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January 20, 2005
The Longest SnG...
"Is this the place to whine about bad beats, or do I have to write about it tomorrow?"
- Me, at last nights blogger table at Party
Well duh. Write about it of course. Then you can just think "bad beat story - boooring" and click on one of the links to the left! :)
Actually, it's not all a bad beat story. And I don't whine...much. ;)
I haven't played an SnG in a long time. I go through spells with them, I'm not really sure why. Fear of tossing away money, I suppose. At least with a ring game you have a chance of making some money. (Yes, I know...you have a chance of making money in an SnG too). But it only takes a few early bust-outs in a string of SnGs to put a bad taste in your mouth. But I really do enjoy tournaments. In fact, I think of myself as more of a tournament player really. I just don't have the (*ahem*) balls to put up real cash to actually play in a MTT. (Exception: blogger tourney. I'll throw away money for you people. You're killing me with $20 Iggy, but I did it as a reader/baby blogger, and I'll do it again without a second thought. That's love right there). That's why I like freerolls...all the tournament fun, none of the investment from me. I like UB's freerolls especially, because they actually give bonus dollars. (I realize my liking freerolls statement somewhat conflicts with my *ahem* "dryness" statement from my previous post...let me explain. I like freerolls. But they're still freerolls. They come...they go. Even one with a big prize pool...hell, I haven't even checked the calendar, I may be busy that day. Again, the investment thing - I have nothing invested in it...I put nothing up...if I play, I play. If I When I win, awesome. It's this lack of investment that brings out a lot of crazys, I know. But I treat my play just like normal. And I know some people say that no self-respecting poker player would play a freeroll. Well. Obviously I disagree with that. I mean. They're free. It's poker. You can win stuff. I see no problem.
Anyway. I've gotten off topic. But this is good, because I've come to a realization in my off-topicness, and I'll share it with you in a moment.
So...last night. Ring game. Didn't play many hands, felt in an SnG mood. Fired up a $5 10 person. Tried to do both, despite the fact that I don't multi table well. So, I close the ring game, up about 60 cents or so. (woo hoo!)
I get decent cards in the SnG, but Oh. My. God. Becky. This thing goes on FOREVER. I mean...for a $5 SnG...people usually are a little bit nuttier. This is a tight, tight group of folks. I play my cards well when I get them and do OK, but because this thing is going on so much longer than SnGs usually do...blinds are becoming a problem...so the comeback has to begin. Blinds are 75/150. I'm SB with Jh Kh and T890 (smallest stack). 4s (T925) raises to 350. I go all-in. Everyone else folds, 4s calls. He shows TcKd. King on the turn, I now have T1930 and he has T35. He was nice guy...I tell him I'm sorry in the chat, but...I really don't mean it. ;) He's out on the next hand, his As9s vs 2c2s.
A few hands later I find Aces on the button, and raise it to 675. No callers, so I collect the blinds. We get down to the bubble with blinds at 100/200 (finally! the bubble!) and then...beautifully...ITM.
It's raised to 400...I have 3h6c...I'll fold. Then the re-raises and all-ins begin, and it's Ah9c vs. Qd6d. The Qd6d wins it, having caught a Queen on the flop and two fours on the board. Now we're down to two...
I get AhKs. Raise to 600. Called. Flop is KcJdTs. I bet 600, he folds.
Next hand...I have T3955, he has T6045. I get 8c2d (just couldn't be a 7, now could ya??). Flop is 2c5h3c - he bets 200, I raise 400. (I figure he's flush drawing). Turn comes Ac. He bets 1200. I call. River is 8s. He bets 3600. I go all in (sweet! Two pair!), he calls.
He had a 4.
Honestly, I didn't even see that straight draw. I was more focused on the flush draw, which I knew he didn't have!
Oh well. $10 for 2nd.
So, I think...well...how 'bout another??? :D
Yea...how 'bout another indeed.
$5 SnGs at UB are hard to come by. They fill up fast...as soon as you see them on the list, they're full! "Well...I just made $10...I could do a $10 one, and worse case, I lose, and then I'm even for the night". (Not counting the fees, but who's counting those? UB, that's who!) Stupid brain.
So....$10 10-person SnG. With shitty shitty cards. I mean...damn. I think I got the hammer. I think that might have been the best hand the whole time. Seriously...scrolling through the hand history summary right now....5-3, 5-2, 9-4, 5-2, 9-8 (which I played...but the flop was then J-3-A...ug)....oooo - AK - stole that one! Good job April! :D But yea...that was pretty much the highlight.
But yea...my bad beat, as already relayed to a fellow blogger, was this one -
Blinds at 75/150 (another long one...but just b/c these people were sllllooooowwwww). I've got T2500 - putting me 2nd in chips - and Ah Qc on the button, so I feel comfortable about raising here. I raise to 300, and get one caller. Flop comes Ad 8d 7h. It's checked to me. I bet 350. He goes all in. I figure my Ace to be good, if he had AK, he would have raised himself pre-flop I imagine (although the AK limp is such a sneaky move...). I call. He has... Jd Kd. Turn is 4c. River is...like I have to tell you?
