Sunday Million

So I didn't make it to the money. I started off well, keeping my chips ahead of the average. I had a great table. Very laggy, but passive. Then about 900 left before the money, I get moved. This table sucked. It was very aggressive, and I was not getting any hands. I tried to make a couple moves but they failed. Finally got short and had to push or fold. The final hand is below.

PokerStars Game #13325612193: Tournament #66640473, $200+$15 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (750/1500) - 2007/11/18 - 19:25:01 (ET)
Table '66640473 680' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: bergerdart1+ (65874 in chips)
Seat 2: highplaya (31047 in chips)
Seat 3: pomax6 (28620 in chips)
Seat 4: JBT449 (42032 in chips)
Seat 5: AcesGoPlace (111630 in chips)
Seat 6: lucaduc (43170 in chips)
Seat 7: SweetRellie (65869 in chips)
Seat 8: N1kita (7923 in chips)
Seat 9: Aces baby AA (34687 in chips)
bergerdart1+: posts the ante 150
highplaya: posts the ante 150
pomax6: posts the ante 150
JBT449: posts the ante 150
AcesGoPlace: posts the ante 150
lucaduc: posts the ante 150
SweetRellie: posts the ante 150
N1kita: posts the ante 150
Aces baby AA: posts the ante 150
bergerdart1+: posts small blind 750
highplaya: posts big blind 1500
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to N1kita [6c Ac]
pomax6: folds
JBT449: folds
AcesGoPlace: folds
lucaduc: folds
SweetRellie: folds
N1kita: raises 6273 to 7773 and is all-in
Aces baby AA: raises 7227 to 15000
bergerdart1+: folds
highplaya: folds
*** FLOP *** [8d Ad 8h]
*** TURN *** [8d Ad 8h] [Kh]
*** RIVER *** [8d Ad 8h Kh] [3s]
N1kita said, "nh"
*** SHOW DOWN ***
N1kita: shows [6c Ac] (two pair, Aces and Eights)
Aces baby AA: shows [Ah 8s] (a full house, Eights full of Aces)
Aces baby AA collected 19146 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 19146 | Rake 0
Board [8d Ad 8h Kh 3s]
Seat 1: bergerdart1+ (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: highplaya (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: pomax6 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: JBT449 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: AcesGoPlace folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: lucaduc folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: SweetRellie folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: N1kita showed [6c Ac] and lost with two pair, Aces and Eights
Seat 9: Aces baby AA (button) showed [Ah 8s] and won (19146) with a full house, Eights full of Aces

I felt I could have gone deep, but I guess it wasn't my night. I'm glad I had the chance to play. The players were no better than what I'm use to at the levels I'm at. I might have to invest on some Sattys, as I'm sure I can make some decent money from the tournament, if I keep trying.

I've Been Staked

So, The Storm from the Talking Poker forum, offered to stake anyone he felt was a winner at tournaments and was trustworthy for the Sunday Million. I'll just quote his post directly from the forum.

I'm in the giving mood. Here's a good deal for you.

I'll stake you for the Sunday Million next Sunday if you can meet the following requirements.

1. Can prove that you are a winning player. Pokertracker lifetime screenshot or sharkscope graph will do.
2. have at least 50 posts prior to this post


That's it. You meet those, I stake you for Sunday Million (I get 70 % of profits + stakeback).

Lets win some money!

EDIT: just want to add that I will refuse staking anyone I deem to be too sketchy/untrustworthy.

So, I posted my stats to give it a try. And I was staked. So this Sunday I will be playing Stars' Sunday Million. Sure, I have to give away most of what I win, but I wouldn't have won the money in the first place, if I hadn't been staked. Of course, I could bust out early too, but I'm hoping for going deep. That would be awesome!

Finally!

Home game again last night. And finally made it to the points and the money. It also moves me up a spot in the league, but I think that just bubbles me for the league payout. Maybe I can do well next month too and boost my score even more. Getting a few kills will help too, since I didn't even take anyone out this month. Still, making second without taking out anyone is pretty good.

