Been a slow and relaxing weekend for me so far and might play a few Online MTTs today. Been surfing the Web and I saw this:

http://panasiapokertour.com/

Read through he details but in a nutshell:

On Nov 3-5, 2006
PAPT is proud to announce "The PAPT Philippines Open" held at the Airport Casino Filipino in the Philippines. The tournament is open to players from all over the world. The main event will be taped and produced for a future televised broadcast.

24 hrs Live action and sit & go !

Nov 3 12 pm Registration opens
3pm $500 NL Hold'em Tournament
8pm $275 Super-satellite for the main event

Nov 4 12 pm Registration opens
2pm $2500 Main NL Hold'em Tournament 2-day event
8pm $500 NL Hold'em Tournament
10pm $10,000 Baccarat tournament

Nov 5 1 pm Registration opens
12pm the final table of main event start
2pm $500 NL Hold'em Tournament

Why haven't there been any big announcements on this (Or have there?) I mean I have heard about the WPT, the PPT but not this and this one is already in November! The buy-ins are a bit steep but it seems to be a world-class tournament geared at tournaments in Asia!! I see myself forming a team and competing in these tournaments all over Asia now!!

Truly great things are in store for Poker in our humble country. Time to hone our skills and show the world how good we can be.

When You Get Hit By A Bad Beat...

2006-09-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

... take a look at this photo of my friend. Major tournament and they got in all their money on the flop. Perfect runner runner to kill his chances.

So when you're feeling down that you got a bad beat... just remember it happens when you play well and get it in with the best hand.

That... and some other people will have it worse then you did!!

Limit Poker Strategy

2006-09-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well I havent played poker in the last 5 days due to hell week at work. Been working 16 hour days and I think all those early days when I was slacking off is finally catching up with me.

Well am playing my first tourney since last weekend so wish me luck!

One thing I wanted to talk about though is Limit Poker. For those og you not familiar with how it goes, basically there is a maximum bet and raise allowed. So if the blinds are $1/$2 then the SB is 50 cents and the BB is $1. From there people can only raise $1 and so fourth up to a maximum of 4 raises per betting round. On the turn the bets double to $2 as well as the river.

So why am I dabbling into this rather then sticking to No Limit? The reason being is that it allows you to gain so much points, bonus dollar clearance and rakeback!! When you sit in a limit poker game, most players will limp in because there is no risk of being priced out by a large raise. This allows you to sit back with big pots being played and gaining all the rakeback and bonus points in the shortest time possible!

A key strategic change here is the starting hands you should play. Bluffing and aggressive play is not too rewarded here and its all about hitting the nuts. With this in mind the starting hands I play are:

AA, KK, QQ - obviously
Ax suited - flop a flush or flush draw on the flop. If you don't you're done.
Any pocket pair - flop a set or you're done.

The great thing about limit poker is due to the limited raises you are almost always getting correct odds for yor straight or flush draw. Its just important to know when you are high carded on your flushes and not to draw to the idiot end of a straight.

So to the new starting players in online poker, I suggest you give the $1/$2 limit tables a try. It doesnt work for everyone and you will have bad days where you don't seem to hit a single flop but statistically speaking, it is the best possible way of earning rakeback, bonus dollars and frequent players points.

Lastly, the moves become very automatic since reads and bluffs arent as important as in NL. Due to this fact, multi-tabling is a lot easier to do. Heck I bet you could even teach your maid to do it when you go to sleep hehe.

My Thoughts On The Upcoming PPT

2006-09-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

I was reading through Nick's blog and I realized I havent really posted anything community related. Well here is one thing I feel strongly about. Let me know what you think.

The 3 Million PPT. I took a look at their site and the payout is once again a vague system:

Prize Structure
1. The Philippine Poker Tour (PPT) is putting up guaranteed prizes as follows:
a.) Guaranteed Minimum Champions Prize - P1,000,000.00 plus Champion's Bracelet. PPT, may at its discretion, increase the total amount of Champion's Prize. PPT, however, cannot reduce the above minimum guaranteed prize regardless of total number of participants in the Grand Finals.
b.) Total Amount of Three Million Pesos will be distributed to the TOP THIRTY (30) players provided total number of participants in the Grand Finals reaches One Hundred (100). Distribution of prizes is as follows:
CHAMPION
c.) In case total number of participants in the Grand Finals is below 100, PPT may at its discretion adjust the above prize amounts and number of winners. The minimum guaranteed prize for the CHAMPION remains at P1,000,000.00 plus Bracelet and will not be reduced.

if you guys didn't know I was a victim of the epic screw job they did the first PPT. There were over 160+ players who played the P21K buy-in resulting in a pot of over 3.2M. Assuming they take 10% that is still roughly 2.9M pot but they only paid out 1.6M.

Now I feel we have another thing like that in the making and in my firm belief that if Poker is to be a good thing in our country then we should set things straight. If you notice the BOLD text they are already implicitly stating that they do NOT have to increase the payout if there are more then 100 players. They have the authority to take the excess from the pot again since they stated quite clearly on their site.

Now I don't know about that but ignorance is no excuse. I will probably call them and give my opinion on this matter when I come back but I do hope they understand the consequences of what they are doing. I WAS a naive poker player then.... not too good and was looking to get lucky. I am more informed and aware now and I understand what happened previously. It's a shame if history repeats itself.

Its sad as well because it all ties in to the crackdown of the NBI. One legal poker room, very few legal tournament organizers. What is a poker player to do but be robbed in broad daylight or face the prosecution of the NBI.

Thank god for online poker eh?

After 60 Days of Online Poker....

2006-09-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

Well today marks my 60th day playing online poker. I was playing a 994 man MMT and I was hoping to have a final table picture to go with this post but no such luck as I finished 59th.

So far it has been a great experience. It almost seems like a distant memory when I loaded in my first $200 in Pacific and was so eager to play that I woke up at 4 AM to start playing before I went to work. That first bankroll lasted me 3 days which really goes to show that you have to pay some learning fees when you start. I wasnt accustomed to the speed of online play and was tilting too much when I lost a big hand. With the next game just a click away, it is indeed a perilous place.

I almost immediately put in another $400 at Full Tilt this time and lost 50% of that in one day. Things were looking bleak and I admit I felt like this wasnt working out. I stopped and thought about what I seemed to be doing wrong. I sat down and thought about the leaks of my game and tried to improve on them. Then came 10 straight days of winning in the cash games and I was soon even again.

The turning point of my online success, (though not really very impressive compared to others) was when I remembered I had $21.25 in bonus dollars in my Pacific account. I saw a Guaranteed 10K tournament for 18+1.80 and thought this was a good way to close this account. I have always played better at tournaments but I was intimidated by the number of players in MTTs online.

I placed 4th in that tournament and won over $700. I just doubled my bankroll in 4 hours! I then started looking into MTTs more and have started playing them. I bought more then half a dozen poker books and improved my game from the sound advice on some of them.

I started getting ITM pretty often on the big tournaments but couldn't seem to win the championship. One tournament saw me bust out of the bubble at 10th and was not able to make the final table due to a mistake. I was devastated and took a break. I consoled myself thinking that there was another tournament just 30 minutes away.

THAT tournament I won.... for $3,680.

I was ecstatic!! I called up room service and ordered the largest steak they had with a bottle of wine. Cost me $110 but with no one with me here so I just felt I had to be good to myself.

The next weeks gave me more ITMs and one 4th place finish for $1,970 but no big wins until exactly 30 days after my first win. I won the $26 MTT out of 600+ players for my biggest win of $3,945!!!

60 days of online poker brought me....

- 40+ ITM finishes in MTTs
- 7 Final Tables
- 2 Championships

As of this moment.... Total Profit of $7,450

And most importantly, a lot of new friends that I have met online. MnlGrind, Maverick, Nickg, Erick, 11Finger, JPT, Nuts and everyone else that I failed to mention.

It's been a blast and I enter the final stretch before I finally head back home.

Cya guys in 30 days!!

-Richie

Why Doing Pot (Odds) is Good

2006-09-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

I have been reading blogs, giving advice in some and answering questions in others. I realized that most new people are grappling with one aspect of poker that I had a hard time digesting at first too. Pot Odds

For the advance players, usually pot odds is just a basis of whether they should call a drawing hand but in reality pot odds allow you to control the probabilities and put them in your favor.

So here is my take on the topic. Take note there may be errors and I am not going through the nitty gritty exact calculations. I am just going to tell you how I calculate pot odds and how I use it.

Pot Odds is basically the comparison of how much you need to bet to win a pot versus the odds of you making the best hand. So for example there is 1000 in the pot and you have a flush draw. Only one person in the hand and they bet 500 (pot now at 1500) . You need to call 500 to potentially win 2000 (total pot) so you are getting 3 to 1 on your money. It is 3 to 1 because:

3 (P1500) to 1 (P500)

Should you call?

You now calculate how many outs you have. Assuming you are only hoping for the flush then you have 9 outs. Lets say the you also have top pair along with your flush draw and feel if you hit trips you'd win the hand. In that case you have 11 outs (9+2). Once you have the outs you simply multiply it by 2 and you get a rough % of hitting it on the turn. For the flush draw you have 18%. Now remember!!! You need to calculate PER CARD and not assume you have 36% to hit the flush until the river because there is another betting round after the turn. The ONLY time you can calculate your odds by multiplying by 4 (2 more cards and what your chance of hitting your draw until the river) is when you are ALL-IN.

