I won my second badugi tourney today. I've only played ~6 badugi tourneys in my life. Coincidence? I think not.

Lost most of it at the cash tables though.

Here's a snip from the micro limit holdem no content thread that I really like. Thought I'd share it with you guys and gals:
Relevant imo:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/35...0-post-149007/

Losing with a smile on your face is an acquired skill.

Also relevant: special thanks to Howard Beale:

Quote:
The most important takeaway from this post is this imo:

I make it a point to always say "nh" in the chatbox when I lose a big pot. This one thing has helped me to deal with the beats more than any other thing. At first, I would cringe as I typed. Now, years later, I'm still saying nice hand and although I may still get frustrated at times, it helps me to remember that it's just a game. There are much worse things that could happen than losing money.

A half court shot at the buzzer may be quite lucky, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't say "good game." Being a good sport may be tough at first, but the more you exercise this part of your brain, the better it works.

Looking back on childhood, I remember catching a whole baseball game that ended with us losing to a walk off home run. I worked so hard that whole game only to have my hopes crushed by one swing of the bat. Being the catcher, I was first in line to shake hands with the opposing team. We lined up, shook hands, and that was that. I went home and exploded into tears in my pillow. The lesson was an important one that I still think of sometimes when my hard work goes without reward.

Poker is no different. You can work really hard on your game and execute perfectly on the felt only to have the cards fall in your opponent's favor. Getting past this hurdle is quite important to your development as a player.

Cross post from psych forum, thoughts are appreciated:

That was just part of my response to a question of "Do you feel good about being a poker player?"

Here's the thread:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/26...layer-1566835/

It only October and you are already thinking about having a losing year? Poker fortunes can turn around fast. Be more optimistic. With my friends if I am losing, I just tell them I am about break even, I am making good decisions at the table, and I am hoping that things can turn around quickly.

With the holidays coming up, I'm not really going to be in a good position to play any cashgames at Foxwoods. That leaves homegame tourneys and swcpoker as my hopes of making back my loss, but I'm currently busto on swcpoker and tourneys are pretty high variance. I'm keeping my head up and trying to be optimistic, but if I had to make a realistic estimate, I give myself ~25% chance of having a breakeven year or better. So I'm not giving up the hopes of having another winning year, but I gotta be realistic.

I made a decent run in the 5k krillroll last night, which paid ~20 bucks. Then I played some cashgames and a few tourneys. I basically broke even at the cashgames but didn't cash in either tourney. The last tourney I played was definitely a mistake on my part. I was getting tired around 1130pm and closed the cashgames. There was a 40 chip 420 guaranteed tourney that was going with late registration that was too good of a deal to pass up because the guarantee had a good overlay. However, due to my sleepiness, playing was definitely a mistake. I was eliminated three spots before the bubble. Then I went to bed.

Haven't played much lately, but here's my random thought for today, which I posted in the small stakes limit holdem forum's no content thread last night:

cheers

I managed to fold my way into the money in last night's 5k krillroll on swcpoker. I had about 1.5 big blinds when the bubble burst. Then I doubled up once with A7o, but I was eliminated on the next hand when my KTo ran into AA.

I took my 15 chips to the limit holdem cash table, where I was reverse buttoned. The guy played one hand in the big blind and then he quit, leaving me with 12 chips. Then I sat with a no limit holdem gamestarter on a 6 max table. I was broke within about ten hands after this happened:

I had ~55 big blinds, he covered me.

I raise 3x on the button with K7s, he calls.

KQ3

He checks, I bet 1/2 pot, he check raises 1/2 pot, I call.

7

He bets ~2/3 pot, I shove, he calls getting ~5:1.

River wasn't a seven, which was what I needed cus he showed KQo.

Currently sitting on zero bits.

I cashed in a no limit holdem swcpoker freeroll today, which paid 0.4 chips, which is exactly enough to sit at a micro table. Currently sitting on just over 13 chips at a limit holdem table waiting for action.

Scratch that, just went broke.

I won a plo freeroll last night, which was good for 1.6 chips on swcpoker.

Took that to the cash tables where this happened:

very bad lag raises 4x, I call in the big blind with K6o.

K65

I check, he shoves ~8x pot, I call.

