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.

Never chase on a paired board

For new players that never heard of this, it's time to hear about.
As this subject is soooo common, I've searched an interesting article on the web, and found this one on the following site: http://www.toppoker.org/free-poker/tips-draws-dm.html

---

Don't chase draws to straights or flushes when there is a pair on the board. This doesn't seem as bad as it really is; remember that the object of poker is to lose small pots and win big ones. The problem with drawing to a flush or straight with the board paired is two-fold. First of all, the paired board makes it possible for your opponent to have a full house that will beat you even if you do make your hand. The other, less obvious, reason that drawing with a paired board is rarely profitable pertains to implied odds and negative implied odds. Implied odds refer to the amount of money that isn't in the pot yet but that can be won on future bets. Reverse or negative implied odds refer to the amount of money you stand to lose on future betting rounds, usually situations when it is hard for you to see that you don't have the best hand.

Remember, the reason it is sometimes right to draw to flushes and straights is not just the money that is in the pot now; it is also the money that you might be able to win after you make your hand. Now, if there are two tens on the board and your opponent doesn't have one, it will be difficult for him to call a bet once a flush or straight also becomes possible. Even if he has pocket aces, if the board is paired and then three flush cards come out, there will just be too many hands that can beat him for him to pay off a big bet. That's why you don't have good implied odds with a paired board.

Conversely, if your opponent actually has three of a kind, there are two many cards out that would give him a full house; he may already have a full house. If your opponent has a full house or makes a full house and you hit a high flush, it will be very difficult for you to get away from the hand with any chips left. That means that drawing to a flush when your opponent has a boat, or is drawing to a boat, has huge negative implied odds (again, negative implied odds refer to the future bets you will have to pay off when you hit your hand, usually referring to situations where it appears that you have the best hand but do not). So, if your opponent doesn't have a set, you don't have good implied odds, so you can't win a big pot. If he does have a set, then you could end up losing a big pot due to the negative implied odds. To put it simple, drawing to a flush or a straight when there is a pair on the board will win small pots or lose big ones, even when you are "lucky" enough to make your hand. That's just not good poker. Don't draw when the board is paired.

---

And now, I'll ilustrate this with a hand. In this hand with a full house already made, I got two players drawing, one to a straight and to a flush, and another one to a straight. As I had a very nice full house I made them cheap to draw, but high enough to have them all in at the river. Then, on the river they paired one of their cards and had top pair, but as the pot was already so huge, they couldn't let it go.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Button ($6.50)
SB ($5.25)
BB ($10)
Hero ($9.85)
UTG+1 ($1.50)
MP1 ($5.75)
MP2 ($5.85)
MP3 ($13.85)
CO ($16.15)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Th, Td.
Hero calls $0.10, 1 fold, MP1 calls $0.10, MP2 raises to $0.35, 2 folds, Button calls $0.35, 1 fold, BB calls $0.25, Hero calls $0.25, MP1 calls $0.25.

Flop: ($1.80) Js, 3s, Tc (5 players)
BB checks, UTG bets $1.5, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $1.50, Button calls $1.50, BB calls $1.50.

Turn: ($7.80) 3h (4 players)
BB checks, UTG bets $1.9, MP2 folds, Button calls $1.90, BB calls $1.90.

River: ($13.50) Qc (3 players)
BB checks, UTG bets $5, Button calls $2.75 (All-In), BB calls $5.

Final Pot: $26.25

Results:
BB has Qh Kc (two pair, queens and threes).
Hero has Th Td (full house, tens full of threes).
Button has Ks Qs (two pair, queens and threes).
Outcome: Hero wins $26.25.

Straight forward play leads to correct decisions

I've been thru up and downs, and now I have to play micro-stakes after screwing my bankroll for the 3rd time.
As my friend Fabian started to play poker, I've decided to update the blog instead of sending him the hand histories, so this way I can share it with more people.

So now two hands, both with Aces. In one I've played straightforward pre-flop, and this lead me to make a difficult but still correct call that stacked the other player. Actually, I was about to fold on the river and asked the guy to show KKK (the hand I thought he had) and I would owe him one show. He didn't replied, and I realized that I had raised him enough pre-flop to be able to call all in on the flop. Now I realize that it was also correct to call all in on any river. In the other one, I limped UTG, and after a lot of action on the flop I folded the best hand on the flop that turned to be the winer withouth improving.

