Party crashed my tourney

Down to 5 players and the new Party software crashed on us. Got an email from them saying they divided up the prize pool, including all the tourney fees, evenly among the 5 players left. I was in 4th in chips, so I'll take that... the guy with only 150 chips left, less than the BB, got REALLY lucky.

Anyway, that's really just an excuse to post something. Y'all still playing poker out there? I've had a subpar last week myself.

I take this ring...

So, only moments ago, I had a strange urge. This is something I haven't felt in a month and a half. I wasn't sure if I would truly ever feel this way again. Tonight I think I will play a RING game for a while! I am actually excited about playing a ring game?!?! I am sure I will lose it after my first bad beat and want to quit poker again. For now, I'm riding my wave of jubilation until I inevitably crash into the sea of despair. Just thought I would share. Go back to work.

The Kid

So, why is it that my 2 month old LOVES to start screaming uncontrollably when I am down to 5 in a tournament with the blinds at 200-400 and me shortstacked? Sure, I love him, but...arrrrgggghhhhhhhh. I'd trade him for a couple of nickels and a warm pop-tart some days.

Unluckiest Aces Ever

This is a sob story for someone else... I was just an amused observer. Poor guy gets 2 other players all-in with dominated hands, each having only 2 outs after the flop. The first guy hits his 2 outer on the turn, but that's okay, he'll still be up quite a few chips thanks to the second all-in. But uh-oh, the second one hits his 2 outer on the river. Two 2-outers in a row to completely crack his aces. Hehe. Just funny.

jimmyjoejunk shows [ Td, Ts ]
Chrisv46 shows [ 9h, 9d ]
torchhead shows [ Ad, Ah ]

***** Hand History for Game 3587193201 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:20325083 Level:2 Blinds(30/60)

Table Croydon North (Real Money)

Total number of players : 8
Seat 5: GenoG ( $2025 )
Seat 2: torchhead ( $3128 )
Seat 4: Chrisv46 ( $1585 )
Seat 3: lrlr1 ( $1420 )
Seat 1: jimmyjoejunk ( $355 )
Seat 7: SALES7 ( $6582 )
Seat 8: tunabig011 ( $3143 )
Seat 9: OBLIOSPOINT ( $1762 )

** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to lrlr1 [ 9c 5c ]
tunabig011 calls [60].
OBLIOSPOINT folds.
jimmyjoejunk is all-In [355]
torchhead calls [355].
lrlr1 folds.
Chrisv46 calls [355].
GenoG folds.
SALES7 folds.
tunabig011 calls [295].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 6s, 2c, 5d ]
tunabig011 checks.
torchhead bets [232].
Chrisv46 is all-In [1230]
tunabig011 folds.
torchhead calls [998].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Tc ]
** Dealing River ** [ 9s ]
torchhead shows [ Ad, Ah ] a pair of aces.
Chrisv46 shows [ 9h, 9d ] three of a kind, nines.
jimmyjoejunk shows [ Td, Ts ] three of a kind, tens.
Chrisv46 wins 2460 chips from side pot #1 with three of a kind, nines.
jimmyjoejunk wins 1510 chips from the main pot

(True, Aces would have lost all the chips on the river anyway without the Ten on the turn, but that turn really ups the chuckle factor).

Pineapple

We've been playing it wrong.....I want my money back

In pineapple, players are dealt 3 cards instead of two. There is a round of betting. Then the flop comes (3 cards just like hold'em) and there is another round of betting.

However, after the betting after the flop, each player must discard one of their cards, so they are back down to the traditional two cards. Play is then the same as a hold'em game.

Come back, Jack!

Damn, we actually need Abramoff back at work corrupting the legislative process...

U.S. Takes Aim at Online Gambling

Legislation focused on cracking down on the thriving business of online gambling was introduced in Congress this week to tighten existing laws that outlaw the practice in the U.S.

The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, sponsored by Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Rick Boucher (D-VA), would update the U.S. Wire Act, which prohibits gambling over telephone wires, to cover use of the Internet to operate a gambling business.

