Flushed out

Another STT, another cash in 3rd place. It was a pretty dull game and most played a pretty solid game with none of the usual all in madness in level 1.

I hand no big hands and in fact the biggest pair was TT but lots of AJ, AQ, AK, KJ, KQ and a few small pairs. I never won a big pot, the biggest was 4K and was only up to about 9k at best. The last hand I was the short stack with about 6k vs 30k vs 14k and had AQ. I bet 1.2k pre-flop and the 2nd in chips called. The flop came A53 (3 hearts), and I had already made the decision to push if he checked. In fact he went all in and my suspicions that he was on a flush draw was confirmed. The turn was an A to give me trips but the river gave him his flush and that was that.

Bankroll is now $108.39

Stats update

I think that keeping accurate and up-to-date records is the key to good bankroll management and similarly analysing your game and stats, as well as watching better players, is the best way to improve your game. I must also say that doing this blog is also a great motivator to playing your best as it feels good to post another positive report!

As I've said before I've been on a sick run in STTs and in the 23 I have played since starting the challenge I've had the following results:

Played - 23
Cashed - 17
Ist - 6
2nd - 6
3rd -5
4th - 4

ROI - %155.56
% in the money - 78.26%
Profit - $84

It's a shame I've only been able to play a few tourneys a week as I need to take advantage of this hot streak before it inevitably ends! It's great sitting down at the start of a tourney confident that you will cash and that if you are patient the hands will come and will stand up!

When I reach $150 profit I will move up to $5 stts as I will have 30 buy-ins which I feel is comfortable at this level. I played a couple of $5 stts on mansion a couple of weeks ago with $10 free money they gave me and finished 1st and 4th and from what I see I don't think that there is any big step up. I would move up now but I'm determined to be disciplined as I said at the start of the challenge!

Good luck at the tables!

Another STT cash

Today is the first chance I have had to sit down and play a game since last weekend and I'm pleased to say that the good run continues as I managed a 2nd place in a laddies super deep stack stt.

I managed to get a hand in the first level for a change when I had KK and found a short stack willing to gamble with A4 and when he missed his 3 outs after going all in preflop I won 2.9k. In level 2 I had AK twice and my preflop raises got no respect each time as I got 4 callers! The ragged flops were no help to me and my third of the pot size continuation bets were re-raised each time which holding just A high was an easy fold. Further into the level my raises with 33 and 88 got respect so I am assuming no one had an A otherwise they would have called and I won the blinds.

the next hand worth mentioning was in level 5 when I re-raised pf to 3k. The short stack re-raised for his last 1k and turned over AQ. I was exepcting an A but the J6268 had 8k shipped to me.

We were shortly down to the last 3 and i had 8k vs 14k vs 28k. The blinds were still small so there was no need for rahs moves just yet! My patience was rewarded when I had JT spades on the button. I called 400 and we all saw the AKQ flop with 2 spades gave me the nut straight and nut flush draw. The only hand I really feared was 2 spades with them holding the Queen. The first to act checked, there was a raise which I called and then the chip leader raised to 2k. I re-raised to 4.2k and was then put all in. I couldn't get my chips in quick enough and he turned over KQ. He didn't have the Q spades thankfully but still had 4 outs for the full house. The turn and river were J, 3 and and I won 18k.

I was now chip leader and we were soon heads up as the previous big chip leader donked his chips off to give my opponent a handy 17k vs 33k chip lead. I never got any cards heads up apart from winning 10k when I flopped 2 pair with J6 and bet out. I then immediately gave them back chasing the nut flush which was a mistake lol. My opponent seemed to hit every flop which is demonstrated by the last hand. I had AQ and bet. He called and we saw a AJ2 flop. I went all in and of course he called with AJ lol and there was no Q to save me!

The bankroll is now at $106.59

Poker Stars World Blogger game prize arrives!

Not played since Sunday but the 80 GB Ipod I won for 36th place in the Poker Stars World Blogger Championship game last month has arrived - see 15th October post. And its a great bit of kit too! Watching free downloads of High Stakes Poker on the train certainly helps the daily commute fly by!

Broken the $100 barrier!

