A multitasking fingerfehler

There are many different varieties of fingerfehler. One of the most pernicious is the double-tabling fingerfehler. That is what happens when you're playing two tournaments at once, and just about to click on a button in one of the tournaments, but end up clicking a button in the other tournament instead because the PokerStars software has thrust the other tournament to the forefront of the screen at the very last second.

This is an excerpt from my July 31, 2018 post. The double-tabling fingerfehler is a subtype of a more general type, the multitasking fingerfehler. That is what happens when you have two apps running, and are just about to click on a button in one of them, but end up clicking a button in the other app instead because the input focus changed from one to the other at the very last second. I fell prey to a multitasking fingerfehler in the second tournament I entered yesterday. I was playing online poker and online chess at the same time, and an attempted button click in the chess app became an unwanted click in the poker app instead; the result was that I inadvertently called a bet I would have folded. I lost 300 chips I shouldn't have, and thereby harmed my chances of making the money. I didn't make it. Ouch!

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     246   63   121        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     283   72    89        0

delta: $-100,000
2024 balance: $2,773,000
2024 blue distance: $522,000
balance: $15,582,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.49 (1246 of 3003)

Sometimes one hand is all you need

Yesterday, in the second tournament I entered, I tripled up early on. That chip infusion lasted me all the way into the money, without me winning another hand. Sometimes one hand is all you need. I only min cashed, but I'll take it :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     340   81   120        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     204   54    49    80000

delta: $-20,000
2024 balance: $2,873,000
2024 blue distance: $422,000
balance: $15,682,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.52 (1246 of 3001)

The straight flush that wasn't

The most memorable hand of yesterday's session was the straight flush that wasn't. On a hand where I folded preflop, the flop came ? 4d 5d (I forget what the first card in the flop was). The turn was 6d, and the river was 7d. I took another peek at my hole cards at this point, and discovered that one of them was 8d. I don't feel cheated by hands like this, and actually enjoy seeing my phantom ships come in :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     422   99   272        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     348   81    59   107000
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     427  117   188        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     256   72    30   118000

delta: $25,000
2024 balance: $2,893,000
2024 blue distance: $402,000
balance: $15,702,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.51 (1245 of 2999)

The quad that wasn't

The most memorable hand of yesterday's session was the quad that wasn't. I'd been dealt pocket sixes, but folded them preflop because the action before me was too rich for my blood. A third six showed up on the flop, and the case six showed up on the river. Since I'd made the correct play to fold, I had no regrets.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     319   81    99        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     266   72    16   146000
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     489  117    71   118000

delta: $114,000
2024 balance: $2,868,000
2024 blue distance: $427,000
balance: $15,677,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.50 (1243 of 2995)

The cruelest game

Decades ago, I was interested in backgammon, and bought a book called "Backgammon: The Cruelest Game". Its awesome title has stayed with me all these years. I'm here to tell you that there are moments when poker usurps the mantle of cruelest game.

This is an excerpt from my October 2, 2018 post. Yesterday, in the first tournament I played, poker usurped the mantle again. I was dealt QTo (queen ten offsuit), and flopped Broadway (an ace high straight). All my chips went into the middle after the turn. I was up against two opponents, and was an 80% favorite. However, one of my opponents rivered either a flush or a full house (I didn't notice which), and I was gone in a New York minute.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     325   81   128        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     315   81   175        0

delta: $-100,000
2024 balance: $2,754,000
2024 blue distance: $541,000
balance: $15,563,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.48 (1241 of 2992)

Another kind of cinco

Yesterday, though my streak of in-the-money finishes ended at five, I achieved a cinco of another kind - I've now had five winning sessions in a row. My luckiest hand came in the second tournament I entered. I was short-stacked, and got all my chips into the middle with a holding of KTo (king ten offsuit). I was up against an opponent who'd been dealt rockets, so I was a 14% underdog. We both missed the flop, which didn't have a pair. The turn was a ten, the river was a king, and the pot was mine :-) My unluckiest hand was the last one of the session. I turned a flush, but my opponent rivered a full house. I knew I couldn't complain.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     327   81   112        0
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     403   99    40   145000
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     263   72    63    86000
MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     235   63   156        0

delta: $31,000
2024 balance: $2,854,000
2024 blue distance: $441,000
balance: $15,663,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.51 (1241 of 2990)

Señor Cinco

Yesterday, I played one tournament and made the money again. I've now made the money in five straight tournaments. Just call me Señor Cinco :-)

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    44000   6000       9     272   72    14   167000

delta: $117,000
2024 balance: $2,823,000
2024 blue distance: $472,000
balance: $15,632,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.49 (1239 of 2986)