Stupid BS

Full Tilt Poker Game #10950834221: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (82412090), Table 1 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:00:35 ET - 2009/03/03
Seat 2: Stoon Wallly (940)
Seat 3: innocents (3,135)
Seat 5: zucan777 (2,560)
Seat 7: Tizzle02 (3,635)
Seat 8: actzeng (1,340)
Seat 9: Groupstar1 (1,890)
Tizzle02 posts the small blind of 30
actzeng posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [Jh Ts]
Groupstar1 folds
Stoon Wallly folds
innocents calls 60
zucan777 folds
Tizzle02 calls 30
actzeng checks
*** FLOP *** [Tc 7h 8c]
Tizzle02 checks
actzeng checks
innocents checks
*** TURN *** [Tc 7h 8c] [9c]
Tizzle02 checks
actzeng bets 60
innocents raises to 240
Tizzle02 folds
actzeng calls 180
*** RIVER *** [Tc 7h 8c 9c] [9d]
actzeng checks
innocents has 15 seconds left to act
innocents bets 60
actzeng calls 60
*** SHOW DOWN ***
innocents shows [7d 7c] a full house, Sevens full of Ninesactzeng mucksinnocents wins the pot (780) with a full house, Sevens full of Nines

Full Tilt Poker Game #10950856059: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (82412090), Table 1 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:01:51 ET - 2009/03/03Seat 2: Stoon Wallly (940)Seat 3: innocents (3,555)Seat 5: zucan777 (2,560)Seat 7: Tizzle02 (3,575)Seat 8: actzeng (980)Seat 9: Groupstar1 (1,890)
actzeng posts the small blind of 30
Groupstar1 posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #7*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [5d 5s]
Stoon Wallly folds
innocents folds
zucan777 folds
Tizzle02 raises to 300
actzeng raises to 980, and is all in
Groupstar1 foldsTizzle02 has 15 seconds left to actTizzle02 calls 680
actzeng shows [5d 5s]
Tizzle02 shows [8s 9c]
*** FLOP *** [Jc Kd 2s]*** TURN *** [Jc Kd 2s] [8d]*** RIVER *** [Jc Kd 2s 8d] [4s]actzeng shows a pair of FivesTizzle02 shows a pair of EightsTizzle02 wins the pot (2,020) with a pair of Eightsactzeng stands up

There's more...

Drawing Dead

That should be the name of a band/album, or even a poker book. Maybe a fictional crime/poker/drama book or movie. Starring Tommy Lee Jones as a cop who goes undercover into home cash games to uncover a drug smuggling business or something. Maybe someone else. I don't know. Colin Farrel? That way at least you could work a hot chick into the movie.

Back to the grind - looks like luck is starting to even out for me. I'm still down $30 from the high point, but I was around minus 50 a few days ago, so it's leveling off. It would help if I could cash in a $5. They have all gone awry.

The MTTs, I'm learning, are 100% total crapshoots. I cashed like 64th place or something yesterday in the $1 tourney. I got unbelievably lucky and unbelievably unlucky all in the same ride. Nice to finally cash in an MTT again though. I will try to give the 7:00pm turbo tourney a shot tonight if I get home in time.

Does this shit happen to anyone else?

THE FUCK. This would have put me at chipleader very early on.

