Trend continues

Run deep in a tourney until some moron raises with A-rag and then calls your allin when he is way behind being dominated. Its so easy to flop your ridiculous kicker on PS. Again I was around 20/25 in a large MTT. When my AJ ran into the monster A7(min raised from UTG) and flops the 7. Do people have any sense of what they are doing? Min-raise I agree, testing waters, but follow it up with an allin call?? Such a drain for 4 hours and get beatdown on such hands. That double-up would have surely guaranteed me a FT finish, as I am sure I have an edge on half of the morons left. A few orbits before, same story, from button with QQ I almost put the big blind allin and with an ace in hand he is never gonna fold. Dont even bother asking what the kicker was. Makes the A on flop and gladly doubles up. Even that hand would have propelled me into top 10. What is it with ace rag on PS, someone please explain to me!

Joker Stars

This gets beyond ridiculous. I am sick of the bad beats! Its just unbelievable. It just doesnt matter to the folks on Joker Stars, if they see an Ace in the hand, thats it, they know they are guaranteed to win, never mind the kicker and never mind the stacks. Just push, give the bad beat and move on.

Was deep in a tourney when a guy on tilt pushes from cutoff with 56c, in SB and having him covered 2 to 1, I make the call with AsQs, hit a Q and then he goes runners to make a straight after pairing up the flop. I tightened back and retained my stack when this hand happens. Still playing tight and with a more than above average, folded around, SB who has me barely covered pushes with A9, I call with AK. I could almost bet 100, 9 would show up and it duly did on the river. I was still going strong on a different game and just took a deep breath and moved on.

This game I am at 35/65 and with almost 20BBs. I hadnt played a hand in probably countless orbits. Folded to SB (60K), and he raises to 2800 (600/1200). I snap push him with 99 and he insta-calls with A9, go figure who won the hand. Its just unreal how the kcuf does he make that call. Common, you play the game for 4 hours and you just put your stack with A9, really!!!! Aaaaargh!!!! I am way tired of this crap!

Here are a couple of joker hands that was played out. I was on the prowl for this guy and got all his chips in two hands. Believe me he got to that stack in the first place by just pushing allin on three different hands with absolute crap. Well, you cant last too far when there are more of the morons out to get you. No make it lucky morons.

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Seat 1: lerua21 (1950 in chips)
Seat 2: scheffe30 (3350 in chips)
Seat 3: goldeneye79 (1495 in chips)
Seat 4: fortea88 (3360 in chips)
Seat 5: villian2(2850 in chips)
Seat 6: HERO (4150 in chips)
Seat 7: villian1 (11625 in chips)
Seat 8: TheGame103 (5370 in chips)
Seat 9: littlefis428 (3445 in chips)
HERO: posts small blind 50
villian1 : posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to HERO [Kh Jd]
TheGame103: folds
littlefis428: raises 300 to 400
lerua21: folds
scheffe30: folds
goldeneye79: folds
fortea88: folds
rydawgsw: folds
HERO: calls 350
villian1 : calls 300
*** FLOP *** [Kd Jh 5c]
HERO: checks
villian1 : checks
littlefis428: checks
*** TURN *** [Kd Jh 5c] [Kc]
HERO: checks
villian1 : checks
littlefis428: bets 700
HERO: calls 700
villian1 : raises 3400 to 4100
littlefis428: folds
HERO: calls 3050 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (350) returned to villian1
*** RIVER *** [Kd Jh 5c Kc] [2d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
HERO: shows [Kh Jd] (a full house, Kings full of Jacks)
villian1 : shows [9h Ks] (three of a kind, Kings)
HERO collected 9400 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 9400 | Rake 0
Board [Kd Jh 5c Kc 2d]
Seat 1: lerua21 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: scheffe30 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: goldeneye79 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: fortea88 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: villian2(button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: HERO (small blind) showed [Kh Jd] and won (9400) with a full house, Kings full of Jacks
Seat 7: villian1 (big blind) showed [9h Ks] and lost with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 8: TheGame103 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: littlefis428 folded on the Turn

