Getting lucky

Poker Stars' random number generator treated me well this morning. I played two tournaments simultaneously and cashed in both, but I spent a good part of my four hours gasping for air, clinging desperately to life. In the $5.50 single draw I was on the same table as Mr Shove, who might have been one of Roger Hargreaves' creations. I had good draws but kept folding to his all-ins. One time I was dealt a 10-6, Mr Shove made his usual play, and I folded once more, instantly regretting it (my fold was a kneejerk reaction based on cash game experience). I busted shortly before the rebuy period ended so I fired a second bullet. I got moved to another table and this time faced Mr Shove's big brother, Mr Push, who went all in about every third or fourth hand. I was low on chips when I got a seven draw in early position, there were a number of limpers, then Mr Push made his favourite play. With all the limpers it seemed a call. This time Mr Push had a pat nine but I made number three to survive. All my chips went in the middle on several occasions, and each time I somehow held on. I thought I played pretty well at the final table, pulling off the odd well-timed bluff. We were three-handed for a while until my luck finally deserted me when my pat 9-7 was outdrawn - had I won that hand I'd have been heads-up with a handy chip lead, but instead I finished in third place a few hands later. I could hardly complain with a payout of $72.50.

I made a good start to the weekly FPP no limit hold 'em tournament when I flopped the nut flush and check-raised all in against someone who couldn't get away from pocket aces. I wonder whether I could have done. I made what was probably a bad series of calls with a straight draw to lose half my stack, and was then crippled when my opponent rivered a straight. Shortly after, I got 88 and pushed, ran into JJ, but hit an eight on the river (I actually had six outs - I also had a gutshot straight draw). I acquired a reasonable stack and clung on for some time before busting in 210th place for $30.

Will I play any more poker this year? I don't know. Yesterday I was getting a bit fed up with it even though I was making money. It's perfect weather for it (it's been sheeting down with rain for days) but I've got plenty to do before I go down south on Wednesday. I'm also going to see Gorillaz on Tuesday night. Mum and Dad now have wireless broadband, and I'm sure I could sneak in the odd session on my laptop if I wanted to, but I think I'd rather be reading books and spending more time outside. I might play enough hands to get another $20 bonus on Full Tilt (that won't be many) and I'll call it a day - or a year.

Someone had this to say about Friday's $55 single draw tournament: "MiniFTOPS #25 was the most tilting experience ever playing poker. My time would have been better spent lighting 55 dollar bills on fire, one at a time." I don't tilt easily but I can see where he's coming from. 8643...8. Great. Next hand: 7632...6. Oh well. 8432...King. And so it went on. Here are a few recent hands:

Hand 1
This was probably the biggest hand of the tournament for me. It was the last hand before the first (and for me the only) break. Can I call getting two to one? I figured he could easily make this play with a worse hand, but a third of the time?

Full Tilt Poker Game #26462725259: MiniFTOPS Event #25 (195754169), Table 51 - 40/80 Ante 20 - No Limit 2-7 Single Draw - 21:54:41 ET - 2010/12/16
Seat 1: ratman5 (1,605)
Seat 2: jcg2005 (9,493)
Seat 3: foo__ (6,590)
Seat 4: plutoman20 (3,527)
Seat 5: 043icf (2,562)
Seat 6: da Mom2 (5,261)
ratman5 antes 20
jcg2005 antes 20
foo__ antes 20
plutoman20 antes 20
043icf antes 20
da Mom2 antes 20
jcg2005 posts the small blind of 40
foo__ posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to plutoman20 [9d 3h 2c 8c 4c]
plutoman20 raises to 280
043icf folds
da Mom2 folds
ratman5 folds
jcg2005 calls 240
foo__ calls 200
*** DRAW *** (Pot: 960)
jcg2005 stands pat
foo__ discards 1 card
plutoman20 stands pat on [9d 3h 2c 8c 4c]
foo__ is dealt 1 card
jcg2005 checks
foo__ bets 960
plutoman20 folds
jcg2005 folds
Uncalled bet of 960 returned to foo__
foo__ mucks
foo__ wins the pot (960)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 960 Rake 0
Seat 1: ratman5 (button) folded before the Draw
Seat 2: jcg2005 (small blind) folded after the Draw
Seat 3: foo__ (big blind) collected (960), mucked
Seat 4: plutoman20 folded after the Draw
Seat 5: 043icf folded before the Draw
Seat 6: da Mom2 folded before the Draw