That 18% translates to 5 to 1 odds but you are only getting paid 3 to 1 on the odds. It is incorrect for you to call because in the long run you would lose money. However, lets say the bet was only 200... You are now getting 7 to 1 odds for a 5 to 1 chance of making it. You call.

Everyone with me? Now people say thats it's a bit hard to figure all this out in the heat of a match. Its also a classic tell because when I see someone look up and look like they are calculating, I now have information that if I bet on the turn ABOVE the pot odds they will fold. It also tells me this person knows a bit of poker strategy and I will play him accordingly.

So you need to be able to calculate odds fast and not LOOK like you're doing it. Here's how to do it in 2 SECONDS FLAT (ahem trade secret hehehe)

One question should be enough.... how much is the pot? From there you start counting bets as fractions of the pot. 1890 pot someone bets 400 that is automatically somewhere around 1/5 of the pot. If there are callers just add 1 to the denominator so 2 callers (and you) means you automatically get 8 to 1 odds. If someone bets the pot (1/1) and get no callers then add one to the denominator and you get 2-1 odds. Dali noh??

Ok so now you know how to easily calculate odds.... but how to use it? The easiest way of course is to know when to call with your drawing hands. But if you reverse the situation you are armed with the information on how to make the drawing hands get bad odds for their calls!! The general rule of thumb is a pot bet will give almost all drawing hands bad odds.

The final thing here is Implied Odds. Its really this simple: Implied odds is how much you THINK you can win if you make the draw. So for example if a person bet 50% of his stack (Betting 500 of his last 1000 on a 1500 pot) You are getting 4 to 1 on your 5 to 1 flush draw. However, since he put it 50% of his stack it is safe to assume he is now POT COMMITED and will push his remaining chips afterwards so you can go ahead and calculate the pot at 2000 (instead of 1500) essentially boosting your odds to 5-1 and getting the correct odds to call your flush draw.

I hope that is an easy and quick reference to the confusing world of pot odds. Lemme know if you have questions or corrections.

Burned Out Again...

2006-09-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

Hmmm played a heck of a lot of poker this weekend (about 5 MTTs each day) and got ITM on about 4 of them. No big wins and some heartbreaking beats were the climax of the day. I have read through blogs and stuff and have seen that in order to play pro poker for a living you gotta have a bread and butter format. The MTTs are just a big bonus...

However, for my case the MTTs ARE my bread and butter. I attribute 95% of my total profits to them. The only problem is they take too looooong. Its like playing a computer game where you couldn't save your game. You play smart, keep your health bar up and a small misclick kills your character steps away from the Big Boss.....

So all those time wasted... spent without anything to show for it. I guess this is one of the key reasons for my burnout. The big wins more then make up for it though and the anticipation of winning my next big MTT is what drives me to keep playing.

I got a pretty good bankroll remaining with locked profits that should be enough for 6 months of reckless partying hehehe. I will hit a few MTTs here and there and try my hand at 4 tabling ring games at PokerStars (I don't like their MTTs too much). I have also learned quite a few things while reading and playing and I will share them sometime this week.

Cya people

Work Blues...

2006-09-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

No updates these past few days as work has been crap. 16 hours days and I usually come home minutes late from the tournaments which rubs more salt. This is my first night I was actually able to play poker and things were so-so.

Place ITM on a $26 and a $75 but no big win. Went 16th on the $75 and was a bit dissapointed to have missed my 5th final table. Howell, I expect to play a bunch of poker this weekend so you guys stay tuned.

I am also loading $200 at PokerStars just for fun and I'm going to see if I can play 4 MTTs at the same time hehe. If I feel like its affecting the quality of my game then I am cutting back down to 2 or 1.

Will let you guys now. Have a blast on the weekends!

Ship It Baby!!

2006-09-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

So what happened? Did GameFrog squander away his chips? Did he tighten up and get deep in the Final Table? Did he take calculated risks and won the tournament?

I can't remember.... I was too wasted from 8 bottles of Corona hehehe. But I remember taking a screenshot and was happy to see this....

$3,945!! SHIP IT BABY!!! Hehehe that felt good to say.

With 671 entries and only a 1,500 starting stack I told myself I will be willing to gamble a bit more then usual. I didnt want to cling on for hours on a short stack without a real chance at winning this.

The first big hand I had was when I held QJs in late position. There were several limpers and I bring it in for a 4X raise. Since the blinds were small everyone called and flop comes QJ9. I got 2 pair but there is a straight draw possibility. I bet the pot and got 1 caller. River was a blank and I bet the pot again... other guy raises me and I push all-in. He had AQ and a Jack came on the river to seal the deal.

I was playing another small tournament at the same time so that kept my patience in check. After awhile I held A9s and raised in late position. got a flush draw and massively overbet the pot hehehe. Guy calls and I hit the flush on the turn. Since he was committed to the pot it was easy enough to get all his chips in.

After the first break I was up around 6K. I was able to get full price on my AA and was able to outplay some opponents on the flop with risky all-in raises.

I just realized one good thing about online poker over live games... I get to scream "FOOLLLDDDD!!!!" over and over and they can't pick it up as a tell hehehe.

ITM came by with me being aroun 40K stack. Had one hand where I had the guy dominated KK vs QQ. Flop comes K83 all hearts. No worries he didnt have a heart too and my trips made sure he was drawing almost completely dead. Turn was J of hearts.... wait a minute.... River 6 of hearts. In the name of everything holy.... a SPLIT POT???? crap.

However, being a nice and polite player I say "nice hand" and he apologizes on the major suckout. It happens I guess. However, I think that lit up my good karma and went on a tear with successful blind steals and resteals. I always showed my strong steals. AK, AQ, medium PP. I showed them all while chatting with the table. I wanted people to cement my image that I am nice... but when I raise get the hell out of MY pot.

2 people didn't listen and when I had AQs I reraise a raise. The flop comes A8Q and guy goes all-in. I call in a heartbeat and he show A-8. I now have 230K in chips and was in the final table.

The second guy was from my screenshot where I held KK. Raise on my blinds and I put him all-in. His A10 doesnt draw his 3 outer.

From there it was blind steal, wait, more blind steals and a successful takeout when my pp held up on the coin flip against a short stack overcards.

I had a 4-1 chip lead when I got heads-up and pushed when I got AK. He had 99s and it was a classic coin flip for the championship.

X - X - X - K - X

Pass the sugah!!!!!

They Say A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words....

2006-09-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

Finally got my fourth Final Table at FTP. Went in as the chip lead and had a monster hand to start things off!

My strategy seems to be working since I was able to pad my small roll with tokens providing me with enough ammunition to grind the MTTs.

So what happened at this Final Table?? To Be Continued!!!!!!!!

Token Update and Party Plans

2006-09-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well things are going OK. It seems I won't be able to post actual values anymore since they are time consuming (yes I am that lazy) and I have been using FTP as a fund transfer method to my friends hehehe.

However, the interesting thing is I have gained two $26 tokens by going 2/3 in 6 handed small tournaments and two $75 tokens by going 2/3 from the 18 man SnG. Overall the satellite method seems to be working with regards to padding my role but of course its too early too tell. One thing that is certain though is that due to the very flat payout structure this is definitely a good investment since I am primarily a MTT player.

However, I of course wont be able to earn any true cash unless I make some money of the MTTs. Well at least I am stretching my remaining bankroll.

I seriously can't wait to get back home. I've been drinking and playing poker tonight, alone on a Saturday night. God I never thought things could get this boring. I think I am going to blow some serious cash partying when I come back. That reminds me too.... you guys want to have a Blogger eyeball at GameFrog? My thoughts is that we can have a simple P150 entry for drink all you can all night. Since the beer costs P30 each then just make sure you can drink up by 5 bottles and you're fine. Complimentary ice tea for any ladies who dont drink. I will shoulder anything that goes beyond and may foot some food bills (as long as there arent 200+ people) You guys can bring along +2 friends as long as they are poker addicts as well (Hey we all need something to talk about)

And I will have to ask eash person to come to me and introduce themselves with their blogger nick. Just so I can introduce everyone to each other (and verify those who are coming are bloggers I know!)

Anyway just something I'm thinking of. Lemme know if you guys are interested. Afterwards if everyone isnt so stoned maybe we can have the Blogger tournament afterwards!! (Sorry we can't hold it at the frog though)

Post and lemme know. tentative date would be sometime Octoberish

MTT > SnG

2006-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

No I didn't win a MTT which made me say the bold statement on my title. I have however been grappling with a winning strategy on my remaining roll. I did a little bit better on Day 2 placing 2/4 ITM on the turbos for a net gain of $40.

After that I proceeded to play 2 hours of DOTA and this game actually showed me something interesting about my type of play. I seem to excel at single player perspective games. I used to be pretty good at counterstrike, I am a good player at DOTA and I used to be an excellent Magic player. I also crushed all single player RPG games that I played. Ok I better stop since I'm beginning to sound like a dork.

But the important point is that when I am concentrating on a single task I do well. I am great at micromanaging but was incompetent with macromanaging.

The point? I don't think I am doing well at multi tabling. I don't have the hand and eye coordination for the popping tables and I cannot make the perfect decision if I need to make 4 of them at the same time. However, single tabling SnGs is a losing proposition since I agree with the SnG players that its all about volume. I can play 2 tables at most well and that doesnt work with SnGs.