Really.
You can't guess?
Oh, ok fine. If you're going to bitch about it, I'll tell!!
Damn Queen of diamonds, of course! Giving me two pair and making his flush!
Does that not qualify as a bad beat? I guess we were a coin flip...hell if I know, that's math, and it hurts my head. It sure hurt like a bad beat.
Next hand I had Ac7c...and while I loathe baby Aces, when you're shortstacked, and they're suited...you go with them. Well, screw them, they were no help!
So I was out. Pppfffttt. Oh well.
Anywoo. I said earlier...you know, way back when, at the start of this post, that I had come to a realization about something. And that is....are ya ready? It's kinda good...I think. I say I don't have the balls to put up the dough for an MTT. But really...we're talking about $5, $10, maybe even $15 tournaments here. When I do play in freerolls, I do well. I'm usually ranked in the top 100 for the majority of the tournament...until I fuck up and make some mistake that I know better than and then end up shortstacked with high blinds. So the point is...I don't know why I'm so psyched out of putting up the dough for an MTT. I can certainly do well. I put up $10 for an SnG without thinking twice. I prove myself in other MTT's on multiple occasions...so why am I reluctant to back myself? Good Lord, I'm worse than Dutch Boyd!!
I guess the reason is that the field is shorter, so of course there stands a better chance of hitting ITM. But I suppose over the long run...the one time you make ITM in an MTT, it outweighs all the times you play and don't? Did that make sense? ROI% and all that. Anyway...for me it was just an "ah-ha"/"wtf?" moment...having had success in large field MTT's before, why not take a shot at a "real" one? So...I guess that'll be my goal for 2005. Blogger tourney does not count. :)
"Side" note (hahahahahahahaha...I kill me!)...we have quite the little Austin WPBT contingent going on here. So, because we ROCK, I've removed my fellow Austinities from the regular blogroll and have created a special spot for them all their own. If you'd like to be added....well....move. :) We are working on getting together a WPBT home game though, and if you're interested in joining us for that, come 'on down (said in best Texas accent).
Posted by April at January 20, 2005 02:35 PM
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Comments
Whew - You are bordering on uber-post! :)
You are one of the few bloggers I know that plays on UB regularly. Use the referral bonus - get your blogger buds to sign up, deposit $100 w/ netteller, they can take it right back out. 12 referrals and you've got 300 BB bankroll (in bonus dollars) for 2/4! (Tell all those party people the rakes on UB are smaller.)
I play on UB too, but I only play 6 handed SNG. Better odds of ITM (33% vs. 30%). Every little edge counts! To hit the money in a MTT is at least a top 15% finish if not higher. Think about it.
Great blog, enjoy your posts. GL!
Posted by: Buffalo66 at January 20, 2005 04:37 PM
Boy, you aren't kidding about UB SnG's - they take absolutely forever. I think it's because the blinds start at 5-10...if they started at 10-15, or 10-20 it might not take so long. I usually play well in them until there are only two or three of us left, and by then I'm worn out and ready to stack up or take my cash. Not a good way to play, but the fatigue at UB can be a bit much to handle.
Someday I'll hit Austin again, and we'll get a home game going!
Posted by: Jason at January 20, 2005 05:19 PM
We have way to much in common...I love freerolls and I also have a problem shelling out more then a dollar for MTT's. I think I've played freerolls at just about every site there is. It also gives me a chance to play with more agression since I have nothing to lose.
One other thing, I have tried and tried to find the blogger table over at Party. (Just to chat since I have no bankroll) I'm starting to think it's an urban legend. Any suggestions?
Posted by: April H. at January 20, 2005 09:49 PM
:D I like freerolls simply because of the size of my bankroll, which is miniscule(sp).. plus, as the other April mentioned, you can be more aggressive, nothing to lose.. I usually play the freerolls at Absolute.. and pokerroom.com has a couple nice ones, but they start before I get off from work...
Looking forward to a WPBT event here in Austin...
If you want some wierdness, attend one of the APL tourneys I've been mentioning... :)
Posted by: Slayre at January 21, 2005 08:02 AM
Freerolls/MTT's/SnG's are like crack. For me, it's as bad as sushi (can't stop eating sushi or playing SnG's).
I think you simply overvalued your hands here. I mean really, next time wait for The Hammer at least.
:D
Posted by: djw at January 21, 2005 09:47 AM
Nice post April. I don't mind the SnG's every once in awhile. I'm trying the Step challenge (single tables) over at PartyPoker. I'm on the $200 buy-in step 3 level right now. It's a nice way to prolong your original $11 buy-in.
Have you tried those SnG's?
Later,
GW
Posted by: GW at January 21, 2005 12:57 PM
No, GW, I really don't play at Party...I'm "deeply and profoundly retarded" as Iggy would say. :lol: Just not a big fan of the interface, prefer UB, and that's where my mentor was, so that's where I set up shop. I've heard those step ones are interesting though!
Posted by: April at January 23, 2005 12:28 AM