Hand 2
This hand created a new record for the best hand I've ever folded in single draw. I hadn't seen Mr McGee make this move before, and I think he's polarised towards huge hands (i.e. sevens) and bluffs. My hand doesn't contain a seven. I don't think this would be a bad play if he did have a seven - he knows I'll have an eight a decent amount of the time, and a lot of players don't fold eights, let alone good eights. I can't say I enjoyed this fold, which was based on feel more than anything else.

PokerStars Game #54388194113: Single Draw 2-7 Lowball No Limit ($0.25/$0.50 USD) - 2010/12/17 1:47:16 ET
Table 'Icarus III' 7-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: carome ($27.80 in chips)
Seat 2: Elales ($25.75 in chips)
Seat 3: KHOOH Member ($9.75 in chips)
Seat 4: plutoman20 ($33.95 in chips)
Seat 5: mr_mcgee2 ($40 in chips)
Seat 6: CanadianPort ($44.40 in chips)
Seat 7: 'tacheman ($20.85 in chips)
plutoman20: posts small blind $0.25
mr_mcgee2: posts big blind $0.50
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to plutoman20 [6s 2c Qs 3s 8d]
CanadianPort: folds
'tacheman: folds
carome: calls $0.50
Elales: folds
KHOOH Member: folds
plutoman20: raises $1.50 to $2
mr_mcgee2: calls $1.50
carome: calls $1.50
plutoman20: discards 1 card [Qs]
Dealt to plutoman20 [6s 2c 3s 8d] [5c]
mr_mcgee2: discards 1 card
carome: discards 1 card
plutoman20: bets $4
mr_mcgee2: raises $34 to $38 and is all-in
carome: folds
plutoman20: folds
Uncalled bet ($34) returned to mr_mcgee2
mr_mcgee2 collected $13.35 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $14 Rake $0.65
Seat 1: carome folded on the Flop
Seat 2: Elales folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: KHOOH Member (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: plutoman20 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: mr_mcgee2 (big blind) collected ($13.35)
Seat 6: CanadianPort folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: 'tacheman folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Hand 3
I don't think I can call and pat, I don't think I can four-bet and pat (although he might well have folded had I done so), and I don't think I can fold this either. I end up breaking the better hand, just. It's not nice being out of position in this game.

PokerStars Game #54439997555: Single Draw 2-7 Lowball No Limit ($0.25/$0.50 USD) - 2010/12/18 2:26:27 ET
Table 'Victoria V' 7-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Elales ($20.45 in chips)
Seat 2: plutoman20 ($21.70 in chips)
Seat 3: El chapulin9 ($29.70 in chips)
Seat 4: John V1982 ($13.55 in chips)
Seat 5: cockaroach13 ($16.20 in chips)
Seat 6: mr_mcgee2 ($32.15 in chips)
Seat 7: andrey738 ($17.60 in chips)
andrey738: posts small blind $0.25
Elales: posts big blind $0.50
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to plutoman20 [7s 8s Tc 6s 2c]
plutoman20: raises $1 to $1.50
El chapulin9: folds
John V1982: folds
cockaroach13: folds
mr_mcgee2: raises $3 to $4.50
andrey738: folds
Elales: folds
plutoman20: calls $3
plutoman20: discards 1 card [Tc]
Dealt to plutoman20 [7s 8s 6s 2c] [2s]
mr_mcgee2: stands pat
plutoman20: checks
mr_mcgee2: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
plutoman20: shows [7s 8s 2s 6s 2c] (Lo: a pair of Deuces)
mr_mcgee2: shows [7c 5s 8h Th 6d] (Lo: T,8,7,6,5)
mr_mcgee2 collected $9.30 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $9.75 Rake $0.45
Seat 1: Elales (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: plutoman20 showed [7s 8s 2s 6s 2c] and lost with Lo: a pair of Deuces
Seat 3: El chapulin9 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: John V1982 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: cockaroach13 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: mr_mcgee2 (button) showed [7c 5s 8h Th 6d] and won ($9.30) with Lo: T,8,7,6,5
Seat 7: andrey738 (small blind) folded before Flop

