Ya know, everybody knows that Stars is the #1 or #2 pokersite in terms of size and numbers of players. So why the hell is it so damn hard to find a full ring game of 5/10 or so at 9:30 AM EST?

Anyhoo, the one 5/10 table was full with a waiting list, so was the 10/20. So, what do I do? Of course, I go and make myself breakfast.

Wrong. I jump in at a 15/30 for a few hands:

I only got in 12 hands before the table broke (WTF), but they were nice hands...

Everybody knows I like to raise first in with suited aces...

PokerStars 15/30 Hold'em (7 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with , .
2 folds, Hero raises, 3 folds, BB calls.

Flop: (4.66 SB) , , (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB calls.

Turn: (3.33 BB) (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB calls.

River: (5.33 BB) (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB calls.

Final Pot: 7.33 BB

Results in white below:
BB has Js 8s (one pair, eights).
Hero has Ad 5d (one pair, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins 7.33 BB.

And of course, when the game gets short, you have to expand your horizons. This guy tossed a bluff at me, and I kinda went weak, but ended up winning the hand anyway.

PokerStars 15/30 Hold'em (4 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with , .
Hero raises, Button calls, 1 fold, BB calls.

Flop: (6.66 SB) , , (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, Button raises, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (5.33 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero calls.

River: (7.33 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 9.33 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has 4d 4s (two pair, fours and twos).
Button has 8c As (one pair, twos).
Outcome: Hero wins 9.33 BB.

His flop raise didn't feel like a 2 or a 7, but when the T came on the turn I got a bit squirrely and played check-call. I had put him on an Ace-rag hand, and probably got fortunate that he didn't hit his kicker. I also feared that on the flop, 3-betting would have either A) chased him out or B) gave him more incentive to call anything on the turn I gain with the free card play 3-bet. I know I played it weak, but it was still nice, and a nice bankroll builder...

15/30 LHE: 12 hands, 11m, +$220.00

heh heh. Nice way to start off a month, eh?

Took another shot at the 15/30, since for some reason there are no 5/10 full ring games playing on Stars right now. I think I may have encountered two of the worst players you could ever imagine playing at that level.

I lost $500 playing 4 of 44 hands. I lost with AA to KQo when he rivered his 4-flush. Lost with 77 to J7 when he flopped a jack--he called two cold with J7o. Lost with 99 to T7o when he called two cold and caught a T on the turn.

One guy was 30/11/1.10. Another 40/12/1.00.

Is this representative of 15/30 players??

Tibs: The games are more beatable at the middle limits than the lower ones. While its true that you dont get too many people at the middle limits that simply don't have any idea how to play the game (as you might get at the lower limits), people playing lower limits usually dont have the money to lose, and play pretty tight. Especially at 3/6 and 5/10, you dont find the same totally clueless people you do at .50/1.00, and you dont find the people who dont care that much about money, and play 45% of thier hands. I have never seen as much TAG style poker as i have sitting with TW and piers at the 3/6 and 5/10.

Thats why i balked at seeing your winrate for these tables...I dont think i could EVER beat these tables for 3bb/100 or more.

The work schedule is beginning to get human again, with one project finishing up well ahead of schedule and another planned to be finished on schedule by next week. So here I am this morning, playing at the 'puter. I don't have to be in until 2:30 today--evening shift, and I'm off tomorrow. Of course, I pay for it, working 6 in a row before next Wednesday and the Thanksgiving holiday.

But I digress.

I played some Stud HL last night, it was a real hoot and it's quite the complicated game. It surely isn't as easy to figure outs and odds as it is in a shared-card game like Holdem or Omaha. I'm nowhere near good at it, but it's fun and a change from the grind of playing LHE and NLHE.

Anyhoo, since the disaster day of 11/2 (a day that shall live in infamy), I've recorded some nice wins, for about $500 in bankroll padding. I still haven't fully recovered from getting plowed that day (at least psychologically when I look at the cashier screen), but I feel that I've just played my game, and played it well. That's really all you can ask for.

Stats (since the disaster):
5/10 LHE: 853 hands, 10.65hrs, +$537.50

I'm currently playing at a table with more than a few trisomic (tipping cap respectfully to Piers) folks.

How gravy is it to be raised on the turn while you hold the nuts? He raised me with a made hand (a 6-high flush), and essentially one out (the )...He was 46/6/0.56--with aggression frequencies of 8% flop, 29% turn, 50% river, and 25% overall. He was clearly out of his league here:

PokerStars 5/10 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with , .
3 folds, Hero raises, 2 folds, SB calls, 1 fold.

Flop: (5 SB) , , (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB calls.

Turn: (3.50 BB) (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB raises, Hero 3-bets, SB caps, Hero calls.

River: (11.50 BB) (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB calls.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB

Results in white below:
SB has 6s 5s (flush, queen high).
Hero has As 7s (flush, ace high).
Outcome: Hero wins 13.50 BB.

Beautiful.

Ok--fun cancel. Playing last night, I ended up down $100, including cleared bonus, mostly on gems like these:

1) -$14 on set over set beat (33 vs. QQ)
2) -$6 with AKs versus 53s, board (6-5-K-4-7)--river straight.
3) -$15 boat over boat with 66 vs. TT, board Q-5-6-5-T, he 2 outers his boat--flop raise, turn raise...
4) -$10 A7 loses to 55 on 7-7-8 flop, turn K, river 5
5) -$12 AKs loses on A-K-T flop to K2s with a rivered flush.
6) -$11 QQ loses to TT, board 8-6-8-7-T
7) $-9 AA loses to T7s, board 6-5-J-J-Q for rivered flush
8) $-9 KK loses to 92s, board 2-5-7-8-9
10) -$12 KK loses to 55, board 7-3-6-Q-5
11) -$11 KK loses to JT, board 9-T-5-Q-T
12) -$11 AQs loses to 82, board 2-A-7-2-K
13) -$11 KK loses to K7 (3-bet pre-flop K7 called cold), flop 7-7-4

I'm almost at the 40k hands mark, and my win-rate is at 2.97 BB/100. With beats like this, it's truly a wonder I'm not broke.

Still alive, posting from work

Been playing on Interpoker and Full Tilt, enjoying my foray into NL. Should be interesting!!!!

Hey Tiburon!

I read your blog and I like it!

I am in to follow your journal! Good luck on the NL tables! I really think this is where the money is! And the glory! .


Later.

NO, he is venturing on NL. Read his blog.