Nowhere to go but down

I took two poker selfies last night. The first was just after I shot to the top of the leaderboard; the second was 29 minutes later, just before I fell out of first. The trouble with leading a tournament is that you have nowhere to go but down. I'd much rather be in the middle of the pack. I managed to get under the lights, but failed to ladder up, dropping from fourth to sixth. Still, it was another deep run, and another blue session. I'll take it :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      76   21     6   766000

delta: $566,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,057,768
2021 balance: $9,686,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $87,351,453

Lord High Everything Else

Last night, I rode the midnight train nearly to the end of the line, finishing in second place as Lord High Everything Else. I also recorded a Full Monty, and got my overall balance back into the blue. All is right again in my poker world :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      68   18     2  1455000

delta: $1,255,000
MTT NLHE balance: $32,491,768
2021 balance: $9,120,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $86,785,453

Statistical entanglement

There's a concept in physics called quantum entanglement. I don't know much about it, but what little I do know really intrigues me. The basic idea is that two things which should have no relationship, and no effect on each other, are nevertheless in lock step with each other. It feels like a form of magic :-) I've discovered something similar in my poker data; I'm calling it statistical entanglement. Of course, it could simply be a coincidence, but where would be the fun in that? Here's what I've discovered: in MTT NLHE 6max tournaments, I reach at least station 2 73 percent of the time, and my average percentile in these tournaments is 72. My gut tells me these two statistics are entangled in some way.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000   5000       6      92   24    44        0

delta: $-50,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,236,768
2021 balance: $7,865,000
blue distance: $490,000
balance: $85,530,453

Yet another toy train 0th place

I dislike toy train tournaments, but play them whenever they're the only MTT NLHE 6max tournaments on offer. I really hate 0th places. So you'd think I'd hate toy train 0th places - but I don't. I actually kind of like them. Two reasons:

1. I lose less money

2. the tournament is over sooner, allowing me time to play some online chess :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000   5000       6      66   18     -        0

delta: $-50,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,286,768
2021 balance: $7,915,000
blue distance: $440,000
balance: $85,580,453

Caboose boy

When the money bubble burst last night, I was the caboose boy. I was three spots away from the first money jump, which was an additional $44,000. I decided to "nit it up"; in other words, to fold the vast majority of the time. When I made it to the first money jump, I was still the caboose boy. I was able to ladder up one more spot, but that was still two spots away from the second money jump, which was an additional $62,000. I'm convinced that one of the reasons I do so well in tournaments is my willingness to fold in situations where others would be unwilling.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      51   15    11   310000

delta: $110,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,336,768
2021 balance: $7,965,000
blue distance: $390,000
balance: $85,630,453

How to lose half a million in three easy lessons

1. register a percentile in the land of the twos

2. secure a 0th place

3. join a deepstack late

Yes, last night I broke deepstack rule #1 again. This time, I got a lot closer to the money, but that only counts in horseshoes :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      54   12    19        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,226,768
2021 balance: $7,855,000
blue distance: $500,000
balance: $85,520,453

Hidden anemic percentiles

One of the saving graces about registering a 0th place is that at the time you hit the felt, your place can't be determined, which in turn means that your percentile can't be determined, which in turn means that you can't immediately know just how pathetically badly you've been playing :-) Of course, as soon as the late registration period ends, you'll be assigned a place, and your percentile can be determined. However, as a rule I don't stick around after hitting the rail, so I generally remain blissfully unaware of my hidden anemic percentiles. Last night, I had another last minute 0th place, and happened to notice that shortly thereafter I was assigned an official place of 40 out of 53, giving me an anemic percentile of 24.5283.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      53   15     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,326,768
2021 balance: $7,955,000
blue distance: $400,000
balance: $85,620,453

The land of the twos

I registered a truly anemic percentile last night - 22.2222..., aka the land of the twos. It was the third worst percentile I've ever registered in an MTT NLHE 6max tournament. Not exactly the kind of top ten I was looking for :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      54   15    42        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,526,768
2021 balance: $8,155,000
blue distance: $200,000
balance: $85,820,453