Hand 4
Elales really didn't like this. My hand isn't great but I don't want to fold in position, I can't break it, and if I'm going to pat I really have to reraise, which is what I do. Elales calls me (a four-bet and I'd have been out of the way), then he pats. Ugh. Now what? What's more likely? Him patting a worse jack or me hitting a deuce or a nine (which I figure will both be good). I decide on the latter, break my unbreakable hand, and strike gold. Elales' chat after this hand wasn't complimentary to me (and it's a good job he didn't know I drew to the 7654 or else he'd have been apoplectic). In hindsight I probably should have just folded to his initial raise. Make my hand J7652 or even J7653 and I think my play would have been fine. But his play wasn't brilliant either: by not four-betting he gave me infinite odds to hit my longshot draw (as it happened, if I'd hit a nine we would have split).

PokerStars Game #54440170421: Single Draw 2-7 Lowball No Limit ($0.25/$0.50 USD) - 2010/12/18 2:35:28 ET
Table 'Victoria V' 7-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Elales ($17.15 in chips)
Seat 2: plutoman20 ($21.10 in chips)
Seat 3: El chapulin9 ($27.80 in chips)
Seat 4: John V1982 ($12.90 in chips)
Seat 5: Donkery ($19.85 in chips)
Seat 6: mr_mcgee2 ($26.05 in chips)
Seat 7: andrey738 ($26.85 in chips)
Donkery: posts small blind $0.25
mr_mcgee2: posts big blind $0.50
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to plutoman20 [5c Jh 7s 6h 4c]
andrey738: folds
Elales: raises $1 to $1.50
plutoman20: raises $2.50 to $4
El chapulin9: folds
John V1982: folds
Donkery: folds
mr_mcgee2: folds
Elales: calls $2.50
Elales: stands pat
plutoman20: discards 1 card [Jh]
Dealt to plutoman20 [5c 7s 6h 4c] [2s]
Elales: checks
plutoman20: bets $5.50
Elales: calls $5.50
*** SHOW DOWN ***
plutoman20: shows [5c 2s 7s 6h 4c] (Lo: 7,6,5,4,2)
Elales: mucks hand
plutoman20 collected $18.80 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $19.75 Rake $0.95
Seat 1: Elales mucked [9h 6c 7c 5h 4h]
Seat 2: plutoman20 showed [5c 2s 7s 6h 4c] and won ($18.80) with Lo: 7,6,5,4,2
Seat 3: El chapulin9 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: John V1982 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Donkery (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: mr_mcgee2 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: andrey738 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Hand 5
Yesterday I made $63 in two dozen hands at $2/$4 badugi. It was only the second time I'd played at that level; my first attempt was far less successful. The play on this table was particularly bad (hence why I was there). As yet, this is the biggest badugi pot I've played. It was hard to make sense of what was going on here. You've got Tima calling $5 pre-draw and taking two, Snirk donking into me and heaven knows what else. When Snirk gets out of the way I decide to put in a thin value raise. It was only half an hour after this hand, when I looked at what Ma22ye81 had, that I realised just how thin.