Another lesson from the first hand: never put your opponent on a single hand, put them on a hand range.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

BB ($17)
UTG ($10)
UTG+1 ($9.90)
MP1 ($6.70)
MP2 ($4.55)
CO ($10.70)
Hero ($10)
SB ($5.85)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Ac, Ad.
UTG raises to $0.5, 4 folds, Button raises to $2, 2 folds, UTG calls $1.50.

Flop: ($4.15) Ks, Jd, 5c (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($4.15) 6d (2 players)
UTG bets $2.2, Hero calls $2.20.

River: ($8.55) Qh (2 players)
UTG bets $5.8 (All-In), Hero calls $5.80 (All-In).

Final Pot: $20.15

Results:
UTG has Ts Td (one pair, tens).
Hero has Ac Ad (one pair, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins $20.15.



PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (7 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

BB ($2.45)
Hero ($10)
MP1 ($15.95)
MP2 ($13.65)
CO ($8.70)
Button ($11.60)
SB ($6.60)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Ah, Ad.
Hero calls $0.10, 3 folds, Button calls $0.10, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($0.40) Th, Kh, 7d (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG bets $0.2, Button raises to $0.4, SB folds, BB raises to $2.35, Hero calls $2.15, Button raises to $4.3, Hero folds.

Turn: ($9.40) 4s (2 players)

River: ($9.40) 5s (2 players)

Final Pot: $7.45

Results:
BB has Jh 7c (one pair, sevens).
Button has 9h 6h (high card, king).
Outcome: BB wins $7.45.

No Limit Triple Draw 2-7

I ocasionally play some game other than NL Holdem for fun, my usual choices are Studd Eight or Better Qualifier and No Limit Triple Draw 2-7. Usually I play them break even , and I'm very carefull as I don't know how to play them properly. So Today I was playing for fun No Limit Triple Draw 2-7 , and was 12 bucks up when this hand came, and I was able to stack the biggest stack of the table Mr. Peterson, that also seems to be a good player, for a profit of 128,85 on a 0.25/0.50 Table.
Also, this hand shows one of the most problematic situations in poker: drawing to the second best hand. I have the nuts 23457 before the last draw, and Mr. Peterson draws one card and ends with 23467. In the best case he drew without the 6, so he was drawing to 2 of the possible 5s (as I had one of them and the other player had another one). Then he hits one very good card that gives him a 7 high hand, but not enough to beat my nuts and to avoid to get stacked.


PokerStars Game #7706054706: Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/01/01 - 00:58:26 (ET)
Table 'Eunike II' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: Mr. Peterson ($185.45 in chips)
Seat 2: Katertot08 ($7.25 in chips)
Seat 3: starsljazer ($7.25 in chips)
Seat 5: Sparkdog55 ($37.85 in chips)
Seat 6: Adrian20XX ($123.60 in chips)
Adrian20XX: posts small blind $0.25
Mr. Peterson: posts big blind $0.50
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to Adrian20XX [Jd Ah 4d Qh 3h]
Katertot08: calls $0.50
starsljazer: folds
Sparkdog55: folds
Adrian20XX: calls $0.25
Mr. Peterson: checks
*** FIRST DRAW ***
Adrian20XX: discards 3 cards [Jd Ah Qh]
Dealt to Adrian20XX [4d 3h] [5h 2d Tc]
Mr. Peterson: discards 1 card
Katertot08: discards 2 cards
Adrian20XX: checks
Mr. Peterson: bets $2
Katertot08: calls $2
Adrian20XX: calls $2
*** SECOND DRAW ***
Adrian20XX: discards 1 card [Tc]
Dealt to Adrian20XX [4d 3h 5h 2d] [7c]
Mr. Peterson: discards 1 card
Katertot08: discards 1 card
Adrian20XX: checks
Mr. Peterson: checks
Katertot08: bets $4.75 and is all-in
RazzO joins the table at seat #4
Adrian20XX: calls $4.75
Mr. Peterson: calls $4.75
*** THIRD DRAW ***
Adrian20XX: stands pat on [4d 3h 5h 2d 7c]
Mr. Peterson: discards 1 card
Katertot08: stands pat
Adrian20XX: bets $25
Mr. Peterson: raises $38 to $63
Adrian20XX: raises $53.35 to $116.35 and is all-in
Mr. Peterson: calls $53.35
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Adrian20XX: shows [5h 2d 4d 7c 3h] (Lo: 7,5,4,3,2)
Mr. Peterson: mucks hand
Adrian20XX collected $231.75 from side pot
Katertot08: mucks hand
Adrian20XX collected $20.70 from main pot
Katertot08 said, "vn"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $254.45 Main pot $20.70. Side pot $231.75. Rake $2
Seat 1: Mr. Peterson (big blind) mucked [2s 3s 4h 7d 6c]
Seat 2: Katertot08 mucked [5d 3d 8h 9d 2h]
Seat 3: starsljazer folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Sparkdog55 (button) folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Adrian20XX (small blind) showed [5h 2d 4d 7c 3h] and won ($252.45) with Lo: 7,5,4,3,2

