Few deep runs, my games progressing but still many leaks!

Ok so I have a couple of decent results since coming back from Vegas. I think I see online poker in a new light and my game is definitely progressing nicely. As I have said before I am no pro and am learning this game every time I play. One thing that I have noticed is I am becoming a lot more patient were MTT’s are concerned. They are so redic when it comes to variance but are also, (imo) the best way to make money at the game. One of the biggest leaks I had in MTTs was thinking I was dead when I weren’t. A prime example of this came in the 1000 runner $22 5k on stars the other night. I was down to 10bb at 50/100 but managed to grind my way through were here I would normally be shoving pretty light trying to get my chips back, however I grinded and stole blinds were possible and made it to 300/600 with 6bb when I shoved 88 from the CO after one limper, pretty optimal I suppose but I was looked up by JJ and TT respectively and rivered a miracle 8 J to treble up. Straight after I found AK soooooted and flopped the nuts on JQTr board with 2 big post flop shoves in front of me and I trebled again to take the chip lead as we neared the bubble. Normally at 50/100 I would be in with a very wide range of hands but I am starting to realise the key to tournaments. Not long ago I heard the saying ‘you have to stay in the tournament long enough to get lucky when the big pots are out’ an never has a truer word been spoken. I ended up making the final but couldn’t lay queens down pre and ended up coming 6th. I have posted the hand below and wondered if anyone thinks I should be getting away from these hands on final tables. When he shoved over my 3-bet I kinda felt priced in for 117k into 500k but should I have 3-bet in the first place? Even if I call am not getting away from it on that flop anyway, is it just unlucky, a cooler?? Or can I lay it down and wait for a better spot, personally after analysing it I think the latter but that’s easy to say when I now what he has, I will appreciate any input!!!

PokerStars Game #34845130776: Tournament #209010431, $20+$2 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XXXI (6000/12000) - 2009/11/02 23:30:37 WET [2009/11/02 18:30:37 ET]
Table '209010431 23' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: xlakex (341494 in chips)
Seat 2: zopu (55536 in chips)
Seat 3: badcallthat (523045 in chips)
Seat 4: charlsbcn (564795 in chips)
Seat 5: Gamblow (311189 in chips)
Seat 6: ScarletMacaw (298484 in chips)
Seat 7: kleath (199374 in chips)
Seat 8: GJmetal1 (262273 in chips)
Seat 9: worabu (530810 in chips)
xlakex: posts the ante 1500
zopu: posts the ante 1500
badcallthat: posts the ante 1500
charlsbcn: posts the ante 1500
Gamblow: posts the ante 1500
ScarletMacaw: posts the ante 1500
kleath: posts the ante 1500
GJmetal1: posts the ante 1500
worabu: posts the ante 1500
zopu: posts small blind 6000
badcallthat: posts big blind 12000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to badcallthat [Qc Qh]
charlsbcn: folds
Gamblow: folds
ScarletMacaw: raises 24000 to 36000
kleath: folds
GJmetal1: folds
worabu: calls 36000
xlakex: folds
zopu: folds
badcallthat: raises 84000 to 120000
ScarletMacaw: raises 176984 to 296984 and is all-in
worabu: folds
badcallthat: calls 176984
*** FLOP *** [7s 2s 5h]
*** TURN *** [7s 2s 5h] [4c]
*** RIVER *** [7s 2s 5h 4c] [Ad]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
badcallthat: shows [Qc Qh] (a pair of Queens)
ScarletMacaw: shows [Kc Kh] (a pair of Kings)
ScarletMacaw collected 649468 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 649468 | Rake 0
Board [7s 2s 5h 4c Ad]
Seat 1: xlakex (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: zopu (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: badcallthat (big blind) showed [Qc Qh] and lost with a pair of Queens
Seat 4: charlsbcn folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Gamblow folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: ScarletMacaw showed [Kc Kh] and won (649468) with a pair of Kings
Seat 7: kleath folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: GJmetal1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: worabu folded before Flop

In the end 6th of 1049 runners isn’t bad in these variance filled fields. I have also had 13th in $50 buy in / 500 runners and finaled tabled numerous $3+r180 manners and a few finals in the $4.40 90 manners. I have also been enjoying the $12 45 turbos on stars. The fields are so weak but variance is very high.

At the minute I feel like I am playing my best game in MTTs and multi SNG’s so I am going to stick to them. I have no real plan which isn’t good, I simply loads stars an decide what type of game I am going to play but now I have a built a role I can play with BRM as the key factor.

