Worth 1000 Words

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $6.00 BB (8 handed)
Button ($591)
SB ($834.35)
BB ($660.50)
UTG ($120)
UTG+1 ($579.60)
MP1 ($1227.40)
Hero (MP2) ($438.45)
CO ($261)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A, A
1 fold, UTG+1 bets $18, MP1 raises to $30, Hero raises to $120, 5 folds, MP1 calls $90

Flop: ($267) J, 5, 2 (2 players)
MP1 bets $282, Hero raises to $318.45 (All-In), MP1 calls $36.45

Turn: ($903.90) 6 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($903.90) 9 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $903.90 | Rake: $3

Results:
MP1 had 3, 4 (straight, six high).
Hero had A, A (one pair, Aces).
Outcome: MP1 won $900.90

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $6.00 BB (9 handed)
UTG ($499.10)
UTG+1 ($327.45)
MP1 ($424.60)
MP2 ($124.50)
MP3 ($1477.10)
CO ($300)
Button ($231.50)
Hero (SB) ($303)
BB ($300)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, K
4 folds, MP3 bets $18, CO calls $18, Button calls $18, Hero raises to $303 (All-In), 3 folds, Button calls $213.50 (All-In)

Flop: ($508) Q, 5, 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($508) 9 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($508) 4 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $508 | Rake: $3

Results:
Button had 4, A (one pair, fours).
Hero had A, K (high card, Ace).
Outcome: Button won $505

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $6.00 BB (9 handed)
UTG ($494.20)
UTG+1 ($930.35)
MP1 ($300)
MP2 ($120)
MP3 ($301.80)
CO ($750.60)
Button ($1118.05)
Hero (SB) ($352.05)
BB ($318.90)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q, Q
3 folds, MP2 bets $15, MP3 calls $15, 1 fold, Button calls $15, Hero raises to $81, 2 folds, MP3 calls $66, Button calls $66

Flop: ($264) 9, J, 6 (3 players)
Hero bets $271.05 (All-In), 1 fold, Button calls $271.05

Turn: ($806.10) 3 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($806.10) 10 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $806.10 | Rake: $3

Results:
Button had 6, 3 (two pair, sixes and threes).
Hero had Q, Q (one pair, Queens).
Outcome: Button won $803.10

All three above agains the same villain. Of course he ends up going broke to other regs getting it in with 2 live cards, and somehow these people hold.

PokerStars Game #55671316151: Hold'em No Limit (€1/€2 EUR) - 2011/01/09 23:54:34 MT [2011/01/10 1:54:34 ET]
Table 'Midas' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 5: V504 (€429.35 in chips)
Seat 6: Ronfar3 (€384.70 in chips)
Seat 7: 32rrew (€214 in chips)
Ronfar3: posts small blind €1
32rrew: posts big blind €2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ronfar3 [Ad Qc]
V504: calls €2
Ronfar3: raises €8 to €10
32rrew: calls €8
V504: calls €8
*** FLOP *** [9d Td 8d]
Ronfar3: bets €21
32rrew: folds
V504: calls €21
*** TURN *** [9d Td 8d] [2d]
Ronfar3: bets €46
V504: calls €46
*** RIVER *** [9d Td 8d 2d] [7d]
Ronfar3: bets €85
V504: calls €85
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Ronfar3: shows [Ad Qc] (a flush, Ace high)
V504: shows [Jd 5s] (a straight flush, Seven to Jack)
V504 collected €333 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot €334 | Rake €1
Board [9d Td 8d 2d 7d]
Seat 5: V504 (button) showed [Jd 5s] and won (€333) with a straight flush, Seven to Jack
Seat 6: Ronfar3 (small blind) showed [Ad Qc] and lost with a flush, Ace high
Seat 7: 32rrew (big blind) folded on the Flop

Gotta chase your straight flush outs then flat the nuts on the river.

PokerStars Game #55672144872: Hold'em No Limit (€1/€2 EUR) - 2011/01/10 0:42:39 MT [2011/01/10 2:42:39 ET]
Table 'Midas' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: brzyda! (€110.35 in chips)
Seat 2: Huha'sgirl (€200 in chips)
Seat 3: frosty012 (€211.40 in chips)
Seat 4: LoggerRythym (€316.55 in chips)
Seat 5: V504 (€493.50 in chips)
Seat 6: Ronfar3 (€345.45 in chips)
Seat 7: 32rrew (€235.80 in chips)
Seat 8: Biden4prez08 (€211.25 in chips)
Seat 9: AnKr1981 (€114.20 in chips)
Biden4prez08: posts small blind €1
AnKr1981: posts big blind €2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ronfar3 [Ah Kc]
brzyda!: folds
Huha'sgirl: folds
frosty012: folds
LoggerRythym: folds
V504: raises €2 to €4
Ronfar3: raises €12 to €16
32rrew: folds
Biden4prez08: folds
AnKr1981: folds
V504: calls €12
*** FLOP *** [7h Kd 2d]
V504: bets €8
Ronfar3: raises €20 to €28
V504: calls €20
*** TURN *** [7h Kd 2d] [Js]
V504: checks
Ronfar3: checks
*** RIVER *** [7h Kd 2d Js] [5s]
V504: bets €94
Ronfar3: calls €94
*** SHOW DOWN ***
V504: shows [Jh Jd] (three of a kind, Jacks)
Ronfar3: mucks hand
V504 collected €277 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot €279 | Rake €2
Board [7h Kd 2d Js 5s]
Seat 1: brzyda! folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Huha'sgirl folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: frosty012 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: LoggerRythym folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: V504 showed [Jh Jd] and won (€277) with three of a kind, Jacks
Seat 6: Ronfar3 mucked [Ah Kc]
Seat 7: 32rrew (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Biden4prez08 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: AnKr1981 (big blind) folded before Flop

Against the same drooler. Maybe tomorrow I'll fade one two outer, or perhaps a one outer? Sure would be nice.

