Happy Holidays

Me and my girls are packing and heading west for the holidays. So poker will be at a minumum for the next few weeks, although I suspect I'll sneak a few games here and there as I am packing the netbook. If all goes as plan, I should be making at least 1 trip to Commerce with my brother in law, and that will be a blast as usual.

Until I get back, here's hoping you all have a great holiday season, and good luck as always on the virtual felt!

2BA

16K FT

2BA

Yuk

I've made several final 2 table runs in the last couple of days, but the tides have turned somewhat, as Ive been cracked pretty hard both times. There is such a fine line......

2BA

Why not?

I took a look at the lobby, and I have about 70% of all the currently signed up players color coded. It's not pretty. I know I've been running good, but probably will pull the 1K, as I would be a huge dog in this field.

2BA

Closer

I satellited into the 750K yesterday, and managed a nice 4 figure cash:

I got a little over anxious with AT going over the top of a late position raiser. I figured him for a steal, and unfortunately he showed me AJ.

In a little better news, I also just finished getting 3rd in this event:

I got funky with JJ, and slow played myself into 3rd place:

Oh well, I wanted action and I got it.

2BA

This one stung

I will go over the last 3 tables hand history, and review some of my hand decision, which I'm sure I most certainly did make some wrong decisions. But I just can't believe my luck when it matters as I've blogged in the past.

With 3 tables remaining I get AA (red ones no less), and I'm sitting on about 1.8M. A 800K stack shoves, I shove and he shows me A7 off. The board goes runner's on the Turn & River to fill the gutter formed on the Turn. I counted my chickens before they hatched and got burned, as I looked real quick where that 'win' would put me (2nd).

I didn't once glance however at the payouts. I didn't want that to influence any of my decisions. When we finally hit the Final Table bubble, I had a little over 3M but was the short stack. But my real misfortune came when the software moved me when we got to 10, to balance tables, and placed me to the immediate right of the two largest stack, one had 13M the other 9M.

That really sucked, since for about the next few orbits, I didn't get a hand better than 7 high. That is no joke. In fact, I was dealt 62 4 hands straight at one point. That forced me to bluff raise all in to just stay afloat at least once every few orbits.

In the end, I got what was the best hand I had recieved since being moved to that last table, K9. I shoved, and the SB woke up with 99 and that was it as I couldn't hit.

I was into this tournament for a whopping 20 bucks. I had signed in late, and only noticed late registration on a whim, as I happen to see the announcement in the chat as I was playing a heads up sit n go.

Still stinging a bit this morning, but I'll get over it.

2BA

HOTD

Brought to you by DQB!

2BA

AJ out...Kara in!

I missed this nugget about AJ Benza getting the boot off high stakes poker. I think this season just got better..... poker wise of course!

Feb 14 will be this season's kickoff date.

2BA

Satellite win with a chip and a chair

Achieving this was a pretty cool streak of luck and skill obviously, since I was down to the felt after this hand:

Not bad...I had already won an entry, so this got turned to T$. Now lets see if I can run good in the big one.

2BA

MTT's

I get alot more emails to the gmail account I have posted on my blog than I do in the comments for some reason. But be that as it may, I've had a bunch of you asking me a bunch of things, lately many about my latest streak of FT's in MTT's. Although I haven't won, it certainly has been a very nice streak to make it deep in as many MTT"s as I have lately. But here goes a few responses to your questions in no particular order.

I keep the blog as a journal for myself primarily, and of course for anyone out there who cares to follow along with my poker playing. I shy away from actual poker content and strategies not because I hold some valuable insider secrets, but mostly because what works for me, is what I've learned works for me through playing countless amounts of tournaments, and may not work for you. Nothing takes the place of experience, although discussion of poker hands, strategies, etc is also a good thing, and perhaps at some point, maybe I'll start posting some.

Playing MTT's is really fun for me, and yes, I do mean that, despite the fact the reality is that to be a truly profitable MTT player, is a very difficult thing to do. The real money is in the cash games, if that's what your goal is. I see MTT's more like a chess game. The decision's that one has to make through the course of any MTT are numerous. The best you can try, is to make the right choices, but as we all know, even when you do, things can go very wrong. But that is where the fun really comes from for me, despite the frustrations, which almost makes it sadistic in a way, but it's just the nature of this game.

