Now that's a prize pool

The most memorable thing about last night's session had nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with the size of the prize pool of the one MTT-R NLHE I entered. At a whopping $27,796,500, it was the biggest prize pool of any MTT-R NLHE I've ever entered. There were 27 money places; first place paid an eye-popping $5,995,500. I missed the money, more's the pity, and by a country mile.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    43     112   27    50        0
MTT   8-Game  45000  5000       6    28      94   18    31        0

delta: $-150,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,822,500
2018 balance: $243,000
balance: $45,756,260

The Great Escape

Up until this year, the latest I'd ever had a yearly balance in the red was on December 8, back in 2016. This year really looked like it would mark the first annual loss of my career, but last night I pulled off a great escape! I came in first in the second MTT-R I entered, vaulting my 2018 balance back into the black. With three more nights to play in the year, I can play on all of them and still ensure that I make a profit by taking the simple expedient of only firing two bullets each night. My streak is safe :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    90      81   18    19        0
MTT   8-Game  45000  5000       6    54      59   12    22        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   174      49   12     1  2924000

delta: $2,574,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,922,500
2018 balance: $393,000
balance: $45,906,260

$96,000 rung

Laddering up is so important in tournaments. It can mean the difference between profit and loss, or between a ho-hum profit and a tidy one. Last night, in the only tournament I entered, I made it under the lights, but was the short stack. I'd fired six bullets, so I needed to win $300,000 to break even. 9th place paid $351,000, so I was covered, but wanted more. By hook or by crook, I laddered up one rung, which added $96,000 more to my profit. Ka-ching :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   105      73   15     8   447000

delta: $147,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $31,298,500
2018 balance: $-2,181,000
balance: $43,332,260

Going like sixty

Last night, I played well in all three of the tournaments I entered, finishing in the 60th percentile or better in each. Unfortunately, I didn't make the money in any of them. I gave myself a handicap in the first two by entering with only a short amount of time left in the late registration period; I'll avoid that mistake tonight.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    40      50   12    20        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    28      45    9    18        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    50      37    8    14        0

delta: $-700,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $31,151,500
2018 balance: $-2,328,000
balance: $43,185,260

36th half splash

Last night, I registered my 36th half splash - i.e., session where I lost at least half a million play dollars. This was due in large part to firing too many bullets in the first tournament I entered. It was another unlucky 7 bullets, a number I'd sworn never to fire in a single tournament again. Never say never, right? :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    80      46   12    19        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    42      59   12    16        0

delta: $-500,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $31,851,500
2018 balance: $-1,628,000
balance: $43,885,260

35th Full Monty

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote a post entitled "The Full Monty"; in it, I used that phrase as a nickname for a straight flush. I now declare it to mean a session where I make a profit of at least one million play dollars. Under this new definition, last night I achieved the 35th Full Monty of my career. Once again, I had the premonition I was going to make the money long before I did.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    33      54   12    26        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   121      54   12     3  1729000

delta: $1,429,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,351,500
2018 balance: $-1,128,000
balance: $44,385,260

The hurry down flavor

In 8-game, the flavor that can vanish your stack in a New York minute is deuce. The reason? The three draws. You generally won't know how good your holding is until all three draws are complete, but your opponents can make you play dearly for the privilege of staying in the hand to receive those draws. In certain spots, you're essentially forced to gamble. Last night, I only lasted 5 hands in the MTT 8-game tournament I entered. The final two were deuce hands, and I lost both. On the first, I lost 1,120 chips, and on the second, I lost my last 880 chips. I'm not complaining, though; deuce can be a hurry up flavor just as well as a hurry down flavor :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT   8-Game  45000  5000       6     5      70   18    44        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    52      69   15    25        0

delta: $-150,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $30,922,500
2018 balance: $-2,557,000
balance: $42,956,260

yato

Last night, I suffered yato - yet another tournament ofer. That is, another tournament where I didn't win a single hand. The good news? I only fired two bullets. I'm curious to find out my MTT-R NLHE ofer percentage; running the numbers ... 3.53%. Livable :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    39      46   12    25        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $31,022,500
2018 balance: $-2,407,000
balance: $43,106,260

A tale of two streaks

In last night's session, I ended a losing streak and posted a winning one. The one I ended was a losing session streak; I stopped it at 11, one session shy of my personal worst. The one I posted was a winning hand streak; I won 4 hands in a row, starting with hand 30. The most hands I've ever won in a row in an MTT-R NLHE tournament is 5.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT   8-Game  45000  5000       6    81      79   18    11    76000
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    94      63   15    12   244000

delta: $170,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $31,122,500
2018 balance: $-2,307,000
balance: $43,206,260

