Dominated

The most memorable hand of last night's tournament was the final one. I was dealt AJo (ace jack offsuit), shoved, and got one caller. He turned over AQo (ace queen offsuit), and I knew I was in for a world of hurt. His hand dominated mine; I had just a 23.62% chance of winning. To show you how cruel poker can be, the very worst starting hand in poker, 72o (seven deuce offsuit, affectionately known as the hammer) actually fares better against AQo than AJo does; the hammer has a 32.34% chance of winning. Of course, I hit the rail, but at least I registered an official place :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000   5000       6      71   18    36        0

delta: $-50,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,060,768
2021 balance: $9,639,000
blue distance: $1,348,000
balance: $87,304,453

Slumping

Last night, I registered my first 0th place since June 15th. There were just three minutes left in the late registration period, but that was much too far to go. I'm definitely in a slump, having lost over a million play dollars in the last nine sessions. On a brighter note, I'm still net positive since resuming poker after my lengthy hiatus.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      60   15     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,110,768
2021 balance: $9,689,000
blue distance: $1,298,000
balance: $87,354,453

Obligatory folds

My stack went up and down like a yoyo in last night's tournament. I was Caboose Boy for a while, then I won a big pot, but later I was Caboose Boy again. For all that, I didn't miss the money by much. One reason I lasted as long as I did was that I recognized the spots where I was obligated to fold, and folded accordingly. In a tournament, the classic obligatory fold is when an opponent who has you covered bets big enough to put you all in if you call, and the board supports a better hand than yours. You know that probably close to 25% of the time, your opponent is bluffing, but you can't risk your tournament life on a hero call. 

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      60   15    18        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,310,768
2021 balance: $9,889,000
blue distance: $1,098,000
balance: $87,554,453

Flushed away

It's a fact of poker life that big stacks have the power to bully small stacks. They can play marginal hands and simply bet big enough to force small stacks to fold unless they have a premium hand. It feels like a raw deal when you're on the receiving end, but it's fair play. Last night, I hit the rail when I wouldn't be bullied. I had top pair with a good kicker, and was a 70% favorite to win the hand after the turn, but the bully hit a flush on the river and that was all she wrote.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      58   15    27        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,510,768
2021 balance: $10,089,000
blue distance: $898,000
balance: $87,754,453

A nice streak

It's bad luck to talk about a streak while it's still alive, but I give myself permission to do it occasionally. Last night, for the 28th tournament in a row, I registered an official place. That means that I outlasted the late registration period 28 straight times. That's not a lot to crow about, but it is something :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000   5000       6      76   21    15    95000

delta: $45,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,710,768
2021 balance: $10,289,000
blue distance: $698,000
balance: $87,954,453

Late to the party

When you join a tournament with only a minute left in its late registration period, the likeliest outcome is that you'll hit the rail early. The second likeliest outcome is that you'll make the money. How could this be? Simply stated, it's because you have no time to waste. Since you don't have the leisure to wait around for a premium hand, you have to gamble it up. You have to go big or go home. When you go big, you either double up or bust; there's no middle ground. Last night, I went big and went home :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      58   15    29        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,665,768
2021 balance: $10,244,000
blue distance: $743,000
balance: $87,909,453

Cowboys into the sunset

Last night, I got stranded in Carddeadburgh again. My best holding of the tournament came on the final hand. I was dealt pocket kings, shoved, and got one caller. He turned over ATo (ace ten offsuit), so I was a healthy favorite. I had a 70.68% chance of winning. However, my opponent flopped an ace, and his rockets held up. It was cowboys into the sunset for me.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE     9000   1000       6     194   48    95        0

delta: $-10,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,865,768
2021 balance: $10,444,000
blue distance: $543,000
balance: $88,109,453

Carddeadburgh

Last post, I defined Sanityville and Crazytown. I neglected to mention Carddeadburgh, but that's another place you may find yourself travelling in the course of an MTT. If you're lucky, you go right through it and come out the other side. If you're not, Carddeadburgh will end your tournament in a New York minute.

