As I was reading through some of my favourite poker blogs today I came across a site (and poker room) which I hadn’t known yet. Absolute Poker. As they offer a 200% sign-up bonus with Code AP200 I decided to sign up, invest some and start playing.

As it’s already rather early around here (01:40am on Monday) I decided to play just a little NL Hold’em S&G for 0.50$ + 0.10 fee – the lowest Buy In I’ve ever seen…held my own, got a nice stack with A-A and kicked back and relaxed a little, as one bully at the table kept pushing and pushing – until someone looked him up and he was gone. Was able to cash in as I came in third (20% of the pot = 0.90$) – not much, but a good way to start off with a new poker room!

To end my poker day on a low note I decided to play a quick Heads Up match for a buck…and promptly lost…I guess it’s not a good idea to switch from “relaxed” MTT action to heads up…although my scoresheet is still not looking all too bad on Heads Up matches at TitanPoker:

1$: Played/Won/Lost: 25/16/9
2$: Played/Won/Lost: 8/4/4

So I guess what cost me all the money at Titan is the mix of S&Gs and video poker (-6$ alone)…

Played a big freeroll today, not big in price money (top 27 would go on to a 1000$ tourney), but big in participating players: 5206 entered. I was able to stand my ground and even build up a huge stack (around 18k) putting me in the top 10…but then, after around 1.5h, I was my own self again…donkeying away my hard earned chips in less than 30 minutes…to bust out in 730th place. Gotta re-evaluate this thing…it’s not a good idea to bet into 4 hearts on the board and telling yourself “ah come on, he ain’t got the 5th heart”…

Played a little S&G in order to get a little more action…a cheap 1$ + 0.20, 45 players, top 7 pay. Played well and was constantly in the top 10 chip-wise, until my nemesis came to visit me again…I’m UTG and min-raise with my lovely hiltons (Q-Q), three callers, late position goes all-in, I put him on an Ace (and rightly so), took some time to think about the situation: either fold and stay in good shape (2520chips) or call with the possibility to double up or be crippled (120 chips remaining)…ponder ponder, call! He shows A-Js…and sure enough he doesn’t catch either A or J but three spades…6h-10s–3s-2c-7s…I’m crippled…look down at A-10o in the next hand and raise All-In, two callers…board is blank (highest card 8) and sure enough the two callers show A-8…split pot and cya…argh!!!

I think this is the fourth time that I busted out holding Q-Q…they’re just no good luck charm for me…note to self: lay down Q-Q when reraised All-In preflop in next MTT…

Alrighty! The next poker session is set and I’m going to be a part of it. Despite a lot of pre-christmas action we’ve finally set a date for the next Poker event and I’m sure it’ll rock!

I guess the main action will be a Limit Hold’em session although I want to try to push other games (especially Stud and maybe even Omaha (no Hi/Lo though))…watch out for my next post after the session…

Here’s the invitation to the event(!), it’s getting more and more professional around here 🙂 :

Woohoo! Finally a win again!

Play a little S&G (1$ + 0.10, 6 players, top two pay) and looked up some bluffs early on to catch the chip-lead, tightened up – maybe even a bit too much, but was able to come back in 3 handed play to knock out the 3rd remaining player…in the money and with a 2:1 chip lead. Folded the first few hands as my opponent kept raising preflop all the time. This time I not only called but went over top All-In and he called…this time the coin flipped my way 🙂

A-Ko vs 5-5, 10-J-6-Q-J

Straight wins!

Ingoal wins the amount of $4.20, not much…but finally a win again to build up my confidence and my account – the first time I’m up again at any poker room…

Played a little S&G and once again got sucked out just outside the money…argh!

Placed 3rd/6 (1$+0.10, top 2 payed)

I just can’t seem to catch a winning run at Titan anymore…

Not much going on today, only played one S&G. Didn’t catch any face cards at all for a while and sure enough was seated at the table with “the best” (or luckiest) players in the whole S&G…they busted out quite some players early on and were really up in chips (3k, 4k, nearly 5k respectively; starting chip count: 1500). I was able to double up of the chip-leader with my first real hand A-J he called my preflop All-In and showed his hiltons, luckily the board helped me out this time: 9-5-A-4-7. Up to 2110 in chips (32 minutes played). Didn’t catch much of a hand for a while then looked down at the lovely A-A, pushed, got reraised, over the top…he shows 5s-7s, for the OESD and long-shot flush draw.

Board: 8c-3h-6s-Qs-4s – Sure enough he didn’t make the straight, but can you spell runner, runner?!

Out after 46minutes…25th/45 🙁

Forgot to mention that I played another tournament after Dr. Pauly’s saturday tourney. A little 1$ + 0.10$ fee NL HEM…1731 players entered. Finished in 792nd. I pushed after the flop (9-3-K) with my Kc-Jh, one caller (AQc), sure enough the turn showed the A, river was blank (3s)…and I was out, yet again…argh!

So, I decided to play in the last event of Dr. Pauly’s Saturday tournament series over at Pokerstars. The Buy-In was 10$ + 1$ fee (my biggest tournament Buy-In so far). 51 players entered the tournament and I was beginning the tourney at table 7 with CJ, maudie and drizz. Won the first pot with pocket nines…played tight and picked my spots and was able to get up to over 2000 in chips with a higher straight (J-10-9-8-7 vs 8-7-6-5-4). Then I picked the wrong spot which kicked me out in 42nd place 🙁

Mid position goes All-In (361 chips) on the flop (K-J-5) , I call with A-Ko, late position re-raises All-In…I ponder and call…:

A-K vs. KJ vs. A-5
flop: K-J-5
turn: 7
river: 4

🙁

So I couldn’t improve and I’m out…not only of 11$, but out of playing time…busted out after just 45 minutes…that sucks…but that’s poker…what can you do? If you’re looking down at the top pair on board with the Ace kicker…would or wouldn’t you call?

My stats:

During current Hold’em session you were dealt 59 hands and saw flop:
– 5 out of 8 times while in big blind (62%)
– 1 out of 7 times while in small blind (14%)
– 3 out of 44 times in other positions (6%)
– a total of 9 out of 59 (15%)
Pots won at showdown – 2 of 3 (66%)
Pots won without showdown – 1

Nontheless I had (and still have) a great time, now as an observer, and I’m really looking forward to the next series of tournaments…although I should get into gear and develop a little (bank)roll until then..

Updates:

• Dr. Pauly just busted out in 37th place
• Players are in the first break: 33 are left, largest 5966, avg 2318, smallest 755
• 1h 15min: CJ is now the chip leader again with 11.165 chips (2nd: 5191 chips)!
• Drizz just busted out in 27th place when his A-Q didn’t improve vs a pair of Jacks
• 1h 30min: 21 players left, CJ still in the chip lead (11877, 2nd: 10090)
• 1h 45min: 16 players left, CJ still in the chip lead
• 2h: we’re near the final table: new chip leader MeanHappyGuy (10523 chips), 12 players remaining
• 2h 22min: Final table time! CJ just bubbled out after his J-8 flopped two pair but was sucked out at the river (10 for a set)
• 2h 45min: 5 players left, dietlime in front with 24491 (2nd: 19895)
• After 2h 58min we’ve got a winner Joanne1111!

Dr. Pauly’s wrap-up of the tournament

Played another S&G (1$+0.10) today…finished 11th of 45…so close to the final table but I couldn’t put down the hammer in desperate chip shortage…

Favourite hand of the tourney:

Q-Q vs. A-2, flop: A-7-8, turn: 8, river: Q…ka-ching, the boat to double me up…