Annoying Cake

Ok, so when I do get a chance to play poker online, I play at Cake. I've got a bonus to clear there, plus the rake back. But playing there can be annoying, at least for me. And because of one of their promotions, not for how the players play, or the crappy software or anything like that.

One promo is frequent player points, which get you gold chips. They can be used to buy-in to tournaments, or buy stuff from their catalog. You get a certain amount based on the amount of rake is for each hand you are dealt into. This one doesn't bug me.

It's the other damn promo that's pissing me off. The gold card promo. This is where when you play the cash games one of your cards can become a gold card. There's not much you can do with them, but sometimes you can "sell" them back for cash. Now getting these cards is random. And it's only for raked pots. But you are supposed to get them once in a while. I've been playing about 1-2k hands a month (yes not a lot compared to pros, but still) for the last 3 months and I've got ZERO!!! Rob played for half a month maybe 500 hands and he got one about halfway through that!!! This is what is annoying me. I want a freaking gold card, dammit!!!!!!

I Suck at Posting

It also doesn't help that I've only been playing about once a week lately.

Out Early

It was our home game last night. As you can tell from the title, I was out early--second one out. My AA got cracked by 67o, bleh. I've come to the conclusion that when it comes to live poker, I suck. So, home games will be to have fun only. If If want to make money, I'll play tournaments online.

We did get a cash game going, but there was never more than four playing and even that ended fairly early in the night. I think everyone had left by midnight, maybe later, but it definitely wasn't one yet.

I was up and down in the cash game. I took a couple big pots from Rob, which sucked. It's both our money, so there is no reason to get it in against each other, but then if I'm in a hand, I'm not going play poorly just because it's Rob. I ended up about seven bucks but Rob ended down $15. Oh well, it all about having fun and it was still a great night.

Poker Hates Me Today

So, please note, I'm short because Cake software takes forever for reloading chips. The villain had been at the table for maybe 2 or 3 hands at this point and he has gone all-in for all of them. So I was pretty sure he was just a push bot and my hand would be a favourite against his range. For the rest of his time at the table, he'd push 3 out of 5 hands, so my read was right. Gotta love when reads are right, but you still lose.

Hand #1292012207000769: Paris (6-max) 12207
Seat 1: future dr (2.42 in chips)
Seat 2: Moray (5.45 in chips)
Seat 3: cjlerra (4.15 in chips)
Seat 6: Hank1970 (36.94 in chips)
Seat 8: Takhisis (4.18 in chips)
Seat 10: Smurfmeister (6.00 in chips)
Moray: posts small blind $0.05
cjlerra: posts big blind $0.10
Smurfmeister: posts big blind $0.10
Dealt to Takhisis [ Jh Ah ]
Hank1970: calls
Takhisis: raises to $0.55
Smurfmeister: calls
future dr: folds
Moray: folds
cjlerra: is all in
Hank1970: folds
Takhisis: is all in
Smurfmeister: folds
Takhisis: returns uncalled bet $0.03
*** FLOP *** [ Qc, Tc, Ks. ]
*** TURN *** [ 2s. ]
*** RIVER *** [ Kc. ]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
cjlerra wins $8.55 with Royal Flush

Edit to add: Just noticed it didn't show his hand. It should be easy to figure out, but if not, it was AcJc.

Rewards of being a Blogger

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 6194542

Busy

I haven't been playing too much poker lately. I've been working extra hours at work since we've been busy and they are offering overtime. It makes me pretty tired when I come home and not able to focus to play.

I have played some, but at Cake poker. I've got 33% rake back through Talking Poker there so I deposited $50 and figured I'd grind an hour here and there when I'm not exhausted from work. Small stakes means not very much money back, but there is some money coming back so it's still a benefit.

I could have moved everything on Stars over, but I still want to play SNGs and tournaments--not that I have time--so that's what I will play there and Cake will be for grinding out the cash games.

