State of affairs…

Well, things are better now. A lot of soul searching, underwear drawer cleaning and gut-wrenching conversations later, things are a lot better. I look back on the last week and wonder what happened, complain about feeling like crap, fighting with my wife too much, being annoyed about a lot of things. Then I sit back and look at my life, being blessed with a beautiful, hard-working wife, 3 lovely children, a great job, some really great friends, and the God-given freedom as a Canadian to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and have enough money to do it with.

I live in a place, just like any other place, but one with poverty, people living on $15 a day or less, living in wooden shacks, houses that have garbage bags as roofs, and here I am, a guy making a high 5-figure salary, and having all he could ask for, and I am here complaining. Quite sad really.

Anyways, I have made some short and long-term goals, not the least of which is to appreciate life, enjoy it, get organized, respect myself and my house, the people that live in it, and wake up with a smile every morning. I don’t think that is too much to ask given my circumstances.

On to poker…

My only young Canadian neighbor of mine has taken me in 3 of the last 6 nights, and we have been talking SNGs. I have been really disappointed at my SNG play lately. Whenever I am, I go see him for some pick-me-ups, and some sound advice. He has been playing of Cake Poker recently, and is up about $5k on that site in the last month playing $50-75 SNGs.

Last night, we talked strategy, watch a couple of PokerXfactor videos, emphasizing the need to be very patient early, and whether you are playing a regular or a turbo SNG, that the ability to fold almost every hand in the first 2-3 levels. That is, unless you get a really good hand. I was looking back at some of my recent HHs, and I was noticing that I was seeing 30-35% of flops in the first 2 levels, with the theory of, “seeing flops is pretty cheap – maybe I can see one with 75suited and get lucky.” You see 8-10 flops early on and don’t get lucky, you’ve drained 20-30% of your chips unnecessarily.

So, with my refreshed knowledge intact, I set out to play some SNGs last night, and fared pretty well. Here are some hands from the last SNG I played, indicating a) how bad the play was, b) How people raise the wrong amounts at the wrong times, and c) Play ABC poker at SNGs of this level, I would say at least to the $25 level. That is as high as I have played, and it is ABC poker all the way up to that level for sure.

Hand #1: A perfect example of needing to have the ability to lay down hands when you don’t hit, especially early on in the first 2 levels.
PokerStars Game #17046477177: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2008/04/28 - 01:15:42 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (1450 in chips)
Seat 2: feeliner (2770 in chips)
Seat 3: shoemaker58 (1620 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (1310 in chips)
Seat 5: ace of dingo (850 in chips)
Seat 6: wu-tok-tak (1000 in chips)
wu-tok-tak: posts small blind 15
PJS JR.: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [4s Jh]
feeliner: raises 60 to 90
shoemaker58: raises 150 to 240 Fine, he is trying to steal
4 folds
feeliner: calls 150 UTG raise and flat call – probably pretty strong
*** FLOP *** [7c 9s 5h]
feeliner: checks
shoemaker58: bets 450
feeliner: raises 450 to 900 Time for shoemaker to fold
shoemaker58: calls 450 Oh, but he doesn’t
*** TURN *** [7c 9s 5h] [2c]
feeliner: bets 480
shoemaker58: calls 480 and is all-in WTF?? Gets it all in with an overcard draw – sweet!
*** RIVER *** [7c 9s 5h 2c] [2d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
feeliner: shows [Jc Js] (two pair, Jacks and Deuces)
shoemaker58: shows [Ad Qc] (a pair of Deuces)
feeliner collected 3285 from pot

Hand #2 – same SNG
WTF is up with this hand…
PokerStars Game #17046514857: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2008/04/28 - 01:18:42 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (1405 in chips) - Still haven’t seen a flop – 17 hands into the SNG
Seat 2: feeliner (4390 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (1850 in chips)
Seat 5: ace of dingo (850 in chips)
Seat 6: wu-tok-tak (505 in chips)
marilynjoy: posts small blind 25
ace of dingo: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [4h 3d]
3 folds
marilynjoy: raises 800 to 850
ace of dingo: folds
marilynjoy collected 100 from pot
Well played Marilyn – nice sized raise there.

