I've played a total of 13 steps games and have had the following results:
L1 Played 9, cashed L1 x 4 times, L2 x 3 times, not cashed x 2
L2 Played 3, cashed L1 x 1 time, L3 x 1 time, not cashed x1
L3 Played 1, cashed L2 x 1 time
In the money 76.92%
ROI - 2.30%
Earnings -$2
So for an intial cash outlay of $12 I have played $87 worth of STTs and still have a $10 ticket left which will hopefully get me back to L3.
Overall they are quite fun and its not that difficult to make a small outlay go a long way. Am I prepared to put more money into these to try and reach Level 6 where real cash can be won? Not sure. If I do I might decide to have a seperate bankroll for this instead of using my challenge bankroll as I am doing at the moment given that its not actually cash I could use to play in other tourneys.
I think overall I am showing a very small profit for March, about $6 lol if I take the steps results into account.
Monday, 31 March 2008
Up the steps we go!
I've only played a few of these steps games since I last posted. Results are as follows:
Level 1 - Played 2 - 4th and 2nd so that's a level 1 and a Level 2 ticket
Level 2 - Played 2 - 1st and 6th so that's a level 3 and a level 1 ticket
So I have a Level 3 and a Level 2 ticket left at the moment.
The standard at level 2 is no better than at level 1 and it is just a case of playing tight for the first level or 2 as by then 3 players have usually been knocked out and you are guaranteed a level 1 ticket at least. Overall I've played 12 games and cashed 9 times, 4 of these being in the top 2 where you get a ticket to the next level which is pretty good I think!
I have a week off work this week! WOO HOO! So will hopefully be able to play a few games during the day.
Its the Nordic Bet $25k freeroll tonight so it would be great to go deep in that as I rarely play games with that big a prize pool. It will have over 5000 entrants but like most freerolls if you can avoid getting mupped early on and get a few hands you can make the cash.
UPDATE - well, no hands at all in the freeroll and out in 1920/8080.
I decided to play my L2 steps ticket and busted out in 9th. I got JJ in the bb early on and flat called a raise. The flop was rags and I bet the pot but folded to a re-raise. I then had AK clubs twice but only picked up the blinds. I was one of the shorter stacks with blinds at 100/200 and had AT diamonds. I called and picked up a straight flush and straight draw on the AQJ board. I pushed all in as I had a ton of outs but the caller had KT including the K diamonds and the turn and river were bricks for me and I'm gone in 9th. Disappointing but sometimes you have to take a chance!
So I still have a level 3 ticket which I will probably play tomorrow.
UPDATE 2
I decided to play the $30 ticket and came 5th so get another shot at the $10 level. I was card dead apart from when I flopped the nut straight with AQ but got no action. I doubled up with AK vs the loose chip leaders KJ call to get back to 2.5k. Then it was just a case of stealing the blinds with A2, Q9, K5, K4 to try and stay alive. I got AJ on the button and pushed. The chip leader called with 55 and hit his set and I was out. However, as I have said about the other levels, the standard is no different really and you still get some awful play.
Level 1 - Played 2 - 4th and 2nd so that's a level 1 and a Level 2 ticket
Level 2 - Played 2 - 1st and 6th so that's a level 3 and a level 1 ticket
So I have a Level 3 and a Level 2 ticket left at the moment.
The standard at level 2 is no better than at level 1 and it is just a case of playing tight for the first level or 2 as by then 3 players have usually been knocked out and you are guaranteed a level 1 ticket at least. Overall I've played 12 games and cashed 9 times, 4 of these being in the top 2 where you get a ticket to the next level which is pretty good I think!
I have a week off work this week! WOO HOO! So will hopefully be able to play a few games during the day.
Its the Nordic Bet $25k freeroll tonight so it would be great to go deep in that as I rarely play games with that big a prize pool. It will have over 5000 entrants but like most freerolls if you can avoid getting mupped early on and get a few hands you can make the cash.
UPDATE - well, no hands at all in the freeroll and out in 1920/8080.
I decided to play my L2 steps ticket and busted out in 9th. I got JJ in the bb early on and flat called a raise. The flop was rags and I bet the pot but folded to a re-raise. I then had AK clubs twice but only picked up the blinds. I was one of the shorter stacks with blinds at 100/200 and had AT diamonds. I called and picked up a straight flush and straight draw on the AQJ board. I pushed all in as I had a ton of outs but the caller had KT including the K diamonds and the turn and river were bricks for me and I'm gone in 9th. Disappointing but sometimes you have to take a chance!