The navigation through the field is what I enjoy the most, and I don't take the same route each time I play. That's the beauty of the game. It's like asking a golfer, how far he can hit a 7 iron. That has no simple answer, and neither does poker. What's the best approach to play an MTT has numerous answers, and many will be just fine to do. I think that if you play the tight early, and loosen up in the middle style, it has no plus/minus advantage over the guy who does just the opposite, or has some other style. The bottom line is that any style will work, as long as you are a good decision maker. In order to become a good decision maker, that takes alot of time to learn and master. And with that mastery, comes the understanding of the subtleties of the game, that helps you get to the next level. I don't profess to understand them all, I'm continuing to learn and develop myself.

I pretty much stay at the $26 MTT"s because it allows me the freedom of pulling whichever road map style I feel, and giving it a go. I have a more limited road map as the buy-ins go higher, but I don't usually play those unless I satellite in. The Sunday $200 is about as high as I'll go online, and I use to play that one alot more than I do so today.

As for this latest run of FT's that I've had, well that's just probably more of being on the right side of variance than anything else. Although I'm still waiting for the real aspect of variance to kick in, and hopefully that will happen sooner, rather than later.

Thanks for the questions, and sorry I don't respond as timely as I should.

Good luck as always on the virtual felt!

2BA

Same old story......

I need for Joe Cada to put out an instructional video on how to suck out. That seems to be my biggest leak right now. My opponents all have a huge edge on me, and I can't seem to overcome when it counts.

Case in point...down to 2 tables, I need to come from behind....but fall short:

Obviously, winning that flip would have put me in great shape going into the FT.

Then at the final table, I get it in real good against this dufus, but he had 'the skill' obv:

(Big gigantic SIGH!!!)

2BA

Durrrr knows how to lay em down!!! Enjoy!

2BA

Chopped it

Heads up he had me about 4:1, but I managed to get back to even and then even took the lead. At that point we did a straight chips chop. The blinds were way up there, and would have been a crap shoot anyway.

2BA

Serenity Now!!!!!

Serenity Now!!!!!!

2BA

Isildur1 Revealed

I made this post on Isildur1 a week ago, and now his ID has been revealed. Here you go...source is here:

Viktor Blom is a 20 year old poker pro from Sweden. Viktor started playing poker under the screen name of blom90 on the Ipoker network. Viktor Blom is alleged to have deposited $2000.00 and ran it up to $1.5 million in 2 weeks with his hyper aggressive style. He was 18 when he first did this and is now around 20 years old. Viktor Blom was nominated in the Scandinavian Poker Awards for rookie of the year in 2008.

2BA

Rats again!

I just can't seem to finish one of these off! This is really pissing me off! Argh!!!!!

2BA

2 outing the 2 outer

And this my cyber friends, is the difference between getting in contention in a MTT, and getting the big BOOT!

First, your happy you got a big hand.......then that goes to hell when you see your utterly CRUSHED....but then a moment of extreme happiness as the elusive 2 outer hits.....but ohhhhhhhhhh the pain of that resuck 2 outer!

Poker gods....why so cruel???

2BA

Crackalicious!

2BA

Isildur1 is a sick player!!!

A new unknown High Stakes poker pro is making some serious noise on Fulltilt. Over the weekend, Isildur1 played what is currently the biggest pot in online poker cash game history. Here's the link:

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2009/11/patrik-antonius-and-isildur1-play-largest-ever-online-pot-at-7575.htm

Pretty damn sick!

I watched him play another 4 table session with Patrick Antonius last night, and he was owning him pretty big. However, it looks like Patrick made a comeback early this morning. So the real question here is whether or not Isildur1 is the real deal or not? He's had some huge wins, but has also had huge losses. He was a 5Million dollar winner a week ago on FT, but now, it looks like he's lost a good chunk of that. Seems his biggest wins came against Tom "Durrrr" Dwan, where the rumor is that he busted Durrr's bankroll on FT.