Hand #3:

PokerStars Game #17046518714: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2008/04/28 - 01:19:01 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (1405 in chips)
Seat 2: feeliner (4390 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (1900 in chips)
Seat 5: ace of dingo (800 in chips)
Seat 6: wu-tok-tak (505 in chips)
ace of dingo: posts small blind 25
wu-tok-tak: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [6d 9d]
PJS JR.: folds
feeliner: raises 75 to 125
2 folds
wu-tok-tak: calls 75
*** FLOP *** [Jc 8c 2d]
wu-tok-tak: checks
feeliner: bets 50 Weak bet…
wu-tok-tak: calls 50 Probably on a draw – getting about 6:1 on the call.
*** TURN *** [Jc 8c 2d] [Ad]
wu-tok-tak: bets 330 and is all-in
feeliner: calls 330 Obviously hit his draw…
*** RIVER *** [Jc 8c 2d Ad] [Ks]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
wu-tok-tak: shows [Kc Ah] (two pair, Aces and Kings)
feeliner: shows [Qc Qs] (a pair of Queens) Crappy bet on flop cost him the hand.
wu-tok-tak collected 1035 from pot

Hand #4: My first winning hand of the SNG

PokerStars Game #17046524862: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2008/04/28 - 01:19:31 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (1405 in chips)
Seat 2: feeliner (3885 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (1900 in chips)
Seat 5: ace of dingo (775 in chips)
Seat 6: wu-tok-tak (1035 in chips)
wu-tok-tak: posts small blind 25
PJS JR.: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [As 9s]
4 folds
PJS JR. collected 50 from pot
Sweet…..
On we go a little later in the match…

Hand #5:

PokerStars Game #17046527925: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2008/04/28 - 01:19:46 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (1430 in chips)
Seat 2: feeliner (3885 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (1900 in chips)
Seat 5: ace of dingo (775 in chips)
Seat 6: wu-tok-tak (1010 in chips)
PJS JR.: posts small blind 25
feeliner: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [9d 5s]
marilynjoy: raises 50 to 100
ace of dingo: calls 100
wu-tok-tak: raises 910 to 1010 and is all-in
PJS JR.: folds
feeliner: folds
marilynjoy: folds
ace of dingo: folds
wu-tok-tak collected 375 from pot
wu-tok-tak: shows [Ah As] (a pair of Aces) I don’t understand why he raised all-in there. Probably a raise to 350-400 chips would have sufficed, and may have kept one of the other guys in the pot. A waste of a good hand really.

Hand #6:
PokerStars Game #17046556028: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2008/04/28 - 01:22:03 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (1405 in chips)
Seat 2: feeliner (4010 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (1800 in chips)
Seat 5: ace of dingo (600 in chips)
Seat 6: wu-tok-tak (1185 in chips)
wu-tok-tak: posts small blind 25
PJS JR.: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [Ac Kh]
feeliner: raises 150 to 200
3 folds
PJS JR.: raises 1205 to 1405 and is all-in
feeliner: calls 1205
*** FLOP *** [4s 7d 3d]
*** TURN *** [4s 7d 3d] [8h]
*** RIVER *** [4s 7d 3d 8h] [6c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PJS JR.: shows [Ac Kh] (high card Ace)
feeliner: shows [Tc Qd] (high card Queen)
PJS JR. collected 2835 from pot
I know he was the big stack, but no need to throw away 1/3 of your chips with QT at this stage of the game.

Hand #7: Funniest hand of the tournament
PokerStars Game #17046589930: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/04/28 - 01:24:51 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (2710 in chips)
Seat 2: feeliner (2680 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (1775 in chips)
Seat 5: ace of dingo (525 in chips)
Seat 6: wu-tok-tak (1310 in chips)
PJS JR.: posts small blind 50
feeliner: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [2s 6c]
marilynjoy: calls 100
ace of dingo: folds
wu-tok-tak: calls 100
PJS JR.: folds
feeliner: checks
*** FLOP *** [5d Td Ad]
feeliner: checks
marilynjoy: bets 500
wu-tok-tak: calls 500
feeliner: raises 2080 to 2580 and is all-in
marilynjoy: calls 1175 and is all-in
wu-tok-tak: calls 710 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [5d Td Ad] [Ac]
*** RIVER *** [5d Td Ad Ac] [5c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
feeliner: shows [7d 2h] (two pair, Aces and Fives) raises all-in with nothing
marilynjoy: shows [Ah As] (four of a kind, Aces) LOL – she is just salivating with this action
marilynjoy collected 930 from side pot
wu-tok-tak: shows [Kd Th] (two pair, Aces and Tens) calls with middle pair
marilynjoy collected 3980 from main pot

What the hell were those guys thinking, to me, it’s just unnecessary to be trying to pull these moves that obviously don’t work at these SNG levels.