So I still have a level 3 ticket which I will probably play tomorrow.
UPDATE 2
I decided to play the $30 ticket and came 5th so get another shot at the $10 level. I was card dead apart from when I flopped the nut straight with AQ but got no action. I doubled up with AK vs the loose chip leaders KJ call to get back to 2.5k. Then it was just a case of stealing the blinds with A2, Q9, K5, K4 to try and stay alive. I got AJ on the button and pushed. The chip leader called with 55 and hit his set and I was out. However, as I have said about the other levels, the standard is no different really and you still get some awful play.
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Played 7, cashed 5 times
I played 3 more Party level 1 steps over the last couple of days. I came 5th in one, 4th to win another level 1 token and then 2nd tonight to win my 2nd level 2 token. One more level 2 token and I'll give the next level a go.
So that's 7 of these I've played and I've cashed in 5 of them which is not a bad record. I have witnessed some truly awful play and it does pay to be patient as people just seem to want to be knocked out without even having a draw!
What I will probably do is use the $25 free I got from the affiliate sign up to play these and once that's gone go back to the standard STTs. I don't want to waste too much of my bankroll on these but I'll see how it goes. If I'm playing these kind of low level satellite type games it might be better to play somewhere like Pokerstars or full tilt where I think, when you win satellite seats you can use the 'dollars' to enter any tourney you want rather than be forced to play the same format like you have to with the Party steps. But will see how it goes.
So that's 7 of these I've played and I've cashed in 5 of them which is not a bad record. I have witnessed some truly awful play and it does pay to be patient as people just seem to want to be knocked out without even having a draw!
What I will probably do is use the $25 free I got from the affiliate sign up to play these and once that's gone go back to the standard STTs. I don't want to waste too much of my bankroll on these but I'll see how it goes. If I'm playing these kind of low level satellite type games it might be better to play somewhere like Pokerstars or full tilt where I think, when you win satellite seats you can use the 'dollars' to enter any tourney you want rather than be forced to play the same format like you have to with the Party steps. But will see how it goes.
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
More steps games
I played 2 more Party steps L1 games tonight and won tokens in both.....unfortunately they were for another try at Level 1! Boooooo! But better than not cashing at all I guess.
I basically had no cards and just picked a few pots hear and there raising in position. The standard is pretty poor and the amount of donks who get a big stack and then blow it all is quite ridiculous! I mean why if you have 6k and are on the bubble do you want to lock horns with the other big stack with just one pair when there are 4 spades on the board and your bet gets re-raised all in? Why call? LOL But I'm glad they do as I was sitting there with about 1000 chips with the blind at 300/150! I know the first 2 places are what counts really but why throw away such a great position with such an awful call! Totally crazy!
So played 4 of these and won 2 Level 1 and 1 Level 2 tokens. I think I will try and get 3 tokens for the next level before I give it a go rather than just try and play a single token as far as I can go.
Oh and also had a nice addition to the bankroll today as my free $25 from the Poker News affiliate deal I used to sign up to Party Poker came through. If anyone wants the code its here http://www.pokernews.com/party-poker-50free/1
As I said I signed up via it yesterday and got $25 free and a $25 bonus which is released after you get 150 party points. You have to open a real money account and make a deposit but its free cash. I have nothing to gain from this either in case you were wondering!
Challenge bankroll is now $282.75 after subtracting the initial deposits at Party and Gala
I basically had no cards and just picked a few pots hear and there raising in position. The standard is pretty poor and the amount of donks who get a big stack and then blow it all is quite ridiculous! I mean why if you have 6k and are on the bubble do you want to lock horns with the other big stack with just one pair when there are 4 spades on the board and your bet gets re-raised all in? Why call? LOL But I'm glad they do as I was sitting there with about 1000 chips with the blind at 300/150! I know the first 2 places are what counts really but why throw away such a great position with such an awful call! Totally crazy!
So played 4 of these and won 2 Level 1 and 1 Level 2 tokens. I think I will try and get 3 tokens for the next level before I give it a go rather than just try and play a single token as far as I can go.
Oh and also had a nice addition to the bankroll today as my free $25 from the Poker News affiliate deal I used to sign up to Party Poker came through. If anyone wants the code its here http://www.pokernews.com/party-poker-50free/1
As I said I signed up via it yesterday and got $25 free and a $25 bonus which is released after you get 150 party points. You have to open a real money account and make a deposit but its free cash. I have nothing to gain from this either in case you were wondering!
