Senator Menendez (D-NJ) introduces poker bill
Senator Menendez introduced a bill to regulate online poker in the US. You can read more about it here. The only people that I can see not liking this are the 18 yr old online kids.
Jump on the wagon?
I was thinking of jumping on the popular bandwagon of setting some arbitrary dollar amount and trying to get there from $0. Well, folks, I'm not playing freerolls. Sorry. Not gonna happen. So for now, I transferred all but $10 from Stars to FullTilt.
I guess the goal is to go from $10 to $30,000. Why $30,000? Well, I want to buy my significant other a car (a Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited to be exact - not my cup of tea, but whatever) and figured that should cover it. I think $10 to $300 will be the most painful part, especially because I was starting with only have one buy-in at NL10. I hate playing below NL10 since it's hardly poker. So I played a $5 double-or-nothing SnG to start things off and quickly got up to $15. High variance, I know. I'll chastise myself later.
Then I played a 36 min (40 hand) single table session at NL10. I went from $15 to where I'm stopping for the day, $23.20.
Not a lot of memorable hands, but I had an ultra-nit on my right that would constantly give me walks in the BB, and a ATC (any two cards) wonder kid on my left. Obviously a lot of my money was going to come from the guy on my left, but that also meant playing out of position.
Hero wins $4.15
The villain was a super station and I assumed I would have been raised by a flopped straight, trips, and the backdoor flush was unlikely. Against the same player:
Hero wins $8
Knowing that the villain was min-raising marginal hands, I decided to call pre-flop. On the flop, I decided to take a float-bet line. A player who plays 72% of hands will often find themselves with hands where they can call one barrel but not two. I really didn't like his call on turn and wasn't sure what to do on the river. But given how wide his range was and the likelihood that marginal hands as strong as JJ, 10's, 9's were folding and not wanting a busted flush-draw to bluff and force me to fold, I bet and took it down. Another player busted the fish a few hands later.
Bankroll: $23.20
I guess the goal is to go from $10 to $30,000. Why $30,000? Well, I want to buy my significant other a car (a Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited to be exact - not my cup of tea, but whatever) and figured that should cover it. I think $10 to $300 will be the most painful part, especially because I was starting with only have one buy-in at NL10. I hate playing below NL10 since it's hardly poker. So I played a $5 double-or-nothing SnG to start things off and quickly got up to $15. High variance, I know. I'll chastise myself later.
Then I played a 36 min (40 hand) single table session at NL10. I went from $15 to where I'm stopping for the day, $23.20.
Not a lot of memorable hands, but I had an ultra-nit on my right that would constantly give me walks in the BB, and a ATC (any two cards) wonder kid on my left. Obviously a lot of my money was going to come from the guy on my left, but that also meant playing out of position.
PokerStars, $0.05/0.10 NO Limit Texas Holdem Cash Games, 6 Players
Board:
UTG: $17.85
CO: $12.25
Button: $11.75
SB: $7.65
BB: $12.25
Hero: $10.60
Dealt to: Hero
Pre-flop:
Hero raises to $.35, UTG calls $.35, (4 folds),
Flop:($.85) (2 Players)
Hero bets $.65, UTG calls $.65,
Turn: ($2.15) (2 Players) 
Hero bets $1.10, UTG calls $1.10,
River: ($4.35) (2 Players) 
Hero bets $3.10, (1 folds), Hero returns $3.10,
Results:
Hero wins $4.15
The villain was a super station and I assumed I would have been raised by a flopped straight, trips, and the backdoor flush was unlikely. Against the same player:
PokerStars, $0.05/0.10 NO Limit Texas Holdem Cash Games, 6 Players
Board:
BB: $14.05
UTG: $13.35
UTG+1: $10
CO: $8.45
Button: $13.30
Hero: $14.55
Dealt to: Hero
Pre-flop:
(4 folds), Hero raises to $.40, BB raises to $.70, Hero calls $.30,
Flop:($1.55) (2 Players)
SB checks, BB bets $1, Hero calls $1,
Turn: ($3.55) (2 Players) Hero bets $2.50, BB calls $2.50,
River: ($8.55) (2 Players) 
Hero bets $3.50, (1 folds), Hero returns $3.50,
Results:
Hero wins $8
Knowing that the villain was min-raising marginal hands, I decided to call pre-flop. On the flop, I decided to take a float-bet line. A player who plays 72% of hands will often find themselves with hands where they can call one barrel but not two. I really didn't like his call on turn and wasn't sure what to do on the river. But given how wide his range was and the likelihood that marginal hands as strong as JJ, 10's, 9's were folding and not wanting a busted flush-draw to bluff and force me to fold, I bet and took it down. Another player busted the fish a few hands later.
