Monday night homegame + more

Balance : $1391

The Monday nite homegame kicked off with 10 players and a prize fund of $560.

I got trash for the first rebuy session.  Utter trash.  I’d made a few calls for value (as 3-4 others hands had called) and that dented my chip stack to about 800 (from 1500).  Everyone limped and I was on the BB.  I shoved all in.  Good time to go.  Problem was Shugster had limped with QQ and I had 52.

I rebuy later, I had been dealt 72s again.  This time I called the blind 40 and a 210 raise PF, 4-way.  It’s loose I know, but I had to do it.

Flop 896.

D pushes all in on the flop.  I figure him for an overpair.  But I can outdraw him.  In fact he shows AJo and I hit a 7 on the turn to take the hand.

Nothing else much happened – I constantly got trash like A7, AJ (utg, limped, missed flop folded) and no pocket pairs…until I had 44.  Ross limps in the CO, Bob limps, I have to shove. 

Ross : KQs (38%)
Bob : A5 (30%)
Me : 44 (30%)

Of course the flop comes Q75.  Both players outdraw me.  River brings a 5 and Bob takes a big pot.  He earlier laid down 33 to a PF raise and he would have hit quads.  So he’s not the smartest of players, I would have folded my A5.

Not had much luck online.  Did a few thousand hands and ended up -$200+.  So I’ve shifted down to NL50 where it’s a bit softer and I now have 28 buyins.

Got $50 free at Bodog, spun it up to $150 then donked it.  The players are bad at Bodog, but I just don’t trust the software.  I think it’s well known that Bodog has a ‘mafia’ influence behind it and I’ve found it to be pretty unfair in the past.

Did the 50+5 / 17.5K gted online.  Grinded and had to go all in in the CO with JJ.  Was faced by A9 and 10/10.  10/10 made a straight by the river.  Ugh.

I must say I’m running kinda bad right now. 

Shugster makes it to the WSOP Main Event for $3

Balance : $1734

That lucky dog shugster played a $3 satellite, won a $500 tik…forgot it was on, started playing 45 minutes late then won the $17,500 package to WSOP main event 2008. 

It would have been a great time to go, but obviously the poker gods threw me a work contract that lands in the middle of WSOP $10K event 2008.  No doubt I’m fairly sick, I’ve been dreaming of myself and Shugster going to the WSOP main event.  He’s definitely my lucky mascott and I seem to win big when he rails me.  I guess the poker gods will have the contract cancelled if it’s in my stars.  And already I have a job booked for beginning of July 2009….is the WSOP ever going to be a reality?

I’ve played a little here and there, warming up for 1000 hands per day diet.  Actually I’m going to try to 2000 hands per day, as there will be some days I will be off or unable to play poker.  Some fairly large swings  -3BIs this morning, then levelled it.  It takes a lot of patience.  Missed my draws in the early session and had a few coolers – top pair crushed by runner runner flush.  JJJ crushed by QQQ on the flop.

Still, that’s poker.  It can be sick.  I’m always likely to be out-drawn as I don’t always get my money in on a draw (except nut flush draw on the flop). 

Hoping to get my main workload done within the next few weeks, and that will mean I’ll divide work/poker 50/50.

Monday nite homegame

Balance : $1838

Not played much poker online, maybe 500 hands.  So did show some profit.  Am aiming for $0.10 per hand really, 8-tabling.

Decided last minute to go to the home game.

We did random seating for the first time…I strangely ended up in my long-time usual seat.

Cards were rubbish 1st half and I bled off some chips.  If I raised, I had to shove. 

A few re-buys later I called James all in with 55, he showed A8 and my 5s stood up.

Called Shugsters PF raise with KJ suited in position.  Normally a fold for me but I realised the blinds took 30 minutes to come round so I had to open my range.  He shoved on a J-6-8 flop and I insta-called.  He flipped AQ and was pretty pissed off, but sucked out with a Q on the river.

Wilson called my all in on the flop with bottom pair, I thought that was seriously fishy but a good call I guess.  90% of the time I had a hand, so you could argue that was just donkness.

Donked the last hand all in with 2nd pair.  Ended up with 3000 chips going into the freezeout.

Things changed, I had some good cards and played them strong, raising and shoving.  88, QQ twice, AK. 

KQo in the bb.  Everyone limped.  I raised, then James shoved.  I thought about it and figured he had limped with a huge hand, so I folded and he showed AA.  Good fold from me.

Got into a pot with Ross…I had to call with his small pf raise…then I missed.  He checked to me and I bet, he called.  I then checked it down.  I knew he had a piece of the flop and indeed he had 2nd pair.  I minimised the damage but it ate 1/2 my stack.

Ross again raised PF, min.  I had AQ in position.  I had to shove with only 5 blinds left.

Ross showed 44 and it held up.  Finished 5th and -$120.  Fun but I felt it was grindey at the end.

Watching more videos, then some new books on cash games. After that I’ll hit the tables properly, but for now just the odd 500 hands here and there.