The bill not only forbids a gambling business from accepting payments made by credit cards and electronic transfers, but also includes an enforcement mechanism to address gambling operations, located offshore, that use bank accounts in the U.S.

"For too long our children have been placed in harm's way as online gambling has been permitted to flourish into a $12 billion industry," Goodlatte said in a statement.

The bill would allow federal, state, local, and tribal law-enforcement officials to seek help from Internet service providers to remove or disable access to Internet gambling sites that violate the act. In addition, the bill would boost the maximum prison term for a violation of the Wire Act to five years from two years.

Similar legislation has been introduced over the years, but has been thwarted consistently by notorious gambling lobbyist Jack Abramoff...

Online gaming company PartyGaming, which operates PartyPoker.com and StarluckCasino.com, has said that state and local laws that prohibit or restrict online gaming and related services are a violation of the "dormant commerce clause" of the U.S. Constitution, which provides that state and local regulation of interstate activities is an impermissible restriction on interstate commerce.

The BBC has reported that the new legislation could run afoul of a World Trade Organization ruling last August that the U.S. cannot block offshore online gambling sites.

Party Poker: More Than Just a Facelift.

So, I log onto Party tonight to find that the program needs an update. A few minutes later I log onto a $10 tourn and what do I find? Party is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. First my chipstack is at 2000 chips?!?! Wha-? Last night it was 800 starting chips and now 2000! This foils my whole strategy. Next I notice blinds start at 20/40. This evens things out a little since before blinds started w/ 5/10 (I think). But, wait! Levels now increase every 10 minutes! Wha-? Am I going to have to play POKER now? Does this ruin my whole strategy? What will happen? Lucky, the idiots are still there. Let's see what happens next, shall we?

$10 to $500

So, since Absolute seems to be giving me money to come back and play I have decided to test my poker playing skills. I have $10 donated by Absolute. How long will it take me to turn that $10 into $500? Using the same bankroll management that I am currently employing on Party (where I have turned a free $10 from October into $290 so far) I hope to make it to $500 by the end of the year. This will be my technique: starting at the 50 cent tournaments, I will move up a level whenever I get 25x the buy-in for that level. Thus, I will move to the $1.00 + $.15 as soon as I have $28.75. I will move to the $2.00 + $.20 as soon as my BR reaches $55, and so on. If my BR ever falls below 20x buy-in for the level I am playing I will move down. Therefore, if I am playing the $2.00 tourns and have a bad stretch resulting in my BR falling to below $44 I will move down to the $1 tourns until I can get it above $55 again. This method will make the going slow, but it should also keep me from going broke.

So far, I have 3 tourns finished and am down about 45 cents. I can come back. I can do it. My baby needs diapers.

I love Party yes I do, I love Party how about you? (plus link)

Last 4 SNGs, all played on Party: 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 1st. Back into positive territory on SNGs for the month now.

Link for the forum on shorthanded limit play.

I'd start with the "new posters please read" link stuck second to the top.

This opening chart is very useful.

You have really got to be fucking kidding me.

Getting Hand History Information...----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #11533447-9658 at Port Orange ($.05/$.10 Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBetStarted at 13/Feb/06 23:03:45
pokefish is at seat 1 with $3.58.
Hassenfeffer is at seat 2 with $4.95.
janebuck is at seat 3 with $4.03.
pattersonak1 is at seat 5 with $.60.
dixiecup is at seat 6 with $1.98.
JPnet is at seat 8 with $6.16.
Amix1th is at seat 9 with $5.51.
The button is at seat 5.
dixiecup posts the small blind of $.02.
JPnet posts the big blind of $.05.
pokefish: -- --
Hassenfeffer: Ah Tc
janebuck: -- --
pattersonak1: -- --
dixiecup: -- --
JPnet: -- --
Amix1th: -- --

Pre-flop:
Amix1th folds.
pokefish folds.
Hassenfeffer calls.
janebuck folds.
pattersonak1 raises to $.10. [no biggie, he usually does]
dixiecup folds.
JPnet folds.
Hassenfeffer calls.