Challenge bankroll is now $282.75 after subtracting the initial deposits at Party and Gala
Monday, 24 March 2008
Party steps games
Whilst continuing the bankroll challenge I have also decided to play the steps games on Party Poker. Basically, you enter a series of stts and instead of getting cash you get a token to buy into the next level which ultimately ends in an stt where you do win cash. I think the set up on Party is pretty good:
Level 1 $3 ($2.60 + 0.40)
1 -2 - level 2 token
3-4 - level 1 token
Level 2 $10 ($8.90 + 1.10)
1-2 level 3 token
3-4 level 2 token
5--7 level 1 token
Level 3 $30 ($27 +3)
1-3 level 4 token
4 level 3 token
5-7 level 2 token
Level 4 $70 ($63 + 7)
1-3 level 5 token
4 level 4 token
5-7 level 3 token
Level 5 $170 ($154 + 16)
1-2 level 6 token
3-4 level 5 token
5-6 level 4 token
7-8 level 3 token
Level 6 $500 ($470 + 30)
1 $2000
2 $1000
3 $700
4-5 $500
So as you can see the payouts at level 6 are pretty good and from level 2 onwards the top 7 at least get a token for another go at various levels. The blinds are 9 minute levels with 2k starting stacks so not too much of a crap shoot especially with the number of positions paid out. Some may say that 6 levels are a lot to get through but I don't think that the opposition at levels 4 or 5 will be as good as those who normally buy in to standard $70 or $170 stts - there are a lot of sharks at those levels who know ICM pretty well and multi table and make a serious profit. Step games are more likely to be against people like me who have moved up from the lower levels! Well I hope so anyway!
What I would hope to do is get a few level 2 tokens and then play them to try and get as many shots at the next level as possible.
I played 2 of the level 1 games tonight and had a bad beat in the first when my AA was cracked by the chip leaders flopped K high flush. Another club on the turn or river would have been great for my A clubs and would have pretty much been guaranteed a payout. However, I managed 2nd in the other game I played and have my first level 2 token! So we will see how it goes!
Level 1 $3 ($2.60 + 0.40)
1 -2 - level 2 token
3-4 - level 1 token
Level 2 $10 ($8.90 + 1.10)
1-2 level 3 token
3-4 level 2 token
5--7 level 1 token
Level 3 $30 ($27 +3)
1-3 level 4 token
4 level 3 token
5-7 level 2 token
Level 4 $70 ($63 + 7)
1-3 level 5 token
4 level 4 token
5-7 level 3 token
Level 5 $170 ($154 + 16)
1-2 level 6 token
3-4 level 5 token
5-6 level 4 token
7-8 level 3 token
Level 6 $500 ($470 + 30)
1 $2000
2 $1000
3 $700
4-5 $500
So as you can see the payouts at level 6 are pretty good and from level 2 onwards the top 7 at least get a token for another go at various levels. The blinds are 9 minute levels with 2k starting stacks so not too much of a crap shoot especially with the number of positions paid out. Some may say that 6 levels are a lot to get through but I don't think that the opposition at levels 4 or 5 will be as good as those who normally buy in to standard $70 or $170 stts - there are a lot of sharks at those levels who know ICM pretty well and multi table and make a serious profit. Step games are more likely to be against people like me who have moved up from the lower levels! Well I hope so anyway!
What I would hope to do is get a few level 2 tokens and then play them to try and get as many shots at the next level as possible.
I played 2 of the level 1 games tonight and had a bad beat in the first when my AA was cracked by the chip leaders flopped K high flush. Another club on the turn or river would have been great for my A clubs and would have pretty much been guaranteed a payout. However, I managed 2nd in the other game I played and have my first level 2 token! So we will see how it goes!
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Can't win a race!
I played another $5 stt and bubbled in 4th.
Sometimes it seems that every time I pick up decent hole cards the flop is just awful for me, putting sets, flushes, straights out there for others but totally missing my hand! This game the cards deserted me when I needed them. In level 1 I raised 160 with QQ and got 3 callers. The flop was 622 with 2 h and I bet 500. I was instantly raised all in for 5k! I thought for a while but folded as there was no need to risk all my chips and be up against a set or a flush draw. I won 2k with AA after I got into a preflop raising war and we both got them all in. He had KT lol. The flop was Q63, the J on the turn was such a terrible card for me but thankfully the river 8 was a brick for him. After that I just had no cards whatsoever. Any raises with suited connectors, small pocket pairs were either re-raised or the flop was just awful for me if I managed to see a flop. I managed to get to the last 4 and raised with KQ. I was re-raised and I called going all in. Maybe I should have just shoved preflop but I didn't think the 66 he had was a particularly good move but it proved to be a winning move as my inability to win an important race reared its ugly head and I was out.