For the record, yesterday was my most profitable session of the month and best in terms of AIEV. I was $450 below AIEV. Why can't Stars just debit $500 from my account every time I log in and allow me to play the same game as everyone else?

I Don't Ask For Much

But I would like to occasionally fade one outers, be able to get the nut straight in against bottom pair no kicker profitably, and not be bluff shoving AA against ATC. 5 sessions into the new year and already out over $2k AIEV. Oh, it would also be nice if Miikka Kiprusoff could stop a beach ball when his team dominates so they could get a well deserved win.

Favorite hands from today:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $6.00 BB (8 handed)
Button ($333)
SB ($289.65)
BB ($300)
UTG ($599.55)
Hero (UTG+1) ($341.40)
MP1 ($579)
MP2 ($81)
CO ($289.50)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 9, 9
1 fold, Hero bets $18, MP1 calls $18, 3 folds, SB calls $15, 1 fold

Flop: ($60) J, 4, 9 (3 players)
SB bets $12, Hero raises to $60, 1 fold, SB raises to $108, Hero raises to $321, SB calls $163.65 (All-In)

Turn: ($603.30) 4 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($603.30) Q (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $603.30 | Rake: $3

Results:
SB had 4, 4 (four of a kind, fours).
Hero had 9, 9 (full house, nines over fours).
Outcome: SB won $600.30

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4.00 BB (8 handed)

UTG+1 ($74)
Hero (MP1) ($200)
MP2 ($329.80)
CO ($200)
Button ($417.85)
SB ($83.70)
BB ($395)
UTG ($487.90)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A, A
UTG bets $16, 1 fold, Hero raises to $46, 5 folds, UTG calls $30

Flop: ($98) 5, Q, 7 (2 players)
UTG bets $441.90 (All-In), Hero calls $154 (All-In)

Turn: ($406) 6 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($406) 5 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $406 | Rake: $3

Results:
UTG had 5, 9 (three of a kind, fives).
Hero had A, A (two pair, Aces and fives).
Outcome: UTG won $403

This next one is against the same villain as the previous hand.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4.00 BB (8 handed)
UTG+1 ($326.35)
Hero (MP1) ($200)
MP2 ($194)
CO ($114.70)
Button ($200)
SB ($200)
BB ($120)
UTG ($421.50)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A, K
UTG bets $421.50 (All-In), 1 fold, Hero calls $200 (All-In), 5 folds

Flop: ($410) J, 4, A (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($410) 10 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($410) 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $410 | Rake: $3

Results:
UTG had Q, K (straight, Ace high).
Hero had A, K (one pair, Aces).
Outcome: UTG won $407

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4.00 BB (9 handed)
Hero (BB) ($208.85)
UTG ($300.10)
UTG+1 ($81.70)
MP1 ($88)
MP2 ($271.85)
MP3 ($229.35)
CO ($312.40)
Button ($189.90)
SB ($88)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 4, 7
UTG calls $4, 2 folds, MP2 calls $4, 2 folds, Button calls $4, SB calls $2, Hero checks

Flop: ($20) 5, 3, 6 (5 players)
SB bets $8, Hero raises to $34, 2 folds, Button calls $34, SB calls $26

Turn: ($122) 6 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $170.85 (All-In), 1 fold, SB calls $50 (All-In)

River: ($222) 6 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $222 | Rake: $3

Results:
SB had 3, K (full house, sixes over threes).
Hero had 4, 7 (straight, seven high).
Outcome: SB won $219

Of course, there's also a billion hands where the fish float no pair no draw on the flop, call another PSB bet after they pick up a gutter and then I bluffcatch the river or whatever to put me out waaaay more than $2k Sklansky EV so far.

Year graph so far:

Epic Fail

When it comes to sports related zealotry days don't get much worse than today. The Canadian Junior Team blows a 3-0 lead heading into the third period in the Gold Medal game of the WJHC, losing to Russia in what has got to be the biggest meltdown in the last twenty years of Canadian hockey. The Flames then lose to the Canucks in a fairly uninspired effort.

At least my brief poker session was reasonably profitable despite getting two sets in against gutters and losing both. Somehow I managed to fade a flush draw with one card to come holding a set and then had a spazzy BE reg bet/3b then call a shove on a paired flop with a flush draw against my boat. I'm hoping to put in 6k hands worth of volume tomorrow and then 20k between Friday and Saturday in what will be my first consecutive days of any sort of grind of 2011. Game quality on Stars does seem to have improved somewhat compared to December, though a bunch of my volume may end up getting played elsewhere this year depending on a few factors. It certainly would be nice to get 2011 off to a start similar to 2010!