However, its perfect for the MTTs. Additionally, I was doing some thinking (which led me to the statement on my title). If I was playing a SnG and I won the tournament I would get about 4 times my buy-in. If I went ahead and played a second one and won that consecutively I would have made 8 times my buy-in.

Now in a 100 player MTT if I survive the ITM cutoff of 10% then I would make roughly 2 times my buy-in. But in essence if I win the "next" round I will win about 30 times my buy-in!

32 > 8

Of course I know its not that simple but then again experience shows me that I am right. I am probably a lesser player then the other SnG players here by sheer experience. I have played online for less then 2 months and occasionally at live games. Others have played for months or years showing consistent and undeniable proof that their system works. But I was fortunate enough to win 15 times my initial bankroll within a short time due to wins at the MTTs.

So now I need to figure out how I can afford to play those HIGH RISK MTTs at minimum expense. Reading through the other blogs I saw the answer, Satellites! (11finger and Erick proves they are the key to cheap main events) and looking through the game list at FTP I saw an 18 man SnG that pay outs a $75 token for 1-5 and $48 for 6th. All for a $22+2 entry fee. This may be the winning strategy I may be looking for. I need to play the 75s because that where I excel but my bankroll can only take the $26s. This allows me to rack up 75s for multiple shots at the big event. Additionally, since 1st to 5th get the token, the payout is very very flat allowing CONSISTENCY and PATIENCE to win out.

My roll allows me to take about 22 shots at this event. If I can really concentrate and get a token 50% if the time I would have 11 shots at the big MTT. Compared to only 6 if I just went ahead and paid for the entries. I would have padded my buy-ins by almost 100%. Of course the tokens are non-convertible to cash hehehe so there is no backing out after I embark on this quest.

Its a logical and valid gameplan that is based on the skillset that I have pegged myself to possess. I'd say it will take me less then 6 days to find out if I'm right hehehe.

If I'm wrong...... REBUY!!!!!!! LOL

Day 2 Update

Running Count - +$40
Bankroll - $465

$75 TOKENS earned = 0

Day 1 Update

2006-08-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well day 1 wasn't all that good. I am also probably going to input the daily updates on top of other topics that I think off just to maintain my outlet for weird ideas.

Played a $26 dollar MTT and 3 $22+2 turbos. Long story short I did not get ITM of the MTT (700+ players) and made it ITM on only 1 of 3 turbos. The good news is I placed first on that one so that lessened the blow a bit.

Some things I noticed...

1. I am having a hard time detaching myself from the money. I need to start thinking in units again versus money because I find myself looking at the bankroll too much.

2. I still believe in the great potential for returns of MTTs (Hey 99% of my profits came from MTTs) but due to its high risk nature, I need to be able to pad my bankroll a bit before I can safely traverse these dangerous waters again.

3. My bankroll is under siege due to the high stakes (comparable to the bankroll) and should play a bit more conservatively. This style may not be suited for most new players but can be a path for those who are willing to take bigger risks.

So I MAY slow down on the MTTs until I can build a better roll through SnGs. Hopefully if I can get a 20-30% increase I can use those profits to fund my MTTs. I plan on playing the $75s a lot once I get more breathing room because that is the MTT that has netted me the most profit. Fewer players (300 max) and its a double stack tournament allowing for skill to win out more then luck.

Running Count - ($25)
Bankroll - $425

Back From The Dead

2006-08-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well I just took a 3 day break from poker and just played a bit of Warcraft and DOTA on the battlenet. I've had a rough week at work, had a misunderstanding with my girlfriend (which has been resolved yay!) and a bad run of cards causing a major dip on my bankroll.

Well I'm back... hopefully with a better plan on the remaining 30+ days I have left in the US. Depending on how well or how bad I do it will pave my decision if I should continue my online game in Manila (If ever, Nickg I will need your help on setting up in Manila! hehehe)

I am going to post daily updates on how well I do. Currently I have pulled out $4000 which is locked profits and I am hoping that I do not touch that. I have $450 left as an online bankroll in FTP and that's where I will start. This is something that may be interesting to some of my readers since most people looking to start online will have a bankroll similar to that.

I will be logging in 30 pure days (which may be less if I lose the entire roll hehehe) and will update things as I go along.

I will be allotting 10 buy-ins to the $22+2 turbos ($240) and the remaining $210 for tournaments (about two $75s and two $26s). Not a lot of room to work with but I am working on the assumption that most online players hit a big tournament win and using those profits to set up a bankroll dozens of times larger then what they started with. More muscle to swing their weight and more profits to be reaped.

I will also be posting losses and wins. Just to give people an accurate view that its not all fun and games. The bad beats and bad streaks will happen. Mnlgrind, Eric and other Filipino online players have been through it. So to those aspiring players, take it with a grain of salt. Patience, skill and perseverance will win through but its not easy as TV makes it out to be.

Another option is I pull out $2000 back in and open up accounts in stars and party. That way I can multi table MTTs and try my hand at true pro play. It's an idea but I hope I can fund that with the wins from the small bankroll I have left.

Ground Zero:

SnG roll - $240
MTT roll - $210

Day 1 coming up. Wish me luck

What Should GameFrog Do No. 2

2006-08-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Well I havent ran too well the past few days and still searching for my 4th final table at FTP. Its taking awhile though hehehe. Good thing is I got my Frozen Throne CD so I am alternating between DOTA and poker. By the way, for the DOTA players out there please make sure to check my first link.

So anyway, I was thinking about this scenario and I would like comments on it. Three players in a hand at a 50/100 ring table. They are:

GameFrog (5,200) first to act
Chip leader (7,700) second to act
Short Stack (900) third to act

GameFrog had A[d] J[d] and raised 400 which were called by both players. Total pot is at 1,200 and the CHIPS ABOVE ARE THE CURRENT STACK AFTER FLOP. (I just put that in BOLD since some comments deducted 400 from the stacks above) The flop comes

4[s] 2[d] 9[d]

Chip leader, who looks like he only has overcards, is also known as a calling station and will probably call a bet (he got his chips from sucking out with pair 2 against KK the bastard). Short stack looks like he hit something and is raring to push all his chips in.

GameFrog feels likes he should lead out with a bet. The question is how much??

What should GameFrog do?

Assume the reads I provided are accurate. I am looking at the action after the flop and how it can net the most chips for the minimum risks.

Will post again on this tom.

When The Beats Come

2006-08-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

I am not in a habit of posting bad beats since everyone has heard of them a thousand times. But I feel it's better to lash out here on the blog rather then further damage my bankroll.

Lost roughly $250 today and though that's not too bad really what really got me steaming was that I lost it on hands where I was coming in with at least a 6-1 advantage.

Lost $110 on a cash game when I pushed all-in with 2 pair and the guy hit his trips on the river.

Lost at 47th place on the $75 MTT with a massive chip stack when I went against the chip leader. AA vs KK and he hits running flushes?!?!

Lost a turbo SnG at 4th when I get my trips jacks busted by a runner runner straight.

All on one night. It's enough to make a man go kill someone. So in favor of not losing anymore money and not commiting homicide I thought I'd just ramble on here.

Tom is another day and the beats will come and go. Things will get better I'm sure of it!! Yeah that's the spirit!!

Oh crap am all out of booze...... well that didn't last long.

So Close......

2006-08-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

Damn I almost made my third final table tonight. Two straight beats took me from average stack to the shortest stack in the tournament. AK vs AJ and a bloody KK vs AJ pulling the ace on the turn. Well I guess that's poker!

Finished 15th out of 320 players on the $75 MTT for $180. I also managed to make it ITM on 3/4 on the $24 turbos placing first and two seconds on them. Hmmmm am starting to like those turbos. They pay out better, goes a lot faster so blind steals are the key element and allows me to play more games per day! As long as I can keep a good ITM% then they seem to be the logical choice for me.

I'll try out the 5 turbo SnGs and 1 MTT per day routine and let you guys know. Second straight day on the positive (+$220) so am hoping this keeps up. No big paydays but am seeing that its better to consistently make small profits and have a chance at getting paid big rather then draining funds constantly (no matter how trivial it seems) playing the high variance MTTs.

Opening Up My Game Further

2006-08-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

So far I think i have been regarded as an MTT player (MTT jock as Nickg said lol). And though I have gained most of my wins from MTT I am finding it hard to make it ITM these past few days. I don't really think there's a leak in my game but the beats come and when they do they can cripple my my shot at winning the tournament. Been hitting the $75s lately and not been profiting that much from them. I am also looking for a stabler source of poker games since when I come back to Manila I won't be able to play most MTTs any longer.

Hence I tried my hand at higher stakes ring. Bought in for $50 (my usual was $20 before lol) and played the .5/$1. It wasn't to my tastes and I lost that roll in a few minutes. It was something about the blinds not increasing hehehe.

So I decided to try my hand at the baby brother of MTTs. Interestingly enough I had tried SnGs before and posted a terrible 0/6 ITM on the $11s but was a bit more successful at the $22s posting 4/6 ITMs. My thinking here is that the more sophisticated moves WORK at the higher levels and people go all-in more frequently at the lower levels. Whatever the case it seems my niche was the $22s.

I came home late for my regular $75 tournament and decided to just play some $22s SnGs. I lost my first one when my KK went against AA with 5 players to go.

But on my next 3 SnGs I proceeded to place first on the next 2 and a third place finish on the third one! I decided to play 2 more while chugging my beer and placed second and third! Wow 5/6 ITM which netted me $194 profit for today! Not bad considering I've been losing an average of $70 per day by not getting ITM of an MTT.

