May 5, 2008 Cash is definitely the way to go

After my insane run on SNGs that netted me about $650 on Full Tilt, the last 2 months have blown pretty much. I cashed a lot of my roll out a little while back, and I was left with about $450 between FT and PS.

On PS, I have been focusing on large MTTs, of which they have plenty. I ran pretty deep in one of their $3 rebuy donkey tourneys, and made a couple of final tables, but no significant cash to speak of. Hours and hours of play (probably in upwards of 60) left me with $200 or so of profit. Ghey.

Anyways, recently, I have been focusing on cash games. My neighbor is a serious poker addict/enthusiast, and he and I have been hanging out lately discussing strategy. He used to be big in the tourneys as well, but has come over to the side of cash games, and has been taking lessons from so guy in the US, and 3-tabling 6-man 200NL for the last month and is up about $7k. I have been sitting in on his lessons a little bit, taking in some strategy, leaning a little more about cash games.

They are both huge proponents now of 6-max cash games – more thought, more action, you are in an action spot in 5 out your 6 hands dealt, and you are always having to do something. I was always a full ring kind of guy – pretty boring, fold a lot of hands, wait for monster, shove with huge hands on donks that seem to call with anything.

Anyways, after recently listening in on these guys a few times, I have taken my strategy to the virtual felt with some good results. Considering I only had $230 on FT, jumping on 2 tables of 6-max 100NL was probably not good bankroll-wise, but I definitely don’t want to go down levels just because I cashed out. I can always deposit more.

Here are a few good hands from my recent play:

Full Tilt Poker Game #6299021944: Table Belmont (6 max) - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 15:52:50 ET - 2008/05/05
Seat 1: hobiejuan1 ($108.65)
Seat 2: thats how i do ($225.80), is sitting out
Seat 3: PJS JR ($100.20)
Seat 4: TkeNoPrisnrs ($104.15)
Seat 5: muddogaces ($119.85)
Seat 6: smileagain ($103.50)
muddogaces posts the small blind of $0.50
smileagain posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR [3d 3s]
hobiejuan1 raises to $3.50
PJS JR calls $3.50
3 folds
*** FLOP *** [Qd Qs 3c] BOOM!!!
hobiejuan1 checks
PJS JR checks
*** TURN *** [Qd Qs 3c] [4s]
hobiejuan1 bets $7
PJS JR raises to $19
hobiejuan1 raises to $105.15, and is all in
PJS JR calls $77.70, and is all in
hobiejuan1 shows [Qc Kc]
PJS JR shows [3d 3s]
Uncalled bet of $8.45 returned to hobiejuan1
*** RIVER *** [Qd Qs 3c 4s] [8d]
hobiejuan1 shows three of a kind, Queens
PJS JR shows a full house, Threes full of Queens
PJS JR wins the pot ($198.90) with a full house, Threes full of Queens
hobiejuan1 adds $91.55
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $201.90 | Rake $3

A sweet flop that was, trips for the villain, FH for me. Pretty much ideal. Tough to not win money on that flop. That table shut down, and I hopped on a different one. Still, some good results…

Full Tilt Poker Game #6298948432: Table Yardley (6 max) - $0.50/$1
Seat 1: als47140 ($22)
Seat 2: DonSeppone1 ($100.85)
Seat 3: Septs ($113.10)
Seat 4: PJS JR ($111.25)
Seat 5: argir2000 ($93.35)
Seat 6: Curtules ($52)
DonSeppone1 posts the small blind of $0.50
Septs posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR [Kd Qd]
PJS JR calls $1
argir2000 raises to $4
4 folds
PJS JR calls $3
*** FLOP *** [Kc 4c 3c]
PJS JR checks
argir2000 bets $7
PJS JR calls $7
*** TURN *** [Kc 4c 3c] [6s]
PJS JR checks
argir2000 has 15 seconds left to act
argir2000 checks
*** RIVER *** [Kc 4c 3c 6s] [2s]
PJS JR checks
argir2000 bets $12
PJS JR calls $12
*** SHOW DOWN ***
argir2000 shows [9s 9h] a pair of Nines
PJS JR shows [Kd Qd] a pair of Kings
PJS JR wins the pot ($45.15) with a pair of Kings
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $47.50 | Rake $2.35


Full Tilt Poker Game #6298886610: Table Nevada (6 max) - $0.50/$1
Seat 1: T3ddyP1ck3r ($103.35)
Seat 2: TkeNoPrisnrs ($102.50)
Seat 3: guil_f ($110.80)
Seat 4: ContiBert ($103.65)
Seat 5: PJS JR ($114)
Seat 6: Niether12 ($100)
T3ddyP1ck3r posts the small blind of $0.50
TkeNoPrisnrs posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PJS JR [3s As]
2 folds
PJS JR raises to $3
Niether12 calls $3
T3ddyP1ck3r calls $2.50
TkeNoPrisnrs calls $2
*** FLOP *** [Ac Td 3h] BOOM!
T3ddyP1ck3r checks
TkeNoPrisnrs checks
PJS JR bets $8
Niether12 folds
T3ddyP1ck3r calls $8
TkeNoPrisnrs folds
*** TURN *** [Ac Td 3h] [Kc]
T3ddyP1ck3r checks
PJS JR bets $13
T3ddyP1ck3r has 15 seconds left to act
T3ddyP1ck3r calls $13
*** RIVER *** [Ac Td 3h Kc] [8h]
T3ddyP1ck3r checks
PJS JR checks (Did I miss a value bet there? AK and AT were certainly possibilities, and I was not sure if I was still ahead.)
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PJS JR shows [3s As] two pair, Aces and Threes
T3ddyP1ck3r mucks
PJS JR wins the pot ($51.30) with two pair, Aces and Threes
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $54 | Rake $2.70

I don’t know if I am doing anything differently or better, but between these hands, and one from my previous session that I can’t find the HH to, (standard raise, re-raise preflop, I had QQ, he had KK, Q flops, we get all the money in, +$100 hand for me) I am up about $275 in about 4 hours of play. I mean, Why have I been screwing around so long with SNGs and MTTs? Not quite sure.

Anyways, I have the roll up to about $800 now, up $350 since I cashed out. Hope we can keep this going.

Good luck everyone, be back again soon.

Ryan