Cashing in the Main Event, what else can I say....
It was by all measures a very enjoyable and satisfying tourney this year. Moving to 30,000 starting chip stacks was a critical and much-appreciated change, and IMHO reduced the luck factor as compared to previous years. One only has to look at the final table as evidence.
England was well represented in the money this year, and obviously with James on the final table, it could be a major break-through.
There are a lot of hands that I could discuss, but I actually only had my tournament at risk twice before the money. The first was with AA vs. KK, which took me from 41k to 85k. The second was about 50 spots BEFORE the money.....
My stack is 350k and blinds 2k/4k. With KK from middle position, I raised 6k. Table folded around, and the button raised it 20k. I re-raised to 80k and the button calls. I'm putting him on AK suited or QQ/JJ. Pot is 160k. Flop comes 247 with 2 hearts (I don't have one). I have 275k behind and am SO sure that he is on AK or QQ/JJ that I just move all-in. In hind sight, this was stupid, and could have cost me the whole tourney. He ASKS FOR A COUNT, which is SHOCKING to me, but as I start to figure out the possible hands he would call with, I'm down to just AKhh, QQ or JJ, because I gotta believe he pushes pre-flop with AA. If he had hit the set, he's insta-calling me. So....he ends up calling me and flipping over the other two KK's. I have to sweat a back-door flush draw, but we end up chopping the pot.
The money came at #648 and I was sitting at above-average 425k, feeling GREAT. Unfortunately, that was the peak moment for me. I got ZERO cards and the blinds were rapidly eroding my stack. I came back to Day 5 with 175k in chips and played short-stack poker. I lost JJ vs. AK and went down to 75k. I won 77 vs. TT, and went up to 150k. I survived the money bubble and another 300 people dropping out before my exit hand...AhQh vs. TT and I got no love after flopping a flush draw.
Was a fab week with James on the final table, Karl and CC cashing.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
I'm sick of blogging, it's a waste of time....
Well, really, I'm just sick of the randomness of life. The financial markets are insanely random right now. And since poker epitomizes that randomness, I am just really bored by it, really. Maybe I'll randomly start wanting to blog again.
Sunday, 6 July 2008
World Series of Poker 2008
Ok, so I didn't go to Vegas this year, but I did play in FullTilt's "Mini" World Series of Poker 2008. "MSOP", so dubbed.
Main Event was last night. 4,140 runners. I played a single $14 + $1, 9-way Sit 'n Go to win my entry into the $100 +$9 main event. So, I had $15 invested for 1st prize of $75,000.
The payout structure was top 545 players, a bit more flat than normal, but I was focused on giving myself the best chance to get into the top 50, where the payout started getting juicy ($2000+). The final 8 all get $10,000+.
Played really really great. Most of my success came playing small pots with strong cards and getting opponents to push hard, too hard, when I had made hands. For example, calling 3x raises pre-flop with AK and JJ doubled me up each once. I did play QQ and KK much stronger, re-raising pre-flop raises to 9x the BB. Was called a few times and folded to after the flop when I bet 75% of the pot.
I took my starting stack from 5,000 to 41,000. The field had shrunk from 4,140 people down to 750, with average stack of 26,000. I was well-above average, and in comfortable shape with blinds at 750/1500/100.
As seems customary, I exited this tournament with a bad beat. Found AA, American Airlines under the gun (UTG) and raised it up 2.5x the BB to 3,800. The table folded around to the button who called. Thankfully, the SB and BB folded, so it was heads-up. The pot stood at 10,000. I had 38,000 behind and my opponent had 39,000.
FLOP: 2h7s8s. I led out with a 7,000 bet. My opponent "thinks" for 30 seconds, calling the clock. He re-raises all-in. FUCK! Now, I'm pretty sure that he has KK/QQ/JJ or he is on a draw. If he flopped a set, I'm sure he plays this slower.
So, I call the all-in. He flips over KsQs for the flush draw. Getting all my chips in as a 2:1 favorite is all I can ask for, but I had a sinking feeling. When the 9s comes on the turn, my tournament is over, ending in #743. Painfully close to the money (545), but even more painful that I would have been in the top 25 if my AA had held up.
And so ends my "MSOP" 2008.