North of 30

I'm really enjoying playing MTT 8-game again. I realize I've missed it. The beauty is in the variety :-) You can't get bored, since the poker flavor keeps getting changed on you. Even though I'm in the red for my career in MTT 8-game, I've been well into the black in it before, and expect to be again. Out of curiosity, I just checked my career MTT 8-game itm (in the money) percentage; it's a respectable 34.46. That beats my career MTT-R NLHE item percentage, which is currently 31.21. I think any itm percentage north of 30 is a good achievement.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT   8-Game  45000  5000       6    98      75   18     9   109000
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    55      65   15    19        0

delta: $-91,000
MTT 8-game balance: $-188,830
2018 balance: $-2,477,000
balance: $43,036,260

Epic Badugi fail

Last night, I got crushed in the Badugi tournament I entered; I only lasted 8 hands. I hit one Badugi, but it lost at showdown to a better one. I then entered an MTT-R NLHE and did considerably better, though I failed to make the money. I think I'll go back to 8-game tonight.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT   Badugi  45000  5000       8     8      27    5     0        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    49      43    9    28        0

delta: $-300,000
MTT Badugi balance: $-100,000
2018 balance: $-2,386,000
balance: $43,127,260

Omaha crush

For a long time, I thought I hated Omaha, but that turns out not to be entirely true. I do hate pot limit Omaha, but I'm developing a bit of a crush on limit Omaha 8 or better. I played an MTT 8-game last night, and limit Omaha 8 or better was the rotation I did the best in. It's back to Badugi tonight.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT   8-Game  45000  5000       6    93      63   12    18        0

delta: $-50,000
MTT 8-game balance: $-247,830
2018 balance: $-2,086,000
balance: $43,427,260

Auspicious first Badugi hand

Last night, I played Badugi for the first time ever, and really enjoyed it. I won the very first Badugi hand I played, and hit my first Badugi just two hands later. That's a four card hand where each card is of a different suit and denomination. Badugis are quite hard to come by, and you don't need to hit one to win a hand (but it sure helps :-)). I did well in the Badugi tournament, even leading it at one point, but failed to make the money. I was double-tabling the Badugi tournament with an 8-game tournament, and did make the money in the 8-game. In other news, my 2018 balance went more than 2 million into the red, and my blue distance hit a new all time high of $11,057,000. Double ouch!

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT   8-Game  45000  5000       6   109      70   18    11    67000
MTT   Badugi  45000  5000       8    50      61   12    14        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    61      68   15    23        0

delta: $-333,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $31,378,500
2018 balance: $-2,036,000
balance: $43,477,260

A yen for novelty

I've now been playing no limit hold'em, my predominant poker flavor, for more than seven years. I love it, but am getting a hankering to play other flavors. Of course, I'll never give up NLHE, but that doesn't mean I can't play other poker variants. One which I've never tried, but which looks like a lot of fun, is called Badugi. I'm going to scour the Pokerstars offerings to see if I can scare it up :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    15      78   18    55        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    64      61   15    19        0

delta: $-350,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $31,678,500
2018 balance: $-1,703,000
balance: $43,810,260

The 10 million dollar man

With last night's loss, my blue distance topped 10 million play dollars once again. My streak of profitable years is in serious jeopardy. I'll definitely play out the string. That's all I have to say for now :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    43      48   12    27        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    61      50   12    22        0

delta: $-450,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,028,500
2018 balance: $-1,353,000
balance: $44,160,260

Near perfect futility

Last night, I came about as close as you can to achieving the worst possible outcome, without actually achieving it :-) In two tournaments played, I won a total of two hands. Both of them came in the second tournament. I hit the rail in that tournament with a holding of AQo (ace queen offsuit), losing to an opponent who had A6o (ace six offsuit). Before the flop, I was a 70.9% favorite to win the hand. Sometimes, you just can't win for losing :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    34      54   12    39        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    32      39    8    22        0

delta: $-350,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,478,500
2018 balance: $-903,000
balance: $44,610,260

4-freq rockets

Last night, in the second tournament I entered, I was dealt pocket rockets twice in 109 hands. That meant I was getting them at better than four times their normal frequency. I'll take it! I won both of those hands, and eventually got under the lights. Counting tonight, I have 21 more nights of poker to play in 2018. Only time will tell whether or not I make a profit on the year; I'm on the edge of my seat :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    16      69   15    53        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   109      60   12     8   421000

delta: $-29,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,828,500
2018 balance: $-553,000
balance: $44,960,260

Six zero crossings

After taking a good look at my poker data from last night, not a lot stands out. The most interesting feature is that my stack made six zero crossings in the one tournament I entered. That's quite unusual. A much commoner number is two, which is almost always a whaleback.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    43      61   15    27        0

delta: $-150,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,857,500
2018 balance: $-524,000
balance: $44,989,260