Top percentage

I love looking at poker statistics, especially when I stack up well against my former poker selves :-) By getting under the lights last night, I brought my under-the-lights lifetime MTT NLHE 6max percentage up to a new all-time high: 7.3597 (80 of 1087). I also brought my overall balance back into the blue.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      69   18     4  1008000

delta: $808,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,726,768
2021 balance: $8,355,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $86,020,453

Last minute 0th place

It's never fun to record a 0th place. It's hard to say when's the least fun time to record one, however. In general, the more minutes which remain in the late registration period, the worse I feel. But that's not a hard and fast rule. Last night, I hit the rail with just one minute left in the late registration period, and I felt plenty bad :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      60   15     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $30,918,768
2021 balance: $7,547,000
blue distance: $259,000
balance: $85,212,453

A chance of repeat blue

Whenever I have a decent shot at making the money in a tournament, I check to see if there's a payout that will return my overall balance to the blue. Imagine my surprise last night when I discovered that the 8th place payout would return me exactly to my personal best overall balance - in other words, to repeat blue.

This is an excerpt from my August 7, 2020 post. Imagine my surprise last night when I discovered that the payout for places 13-15 would provide me with repeat blue. I didn't get there, but had fun trying, and did manage to min cash.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      68   18    18   295000

delta: $95,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,118,768
2021 balance: $7,747,000
blue distance: $59,000
balance: $85,412,453

Microtournament

Last night, I had to settle for a tournament with a buy in one twentieth the size of the buy in of my favorite type of tournament. I don't think I won a single hand. There were two silver linings:

1. I outlasted over half the field

2. I only lost $10,000

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE     9000   1000       6     240   60   104        0

delta: $-10,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,023,768
2021 balance: $7,652,000
blue distance: $154,000
balance: $85,317,453

Pajama poker

The best poker outcomes, for me, occur when I'm relaxed. The best way to reach this relaxation state is by playing my favorite type of tournament. For a long time now, this has been 6max MTT NLHE with a $200,000 buy in. It's an old friend I'm very comfortable with. It's like playing poker in my pajamas, figuratively and literally.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      47   12    11   306000

delta: $106,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,033,768
2021 balance: $7,662,000
blue distance: $144,000
balance: $85,327,453

Rule #1 for playing a deepstack

Last night, once again, a deepstack was my only 6max option. I shouldn't have joined it, however, since that meant breaking my #1 rule for playing a deepstack - never join it late. When you do, as I may have said before, a much apter name for the tournament is a shallowstack :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      60   12    27        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT NLHE balance: $30,927,768
2021 balance: $7,556,000
blue distance: $250,000
balance: $85,221,453

Another phantom rung

Last night, I finished in 15th place. In general, that's a fine thing. Unfortunately, in this case, only 12 places were paid.

This is an excerpt from my April 3, 2019 post; it applies equally well to last night's session. I finished two spots higher than my favorite fellow usual suspect, which softened the disappointment of missing the money somewhat.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      63   12    15        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,027,768
2021 balance: $7,656,000
blue distance: $150,000
balance: $85,321,453

The least bad way to register a 0th place

As I've stated many times before, I hate 0th places. There is a sure-fire way to avoid them, but I don't have the patience to avail myself of it as often as I should. All you need to do is wait until there's only one minute left in the late registration period before joining the tournament. That virtually guarantees that the late registration period will expire before you come anywhere close to hitting the rail. Last night, the only 6max on offer at the time I was ready to play poker had two things going against it:

1. it was a toy train

2. it hadn't started yet

Still, those disadvantages were more than offset by the fact that it was a 6max. As I think I've also stated before, I never want to play 9max again. So, what's the least bad way to register a 0th place? By playing a tournament with a lower buy in than your usual one :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000   5000       6      57   15     -        0

delta: $-50,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,127,768
2021 balance: $7,756,000
blue distance: $50,000
balance: $85,421,453

Turning the dial to 11 considered harmful

I never saw the rock mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap", but am aware of one impact it had on popular culture; to wit, the whimsical concept of going beyond the bounds of the possible, illustrated in the movie by someone in the band turning up the dial on an amplifier to 11, when its maximum setting was 10.