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Seat 1: lerua21 (1950 in chips)
Seat 2: scheffe30 (3350 in chips)
Seat 3: goldeneye79 (1495 in chips)
Seat 4: fortea88 (3360 in chips)
Seat 5: villian2(2850 in chips)
Seat 6: HERO (9400 in chips)
Seat 7: villian1 (7475 in chips)
Seat 8: TheGame103 (5370 in chips)
Seat 9: littlefis428 (2345 in chips)
villian1 : posts small blind 50
TheGame103: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to HERO [Kd Ks]
littlefis428: folds
lerua21: folds
scheffe30: folds
goldeneye79: folds
fortea88: folds
rydawgsw: folds
HERO: raises 200 to 300
villian1 : raises 7000 to 7300
TheGame103: folds
HERO: raises 2100 to 9400 and is all-in
villian1 : calls 175 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (1925) returned to HERO
*** FLOP *** [Td 3h 5c]
*** TURN *** [Td 3h 5c] [5s]
*** RIVER *** [Td 3h 5c 5s] [Jh]
goldeneye79 said, "lol"
*** SHOW DOWN ***
villian1 : shows [Js 3c] (two pair, Jacks and Fives)
HERO: shows [Kd Ks] (two pair, Kings and Fives)
HERO collected 15050 from pot
villian2said, "??"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 15050 | Rake 0
Board [Td 3h 5c 5s Jh]
Seat 1: lerua21 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: scheffe30 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: goldeneye79 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: fortea88 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: villian2folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: HERO (button) showed [Kd Ks] and won (15050) with two pair, Kings and Fives
Seat 7: villian1 (small blind) showed [Js 3c] and lost with two pair, Jacks and Fives
Seat 8: TheGame103 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: littlefis428 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

----------------------------

As I post these hands I see the id villain2. He was there early on to even see what hands I was playing and how, but still ends up calling my allin raise with A9. Wow, in the above hand I won, his comments - villain2 said, "??"
I guess he was surprised there were clones of himself all over the place on frikking Joker Stars.

Home Game - S'n'G Win

We have this home game once a month with 40 buyin and 5000 in starting chips. This tuesday, we had nine players and was the first time I took it down. I was determined to come first because at the ones before, I was just floating and having fun. I said to myself enough playing around and went with the mind made up to come first and so I did. It helped that the two players who just play crazy against me were sitting to the right of me. I say crazy, because they just assume I would bluff every pot. It was so much fun (of course its fun when you win), as I played aggressive and made the super-cool squeeze on those hapless souls.

There was a new guy who was playing tight and an hour into the session he makes his first raise - 400(75/150). Two callers (the crazy ones) and on button I popped it to 1400. First raiser disgustedly mucked it and the others after contemplating the call finally folded. I showed my Q6o to put the first raiser on tilt.

Then it was all me, as I kept punishing the early limpers with big raises knowing they would fold pre-flop. It whittled down to 4 players with top 3 paid. Two of them were super-tight and to my left, it was easy taking down their blinds. On button I made it 2k with J9o and SB pushed with 4K and he doubled up with AA obviously. I still had a monster stack, on button(Ks3s) later again, I made it 2K (5x raise), SB(7K) calls and BB folded. Flop was Th4d5s, he checked and I pushed. He calls and flips over AA. Again!! Turn was the 6s and the river was the 2 to take him out. Even if I had checked the flop, I guess the result would still have been the same once the turn was 6s. I told him if he shoved pf I was folding, he mentioned he wanted the BB to call. Kind of a mistake because BB was a tight player too and he probably should have shoved with bubble in play. Anyways I got lucky, then I duly ran down the other 2. The last one left, asked for a split and I know I have an edge on him and didnt go for it. He is one of the crazy ones too. The hand I took him out, I limped with JJ and hit the J on flop to slow-play and get all my money in on the river. He called with second pair on flop/board, thats how crazy they get against me!

Another ITM Finish

I finish ITM again but not getting lucky enough to last the distance. I shouldnt say lucky because it was all my doing. Had around 18BBs left and standing at 27 out of 29, took a shot at the blinds with A6o from the button and BB snapped me with 99. I was at 12th place at one point and made a bad call on a hand from the button when BB repopped me. That put me in a trouble spot and I was fighting to survive not being the bubble boy. The following hand gave me the life although I was almost busted. With 38 remaining and 36 paid, sitting at 32nd place, in EP I raised 3x with KhKd and an even stack pushed me, with fear I made the call and he showed TT. I was happy at that point, though momentary. Flop doles out T53hhh, I screamed in pain and then realized I am not in too bad a shape, then PS gave the standard crap turn - "K". Heart on turn would have been normal but with PS its always the hard way, I doubled up and was hoping that hand would propel me to the FT but it wasnt to be again! Well, the FT at a PS MTT is still elusive, still making the baby steps. Hopefully, I will have some good news over the weekend.

