Giving online poker another chance...

[ThinkerJE]

For a variety of reasons I have not played much online poker this year.  Mainly because I don"t get the same enjoyment from sitting down in front of my laptop as I do when sat at the felt, riffling chips and peaking at cards. 

However there was a time a few years back when I could not get enough of it.  Every spare second, and many late night were spent online, at the tables.  Therefore I have decided to give the online game another chance and try to get back the love I had for it.

It so happens that I will have some time on my hands over the next 3 weeks, as I will be between jobs and don"t start my new position until Januray 4th.  Therefore I intend to put in some proper hours online and see what happens.

The plan is to start with SNG"s and maybe the odd multi table on Pokerstars & Full Tilt (I don"t play cash) and try and find out if I still have what it takes.  I also plan to note down my thoughts and other general ramblings in this blog, firstly as a kind of thearpy for myself and secondly as someone else might enjoy it.

So I finish work on Friday 12 December, but cold drinks will be taken on the evening so the first session will probably be the Saturday evening (depending on hangover) or all day Sunday.

I am actually looking forward to it and I hope my game is up to playing all these online maniacs.

And remember the Thinker motto,

NO BAD BEATS - lets play (online) poker!!!

[Chipaccrual]

Welcome Back.  GL

The final APAT league game is Saturday night, if you fancied a friendly game.  

[Swinebag]

NO BAD BEATS - lets play (online) poker!!!

You must have been away from the virtual felt for a while. Looking forward to this!!

[APAT]

Viva Las Thinker.....welcome back James!

[nosey-p]

Is this in preparation for S3?

Good luck James, what's your name on FullTilt? I will look you up on Sunday

What level will you be playing at?

[ThinkerJE]

Okay, after a very large drinking weekend, I was up early to watch the test match and decided to hit the virtual felt early.  This is how I got on.

Sunday 14 December 2008.

09:33 $20 + $2 SNG Pokerstars
Button raise with AKo followed by cintinuation bet takes its down.  Next hand, 3 limpers and I put in a decent raise with QQ in the cutoff.  BB calls, flop 937 rainbow and a pot sized bet takes down a nice pot.  Still level 1, playing solid.

Sehwag is off to a flier in the test match, we can"t lose it from here surely???

All fold to me in SB with JTo and I make up.  Flop J94 (), I bet out and get called.  Turn is , I figure he is drawing and bet again and get called.  River and I bet again, he calls and mucks!?!  Not sure what he had, but nice pot and up to 2,240 now, level 3, 7 players left, 2nd in chips.

Short stack all in UTG for 600ish, I move all in on the button with QQ.  It holds against QJ, 2,470 now, blinds 75/150, 6 left, 4th in chips.

One limper in mid position, I find AQ in BB and raise, limper all in, I call.  AQ vs Ad8d, flop 874 (), turn and i"m dead, down to 1,100 (still 75/150).

All fold to SB who raises, I"m in BB with KJ and push, called.  KJ vs A3, king on the river saves me, 2,500 now, blinds 100/200, 2nd in chips with 5 left.

We lose another player and I pick up the aggression on the bubble to pinch some pots, then I find the rockets.  Button raises and I push in SB with AA.  Called, AA vs AJ, holds and we are in the money.  We pick on the short stack and reach heads up with me having a 8k to 5k advantage.  A few hands later we are all in pre flop, me with A6 vs 44, 6 on flop and I win my first SNG back on tinternet.  A great start.

[Chipaccrual]

It"s easy this internet lark isn"t it James ?

[ThinkerJE]

10:53 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
Solid early doors.  Sehwag is finally out, although the damage may have been done.  Lets hope monty & swanny can do the business tomorrow.

Matey limps UTG, all fold to me in BB with JT, I check.  Flop AJ2 rainbow and I bet 40 into 75 pot to find out where I am at.  Matey raises to 300.  Puzzling bet but easy fold, probably has KK or QQ and is worried by the ace.

Very tight table, not much action in first 2 levels.

Can"t get anything going, down to 900 (25/50), 8 left and I am the SS (short stack).

I raise in mid position with AQ, SB & BB both call.  Flop QJ4 rainbow, both check to me and I move all in for 750 into 450 pot.  SB calls with J8 ?!?!, best hand holds, up to 1,950, 7 left, 3rd in chips.

Stay out of trouble and we are down to 4 players, I have 2k with 75/150 blinds.