I am quitting while am ahead (4 beers and counting so I do not think am at optimal level anyway) but its interesting. I might go SnGs for now and just hit the MTTs once in awhile.

The wins aren't as big and exciting as the MTTs but there is a semblance of consistensy at least. I am really starting to hate variance......

Ideas and Suggestions

2006-08-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

Nothing much happening lately. Am entered in the 100K guaranteed at pacific and will play a few $75s at FTP. Sitting out the main even ($500+35) as there are too many players and my bankroll will get slammed if I lose that one.

However, there are a lot of things on my mind and hopefully you guys can either refine it or make it a reality.

1. Pro Player Points - Poker is now booming in our country. However, it seems that tournament attendance are coming into a plateau (Nickg, Marco can you confirm this) You guys previously had a PBT player of the year. Any chance we can have that regularly? Maybe 10 years from now even a hall of fame. If you guys want calculations for points check out FTP and they have an MTT point calculator. However, you guys can invent something easier.

Another way of looking at it is keeping track of everyone's winnings. Hmmm then again this is a flag for the BIR which is a good thing and a bad thing hehe. But nothing invites more people then aspiring to be one of those big money makers in poker! Finally it may answer the question of who are the best players in the country. That is something for everyone to aspire to become.

2. Staking Online - I know a lot of people want to take the jump and some already have. I'm not saying I am rich with money flowing out of my ears but I know an opportunity when I see one. I know we have the talent to play this game but a lot of people are hampered by their bankroll. I've seen people go deep in freerolls and the time could be used a lot better when playing for real. Am thinking of staking some people who are currently playing and those who are planning to play. As long as they can show a good track record.

The basic premise is that we maxmize a lot of things. We set up a referral network that brings in a lot of free dollars. We work together in releasing bonuses on multiple accounts and I stake (lets say $200+) and the player gets to play online poker for 50/50 split and minimal risk. i take advantage of their time and skill... they get to play for real! For those already playing... then it's a matter of exponentially increasing their roll and going to the higher limits. The check and balance is I get access to their accounts. I can't withdraw but I can see the withdrawal history. FTP is also best because of the fund transfer.

I know this will take some time and research. I am in the IT consulting and outsourcing business.... this just seems like a golden outsourcing deal hehehe.

My ultimate goal is to have 8 PCs in a condo and have 8 good players coming in and playing all day for a salary lol.

3. Poker Beer Tournament - Takes skill, luck and a good bit of alcohol tolerance. Each level we drink one beer. Any pot all-in win the winner chugs a beer. At the end of it all, the playing field is roughly even for anyone! Good/lucky players are stone drunk and those with the short stacks are still rational enough to have a fighting chance!

LOL. I know.... I gotta do something else with my time.... Oh look a tournament! Later!

What Should GameFrog Do?

2006-08-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

I was semi-famous once. I played the card game Magic The Gathering and got hooked. I started out like any player, learned the advanced strategies and started taking the game seriously. Then came that time that I was qualifying into the National Championships and competing internationally for huge money. In 2002 I became the Philippine Number 1 player and held that position for a year before I quit the game.

A friend of mine who was also a magic player and was then the editor-in-chief of a big gaming magazine created a column online that was entitled "What would Richie do?" Lol it was pretty funny and he set out very complex Magic related problems that required analysis of the cards on the board and the correct move to win the game.

That got me thinking... Poker is very much like Magic. Very strategic and requires thorough analysis of the situation at hand to make the correct decision. I also attribute this line of thinking to Phil Gordon who emphasized that every move, every decision must have a reason. The ultimate goal is to maximize your opponent's mistakes and minimize yours.

Winning Poker is not about making money or winning tournaments. Any lucky schmuck can do that. Winning Poker is about making the correct decision every single day on every single hand.

In line with this, I am posting some interesting hands that I have played over the course of my short poker life. The actions I took is meaningless, but the action that I should have taken is what matters. Help me make the perfect decision.

Poker Hand #1

Level 5 with blinds of 50/100 and average stacks were at 5,000.

GameFrog had been playing extremely tight. He has played only 2 hands the entire tournament (50 minutes running online tournament) and showing down AKs and KK at the end of those 2 hands. GameFrog raised 5X BB both times. He is currently at 6,000 stack

In Middle Position (BB +4) GameFrog gets QQ. Several limpers in front of him and frog raises to 500. Folded around to a very very good player (Villain) and villain raises me to 1,500 on the button. Villain has 1,900 left.

SB, BB and all limpers fold and it comes back to GameFrog. Total pot is currently at 2,450

What does GameFrog do?

Place a comment and explain why GameFrog should do what you suggested.

Cya people

My 2nd Big Win!!

2006-08-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

I now believe the saying that all it takes is a chip and a chair.

Ok so I had few more chips then one but it felt pretty much the same way. I joined a $75 tournament at FTP and really decided to focus on only ONE MTT. I felt my leak was trying to play too many tournaments at the same time. I wasn't able to pay attention to the table and betting patterns which is a huge factor.

I started tight and went fishing with a Q-10s in late position. Flop comes A-K-J! Cant get better then that. I bet half the pot and got a raise so I min raised back. The guy pushed me all-in!! When you have the absolute best hand rule no 2 will always override rule no 1 so I called. he showed A-9 (absolute donk)!!! However.... the turn comes jack and the river comes up with an ace. I seriously almost threw my laptop out the window.

3,000 starting stack and I was down to 285. I gritted my teeth against just going in on my 8-4 the next hand and waited for a good hand since I was at the cutoff. A few hands in I get 78s. Perfect, a hand that wasnt easily dominated and could get lucky. There were several limpers and I pushed getting 2 callers. Flop comes 7-8-K-X-X and I quadruple up. The very next hand I get A-8s and push all-in to be called by AK! Like a champ I pull the 8 on the turn hehe.

Am back in the game! Usual strategy again and I hit it big flopping a trips and a nut flush. After the second break we were close to being ITM and I had a good stack. I went hyper aggressive on the bubble and went for a lot of blind steals. 21-27th paid $98 while first pays $4250. I wanted to win.

2 more before the bubble I get 9-9s in late position. An early position raiser raised 4X BB and I felt it was a steal of AJ at best. I raised all-in for the resteal. Then the SB raised all-in and the BB as well! The SB showed JJ and the BB showed AA!!! Worse of all the BB had me covered!

Flop Q-4-5.... I was up and slamming my head on a wall. Turn was 7 and I think blood stains were starting to show.... river I catch the 9!! Holy smokes no skill there people but I'll take it like any lucky donk!!!

I triple up and went ITM as the chip leader hehehe. Cruised my way to the final table and was eliminated at 4th when I held AQ and an ace flopped. Weak bet and I pushed... guy had AK and my luck ran out.

Overall a very good haul! 4th paid out almost $2,000 and I have finally weathered the storm of 9 out of the money performances and close to 15 tourneys without a final table.

Now I feel comfortable playing again. I am up roughly $7,000 now in less then a month. Luck played a great factor in this tournament but then I remember one pro saying.... You gotta position yourself to BE lucky. Amen to that.

Online Poker Tips of the Trade

2006-08-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

It seems we are in the threshold of a breakthrough. We are now sailing uncharted waters and taking a bold step where few Filipinos have gone before.... I am of course talking about Online Poker.

I am happy to have been given the opportunity to be sent to the US for 3 months and in order to stay sane I have taken up playing Online Poker. I have always wanted to try it back home but connectivity, time (there were too may gimicks back home) and a reliable payment system hindered me to do so. There were no such barriers here and I have learned a lot in the past 25 days. I have also been very fortunate to have made a killing lately on the online tables and I once again want to share to my friends how and what to do to maximize your earnings online.

I of course want 10% royalty on all earnings, or Saturday night drinkfests whichever costs more...

Payments and Withdrawals from Manila

Hmmmmm no idea. Hehehe as I said I set up here in the US however Nickg has created a great system for all Filipinos and I invite you to check his blog for this huge step in progress for the Manila poker community. http://pokerfilipinas.blogspot.com/

Bonuses and Sites

This is the first key step in making money online. Our Philippine Peso is miniscule compared to the all powerful dollar which makes it more challenging to play this game. A bankroll of P10,000 is less then a measly $200 and people online throw that away in a few hours. We have to find ways to be competitive and bonuses allow us to do so. Some key points in bonuses:

- Most 100% bonus sites will NOT give you the bonus upfront. You need to log in thousands of hands before they release the bonus in small increments.
- Only Pacific releases bonuses upfront from what I know but they will prevent you to withdraw the bonus until you have met their requirements.

Here is the breakdown of the best bonus sites and how much play it will take to release your bonus:

Note: Raked hands means just being in the hand even if you folded preflop.

Full Tilt Poker - 100% Bonus up to $600

$1 rake = 1 point.
$1 in entry fees = 7 points

Bonus releases - 100 points for $6. You will need to play 350 hands (that is raked at least $1) to earn $20. For SnGs at the $11+1 it will take 50 games to release $20

Absolute Poker - 100% up to $750

$1 rake = 1 point.
$1 in entry fees = 4 points

Bonus releases - 100 points for $10. You will need to play 200 hands (that is raked at least $1) to earn $20. For SnGs at the $11+1 it will take 50 games to release $20

Absolute is the BEST site in releasing dollars playing RING games.