I played another laddies super deep stack STT today and boy was it a long game 367 hands and 2hrs 30 mins! However, its all good when you manage to win it!

As is the usual way I had no cards for ages and the only hands I won in the first 4 levels were where everyone folded to my pre-flop raise with AQ and a pot of 720 when my 75 in the big blind flopped an open ended straight draw which hit on turn.

I sat tight and finally hit some cards. I had AA and re-raised to 900. Excellent I thought as I was re-raised all in and called instantly. They had QQ and the JT954 meant I doubled up to 8k. A few hands later I looked down at QQ in the big blind. I insta-called a 3.5k all in as well as the short stacks all in. They turned over 33 and the short stack had A8 so I wasn't too worried. The board came 9978J and i won 7.6k and knocked out 2 players. A few hands later I had TT and won 4.2k when I hit a set on the turn and got a caller for my bets. I was now sitting pretty and had no need to get involved in huge pots but just played small pots and picked up more chips with AK pre-flop, with 22 and with Q4 in the big blind on a AQQ46 board. I had gone from short stack to chip leader in less than 10 minutes.

I then got some good cards and manged to win with AA, AK, A9, AK, QQ,KQ, 77. There were no massive pots but I didn't lose big with any of these either which is half the battle!

The bubble took a while to burst and I went from chip leaderl to being about level pegging as the cards dried up and I couldn't hit a flop. I am nothing if not patient and just waited and waited and waited lol. I managed to double up when I pushed with KQ and found a caller willing to call 10k with KJ and the board of A8966 doubled me up to 20k.

I then won a pot of 16k with AQd when I bet out and called a 3k re-raise on an A82 (2d) board. The turn brought me a flush and his 33 was no good and to rub it in he hit a set on the river and was knocked out. Strange move with 33 on such a dangerous board though I thought.

Heads up and I was 28k-22k chip leader. It was a long long battle which lasted 115 hands and we were both chip leaders at one stage or another. As usual a couple of big hands decided it as there were not many flops seen as almost every hand was raised pre-flop. I guess I got lucky as I had K9 and raised2.4k. I was re-raised all in and my insta-call was not the best move when he turned over AQ! But the poker gods were smiling on me as the K364Q flop made me a massive chip leader. He came back really well and we were almost even at the last hand which was as follows:

** Game ID 872812015 starting - 2007-11-18 16:36:28
** $2 Super High Stack[1540634]:Table 1 [Hold 'em] (800.00|1600.00 No Limit - MTT) Real Money

- richmagpies1 sitting in seat 7 with $25708.12
- Pokermad2 sitting in seat 8 with $23091.88 [Dealer]

Pokermad2 posted the small blind - $400.00
richmagpies1 posted the big blind - $800.00
** Dealing card to richmagpies1: 9 of Hearts, Ace of Clubs
Pokermad2 raised - $1600.00
richmagpies1 called - $1600.00

** Dealing the flop: Ace of Hearts, 8 of Diamonds, 6 of Hearts
richmagpies1 went all-in - $24908.12
Pokermad2 went all-in - $21891.88
Pokermad2 shows: 2 of Hearts, 3 of Hearts

** Dealing the turn: 7 of Spades

** Dealing the river: Ace of Diamonds
richmagpies1 wins $46983.76 from the main pot

End of game 872812015

He missed his flush draw and that was that! The great run continues!

The bankroll has broken the $100 barrier which is great and stands at $102.79

First game for over a week

I've not had time to play a game since last week but it was back to the super deep stack stts on laddies today and the good form continues with a 2nd.

Again playing tight was the right way to go especially early on. Level 2 and I had AK under the gun. I raised but with 2 callers and then a 3k all in, I folded.

Now you don't get quads very often....