The other night I played the $22 six max 500 cap on stars. I was doing so well, my confidence was high and I was cruising with 25 left when these 3 hands happened one after the other practically



PokerStars Game #34924420780: Tournament #208701565, $20+$2 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XX (700/1400) - 2009/11/04 22:18:29 WET [2009/11/04 17:18:29 ET]
Table '208701565 4' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: badcallthat (99805 in chips)
Seat 2: Conky19 (41311 in chips)
Seat 3: IPROpovednik (40843 in chips)
Seat 4: haunebu_ii (51847 in chips)
Seat 5: dikke13 (35265 in chips)
Seat 6: barrel46 (29312 in chips)
badcallthat: posts the ante 175
Conky19: posts the ante 175
IPROpovednik: posts the ante 175
haunebu_ii: posts the ante 175
dikke13: posts the ante 175
barrel46: posts the ante 175
barrel46: posts small blind 700
badcallthat: posts big blind 1400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to badcallthat [Kh Kc]
Conky19: folds
IPROpovednik: folds
haunebu_ii: folds
dikke13: folds
barrel46: raises 27737 to 29137 and is all-in
badcallthat: calls 27737
*** FLOP *** [3d Td Tc]
*** TURN *** [3d Td Tc] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [3d Td Tc 6d] [As]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
barrel46: shows [Ac 3h] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
badcallthat: shows [Kh Kc] (two pair, Kings and Tens)
barrel46 collected 59324 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 59324 | Rake 0
Board [3d Td Tc 6d As]
Seat 1: badcallthat (big blind) showed [Kh Kc] and lost with two pair, Kings and Tens
Seat 2: Conky19 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: IPROpovednik folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: haunebu_ii folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: dikke13 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: barrel46 (small blind) showed [Ac 3h] and won (59324) with two pair, Aces and Tens

Now the KK is fucking sick, I mean he shoves right in me eye BvB when I’ve got KK. Now I actually time banked this as I knew he was doing this with any naked ace. His range here is obvs any 2 but Ive seen this guy overplay Ax so many time. Therefore the fact I knew he had one over made me nervous obvs am not passin and obvs he rivers his bullet to make his A3o the nutzzzzzzzzz

I am not going to lie I tilted like hell and then knew when I got JJ 2 hands or something later, something like this would happen, if I won that KK flip I am cruising to the 6 handed final, so I muck it, but after what happened I obvs over played it. I mean 1 over is not the worst board but from his betting patterns and previous history he clearly had it yet I stationed him down anyway like the donk I am



PokerStars Game #34924464999: Tournament #208701565, $20+$2 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XX (700/1400) - 2009/11/04 22:19:29 WET [2009/11/04 17:19:29 ET]
Table '208701565 4' 6-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: badcallthat (69618 in chips)
Seat 2: Conky19 (36761 in chips)
Seat 3: IPROpovednik (40493 in chips)
Seat 4: haunebu_ii (51497 in chips)
Seat 5: dikke13 (45065 in chips)
Seat 6: barrel46 (54949 in chips)
badcallthat: posts the ante 175
Conky19: posts the ante 175
IPROpovednik: posts the ante 175
haunebu_ii: posts the ante 175
dikke13: posts the ante 175
barrel46: posts the ante 175
Conky19: posts small blind 700
IPROpovednik: posts big blind 1400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to badcallthat [Js Jd]
haunebu_ii: raises 2184 to 3584
dikke13: folds
barrel46: folds
badcallthat: calls 3584
Conky19: folds
IPROpovednik: folds
*** FLOP *** [5d 3d Kc]
haunebu_ii: bets 4550
badcallthat: calls 4550
*** TURN *** [5d 3d Kc] [Td]
haunebu_ii: bets 5600
badcallthat: calls 5600
*** RIVER *** [5d 3d Kc Td] [4c]
haunebu_ii: bets 5600
badcallthat: calls 5600
*** SHOW DOWN ***
haunebu_ii: shows [Ks Jc] (a pair of Kings)
badcallthat: mucks hand
haunebu_ii collected 41818 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 41818 | Rake 0
Board [5d 3d Kc Td 4c]
Seat 1: badcallthat (button) mucked [Js Jd]
Seat 2: Conky19 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: IPROpovednik (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: haunebu_ii showed [Ks Jc] and won (41818) with a pair of Kings
Seat 5: dikke13 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: barrel46 folded before Flop (didn't bet)




Then a few hands later AK is no good for QK, albeit post flop I check shoved w/ fold equity 2 overs and a gutshot on a QJ3r board and obvs he held and I couldn’t believe I was out for a measly $100 profit so sick.

I have decided while I work I can’t make money of the $16 18 man turbos, I have a 300 game sample with a $600 profit for a $2 profit per game. It doesn’t take carol vordeman to figure out they are profitable but the volume I would need to put in would be redic. Plus I can still only play my game when I am 4 tabling, anymore than that and I am done. I read a good post from burnley mik were he talks about the amount of regs that play these games. Now these regs are playing at the only time I can play because of my work commitments. They are so nitty and there is hardly any dead money in them so I will be putting them on the back burner for the time being. The 45/90/180 manners may have a higher variance factor but more dead money. Plus at the minute its multis I seem to be playing best in

I am going to be concentrating on MTTs fore the foreseeable future as the new cap tourneys on stars suit me down to the ground. Hopefully I can continue building the roll and be inspired by people like f3nix35 who has built a roll through sheer, hard work, commitment and volume. I have followed his blog for a while and think he will go far in this game. In fact I would go as far to say as he will probably be one of the top MTT players in the world in 5 years if not quicker.

Still haven’t watched any training vids as I feel they can only teach you so much. At the end of the day everyone has different styles so you can confuse yourself by watching to much. I would much prefer 1on1 live coaching and will be looking at this option in the New Year. I still feel the best way to learn this game, is play play play, adopt your own style, yes you might lose a bit more $ in the interim but I think in the long run its better for your game

BR - $650 from $50

gl at the tables fishes