Flop (board: 4d 3s Th):
Hassenfeffer bets $.05.
pattersonak1 raises to $.10.
Hassenfeffer calls.

Turn (board: 4d 3s Th Jd):
Hassenfeffer bets $.10.
pattersonak1 raises to $.20.
Hassenfeffer calls.

River (board: 4d 3s Th Jd Qd):
Hassenfeffer checks.
pattersonak1 bets $.10.
Hassenfeffer calls.

Showdown: pattersonak1 shows 3c Qc.
pattersonak1 has 3c Qc 3s Jd Qd: two pair, queens and threes.
Hassenfeffer mucks cards.
(Hassenfeffer has Ah Tc.)
Hand #11533447-9658 Summary:
$.05 is raked from a pot of $1.07.
pattersonak1 wins $1.02 with two pair, queens and threes.

what a dumb lucky stupid fucker

You Pick Up Iron Spikes (27)

Fr0man might get the title of this.

Anyway, here are the results of my first five $5 10-seat SNGS ever.

7th, 8th, 1st, 4th, 3rd

So, I feel pretty good about that. If my math is correct, that is a $7.50 profit or $1.50 per tourney. I realize that this sampling is no where near representative but it does boost the old confidence.

I also played a 30 seat SNG and placed two spots out of the money. That hurt.

My BR is only up a tiny bit since lat post but that is because I am losing overall on the 6-Max .5/.10 ring games. I need to find a better way to clear out my bonus. Any suggestions?

Damn Internet!

So, I'm playing a 5.00 tourney with BJ last night...and I'm kicking butt. I have about 7,500 chips with about 5 left when I lose my connection. Second time on UB this has happened in a similar situation. Of course, I couldn't get back on for an hour. By then, it was way over. I emailed UB for a hand history, I found out I came in 3rd. I'm sure the last 2 guys just waited me out before they actually started to play heads up. Looking back at the hands I had to fold was terrible. I had AK and AQ about 5 times, QQ for the 4th time in the tourney, and my old friend JJ showed up...though I'm sure I would have lost a ton with it anyway.

I guess I can be happy I wasn't playing a 10.00 or a 20.00..but that's all I can be happy about, really.

2 brilliant hands wasted

Played 2 SNGs tonight. First one in level 3 I hit a royal flush and double up. I believe this was my first ever royal flush. Finally. But I end up finishing in 4th nonetheless.

Second tourney I call a minimum raise in level 2 with 33 against what turns out to be AA. The board comes down A33xx. I win a really big pot as you can imagine. I had over 5,000 chips at one point. But no good... I end up 4th again with some unlucky hands later, while other players conversely get lucky and avoid going out before me.

Poker is a mean mistress.

Books

I've just visited Amazon armed with my $75 gc from poker source online (thanks to Shane for the heads up about them). After buying gifts for my wife, I bought myself these:

A value at only $9.95, it is about the only book I can find in existence that is recommended on twoplustwo.com for its section on 6-handed limit HE play. Most books hardly address the shorthanded game, yet it is very popular online. I'm doing well in my ~ 2 week experiment with playing it, up about $35 this month so far playing it at the .10/.25 level, which makes up for being down this past week at SNGs. I never did this well at full table limit. I plan to see if I can carve out another successful poker niche here.

Apart from its attention grabbing title and cover, this $16.50 book which came out last October is getting a lot of buzz on twoplustwo. The general theory seems to be making use of big bets and all-in moves, eliminating many tough decisions that come after the flop and therefore helping more novice players compete with tough players in big tournaments. In SNGs, especially the ones structured like on Party and Empire where much of the tourney after levels 1-2 is about all-in moves and when to make them and with what cards, this book may be a nice help. I know I struggle some in knowing when to push all-in preflop and with what cards I need to do it in a certain spot, so that's why I'm picking this book up. It's probably of less use in SNGs structured like UB where you have bigger stacks and more time, unless you figure yourself to not be as good as the other players.

Favorite hand of the night

I'm up against the table's loud-mouthed overconfident 15 year old. He is not a good player. I'll go ahead and lay out our pockets before the rest of the hand. The flop, turn, and river were each delicious. The turn only in retrospect.