** Game ID 872072119 starting - 2007-11-17 14:42:18
** $2 Super High Stack[1538835]:Table 1 [Hold 'em] (30.00|60.00 No Limit - MTT) Real Money

- PokerMcb sitting in seat 1 with $4938.87
- richmagpies1 sitting in seat 2 with $4395.00
- PeterEllis sitting in seat 3 with $6111.25
- Prezomatic sitting in seat 4 with $5468.90 [Dealer]
- Scarrface sitting in seat 6 with $4590.00
- KenHarley sitting in seat 8 with $5680.13
- Mowbz sitting in seat 9 with $1790.37
- Merovingian sitting in seat 10 with $16980.48

Scarrface posted the small blind - $15.00
KenHarley posted the big blind - $30.00
** Dealing card to richmagpies1: 4 of Hearts, 4 of Diamonds
Mowbz called - $30.00
Merovingian called - $30.00
PokerMcb called - $30.00
richmagpies1 called - $30.00
PeterEllis raised - $60.00
Prezomatic raised - $125.38
Scarrface folded
KenHarley folded
Mowbz folded
Merovingian called - $125.38
PokerMcb called - $125.38
richmagpies1 called - $125.38
PeterEllis called - $125.38

** Dealing the flop: 3 of Diamonds, 4 of Clubs, 7 of Clubs
Merovingian checked
PokerMcb checked
richmagpies1 bet - $701.90
PeterEllis folded
Prezomatic called - $701.90
Merovingian folded
PokerMcb folded

** Dealing the turn: 4 of Spades
richmagpies1 checked
Prezomatic bet - $1213.24
richmagpies1 called - $1213.24

** Dealing the river: 9 of Diamonds
richmagpies1 checked
Prezomatic checked
richmagpies1 shows: 4 of Hearts, 4 of Diamonds
Prezomatic mucks:
richmagpies1 wins $4532.18 from the main pot

End of game 872072119

Maybe I should have bet on the river to try and milk some more chips but I guess he may have missed his draw and my flat call on the turn may have scared him. But still a decent size pot

Shortly afterwards I picked up QQ in the big blind and raised to 450. I was re-raised to 750 and I flat called. The flop was a very nice looking KQ8 and unless he had KK I was way ahead. I check raised all in for 6k and he called with KQ and is dead to the case K. Turn and river are 4and 3 and I won 6.9k. The cards dried up and I just kept things ticking over raising in position with 33, A6 etc to take the blinds and let others knock themselves out.

We finally got into the money and it was always gonna be a struggle on 8k with the chip leader sitting on a 33k stack! Again the cards deserted me and the chip leader was raising every hand as I expected so I just sat tight and hope to pick up something to go back over the top of him. The other short stack was thinking the same thing and was unlucky as he called the chip leaders all in with AT on a A95 flop only to see the chip leader with T9 hit a 9 on the river for trips to knock him out.

Heads up and and I managed to double up to 15k after I hit my flush draw on the river but I was still a big chip dog. That was about the only hand I got heads up as I just missed flop after flop and even when we checked it down the river would bring my opponent a 2 or a 7 to beat my A high or other crap.

The last hand about summed it up when I hit one of my outs on the turn only for the river to give him his set lol

** Game ID 872127092 starting - 2007-11-17 16:01:07
** $2 Super High Stack[1538835]:Table 1 [Hold 'em] (400.00|800.00 No Limit - MTT) Real Money

- richmagpies1 sitting in seat 2 with $3940.16
- Merovingian sitting in seat 10 with $45459.84 [Dealer]

Merovingian posted the small blind - $200.00
richmagpies1 posted the big blind - $400.00
** Dealing card to richmagpies1: Jack of Spades, King of Diamonds
Merovingian raised - $1400.00
richmagpies1 went all-in - $3940.16
Merovingian called - $4340.16
Merovingian shows: 8 of Diamonds, 8 of Clubs

** Dealing the flop: 2 of Hearts, 9 of Clubs, 6 of Hearts

** Dealing the turn: King of Hearts

** Dealing the river: 8 of Hearts
Merovingian wins $8680.32 from the main pot

End of game 872127092

Bank roll is now $94.99

Another STT win

I played another ladbrokes super deep stack stt on Wednesday evening and it was probably the longest stt I've ever played lasting 10 minutes shy of 3 hours - lots of play for your money!

