Pokerstars has a rare deposit bonus, 20% up to $120. I cashed out $600 from Party, and deposited it into Stars. I have to play 600 raked hands to get the bonus. I was going to play 1/2, but the wait was long for a 9 person table, so I sat down at a 2/4 (two, actually). I played for a little over an hour, and finished +23BB. There were no terribly interesting hands, and I was just getting lucky with the cards.
I then took a break from poker to go to Staples to get something with my $75 gift certificates from American Express Blue rewards, and that expired yesterday. I ended up not buying anything at the store, and ordering a big 4’x8′ dry erase board for $75 off from staples.com. I’ve wanted a whiteboard for awhile, and now might actually have somewhere I could put it (I’ll have to rearrange a little bit, I think, but it should work well.)
Afterwards, I sat back down at the Stars tables, playing 1/2 this time. And I lost. A lot. I knew I was due for a session or two like this, and I didn’t lose as much as I made at the 2/4 tables, but it hurts to lose 36BB in two hours of 1/2. Still a net positive for the day. I lost with a combination of bad play and bad cards (or good cards that get beat, actually). It was mostly bad play. I needed food, but didn’t want to leave until I got my money back, so I was playing hands I shouldn’t have to try to do it. That never works. At least, it never works in the long run, and I knew as I was playing I shouldn’t do it. One nice gem from this session:
PokerStars 1/2 Hold’em (8 handed) converter
Preflop: penner42 is MP2 with Q♥, Q♦.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, penner42 raises, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls, MP1 calls.
Flop: (8 SB) 4♣, Q♣, T♠ (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, MP1 checks, penner42 bets, SB calls, BB folds, MP1 calls.
Turn: (5.50 BB) 9♠ (3 players)
SB checks, MP1 checks, penner42 bets, SB calls, MP1 raises, penner42 calls, SB calls.
River: (11.50 BB) 4♥ (3 players)
SB checks, MP1 bets, penner42 raises, SB folds, MP1 3-bets, penner42 caps, MP1 calls.
Final Pot: 19.50 BB
Main Pot: 19.50 BB, between MP1 and penner42. > Pot won by MP1 (19.50 BB).
Results below:
MP1 shows 4♠ 4♦ (four of a kind, fours).
penner42 shows Q♥ Q♦ (full house, queens full of fours).
Outcome: MP1 wins 19.50 BB.
My pocket queens full house gets cracked by quads again, this time on the river. And to think I was happy when that 4 showed up, because I thought I was checkraised when he made his straight. That’s poker for you.
I saw a rare Mets win last night in LA. They beat the Dodgers 6-1, and it was a fun game. They’re still in second to last place, and have a losing record, but there’s still plenty of season left (for them to get worse). I don’t think I’m going to be heading down to San Diego this weekend to see them play there. I’d like to, but I just have too much to do (read: poker and bowling tournaments).
After the game, I played at Party for about an hour after I got home. I said I wouldn’t do it again, but I played four tables. Things started off pretty badly:
Party Poker 1/2 Hold’em (10 handed) converter
Preflop: penner42 is MP1 with Q♠, Q♥.
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, penner42 raises, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls, UTG 3-bets, penner42 caps, BB folds, UTG calls.
Flop: (10.50 SB) 2♥, Q♦, 2♠ (2 players)
UTG bets, penner42 raises, UTG 3-bets, penner42 caps, UTG calls.
Turn: (9.25 BB) 5♣ (2 players)
UTG bets, penner42 raises, UTG 3-bets, penner42 caps, UTG calls.
River: (17.25 BB) J♥ (2 players)
UTG bets, penner42 raises, UTG 3-bets, penner42 caps, UTG calls.
Final Pot: 25.25 BB
Main Pot: 25.25 BB, between UTG and penner42. > Pot won by UTG (25.25 BB).
UTG shows 2♣ 2♦ (four of a kind, twos).
penner42 shows Q♠ Q♥(full house, queens full of twos).
Outcome: UTG wins 25.25 BB.