This is an excerpt from my February 25, 2011 post. In no limit hold'em, going all in is equivalent to turning the dial to 11. It's a move which should be used sparingly, unless you're heads up. Last night, I only turned the dial to 11 once, and it didn't work out well. In fact, I hit the rail on that very hand. I was dealt AQo (ace queen offsuit), and paired both cards on the flop. That's when I shoved. I got one caller, who'd been dealt AKo (ace king offsuit). He paired his king on the turn, taking me from a favorite to a huge underdog. Only a queen on the river could save me, and no queen arrived. Thankfully, I'd already made the money, so my blue streak is still alive :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      58   15     8   594000

delta: $394,000
MTT NLHE balance: $31,177,768
2021 balance: $7,806,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $85,471,453

My blue heaven

Last night, I achieved a Double Full Monty, making a profit of over two million play dollars. That returned my overall balance to the blue, breaking the 80 million barrier for the first time. It was the second time I've ever come in first in an MTT NLHE. Needless to say, it was a great feeling :-)

This is an excerpt from my February 11 post; I'll use it as a template. Last night, I achieved a Full Monty and a Half, making a profit of over 1.5 million play dollars. That maintained my overall balance in the blue, breaking the 85 million barrier for the first time. It was the third time I've ever come in first in an MTT NLHE. Needless to say, it was a great feeling again :-) 

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      67   18     1  1791000

delta: $1,591,000
MTT NLHE balance: $30,783,768
2021 balance: $7,412,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $85,077,453

Blue after blue

... it turns out I do better in sessions following blue ones than I do in sessions which don't follow blue ones. Blue after blue seems to be a real thing :-)

This is an excerpt from my August 7, 2017 post. Last night, I had my second blue session in a row. I'm on a blue streak :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      75   21     8   574000

delta: $374,000
MTT NLHE balance: $29,192,768
2021 balance: $5,821,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $83,486,453

Ladder boy blue

Last night, I laddered my way up into the blue. In the third tournament, I started the final table as the short stack, and ended up finishing third. Those six extra spots gave me an additional $1,628,000 in profit. Ka-ching! That brought my overall balance back into the blue, where it had not been since May 6th of last year. All is right again in my poker world.

This is an excerpt from my March 12, 2019 post; I'll use it as a template. Last night, I laddered my way up into the blue. I started the final table as the short stack, and ended up finishing third. Those three extra spots gave me an additional $614,000 in profit. Ka-ching! That brought my overall balance back into the blue. All is right again in my poker world.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      83   18     3   938000

delta: $838,000
MTT NLHE balance: $28,818,768
2021 balance: $5,447,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $83,112,453

Any pair in a storm

When you're severely short-stacked, being dealt a pocket pair is a big deal, regardless of the denomination. In most cases, you should immediately hitch your wagon to it. That's what I did on my final hand of last night's tournament, when I was dealt pocket fives. Unfortunately for me, an opponent had been dealt pocket jacks, and they held up. I ended up the bubble boy again, but have no regrets.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      73   21    22        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $27,980,768
2021 balance: $4,609,000
blue distance: $392,000
balance: $82,274,453

Another brutal zexit

I hate 0th places. I hate them even more when I had every reasonable expectation of winning the hand which took me to the rail. That was certainly the case last night. On my final hand, I was dealt the five and three of clubs, and flopped a flush. I shoved and got one caller. He had one club in his hand - the ten. I faded the turn, but he hit a magic flush on the river. Whatcha gonna do? There was a silver lining - at the time I wanted to play poker, the only available 6max was a toy train, so I only lost $50,000.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000   5000       6      25    8     -        0

delta: $-50,000
MTT NLHE balance: $28,180,768
2021 balance: $4,809,000
blue distance: $192,000
balance: $82,474,453

Bad river money

Last night, the slump continued apace. I'm forced to admit that I've been making some very bad decisions here and there. You don't have to make bad decisions very often in order for them to be able to destroy you. One of the worst kinds of bad decision you can make is to spend bad money on the river.