I got no cards early on so sat tight and it wasn't until level 4 when I won with 88 that I got over the 5k starting stack. The card drought continued until level 6 when I won 1.2k with A9 in the big blind. The first big hand was in level 7 when I had AA in the small blind and forced a fold on a dangerous looking KQT (2d) board to win 3.75k

It was a pretty tight game for a change and there were still 6 players in at level 7. I won chips pre-flop with AK and then with T9 in the big blind when I flopped 2 pair after being allowed to limp in. The feature of this table was it was soooooo passive preflop but I was getting dealt rubbish and there was no need to risk raising big and running into a decent hand. In level 8 I picked up QQ in the small blind and called the short stacks 1.2k all in. He had KJ and the K52 (3c) board was not good but gave me hope of a flush and it duly arrived on the turn for a 2.5k pot to knock him out.

Level 9 and a classic example of why you shouldn't give free cards. I checked with T5 in the big blind and a 764 gave me an open ended straight draw. It was duly checked and the turn was a 7, checked again and the river 8, had me betting 600 to win a 3.1k pot.

When we were at the bubble I decided to play more aggressively and take advantage of the passive play. I called a short stacks all in with AK and was pleased to be up against his KJ and the chip leader's call with KQ. We checked it down but the river J means I'm now the short stack! I then managed to steal the blinds and win a double up with AJ vs A7 and was back up to about 16k. The big pot of the game was when I picked up AA and managed at last to get some action!

** Game ID 865726019 starting - 2007-11-07 22:53:53
** $2 Super High Stack[1525683]:Table 1 [Hold 'em] (1000.00|2000.00 No Limit - STT) Real Money

- durhamlass sitting in seat 1 with $7755.00
- seanj007 sitting in seat 2 with $24185.00
- richmagpies1 sitting in seat 7 with $16560.00 [Dealer]

durhamlass posted the small blind - $500.00
seanj007 posted the big blind - $1000.00
** Dealing card to richmagpies1: Ace of Spades, Ace of Hearts
richmagpies1 raised - $4000.00
durhamlass folded
seanj007 called - $4000.00

** Dealing the flop: 7 of Diamonds, 5 of Hearts, King of Clubs
seanj007 bet - $1000.00
richmagpies1 raised - $5750.00
seanj007 called - $5750.00

** Dealing the turn: 10 of Clubs
seanj007 bet - $1000.00
richmagpies1 went all-in - $6810.00
seanj007 called - $6810.00
seanj007 shows: Jack of Clubs, King of Spades

** Dealing the river: 4 of Diamonds
richmagpies1 wins $33620.00 from the main pot

End of game 865726019

That hand put me totally in control and I never looked back! The play was still passive and durhamlass did not raise once pre-flop the whole game! Even more unbelievable is that I've just looked at her stats on Poker Tracker and I have played her in 3 STTs and in a total of 485 she has never raised pre-flop once! Does she not have a bet/raise button lol! You are never gonna win anything playing like that!

The end game play was very predictable and if they had something they would call and if they had nothing would fold so easy to play against really! The last hand I pushed with a flush draw and he called with KJ on a 752 board for his 13k which was bizarre given his passive play all game! I hit and it was all over! I would have been annoyed if I had not managed to win the game given the standard and weakness of play on display!

The bank roll now stands at $91.19. I have cashed in 16 out of the last 22 stts/mtts I have played - this run has got to come to an end soon but lets hope not too soon!

I played 1 laddies super deep stack stt and managed 3rd.

I had no cards at all till Level 4 so as usual just sat tight and waited and waited and waited....lol. I won a couple fo hands with AJ when I hit top pair on turn and then with J7 when hit a full house on KK77 board but my minimum bet on the turn just made everybody fold which was frustrating. These were the only 2 hands i played before we were at the bubble towards the end of level 4 and I had about 5k in front of me.

I loosened up a bit which was due to picking up a few cards in level 5 and won with QQ, AK, A9, AA, A8, AQ but no really big pots as people were passive and playing to get in the money. We had a big cl with about 29k, i had 6k and others had 10k and 5k each. The bubble burst when the 5k stack ran his medium pair into KK.

Down to the last 3 and the cards deserted me again and I was down to less than 4k when the blinds reached 150/300. I had to start playing some weaker cards and hope for a double up s otherwise I was just going to get blinded out. I won a few hands raising pre-flop with K8, K6 and similar junk but the amount of 92, 84, J3, T6 etc I was getting in the bb meant that I was fighting a losing battle and leaking chips every round!