Talk about an action flop. I flop queens full, and he flops quads. I don’t think there’s any way I could have played this differently. He limp-raised, preflop, UTG, with pocket twos. There was no way I thought he had a 2, and even if he did, I thought I still won. Nice way to lose 12BB (the maximum possible) on the first hand. If it was no limit, I would have lost my whole buyin on my first hand. I recovered nicely, and finished that table +9BB, and overall for the night +30BB. I’m due for a nice losing session again soon, like the -35BB one I had early last week. Overall, my Party bankroll has been growing pretty fast.
This weekend, I’m going to try to get to the two tournaments (limit on Saturday, no limit on Sunday), and the Saturday night bowling tournament in Lompoc. Hopefully, my insane bowling will keep up, and I won’t beat on a 5 outer and a 4 outer in the poker tournaments, like last week.
I just found the Next and Previous in Category MT plugin. Previously, to separate my photoblog from the main one, I had been doing something similar to this. Unfortunately, that padded my entries by about 80k each of PHP code. That’s all gone now.
For poker, I’ve mostly been playing the ring games at Party (affiliate link! get 20% bonus up to $100 for signing up, or use bonus code GEEKNPROUD), instead of the sit and go tournaments at Stars lately. It just seems like much easier money that way, plus I’ve had some pretty bad suckouts on me in the past few I played, which are easier to deal with in a cash game, I think.
Tuesday night, I was playing 4(!) 1/2 tables at the same time. I don’t think I’m going to do that again for a while, and I don’t think I played very well doing it. I just about broke even, but played enough hands to unlock the $95 bonus I had in there from the two 15% deposit bonuses they just offered. Last night, I stuck to only three tables, and finished at about +20BB. I’m amazed how fast my Party bankroll has grown since I’ve moved up from .50/1 to 1/2. I’ve almost got it to the point where I can move it up to 2/4, but I think I’m gonna stick at 1/2 for a while.
Tonight, I’m gonna go watch the Mets lose to the Dodgers in LA, but at least I’ll get to go to a Mets game. It will very likely be one of only two or three I go to all year (I’m not going to San Diego this weekend, and I’ll go see them in San Francisco in a game or two later this year.) I get to see Jae Seo pitch against Jeff Weaver. At least there will be some offense tonight.
Party Poker has two reload bonuses going this month. Both are for 15%, up to $100. Yesterday, I cashed out some, and redeposited 15 minutes later for a $30 bonus (when I play 210 raked hands, which I will do.) I’m going to do it again today, but for my whole bankroll there, instead of just part of it. As long as I can play break even poker (and, at Party at least, I play better than that), I make money.
I’ve had two pretty amazing sessions there lately, playing 1/2. Both were under an hour, an both I finished better than +50BB. I played fairly well, but also got the best cards when everyone else got good cards (in other words: I got pretty lucky). You have to be lucky to make 50BB/hr. I’ll just give a few of the hands from these sessions.
I get dealt A♣2♣ in the small blind. UTG calls, someone in MP calls, I call, big blind checks. Flop comes A♠7♦A♥. I bet, everyone calls. Turn is the 2♥. I’ve made Aces full. I bet, BB calls, UTG raises. We lose the MP player, and it gets capped. River is 5♥. It gets capped this round, with all three of us left staying it. I show my aces full, the other two players muck. BB had K♥6♥ for the flush, UTG had 2♠2♦ for the little boat. I take down a 27BB pot.
A few other nice ones:
I get 77, try to limp in, and it gets raised behind me. The small blind makes it three bets, and I call. I hit my set on the flop, we’re capped every round, and I beat AA and T4o (who, lucky for me, flopped two pair). The AA (small blind) checkraised me every round, and every time I raised him back. Took down 32BB pot.
I get 65s in MP. As I’m clicking the box to call, someone raises, and I accidently call the raise. It gets capped behind me, and the pot’s too big to fold at this point. The flop comes 667. I bet, the two preflop raisers call. Turn 4, I bet, two callers. River 8 for my straight to go with my trips. I bet, same two callers. I flip my straight, they muck AA and KK. Like I said, I was getting lucky.
It almost makes up for the bad luck I had Friday and Saturday at Chumash. I’ll save my bad beat stories for later.