PokerStared in the worst possible way

Ever wondered where the term "PokerStared" comes?
Well, this hand has the answer, got two players all in pre flop with my Aces (and two big stacks). One had also Aces, the other had KK.
And it was not enough that the KK hit his set of Kings, he also had to get his quad Kings on the turn.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

MP3 ($35.15)
CO ($60.10)
Button ($37.20)
SB ($72.75)
BB ($78.15)
UTG ($13.40)
UTG+1 ($98.90)
MP1 ($37.70)
MP2 ($58.40)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with As, Ac.

2 folds, MP1 raises to $1, MP2 raises to $3.5, MP3 calls $3.50, 4 folds, MP1 raises to $6, MP2 raises to $13.5, MP3 raises to $35.15, MP1 raises to $42.7, Hero calls $24.20.

Flop: ($116.30) Kc, 6h, Qs (3 players)

Turn: ($116.30) Kd (3 players)

River: ($116.30) 7s (3 players)

Final Pot: $116.30

Results:

MP1 has Ad Ah (two pair, aces and kings).
Hero has As Ac (two pair, aces and kings).
MP3 has Kh Ks (four of a kind, kings).

Outcome: MP3 wins $116.30.

Flopping Quads and getting paid

This was a nice hand, and I like the way i played it.
Small stack (20BB) is second to act and raises to 4BB. I'm third to act with QQ, and want to trap someone in the middle cause I suppose the small stack is going to push. So I raise to 9BB, and I get a caller. Small stack pushes all in as expected, and I raise to 36BB. The caller in the middle calls, I thought he would fold.
Now comes the flop, QcQh5d. Wow, I have Quads on the flop, on a pot that has 92BBs. Now, what do I think he has? A pair, probably big. What does he think I have? A big pair. Probably he think he is beated by my pair, but as the pot is so big, I can lead with a small bet and he will call for sure. So I bet 7BBs, and he calls. Turn comes 8h, so again I think he has a pair. Pot has 120BBs, so I can bet a bit more and keep him in the hand. So I bet 9BBs and he calls. River comes 9c, pot has 138BBs, and he has a stack of 43BBs. Time to push, I'll probably will get called with any pair, or even AK, just in case I have AK because I've been showing extreme weakness since the flop. He calls with an 8 Full House of Queens, and I win. Small stack to my surprise has AA, but before the flop I was playing to isolate the small stack that could had push with anything, and after the flop I was playing to get the player in the middle stacked .

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)
Hero ($41.60)
MP2 ($21.05)
MP3 ($23.75)
CO ($24.15)
Button ($25.40)
SB ($13.15)
BB ($20.45)
UTG ($13.75)
UTG+1 ($4.75)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Qs, Qd.

UTG calls $0.25, UTG+1 raises to $1, MPA raises to $2.25, 1 fold, MP3 calls $2.25, 4 folds, UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to $4.75, MPA raises to $9, MP3 calls $6.75.

Flop: ($23.35) Qc, Qh, 5d (3 players)

MPA bets $1.75, MP3 calls $1.75.

Turn: ($26.85) 8h (3 players)

MPA bets $2.25, MP3 calls $2.25.

River: ($31.35) 9c (3 players)

MPA bets $10.75, MP3 calls $10.75 (All-In).