Main Event was last night. 4,140 runners. I played a single $14 + $1, 9-way Sit 'n Go to win my entry into the $100 +$9 main event. So, I had $15 invested for 1st prize of $75,000.
The payout structure was top 545 players, a bit more flat than normal, but I was focused on giving myself the best chance to get into the top 50, where the payout started getting juicy ($2000+). The final 8 all get $10,000+.
Played really really great. Most of my success came playing small pots with strong cards and getting opponents to push hard, too hard, when I had made hands. For example, calling 3x raises pre-flop with AK and JJ doubled me up each once. I did play QQ and KK much stronger, re-raising pre-flop raises to 9x the BB. Was called a few times and folded to after the flop when I bet 75% of the pot.
I took my starting stack from 5,000 to 41,000. The field had shrunk from 4,140 people down to 750, with average stack of 26,000. I was well-above average, and in comfortable shape with blinds at 750/1500/100.
As seems customary, I exited this tournament with a bad beat. Found AA, American Airlines under the gun (UTG) and raised it up 2.5x the BB to 3,800. The table folded around to the button who called. Thankfully, the SB and BB folded, so it was heads-up. The pot stood at 10,000. I had 38,000 behind and my opponent had 39,000.
FLOP: 2h7s8s. I led out with a 7,000 bet. My opponent "thinks" for 30 seconds, calling the clock. He re-raises all-in. FUCK! Now, I'm pretty sure that he has KK/QQ/JJ or he is on a draw. If he flopped a set, I'm sure he plays this slower.
So, I call the all-in. He flips over KsQs for the flush draw. Getting all my chips in as a 2:1 favorite is all I can ask for, but I had a sinking feeling. When the 9s comes on the turn, my tournament is over, ending in #743. Painfully close to the money (545), but even more painful that I would have been in the top 25 if my AA had held up.
And so ends my "MSOP" 2008.
Sunday, 29 June 2008
FullTilt $107,000 Tourney
711 Runners, Top Prize is $26,000, 72 players paid
20:00: Start with stack of 3,000. 72 off....that's easy. Blinds 20/40, pickup KJcc with a flop of QJJ pays off for 300. Raise from the SB with KQss and BB folds. Riase with TT from mid position, table folds around. STACK: 3500
20:30: Bluffed off 1000 when a straight developed on a board of 89TJ. Player re-raised me all-in, so I guess he had the QQ or KQ. I flopped two pair with 89 and called a pot-sized continuation bet. I put him on an over pair, so wanted to make sure the board didn't pair up. Oh well! STACK: 2200
21:00: Blinds 25/50. From the small blind, called a 3x raise to 150 from the SB with AT. 3 callers saw the flop of A2T. BINGO. I check, assuming someone has Ax. Button bets 300 into a 500 pot. I raise to 800 and he pushes for 2000 more. I call to see AJ and I sweat the turn/river...blank, blank. STACK: 5000
PLAYERS REMAINING: 526 (74%)
21:30: Blinds 60/120. CARD DEAD....but did find 88 from the button and called an early position raise. BB calls. Pot 1000. Flop of 679 rainbow. BB checks, bettor bets 50% of the pot. I call with up and down and pocket pair. Turn is A. Bettor checks. He's either scared of the A or slow playing it. So, I check. River is a 2. Bettor checks and I check to see his 44. STACK: 5900
PLAYERS REMAINING: 410 (58%)
22:00: Blinds 100/200. Find AK and get called by AQ. Flop of 882. I bet he calls. Turn of 2. I bet he calls. River Q. He takes me down. STACK: 4500
PLAYERS REMAINING: 325 (45%)
22:30: Blinds 150/300/25 ante. I pick up A9ss on the button and after the table folds around, raise 3x. BB is a large stack and pushes all-in. I've only got 2400 behind and the BB has been pushing people around, my stack is dwindling, so I call to see 77. I win the race with a flopped A. Pick up a couple pre-flop with 3x raises. STACK: 7000
PLAYERS REMAINING: 225 (31%)
23:00: Blinds 200/400/50. AA from mid position. Raiser to my right to 1200. I make it 2800. Table folds around. STACK: 7800. Blinds 250/500/50. Find A9ss on the button. Table folds around and I push all-in. SB has AK and a flop of AKA closes me out in #145 (top 20%).
