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Thursday, April 13, 2006
Patience pays...sometimes
I decided to head down to the Fitz Tuesday night €50 DC game. This suits my bankroll nicely at the moment and I plan on making it my regular weekly game. I think I have a better chance of cashing in the €50 DC in the SE, as the players are A LOT weaker there, but unfortunately I'm in work at 6am on Fridays, so Thursday night poker is pretty much out of the question.
Bumbed into Careca before the game, and I spotted a few other familiar faces as I went to take my seat. I wish I could write an interesting report, but unfortunately it was the most uneventful game I've ever played! Didn't really play a hand other than the blinds up until the break. Just kept on looking down at 24, 37, 23, 46... etc... you know the feeling! Its very frustrating having to fold EVERY hand, but patience is a virtue needed by any good poker player. You wouldn't see Andy Black losing his cool over getting a bit card dead!
Still, I'm an impatient fecker at the best of times, and I was finding it hard to stay focused. The more frustrated I got, the worse the cards seemed to get! The main thing that was keeping me in some way focused was the fact that the same thing happened to me in the SE a few weeks ago, totally card dead... down to 1 big blind... ended up winning it. "Patience Pays! Patience Pays!", kept running through my head...
Eventually the break came and I went downstairs to cool off. I bumped into the lad that I split the Team Event with a few months ago, he told me he was captaining the Anglers Team for the next game. Looking forward to this one!
Anyway, came back after the break with a clear head, ready to take all the positive variance Pokah had for me! He was a bit late and I still didn't get a hand for the first hour after the break... I had built up an image of SUPER-ROCK at this stage, which is funny because I'm usually pretty loose in these games. The cards I was getting were just too bad to play. I limped in a few times with muck just to play a hand, but never hit anything or was raised. I was beginning to get annoyed now, and was down to 1800 from the starting 3300, purely from the blinds. I was ready to push on any A, K or Q, when lo and behold I look down to see aces! lol go figure, the best hand I had seen up until then was Q2o. Ah well, I'm not gonna complain! I was going to push, but decided a limp might be valuable, as everyone was expecting me to push on any decent hand! We had already had a bit of a laugh at my constant folding, and I'm sure some of the players had noticed my frustration by now!
So I limped in, and it was folded around to the blinds. The both completed and we saw a flop of J44. The SB led for 500, the BB raised it up to 1500... ah shit! I pushed, thinking that one of them had to have the 4, and cursing myself for letting them in so cheaply. I didn't care at this point... The SB folded and the BB reluctantly called, turning over J7... ok.... no help for him and I'm finally in the game on a decent 4K.
I go over the top of a bet and a raise a few hands later with 35 or something, feeling that neither player had much, and knowing that as both were decent enough players, my super tight image would get me respect. They folding, the secong player showing JJ... lovely!
Up to 6K after playing two hands, I was doing ok now. The only problem was I was still getting absolute muck! I tried to ignore it, reassuring myself I still had 6K and was above average in chips. I didn't play a hand for another half an hour until I picked up AJ. I raised it up to 1200 (blinds 150/300) and folded to an all in from a tightish player who I had picked up a small tell on. Thankfully it was a good fols, and he showed QQ.
Nothing more until I picked up QQ and was thinking about how to play it. I was EP so I limped in, probably a bad play, but it had paid off on the aces earlier, and i felt if I had a good flop I would be in great shape for another double up. I think we had six limpers! It got around to the button, who decided to go all in. The SB called in a shot! damn... it was folded around to me, and I thought about it for a while and eventually folded. The button showed 99 and the SB had AK. Feck I really am playing too tight...
Fortunately the 99 rivered a straight, so I would have lost. Still terrible play on my part though. I thought I had a decent read on the SB, thinking it was AA or KK, but was off the mark there. Even if I had raised preflop, which I should have, I probably would have isolated with the AK and doubled up... D'OH!
Nothing more until I picked up AK UTG and stole the blinds with an all in. Card dead for another long period, with the blinds now eating up my stack. I know it sounds like I was getting nice cards, but other than AA,QQ, AK and AJ there was NO OTHER HANDS! I usually play any two picture cards, suited Ace or King, suited connecters etc.. but I was getting NONE of these. Just had to try and be patient and wait for a hand.
Unfortunately, with the blinds going up I couldn't wait forever. I had dropped to 3K, when I picked up K3 in the SB. It was folded around to me, and the BB already had 600 of his 1600K in the pot, so I felt he would call with anything. I pushed and he called with 89. An eight on the flop and now I was down to 1500. With blinds at 300/600 i was looking for any good hand to push on. I picked up K10h and pushed. Folded to the BB, chip leader who called with Q7. Flop came KQx. Turn Q...ugh. river x. Ah well. A bad end to an uneventful night!