Final Pot: $52.85

Total Pot: $52.85, between Hero and MP3. Pot won by Hero ($52.85).($52.85).

Results:

UTG+1 has Ad As (two pair, aces and queens).
Hero has Qs Qd (four of a kind, queens).
MP3 has 8s 8c (full house, eights full of queens).

Outcome: Hero wins $52.85.

My first Deep stack win

This is the first time I win being deep stacked at Pokerstars, had some few loses being deep stacked, but this is the first win.
Is a hand of Aces against Kings, but this hands do not have to end on both players all in if they are played straight forward.
Yesterday I had a similar hand, I was deep stacked and with QQ I lead with a raise of 5BB, deep stack raised to 15BB (effective stack was around $150), and a 100BB stack raised to 45BB, so I folded my Queens, and the deep stack folded his Kings (that's what I tought was happening before folding, Aces against Kings against Queens). The deep stack later confirmed he had Kings.
So if the hands are played straight forward, the hand can end before the flop.
Now the first deep stack win.


PokerStars Game #6831940659 No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50/$1.00 (7 handed), 2006/10/30 - 18:31:50 (ET) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

MP1 ($55.90)
MP2 ($96.75)
CO ($173.80)
Button ($106.05)
SB ($22.90)
BB ($60)
UTGA ($201.10)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Ac, Ah.

Hero calls $1

Here I flat call being first to act with AA, praying for someone to raise me.

2 folds, CO raises to $4, 2 folds, BB calls $3

Cool, I not only get raised, I get raised by the other big stack and get a caller also.

UTGA raises to $9,

I think that at the time I thought that we was strong, so I min raised so he thinks that I want to get tricky with a dangerous but not strong hand.

CO raises to $25, BB calls $21

Wow, he not only has a hand, he has a monster. At the time I was sure he had Kings, so thought for a few seconds, making time but also planning how to play the hand.
The effective stack is $160, so he raised me $16, that's the exact ammount I should had raised and he did it for me.
So having narrowed his hand to KK 95%% and QQ 5%, I flat call and decide to lead on the flop.

Hero calls $16.

Flop: ($75.50) 3d, 5h, 9s (3 players)

My magic flop, I'm playing only against the big stack, in order to stack him.

BB checks, UTGA bets $25,

This is the min raise I avoided to do before the flop, so I lead with this. Pot has already $75, I'm waiting for a push or to lead again with like 50 on the turn and $75 on the river (all in).

CO raises to $148.8, BB folds

His cards are wide open now, he has Kings 100%, and I iave him exactly where I wanted him to be. I even said to him before calling, "sorry, Aces".

Hero calls $123.80.

Turn: ($373.10) 5d (2 players)
River: ($373.10) Jh (2 players)

Final Pot: $373.10

Results:
Hero has Ac Ah (two pair, aces and fives).
CO has Ks Kh (two pair, kings and fives).
Outcome: Hero wins $373.10.

PokerStars VIP Freeroll Tournaments

I've played yesterday in three PokerStars VIP Freeroll Tournaments, and did pretty well on all of them.
On the SilverStar Tournament 28903630 that had 1624 players, a total prize pool of USD 2500, USD 450 to the winer and was paying 297 places I placed 501.
On the GoldStar Tournament 28903634 that had 1075 players, a total prize pool of USD 5000, USD 975 to the winer and was paying 198 places I placed 20 and cashed USD 18.50.
On the VIP Monthly 100.000 Freeroll 28903626 that had 2528 players, a total prize pool of USD 100.000 (one hundred thousand dollars !!!), USD 18.000 to the winer and was paying 330 places I placed 114 and cashed USD 150.

I'm pretty happy with the way I played on all the tournaments, played almost flawless and stole my fair share of blinds and pots.

On the SilverStar Freeroll I was elminated on an unlucky hand, I was perhaps between place 10 and 25, with a very big stack, and was playing aggressive on a table that had a monster stack (I guess he was placing 2nd at that time). I raised to 1075 for the second time in a row this time with KK, and was the 3rd time in a row that I was raising preflop, got monster stack to call (he was playing pretty aggressive too), got a re-raiser go all in for 26454, I poped it up to 4240 (almost half of my stack), and monster stack called. Flop came QT7 rainbow, I pushed all in and monster stack that had QQ and hit top set called.