Bankroll: $23.20
Hand of the Day
This really isn't that interesting, but I was playing a step tourney today on PokerStars. This hand came up. I thought I'd throw it on here since it's rare that you get your stack in 3-way pre-flop as a 85% favorite to win the pot. Obviously, it wasn't long before I was on to step 2.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $7.00+$0.50 Tournament, 100/200 Blinds (5 handed)
Hero (Button) (t3822)
SB (t3150)
BB (t1950)
UTG (t1100)
MP (t3478)
Hero's M: 12.74
Preflop: Hero is Button with A
, A
1 fold, MP calls t200, Hero bets t400, SB calls t300, BB raises to t1950 (All-In), 1 fold, Hero raises to t3500, SB calls t2750 (All-In)
Flop: (t8450) 2, 3, 6
(3 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: (t8450) 9
(3 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t8450) 6 (3 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t8450
Results:
Hero had A, A (two pair, Aces and sixes).
SB had Q, Q (two pair, Queens and sixes).
BB had A, Q (one pair, sixes).
Outcome: Hero won t8450
Hero (Button) (t3822)
SB (t3150)
BB (t1950)
UTG (t1100)
MP (t3478)
Hero's M: 12.74
Preflop: Hero is Button with A
, A1 fold, MP calls t200, Hero bets t400, SB calls t300, BB raises to t1950 (All-In), 1 fold, Hero raises to t3500, SB calls t2750 (All-In)
Flop: (t8450) 2
, 3, 6 (3 players, 2 all-in)Turn: (t8450) 9
(3 players, 2 all-in)River: (t8450) 6
(3 players, 2 all-in)Total pot: t8450
Results:
Hero had A
, A (two pair, Aces and sixes).SB had Q
, Q (two pair, Queens and sixes).BB had A
, Q (one pair, sixes).Outcome: Hero won t8450
Poker
New Poker Show on G4
So, G4 is coming out with a show 2 Months, 2 Million, which will bring together four poker players who will attempt to win, well, the title says it all...
I'm super pumped that Dani Stern, aka Ansky, is one of the guys. He's a teaching pro at PokerSavvy+. The best thing in the house tour promo video (below): the tilt room, the war room, and that Dani got the pink room.
I'll be tuning in.
I'm super pumped that Dani Stern, aka Ansky, is one of the guys. He's a teaching pro at PokerSavvy+. The best thing in the house tour promo video (below): the tilt room, the war room, and that Dani got the pink room.
I'll be tuning in.
PokerStars relocates Moscow event to Kiev
Because of this, PokerStars had to do this:
The PokerStars.com European Poker Tour (EPT) announces an alternate venue for its August event, now scheduled to be held in Kiev, the largest city and capital of Ukraine, at the Kiev Sports Palace, from August 18-23, 2009. The "EPT Kiev Sports Poker Championship" is to be held under the regulation and authority of the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth, Family and Sport, and in partnership with the Ukrainian Poker Federation. This event is expected to be the largest poker tournament ever held in the Ukraine.
The Kiev event replaces the previously-scheduled 2009 Russian Open poker tournament due to be held at the Radisson SAS Slavyanskaya, Moscow from August 18-23, 2009. That event has been cancelled because our ability to run the event was placed in doubt due to the recent closure of all casinos in Russia.
Euro Poker Tour Ltd. sincerely apologises to all players who were intending to attend the Moscow event, but unfortunately these circumstances were beyond our control. Players are encouraged to consider attending the Ukrainian event instead, and to participate in the opening of the EPT's sixth season.
PokerStars advises its players who qualified online for the Moscow event that their packages (including buy-in and hotel) will be converted to EPT Kiev packages; however they will also be eligible to take a credit for a future event, or receive the cash equivalent value as alternatives.
The buy-in for the "EPT Kiev Sports Poker Championship" Main Event will be 5,000 EUR (4,700 + 300).
Hand of the Day
Well...nothing like sticking it in with 5% equity and sucking out. Normally, I'm not shoving 100bb's here, but it was the villain's first hand at the table and I've seen too many micro-donks spaz out on their first hand. Lesson learned...sometimes they have it.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (5 handed)
Hero (UTG) ($10.15)
MP ($10.60)
Button ($16.35)
SB ($17.90)
BB ($10)
Preflop: Hero is UTG with A, K
Hero bets $0.35, 3 folds, BB raises to $1, Hero raises to $10.15 (All-In), BB calls $9 (All-In)
Flop: ($20.05) 6, 2, 5 (2 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: ($20.05) K (2 players, 2 all-in)
River: ($20.05) A (2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: $20.05 | Rake: $1
Results:
BB had A, A (three of a kind, Aces).
Hero had A, K (flush, Ace high).
Outcome: Hero won $19.05
Hero (UTG) ($10.15)
MP ($10.60)
Button ($16.35)
SB ($17.90)
BB ($10)
Preflop: Hero is UTG with A
, KHero bets $0.35, 3 folds, BB raises to $1, Hero raises to $10.15 (All-In), BB calls $9 (All-In)
Flop: ($20.05) 6
, 2, 5 (2 players, 2 all-in)Turn: ($20.05) K
(2 players, 2 all-in)River: ($20.05) A
(2 players, 2 all-in)Total pot: $20.05 | Rake: $1
Results:
BB had A
, A (three of a kind, Aces).Hero had A
, K (flush, Ace high).Outcome: Hero won $19.05
6max
Suck Out
