Poker Wannabe: 5/31/2005 - Crazy Memorial Day Weekend

Wow, what a crazy weekend. I played about 7000 hands of the Party 15/30 full with great overall success, but it was a wild ride. I had my first 100 BB downswing at that level (a $3000 drop) but managed to make that all back and more.

I had forgotten what an adventure full ring play can be, having logged over 100,000 hands at the six-max tables over the previous five months before trying the 15/30 games last week. Full ring is tough--darn near every hand someone is dealt AQ or better, and it seems as though almost once a round two pocket pairs JJ or higher are dealt out in the same hand. AK vs AQ, AA vs KK, KK vs QQ, all distressingly common. I have to admit, it took me a while to adjust to the overall quality of hand needed for some people to be raising. Three-betting the turn with TPTK is a much riskier venture at a ten-handed game than a six-handed game.

My 100 BB downswing was jump-started by this fun hand:

Party Poker 15/30 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with Ks, Kd.
1 fold, UTG+2 calls, 1 fold, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls, SB completes, Hero raises, UTG+2 3-bets, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls, Hero caps, UTG+2 calls, MP2 calls, SB calls.

Flop: (19 SB) As, Ac, Kh (5 players)
SB folds, Hero bets, UTG+2 calls, MP2 folds.

Turn: (10.50 BB) 8h (3 players)
Hero bets, UTG+2 raises, Hero 3-bets, UTG+2 caps, Hero calls.

River: (18.50 BB) Kc (3 players)
Hero bets, UTG+2 raises, Hero 3-bets, UTG+2 caps, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 26.50 BB

Results:
Hero has Ks Kd (four of a kind, kings).
UTG+1 doesn't show.
UTG+2 has Ad Ah (four of a kind, aces).
Outcome: UTG+2 wins 26.50 BB.

Okay, okay, I know he played the hand EXACTLY like he had AA, and lo and behold, he had exactly AA. But still, at what point does someone slow down? On the turn I was worried about AK until the last K hit (or else I would have check-called the river), but after that K? He'll play Ax like that, too. Except...well, he wouldn't limp-reraise with most, if any, Ax, would he? AQ? Doubtful. 88? Nope. Only AA. Sigh.

I also got stuck in many set-over-set situations (well, set-under-set from my perspective) and I wasn't able to slow down fast enough. At 10/20 six-max where people are capping the turn with a flush draw and undercards, one gets used to raising first, asking questions later. I'm really going to have to learn to be more careful.

But, this isn't a whining post! I did very well over the weekend overall, thanks to many fine Party Poker donkeys like, say, this guy:

Party Poker 15/30 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with Qd, Qs.
UTG calls, Hero raises, 3 folds, MP3 3-bets, CO caps, 2 folds, BB calls, UTG calls, Hero calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (20.66 SB) Qc, 7d, 4s (5 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets, MP3 calls, CO calls, BB raises, UTG folds, Hero 3-bets, MP3 calls, CO folds, BB calls.

Turn: (15.33 BB) 5d (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, MP3 folds, BB calls.

River: (17.33 BB) Kd (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB calls.

Final Pot: 19.33 BB

Results:
BB has Tc 7c (one pair, sevens).
Hero has Qd Qs (three of a kind, queens).
Outcome: Hero wins 19.33 BB.

Let' s see, call a preflop cap with T7s, proceed to check-raise one's middle pair, and then call all the way down to the river. Yup, I wish I could say it takes skill to make money online.

Anyways, as it turned out, Memorial Day itself turned out to be my most profitable day of poker ever, live or online. Perhaps after coming back from beaches and barbeques and whatnot, people had nothing better to do than fire up the ol' PC for some poker because the games were extra specially donkilicious yesterday, at all sites.

At least this recent wild'n'crazy poker success has got my mind off the Astros. Sheesh, what a bunch of scrubs.

36 days.

(I'm leaving a day earlier than I originally planned.)

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5/31/2005 - Crazy Memorial Day Weekend

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