Ultimate Bet - 100% up to $650

$1 rake = .5 point.
1 point per hour playing at the tables
25% more points if you are the first person on the table

Bonus releases - 100 points for $10. You will need to play 400 hands (that is raked at least $1) to earn $20. Ultimate is harder to calculate but is one of the worst with regards to bonus release. They do have good software that allows you to minimize tables and make multi tabling easier.

Pacific Poker - 50% up to $100

This is the best for starting players. Your $200 INSTANTLY become $300 and you just need to wager at least $2,000 to withdraw the bonus amount. Since we are all playing with a long-term mentality they this shouldn't be too hard. However, its money WAGERED and not the same with the rake terms as the other sites.

I chose Full Tilt because the software was very cool, they have other promotions that make playing daily a lot more fun and the bonus release was competitive. Additionally, I get to play with Ledered, Juanda etc on the big tournaments.

OK so that was part one. Everyone still with me so far? I want to focus more on the "extras' that are out there so let's continue.

Referral Bonuses and Rakeback

I will not point out the individual promotions each site has as they change constantly. There are some things that are the same across though. Referral bonuses are given to new players if they have been referred by an existing player. Both players will receive a bonus for their efforts as long as they log in the minimum required hands.

Rakeback is signing up through a separate site and where that site will pay you back a % of the rake that you have been charged. They are given royalties by the sites they sponsor and they give back some of those roylaties to you!

I have placed Rakeback and Referrals under the same category because they DO NOT OVERLAP. You can only choose one. So here are my suggestions:

1. Decide what you will specialize in. If you are going to play cash games then Rakeback is definitely for you. The rakeback is around 25%-30% which translates to hundreds of dollars in the long run.
2. If you choose MTTs or SnGs then referrals may be your best bet. Usually the referrer will get more then the referred friend and I find sharing the bonuses to be the best thing to do. FTP for example will give $25 to the referred friend as long as they make 500 points. The referring friend will receive $100 once they hit 1,000 points. I make it a point to split $50-$75 (since I need 1,000 pts and hence more risks). If any of you want to try Full Tilt please do not pass up on this opportunity as inter-player fund transfers are possible in FTP. So leave your email if interested.

Referral bonuses STACK with the initial deposit bonuses.

But remember guys, the bonuses are NOT easy to get. Don't think you can just hit a site and clear the bonuses in one month. I have been playing FTP a lot and after a month I have only cleared 50% of the total bonus.

Well that's scratching the surface I guess. The rest is really all up to you. How to play, what games to play... those things you will pick up slowly. Read through the other blogs like Manila Grind and the soon to come blog of Erick.

I hope that was helpful as it took me awhile to consolidate, research and make the correct decision based on what sites gave the best opportunities to succeed.

Hey 10% royalties ok!!!

Very Tough Tournaments

2006-08-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Well the day was another tiring and uneventful one for me. I played the $250K guaranteed at FTP and the 50K Guaranteed at Pacific. Lets go to the bad news first...

The $250k was a tournament of epic proportions!! 2000 players!! The tournament was maxed out 2 hours before the tournament began. Additionally, about 8 pros were playing the tournament including Ben Roberts, Juanda, and Lederer. I was playing this tournament along with the pacific one which I was already in deep and just played ultra tight all the way.

Oh and Ben Roberts was at my table. I played ultra tight and was able to get some chips from a QQ and AK. Other then that things were pretty much the same (fold 50+ times). Finally I got QQ and raised... then Ben Roberts reraised me and since I had him covered I went ahead and pushed back. Of course he had the AA (Come to think of it I don't know if I could have folded queens this late in the tournament) The AA held and I was massively crippled.

I played tight again (at this time I suffered a huge bad beat at pacific, more on this below) when i pushed with A-9. Ben again had JJ and it held elimintating me at 880th our of 2000 players.

Entry Fee - $216
Profit - $0

The Pacific Tournament had another great showing with more then 900 players coming to play. I was able to do the usual tournament strategies and was able to hit a few flops. On one I just called a raise with 10s and the flop came 10-A-K with 2 clubs. Two guys in and one bet the pot while the other called. I raised all-in and got both of them to call. One guy had a club draw and the other had AK. The turn was a blank. The river was a CLUB!!! However, it was the 10 of clubs giving me quad 10s lol.

Top 90 got paid (with a top prize of $12K!!!) and I was in deep. there were only 35 players left and I had an average stack. I see 8s and with late position I raised to 9,000 (My stack was around 40,000) The chip leader raised me all-in!! It smelled like a resteal so I went ahead and called. Winner mentality, I want to win.

He raised me with 10-4. Crazy bastard. But wouldnt you know it the first card on the flop is the bloody 10! (Hmph I thought the 10s were working for me!) I never caught my 2 outer and was out at 33rd place out of 910. This was really painful as I was eliminated by trash hands which i had completely dominated. Sometimes.... it just sucks that luck is a part of poker. But then again, I don't want to take up chess anytime soon.

Entry Fee - $70
Profit - $310

Total Profit - $24!!! Wow lemme go paint the town red.....

Well I guess these kind of days will pass. At least I was able to finally break my ITM drought and that should get my confidence back up.

A shoutout to the "Filipino Delegation" that played the major tournaments today. Erick at the PokerStars $1M guaranteed and 11Finger at the $250K guaranteed at FTP.

It wont be long now before us Filipinos will be able to hold our own and be a force to reckon with at the WSOP. Cheers

Weathering the Storm

2006-08-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

I am running bad. Real bad. I have finished out of the money in the last 9 tournaments and have an ITM% of only 25% in SnGs. Am doing ok at the $22 SnGs winning at least 50% but I have gone 0/5 on the $11s.

Currently I am at around -$385 based on my computations in the last 5 days. I am not sure where my leak is but the bad beats are really raining on me hard. Case in point I just finished a $75 tournament (I play one of these big ones once a week) and was eliminated by a furious swing of luck.

I was at the average stack of around 5K when I get KK. An early raise in front of me was perfect and I put in a reraise. The BB then went all-in for about 4K. The inital raiser raises all-in as well! I didn't think anyone had aces as the BB felt like a push. The inital raiser probably had AK or QQ but I didn't think he had the rockets.

I was right.

First player - AQs
Hero - KK
BB - JJ

I had the best hand going in on the flop and was poised to triple up and seriously be a contender in this tournament!

Flop comes 9-4-J rainbow. WTF!!! Trips on the flop for the BB! I look away in utter disgust when the turn comes the beautiful KING!!! Take that sucker!!!!!!!

I was so excited I was just hoping that the final card was not a Jack again and it came out 10! Woohoo no help!! But then the chips didn't go my way and I saw that AQ hit the runner runner straight taking me out once again in another tournament.

I was devasted and played 2 more SnGs. I threw that away and got a hold of myself. I already knew this feeling of tilt and thought I better just post on the blog rather then throw more precious dollars away.

I have withdrawn $4000 safely in my bank account and under no circumstances am I touching it. It's locked pure profits which I hope will boost my confidence in my remaining bankroll. I have roughly $800 left and from there I will once again try to build up on that to roll with the big boys.

Tomorrow is a 50K tournament for $70 at pacific. There is also a guaranteed 250K tournament at fTP for a whopping $200+16 entry fee. Hmmm maybe I will try to play a satellite into that instead of popping the full amount. Well tom is another day.

Hope everyone is raking it in on the felt! Good luck and good pot odds!

Results of Experiment

2006-08-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have performed the experiment at Pacific playing a nitro extreme tournament to speed up the increase of the blinds. I had to fold all hands from level 1-3 since stealing the blinds did not mean anything. I was also trying to build a tight image that would be helpful in the later rounds.

When level 4 came up I started raising 6XBB (a little more the usual) to set a strong perception of a premium starting hand. I did not perform steal on the button too much as it may come across as a pure steal. I did most steals on the cutoff, middle position and even UTG! Just to mix things up. I was able to make a steal per round which kept me on track with the average stack. I also usually raise BIG when there are multiple limpers in a pot

On the times I was called I based my decision on the flop. If I was called with my big raise, I look at the flop. If I see all low cards then that merits a pot bet. If reraised I will fold as it may be an overpair. If a flop comes down with an ace or a face card I check and bet if checked around to me.

I got caught when the flop came 9-7-3 rainbow. I did't put the guy on an overpair and when he checked I bet half the pot. He raised the minimum which seemed weak and I pushed. He instacalled and showed his pocket 7s. At that time I looked at my cards and I actually held A-9! Makes you think.....

I finished 62nd out of 218 players. It was a pretty good feeling betting out strong with confidence since I always just pictured myself holding pocket aces every hand.

Oh and to those that took Nickg's bet you just won P5K! The only time I looked at my hand was at the very last one since I figured I needed a miracle to win that. However, I don't think that it's really fair since I just played a small $8 tournament so I wouldn't get tempted hehehe.

Till next time people!

Experimentation to Prove a Theory

2006-08-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Mwahahahaha..... did I get the mad scientist laugh right?

No I am not losing my mind. However, I have been thinking about my top 3 pros of all time and been thinking of emulating their skills and combining them into one. They are:

Chris Ferguson - Mathematics and card trick skills. He knows exactly what the odds are and the perfect play according to mathematics. He has been in the academics world more then any person I know and he can slice a carrot with a card from 10 feet away. I know my pot odds and I have been finally able to HIT the damn the carrot after my 712th throw so I know I'm making progress.