UTG limps and I raise with AK on button.  SB calls, UTG folds.  Flop T74 (), he checks and I am worried he has a pair so I check behind.  Turn blank, he bets 150 into 1,900 pot, don"t like it but I call.  River blank and it goes check check, he shows AJ and the AK is good, weird hand though.

Still 4 left, I am 2nd in chips, then I make a hugh mistake.

Chip leader raises on button, and has been very active.  I"m in BB with AQ, I think I have his range and more chips than he wants to risk, so I move all in.  Insta call AQ vs AK and I am crushed.  This is very bad play.  Firstly I do not want to get involved with the only player who can knock me out.  Secondly why did I go all in, I can re raise and then get away when he pushes and still be in decent shape to cash.

Must learn from this mistake and not make it again.

[ThinkerJE]

13:30 $36 + $3 Pokerstars Sat to Sunday Million
Will keep this brief as 124 runners lined up and I only played 2 hands.  I raised with JJ and had to release on a AK4 board.  Then I find KK UTG and limp as there has been plenty of action.  I get raised and re raised behind and 3 of us are all in.  KK vs AQ vs AA.  Rockets hold and I am toast.  Out in 60th.

13:25 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
Solid early doors, very little action.  Raise in position with 99 but have to release on AJ4 flop.  I find AKo UTG and raise, SS pushes and I insta call.  AK vs 99, ace on flop but turn is a 9 and I am down to 1,100 blinds 50/100 with 5 left.  A few hands later a find 22 on button and push.  SB calls, 22 vs 88 no suck out and I am gone in 5th.

[ThinkerJE]

14:16 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
2nd level, call UTG raise on button with 88.  Flop TTT and he checks to me.  I bet to find out where I am at and he folds (AK most likely), up to 1,600 (15/30) very tight table.

Still tight and 7 left with blinds 75/150.  Get all my chips in with A9 vs 22, ace on the river saves me and soon we are 4 handed.  I button push with A3 and get called by QT.  Ace high holds and we are in the money.  The other 2 now start a pushathon.  I keep out of the way and get heads up with 4.5k vs matey 9k.  Get back to 6k using pure aggression (no cards) then find QQ on BB.  It all flys in pre flop, QQ vs A3, ace seals the deal and I finish 2nd.  A good result as I was short stacked for a long time, my patience and decision making held up well.

[ThinkerJE]

15:53 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
There are 4 limps and I raise with AQ on SB and get 2 callers.  Flop AQQ and I check.  Matey bets, tother matey folds and I call.  Turn blank, check, check.  I bet 300 on blank river and he folds.  Up to 2,050 in level 1, a good start.

There is a min rasie in mid position and a call from the button.  I have AQ in the SB and decide to squeeze by raising big.  Original raiser calls with only 310 back, button folds.  Flop Q47 (), I bet 310 and he folds, up to 2,500 25/50, 7 left, 3rd in chips.

Solid, no hands played still same chips and level but only 5 left now.

UTG limps and I raise with AQ, UTG calls.  Flop AK4 (), I bet 500 and he calls.  Turn is Ts (now & ), I move all in for 1,500 into 1,900 pot and get called by Ks2s, blank on river and I am up to 4,800 (50/100), 5 left, clear chip daddy now.

Start to push my chip stack around and pick on the short boys, the bubble bursts and next hand we are heads up.  I have 10.3k vs matey 3.2k.  First hand he completes in SB, I check my 72o.  Flop 732, I check, he bets and I call.  Turn T, I check, he bets again and I move all in, he calls with K3, river 3 keeps him alive.

I am playing very aggressive, rasing and betting to take pots.  Final hand I raise on button with 74o, matey calls.  Flop 664, I bet and he check raises all in, I figure he has over cards and call.  He has QT and doesn"t hit and I take it down.  I was pleased with my game and aggression.  Good fun this online stuff.

[ThinkerJE]

17:03 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
2 limpers and I raise from SB with QQ.  Button calls, flop is T54 ().  I bet 210 into 350 pot and button moves all in.  He may have a set of 4"s or 5"s but it is only 600 to call.  He has 6d5d ?!?!?  Queens hold and up to 3,100 in level 2, 7 left, chip daddy.

3 limpers and I find QQ again in the SB, I raise big and get one caller.  Flop A37 rainbow, I bet out and get called, and so slow down.  I check the blank turn and he bets 300 into 1,800 pot, so I call knowing I am behind but if I hit the 2 outer I will get all of his chips.  Blank river ad it goes check, check.  He shows AK to win the pot.  Hate how he played this hand, if anything I had him on a weak ace.  Down to 2,200 (25/50), 6 left, 3rd in chips.

