Table Selection

I now have $2.93, so I'm playing two 0.01/0.02 tables. Here table selection is very important, so I'll explain why I've choosed this two tables.
These two tables are populated for 100BBs or more buy ins, so they have to be carefull with the other big stacks. Plus, both tables have another shorty, the shorty is a danger cause he does not need much of a hand to push (as the big stacks are worried that another big stack can have a monster and so they have to fold).
So, I've found these two tables, where I have the shorty seating right before me. This has a couple of advantages:

• I know when the shorty can end playing for stacks, so I can fold medium strength hands. When the shorty has limped, othe players have to be cautious about raising with hands that are not monsters, as the shorty can push.
• My blinds will be probably less attacked, as they see two shorties on the blinds.
• I don't have to care when I attack other blinds from late position about what the shorty is going to do, I have that information in advance.

PokerStars Game #12418639933: Hold'em No Limit ($0.01/$0.02) - 2007/10/03 - 16:56:30 (ET)
Table 'Josephina V' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: cse-2004 ($5.16 in chips)
Seat 2: Sarajo (NL) ($6.14 in chips)
Seat 3: monaco2002 ($2.07 in chips)
Seat 4: ljmrm ($0.96 in chips)
Seat 5: BigFiSH0101 ($2.39 in chips)
Seat 6: MartiniVodka ($3.15 in chips)
Seat 7: - dicroc - ($3.02 in chips)
Seat 8: Hawanuka ($1.52 in chips)
Seat 9: Adrian20XX ($1.47 in chips)

PokerStars Game #12418623046: Hold'em No Limit ($0.01/$0.02) - 2007/10/03 - 16:55:30 (ET)
Table 'Fragaria' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: Sneakers ($2.33 in chips)
Seat 2: RagingDmon ($1.12 in chips)
Seat 3: Adrian20XX ($1.46 in chips)
Seat 4: MindMister ($2.56 in chips)
Seat 5: MartiniVodka ($4.40 in chips)
Seat 6: Gold Graham ($4.41 in chips)
Seat 7: billys83 ($2.48 in chips)
Seat 8: dragonkid126 ($2.27 in chips)
Seat 9: Rob o Mighty ($5.30 in chips)

Closing the betting round

This is an important concept that a lot of times begginer players do not consider. When you are calling a raise, are you closing the betting round? That means, can somebody raise your call in the same betting round? If not, that call does not guarantee you to see the next round for the ammount of the call, you risk to have to put more money or fold on this same betting round.
Another point, how likely is that someone raise my call?
I will try to explain this with a hand.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

saw flopsaw showdown

CO ($5.92)
Hero ($1.41)
SB ($2.60)
BB ($2.34)
UTG ($1.33)
UTG+1 ($14.80)
MP1 ($11.24)
MP2 ($4.64)
MP3 ($5.50)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 8s, 8h.
UTG calls $0.02, UTG+1 raises to $0.1, MP1 calls $0.10, MP2 calls $0.10, 1 fold, CO raises to $0.18,

This is the point I'm talking about. So, I'll go again thru the hand to analyze it. UTG flat calls, UTG+1 raises to 5BBs, MP1 flat calls, MP2 flat calls, 1 fold, CO re-raises to 9BBs.

Now I have 88, and have to decide what to do.
Can I flat call? First of all, I will not be playing deep (my stacks is not even a normal full buy in of 100BBs). Second, we have to analyze how likely is that this 9BBs call can take us to see a flop. I'll have two players behind, SB and BB still to act that still didn't showed anything about their hand strength. They are not a high risk. UTG has limped, so altough he might had limped with a monster pair, is not likely, because two other players have showed a lot of strength so they probably are holding big cards and so reducing the odds for UTG to have a monster pair. Now we go to UTG. He is playing for a full stack, and with a limper in front he has decided to open for 5BBs in second position, with 7 players still to act. So, most probable he either has a very strong Ace or a big pair. So, can he re-raise here? Yes, it's a very possible situation. I don't see MP1 and MP2 as a threat, as they flat called the opener, they are probably saying that they want to see a flop but they fear the opener is ahead now.
So, the main risk here is the opener (UTG+1), and he is a real risk so I decide to fold.