Cake FT finish

Did everything right in an MTT(~280p) to make it to FT and also had a good chance to take it down. But busted at 6th when there was a small stack at the table. I had various factors riding, on putting all my chips in against the chip stack with AQo. Villain (220K) raised to 20K (3K/6K) from LP. BB had 9K left, I(65K) pushed in SB and chip lead made the call with A9 and obviously made the 9 on turn. Ideally,I should have let this hand go too, as there was a small stack and it would have been easy 5th. In fact, I had more odds at a higher finish with the maniacal play going on with big stacks. I had let go his various raises with 99, AJs knowing I could push and have him easily dominated but waited for a better spot because he was calling with anything on pushes. This hand, I knew I should be ahead with a weak ace for him but lady luck smiled on him again, as it was in the last hour or so. I was hoping his run ends at some point, but it was not to be. Anyways, nice to be back at a FT, and with weekend on the horizon I should grow in confidence and put in some good hours!

As I had said before, I am making good runs with small MTTs at Cake than the large fields at PS. I have more wriggle room to come back from bad beats or to make some tough laydowns. In large MTTs, I dont take long to think with tough hands and usually get my chips in and they are not always profitable. But at Cake it is paying off to wait and make a stand when you know you are ahead.

Pool - Playoff brain-freeze

Not much poker action lately as I didnt get enough spare time. I played very little in the last one week. Hopefully I would get in some hours during the weekend.

Wednesday pool season finally ended. Last week was division's final game and yesterday were the playoffs. It was such a stressful night playing the playoffs. We had to play 5 matches and the team racing to 3 wins makes it to next round. First game our SL5(skill-level) lost to SL4. Second, SL2 beat SL4. Third game was the big one SL6 beat SL7 but we lost the 4th, SL3 vs SL3. So it boiled down to the last game and I was up for the task. I was playing SL3 and now I am an SL4. It was a 3-2 handicap. The last time we played the skill levels were reversed and so was the handicap and I beat him 2-0. I rolled the first game and got him edgy with the way I was playing and the second game too I was in total control. I was up 2-0 and then I lost my marbles. I wasnt over confident but I was missing shots and was trying to make crazy plays though I was talking to myself to keep it straight and clean. As fate would want it, I lost the 3rd frame after I was close to wrapping it. And then on the fourth frame, things were going smooth until he made a luck shot and wrapped up the rest of the table with only one of mine hanging in the middle. That was a painful loss after being on the hill and losing the next two to hand him the match and the playoff. That should be disgraceful to any captain who should lead by example and I botched it on the last game! Well you have to learn from your mistakes and make sure you never repeat that. I will try to hang on to my own words.


As always good luck at the tables and keep it simple and dont over-do it!!

A Close-Shave with Destiny

Tuesday evening, I was driving back home on I270 cruising in the left lane when I heard a thump from the car. Even before I could realize what was happening, car started to dance on the road. As I tried to veer it away from the concrete barricade on the shoulder, car made a quick swirl. There I was spinning with the car in the fast lane, I had a glimpse of the oncoming traffic onto me and finally the car made the 360 degree turn and came to a screeching halt across two lanes. Horrified by the 5 second kamikaze move my car made on me, it sunk on me that not even one car from either lanes rammed into me and knew it was my lucky day. One car came close and stopped and the guy asked if I was ok and went on. It took me a while to jump out of the car and stand on the shoulder away from the traffic, which was closing in on the disabled car with hazard lights on, and at the last moment steer away from hitting it. I was shaken but as I stood there the feeling of being lucky was churning in the gut. I called 911 and the dispatcher connected me to the state police who arrived around 25 mins after. I hoped the police officer arrived quicker because I didnt want some poor soul or a maniac driver ramming into the disabled vehicle on speed lane. After the cop arrived, with his truck providing cover, we moved the car safely onto the shoulder. Towing truck arrived 45 mins after and finally got it to the shed. That was one hell of an experience. The car's rear-right tire went bust and I guess it tail-spun on impact. Yesterday I had the tire replaced and driving back from the dealership I was still scared, as it reminded me of the near-death experience it put me through. 'Not Yet' uttered by Russell Crowe in the movie 'Gladiator' was ringing in my ears for some time.