This is an excerpt from my January 5, 2015 post. Last night, I failed to make it out of Carddeadburgh. On my final hand, I was dealt pocket fives and shoved. I got one caller, who turned over Q8o (queen eight offsuit). I was a slight favorite, having a 54.21% chance of winning the hand. However, my opponent paired his eight on the flop, and I bricked on the turn and river. Whatcha gonna do?

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      80   21    28        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,875,768
2021 balance: $10,454,000
blue distance: $533,000
balance: $88,119,453

Another toy train

I  have three hard and fast rules:

1. never play cash games

2. never play rebuys

3. never play 9-max

Adhering to these rules means that sometimes I'll have to play a toy train, but at least it will have three things going for it:

1. it won't be a cash game

2. it won't have rebuys

3. it won't be 9-max

If I make the money in a toy train, I won't make much profit, but at least I'll have some fun :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000   5000       6      84   21    10   120000

delta: $70,000
MTT NLHE balance: $34,075,768
2021 balance: $10,654,000
blue distance: $333,000
balance: $88,319,453

Apockalypse now

The most memorable hand of last night's session was the final one. I was dealt pocket tens and shoved. Not just one but two opponents called, and both of them had a pocket pair. One had queens and the other had rockets; I was the runt of the litter. It was another one of those "Apockalypse now" situations. I was drawing pretty thin on the river - I had just an 11% chance of winning. No ten magically appeared, and I was gone in a New York minute.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      65   18    30        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $34,005,768
2021 balance: $10,584,000
blue distance: $403,000
balance: $88,249,453

A tale of two hands

The two most memorable hands of last night's session had opposite results. One sent me on my way to the money; the other put my stack on life support. The good hand: I was dealt pocket nines, flopped a set, shoved, got one caller, and doubled up. The bad hand: I made a straight on the river, but lost to a better straight. I was lucky to survive two fall ins after that, but not the third one.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      65   18    11   395000

delta: $195,000
MTT NLHE balance: $34,205,768
2021 balance: $10,784,000
blue distance: $203,000
balance: $88,449,453

Baby cowboys into the sunset

Baby cowboys is my nickname for pocket jacks. Last night, my baby cowboys rode off into the sunset when I went to showdown against two opponents. In general, the more players that go to showdown, the worse your odds are of winning the hand. When you're short-stacked, though, you don't have the luxury of avoiding showdowns with multiple opponents.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      64   18    37        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $34,010,768
2021 balance: $10,589,000
blue distance: $398,000
balance: $88,254,453

Photo finish

As I've said before, I really hate 0th place finishes. That's what I call it when I hit the rail before the late registration period has expired. On Thursday night, I avoided a 0th place finish by a hair's breadth; I hit the rail within seconds of the late registration period expiring. It was a photo finish :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      58   15    31        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT NLHE balance: $34,210,768
2021 balance: $10,789,000
blue distance: $198,000
balance: $88,454,453

Toy train

When you're used to tournaments with a $200,000 buy in, any tournament with a buy in of $50,000 or less feels like a toy train. Last night, I pre-registered for a $200,000 buy in tournament, but it got cancelled due to a lack of entries :-( I had to settle for a toy train. The good news? I made the money, for the fourth tournament in a row. The not-so-good news? I didn't make much of it.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000   5000       6      74   21    13    93000

delta: $43,000
MTT NLHE balance: $34,310,768
2021 balance: $10,889,000
blue distance: $98,000
balance: $88,554,453

Lord High Everything Else

The most memorable hand of last night's session is the one where I was dealt cowboys, got all in against two opponents, flopped a set, and tripled up. Each of them had a ragged ace. That hand shot me up the leaderboard, making it easy to make the money. I made the final table, and ended up Lord High Everything Else.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      63   18     2  1348000

delta: $1,148,000
MTT NLHE balance: $34,267,768
2021 balance: $10,846,000
blue distance: $141,000
balance: $88,511,453

Doppelsession

Last night's session was nearly a carbon copy of the one before. I made the money, but bubbled the first money jump. The most memorable hand was the one where I'd been dealt KTo (king ten offsuit), paired my king on the flop, and refused to be bullied into folding by a bigger stack. He turned over K3o (king three offsuit) at showdown, and I won a nice pot.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      64   18    16   278000

delta: $78,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,119,768
2021 balance: $9,698,000
blue distance: $1,289,000
balance: $87,363,453