Time will tell if he is the real or not, and by the speeds he's going at, that may be sooner than later.

In other less interesting news, I had another deep run, but fell short of the prize again:

2BA

How Serendipitous!!

I don't even know if that's a proper use of that word.....but it came to mind!

2BA

27K Final Table

I took some hideous beats again late in the tournament, but somehow managed to claw back and make the Final Table. In the end, I shoved 15 BB's into the BB with KJ, and she/he called with A9 which held.

I also ran deep in the 35K:

2BA

Rockets suck!!!

And for your viewing pleasure......the knockout hand, featuring everyone's favorite big pair:

*Update - Honeypumpkin won the tournament.....the lucksack!

2BA

Inchin up the ladder

Maybe the next FT I make, I can actually take down.

This was a fun hand:

2BA

Argh!!!

All the money went in on the flop......c'est la poker vie!

2BA

45 man victory!

I won this one back on my own laptop, having relinquished the lucky net book back to Mrs 2BA earlier in the day. I did however, have to mount a comeback, after getting the old screw job here:

45Patrick...a french player no less....was able to ride that suckout into a 2nd place finish.

In the end, the poker gods did what they knew was the right thing:

2BA

Another FT - finished 7th

2BA

FT 15K - Finished 8th

I can see why some people keep the same clothes on when they are hot, or lucky socks, etc. Since being layed up in bed recovering from some surgery I had, I've been playing poker on my wife's netbook. I'm up a nice amount, and informed Mrs 2BA, she may be inheriting my old notebook! (Haha...very unlikely!)

2BA

Billy Kopp & the November 9

I finally got around to watching the ESPN episode last night, which defined this years November 9. I think many poker aficionado's were waiting as well, as it held 'the hand' between Billy Kobb & Darwin Moon for 40M pot, and which knocked Billy out of the tournament. The proverbial from penthouse to outhouse for poor Billy.

In the interviews I had read and seen done by Darwin, he swore up and down that the board had not paired. Well, unless ESPN doctored the broadcast, which of course is extremely unlikely, Darwin was wrong.

For the few of you that don't know the details of the hand, I'll give you a recap, right from the broadcast. They are 6 handed, not quite sure on the blinds:

Billy is UTG and raises to 600K with 35dd. Darwin flats another 480K with QJdd. Darwin had 25Million and Billy had 20Million total, and take the flop heads up.

Flop comes K92 all diamonds. Moon checks to Billy who bets 750K. Darwin flats.

Turn is the 2 of hearts pairing the board, clinching the hand for Darwin, but of course, he doesn't know that, given that a boat is now possible. I'm assuming that his recollection is what failed him, and that while the hand is actually played, he should see that....but then again who knows for sure. Darwin checks again.

Billy now comes out firing a little more than 2Million, Lon states he will regret it. Sure enough, Darwin now check raises to 6 million. Again, not knowing the editing, but it appears Billy thinks for a little bit, and then declares ALL IN!!! He sits back in his chair, looking pretty confident.

Darwin takes all of about 10 seconds and calls! Kopp's reaction is pretty much shock and disbelief, putting his hands over his head, turns immediately away from the table, yells something, and walks away knowing he's drawing dead. He does come back and shake Darwin's hand, and is then seen walking the walk of shame.

Darwin comments in a priceless moment right after '"What was he doing raising $ with 35 with a stack like that?" LOL! It's probably how he got his stack!

I don't care who you are, this is a monumental blow up, and it has to sting in the worst way. For Billy, it's going to his Bill Buckner moment. A guaranteed place in the November 9, flushed down the drain (Pun intended).

However, I found interesting 2 other hands that may have setup this meltdown hand by Billy. Again, hard to say because of editing, and I'm too lazy to look up the pokernews updates to see exactly how much time had elapsed.