Not sure if I can be bothered to play another game today with the way the cards are falling for me at the moment.
Challenge bankroll is now $253.75
Sometimes it seems that every time I pick up decent hole cards the flop is just awful for me, putting sets, flushes, straights out there for others but totally missing my hand! This game the cards deserted me when I needed them. In level 1 I raised 160 with QQ and got 3 callers. The flop was 622 with 2 h and I bet 500. I was instantly raised all in for 5k! I thought for a while but folded as there was no need to risk all my chips and be up against a set or a flush draw. I won 2k with AA after I got into a preflop raising war and we both got them all in. He had KT lol. The flop was Q63, the J on the turn was such a terrible card for me but thankfully the river 8 was a brick for him. After that I just had no cards whatsoever. Any raises with suited connectors, small pocket pairs were either re-raised or the flop was just awful for me if I managed to see a flop. I managed to get to the last 4 and raised with KQ. I was re-raised and I called going all in. Maybe I should have just shoved preflop but I didn't think the 66 he had was a particularly good move but it proved to be a winning move as my inability to win an important race reared its ugly head and I was out.
Not sure if I can be bothered to play another game today with the way the cards are falling for me at the moment.
Challenge bankroll is now $253.75
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Back to the $5 stt
I played another 8 handed super deep stack $5 stt today and came 2nd. The usual patient approach was needed as the dealer was being unkind with the hole cards as usual! It was not until late in L2 that I had a hand in a position that was worth playing. I had QQ and raised 240. I got 2 callers but the AJJ flop was not what was wanted and I folded to a pot size bet from the chip leader. A couple of hands later I had KK and my raise to 180 was enough to take the blinds only grrrr.
I won a few small pots pre flop with AQ, AJ, 77 but was then card dead for what seemed forever and was always one of the short stacks. We were on the bubble now and there was another player with a couple of hundred more than me. I looked down at AA and raised to 1.2k. I thought about going all in for my remaining 2.5k but didn't want to scare everyone out of the pot. The other short stacked asked if I had 77 or QQ and he then went all in. I insta-called and he turned over 44 which begs the question why? if he thought I had a bigger pair. Anyway the flop was A67 to give me a set but the 5 on the turn gave him an open-ended straight draw and I feared the worst! However the river J doubled me up to 5.2k and left him with about 100. I knocked him out the next hand when his all in was called by one other player and we sensibly checked it down
In the last 3 I was the chip dog with 5k to 28K and 6K. I sneaked into 2nd when the chip leader rivered his 3 outer to knock out the other shorty. Heads up and I'm 35-5k chip dog. I needed to double up and a few hands later pushed with AT, he called with 96 and hit 4 diamonds for a flush and that was that. Still pleased given that I was card dead for long periods or got no action at all with my couple of decent starting hands.
Challenge bankroll is now $259.25
I won a few small pots pre flop with AQ, AJ, 77 but was then card dead for what seemed forever and was always one of the short stacks. We were on the bubble now and there was another player with a couple of hundred more than me. I looked down at AA and raised to 1.2k. I thought about going all in for my remaining 2.5k but didn't want to scare everyone out of the pot. The other short stacked asked if I had 77 or QQ and he then went all in. I insta-called and he turned over 44 which begs the question why? if he thought I had a bigger pair. Anyway the flop was A67 to give me a set but the 5 on the turn gave him an open-ended straight draw and I feared the worst! However the river J doubled me up to 5.2k and left him with about 100. I knocked him out the next hand when his all in was called by one other player and we sensibly checked it down
In the last 3 I was the chip dog with 5k to 28K and 6K. I sneaked into 2nd when the chip leader rivered his 3 outer to knock out the other shorty. Heads up and I'm 35-5k chip dog. I needed to double up and a few hands later pushed with AT, he called with 96 and hit 4 diamonds for a flush and that was that. Still pleased given that I was card dead for long periods or got no action at all with my couple of decent starting hands.
Challenge bankroll is now $259.25
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