ILX POKER TOURNAMENT #7 (?) Sunday 1st Nov 2009 4pm ET/9pm GMT

I deposited $30 when we restarted these games 3 months ago, and only playing these games I'm up to $97 :)

Yeah, Ken, that was an odd hand, unless you think Rock's a bluffer (and have you EVER seen him show down a crap hand?)...

I did a week ago, and got sent home in 14 hands. :-)

wait, that should be ;-)

i just got upset that the third spade appeared and gave up. didn't have the right mentality for the long haul tonight.

xposts

So, last week I totally forgot about the game, this week I registered three hours early and then totally forgot about the game. Fuck!

http://www.alastairbathgate.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ken-forrester.jpg

ken: bottled today

or more accurately since 2007!

next week, mr snrub.

maybe we can all transfer $2 back for mr snrub's buy-in?

or $1.20/$1.80/$3 even? :)

wait no it should make up $5..

Almost every single time I play against non-ILX people, I make money. Just now, for example, I doubled my $20 buy-in in about 15 minutes. Every single time I play in the PWN cup, I lose $5-10 dollars. This stark difference can only be because...

a) you guys are way too good
b) I have had a horrible run of luck in the PWN cup
c) I'm not very good at tournament style poker (other than the PWN cup, I usually play ring games where you can come and go as you please, and the blinds don't go up over time)
d) the curse of catbeast

My brain tells me it's probably c), but my heart tells me d)

I used to beat fairly consistently the $20 sngs when I played regularly, but that hardly makes me 1337. Ken is an awesome live player but I think he gets bored online. And Rock is a machine, with very few chinks.

re c), yes, it's a different skill for sure, and if you're not prepared to adjust your game as the blinds go up (especially versus other players who do), you'll probably underperform as things get interesting in a tourney,

actually is it possible to run private ring games?

might be fun to do if we can also keep the buy in real low as a once a month special instead of usual tourney..

would guess (c), though I'm just the opposite (prefer tournaments, miserable failure at ring)

CATBEAST may be powerful but his poker-fu is weak.

there's definitely at least one chink when i play xposts

sorry couldn't resist that one much like calling with shit hands.

hahaha

I think it helps that I've mostly played Limit instead of NL the last year and a half, but I'm not sure how it helps. Maybe that I've seen a lot more postflop play than you guys?

i think playing limit helps a lot to focus on the odds which many NL players don't pay enough attention to at times?

^ that might be bullshit though

I think that's right. I know it keeps me from being too in love with my pocket pairs -- in limit, when there's no way to chase people away from the pot preflop and my QQ-KK-AA is up against 4-5 villains, I've learned the hard way not to get too tilted when they're cracked.

Any chance we could start an hour earlier this week? I don't want to run too close to the Super Bowl.

i can.. might have to just request a new one though. who is in? if we get enough numbers in i'll sort it.

Crap, I forgot about having to arrange things with the FT poobahs. The regular time can work for me if it's a hassle to change it. What I have in mind to cook that day is going to be 'set it up early and let it cook itself'.

I should be back from Finland in time to play - may be a bit knackered though!

it's not really such a hassle - just need to send an email to them.

easiest actually is just to ask them to create a new standalone one (3pm) for this week only and we just make sure none of us sign up to the 4pm one by accident.

if we do perhaps we should make this one a proper freezeout so it's over quicker?

The game doesn't start until an hour after last week's tourney ended, so no need for that.

Ken, did you change the tourney time? No problem if you didn't, I just need to know for cooking porpoises.

hi there!

sorry i hadn't done it - who's in for tonight??

registered and ready to pwn

Have you moved it to 8 now Ken? Less ideal but should be able to join.

No, it's still the same time as previous.

Aces. I have registered. Anyone else?

andre is in and maybe john s.

where are the others?

cool, got my loose/sloppy play out of the way earlier today -- busted in 8 hands

woah the final 3 struggle was pretty epic (96 hands!!)

the struggle with the final 2 was less so (1 hand)

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT I FORGOT ABOUT THIS AGAIN!!!!

set an alarm clock next week!

Man. I played a decent game and then pushed T5o into Goobs who for some reason called with KT. High standard all round, you guys.

is we playing today or am peoples valentining?

silence = dissent

have made other plans for tourney time, will catch you guys in a week

sorry i was chinese new yearing! see you guys next week yes

I was playing FIFA 2010 (fuck you, Bristol City). This weekend will probably work.

Question for Mark and Ken and anyone else with opinions on MTT SnGs: I played a few 45s and one 27 this weekend and cashed in 3 of 8, no wins. Do you guys pay any attention to % in the money, or is it all about ROI? If the former, is there a number you shoot for?

I just tighten up a bit before the bubble as there's no point in busting out one or two short of the money with marginal hands. Once you're in the money, though, you have to take calculated risks as the high paying places are so much more profitable than the mid-low ones.

I've won a couple of 45-man tourneys (but none with more players) and you have to play with balls, keep an eye on stack sizes and grab opportunities whenever you can.

In other words, it's all about ROI. Don't bust on the bubble, but don't play scared.

WmC, have you thought about doing a few heads up tourneys to improve that aspect of your game? I think you're maybe a bit conservative at times and it might help you loosen up.

I've thought about it -- it's a little daunting though, the prospect of getting all or nothing. The funny thing is, in Limit SnGs (STT) I'm pretty strong when we get down to 2- and 3-handed. I have as many wins as I have 2nds + 3rds combined. But you're right, I do tighten up a bit too much in NL -- still getting the lay of the land.

Today I was reading Shaun Deeb's Beginner's Guide to 180s and going "hmmmm" a lot.