1st hand was where Billy called an all in by Justin Smith with AK, Justin had QQ. Justin had moved in for quite a bit, and Billy's call from the BB was questionable at best. He makes a comment about being a classic flip....which in my opinion, it's not. Your best case here is 56/44, but it could be worse than that, given a 9 handed table. Unfortunately, as I write this, it's from memory so can't give you the actual counts, I had to defer the DVR to my little Jules who insisted on watching Yo GABBA GABBA!

2nd hand again going from memory, was where Darwin had raised with A9 from I believe the CO. Billy folds 44 in the SB, and the BB calls. Flop comes 642, and you can see the reaction from Kopp, who would have made a set. To further put salt into Kopps aching wound, Moon makes trip 9's on the river, and certainly would have been a big pot for Kopp had he stayed in.

Now Kopp, from what I hear is a pretty accomplished online pro, however, no one is immune from getting rattled at the poker table (From Rounders?)....and I think both of these hands certainly came to play as 'setup's in a negative way for Kopp.

Moon clearly was riding the hot seat, and will be interesting to see how he plays, now that the layoff may very well cool him down. He'll need to play some pretty solid poker, and probably will need to get lucky if he is to win.

Personally, I'm with the masses, and would love nothing more than to see Phil Ivey win it. Even though he's on the short stack, he's got plenty of play left. And if anyone can pull it off, he certainly can. That would be an awesome ending to this years WSOP!

I will be tuned into Pokernews for live updates.

2BA

Did you know?

I didn't, but I'm sure some of the HSP junkies will be happy!

2BA

Win is a win!

Yippee!!!

2BA

Harrah's St Louis

So I found myself the last month in St Louis on business. In fact, have been up there 4 of the past 5 weeks. It wasn't until my boss met me there last week, that he clued me in, that there was a Harrah's casino in StLouis, and more importantly, they had a poker room. So my boss who is also a poker player, talked me (read: not much arm twisting needed) into going and playing a little live poker. As it turned out, the casino was pretty close to where we were staying, so off we went after having a nice steak dinner.

The poker room was small, probably about 20 tables. They hold a nightly 7pm tournament, I think it was like $60 buy-in, and they get about 100 players. We weren't able to leave the office till after 7pm, so we when we got there, we stuck to the cash tables.

The 2 nights we went, they were spreading 1/2 NL, and a few Omaha tables, although I don't recall the stakes. The 1/2 games were action packed, and that's putting it mildly. The first hand I observed set the tone, for what would be the norm. First thing that caught my eye, was the standard open was $10 bucks. Usually there would be a minimum of 3 callers. There were some hands were the entire table called! That led to some of the craziest action I've ever seen.

So, you would think that even the fishiest of players, would understand that with that many players seeing the flop, weird holdings would give action. For example, in what was one of the craziest, yet somewhat standard play, the UTG opens for $10, 5 callers came along including the blinds. Flop comes 6JK all hearts. The UTG who had about $300 total checks, 2nd caller FOLDS (yup that was also standard), button bets pot, SB raises to $300 all-in, BB folds and the UTG shoves his remaining $300. The button stands up, makes a full production about what a great hand he has, and finally calls, and then, as if he's trying to slice the table in half with the cards, slams them so that the edge's hit the table and then bounce all of over the place! It was quite the show! Turns out he had TT(no hearts)...oooh great hand indeed!. SB has KQ (no hearts), and UTG had 74 of hearts for the flopped flushed. Unfortunately for him, the poker gods brought JJ on the turn and river, and Mr KQ dragged the big main pot. UTG then pulls his wallet out, counts out 2 crisp benjamin's from a fairly large wad of Benjamins, and rebuys.

A few hands later, I get in the mix with AK in the BB. Folds arond to Mr Benjamin in the SB, and as is the custom in many card shops, they always ask if you want to chop, which I politely declined. That seem to tilt the guy, and he proceeds to raise me $20 bucks. So I chuckled, which just tilted him more, and I called. Probably should have raised, but at any rate, I flop the joint, and my tilting buddy obliged by betting out $50 bucks. So I looked at him, made a comment about how I think he's just trying to bully, and declared all-in. I don't think I got the words out of my mouth, and he had chips in the middle. He had 98, the donkey end of the straight, and I had a nice double up.