LOVELY
20:00: Start with stack of 3,000. 72 off....that's easy. Blinds 20/40, pickup KJcc with a flop of QJJ pays off for 300. Raise from the SB with KQss and BB folds. Riase with TT from mid position, table folds around. STACK: 3500
20:30: Bluffed off 1000 when a straight developed on a board of 89TJ. Player re-raised me all-in, so I guess he had the QQ or KQ. I flopped two pair with 89 and called a pot-sized continuation bet. I put him on an over pair, so wanted to make sure the board didn't pair up. Oh well! STACK: 2200
21:00: Blinds 25/50. From the small blind, called a 3x raise to 150 from the SB with AT. 3 callers saw the flop of A2T. BINGO. I check, assuming someone has Ax. Button bets 300 into a 500 pot. I raise to 800 and he pushes for 2000 more. I call to see AJ and I sweat the turn/river...blank, blank. STACK: 5000
PLAYERS REMAINING: 526 (74%)
21:30: Blinds 60/120. CARD DEAD....but did find 88 from the button and called an early position raise. BB calls. Pot 1000. Flop of 679 rainbow. BB checks, bettor bets 50% of the pot. I call with up and down and pocket pair. Turn is A. Bettor checks. He's either scared of the A or slow playing it. So, I check. River is a 2. Bettor checks and I check to see his 44. STACK: 5900
PLAYERS REMAINING: 410 (58%)
22:00: Blinds 100/200. Find AK and get called by AQ. Flop of 882. I bet he calls. Turn of 2. I bet he calls. River Q. He takes me down. STACK: 4500
PLAYERS REMAINING: 325 (45%)
22:30: Blinds 150/300/25 ante. I pick up A9ss on the button and after the table folds around, raise 3x. BB is a large stack and pushes all-in. I've only got 2400 behind and the BB has been pushing people around, my stack is dwindling, so I call to see 77. I win the race with a flopped A. Pick up a couple pre-flop with 3x raises. STACK: 7000
PLAYERS REMAINING: 225 (31%)
23:00: Blinds 200/400/50. AA from mid position. Raiser to my right to 1200. I make it 2800. Table folds around. STACK: 7800. Blinds 250/500/50. Find A9ss on the button. Table folds around and I push all-in. SB has AK and a flop of AKA closes me out in #145 (top 20%).
LOVELY
Sunday, 22 June 2008
GutShot 100
CC and I finally got together for some poker after a long drought. GutShot's Saturday 100 freezout. It proved to be a fairly aggressive group of well-versed poker players mixed with a sprinkling of wannabe newbies.
Started off playing ABC poker and ran the starting stack of 8k up to 20k. Found KK in early position and raised to 1k, 2.5x the BB. The cutoff pushes all-in for 12k with AhQh. Flop of K52 rainbow looks harmless as I flop the set. Someone quickly yells out "runner runner"! The turn falls J and the same guy yells out "TEN TEN!!"....the nasty river delivers, and my 97/3 after the flop turns into defeat. Trying not to think about it, I count my stack and realize I'm still at a starting stack of 8k, despite the wicked suck out. It did cross my mind that I would have been up to 32k, near if not THE chip leader following that hand, but only for a moment.
The next notable hand came from the BB. The SB was played like Mike Matusow - crazy loose and idiotic. For example, he moved all-in against me when the board read AKQJT rainbow, which is pretty disrespectful (I called, of course). Soon after that, the table folded around and he limped in the SB and I checked (400/800/50) with 78. Flop comes 257. He insta-All-In's me, which I think about for 1/2 second given I only have 7k chips left and can't ask for much more than top pair. He flips over 74 and my 78 holds up to bring me back to 16k and back in the tourney.
Another hand against "Mike-the-mouth-II", I was UTG with 6s8s and decide to mix it up a bit, raising 2x the BB. I had played TIGHT all night, so it raised suspicion from the table. The cut-off calls and the two blinds call. Flop comes J-T-6 rainbow. I check, the cut-off bets 1/2 the pot and "Mike" calls. I decide to call and see another card. Turn is a blank. I check, cut-off checks (was trying to steal), and "Mike" bets out 1/3 the pot. I raise the 2/3 the pot, looking like I want a call. Cut-off folds and SB mucks saying: "you hit your set, eh?"