This is an excerpt from my May 2, 2015 post. Last night, I spent bad river money on a hand where I had two pair, but the board supported a straight. An opponent made a big bet, and I knew I shouldn't call, but I couldn't help myself. The imp of the perverse struck again :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      64   18    23        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT NLHE balance: $28,230,768
2021 balance: $4,859,000
blue distance: $142,000
balance: $82,524,453

Premium and sub-premium hands for the win

Pocket jacks is a premium hand. AQo (ace queen offsuit) is a very good, albeit sub-premium, hand. Last night, multiple instances of both hands propelled me into the money. I got pockets jacks twice, and later got AQo three times. I won all five. To make things sweeter, I also outlasted a usual suspect :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      83   21    16   361000

delta: $161,000
MTT NLHE balance: $28,330,768
2021 balance: $4,959,000
blue distance: $42,000
balance: $82,624,453

Lights out

Last night, I made the money in my third straight 8-game. I'm dubbing the outcome "lights out", since I made it under the lights, but then was the first player at the final table to hit the rail.

This is an excerpt from my January 18, 2019 post. Last night, I had another such outcome. I played a deepstack under duress, as there was nothing better on offer at the time. I'm starting to get the hang of deepstacks, but they still have too much volatility for my liking.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      76   18     6   297000

delta: $197,000
MTT NLHE balance: $28,169,768
2021 balance: $4,798,000
blue distance: $203,000
balance: $82,463,453

Not a believer

One of the hardest hands to credit is a flopped flush. You know they happen, but you also know they happen very rarely. Last night, one of my opponents flopped a flush, but I was not a believer. I'd flopped a stealth two pair, and my opponent bet small enough to keep me in the hand all the way to the river and to showdown. I didn't hit the rail on that hand, but my stack took a huge hit, dropping me down to Caboose Boy. I lasted one more orbit, and that was all she wrote.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      68   18    47        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $27,972,768
2021 balance: $4,601,000
blue distance: $400,000
balance: $82,266,453

Bubble boy

Last night, I was the bubble boy again. It's often easy to second-guess yourself when that happens. Still, it's not that bad a way for a winning streak to come to an end. It's infinitely preferable to a 0th place :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      72   18    19        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $28,172,768
2021 balance: $4,801,000
blue distance: $200,000
balance: $82,466,453

Sneaky streaks

The best streak of winning sessions I've had in my poker career is 29 straight. I don't remember exactly when I became aware I was on such a major streak, but I was unaware longer than you might think. One of the wonderful things about poker is that when you're in the zone, it feels completely natural and normal to win.

This is an excerpt from my February 27, 2013 post. The best streak of blue sessions I've had in my poker career is 19 straight. I don't remember exactly when I became aware I was on such a major streak, but I was unaware longer than you might think. With last night's winning session, my current streak of blue sessions is 3 straight.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      94   18    11   175000

delta: $75,000
MTT NLHE balance: $28,372,768
2021 balance: $5,001,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $82,666,453

Lightning strikes twice

When you make the final table of an MTT, it feels like capturing lightning in a bottle. When you do that two tournaments in a row, it feels like lightning striking twice :-)

This is an excerpt from my May 1, 2020 post, and applies equally well to last night's session. I've accomplished this feat ten times in my MTT NLHE career.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      63   18     4   920000

delta: $720,000
MTT NLHE balance: $28,297,768
2021 balance: $4,926,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $82,591,453

My blue heaven

Last night, after 70 sessions in the wilderness, I got back to civilization. In other words, I'm back in the blue. I got under the lights, finished in fifth, and recorded a Partial Monty. I also outlasted two of the usual suspects. Sweet :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      88   21     5  1041000

delta: $841,000
MTT NLHE balance: $27,577,768
2021 balance: $4,206,000
blue distance: $0
balance: $81,871,453

Late is great

I've gone back and forth on the question of when is the best time to join a tournament. Lately, I'm coming down strongly in favor of joining late. The later you join, the more dead money is in the prize pool. What's not to love? Last night, I joined with 20 minutes remaining in the late registration period, which meant that the tournament had started 24 minutes before that. I was Caboose Boy at one point, but managed to min cash. I hit the rail when my pocket aces were cracked, but have no complaints.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      94   24    23   327000

delta: $127,000
MTT NLHE balance: $26,736,768
2021 balance: $3,365,000
blue distance: $307,000
balance: $81,030,453