Totally Unrelated to Poker

I already posted this on the surfergeeks.net page, but it deserves announcing here too.

So I went to the Doctor on Monday. It was a nice hour long wait just to see him, only to be directed to the lab for a blood test. That itself only took 5 minutes max. It’s great to have to take that long when I can get the same answer by peeing on a stick for a few seconds, it’s just that way is not “official”. We got the results yesterday. Which was a call to the Doctor’s office and about 10 minutes on the phone mostly on hold.

If you didn’t figure out what I’m referring to yet, Rob and I are having another baby! I am pregnant. We don’t know the due date or the sex yet, but as we find out, we will update everyone.

We are both very excited and have been trying for a second for a while. We would like a girl, so that we have one of each, but we will be happy no matter what happens. Besides, if it’s another boy, we already have everything we need!

I can't win

Poker at Rob's night again. I'm kinda pissy right now. Absolutely none of my hands held up--not counting where everyone folded preflop.

It started with KK, you know, the kiss of death. There was a raise and a push allin. The allin didn't really have much more, maybe twice the raise, so I push. The initial raiser folds, after thinking. I turn over my KK, Mike H turns his A3s. He catches his Ace on the flop. At least it wasn't a stupid flush. But, as it turns out, it was the case Ace. Adam, the first raiser lets everyone know he folded AJ and Tim said he folded an Ace as well after the action in front of him.

Next hand was AKo, I limp early and it ends up being a family pot. The flop is two spades and an A. There's a bet and a call, so I push. I still had a decent stack even with the butt kicking I'd taken earlier. Scott calls, but I have him covered and Mike C who bet first calls. Scott has a straight draw, Mike has a flush draw, his high card? A five! He turns his flush, now I do have the Ks, but another spade does not show up on the river.

I'm out so I move to the cash table. Again, I'm not winning. After folding my chips away for a while, I have AKo again but in the BB. There's a raise and call in front of me, so I reraise. Both call. I catch my A on the flop again and it's not a very scary board. I move all in since the pot is now huge. Just Tim calls. He flips JJ and hits another J on the turn.

I rebuy and the very next hand I flop two pair on a 343 board. Two of them are diamonds. Brett was the one who bet. He thinks and goes allin and said, "I hope I don't bust you again right after you buying back in". I fold figuring him on an overpair. He shows a flush draw, and we rabbit hunt. Glad I folded, the flush came.

Last hand where I gave up was ATo. I can't remember what position I was in, but I flopped top pair with the T and there's a flush draw again. You know what's coming. A bet and a call so I push allin to try and get people to fold, but no good. Jeff shows his draw and it completes on the river.

Some are standard beats but overall it made for a very frustrating night.

Bah!

So I was able to play the CFL tourney, but really it didn't matter if I did. Everyone was gone by 3pm and, yes, it was voluntarily. So I put Alex down for a nap and turned on the laptop. I was a couple minutes late and only played three hands at my first table and then I was moved.

At the new table I was getting kick-ass hands. First hand 77, I raise everyone folds. Next hand, AA, I raise, callers, bet the flop, everyone folds. Next AJo, I call a 4xBB raise, but fold when someone goes allin on the flop and I didn't hit. I fold the next two hands preflop, then I get AKo and I raise and get one caller. The flop is a K and two suited cards. I bet, he raises, I push. He flips AKo, the A is a heart, the two suited cards are hearts, so, the turn comes a heart and the river comes a heart. Yay! No choppie choppie, my opponent scoops the pot. I'm still in, but crippled. Next hand, I have A5o, I go all in, I barely have 100 chips and it's still the 10/20 level, but the guy who calls me has AA, and I'm done. That really sucked.

Brag and Beat

Last night I played in the CFL $1M Round 1 Satillite.

Brag: I finished 161/7500, so I made it to Round 2.
Beat: Round 2 is on Sept. 2nd @3 PM, my son's birthday and smack dab in the middle of his birthday party.