3 folds, UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to $0.66,

The risk has materialized. Now if I had called, the 9BBs can not get me to see a flop, it will either be 33BBs at least, a fold or a push. And here pushing or calling 33BBs does not make sense, so I'll had to fold, and lose the 9BBs investment without seeing any card.

MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO calls $0.48.

Two players see the flop for 33BBs.

Flop: ($1.57) 2h, 2s, 7s (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $1.6, CO raises to $5.26, UTG+1 calls $3.66.

Turn: ($12.09) 4d (2 players)

River: ($12.09) 3s (2 players)

Final Pot: $12.09

Results:
UTG+1 has Ad As (two pair, aces and twos).
CO has Tc Ts (two pair, tens and twos).
Outcome: UTG+1 wins $12.09.

PokerStars Blogger's Freeroll

I've registered for the Freeroll, one advantage of having a blog.

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 1741680

I did it again !!! :-(

Sad, I fucked my bankroll again. Was playing horrible, tilted in a huge way, so was left with only 1.03 on my PokerStars Account.
But, with 1.03 I can sit on a 0.01/0.02 micro table (minimum buy in is 1).
And now I go for the heroic mission, to build a decent bankroll starting with 1.03 (no need to make one million play money to sell it now !!!).

On 0.01/0.02 there is soooo little aggression and sooooo much limping. So, I've sit on a table and played considering that I can see cheap flops for only 1BB. I ended with 1.38, but I will concentrate on today's short session only.

So, I've sit with 1.38 on one 0.01/0.02 table. First hand I wait for the BB, and on the BB I get 98 unsuited with 3 limpers. Flop comes K52 rainbow, it goes checked all the way (seems nobody hit the K). Turn comes 9 putting a flush draw, so I lead with 4BBs (I have to check if I'm ahead of everyone with second pair). Everyone folds and I win 2.5 BBs ang get my BB back. Cool.

Second hand (not second hand I play, but second hand at the table) I am SB as it should be. I get AdAc, and four limpers ahead of me. So I decide to raise big and pray for everyone to fold, as variance can kill me in here. So, I raise to 30BBs, and to my attonishment BB calls. Everyone folds and we take a flop. Flop comes Jc 6h 6s, and I all have to do is push and pray (and swear of course :-) ). So I push, and get called. Turn comes 9d, River comes Kh, and I swear cause again, I give players to much credit and I put him on KKK. He shows KJ, I win and now I have almost 3 buy ins !!!!

Now, the sky is the limit, I've passed the most difficult part (now the most difficult part is not to get tilt). So if anyone wants, I'm willing to bet 500 bucks that I will have 2K real money starting from my current 2.88 in less that 4 months (I'm sure I'll need less time).

Note that I wanted him to fold any hand on the flop, even 72. What I lose being called is going to play for play money again, and it can take a while there. But if I call I won almost half my buy in, and I would have 2 full buy ins, that's a huge difference, next time I can root for a call with 23. So strangly here, I don't want him to play EV- for him and EV+ for me, because as I said variance can kill me.

Remember the lesson "don't put your opponents on a single hand, put them on a hand range"? I have to learn that :-)

Oh, another point. When I've seat at the table, I took care not to have a short stack close behind me, as short stacks usually need not much to push and are able to flip coins. A short stack ahead could be even good, as other player's with a full buy in have to take care of the small stack.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Button ($1.99)
Hero ($1.45)
BB ($2.97)
UTG ($2.82)
UTG+1 ($3.90)
MP1 ($3.22)
MP2 ($2.04)
MP3 ($4.86)
CO ($3.66)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Ad, Ac.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.02, MP1 calls $0.02, MP2 calls $0.02, 2 folds, Button calls $0.02, SB raises to $0.6, BB calls $0.58, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, Button folds.

Flop: ($1.28) Jc, 6h, 6s (2 players)
SB bets $0.85 (All-In), BB calls $0.85.

Turn: ($0) 9d (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($0) Kh (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $2.98

Results:
Hero has Ad Ac (two pair, aces and sixes).
BB has Kc Jh (two pair, kings and jacks).
Outcome: Hero wins $2.98.