PokerStars Game #54413770401: Badugi Limit ($2/$4 USD) - 2010/12/17 14:59:01 ET
Table 'Lupus VIII' 8-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: plutoman20 ($127 in chips)
Seat 2: tima0061 ($39 in chips)
Seat 3: PanTangTyger ($80 in chips)
Seat 4: ma22ye81 ($52 in chips)
Seat 5: snirk ($173 in chips)
Seat 7: cuchiku ($151 in chips)
tima0061: posts small blind $1
PanTangTyger: posts big blind $2
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to plutoman20 [6d 2c 4s 8h]
ma22ye81: raises $2 to $4
snirk: calls $4
cuchiku: folds
plutoman20: raises $2 to $6
tima0061: calls $5
PanTangTyger: calls $4
ma22ye81: calls $2
snirk: calls $2
*** FIRST DRAW ***
tima0061: discards 2 cards
PanTangTyger: discards 2 cards
ma22ye81: discards 2 cards
snirk: discards 1 card
plutoman20: stands pat on [6d 2c 4s 8h]
tima0061: checks
PanTangTyger: checks
ma22ye81: checks
snirk: bets $2
plutoman20: raises $2 to $4
tima0061: calls $4
PanTangTyger: folds
ma22ye81: raises $2 to $6
snirk: calls $4
plutoman20: calls $2
tima0061: calls $2
*** SECOND DRAW ***
tima0061: discards 1 card
ma22ye81: stands pat
snirk: discards 1 card
plutoman20: stands pat on [6d 2c 4s 8h]
tima0061: checks
ma22ye81: bets $4
snirk: folds
plutoman20: raises $4 to $8
tima0061: folds
ma22ye81: calls $4
*** THIRD DRAW ***
ma22ye81: stands pat
plutoman20: stands pat on [6d 2c 4s 8h]
ma22ye81: checks
plutoman20: bets $4
ma22ye81: calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
plutoman20: shows [6d 2c 4s 8h] (Badugi: 8,6,4,2)
ma22ye81: mucks hand
plutoman20 collected $75 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $78 Rake $3
Seat 1: plutoman20 (button) showed [6d 2c 4s 8h] and won ($75) with a Badugi: 8,6,4,2
Seat 2: tima0061 (small blind) folded after the 2nd Draw
Seat 3: PanTangTyger (big blind) folded after the 1st Draw
Seat 4: ma22ye81 mucked [6c 3d 4h 8s]
Seat 5: snirk folded after the 2nd Draw
Seat 7: cuchiku folded before the Draw (didn't bet)

Update:
Hand 6
This one from perhaps my last session of the year. Poolwiz doesn't cap pre-draw so probably doesn't like his badugi much. So I go for a bluff raise on the turn. It's important to be in position for this manoeuvre: if he calls and pats I can still draw.

Full Tilt Poker Game #26518525793: Table Ticonderoga - $1/$2 - Limit Badugi - 22:49:30 ET - 2010/12/18
Seat 1: Crabman ($53)
Seat 2: mafiawarwalter ($12)
Seat 3: poolwiz1 ($48)
Seat 4: Han_Jam_Bang ($64.50)
Seat 5: plutoman20 ($72.75)
Seat 6: manager9 ($20), is sitting out
Seat 7: papo95 ($23.25)
Seat 8: mymaria1 ($13.70)
mymaria1 posts the small blind of $0.50
Crabman posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to plutoman20 [2s 2h Ah 3d]
mafiawarwalter folds
poolwiz1 raises to $2
Han_Jam_Bang folds
plutoman20 raises to $3
papo95 folds
mymaria1 folds
Crabman folds
poolwiz1 calls $1
*** FIRST DRAW *** (Pot: $7.50)
poolwiz1 stands pat
plutoman20 discards 1 card [2h]
Dealt to plutoman20 [2s Ah 3d] [Jh]
poolwiz1 bets $1
plutoman20 calls $1
*** SECOND DRAW *** (Pot: $9.50)
poolwiz1 stands pat
plutoman20 discards 1 card [Jh]
Dealt to plutoman20 [2s Ah 3d] [9h]
poolwiz1 bets $2
mafiawarwalter stands up
plutoman20 raises to $4
poolwiz1 folds
Uncalled bet of $2 returned to plutoman20
plutoman20 mucks
plutoman20 wins the pot ($13)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $13.50 Rake $0.50
Seat 1: Crabman (big blind) folded before the Draw
Seat 2: mafiawarwalter folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 3: poolwiz1 folded after the 2nd Draw
Seat 4: Han_Jam_Bang folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 5: plutoman20 collected ($13), mucked
Seat 6: manager9 is sitting out
Seat 7: papo95 (button) folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 8: mymaria1 (small blind) folded before the Draw