It was that kind of night, and unfortunately, I didn't get any more playable hands to speak of. However, there was one more hand which made it a big night for me. I don't know much about angle shooters, other than what I've read. But I think this qualifies. Basically, a 'cowboy' sits in the 1 seat. He has a fancy coin card protector, look like some kind of gold dollar, not sure. So he starts telling the guys on his side of the table to touch it, of which one of the dudes obliges. Then he starts laughing and said, "you know, anyone who touches that coin, has eternal bad luck"! Needless to say, he was the only one to laugh.

So, I'm getting ready to leave, just waiting for the BB to come my way. I get dealt T9 of spades UTG, and limp. 3 more limpers and it gets the cowboy in the BB, and he tosses 2 green chips, and says raise. That was 5o bucks, but he says "oh no, I thought those were red chips". Of course, I smelled a rat, and he had won some hands and had more than doubled his stack. I felt like the guy had a big hand, and I was annoyed at the speech. But it was my last hand, and I just wanted to stick it to this guy, so although I know it was wrong, I spite called. The rest folded. Luckily, the poker gods realize what a horse's ass this guy was, and shine nice on me. The flop comes 99k. He checks, and I bet 2/3 pot, and he hem/haws and shoves his stack. So I call, and even though I'm all in, he doesn't show his hand, and neither do I. Turn comes a 5 and the river brings a beautiful T! I flip my boat over, and he disgustingly shows his AA. Freaking most satisfying beat I've ever put on anyone!

So I walked out a big winner, having only really played 2 hands not including blind hands.

The next night, I played for a few hours again, and walked out about 40 bucks ahead. Unfortunately my boss didn't fare as well, he dropped about 5 bills combined for the 2 nights we went out there.

It was nice to play live again, and I'm looking forward to December, when we go out El Lay to see family for the holidays...and a visit to the Commerce Casino!

2BA

Final tabled the 35K

But as you can see, I finished 9th. On the surface, it sucks to get there, and then not get there. Nevertheless, given it's been a while since I smelled the final table air, I'll take it. Especially after this hand, which occured right after the bubble broke, with about 180 players left:

2BA

FMMFL

It's bad enough that my fucking work is killing me....let's just say I've worked the last 8 straight weeks, with no fucking days off.....so it's certainly put a dent in my poker playing....but JFC....when I have played, I'm just getting ARIMFA!!!!!!

That is all!

2BA

Poor Daniel

Daniel Negreanu falls a little short at the WSOP Europe Main Event.

The penultimate hand was a pretty crazy roller coaster ride.......that is of course, unless you play at Fulltilt, in which case it's just a standard, every day occurence. I could dig through my HH's, and give you at least 3 hands that were crazier, and that would be in just the last few hours.

So Barry Shulman wins, and now his son, a current member of the November 9, has a chance to make some more poker history. Of course, he'll need to get past the other 8, including the best poker player on the planet in Mr Phil Ivey, to achieve that. It will make an interesting story line, which I'm sure ESPN and others will play up.

Maybe he should have his father coach him, instead of this donkey.

A few years back, I was busted by Barry at the Commerce, in a prelim event at the L.A. Poker classic. He held mighty ducks, and I was short stacked and called with KT sooted....of course the ducks held.

Nice guy....everyone seem to know him and he was quite friendly. Congrats to him.

Update: Check Daniels Blog for his account.

2BA

Tilt shove

I had lost a big pot the previous hand holding AK vs T2. It's always nice to pick up a big pair on the next hand, as it really makes the shove look tilty....

Of course, the RNG has to always make it a "E" ticket ride....for those of you who recall those!

2BA

Standard

I CR the dufus on the flop....but he wasn't going anywhere obviously...TP too good to lay down there.

2BA

Table Domination!!!

Good news is I ran really good.....bad news, is that it was a freeroll!!! But this was fun:

Later on, I had a Hammerring of a hand:

Biggest pot I've ever won with The Hammer! Made 4 bucks too!

2BA

Jonesing for Pokah!!!

Can't believe I've gone this long with a post. I have been working on a work project for some time now, and it's coming to it's end, which has been taking alot of my time away from my hobby.