So, I probably can't play Round 2. I hadn't realized this until I was in the money otherwise I probably wouldn't have joined as it was over 2 hours of play and top prize other than the satellite was only $25. I'm considering asking someone to play for me and work out some sort of deal if they make any money for me, but the person I trust most is Rob and well, he's my husband and Alex's dad.

Maybe we can just kick out all our guests at 3? Or I can just play while everyone celebrates? Grrr...

I fold alot

League time again last night. Great turnout; a total of 17 people. Four who traveled long distance. Jen and Mike who just recently moved to Waterloo and Rob and Julie, Invigilator and Oceanwaves, from the TalkingPoker forum and just outside of Windsor.

As you can tell from the title, I basically folded all night. I just wasn't getting any cards. I'm actually quite jealous of Robbie Robb, he said he was dealt AA twice, KK once and other nice premium hands. I didn't see a single pocket pair.

I did make it to the final table, though. First hand there, I completed in the small blind with 2h5h. It was actually a family pot, hence the reason I called. The flop came all hearts! Since it was a weak flush, I pushed. I was starting to get short anyway since blinds kept increase and I wasn't playing. I don't know if it was a good or bad thing, but everyone folded. Although, Mike C stated if any of his cards were a heart he would have called.

A couple hands later I finally get another good hand, AKo. There's a min raise UTG and two callers. I push hoping to take the dead money. Every folds around to Tony, who called the first raise. He goes into the tank and says as he calls, "This is probably a mistake," and flips Ad5d. And no one else stays in the pot. It's me and Tony. The flop comes two diamonds--of course. And the turn is the dreaded third diamond, I'm now drawing dead on the river and Tony takes me out.

I decided to deal for the tournament a while since the cash game was pretty full. There were already at least nine people sitting at the table. The tourney was down to final three before two people lost all their money at the ring game, so I hand the deck to Jason, one of the bustees to let him deal and I join the other table.

I think I only played for an orbit before the table broke up for the night, but it was enough. In middle position I limp with JTs. The flop came T9x, it checks around to me and I bet around 3/4 pot. I get one caller and Mike H min raises me. It folds back to me, so I push. The caller folds and Mike shrugs and calls. He flips his cards saying he's chasing a gutshot. I cross my fingers as the turn and river are shown. My luck holds and Mike doesn't catch his 4 outs. Nice big pot for me.

So at the end of the night, Robbie Robb finished third in the tournament and I finished up $3 in the cash game.

New Links

I've added a couple of new links to my blog. First The HedgeHog, it from Studiopet. Ando05 started a trend at the forum and there are several people trying a bankroll building sit and go experiment. Check out the details here.

The next is Vegas Trip Report. This one is 2Tone's. He's lucky enough to be able to hit the strip quite a bit and he always makes a report at his blog.

Enjoy!

Another Final Table

I really wish I had more time to play tournaments. I'm sure I win more money from them in the long run than I do ring games. After Alex went to bed, I joined a $7.70 PL Hold'em tournment. I did well throughout the entire game and was able to reach the final table. I was THE short stack though, so I had to work hard to keep in the game. I was finally eliminated in 7th (out of 191) when my TT ran into KTo, the King spiked on the river and I received a pay day of $46. Oh well, since it was a PL tourney, even at final table, it was only 3 hours into the tournament.

Windsor Trip

Rob and I went to Windsor on Saturday to meet up with a few people from the Talking Poker forum and to play a little poker. Invigilator's post here pretty much says it all. But there are a few posts after that add some opinions, so if you want to read the whole thread click here.

I had a great time, it's always great to meet new people and I hope we are able to meet up again sometime.

TP Open

Ok, so the TP open was played on Wed night. Just a $5 private tourney on Stars set up by TP himself. But he had a few bounties for the tournament. First out, got their buy-in back. Going out with AA got you cash; winning at showdown with the hammer, busting TP and top 3 finishers also won extra money.