Full Tilt Poker Game #10909739960: $1 Tournament (81973813), Table 70 - 15/30 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:22:57 ET - 2009/03/01
Seat 1: fulltiltfaith (1,080)
Seat 2: clacha (1,470)
Seat 3: route66trucker (705)
Seat 4: actzeng (2,965)
Seat 5: king creole (3,190)
Seat 6: mrn777 (1,595)
Seat 7: Hugz121 (2,690)
Seat 9: jjweather (2,125)
clacha posts the small blind of 15
route66trucker posts the big blind of 30
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [Jc Jh]
actzeng raises to 105
xzero114 sits down
xzero114 adds 3,610
king creole folds
mrn777 folds
Hugz121 raises to 180
jjweather folds
fulltiltfaith calls 180
clacha folds
route66trucker has 15 seconds left to act
route66trucker calls 150
actzeng calls 75
*** FLOP *** [Js 4s Kc]
route66trucker checks
actzeng has 15 seconds left to act
actzeng bets 500
Hugz121 calls 500
fulltiltfaith folds
route66trucker calls 500
*** TURN *** [Js 4s Kc] [9h]
route66trucker bets 25, and is all in
actzeng raises to 2,285, and is all in
Hugz121 calls 2,010, and is all in
actzeng shows [Jc Jh]
Hugz121 shows [Ts Jd]
route66trucker shows [Qs Th]
Uncalled bet of 275 returned to actzeng
*** RIVER *** [Js 4s Kc 9h] [Qd]
actzeng shows three of a kind, Jacks
Hugz121 shows a straight, King high
Hugz121 wins the side pot (3,970) with a straight, King high
route66trucker shows a straight, King high
route66trucker ties for the main pot (1,155) with a straight, King high
Hugz121 ties for the main pot (1,155) with a straight, King high
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 6,280 Main pot 2,310. Side pot 3,970. | Rake 0
Board: [Js 4s Kc 9h Qd]
Seat 1: fulltiltfaith (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: clacha (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: route66trucker (big blind) showed [Qs Th] and won (1,155) with a straight, King high
Seat 4: actzeng showed [Jc Jh] and lost with three of a kind, Jacks
Seat 5: king creole didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: mrn777 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: Hugz121 showed [Ts Jd] and won (5,125) with a straight, King high
Seat 9: jjweather didn't bet (folded)

Still headed in the wrong direction

Full Tilt Poker Game #10833052001: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (81542569), Table 1 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 7:16:04 ET - 2009/02/25
Seat 1: matiou13 (2,790)
Seat 2: 0gimmeurchips0 (2,025)
Seat 4: hcb750 (2,635)
Seat 5: actzeng (1,470)
Seat 6: Lala 507 (1,865)
Seat 8: rulif (1,365)
Seat 9: stefaaan3 (1,350)
actzeng posts the small blind of 30Lala 507 posts the big blind of 60The button is in seat #4

*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to actzeng [Qc Ah]
rulif folds
stefaaan3 folds
matiou13 folds
0gimmeurchips0 folds
hcb750 folds
actzeng calls 30
Lala 507 raises to 120
actzeng calls 60
*** FLOP *** [Ad 7c 3c]
actzeng checksLala 507 bets 60
actzeng has 15 seconds left to act
actzeng raises to 200Lala 507 raises to 340
actzeng raises to 1,350, and is all in
Lala 507 calls 1,010
actzeng shows [Qc Ah]
Lala 507 shows [3h 3s]
*** TURN *** [Ad 7c 3c] [Td]*** RIVER *** [Ad 7c 3c Td] [9h]actzeng shows a pair of AcesLala 507 shows three of a kind, ThreesLala 507 wins the pot (2,940) with three of a kind, Threesactzeng stands up

Cue the downswing

So I've lost about $25 over the last few days. I figured something like this was coming, because things were going really, really well. Instead of taking down SNGs, I had a string of third place finishes - just things not going my way deep. I stupidly threw about $6 into two $3 turbo SNGs, one a hyper turbo. Other than that, it's just been finding QQ in spots to raise and running into AA or KK. I could definitely be playing better, but I don't think that I'm playing so horrifically badly or anything. Amidst all of this, I was still able to pull down a $2 SNG.

I'm considering taking a break for a while, although the only reason I wouldn't is because I can still qualify for the one-a-day freeroll this month - (Damn you FTP!!!).

Long day in court tomorrow - gotta get back to the preparation.

Not Shying away from PLO

And I lost like 100BB at PLO last night. Just disaster. Started tilting, felt it, made stabs and pots and lost. Made calls hoping to hit and lost. So lost about 2 bucks.