I had a brief comeback with the aces but never had a chance to get going. Patience got me to 19th, but unfortunately being card dead for so long made me play tight when I did pick up a hand. I am learning to be a more patient at the table, but nights like this still frustrate me a bit. I play poker mainly for the enjoyment and the challenge, so I don't like sitting at the table feeling like a spectator. Ah well, hopefully next week will be better!
On another topic, I got a refund this week of $54 from Paddy Power during the week. This is from the $100,000 gtd game I won a ticket into. There was a problem somehwere in th system which caused the site to keep crashing, to the extreme annoyance of a lot of players. Thankfully PPP kept up their tradition of excellent customer service, and it looks like everyone that deserved a refund got one. I'm happy as i had won my ticket in a $3 feeder, so I'll happily take $54!
My account had been empty as I had withdrawn all but $50 last week, and had lost that $50 in a cash game (the $300+ pot I lost... D'OH!). I hadn't been planning on lodging more money in till next week, so I was happy to have another bit of $$$ to play around with. I had a good run on the STT's and soon had this up to over $100. I decided to have a go at a $6 speed tourney last night. I know these are a total crapshoot but they are fast and the prizefund can be big enough for a $6 game! Sure enough after rebuys the prizefund was good, with 1st taking $1,300. I had a great start quadrupling up with JJ, but the blinds go up so fast you have to keep doubling up, doubling up etc... once the cards dry up your fcuked! i was in the top 10 for most of it, but unfortunately didn't get the cards at the end and finished 43/350 with top 27 paid.
Just as this finished another $6 opened, smaller amount of players, not a re-buy. I joined this and planned on playing the same, super aggressive. There's so little skill involved in these... Anyway I was playing an STT at the same time and wasn't really concentrating on the MTT. Whenever I saw a good hand it was all-in! Soon we were down to the bubble, with top 27 paid. Squeezed into the top 27, then top 18, then final table.
Sitting at the FT, I noticed that with the blinds at 5K/10K, only 4 players had above one big blind! lol ridiculous... Players were dropping like flies, and I made a few pushes with AQ and KJ to knock out shortstacks. Top three was decent money, so I started to take this seriously now. Soon we were down to three, and after the shortstack got kncoked out, we were heads up. Blinds were 20K/40K, I had 60K he had about 130K. First hand I was BB holding 6 10 or some crap. All the chips went in and he turned over KK. haha ah well.
No help and I finished 2nd for about $175. Nothing to be proud of poker-wise, its a total crapshoot, but I'll take the money anyway! Finished 2nd in another STT, and ended the day with over $300 in the account. Not bad from $0! thanks PPP!
Bumbed into Careca before the game, and I spotted a few other familiar faces as I went to take my seat. I wish I could write an interesting report, but unfortunately it was the most uneventful game I've ever played! Didn't really play a hand other than the blinds up until the break. Just kept on looking down at 24, 37, 23, 46... etc... you know the feeling! Its very frustrating having to fold EVERY hand, but patience is a virtue needed by any good poker player. You wouldn't see Andy Black losing his cool over getting a bit card dead!
Still, I'm an impatient fecker at the best of times, and I was finding it hard to stay focused. The more frustrated I got, the worse the cards seemed to get! The main thing that was keeping me in some way focused was the fact that the same thing happened to me in the SE a few weeks ago, totally card dead... down to 1 big blind... ended up winning it. "Patience Pays! Patience Pays!", kept running through my head...
Eventually the break came and I went downstairs to cool off. I bumped into the lad that I split the Team Event with a few months ago, he told me he was captaining the Anglers Team for the next game. Looking forward to this one!
Anyway, came back after the break with a clear head, ready to take all the positive variance Pokah had for me! He was a bit late and I still didn't get a hand for the first hour after the break... I had built up an image of SUPER-ROCK at this stage, which is funny because I'm usually pretty loose in these games. The cards I was getting were just too bad to play. I limped in a few times with muck just to play a hand, but never hit anything or was raised. I was beginning to get annoyed now, and was down to 1800 from the starting 3300, purely from the blinds. I was ready to push on any A, K or Q, when lo and behold I look down to see aces! lol go figure, the best hand I had seen up until then was Q2o. Ah well, I'm not gonna complain! I was going to push, but decided a limp might be valuable, as everyone was expecting me to push on any decent hand! We had already had a bit of a laugh at my constant folding, and I'm sure some of the players had noticed my frustration by now!
So I limped in, and it was folded around to the blinds. The both completed and we saw a flop of J44. The SB led for 500, the BB raised it up to 1500... ah shit! I pushed, thinking that one of them had to have the 4, and cursing myself for letting them in so cheaply. I didn't care at this point... The SB folded and the BB reluctantly called, turning over J7... ok.... no help for him and I'm finally in the game on a decent 4K.