..... Not quite, but I sure was pleased with that setup and spike.
Later in the night, the blinds got to be a major issue, and "Mike" moved all-in no less than 15 times, taking down the blinds and selectively showing various A-high hands when he had it and saying he had pocket pairs the other times (right!). He was causing a lot of tension on the table. I made a move from the button, raising 3x the BB with KT and had the SB push all-in with 8k. I was back up to 25k, and had pot odds to call if my K was live, so I did. He had TT and the flop of AKK quickly ended his night. Stack grew to 35k and I was feeling pretty good.
The field of 50 players quickly shrunk as the blinds got up to 1k/2k and we were nearing the bubble (8 players paid). My table was playing short-handed with 6 players and it was a battle of the blinds. I find 66 in the cut-off and raise to 8k, 4x the BB. It folds to the BB and he calls the 8k and says: "I bet 10k blind". He pulled this maneuver half a dozen times earlier in the night, and each time had AK or AQ. The flop comes QQJ. My thinking is as follows: first, I eliminate the Q, since two of them came on the flop, so I'm just thinking the J is all I have to worry about. I have 25k behind and a pot of 26k. So, I move all-in, hoping he didn't hit the J. I assume he calls and is behind with AK/AT/KT/TT and probably folds 99 or worse. Instead, he calls and flips over AJ. No hope for me on the turn/river and I find out that I busted in #9 place, 1 spot from the money, which is really irrelevant, since the top spot was my goal.
Fun night all around, and was a good opportunity to fine-tune the skills on a rather aggressive table/format.
Started off playing ABC poker and ran the starting stack of 8k up to 20k. Found KK in early position and raised to 1k, 2.5x the BB. The cutoff pushes all-in for 12k with AhQh. Flop of K52 rainbow looks harmless as I flop the set. Someone quickly yells out "runner runner"! The turn falls J and the same guy yells out "TEN TEN!!"....the nasty river delivers, and my 97/3 after the flop turns into defeat. Trying not to think about it, I count my stack and realize I'm still at a starting stack of 8k, despite the wicked suck out. It did cross my mind that I would have been up to 32k, near if not THE chip leader following that hand, but only for a moment.
The next notable hand came from the BB. The SB was played like Mike Matusow - crazy loose and idiotic. For example, he moved all-in against me when the board read AKQJT rainbow, which is pretty disrespectful (I called, of course). Soon after that, the table folded around and he limped in the SB and I checked (400/800/50) with 78. Flop comes 257. He insta-All-In's me, which I think about for 1/2 second given I only have 7k chips left and can't ask for much more than top pair. He flips over 74 and my 78 holds up to bring me back to 16k and back in the tourney.
Another hand against "Mike-the-mouth-II", I was UTG with 6s8s and decide to mix it up a bit, raising 2x the BB. I had played TIGHT all night, so it raised suspicion from the table. The cut-off calls and the two blinds call. Flop comes J-T-6 rainbow. I check, the cut-off bets 1/2 the pot and "Mike" calls. I decide to call and see another card. Turn is a blank. I check, cut-off checks (was trying to steal), and "Mike" bets out 1/3 the pot. I raise the 2/3 the pot, looking like I want a call. Cut-off folds and SB mucks saying: "you hit your set, eh?"
..... Not quite, but I sure was pleased with that setup and spike.
Later in the night, the blinds got to be a major issue, and "Mike" moved all-in no less than 15 times, taking down the blinds and selectively showing various A-high hands when he had it and saying he had pocket pairs the other times (right!). He was causing a lot of tension on the table. I made a move from the button, raising 3x the BB with KT and had the SB push all-in with 8k. I was back up to 25k, and had pot odds to call if my K was live, so I did. He had TT and the flop of AKK quickly ended his night. Stack grew to 35k and I was feeling pretty good.
The field of 50 players quickly shrunk as the blinds got up to 1k/2k and we were nearing the bubble (8 players paid). My table was playing short-handed with 6 players and it was a battle of the blinds. I find 66 in the cut-off and raise to 8k, 4x the BB. It folds to the BB and he calls the 8k and says: "I bet 10k blind". He pulled this maneuver half a dozen times earlier in the night, and each time had AK or AQ. The flop comes QQJ. My thinking is as follows: first, I eliminate the Q, since two of them came on the flop, so I'm just thinking the J is all I have to worry about. I have 25k behind and a pot of 26k. So, I move all-in, hoping he didn't hit the J. I assume he calls and is behind with AK/AT/KT/TT and probably folds 99 or worse. Instead, he calls and flips over AJ. No hope for me on the turn/river and I find out that I busted in #9 place, 1 spot from the money, which is really irrelevant, since the top spot was my goal.