Phil Gordon - Super Sleuth. I became a fan after reading his little green book. He makes you THINK and ponder about every single move that is made in a hand. Every move, every little clue leads to the final analysis that show you the solution to any problem. You should continuously ask yourself why your opponent did what he did and why are you doing what you plan to do.

Mike Caro - Master strategist and theorist. The mad genius of poker has broken the psychological aspects of the game allowing further skill to be harnessed beyond the realm of statistics. People are not robots and they are capable of doing things differently even within the exact same environments and situations.

So enough of my introduction. I would like to focus on Caro and Gordon (Once I slice the carrot I will spend a lot of time on Ferguson I promise) There are 2 things I will be doing with regards to my blog starting now.

First is that when I experience an interesting hand I will post what occurred but will leave out the final result until my next post. I hope that my readers can comment and we can work together to figure out what happened. Of course I know what happened and will tell you what I did and WHY I did it. I look forward to hearing other people's ideas on it so that we ALL can improve our game. This is the Phil Gordon skill we are looking to improve.

The other thing I wanted to mention was I am about to embark on an experiment to prove a theory. The theory is this: You do not need good cards to win. Yes we have all heard this statement but how do you prove it?

I am going to enter a few $26 tournaments and play the game blind. I will stick a post-it on my screen covering my hole cards and will play the tournament solely based on position, opponents betting strength and tournament level. I will use the power of blinds steals and power poker to gain chips and will avoid going to a showdown. If I come into a showdown and win then of course I have to take the chips but I am at a serious disadvantage not knowing if I actually hit anything. No I am not throwing money away as I see it as a worthwhile investment. Once you harness this skill then there is absolutely no reason for you to complain that "I never got any good cards!". The good cards now just become a bonus and poker comes down to a game where it becomes 90% skill and 10% luck.

The experiment will end IF I make it ITM. (Hey I can afford a $26 experiement but when I can potentially win hundreds am not throwing THAT away!) Wish me luck!

Stay tuned!

Dominated... and a Request

2006-08-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

I broke my record. I was the 2nd person out in a tournament yesterday! I know I know... rule no 1. But I went with Rule no 2 and caught a big ass fish and there was no way I could let go!

I had 6-6 in the BB and was able to see a cheap flop. Flop was A-9-6 and the SB checks so I check as well. Button bets the pot, SB calls and of course I raise! Button thinks and pushes all-in. SB folds. I look at the board and see no flush draws, possible straight draws... Button would not allow us to get in cheap with AA so that leaves 9-9... but what are the chances of that happening. I put him on AJ or A9 and call with all my chips on the second hand of the tournament.

He shows.... 9-9. I was dominated drawing to 1 out. The poker gods were not in a sick mood and did not give me my 1 outer for the win. I was out at 437th place out of 438 hehehe.

Well this kind of things happen. I can only put my money in where I have the best hand (Or when I THINK I have the best hand) At least I wasnt dominated by AK vs AQ or something like that. I will put my tournament line on a trips at the very least... never on one pair so early in the tournament.

I went to place ITM on 2 of 4 MTTs last night for a small profit. The good thing is as long as I place ITM 40% of the time I will still make small profits. The higher I go the bigger the profits. A final table and its a huge payday!

Keep reading and posting people!

Which leads me to a request. To anyone and everyone who reads my blog and go over my incessant ramblings, do me a favor and just post a quick comment. Even as simple as saying my grammar sucks or a question just so that I get a feeling that I am talking to the Poker community rather then an endless void hehehe. Leave your blog links too so I can also take a look at what you've been up to.

Golden Rules to Get ITM

2006-08-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

I made a promise a few days before that I would give back some of the things I learned when i made 400% ROI. I am now at 1000% ROI and I think the things I will say have been proven and is safe to be discussed. Any comments or questions are definitely welcome.

The following 3 rules are my guiding principles to get in the money (ITM) of any tournament. So far I have made it ITM in 75% of the total tournaments I have joined. Once there, you can go on and win it all at the final table.

Rule 1 - Do not bet 100% of your chances to win 1% of the total chips in the tournament.

This simply means you do not go all-in on the first 3 levels of the tournament. There really isnt any point to it. The only hand I would consider going all-in would AA and that would only happen pre-flop. Post flop will give you valuable information to make the right decision.

Case in point, you have JJ and bring it in for a raise 5X BB (at earlier levels 3X means nothing) Another guy raises it all in and its folded to you. What do you do?

Many players will go ahead and call with such a great starting hand but if we look at it its a terrible call:

You are either dominated by AA, KK, QQ drawing to 2 outs

You are a slight favorite over AK, AQ (52%-48%)

Or you can have someone dominated with a lower pair. But then again ask yourself if someone would commit hit entire stack with a hand like 9-9.

So most of the time you are at a coin flip. Do you take it? NO. You take your losses and fold. There is absolutely no point in wagering 100% of your chances in the tournament to win 1% more of the total chips in the tournament. If you go all-in in the later levels where you can stand to win 10-20% of the total chips then that's the time you take coin flips.

Rule 2 - Go fishing.

I have never gone fishing but seeing old men sit around all day seems like its a boring thing to do. They cast their line, wait awhile and reel it back in if they catch nothing. That's exactly what you do in the first 4 levels. When in good position you can consider calling with the following hands - any pocket pair, small suited connectors. You still raise premium hands of course.

The goal here is to see the flop as cheaply as possible and flop a monster. If you hold 3-3 and the flop comes A-Q-3 then you are in a position to seriously damage your opponents. There is no better feeling then calling bets when you have the nuts.

I almost never raise even with AJ or AQo. The chances that I am dominated or that someone else flops trips or 2 pair is very high. Starting level 3-4 yes you can raise with these hands to limit the field. But very early on your goal is to hit the nuts rather then take a stand with one pair good kicker.

Finally, dont think your ultra tight rock style wont give you benefits later on. Being quiet and tight the whole first 2 hours only shows the players on the table that you are patiently waiting for good hands. When the antes kick in and the blinds are high enough to be worth stealing, that tight image works wonders. You finally wake up and raise 3X BB... you have been quiet for the last hour.... what will your opponents think? I have seen people muck cards as good as KQ when raised by a tight player. To see this style played, check out Dan Harrington.

Rule 3 - Blind Steal and Fold Equity

I hope the first 2 rules shows a semblance of continuity because it leads into the middle rounds where the antes kick in and the blinds are pretty high. There is a great article out on the net with regards to fold equity and I suggest you look for it. But basically the general premise is this: The higher the blinds, the higher fold equity becomes.

Fold equity is greatly used with position. You are in the cutoff seat and look down at 7-8s. You are in the perfect position to steal. Raising at this point gives the blinds a lot to think about. They must wager 2 more times what they already have put in the pot with what may be against AA. All hand ranks go way down at this level and you will see people only play AJ and up. Even if you are called chances are your cards are "live" meaning you do not share any cards and outkicked by the players other card.

Blind steals are also very powerful when you are on the bubble. If think like a winner then you do not focus only on making it ITM but to win the whole thing. At this point no one wants to bust outside the bubble and play will tighten up to the point players will muck AQo instantly. Powerful raises can net you a lot of chips at this point.

The goal here is to steal 1.33 times per round or 4 times per 3 rounds. At this rate you are not being blinded out and you are actually slowly building your stack. After 1 level players have been eliminated and you are STILL on the average stack without seeing a flop.

Of course each rule has its exceptions and situational caveats. But overall, I believe following these 3 key rules and remembering them when in a tournament will greatly increase your chances of making it ITM.

Hope that was helpful.

ITM for the 200K and 50K

2006-08-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

Those 2 tournaments are the biggest I have ever played in. Here is a quick summary of what occured:

50K Event - Total players 825 - Pays top 90 players - starting stack 2000

I played this at 4 pm and things didn't start out too good. I wasnt getting premium hands and not hitting my small pocket pairs. I sit very patiently and got down to around 1200 in chips. After an hour of waiting I finally get KK and since I was in early position (EP) I limp in. A raiser in late position and a reraise got my attention but this was it. I reraised all-in and sandwiched the initial raiser which made him fold. The other called with AK and he didn't hit his aces getting me back in the game. By now the blinds are starting to get higher so some well positioned steals as well as postflop play got me up to around 6K.

However, I was still below average by the break. I went into aggressive mode and whenever a pot had 4 or more limpers I raised all-in. I was able to do this 3 times before I got called with my 7d9d hand. Opponent had AQo so I was happy that my cards were live. I hit the 9 on the flop and went on to double up.

I was clear in the money when I finally got a real hand. I raised with QQ and got reraised by the chip leader who was the BB. I thought about it and decided it seemed like a resteal so I pushed all-in. He thought awhile and called with 44. I guess he put me on AK. The flop was 3-7-Q. I was ecstatic at doubling up when the turn came.... 5 and the river gave a freaking 6. I lost to a runner runner straight and busted out at 58th out of 825 players.

Entrance Fee - $65+5
Prize Money - $210

Total Profit - $140

200K Event - Total players 1238!!! With Keith Sexton and 3 other pros playing the event!! - Pays top 120 players - starting stack 3000

I was playing this event while playing the 50K won and it started out the same. My 3K stack shrunk to 1,400 after some bad calls when I was dominated (AQ vs AJ) I stole some blinds and came a turning point when a raiser went all-in with about 1,000. I had A-8s and thought the guy was raising with trash so I called. The BB raised all-in! I had to call with my remaining 600ish and they showed:

Raiser - K-7
BB - 9-9
Me - A8

My hand was live but was an underdog to the BB. I flop the beautiful ace and I triple up.