There were 35 people total and I was running great. I usually do well in these anyway, but it's nice to sit top 5 for most of the game. I was able to win the 72o bounty, I played it nice and passively, had to make sure it went to showdown.


PokerStars Tournament game, buy-in $5.00+0.50, Level I $10/$20 No Limit, 8 players
Hand History Converted at http://www.talkingpoker.com/hh

SB: T$1440
BB: T$1440
UTG: T$1910
UTG+1: T$1500
MP1: T$1350
MP2: T$1470
CO: T$1670
HERO (Button): T$2720

SB posts Small Blind T$10
BB posts Big Blind T$20

Pre-flop: 2c 7s (T$30)
UTG calls T$20
UTG+1 folds
MP1 folds
MP2 folds
CO folds
HERO calls T$20
SB folds
BB checks

Flop: 3c 8c 7d ($70)
BB checks
UTG bets T$60
HERO calls T$60
BB calls T$60

Turn: 3c 8c 7d 2h (T$250)
BB checks
UTG bets T$140
HERO calls T$140
BB folds

River: 3c 8c 7d 2h Qs (T$530)
UTG bets T$220
HERO calls T$220

UTG shows 9c 5c
HERO wins T$970 with two pair Sevens and Deuces

It was $20 for that bounty, and I also got a $10 bounty for placing 2nd, then the 2nd place pay out of $42 was quite nice as well. So for a fun game with a few friends from the forum turned out to be quite profitable. I always like that.

I Need to Make a Post

There was a TalkingPoker open on Wednesday that I played in and I need to post the details of how I did, but I'm just not finding the time. July is actually a busy month. I figured I would make this post to remind me to make a real post when I have time.

Finally Some Points

It was poker night again at our place last night. It was a very small turnout, only 9 played. It turned out that most of our regulars had other plans that day, a trip to Jamaica, a Stag and Doe and a White Stripes concert were the main culprits.

As you can tell from the title, I finally made some more league points. I earned a kill for taking out Mike C and was able to finish in 2nd. I'm still only 5th overall in the league though.

The first 3 people out were done before the first orbit was done, none of them even got a ch out.ance to deal. The fourth was shortly after that. Then it was five, for a loooooong time. It wasn't until about the 200/400 blind level or maybe the 150/300 level before anyone else went

I was short most of the game, early on I called Mike down with middle pair, knowing he was capable of betting a weaker hand, turned out he had top pair. I didn't hit too many hands for a while after that. I lost a lot more chips to Tim when I had trips on the turn and a boat on the river, unfortunately I had the J in my hand and he had the Q and the board was QJxJQ. I knew he had probably had the Q, but I couldn't fold my boat.

I was then into push or fold mode. I pushed first with K7o and it was folded to me, next hand, UTG I have KT both of clubs and I push again. Scott looks at me funny and calls. Tim thinks about it but folds and so does the rest of the table. Scott flips his cards and has KK, oh-oh, now I know why the look. I don't remember the exact cards, but it's club, club, non-club, the turn is the another club and I crack the Kings. They are the Kiss of Death. Especially since after a bit more play, Scott is the next one to go out and he was one of the big stacks for most of the game.

Jen goes out on the money and point bubble and it's Mike C, Tim and myself. Mike had been a chip leader early, but had whittle most of his chips away by being in pretty much every pot. I bust him when he pushes on the Button. I'm in the BB with KTo and since Mike was playing every hand, he could have any two cards. When I call, he shows, 34s. When we saw the flop, it didn't look good, he hit both a straight and a flush draw, but it didn't get there. Next hand was Tim and I head's up. He had probably 90% of the chips and the blinds were 250/500. First hand I have A9s, Tim raises so I push as I need to double up to have any chance to win, he calls and shows AJo. Well, neither of us hit and Tim takes another tourney down.

There was a cash game again, but I quickly lost my five bucks with a bad call and went to bed afterwards as I have to work today. The night was fun as always and I'm looking forward to the next one.