After staying at Chumash all night Friday and well into Saturday, I decided to go watch the qualifying round of the Masters tournament at Zodos. (In case anyone’s confused, I’ve moved the topic on to bowling now.) It was fun to watch, and a bunch of my friends qualified for the tournament. After the qualifying round, I decided to get some bowling in. I had been bowling terribly now for a few months, but I came right out and shot a 244. I think it must have been my first game over 240 in 6 months. My next game, I shot a 254. The lanes must have just been easy. Or not: third game was a 133. I finished off with two decent games and then another 243.
After oversleeping, and missing the Sunday morning tournament at Chumash, I went back to Zodos to watch the bowling tournament. Again, I bowled afterwards, this time an insane 22 games (with a two hour break in the middle). I shot another few 240s, and several more over 200. I don’t know what happened, but as soon as my leagues ended, I started bowling well again. At this point, I decided I was going to bowl in the handicap tournament they were having Monday night.
I show up Monday night, and after a bit of a rocky start in the first game, I finish it off strong for a 214. Then I go nuts and throw a 241 and a 240, for a 695 series for the first three games (my new high)! I’m a bit annoyed, since I left a 4-6-7-10 split in the 9th frame of the third game, killing my 700 series, and what could have been a 279 game (until that frame, I had all strikes, except for one solid 9 pin that I picked up). Then, I started the last game with four open frames in a row. The first one was a tough pickup, but the next three was easy spares that I should have made. I moved left one board, and then threw four strikes in a row, and finished the game with a 183, for an 878 scratch series, and 1026 handicap.
1026 was good enough to win, by ten pins. I took home $115 for first, and three $33 sidepots (my 241, 240, and series sidepot), for a nice $179 profit. The money’s nice, but I really just wanted to win. I will very likely be going up to the tournament in Lompoc this Saturday, and hopefully my luck (or skill?) will hold.
Hard to believe this is only my second entry this month. Basically, I’ve just been playing poker too much at parhaatrahapelit-netissä, and not had any time to write anything here. I’ll try to write more (probably all about poker, or maybe some daftar joker123), but I don’t know if I’ll succeed.
I’ve been playing a little bit for play money again, over at Full Tilt Poker, while it’s in beta testing. I’m sure I’ll put some money in once it’s ready to go. The interface is pretty good, and it has some nice features, plus it has a good lineup of professionals backing it (and they’ve been playing there, at least so far). If you’re interested in playing for some play money, you should check it out. I don’t know how the referral system will work, but I’m penner42 there (and everywhere I play poker) if you want to put my name in there. Start your winning streak with slot bonus new member 100 today!
A week and a half ago, I played in a $60 NLHE tournament, with first place getting a seat in a $1500 buy-in bracelet event at the World Series. I didn’t do all that well, but it was really my first live tournament. I busted out probably in the mid 50s (top 40 paid), but lasted over two hours, and was pretty happy with it. With the tournament entry fee, I got coupons for $30 in free chips in the live games, so it was really only a $30 tournament (and I made more than that back at $2/$4 afterwards). I will very likely be playing in it again this Sunday, even though I can’t actually go to the WSOP event if I win. It’s the same weekend as my brother’s wedding. Additionally, I’ve been dabbling in slot games like พีจีสล็อต222 lately, finding them entertaining and a nice break from the intensity of poker.
Now, one poker hand from this week. Not a bad beat, as I was behind the whole way, but a tough one to laydown (and I didn’t). Playing $1/$2 at Party, I get dealt QQ on the big blind. By the time it comes around to me, it’s at three bets, so I cap it. We’ve got four people seeing the flop. The flop comes KQJ, with two clubs. I bet out, get raised, reraise, and get called. We lose one player. At this point, I think I’m in the lead, because if someone had AT for the straight, they most likely would have reraised me. The turn is another K, giving me queens full. I bet out again. I get raised, and we lose the first player. At this point, I know I’m beat. I’m sure the guy who raised me (and the first raiser preflop) has pocket kings. I’m drawing dead, with no straight flush possibility. I call his raise, and then check and call on the river. He shows his four kings, and I show my queens full. I lost $13 on that hand, but still came out with a winning session. I’m guessing the guy who called on the flop had a flush draw, and threw it away when the board paired.
I love this game.
