Runner runner

The most memorable hand of yesterday's session came in the first tournament I entered. I was short-stacked, and got all my chips into the middle preflop when I was dealt K9o (king nine offsuit) and was one seat to the left of the big blind. I figured it was better to hitch my wagon to this hand now than to fold and hope for a better holding next hand, when I was going to fall in no matter what. K9o will be better than an unknown random hand most of the time. The poker gods rewarding me for making the right play; I paired my nine on the turn and my king on the river. Runner runner for the win!

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     237   63    20   109000
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     309   81   120        0

delta: $9,000
2024 balance: $2,826,000
2024 blue distance: $469,000
balance: $15,635,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.48 (1232 of 2970)

Mr. 71st percentile

My average percentile in MTT-Rs is amazingly consistent; for the last 75 tournaments, it's been locked in at the 65th. Considering that the average percentile for making the money is the 77th, what this means is that the only reason I'm making money playing MTT-Rs is that I have enough variance in my results, even though the average is so consistent. Variance is actually the lifeblood of poker :-)

This is an excerpt from my January 10, 2018 post. My average percentile in MTTs is also amazingly consistent; for the last 519 tournaments, it's been locked in at the 71st. Considering that the average percentile for making the money in MTTs is the 75th, what this means is that the only reason I'm making money playing MTTs is that I have enough variance in my results. Long live variance!

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     272   72    90        0

delta: $-50,000
2024 balance: $2,817,000
2024 blue distance: $478,000
balance: $15,626,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.48 (1231 of 2968)

The top of the bottom third

When you play in 6 player tournaments, you want to be in the top half all the time. The trouble is, you want even more than that. You want to be above the bottom third of the top half, i.e. above third place. So, not only do you want to avoid the bottom of the tournament, you also want to avoid the bottom of the top.

This is an excerpt from my October 28, 2012 post, in the days when I was playing sit and gos. In order to have a good chance of making the money in a multi-table tournament, the strategy is significantly different from the sit and go strategy. Since there are many more players in MTTs than there are in sit and gos, you can afford to have a more modest goal, and to play more patiently. I've found that a good objective in an MTT is to be at the top of the bottom third of the remaining players in the tournament, when more than half of the overall number of entrants have already hit the rail. It doesn't matter if your current position is greater than the number of paid places; all that matters is that you maintain being at the top of the bottom third. If you can do this, the tournament will essentially melt itself down until you're in the money. It almost feels like cheating :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     416   99   108        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     242   63    46    90000

delta: $-10,000
2024 balance: $2,867,000
2024 blue distance: $428,000
balance: $15,676,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.49 (1231 of 2967)

Disappearing into the year

The deeper you play into a poker year, the more the accumulated data of the year outweighs whatever your current results are. In effect, you disappear into the year, and it takes a search party to find you.

This is an excerpt from my November 2, 2019 post. I disappeared into this poker year a while ago. That's not a bad thing, as long as you're net positive :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     200   54    67        0

delta: $-50,000
2024 balance: $2,877,000
2024 blue distance: $418,000
balance: $15,686,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.48 (1230 of 2965)

Saved by the cavalry

The best hand you can receive in hold'em is pocket aces, and the best time to receive them is when you're in the big blind. No one will credit you with having them. It's even better when your tournament life is at stake. Getting rockets in that situation, when you so desperately need them, is like being saved by the cavalry.

This is an excerpt from my January 4, 2018 post. Yesterday, in the first tournament I entered, I was saved by the cavalry again. I was so short-stacked at one point that a big blind caused me to fall in. Imagine my delighted surprise to be dealt rockets, when all hope had appeared to be lost :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     369   99    64    99000
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     326   81    40   129000

delta: $128,000
2024 balance: $2,927,000
2024 blue distance: $368,000
balance: $15,736,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.50 (1230 of 2964)

Brexit

Brexit is my poker shorthand for brutal exit. I had a brexit in the final tournament I entered last night. On the final hand, the flop gave me a gutshot straight draw, and I filled it on the turn. I bet half the pot and got one caller. The river put three cards to a flush on the board, and my opponent bet big enough to put me all in if I called. I was pot-committed and made the call. He'd made a backdoor flush, and I was out in a New York minute.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     255   72    97        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     232   63   164        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     386   99    85    79000
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     333   81   148        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     277   72   168        0

delta: $-171,000
2024 balance: $2,799,000
2024 blue distance: $496,000
balance: $15,608,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.46 (1228 of 2962)

Colded

Last night, I got colded. That's my new shorthand for getting cold decked.

This is an excerpt from my April 10, 2013 post. Last night, I got colded twice, once in both tournaments I entered. The first time, I had pocket queens; the second, pocket kings. In both cases, I was up against an opponent with rockets, and my stack was on life support when the hands ended. The saving grace in the second tournament was that I'd already made the money :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     287   72   115        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     207   54    44    95000

delta: $-5,000
2024 balance: $2,970,000
2024 blue distance: $325,000
balance: $15,779,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.49 (1227 of 2957)