My new favorite straight

It's always nice to flop a straight. Last night, I flopped a nine high straight after being dealt 95o (nine five offsuit). It was eerily similar to my most memorable hand of the previous night's session, when I was dealt 95s (nine five suited), and would have flopped a straight flush had I not folded pre-flop. For the time being, my new favorite straight is a nine high :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      62   18    15   323000

delta: $123,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,041,768
2021 balance: $9,620,000
blue distance: $1,367,000
balance: $87,285,453

The one that got away

The most memorable hand of last night's session was one that I folded pre-flop. I was dealt the nine and five of spades, and the six, seven, and eight of spades showed up in the flop. Had I not folded I would have flopped a straight flush. To add insult to injury, one of my opponents flopped a flush, so I would easily have doubled up. However, folding was certainly the right play, odds-wise, so I wasn't upset. Just bemused :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      78   21    22        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $32,918,768
2021 balance: $9,497,000
blue distance: $1,490,000
balance: $87,162,453

Stone soup

There's a wonderful fable entitled "Stone Soup" about a vagabond who manages to convince the townsfolk he meets that he can make a delicious soup by putting a magic stone in a pot of boiling water. He accomplishes this by tasting the soup at intervals, each time declaring that it's nearly ready but would be all the better if just one more ingredient were added. One by one, each of the townsfolk contribute the newly called-for ingredient, without realizing that their desire to see the magic work is the true magic that's in operation.

Last night, I was waiting to join a tournament that hadn't started yet; I didn't bother to pre-register. When I checked back some time later, I discovered that the tournament had been cancelled due to an insufficient number of entries. I looked for another tournament, found one that hadn't started yet, and pre-registered this time. I was putting my magic stone in the boiling water, hoping it would attract the townsfolk :-) It did, and I was able to get under the lights once more.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    87000  13000       6      85   21     5   502000

delta: $402,000
MTT NLHE balance: $33,118,768
2021 balance: $9,697,000
blue distance: $1,290,000
balance: $87,362,453

My kingdom for an orbit

Last night, I narrowly missed making the money for the third straight tournament. I bubbled the bubble. I actually prefer bubbling the bubble to bubbling, since I don't feel as let down in that case. I know I played well, and just needed a smidgen more luck :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      52   15    17        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $32,716,768
2021 balance: $9,295,000
blue distance: $1,692,000
balance: $86,960,453

A $60,000 fold

In a tournament, the higher up the pay table you climb, the bigger the money jumps. That said, any money jump is better than none :-) Last night, I made the money but had one of the shortest stacks. Luckily for me, on the bubble of the first money jump, there was a hand where two bigger stacks went toe to toe with each other. I got out of the way, hoping the bigger stack would knock the other one out. I got my wish, and gained an extra $60,000 just for folding.

 style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      69   18    15   360000

delta: $160,000
MTT NLHE balance: $32,916,768
2021 balance: $9,495,000
blue distance: $1,492,000
balance: $87,160,453

Heads up marathon

A funny thing happened last night - I made the final table before the late registration period ended. A more accurate way to state this is that the late registration period got cut short due to the lack of entries. When there were more than 20 minutes left in the late registration period, the number of live players reduced from 7 to 6, and the software decided that these players would constitute the final table and no other players would be allowed to join. Five places were paid, so I only needed to fade one player to make the money. I did better than that, making it to heads up play. My opponent had about 18 times as many chips as I had, but I didn't let that faze me. I battled back to parity, and even got a nice chip lead before the axe fell. On the final hand, I was dealt T2o (ten deuce offsuit) and hit trip deuces on the flop. All my chips went into the middle and my opponent turned over 92o (nine deuce offsuit), so I had him dominated. After the turn, I was better than an 80% favorite to win, but the river was a nine, and that was all she wrote.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      14    5     2   609000

delta: $409,000

balance: $87,000,453

It's time to begin

I've been on a long hiatus from poker for a variety of reasons, but it's high time I got back. I played several additional sessions after my last post without posting the results, so I need to recalibrate my balances. PokerStars informs me that my current overall balance is $86,591,453, so I'll start with that and go from there. It's great to be back!