I played in a $5+.50 tournament at Ultimate Bet last night. Well, I played in two, but got knocked out fairly early in the first one. In the first one, I get KT, flop came ten high, I go all in. I get called by a JT. Turn Ten. River Jack. And I’m out. Bad beat, but no big deal.
In the second one, I did quite a bit better. Early on, I got pocket aces, made a preflop raise, and got a caller. Flop came AxA. I flopped quad aces, and couldn’t make any money on it. checked it to the river, and made a small bet (which was called).
A little while later, I get dealt JJ on the button. A raise comes from middle position, I reraise, and the small blind goes all-in. The initial raiser then also raises all-in, and I call. The small blind has 66 and the raiser has 99. No one gets any help, and I take two people out of the tournament. This also makes me the chip leader with around 350 (of an initial 679) left.
I only really remember one other big hand. I got Q♣J♣ on the button. I limp in. Flop comes A♣K♣4♣. UTG bets, I think for a while, and just call. The turn is a blank, he bets again, and I push him all in. He calls. I show my nut flush, and he shows pocket fours for the set. The river doesn’t pair the board, and I take someone else out of the tournament.
I ended up finishing in the money, 39th out of 679. I got paid like $15.50 on my $5.50. I was happy with my finish, and will be doing more of them in the future.
My poker blog isn’t ready yet, so this goes here.
I was playing 3/6 at the Bike yesterday, hadn’t got much of anything, and was down about $75 or $80 after two and a half hours. I get dealt K♣Q♣ one off the button. A few limpers in, and I raise. It gets back to me capped, I call, and we’ve got 6(!) players seeing the flop at what had been a fairly tight table.
Flop comes 9TJ rainbow. I flopped the nuts! Someone in early position bets, I raise, he reraises, I cap. We’re down to 5 players. Turn is a blank, but puts two hearts on the board. Early bets again, I raise, and we’re down to three. River comes the 8♥. Early bets out once more, I just call because of the three hearts, and the third guy calls as well. Early better turns over a Queen (I don’t remember his other card) for the sucker straight. I take down the pot.
I went from down $80 to up $20. Played another hour or so, and finished up $21. Made $9 in 8 hours the day before. Not really worth my time if I’m just in it for the money. But I’m not. Any time I can play that much and not lose money, it’s worth it for me.
Bowling for Boys and Girls Club update: I’ve raised $90. I’ll easily make the minimum, and should come close to the goal.
On Sunday, April 18th, I will be bowling in a charity fundraiser for The United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County. To bowl, I need to raise a minimum of $100, and their goal is $200 per person. If they get $200 from everyone bowling, they will raise almost $20,000. Their website is located at http://www.ucsbngbgc.com/, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like they have any information about this event there.
If you’d like to donate, you can send money via PayPal . I will put back in what PayPal takes out, so your full amount will get donated.
Thanks, and please let me know if you have any questions.
I’ve really been neglecting this place lately. Sorry about that, you can blame my poker addiction.
I don’t really have much to say right now, as usual. Maybe I’ll just start making stuff up.
Maybe not. Anyway, I’m still alive, and playing lots of poker.
Wow, it’s been a while hasn’t it. That, as you no doubt can tell from the title, is because I’ve been spending all my free time playing poker and other addicting agen sbobet games. I’m now playing at UltimateBet, for real money. LevelUp casino has been my go-to for having fun playing my favorite games. Using UltimateBuddy I can find my friends (or people I know play poorly) online and sit and their tables. I’m up a little bit playing poker, and with the signup bonus and referral bonus (I referred my brother), I’ve got almost double my initial $100 deposit in there. If you want to use me as a referral, or find me at a table, my username there is penner42.
Anyway, I tried tonight to not play, because I know I have a problem and play too much. I almost made it, too. Lasted until 10PM. As of now (11:25PM), I’m up $4.55 playing at .25/.50 limit hold ’em tables. Make that 3.80. AQs no good. And my brother had to go and checkraise me. And now 5.90 with my kings full of queens. All in about 2 minutes. Enough of that.
Right, so my point was… I don’t know what my point was. I guess just that I’m still here, and just haven’t been posting anything because I’m a fricken addict.
I’m gonna have a poker-only blog soon, I think. I’ll let everyone know when it’s ready. That way, the rest of you don’t have to read me bitching about losing on the damn river all the time.
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