ARKYV: Jh 10d
BARBAROS: Js 5s

Holdem Single Tournament No Limit

Seat 1 - MACDOO ($1235 in chips)
Seat 2 - ARKYV ($2015 in chips)
Seat 4 - BARBAROS ($3235 in chips)
Seat 5 - UCPLAYER27 ($975 in chips)
Seat 6 - SPARK1 ($1022.50 in chips)
Seat 7 - MIGHTYMIKE26 ($4275 in chips)
Seat 8 - HENRYHILL22 ($742.50 in chips)
ARKYV - Posts small blind $75
BARBAROS - Posts big blind $150
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to ARKYV [Jh 10d]
UCPLAYER27 - Folds
SPARK1 - Folds
MIGHTYMIKE26 - Folds
HENRYHILL22 - Folds
MACDOO - Folds
ARKYV - Calls $75
BARBAROS - Checks
*** FLOP *** [Jc 7d 6c]
ARKYV - Checks
BARBAROS - Bets $150
ARKYV - Raises $450 to $450
BARBAROS - All-In(Raise) $2935 to $3085
ARKYV - All-In $1415
BARBAROS - returned ($1220) : not called
*** TURN *** [Jc 7d 6c] [5c]
*** RIVER *** [Jc 7d 6c 5c] [7c]

BARBAROS: "hah"
BARBAROS: "buh bye"

*** SHOW DOWN ***
ARKYV - Shows [Jh 10d] (Two Pairs, jacks and sevens)
BARBAROS - Shows [Js 5s] (Two Pairs, jacks and sevens)
ARKYV Collects $4030 from main pot

BARBAROS: "what???"
BARBAROS: "omfg. I had you!"

Two Words. "Boo" "Yah"

Feburary 3rd 2006 was the opening of the Chez Parson Open (hereforth referred to as the CPO). I am happy to report that I was able to take down the competition and pocket the championship purse of $15! There were 5 total entrants putting in a total of $5 each to play in this high-profile, stressfull tournament. Second place went to non other than Danger Q himself, bringing in a respectable $10 purse. The host of the tournament finished on the bubble. Arky V finished 4th. Newcomer Doc Juan was the first to bust.

Announcements will be made when the next round of the CPO is scheduled (when Katie, aka The Poker Widow, says it is alright for us to come play at her house again).

Right move?

This is from several days ago... one of my 0-fer-7 streak. Middle stages, 6 players left, I'm 4th in chips. Make 3xBB raise from UTG+1. Get raised to a total of 7xBB.

Holdem Single Tournament No Limit

Seat 2 - ARKYV ($1860 in chips)
Seat 3 - CRL_HND_LUKE ($1425 in chips)
Seat 4 - GRANTGEBHART ($5295 in chips)
Seat 5 - DRBOMBAY ($2190 in chips)
Seat 7 - LOTTALUCK ($2040 in chips)
Seat 9 - USC_AGAIN ($690 in chips)
DRBOMBAY - Posts small blind $100
LOTTALUCK - Posts big blind $200
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to ARKYV [As Jh]
USC_AGAIN - Folds
ARKYV - Raises $600 to $600
CRL_HND_LUKE - Raises $1400 to $1400
GRANTGEBHART - Folds
DRBOMBAY - Folds
LOTTALUCK - Folds
ARKYV - All-In(Raise) $1260 to $1860
CRL_HND_LUKE - All-In $25
ARKYV - returned ($435) : not called
*** FLOP *** [2s Jd Ks]
*** TURN *** [2s Jd Ks] [5c]
*** RIVER *** [2s Jd Ks 5c] [Qs]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ARKYV - Shows [As Jh] (One pair, jacks)
CRL_HND_LUKE - Shows [Qd Qh] (Three of a kind, queens)
CRL_HND_LUKE Collects $3150 from main pot

Is AJo good enough to get into a preflop confrontation for almost all my chips at this point? If I fold I'm down to 1260 with the BB at 200... about enough room to still do something.