I was lucky enough to win a $5 SNG after that, though, so it was all moot. We got down to three handed by 40/80. I was the low stack of course, and fought and fought. It looked like they did not want to tangle with me and was able to steal a lot of small pots to chip up. I felt like I was controlling the action at the table. Everyone was pretty deep compared to the blinds, so I was able to play a little poker without having to gamble or put a lot of chips at risk without having the goods. Ended up hitting a big hand (flopped trips to his paired A, I think) to take a massive chiplead going into HU, and then my opponent came all the way back from 1100 to take the chiplead against me.

We got it all in for my tourney life on a nothing flop. I shoved with AQ, and he called with A3, and he had paired his three. On the river I needed a queen and she showed up for me. Interestingly, I hit quads twice in that game.

I then played a $2 SNG with an interesting dynamic. It was 4 handed, and the player to my right was gone. BUT, he had a ton of chips. I was able to steal for quite some time before anyone noticed. The problem is that everytime I stole from the dead guy, my raise would have to pass by the other two guys. They were in a much better spot to steal than me. It took a ton of time to leak all the dead guy's chips out, and I barely hung onto third place.

I had a situation where I had JJ, raised, and got called. Flop comes KJx. We are still 4 handed at this point, knowing the dead guy is not at his computer. We get the chips in there - I think I'm way ahead, but he flips over KK and I am crushed. Luckily, I had my opponent covered and was knocked down to 1k chips or so, and was able to chip back a little bit with some shoves. I think by that point, my opponents knew about the dead guy. And I say I think because even at the end, I wasn't totally sure. They gave him a walk in his BB once, which I thought was strange.

Microstakes Madness

I didn't have a ton of time to play last night because I was scheduled for trial today. The case was totally ridiculous - everyone - the judge, the witnesses, etc. - was willing to cut my client a break except for the DA. A reminder to everyone who thinks that defense attorneys are just simply bad guys - there is some pretty ridiculous conduct on the other side of the aisle. My client basically got 6-months probation, which, in the end seemed like a good deal compared to a trial for two potential felony convictions, but I am still pretty angry about how everything went down. I had a good case. Pretty strong. But you never know what's going to happen at trial.

Back to poker. I played one $2 SNG last night. There was a guy to my immediate right from Serbia who kept open limping pots, and I went over the top of him I think 3 times with AK, AQ, and AQ again, and everyone folded. The fourth time this happens (stupid me), I have JJ, and about 1700 chips. He started the hand with about 1400. It's 6 handed. I forget what the blinds are - maybe 50-100. He open limps in second position I think, I RR to about 35o (whatever the pot was), everyone folds, except this time, he basically min-raises me to 800, so it makes it 450 more for me to go. He's pot committed, and if I just call, I'll be under 1k chips. If I fold, I continue with 1350. But he was showing strength this time, where he previously showed absolutely none. Could this be the time he wakes up with a hand? Of course!

So obviously after thinking about it, I make the wrong decision and reshove, he calls and shows AA and I blank out. SOOOOO SSTTTTEEEEEUUUUUUPPPPEEEEEED.

After that, I tilted in an NLHE HU SNG. Worked up to a 2-1 chiplead with a nice bluff with a paired 3 that I showed. Got all the money in with KQ vs. AK, which I was able to win, and so I got my money back for the SNG.

THEN - I was checking out cash games to see if any big ones were playing, and I noticed a new checkbox filter for "micro" stakes that I had never noticed before. And literally two days after telling my brother that I wish FTP had microstakes games, voila - they're at FTP. I grinded with the max buy in at PLO at the 1/2 cent tables ($2) and made $.50. I flopped top set vs. the nut flush draw and I held, improving to a fullhouse on the river.

I'm glad they added micro cash. This way, I can learn to play NLHE cash games (probably shy away from PLO due to variance - or play it once it a while when I want to gambooool) without having to risk more than I normally would in an SNG. It's a totally different game, and one that I suck at. Maybe I can learn to improve at $2 a pop, instead of $5.