7

8

I show, he shows 92o for the scoop.

----

Currently sitting on zero bits, however, I think that swcpoker is gonna do something nice for us during the month of December. Last year, there were big chip freerolls just about every night and very big chip freerolls on Christmas and New Years Eve. We'll see.

I won a no limit 2-7 single draw freeroll just a little while ago. I took my 1.5 chips to the cash tables. King high flush vs ten high flush doubled me up. Then a few smaller pots put me up over 4 chips. I took that to the 5c/10c no limit holdem table and doubled up with 88 vs AQ in a blind vs blind battle. Then the third player left us heads up. I got KK in the big blind, so I 3 bet preflop. He shoved and the board came down in what looked like a good fashion for KK. However, he had AA and scooped.

I played some no limit holdem games yesterday with a friend. The first game was $2.50 no limit holded with 65 big blinds played to the felt. He took the first five pots cus I had junky hands. Then this happened:

He raises 6x on the button, I call K7.

AAK

I check call <1/2 pot.

2o

I check call <1/2 pot.

7o

I check call <1/2 pot.

He shows A8o for the scoop, I muck.

----

So now I'm really shortstacked ~23 big blinds. Then this happened:

He raises to 6x on the button, I call J9

8Q8

I check, he bets 1/2 pot, I shove, he snap calls.

I say, "I have a straight flushdraw." and show. He shows Q4s.

turn: Ao

river: 5o

----

Then we played a $5 same format. This game lasted a while. To my surprise he even showed the fold of 95 on the 854r flop, which is particularly tight for him. Then this happened:

I cover his ~40 big blind stack.

I forget the whole hand, but I had a pair of fours and an overcard. I called on every street and the game ended just as I push my chips in and he says "Bahhh!!! I have nothing!!."

I cashed in the 5k krillroll last night for a few chips on swcpoker. I nursed a short stack with big stacks to my left till the bubble burst. Here's one that I thought was pretty close:

I was near the bottom of the leaderboard with 5 big blinds, but there were a few players with even less than that. The big blind had about 20 big blinds and I had been letting him walk the past few times that it folded to me in the small blind because I had really bad hands and not enough chips to create any substantial fold equity.

on the bubble:

folds to me in the small blind with T8o, I fold.

----

Then the bubble burst and I was in the money. I stole the blinds a few times but couldn't get any big wins. I was eliminated in 10th place which paid 17.50 or .0175 bitcoins.

I immediately took that to the .50/1 limit holdem table and surprisingly someone sat within a minute. I started with 10 chips on the limit holdem table and 8 chips on a pot limit big O8 table heads up with a gamestarter.

The limit holdem game was rough at first. I was down to just a big blind or so after just four or five hands. So I closed the pot limit big O8 table and reloaded my stack on the limit holdem table. Then the cards came my way. It took about 20 minutes, but I managed to string together some big wins and finished the night around 30 chips.

Bitcoins are up around $385 a pop at the moment, so 30 chips is only about $11. However, there is much potential in those chips and I'm looking forward to investing them back into cards.

Carbon was nice enough to give me a $7 casino bonus the night before last. I won two $2 hands of blackjack and immediately took that to the limit holdem cash tables. I finished the night with about $5 cash balance and a little over $6 left on the casino bonus.

Yesterday morning, I fired up some 10c/20c limit holdem. By noon, and with using strictly poor bankroll management, I was playing 50c/1 limit holdem with about 50 big bets. Then I posted in the micro stakes 15BB challenge thread that I was sitting at 1/2 with just over 20 big bets. Almost immediately, someone sat and we played heads up. I was getting a rush of strong draws that I tried to bluff with, but apparently the guy either had my number or was hitting really strong hands because I got 3 bet twice on the turn in big pots, which took a big chunk outta my stack. I quit with just $5 left.

Then I took that $5 back to the blackjack table. I won a few hands in a row playing $1 a hand. Then I started playing $2 a hand and the cards kept coming my way until I had over $15. Then I started playing $5 a hand and the cards continued to come my way until I had $45. Sweet, right?