After one of the short stacks pushes with QT and gets called by AK, this shitty hand happens.
Hand #8:
PokerStars Game #17046634424: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/04/28 - 01:28:36 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (2510 in chips)
Seat 2: feeliner (1105 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (5385 in chips)
marilynjoy: posts small blind 75
PJS JR.: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [6d 8h]
feeliner: folds
marilynjoy: calls 75
PJS JR.: checks
*** FLOP *** [8d 6h Js]
marilynjoy: bets 300
PJS JR.: calls 300
*** TURN *** [8d 6h Js] [Td]
marilynjoy: checks
PJS JR.: bets 600 go away already!!
marilynjoy: calls 600
*** RIVER *** [8d 6h Js Td] [Jd]
marilynjoy: checks
PJS JR.: checks shitty river – I check
*** SHOW DOWN ***
marilynjoy: shows [4d 5d] (a flush, Jack high) of course…
PJS JR.: mucks hand
marilynjoy collected 2100 from pot

Hand #9: Time to make the money.
PokerStars Game #17046667308: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/04/28 - 01:31:25 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (1385 in chips)
Seat 2: feeliner (560 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (7055 in chips)
marilynjoy: posts small blind 75
PJS JR.: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [8s 9s]
feeliner: raises 410 to 560 and is all-in
marilynjoy: folds
PJS JR.: calls 410 Suited connectors, gotta call and knock this guy out.
*** FLOP *** [8d 9d Ts]
*** TURN *** [8d 9d Ts] [Kc]
*** RIVER *** [8d 9d Ts Kc] [8h] Weeeeee!!!
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PJS JR.: shows [8s 9s] (a full house, Eights full of Nines)
feeliner: shows [Ac 3h] (a pair of Eights)
PJS JR. collected 1195 from pot

Doesn’t take long to win this thing outright:

PokerStars Game #17046675278: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/04/28 - 01:32:00 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (2095 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (6905 in chips)
PJS JR.: posts small blind 75
marilynjoy: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [Jh Ah]
PJS JR.: raises 1945 to 2095 and is all-in
marilynjoy: calls 1945
*** FLOP *** [8d Js 3s]
*** TURN *** [8d Js 3s] [Qh]
*** RIVER *** [8d Js 3s Qh] [5d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
marilynjoy: shows [4s 4c] (a pair of Fours)
PJS JR.: shows [Jh Ah] (a pair of Jacks)
PJS JR. collected 4190 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4190 | Rake 0
Board [8d Js 3s Qh 5d]
Seat 1: PJS JR. (button) (small blind) showed [Jh Ah] and won (4190) with a pair of Jacks
Seat 4: marilynjoy (big blind) showed [4s 4c] and lost with a pair of Fours

And then the finishing blow, after a few blind steals:

PokerStars Game #17046740334: Tournament #86378639, $12+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2008/04/28 - 01:37:19 (ET)
Table '86378639 1' 6-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: PJS JR. (7090 in chips)
Seat 4: marilynjoy (1910 in chips)
PJS JR.: posts small blind 100
marilynjoy: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR. [Kc Qh]
PJS JR.: raises 2600 to 2800
marilynjoy: calls 1710 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [Qd 5s 9s]
*** TURN *** [Qd 5s 9s] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [Qd 5s 9s 6d] [7d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
marilynjoy: shows [As 2s] (high card Ace)
PJS JR.: shows [Kc Qh] (a pair of Queens)
PJS JR. collected 3820 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3820 | Rake 0
Board [Qd 5s 9s 6d 7d]
Seat 1: PJS JR. (button) (small blind) showed [Kc Qh] and won (3820) with a pair of Queens
Seat 4: marilynjoy (big blind) showed [As 2s] and lost with high card Ace

Anyways, I never really put myself in danger with any shitty hands, and played standard, ABC poker. And that is what it takes to win these things. A little luck doesn’t hurt either. :D

Anyways, off I go, gotta work a little more before I get home.

Talk to you all soon.

Ryan