On the GoldStar Freeroll I was at some point in 9th place, and then started to get cold decked and was left placing around 15 with 20 players left. I had a stack around 48000 with Blinds at 2000/4000 with a 200 ante, picked AKs on the small blind on a pot uncalled, and raised to 28000 (I've been raising the BB for a couple of times), guy flat called, flop came A82 rainbow and I bet 12000 to keep the guy playing, guy put me all in and I called, guy showed A8 and took me out.

On the VIP monthly 100K Freeroll I was doing pretty good, I was placing 6th when we were around to make it to the money, and then got cold decked and started to go down.
I was left with a small stack (M around 5) after a coin flip with unimproved AK against QQ, and then made what I think it was a huge mistake.
Blinds were 1000 / 2000 with a 100 ante, pot was uncalled by the early players and I had A5o. I looked at all the remaining players to act, and all of them had medium stacks except for the Button that had all of them covered. So I thought to my self, if any medium stack raises with is with a monster hand because they are scared of the button so I have to fold, but if the button raises is probably to steal again the blinds so I can go all in. That is exactly what happened, all the small stacks folded and the button that had 52633 chips raised to 18000 when I only had left 7970 chips and the BB only had 15451. Then I forgot all my previous thoughts, didn't checked the pot odds I was offered and started to doubt, and after thinking for a lot of time finally folded on what I consider the huge mistake of the session. Pot was offering me around 1.5 to 1 on my money, raisor has been aggressive stealing our blinds, and I folded my Ace high hand, huge mistake. Why would a monster stack raise us all in with a premium hand? No way, he will want us to play, this bet was just to take us out of the pot. Then a couple of hands later I had KTs on middle position with M around 2, went all in being "first in vigorish" and BB after much hesitation called with A4o, he paired his 4 and I missed the flop and was eliminated.

Anyway, after a few days of playing horrible in which I left my poker bankroll with only USD 148.34 from USD 812.55 in only six days, I played almost flawless and did great, addding USD 168.50 to my poker bankroll and competing with PokerStars top players (even SuperNova !)


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (9 handed)
CO (t505)
Button (t2645)
SB (t750)
BB (t7196)
UTG (t805)
UTG+1 (t4222)
Hero (t9070)
MP2 (t6092)
MP3 (t20090)
Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Ks, Kc.
2 folds, Hero raises to t1050, 1 fold, MP3 calls t1050, 1 fold, Button raises to t2645, 2 folds, Hero raises to t4240, MP3 calls t3190.
Flop: (t11350) Td, Qc, 7h (3 players)
Hero bets t4830 (All-In), MP3 calls t4830.
Turn: (t21010) 2h (3 players, 1 all-in)
River: (t21010) 5h (3 players, 1 all-in)
Final Pot: t21010
Results:
Hero has Ks Kc (one pair, kings).
MP3 has Qd Qs (three of a kind, queens).
Button has 8d 8s (one pair, eights).
Outcome: MP3 wins t21010.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t4000 (7 handed)
MP2 (t21949)
CO (t82808)
Button (t77155)
Hero (t48612)
BB (t148730)
UTG (t113324)
MP1 (t107701)
Preflop: Hero is SB with Kd, Ad.
5 folds, Hero raises to t28000, BB calls t24000.
Flop: (t53200) 2s, As, 8h (2 players)
Hero bets t12000, BB raises to t24000, Hero calls t8412 (All-In)
Turn: (t97612) 7h (2 players, 1 all-in)
River: (t97612) 6s (2 players, 1 all-in)
Final Pot: t97612
Results:
Hero has Kd Ad (one pair, aces).
BB has 8c Ac (two pair, aces and eights).
Outcome: BB wins t97612.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t2000 (9 handed)
Button (t52633)
Hero (t10135)
BB (t17551)
UTG (t38196)
UTG+1 (t28944)
MP1 (t42370)
MP2 (t22057)
MP3 (t21915)
CO (t28504)
Preflop: Hero is SB with 5h, Ad.
6 folds, Button raises to t18100, Hero folds, BB folds.
Final Pot: t18900
Results:
No showdown. Button wins t18900.