Small-Stakes Baller takes a Shot and fails! (Long, with backstory)

dukemagic · #1 10-29-2006, 03:24 AM

(WARNING, LONG AND FOR SMALL STAKES. I think it’s reasonably interesting though and I spent a lot of time making it pretty for you guys)

Cliff's Notes at bottom.

Hey guys, I'm a SSNL player... played 50nl on Party, but haven't played much poker since they shut off Americans. So I transferred all of the money I had in Firepay to Full Tilt and have been playing there sporadically. I only had 330 dollars in Firepay cause I put a lot into the bank, and I figured I'd be okay playing 50nl with that much in FT (I have yet to go on a 7 buyin downswing)...

I lose a buyin at 50nl due to hands like this:

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is UTG+1 with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
UTG folds, Hero raises to $2, 3 folds, BB calls.

Flop: 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($4.25, 2 players)
BB bets $3, Hero raises to $16.5, BB calls all-in $12.15.
Uncalled bets: $1.35 returned to Hero.

Turn: J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ($34.55, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $34.55)

River: 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($34.55, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $34.55)

Results:
Final pot: $34.55
BB showed Kd 9d
Hero showed Qs Qd

Of course, I play bad too. This isn't the strategy forums, but I think I tried to float him on the flop with some draws, hit my Ace on the turn and decide I should try to hit my draws (gutshot +flush) and see a cheap showdown in case I miss. Flame away, lol.

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
9 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is CO with Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
3 folds, MP2 raises to $1.75, MP3 folds, Hero calls, 3 folds.

Flop: 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($4.25, 2 players)
MP2 bets $4, Hero calls.

Turn: A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($12.25, 2 players)
MP2 bets $7, Hero calls.

River: T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($26.25, 2 players)
MP2 bets $12, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: $50.25
MP2 showed Ah Kc
Hero mucks Qc As

Of course, in true BBV style I move up to chase my losses. I move up to 100nl (I've actually been planning to for some time now) and promptly run bad and play worse. Get decent hands preflop, but the table either folds to my good hands or raise my c-bets when I have nothing, and I seem to miss every single flop. Some hands are as follow:

Here they fold to my (rare) good hands (I'm running at 28/18/8 full ring, so it's not like I'm a nit):

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
9 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP1 with 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
2 folds, Hero raises to $4, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button calls, 2 folds.

Flop: J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ($13.5, 3 players)
Hero bets $7, 2 folds.
Uncalled bets: $7 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $13.5

Here they decide to raise when I have nothing:

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
9 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP1 with 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
2 folds, Hero raises to $4, MP2 calls, 3 folds, BB calls.

Flop: 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($12.5, 4 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $7, MP2 raises to $14, BB folds, Hero folds.
Uncalled bets: $7 returned to MP2.

Turn: : ($26.5, 2 players)

Results:
Final pot: $26.5

Here my double barrel bluff runs into a monster.

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
9 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP2 with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
3 folds, Hero raises to $4, 3 folds, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($9, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $6, SB calls.

Turn: Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($21, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $15, SB calls.

River: A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($51, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

Results:
Final pot: $51
SB showed 7h 8h
Hero showed Jd Ks

Next, I decide I'll try some Cap NL since I heard that game is EZ. It sure is easy... take a look:

First, KK<AK all in preflop.

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is UTG with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
Hero raises to $4, 3 folds, SB raises to $9, BB folds, Hero raises to $34, SB calls.

Flop: Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($69, 2 players)

Turn: 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($69, 2 players)

River: 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($69, 2 players)

Results:
Final pot: $69
Hero showed Kh Kd
SB showed Ac Ks

Next, Villain hit his gutshot after 2/3 pot bet on flop (yes, I know he had the flush draw and the over, but dammit, this is BBV). Plus, it’s cap, so there’s not much in the way of implied odds.

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is SB with K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
UTG, folds, CO (poster) checks, Button calls, Hero raises to $6, 2 folds, Button calls.

Flop: 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($14, 3 players)
Hero bets $10, Button calls.

Turn: 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($34, 3 players)
Hero bets $14, Button calls.

River: 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ($62, 3 players)

Results:
Final pot: $62
Button showed 4c Ac
Hero showed Ks Qd

And of course I miss my 14 outers as well.

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
5 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is BB with 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
UTG (poster) checks, CO calls, Button calls, SB calls, Hero (poster) checks.

Flop: 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($5, 5 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $3, UTG folds, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds.

Turn: 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ($14, 3 players)
Hero checks, CO checks, Button bets $9, Hero raises to $26, CO folds, Button calls.

River: 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($66, 2 players)

Results:
Final pot: $66
Hero showed 2s 7s
Button showed Kh 9h

So these are all small stakes, whatever, I’m fine, my bankroll is healthy, yada yada yada. But since I only have $130 left in FT and I don’t feel like trying to play 50nl, what do I do? PLAY AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE (inspired by BBV, obv).

I put the entirety of what I have on a 6-max (I play fr) 600nl table (6 times higher than anything I’ve previously played, and the highest I can play since the min buyin is $120). I even have 2+2er bruin sweating me.

This is the first hand. THE FIRST [censored] HAND!

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $3/$6
5 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is BB with T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
2 folds, Button raises to $21, SB folds, Hero raises all-in $129.8, Button calls.

Flop: A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($262.6, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $262.6)

Turn: J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($262.6, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $262.6)

River: 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($262.6, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: $262.6)

Results:
Final pot: $262.6
Hero showed Tc Td
Button showed 9c Ac

Anyways, that ended my night. Might go take some (alcohol) shots now. Thanks for reading.

CLIFFS NOTES: Go on small downswing, take a shot at 600nl (I play 50 and 100nl), TT<A9 all in preflop. GG.