The last 3 hands I pushed all in pre-flop with AT and AJ and all folded so I picked up the blinds. The third hand was 99 which was pretty good as I was sure someone, probably the chip leader, would call the third time because he had over 35k. Sure enough he called with K6 clubs and I was a 3-1 favourite to double up to about 8k and be back in with a shout. However 2 clubs on the flop followed by a third on the river put paid to any thoughts of a glorious come back and I was out!

The bank roll now stands at $83.39

Some other stats for the challenge that might be if interest are:

Number of cash/ tourney sessions - 45
Overall ROI - 84.60%
Tournament ROI - 129.72%
Tournament in the money - 76%

These are pretty good but impossible to maintain for any length of time and are skewed by the low number of sessions! But better to have them skewed this way than the other way lol! If I can keep in the money in stts over 50% of the time and make sure the 1st and 2nds out number the 3rds I will be pretty pleased and will show a profit.

Free money!

I have an account with Mansion but rarely play there as it was usually dead and the games were rubbish! However, I had an email from them today telling me they had put $10 in my account and that it had to be used by Tuesday. So I decided to take them up on their generosity and play a couple of $5 stts. You get 1500 chips with 8 min blinds so not that great a structure.

The first tourney I played I had no cards apart from AK with which I doubled up to 2k against JJ. I managed to get to the last 4 and had QQ. I re-raised the chip leader all in for my last 1.8k and he called with A5 and of course the river was an A. But never mind its not like it had cost me anything!

I registered for the 2nd game straight away and am pleased to say that I won the game so made a clear $25 profit!

It was a long game and I managed to get a few chips early on when I flopped 2 pair with QJ and AK was also kind as the K came on the turn. I then had a bit of luck with 22. I flat called and was hoping to hit a set. The flop was 872 with 2 diamonds. I called the short stacks all in for 350 and he had a flush draw which was a fair enough play. The turn was the Td but the Th on the river made my full house and I won 1.3k and he was out. The bubble lasted for an absolute age with all 4 of us in danger of going out at least once. We all played too passively as the blinds were quite high and picking these up along with a double up and you were right back in it. The river hurt all of us and saved all of us before it finally burst. It didn't take as long to get to heads up and the scenario we had on the bubble was repeated with us both being almost to the felt before coming back to be chip leader. The final hand saw my KT hold up against his Q9 when we both hit our top pairs on the flop and the chips went in the middle and I managed to sneak home for the win.

For some reason I can't find the tourney summaries on Mansion and when you click on tourney details it directs you to their website so this is the best I can do. Ho hum!

The bankroll now stands at a healthy $81.59!

Another STT win

I played 2 laddies super deep stack stts today. The less said about the first the better as I finished 9th and donked off my chips appalingly tilting after losing about 1.5k to a rivered flush. I completely overplayed KQ on a QT8 (2 spades) board, I bet 500 and was raised. The alarm bells should have rung but I re-raised all in and had to laugh as he flipped over AA and I'm dead to another K or Q. No help and I'm gone! I was annoyed as I try really hard not to tilt and throw away chips so i should just consign this game to the bin and make sure that I don't do it again lol!

Anyway I played another game which was slightly more successful as I managed to win it. It was a long long game, 2 hrs 15 mins and 261 hands! It was a good game too and and not full of muppets going all in at the start like yesterday!

I had no cards at all till level 3 when I flat called 100 with 88. I then folded to the short stacks 900 all in which was a good fold as he hit 2 pair with AQ to double up. Level 3 I raised with QQ to 650 and had 1 caller. The A54 flop looked dangerous and it was checked all the way with a T and then a river 9 and I won 1.5k. Level 4 and I bet 200 with 77 under the gun and get 2 callers. The flop is 743 and I get i caller to my 350 bet. The turn us a Q and all fold to my bet of 650 and I win 1.9k .