So I took that stack and sat at 50c/1 limit holdem by myself and also sat in a 25c/50c game. I lost a bit at 25c/50c, but the cards were coming my way at 50c/1 and I soon had over $55. I took that and gamestarted 1/2 limit holdem, where I played for at least a couple hours ranging from heads up to six handed play. I never made it over $60 however, and then the beats started. AA<88 comes to mind as the turning point. After that happened, it was all downhill and I finished around 6pm with $5 left in my account again.

I took a break and went to visit my sister and brother in law last night. When I got home it was almost midnight, but I felt like playing. So I played a little 10c/20c limit holdem, but I didn't win nor lose much.

Then I took my last $4.96 to the blackjack table, where I quickly won a few hands in a row. I probably should've quit when I hit $15, but I didn't. I finished the night with $0.44 in my account. I feel fine about it cus it was all on a freeroll and I had fun all day yesterday.

The 5k krillroll is tonight at 7pm and bitcoins are up over $400 or so I hear. Hopefully I can get something going. If not, at least I'm gonna have some fun for free.

Why the hell would you play HULHE with anyone from 2p2? It's like 90% they've got a GTObot, no?

Here's the 15BB challenge thread:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/35...micros-689418/

I only stated that I was sitting at 1/2 with just over 20 big bets. It's not a challenge to other players, and I never stated that I was sitting on Carbon Poker. While it's possible that someone saw my post in that thread yesterday and hunted me down on Carbon, I think it's unlikely that's what happened.

The guy I played was pretty good though, as is kind of standard when gamestarting. Typically you only get action from good players and bad lags. Occasionally you'll end up against a tighty or a loose passive, but for the most part it takes some level of confidence in one's game, or an overwhelming desire for action to sit with a gamestarter. I knew all of this when I sat down.

While the "gto" bot Cepheus's strategy is available to anyone interested, it makes plays at frequencies that no mortal can possibly attain in real time.

With all of that considered, I think shorthanded limit holdem is my best shot because that's where I have the majority of my experience. It's also where I've made most of my profits. I typically suffer when the game gets full. So that's why I gamestart limit holdem. That, and because I find it to be the most fun.

Humans can achieve any frequency to an unexploitable degree given a clock and a second hand

Challenge accepted.

With bitcoins up around $430 a pop, I was pretty excited about last night's 5k krillroll. When registration ended, there were a total of ~125 entrants. Things were going well as I took out a few shortstacks, which put me at the top of the leaderboard around an hour into the tourney with over 9k in chips. I went pretty card dead during the middle game, but I managed to steal the blinds a few times that kept me close to the top. Then this happened:

I raise 2x preflop with AKo in early position, dude 3 bets < 3x with 3k behind, shorty calls, folds around to me and I shove, he calls. I show, he shows QQ, shorty shows 22. QQ made a flush and scooped the 15k chip pot. That left me with ~8 big blinds. Then the blinds went up almost immediately and I was severely shortstacked.

The bubble was approaching and I only had 5 big blinds in my stack after paying my big blind. Now I was in the small bind with AJo, cutoff shoves 8 big blinds, folds to me, I call, big blind folds. He had 33 and I didn't hit anything. I was out of the tourney in 22nd place with 20 paying.

It was a fun two hours though.

Yay it's Friday!!

I played a no limit holdem 65 big blind to the felt match for $5 vs my friend the other day. I was already a few beers deep when we started. I took the first game quickly. Then we played a second game in the same format. I took a few pots early and had about a 3:1 chiplead. Then this happened:

He raises 6x on the button, I shove AQs, he calls.

QTTr

Now this is why you, or I, shouldn't play cards for money when drinking:

For some reason, I began thinking that I had AKs instead of AQs and I say, "Queen splits the pot."

Turn: 9o

River: 9o

I say "Two pair with an Ace, chop it up."

We split the pot and cleared the board, when we both simultaneously seemed to remember that I had AQs. However, the chips had been divided and what was done was done. There was no turning back at that point. It was my own fault and I took responsibility for my actions. The game continued:

Next hand:

Before I can even look at my cards, he shoves ~32 big blinds without looking at his cards. I look down at K8o and instantly call. I paired my eight on the flop and felt pretty good about my chances, but there was a nine out there too which I was aware that he may hold. The turn and the river missed me. I showed my cards and he shows a naked nine for the scoop.