I go over the top of a bet and a raise a few hands later with 35 or something, feeling that neither player had much, and knowing that as both were decent enough players, my super tight image would get me respect. They folding, the secong player showing JJ... lovely!
Up to 6K after playing two hands, I was doing ok now. The only problem was I was still getting absolute muck! I tried to ignore it, reassuring myself I still had 6K and was above average in chips. I didn't play a hand for another half an hour until I picked up AJ. I raised it up to 1200 (blinds 150/300) and folded to an all in from a tightish player who I had picked up a small tell on. Thankfully it was a good fols, and he showed QQ.
Nothing more until I picked up QQ and was thinking about how to play it. I was EP so I limped in, probably a bad play, but it had paid off on the aces earlier, and i felt if I had a good flop I would be in great shape for another double up. I think we had six limpers! It got around to the button, who decided to go all in. The SB called in a shot! damn... it was folded around to me, and I thought about it for a while and eventually folded. The button showed 99 and the SB had AK. Feck I really am playing too tight...
Fortunately the 99 rivered a straight, so I would have lost. Still terrible play on my part though. I thought I had a decent read on the SB, thinking it was AA or KK, but was off the mark there. Even if I had raised preflop, which I should have, I probably would have isolated with the AK and doubled up... D'OH!
Nothing more until I picked up AK UTG and stole the blinds with an all in. Card dead for another long period, with the blinds now eating up my stack. I know it sounds like I was getting nice cards, but other than AA,QQ, AK and AJ there was NO OTHER HANDS! I usually play any two picture cards, suited Ace or King, suited connecters etc.. but I was getting NONE of these. Just had to try and be patient and wait for a hand.
Unfortunately, with the blinds going up I couldn't wait forever. I had dropped to 3K, when I picked up K3 in the SB. It was folded around to me, and the BB already had 600 of his 1600K in the pot, so I felt he would call with anything. I pushed and he called with 89. An eight on the flop and now I was down to 1500. With blinds at 300/600 i was looking for any good hand to push on. I picked up K10h and pushed. Folded to the BB, chip leader who called with Q7. Flop came KQx. Turn Q...ugh. river x. Ah well. A bad end to an uneventful night!
I had a brief comeback with the aces but never had a chance to get going. Patience got me to 19th, but unfortunately being card dead for so long made me play tight when I did pick up a hand. I am learning to be a more patient at the table, but nights like this still frustrate me a bit. I play poker mainly for the enjoyment and the challenge, so I don't like sitting at the table feeling like a spectator. Ah well, hopefully next week will be better!
On another topic, I got a refund this week of $54 from Paddy Power during the week. This is from the $100,000 gtd game I won a ticket into. There was a problem somehwere in th system which caused the site to keep crashing, to the extreme annoyance of a lot of players. Thankfully PPP kept up their tradition of excellent customer service, and it looks like everyone that deserved a refund got one. I'm happy as i had won my ticket in a $3 feeder, so I'll happily take $54!
My account had been empty as I had withdrawn all but $50 last week, and had lost that $50 in a cash game (the $300+ pot I lost... D'OH!). I hadn't been planning on lodging more money in till next week, so I was happy to have another bit of $$$ to play around with. I had a good run on the STT's and soon had this up to over $100. I decided to have a go at a $6 speed tourney last night. I know these are a total crapshoot but they are fast and the prizefund can be big enough for a $6 game! Sure enough after rebuys the prizefund was good, with 1st taking $1,300. I had a great start quadrupling up with JJ, but the blinds go up so fast you have to keep doubling up, doubling up etc... once the cards dry up your fcuked! i was in the top 10 for most of it, but unfortunately didn't get the cards at the end and finished 43/350 with top 27 paid.
Just as this finished another $6 opened, smaller amount of players, not a re-buy. I joined this and planned on playing the same, super aggressive. There's so little skill involved in these... Anyway I was playing an STT at the same time and wasn't really concentrating on the MTT. Whenever I saw a good hand it was all-in! Soon we were down to the bubble, with top 27 paid. Squeezed into the top 27, then top 18, then final table.
Sitting at the FT, I noticed that with the blinds at 5K/10K, only 4 players had above one big blind! lol ridiculous... Players were dropping like flies, and I made a few pushes with AQ and KJ to knock out shortstacks. Top three was decent money, so I started to take this seriously now. Soon we were down to three, and after the shortstack got kncoked out, we were heads up. Blinds were 20K/40K, I had 60K he had about 130K. First hand I was BB holding 6 10 or some crap. All the chips went in and he turned over KK. haha ah well.
No help and I finished 2nd for about $175. Nothing to be proud of poker-wise, its a total crapshoot, but I'll take the money anyway! Finished 2nd in another STT, and ended the day with over $300 in the account. Not bad from $0! thanks PPP!