I get very lucky in this hand but it makes a nice change! Level 6 and I look down at KK in the small blind. I re-raise to 2.6k and the button re-raises me all in. I call as I'm only beat by AA but oooops he has AA! The board comes KJ5Q3 and I hit my 2 outer and double up to 15.6k and am now the chip leader. No one ever said you dont need a bit of luck to win tourneys!

I win a couple more pots when I get AK twice in a row and all fold to my pre-flop raises. Level 7 and I win 3k with AT after I hit top pair on the flop and 88 calls my bets all the way to the river.

We get down to the last 4 and there was one player sitting out as he'd gone to pick his wife up from work lol! The player to my right was raising every hand to steal and I was getting pissed off as I was getting junk but I had 14k and so waited for a hand to get paid off with when I played back at him. It came surprisingly when I picked up K2h in the big blind and called a 600 bet. The QJ7 (2h) flop brought me the second nut flush draw and I called his 400 bet. The turn was the Jd and he checked giving me a free card which was a mistake as the river was the 3h and I called his 900 bet and won 5.4k with a better flush.

Not content with that hand I won a huge pot when I flopped a full house against the same player who continued to try and steal every single hand......see below.....soooooooo sweet!

> Stellard posted small blind (300)
> richmagpies1 posted big blind (600)
> Game # 862,129,694 starting.
> Dealing Hole Cards(Qs 6s )
> phily206 folded
> Stellard raised for 900
> richmagpies1 called for 600
> Dealing the Flop(Qh 6d Qd )
> Stellard bet for 1,200
> richmagpies1 called for 1,200
> Dealing the turn(2c )
> Stellard bet for 2,400
> richmagpies1 called for 2,400
> Dealing the river(7c )
> Stellard bet for 2,400
> richmagpies1 raised for 4,800
> Stellard called for 2,400
> richmagpies1 shows a Full House, Queens full of Sixes
(Qs Qh Qd 6s 6d )
> Stellard mucked
> richmagpies1 wins 19,200 with a Full House, Queens full of Sixes

Shortly after I applied the coup de grace and knocked out the serial raiser hitting runner runner straight to crack his KK lol

> Dealing Hole Cards(10d Kc )
> richmagpies1 raised for 1,200
> phily206 folded
> Stellard called for 600
> Dealing the Flop(9s 2h 7c )
> Stellard checked
> richmagpies1 checked
> Dealing the turn(8c )
> Stellard bet for 600
> richmagpies1 called for 600
> Dealing the river(6h )
> Stellard checked
> richmagpies1 bet for 975
> Stellard raised for 6,825
> richmagpies1 raised for 11,700
> Stellard went all-in for 2,872.70
> Extra chips returned to richmagpies1, 2,977.30
> Stellard shows One Pair, Kings
(Kd Kh 9s 8c 7c )
> richmagpies1 wins 23,295.40 with a Straight, Ten high
> Stellard has left the tournament in 3rd place, winning $4

We are now heads up and I'm the chip leader but it does go even once as he is quite aggressive and I think the HU curse I seem to be under is gonna strike. I therefore make a conscious decision to be more aggresive when I have the button, raising and re-raising with any A or K. The 42nd and last hand I had a 27-22k chip lead....

> richmagpies1 posted small blind (300)
> phily206 posted big blind (600)
> Game # 862,139,229 starting.
> Dealing Hole Cards(Ks 3d )
> richmagpies1 raised for 900
> phily206 called for 600
> Dealing the Flop(7c 9h 10d )
> phily206 checked
> richmagpies1 bet for 600
> phily206 called for 600
> Dealing the turn(3c )
> phily206 checked
> richmagpies1 checked
> Dealing the river(Kh )
> phily206 bet for 2,400
> richmagpies1 raised for 4,800
> phily206 went all-in for 18,522.30
> richmagpies1 called for 16,122.30
> phily206 shows Two Pair, Tens over Sevens
(10s 10d 7s 7c Kh )
> richmagpies1 wins 45,444.60 with Two Pair, Kings over Threes
> phily206 has left the tournament in 2nd place, winning $6
> richmagpies1 has left the tournament in 1st place, winning $10

So for once I had a bit of luck heads up to hit the better 2 pair on the river but maybe he shouldn't have checked the turn as I may have folded to a decent bet even though I had just hit bottom pair and had no draw after he has called my continuation bet on the flop!

