Saturday, May 16, 2009

Best Day Ever?






-- Status Update --
2009 VPPs:  435,188
SNE Pace:  65,228 AHEAD
Currently Playing:  Chrono Trigger DS (NDS)


On Friday I believe I won more than I ever have in a single day, $1716 USD (+~$200 rakeback). I think my previous best was in the $1500-$1600 area. It would be interesting to compare my winrate during prime time on Fridays/Saturdays to the rest of the week - I would imagine it is at least doubled during those times. Here's a graph of Friday the 15th:


I'm going to post three hands from my Friday sessions. The first two present actual interesting decisions, and the third is just for comic relief. My commentary will be in red.

Poker Stars, $0.50/$1 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 9 Players
UTG+1: $18 (18 bb)
Hero (MP1): $258.05 (258.1 bb)
MP2: $21.40 (21.4 bb)
MP3: $17 (17 bb)
CO: $47.55 (47.6 bb)
BTN: $26 (26 bb)
SB: $168.15 (168.2 bb)
BB: $100 (100 bb)
UTG: $220.90 (220.9 bb)

Pre-Flop: Hero is MP1 with As Kd
UTG raises to $4, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls $4, 3 folds, BTN raises to $12, 2 folds, UTG raises to $25, Hero raises to $53, BTN calls $14 and is all-in, UTG calls $28

What is so interesting about this hand is that I'm 220BB deep with a decent 19/15 reg who raises UTG. His UTG raise is fairly wide, but due to the super deep stacks I really don't feel like 3-betting. After I called, I noticed the BTN was running 100/80 with a 100% 3b over something like 10 hands. Basically, this guy is putting his money in the pot. UTG is then going to try to reisolate the donkey with a wide range, and I 5-bet, hoping UTG will fold. Unfortunately, he doesn't. Luckily, we're so deep he basically has to play his hand face up, and his flat call means he doesn't have AA (which he would 6-bet), but likely is not weaker than QQ.

Flop: ($133.50) 7c Ac 4s (3 players, 1 is all-in)
UTG checks, Hero bets $67.50, UTG folds

I flop an ace, and since AA definitely 6-bets preflop with such deep stacks, my hand is basically the nuts. Villain's range I perceive to be {QQ-KK} here. I just want to pick up the dead money since I'm not getting any value unless he 2 outs me. If villain shoves I'm hating life and calling, expecting to chop most of the time.

Turn: ($133.50) 6s (2 players, 1 is all-in)
River: ($133.50) 8c (2 players, 1 is all-in)

Results: $133.50 pot ($3 rake)
Hero showed As Kd (a pair of Aces) and won $130.50 ($77.50 net)
BTN mucked 9d 3d (high card Ace) and lost (-$26 net)


Poker Stars, $0.50/$1 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 7 Players
Hero (BB): $105.20 (105.2 bb)
MP1: $100.95 (101 bb)
MP2: $97.45 (97.5 bb)
MP3: $101.50 (101.5 bb)
CO: $11.40 (11.4 bb)
BTN: $74.10 (74.1 bb)
SB: $211.20 (211.2 bb)

In this hand, villain is a 21/5 fish who does NOT like to fold. Preflop, Flop, and Turn are all standard.

Pre-Flop: Hero is BB with Qs Qd
MP1 folds, MP2 calls $1, 4 folds, Hero raises to $5, MP2 calls $4

Flop: ($10.50) 9s 9c 4c (2 players)
Hero bets $7.50, MP2 calls $7.50

Turn: ($25.50) Jh (2 players)
Hero bets $13, MP2 calls $13

River: ($51.50) 8h (2 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets $71.95 and is all-in, Hero calls $71.95

On the river, I check to induce a bluff from a busted flush draw. Unfortunately, villain spaz overshoves and I hate life. However, his line doesn't make a lot of sense. If he had 9x, he surely would have raised somewhere given the dangerous board texture. JJ is possible, but likely would have raised the turn. 88 is certainly possible and the most likely hand villain will show up with if we're beat. However, my plan was to check to induce a bluff from a busted flush draw, so I time down, close my eyes, and click call. In hindsight, it would have really sucked if villain had showed up with a terribly played AA/KK.

Results: $195.40 pot ($3 rake)
MP2 showed Qc 7c (a pair of Nines) and lost (-$97.45 net)
Hero showed Qs Qd (two pairs, Queens and Nines) and won $192.40 ($94.95 net)


Poker Stars, $0.50/$1 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 8 Players
BB: $100 (100 bb)
UTG+1: $100 (100 bb)
MP1: $71.45 (71.5 bb)
MP2: $188.80 (188.8 bb)
MP3: $100 (100 bb)
CO: $123.75 (123.8 bb)
BTN: $100 (100 bb)
Hero (SB): $100 (100 bb)

A funny hand for your viewing pleasure. After recovering from the shock of villain's holding at showdown (he was 100/0 over 2 hands when this occurred) I determined that one of the following three things must be true:
(a)Villain was letting his 3 year old child play.
(b)Villain was actually trying to give money away.
(c)Villain thought we were playing a variation of Texas Hold'em where you can make an 8-low (which to my knowledge, doesn't exist).

Seriously, wtf? Villain calls off his stack with the NUT LOW.


Pre-Flop: Hero is SB with Kc Ks
2 folds, MP2 calls $1, MP3 folds, CO calls $1, BTN raises to $6, Hero raises to $18, BB folds, MP2 calls $17, 2 folds

Flop: ($44) 8d 6c Tc (2 players)
Hero bets $33.50, MP2 calls $33.50

Turn: ($111) 8h (2 players)
Hero bets $48.50 and is all-in, MP2 calls $48.50

River: ($208) 5d (2 players, 1 is all-in)

Results: $208 pot ($3 rake)
Hero showed Kc Ks (two pairs, Kings and Eights) and won $205 ($105 net)
MP2 mucked 2c 3h (a pair of Eights) and lost (-$100 net)


Moving outside of poker, I'm enjoying my way through Chrono Trigger DS. It is a truly amazing game, but that is not news to me as I've played through it 5+ times on the SNES. It's been at the very least six or more years since my last playthrough though, so nostalgia value is high.

There are several games on the horizon I'm looking forward to, including Cross Edge for the PS3, Crimson Gem Saga for the PSP, and another very awesome offering which I can't mention as I am picking it up as a surprise gift for someone who reads this blog. It should be a fun next few weeks.

3 comments:

Will said...

Bastard I thought you would slip and mention it.

Rich Aldridge said...

Hey man, just wanted to say thanks for the help over the last few weeks/months. I know i have pestered you by pming stupid hands to you on 2+2.

Will try and calm that down a lot.

Anyway, just wanted to offer you some take on ur prev. blog.

Although stock markets may return signiicantly less roi compared to your poker endeavours, investing will earn you money without exhuasting much, if any of your time. Its a great time to invest and I think, if you have some spare cash, look to invest for the long run.

The problem with poker is that you do not earn if you do not play, so, for whatever reason (maybe ill health) you need some time off, dividends and growing share value (I think over 5- 10 years this is all but a certainty now) from stocks held would be a great self-insurance.

This is purely some mutual advice...not trying to tell you what to do with your money by no means!

Ronfar3 said...

You're absolutely right re: the stock market, and I've already actually done some "long run" type investing with much more to come in the future.

My comment regarding the market was more of a hyperbole than anything else, as poker can only be used to support a limited amount of capital, and any return is better than none on the rest.