Now we were just about even in chips. He's on the button and shoves blind again. I look down at 87s and say "**** it." I called and lost.

GG dude. I'll get you next time.

Seriously though, don't drink and play cards for money.

----

In other news:

There's a 5k plo krillroll this week, a format that I'm admittedly not good at. My plan is to play very tightly preflop in order to avoid tough spots postflop, and to hopefully hit some strong hands on the flop. We'll see.

Good morning. I hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season.

I had a gift card for the Ninety Nine restaurant and pub that I got for Christmas, so I treated a friend yesterday afternoon. After we ate lunch, we went back to his house and we played some 65 big blind no limit holdem.

game 1:

I think he won the first five or six hands, and he had me covered by about 2:1 in chips. Then this happened:

He raises 6x preflop, I call K2s.

K94r

I check, he bets 3/4 pot, I shove, he calls. I show and he shows A2o.

5o

Ao

----

game 2:

He took the first few pots with what I thought were really good value bets. Once again he had me by about 2:1 in chips. Then this happened:

He raises 6x, I call A5o.

J85r

I check call ~3/4 pot.

7o

I check, he bets ~1/2 pot, I call with just a few big blinds behind.

9o

I check, he bets enough to put me at risk. At that point I was getting like 10:1, so even though the board was scary, I felt that the price was just too good to pass up. I called. He shows 8x. I lose.

----

There's a 5k krillroll tonight at 6pm and Bitcoins are up around $430 a pop at the moment. First place pays about $120. Since it's free to play, I really like my chances even though I've never placed in the top three spots. I do have two fourth place finishes and have cashed around 30% of the time in my brief history over the past six months playing the krillrolls. Hopefully the cards come my way.

----

I'm kinda pumped because I got a gift card for $70 bucks at a local butcher shop for Christmas. I went to check out the selection yesterday, but they were closed for the holiday weekend. We gonna chow down in the near future. Will report back.

I couldn't get anything going at first and lost a few chips to the blinds and a preflop raise that didn't turn into anything good. Then I doubled up by shoving 9 big blinds with AA. A guy called me with 65s, which I thought was particularly bad even though he had a bunch of chips behind.

Then I had ~18 big blinds and I was utg 9 handed. Usually I play raise or fold in that spot with that many blinds, but I thought KQ was too strong to fold. I raised 2x, got called by MP, the cutoff, and both of the blinds. The flop came down:

K76

It checked to me, and I thought of shoving my 1.5 pot sized stack. That seemed a bit thin though, while check calling would probably induce some bluffs. So I checked. MP shoves ~4.5 pots, cutoff calls all in for ~3 pots, big blind calls all in for ~2.5 pots. I deliberate a bit, but consider the price I'm getting is a bit better than 7:1. I ended up calling and was pleasantly surprised to see 98o from MP, 94ss in the cutoff, which had a backdoor flushdraw, and A6ss in the big blind, which had the dominating backdoor flushdraw. I liked my chances but I was eliminated after the turn and river fell:

9s

Ts

GG all.

----

Later Sunday night, I played a 15 chip no limit holdem freeroll. It didn't go well at first and I was down to 1.125 big blinds. All in. All in. All in. Ad nauseum until I was at the top of the leaderboard with 20 players left and 10 spots paying. I pretty much dominated the final table and had a 3:1 chiplead going into heads up play. However my lone remaining opponent could not be defeated. He was calling pretty much any shove with any hand and he kept on hitting. I had him all in at risk for his tourney life twice with the lead preflop, but the guy was like ****ing Rasputin. He could not be killed. Soon enough, He was the one with the chiplead and I was eliminated in second place which paid just over 2 chips.

Then I took those chips to the 1c/2c no limit holdem table.

AQo vs K5o all in preflop? Qxx flop, x turn, K river. GG.

That left me with about half a chip to play with. I would win some little pots along the way, but eventually my AQo ran into 99 all in preflop. The flop came 943r or something like that. I hit an Ace on the turn but it wasn't enough to defeat my opponent.

Cheers.

I'm closing the books on my first ever losing year. It was a fun ride while it lasted.

Cheers.