The next stage was clearly about stealing the blinds. I did not get a single premium hand in the next 2 hours and the best hand I saw was AJs. However, well timed blind steals and resteals kept me alive and slowly increased my stack to keep abreast the average stack.

And then the wonderful announcement: "All tables are now playing hand for hand" the signal that we were at the bubble and everyone would be in the money after one more person busts!

I got in short stacked and had to push with QJ. One guy had KJ and I was dominated 4 to 1. No miracle draws there and I finished 99th out of 1238 players.

Entrace Fee - $200+15
Prize Money - $430

Total Profit - $215

Overall Profit - $355

Not the best way to end my day with a top prize of over $50,000 but none of the pros made it in the money so that made me feel good.

Oh and I just found out I am now ranked 97th overall in the multi table tournaments leaderboard at Full Tilt. Top 100 at the end of the month will receive free tokens for entrances and cash (1st gets $1,000) plus bragging rights. I have a goal now and of course thats to be in the top 10 or number one slot before August ends.

Thanks for reading

My First Championship Win!

2006-08-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yeap you read it right. Right after my previous heartbreaking loss 1 position from the final table I was able to win it all the very next tournament! My very first championship win against 400 players!

I have played about 16 MTTs now ($15-$75 entry fees) and I have made it in the money on an astounding 10 of them. I have final tabled 4 of these tournaments and I have won my first ever championship!

Total entrance fee are less then $300. Total profit? I have made roughly $5,200 in MTTS in the last 6 days!!! To all my readers... I suggest you take a step back from your cash games and SnGs and take a good look at tournaments again. Once you know the key strategic moves, the timing to use them and the courage to put your chips in the returns are out of this world.

I am entering the $200K AND $50K tournaments of FTP and Pacific tom for an entry fee of $215 and $70 respectively. Wish me luck.

If I somehow win one of them I will go to vegas and try my hand at the WPT circuit. LOL I know.... big dreams, but they're free and they drive me to become better.

One Mistake Is All It Takes

2006-08-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

I played an MTT 9 handed at Full Tilt Poker and started out pretty well. 320 players vying for 10K guaranteed cash money. I bring my A game and before I know it we're in the money.

I just read Phil Gordon's Green Book and that thing rocks. Helped my game a bit and I was able to survive pretty well. The final table was closing in and as Phil suggested, I play aggressive and make those tight players pay!

I look down and see pocket KKs. Since I UTG I called hoping for a raise. No such luck. The blinds complete their bets amd the flop comes Jc-9c-Ks. I hit my trips! I didn't even look at the boards and made my mistake. I checked.

I understand now why Phil is saying he almost never slowplays a hand. Don't be greedy and take the pot now. Turn comes 5d and I bet the MINIMUM BET. Both players call and I knew I was in trouble. Both of them had to be drawing to a flush. The river was a Qd and I breathe a sigh of relief... they missed their flush, I bet the pot and got raised all in.

WHAT?? Resteal?? Could a guy be calling with a gutshot straight draw?? This guys was the chip leader by far and had been very very aggressive calling all-ins with A-2. I figured he was pushing and I went over the top. He sent me to the rail with a K-10 giving him a straight to K high.

I bust one place off the final table and take my measly winnings (compared to the top prize) and licked my wound. Tomorrow (or 2 hours from now) is another day and another tournament.

3 Consecutive Final Tables!

2006-08-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it myself. I now think that I have gained the skills and patience to play huge Multi Table Tournaments. I have final tabled the last 3 MTTs that I have played. Here's a quick breakdown:

$10K Guaranteed - 4th of out 600+ players for a $700 prize
$888 Guaranteed - 5th out of 200+ players for a $200 prize
$10K Guaranteed - 9th out of 700+ players for a $200 prize

My total entrance fee?? $38. That's an ROI of 28,000%. The prize jumps at the final tables are dramatic to say the least. 9th pays $200 while first pays somewhere around $2k. It seems like a curse to me but I have never won a tournament before. I have been able to win a lot of SnGs and have placed in several final tables at the ACF and the PPT major tournaments this year and last year.

Still I haven't reached the top. I guess I will have to take it one table at a time. If I can continue this amazing streak I'll let you guys know some of the major tips I use to consistently help me survive.

4th in a $10K Guaranteed Tournament

2006-08-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

The other day paved the way for a new phase in my online poker game, Multi Table Tournaments. I joined a $1 entry fee tourney for fun and placed 16th over 999 players. It was the biggest tournament I have ever joined (Tourneys back home have never broken the 200 mark) and I was interested in trying it again.

I have been playing over at Full Tilt Poker full time but I had a few dollars left at my Pacific account. $21.25 dollars in fact and I saw a 10K Guaranteed MTT for $18+2. I had enough for one shot and since I was retiring the Pacific account anyway I went ahead and played it.

The prize payout was:

1st - $2,500
2nd - $1500
3rd - $900
4th - $700
5th - $500
6th - $300
7th - $250
8th - $200
9th - $150
10th - $100
Top 60 players got paid

There was a huge turnout of almost 600 players in the field. I started out well and was able to build my stack in the early and middle games. About 2 hours into the tournament I was in the top 10% of chips.

When the next break came, I looked at the remaining players and there were only 37 players left! And I held the chip lead! Once again patience and timing is key and I had gotten my chips from 2 AA, KK and a AQs starting hand.

I won't go into too much strategy and detail (I'll do that on another post) but I finally final tabled the tournament being 3rd in chips. It was an easy wait as there were 5 short stacked people on the table and we were down to 5. I had to gamble with the 5th person (he had about 40% of my stack and was able to take him out!) but the 4th short stack proved to be difficult to remove. He was able to steal the blinds successfully twice and survived 2 all-ins (one against me) in order to replace me at the short stack!

My final hand was KdJd and I raised 5X BB. The idiot chip leader (That guy was unbelievable lucky hitting 2 outers all tournament) raised me all-in! I had to call and put my tournament life on the line and he shows me As4c. What garbage!! of course the flop missed me completely... and the turn.. and the river. I can't believe I lost to an Ace high....

It was unclimactic but I will take the $700 and sleep happy. The tournament lasted 6 hours (it ended at an ungodly 3 am and I had work the other day) but in one fell swoop I had doubled my bankroll.

A few dozen more tournaments like these and I should have the experience to take the ACF5K by storm when I come back in October. Cya guys then!

Deep in an MTT

2006-08-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well I recovered nicely from my tilt the other day and posted a great +9 units on Monday. The other nice bit of news was I placed 16th out of 1000 players today (sucks since it was only a $1 tourney hehehe) However, I never placed this deep before in an MTT online! Then again I have only played 3 MTTs since I got here.

The interesting thing was I got my +9 units WHILE playing the MTT. I think this is very important because in online play, you can play some ring games while playing MTTs and it helps you become patient. I played only 5 hands on that MTT which were KK, KK, AKs, AKo and QQ. That was in the course of over 2 hours and the ring games helped me keep my patience in check.

The hand I lost was a heartbreaker and I seriously would have been a contender if I had won that.

Hero (45K) - BB 3s3d. Chip leader of about 100K calls and SB calls. Flop was 5-7-3. The SB goes all-in with his last 5K and I call hoping for a reraise from the chip leader. Leader calls and turn was a Q. I check and Chip leader bets the pot in an instant. I knew he hit the queens and the trap was set! I raise all-in and he instacalls showing his pair queens. The unfortunate part was his other card was a 4 (Idiot called with a Q-4)

The river gave him the 6 to complete his 7 high straight! I would have taken the chip lead with about 110K if I had won the pot and would be able to cruise my way to the final table. I had to be content with 16th place for a puny $9 dollar prize (top prize was $220)

Overall it was a good experience. Am thinking of hitting some $18 MTTs now (Top prize pays over $3K) but I estimate I'd need at least 30 buy-ins to profit from this. Will have to see if the profits from the ring games can cover this phase of my game.

Tilt

2006-07-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

I came face to face with that word last Sunday and it wasn't a good thing. I had logged my 8th straight winning day and was up 18 units total. I woke up Sunday ready to break the 20 unit mark when things started badly.

I open up 2 tables and play tight as usual early on and I pick up Ad Kd on one table and KdKc on the other!

Table 1: Hero - AdKd, I raise pre-flop and get 2 callers. The flop was 7d 5d Qs. One of the reasons why AK is my favorite hand (even more then AA) is because it's so easy to fold! Here I had the nut flush draw so I bet a feeler bet and got one guy to fold and the other one to call. The turn comes 10d completing my flush so I bet the pot and got a reraise! I look at the board and unless the board pairs for a full house then I was sure I had the best hand so I raised all-in. Opponent calls and shows 4d 3d for a flush but I had the nut flush!

The river comes 6d giving him a straight flush over my Ace high flush.

Table 2: Hero - KdKs, I was able to get it all-in after the flop and my opponent shows a bluff 3c 3d. The final card was a Jack of clubs! The bad thing was there were 3 other clubs on the board giving him a flush over my cowboys.

So I lose 4 units for a double knockout and my seat wasn't even warm yet. I was extremely frustrated and opened up 3 tables to try and make up my losses. I ran bad in 2 of them and was marginally up in 1. In the end, I made some very bad calls and lost all 3 sessions for a whopping 10 unit loss.