Fun night all around, and was a good opportunity to fine-tune the skills on a rather aggressive table/format.
Monday, 9 June 2008
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
802.11N Wireless - Adding a Second Wireless Network
I added a second wireless network at home. Specifically, the new 802.11N 2.0 draft compliant router made by Newertechnology. Reading about all the issues with the new technology, I decided to try and keep my existing 802.11(g) network for all the devices that do not have "N" capabilities and add a parallel N-capable network for hopefully faster speeds for those devices.
Specifically, I have the following 5 devices: Macbook pro(N - Expresscard adapter), MacMini (N - usb adapter), Apple TV (N), Sony Vaio (G - internal card), PS3 (G), Xbox 360 (G).
The setup was actually very simple. My primary wireless router (G) is a BTHomeHub, which acts as the DHCP for the network. The second router (N) is the Newertechnology brand and needed to flip a hardware switch on the back to be set to "router" instead of the default "AP" which means access point. I used the automatic settings on the N router, after flipping the hardware switch to "router". The N router picked up the DHCP from the G router. I made a new SSID name for the N router and forced my N devices to join the N wireless SSID network, instead of the previous G network.
THE RESULTS:
My previous G network was transmitting data at 1.1 MB/sec and so far, I have achieved a 300% improvement in transfer rates to ~4.0 MB/sec with the N devices. This is equivalent to ~35Mbs, or roughly 15% of the theoretical 270-300 Mbs speed promised by 802.11(N) standards. Previously, a 1GB file took 22 mins to transfer across the network. Now, 1GB over the N network is taking 7 mins. So, the 300% improvement works in real life. NOT BAD.
WHY?
Transferring large video, picture and music files back and forth between computers and AppleTV can be time consuming. Additionally, I am utilizing Apple's Time Machine for constant backup of my data, which routinely needs to send multi-GB files to my network USB drive connected to my MacMini.
CONCLUSION:
Upgrade to 802.11N if you transfer large GB files. But, remember, your internet download speeds are unlikely to increase. My DSL connection runs at ~300-400 KBs (3.0 Mbs), so even the 802.11(G) was not maxed out. The internet connection is still the bottleneck to faster online networking.
Specifically, I have the following 5 devices: Macbook pro(N - Expresscard adapter), MacMini (N - usb adapter), Apple TV (N), Sony Vaio (G - internal card), PS3 (G), Xbox 360 (G).
The setup was actually very simple. My primary wireless router (G) is a BTHomeHub, which acts as the DHCP for the network. The second router (N) is the Newertechnology brand and needed to flip a hardware switch on the back to be set to "router" instead of the default "AP" which means access point. I used the automatic settings on the N router, after flipping the hardware switch to "router". The N router picked up the DHCP from the G router. I made a new SSID name for the N router and forced my N devices to join the N wireless SSID network, instead of the previous G network.
THE RESULTS:
My previous G network was transmitting data at 1.1 MB/sec and so far, I have achieved a 300% improvement in transfer rates to ~4.0 MB/sec with the N devices. This is equivalent to ~35Mbs, or roughly 15% of the theoretical 270-300 Mbs speed promised by 802.11(N) standards. Previously, a 1GB file took 22 mins to transfer across the network. Now, 1GB over the N network is taking 7 mins. So, the 300% improvement works in real life. NOT BAD.
WHY?
Transferring large video, picture and music files back and forth between computers and AppleTV can be time consuming. Additionally, I am utilizing Apple's Time Machine for constant backup of my data, which routinely needs to send multi-GB files to my network USB drive connected to my MacMini.
CONCLUSION:
Upgrade to 802.11N if you transfer large GB files. But, remember, your internet download speeds are unlikely to increase. My DSL connection runs at ~300-400 KBs (3.0 Mbs), so even the 802.11(G) was not maxed out. The internet connection is still the bottleneck to faster online networking.
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