No hands, now 5 left, with one big stack bullying the table.

Mid position raise, I push on the SB with AKs and insta called.  AdKd vs 88, flop A76 (), and so matey can only hit the case 8, AK holds, up to 3,300, 2nd in chips, 100/200 5 left (2 very short).

Bubble bursts when I raise on button with AJ, BB all in, I call, AJ vs Q9, it holds and soon after we are heads up with me 9k vs matey 4.5k.  He is tough heads up, every button is raised and we are both very aggressive.  It goes back and forth and I now have 7k vs 6.5k.

He raises the button again, I re raise from BB with AJ and he calls (only 3k back), flop if 7 high and I push and he calls with K7 ??  I hate his call of my re raise, either fold or get it in pre flop.  Down to 2k, I push with A7 vs JT, jack on flop and I finish 2nd.  I think I played good poker again and was a little unlucky heads up, although he was a tough opponent and it was yet another cash, so I am happy.

[ThinkerJE]

18:49 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
No hands played, lose 2 players within 5 mins, crazy action table.

Had to fold AQ pre flop to a raise and re raise, no cards and down to 875 (50/100).  I push from button with 66 and get called by K9o ?!?!?  Sixes hold, up to 1,900, 6 left, 3rd in chips.

Raise in late position with AT, SS pushes only 300 more, AT vs QQ, queens holds and short again with 5 left.

Crazy man pushes and I call with Ah2h.  He has J9o and ace holds and we are now on the bubble.  Very next hand, find KcQc on button, I push again and BB calls with Ah2h, no help this time and I bubble in 4th.  Frustrating game, crazy man playing every hand made it difficult to make moves, so you had to wait for cards.  Pleased with my patience with the SS, gutted not to make the money though.

[ThinkerJE]

19:44 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
Button raise with AT, continuation bets fails and I am down to 1,100 early doors.

Set over set hand means we lose an early player, very tight table, not much action.

Raise early with JJ and have to release when ace on the flop, the raise UTG with QQ but get no action.

Next hand was a mis read and big mistake.  Button min raises and I call in BB with T9.  Flop 833.  Check, check and I sense weakness.  I bet the turn 2 and get called.  River is 3rd spade and I decide I can get him to lay in down so I move all in with goo.  Insta called by 88 (oops).  He flopped the nuts and I just gave my chips away.  Should not have got so involved with such a poor hand, perhaps some over confidence, will not be doing this again.  Learn from it.  I was out in 8th, my worse result so far.

[ThinkerJE]

20:23 $30 + $3 Pokerstars
I was determined to play better and not to do something stupid like the last SNG.

Sit tight early and don"t move a chip until level 3.  I re raise a button raise from the SB with AQ, he calls but my bet on the JTT flop takes down a nice pot.

I make a good fold of 99 to a raise and re raise (AK vs TT).  Still staying out of trouble and we are now 5 handed and I hit trip 8"s in the BB in an unraised pot and get up to 3,300 (75/150) 2nd in chips with 2 very short stacks.

All fold to me in SB and I complete with QT.  Flop 89J, check, bet, call.  Check, check blank turn.  I bet 500 on river and get called.  Up to 4,325, 5 left (100/200), joint chip daddy.

I raise with A9 and BB calls.  Flop 9 high and he pushes and I insta call.  A9 vs T9, ace holds, up to 5,690, 4 left (1 very short stack) blinds 100/200.

Un raised pot in BB with 93, flop 2 pair and get paid agian to increase my big chip lead, up tp 7,800 now with 2nd only 2,400.

SS goes all in and only 300 more to me in BB.  K6(me) vs AT(SS).  Flop A24, trun 6, river K, sick suck out but we are in the money.  Big chip daddy with 9k.

I push the other 2 around and get heads up with 9k vs 4.5k.

I raise on button with A3 and get called.  Flop A98 rainbow, I push and et called by A9, back down to level chips now.  The final hand occurs when I call a raise in the BB with Ah6s and I push on a all heart flop, I get called by JJ, but turn A and river A get me the majority of the chips in play.  Next hand all in pre flop with AT vs T5, no 5 and I win.  Pleased with this victory, especially after messing the last SNG up.  Played very solid early on then stepped up the aggression as the blinds increased and also used my stack to push people around.