I also played in the laddies $500 freeroll and came 109th /4284for $0.73 lol


The bankroll now stands at $56.59

Poker Stars turbo multi table STTs

I normally don't play turbos as I don't think they suit my style and in my opinion are more of a lottery than a test of skill but one of the guys on the forum, rivher, offered to stake a few players $13 to play 4 x45 seat $3.25 turbo stts. When you win you are able to move up a level using a max of 25% of the bankroll and once you get to$113 or more you send him $63 ($50 profit plus the original $13) and keep any other profit yourself. Sounds like a good deal!

Anyway I played 4 and didn't cash in any of them, finishing 11th, 18th, 25th and 29th. In the 11th finish I managed to get all my chips in pre-flop with AA against KQ only for the board to come 2T8JA to give him a runner runner straight lol. If I'd won that pot I would have been chip leader and almost certain for a decent cash! In two others I also got my chips in when ahead and lost the race both times.

I don't know how people can play these regularly as the bad beats seem to come every other hand and they would do my head in. Fair play to those that do though! I'll stick to deep stacks thank you very much!

Maniacs in STTs

I played a laddies super deep stack again today and it was eventful to say the least!

It was a table full of maniacs right from the get-go! By hand 3 there was a chip leader with 16k, 2 had already been knocked out and 2 others were down to 2k & 3k respectively. By hand 5 there were 2 big chip leaders with 14k and 15k and 4 players had been knocked out! 10 mins into level 1 and were on the bubble. come on guys, its 5000 chips and 15 minute blinds ....just crazy really.

I could see that the only way to play this was errrrrr.... to not play any hands apart from monsters which would get paid off as no one was able to lay down even bottom pair to a bet. In one hand they were calling bets to the river with Q high and J high!

The first decent hand I picked up was KK in the big blind in level 2. I raised a pre-flop bet to 420, and as expected I was re-raised to 1.2k. HURRAH! I then re-re raised to 2.5k. He called as expected and the flop was K82 with 2 spades. I didn't want to give free card as he probably had 72 spades and I bet all in for my remaining 2.5k and amazingly he folded and I was up to 8.2k.

Unsurprisingly the bubble burst very shortly afterwards and I had 8.5k to the others 27k and 14k. I wasn't worried as the blinds were still 25/50so I had plenty of time to wait for cards and let the other 2 play it like it was limit and just bet and call each other to the river all the time! Level 4 and I have 86 in the big blind which I check. the flop is J86 and I can feel a big pile of chips coming my way! I raised his min bet to 250, and he lazily re-raised me all in by just pressing his all in button for about 20k. I call and he has J5 lol and I double up to 12.5k.

I win a few hands with AQ, QJ, T2 in the big blind. I then pick up KJ and raise to 300 pre-flop. The flop is AAK and I call bets of 225, 150, and 825 on a turn of 5 and river 9 and win 3.3k with a better 2 pair. The big hand 3 handed was when I had JT in the small blind. I flat called and loved the JT6 flop with 2 diamonds. I bet 300 and was raised to 600. Could he be on a flush draw? Probably but I wasn't going to lay this down based on what I had seen before. I re-raised to 2.1k and he went all in. Hmmmmm but I was pretty committed by now and called. He flipped over KK so I just need to avoid the Kings and the board pairing and I'm home. Well the turn J and river T were sweet and I doubled up to 23k and was now chip leader.

The guy then donked the remainder of his chips off with T8 and at the start of heads up I was a 28-21k chip dog.

The chip lead went back and forth but I was probably in second place most of the time. In the last hand we managed to get them all in on a A23 board. I had AQ, he had T5 and yes the turn was 4 and he won lol.

Looking at my stats I finish 2nd far too many times so need to work on my heads up play a bit to try and convert places into wins. However, when I look back at the actual hands, the amount of times I lose with the best hand is either worrying because I'm just very unlucky or good because I'm getting my chips in as favourite. I haven't decided which yet lol

Woo hoo! The bankroll has passed the $50 barrier and now stands at $50.26