I came into my senses and realized I was in the grip of major tilt. And tilt comes a lot stronger when you are playing online since your next game is just a click away! I had to mentally stop myself from commiting anymore bad decisions and shut down my PC.

I didn't play anymore poker that day. I sat down and watched the Waterboy on cable and called up my girlfriend at home. Went to the grocery, finished my laundry and played some Diablo 2. I think doing so probably saved my bankroll.

Tomorrow is another day and I still remember when I ran -20 units and made +21 units the next day after. Stop thinking of the past and concentrate on the present. The only way to build your bankroll is to focus making one unit at a time.

Consistency and Patience

2006-07-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well here's an update to the multitude of my readers (I count about 3 people). I have logged in my 7th straight winning day using the system I have outlined previously. I am averaging about 2-3 unit wins a day which may be slow but I am aiming for consistency. I have moved up to 2 tabling and still doing ok.

Basically I load up with a 2-unit session and stand up whenever I win 1 or 2 units. If the table is hot then I stay for a few more hands (and I had won 7 big units from a hot table once) Whenever I run bad and lose 2 straight sessions I take a break to prevent tilt. Maybe a couple of hours later, I don't look back at what happened and concentrate on winning those elusive units again, one at a time.

I have now made up the losses I had at pacific and finally made profit. Along with the wins, I expect a big payout a few weeks from now from the bonus and rakeback. I have also shown my system to 2 of my friends here in the US and last I heard they were profiting pretty well at it. If any of you want a quick breakdown of how to start and play online poker (barring issues if you are trying to play from back home) just send me an email and I would gladly let you know all that I have learned. Once I make a 400% profit on my investment I will post every small tip I have learned here so watch out for that!

Of course am only at about 40% ROI so that might take awhile. But then again, if I'm going to be giving tips I better make sure they work first right?

Have a blast at the tables

Rising From The Ashes

2006-07-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday started out pretty bad. I had lost my $200 deposit at Pacific and was tilting and decided to put in another $400 at Full Tilt. I was feeling good and was up by around $20 when I started playing horrible poker...

At the end of the day I was down another $200. I shut off my PC and started thinking. I needed to find a system that allowed me to minimize my risks since I already lost 65% of my bankroll in 2 days. I also needed to plug the leaks in my game.

I buckled down and pulled up a pad. I wrote the following things down

1. Detach yourself from the money.
2. Minimize our risk
3. Know when to fold
4. Know how much to bet
5. Respect position

From this list I was able to set out a gameplan. First, I translated my last $200 into units. 20 units of $10 each and my goal was to start earning units (and not cash) I also decided to play single table ring games and to play them like SnGs. Basically, I will steal the blinds when the opportunity dictates and I will protect a big stack if I get it. I also started to realize when to fold AA and KK based on betting strength.

Finally - I set a goal. I wanted my 20 units back ($200) So early on Sunday, I sat and concentrated with the list I created last night. I played 2-unit sessions and stood up anytime I doubled my stack. I lost some sessions through bad beats but continued playing good poker. On some difficult tables I would leave if I had won 1 unit. At the end of the day....

I won a total of 21 units, and overall was up by 1 unit! I was excited... it seems I have a winning strategy and had been able to plug the leaks in my game.

I only have a couple of hours to play on the weekdays but I was pleased to grind out 2-3 units per day consistently. Currently on my third day and am running at +12 units from a -20 units of Saturday. A new goal I have set is to hit +140 units since with a projected $200 rakeback for this month and the $400 bonus from FTP I can profit $2000 from this site. After this is done I can either move to another site to maximize bonuses or increases my table limits. Overall I think the stuff I wrote above applies to any limit and should be a good baseline for proper bankroll management.

And that was the most damaging leak I had. I didn't know how to manage my bankroll. I was afraid of losing more so I made wrong decisions. I was playing loose when I won big pots and ended up losing more then I won. And it's only fitting that the first lesson I learn is the most important point in playing poker. Learn to manage your bankroll... only then can you allow your skill to take you where you dream of going.

New Lessons Learned

2006-07-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Ok after a horrendous run on my first bankroll, I have bought in for another $400 and this time I am taking good care of this one. I just loaded to Full Tilt with a 100% bonus (bad part is I would need to play close to 7,000 hands before I can get that bonus)

I have played close to 500 hands and am roughly up by $100. Here are some valuable lessons I have gained.

1. Bad beats will happen and it's better to just move along. I have seen quite a lot of them happen to me but one hand doubled my stack when I was the one who dealt the bad beat. I had pocket 3s and decided to call the minimum raise by a guy on the button.

The flop was A-J-3. Four players in and the first guy bluffs at the pot with the min bet, I smooth call and had the pre-flop raiser raising 6X. First guy folds and i call. The turn comes with a blank and I figured he hit the ace or at best AJ so I slowplay and check. He makes a pot sized bet and I re-raise all in. $85 in the pot and I was happy with what I THOUGHT was a good play. He instacalled me and showed pocket aces.....

River gives me.... a 3!! For quad 3s over his full aces. Sometimes miracles do happen.

2. I thrive in tournament play and not in cash games. However, the SnGs I feel pay off too little for placing 3rd out of 10. So what I have done is play my cash games LIKE SnGs. This means I buy-in for the minimum amount and have a goal of doubling my stack by playing tight. This allows me to hit my bonus by not playing too many hands and is pretty easy because I just need to aim for doubling my stack. Blind steals are also valuable since at the minimum buy-in the blinds are about 5% my stack. 20 successful steals and I've done what i came to do.

Finally, when I go all-in I signify more strength then a strong bet. I also do not stand to lose my entire bankroll as I cannot be outplayed after I am all-in.

3. When playing on Full Tilt they have player notes and color coordination. I simply flag a player Green for a good player, a red for a calling station and a blue for a bluffing maniac. Its won me quite a bit by making value bets against the calling stations, knowing that a check raise by a good player is to be respected and an overbet by a bluffing maniac allows you to get massive pots.

Lost A Zero On My Bankroll

2006-07-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

I started out with $300 and after 2 days of online poker I lost 0. Yes zero.... but sadly its the digit at the back of my bankroll....

You heard right. Am down to $30 from a string of massive beats. Its not that I've been playing above my bankroll or playing like a fish, but I have been getting hit by 2-3 outers all day.

My cash games were doing fine and I was up to $350 when things started taking a turn for the worse. Here are some highlights...

1. I got it all-in for $30 on KK preflop with 2 callers. They BOTH had AA and they split the pot.

2. I had AK and raised for a good amount. I get called by one guy and the flop was AK2. I check and he bets out the min bet. I raise 3X and he goes all in. Hmmm I was 50% sure he had me beat but how the heck could I fold 2 pair AK? He did have pocket deuces...

3. I had KQ clubs and got 2 clubs on the flop. There was a bet but I had great odds to call so I did. Turn was a club completing my flush. I bet the pot and got one caller. The turn was another club.... I check, he bets half the pot and I call. He shows A club 2 spades.

I gotta cool down a bit but am taking hits left and right. But all is not lost due to 2 things:

First - I have a budget of $1,000 total for online poker. Am just going to be playing in different sites to maximize bonuses.

Second - I referred my friend and there is a nifty $150 referral bonus at pacific poker! However, he needs to wager a total of $8,880 at the site for me to get it. Bah am not counting on this one.

Final thing I wanted to mention was that am experimenting on limit poker. There are a lot of benefits from it and if I can consistently etch out a profit I will let you guys know what are my thoughts on it.

Running Total - (-$270)

Getting My Feet Wet

2006-07-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

I learned about Poker in Manila a few months ago when the first Philippine Poker Tour was conducted. At that time a friend of mine knew someone selling a seat for P18K and I was sorely tempted to buy it and take my shot at fame (as well as a million pesos)

Then it came to my attention that satellites were running for as cheap as P1,500 with winners getting cash and a seat to the main event. Gave it a try, lost my first 2 tournaments, and struck gold on the third attempt.

Sadly, I placed 12th on the main event with 170+ players, 2 places shy of the money. When there were only 15 players left, I was second in chips. 2 bad hands and a bad decision later and I was out at 12th.

I was devastated. I felt like quitting poker even before I truly learned how to play the game. I went to my girlfriend and pored my frustrations all night. She was very understanding, and told me that it was just one game. If I wanted to be one of the best, then I should see this as one single bad hand in the course of a lifetime poker match. She was very supportive and that's just one of the many reasons why I love her.

I read books, formulated my own strategies and started entering in the other minor tournaments as well as the cash games at the ACF. I had a very good run and won around P40,000. But then I lost my concentration and confused ring game tactics vs tournament which led me to lose about 70% of my profits. Went back to the basics and focused on tournaments, winning a few SnGs to get back up to +P35,000.

Now comes a new chapter in my poker life. I have been assigned to the US for a 3 month job assignment and now have easy access to online poker. After playing single table matches, the speed of play as well as the ability to multi table with online poker seems daunting but at the same time very rewarding. Playing well essentially doubles or triples potential winnings and I was eager to take a crack at it.

Hence, today is the first day of that journey. This is where I will document all of my experiences, tips and tricks I have picked up as well as strategies that worked for me. I hope you guys will have a good time browsing through my ramblings.

First update - I was able to activate everything I needed at 5 am today and got in my first $300 ($200 deposit and $100 bonus from Pacific) Played a few very low limit tables (before heading off to work) to get a feel for things and won roughly $6. Hehehe you gotta start somewhere.....