I'm hoping to get back on the horse this weekend.....I'm Jonesing for pokah!!!

2BA

Picture Story of a good fold???

I put him in for his remaining 105 chips on the river, but I suppose 'he made a good fold'. :-)

2BA

This is exhausting

Would have been chip leader, if my pocket Q's would have held against fucking Presto....but thats how I roll lately.

Will play all 3 Mini Ftops today, because that's how I punish myself!

2BA

Beautiful......

....Fawking Beautiful!!!!

2BA

FT the 35K

Close but no cigar. I can't however complain too much, I was spared several times by the same poker gods that also dish out those cruel 1/2/3 outers that always seem to hit.

Case in point, right here:

Hope you all are having a great Labor day weekend!

2BA

Still here

Just not playing the usual volume of tournaments that I do, and the ones that I have, I've been running terrible. I can't count the amount of times that I've had quality starting hands, only to be 2nd best.

Just have to play through it, although it's going slow.

2BA

I cashed!

The thing is, I never played a hand! I had earned these freerolls by winning some satellite's during FTOPS. I have not been playing much the last week, and was pretty busy this past weekend, and forgot that I had qualified for a bunch of these freerolls.

Not bad for not playing! Ship the quarter!

2BA

LJ's Cousin needs your help

Hoping to help spread the word, for our fellow blogger's LJ cousin, who is in need of stem cell transplant.

Details are here and here.

Help spread the word, or better yet, get tested and good karma will come to you

2BA

Double Presto???

2BA

The Fulltilt Links Hand of the Day

What do I have ? ? ? What do I flipping have????

Bet you didn't know FullTilt put this 'play along' feature ala ESPN? Only they kicked it up a notch, as "I" as the player, get to guess along as well!!!

So look closely, I raised blind, got called, put in a pot bet ont he invisible flop, and TOOK IT DOWN!!! Who needs cards???

2BA

Double Tourney's

I've been dabling lately in the daily double tournaments. FT runs 3 sets daily, buyins are 6 for the early, 12 for the middle set and 75 for the late set.

Check out this link for details on bonus's offered in conjunction with these tournys.

Of particular note, is this:

The Triple Double

Wanna really score big? Then play for the Triple Double. Win all six of the Doubles tournaments in a single month and take home a $1 Million jackpot.

I doubt anyone has won this, but it would be a huge achievement if anyone ever does.

I had a final table in last nights B tournament of the middle set:

As is usually the case, here's how I got bounced:

Not a bad little cash, but obv dissapointed.

2BA

Action flops!

Again..even though this one I won, I didn't think much about...As far as I'm concerned, this is just "standard". But the banter in the chat was hilarious! Maybe I just got a big old scab but nothing ever surprises or get's a flinch out of me any more.

EDIT: Case in point....just laugh and move on. This one however was all in preflop:

2BA

Deep run in 50/50

The real story and lesson here isn't how I couldn't finish this one out, but that you should never give up. I never got any playable cards from the time we were down to about 4 tables, and was pretty much the shorty the entire way till I busted. I finally got pocket 8's and decided to go over the top of the original raiser, only to be showned Jacks. It was a no brainer for me, I was down 10 BB's and had to take chances. In fact, I had maintained life by pushing the likes of 83, q7, T3 & 22, getting called and doubling up. So I was on borrowed time.

But enough about me, that's not where the lesson I'm referring to resides. Check out this hand:

So this player CERMS after this hand, being at the 2k/4k with 500 ante level, was left with less than 1 BB.

Now take a look at the final results again above. Yup, he finished 4th, for a very cool payout of about 4K. Of course he was aided by going on the run of his life, in fact, the very next hand he was all in, and managed to triple up with KJ, and then doubled up the next hand after that winning a flip. Of course he was lucky, but we all know luck does play a part, and he rode that all the way to a nice pay day, after being down to the felt.

A great reminder to never give up! no matter how bleak it looks.

2BA

Can't win them all!!!

Got close in the 4K again:

My dopey opponent badly 'outplays' me here obv:

2BA