All underwater tournament

Technically, it's possible to be underwater for an entire tournament and still end up making the money. Possible, but vanishingly unlikely. I've never accomplished this feat. Last night, I experienced an all underwater tournament, and missed the money by a country mile.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    40      71   15    29        0

delta: $-250,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,007,500
2018 balance: $-374,000
balance: $45,139,260

qngo

Introducing a neo neo: qngo. It stands for "quads never get old". On Friday night, I flopped quad sevens on hand 18, waited until the river to bet them, and got one caller. I only won a pot of 900 chips with them, but they still put a big smile on my face :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    31      97   27    70        0

delta: $-150,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,257,500
2018 balance: $-124,000
balance: $45,389,260

Apples coming in

One evidence of the power of poetry is that years after you first encounter certain images, they remain with you, and indeed stay with you for the rest of your life. One such image for me is "apples coming in", from Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking":

My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.

Last night, I got under the lights again, and earned a bunch of apples :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9   132      70   15     7   639000

delta: $539,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,407,500
2018 balance: $26,000
balance: $45,539,260

Slickout on the bubble of the bubble

When you're the short stack at your table, and nearing the money bubble, getting dealt a premium hand is manna from heaven. In most cases, you should shove. That's what I did last night, when I was dealt a big slick on my final hand. It didn't work out for me, but I don't regret it. I missed the money by two spots. In other words, I bubbled the bubble :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    75      58   12    14        0

delta: $-300,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $32,868,500
2018 balance: $-513,000
balance: $45,000,260

A rash of whalebacks

Last night, I had another whaleback. That's a tournament where my stack started out underwater, broke the surface at some point, and then at a later point fell back into the depths, never to return. I've had a rash of whalebacks lately - 7 in the last 11 tournaments. I tend to think of whalebacks as a good sign. They tell a consistent story. They're basically what happens to your stack when you make good decisions. The tournament will beat you down eventually; you just want to delay the beating as long as you can :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    62      49   12    25        0

delta: $-150,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,168,500
2018 balance: $-213,000
balance: $45,300,260

Drawing dead in real time

It's never fun to discover after the fact that you were drawing dead on the river on your final hand of a tournament. It's even less fun to find this out in real time, before the river card has even been dealt. Least fun of all is to find this out in real time, after having had every expectation of winning the hand. That's precisely what happened to me last night.

First of all, an explanation: you can see what your chances of winning a hand are before the final cards are dealt as long as no more bets are possible, thanks to a helpful option of the PokerStars software. I'm sure this feature can be turned off if you want to, but I've never wanted to. No more bets are possible when all the players remaining in the hand have either gone all in or called the largest all-in bet.

Here's how my painful hand went down: I was dealt 7s 6d, the flop came 4c 5s 5c, and the turn was the 8 of diamonds, giving me a straight. I shoved on the turn, and got one caller. Cards went on their backs, and the PokerStars software displayed that I had 0% chance of winning the hand, before even dealing the river card. My reaction was essentially "Wait - what???" The explanation: my opponent had been dealt 4d 4h, so he'd flopped the moon, the sun and the stars. I had a meager 1.92% chance of winning the hand after the flop, and, as previously mentioned, a 0% chance after the turn.

To add insult to injury, my percent at turn utility informs me that my holding, with that flop and turn, beats 90.42% of all other holdings. I got my money in as bad as you can get it in, when I thought I was getting it in as good as you can get it in. Go figure :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    58      66   15    24        0

delta: $-150,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,318,500
2018 balance: $-63,000
balance: $45,450,260

7 bullets

The first time I used this blog post title (which was just last month), I asserted the following:

If I never fire 7 bullets in a single tournament again, it'll be far too soon :-)

Despite my best intentions, I fired 7 bullets in the only tournament I entered last night. Not surprisingly, I failed to make the money. My aggregate loss for the tournaments where I've fired 7 bullets has now topped 9 million play dollars. If I can keep it under 10 million in perpetuity, I'll be doing very well :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    56      68   15    21        0

delta: $-350,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,468,500
2018 balance: $87,000
balance: $45,600,260

One premium hand too many

In poker, as in life, you can get too much of a good thing. That's what happened to me last night. I kept getting dealt premium hands and winning with them, until finally, I got dealt one premium hand too many. It was yaao - yet another aces out. I had an excellent chance of making the money; all that was required to get there was to be dealt cocktail napkins until the money bubble burst. Instead, I got dealt rockets, and you know the rest :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    73      66   15    24        0

delta: $-100,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,818,500
2018 balance: $437,000
balance: $45,950,260