ILX Poker Players Unite

I like the multi-table tourneys, because it's longer, there's more of an investment, there's more chance of a big payout, there's a sense of being part of SOMETHING BIG, and the one time I finished in the money in a tourney (after almost 3 hours of play), it felt like I had, um, beat death? Even if it was only for $29. I DID IT MANG.

Also, I seem to have 8 hours to kill all the time, even though I'm working full-time & writing on the side - usually, I just throw on some MP3s, get a glass of water & maybe some snacky foods, and ready my cursor over the FOLD button for the next hour+. (If I make it out of the first hour, I consider it a moral victory.) (If I make it through Hour Two, I consider it sheer luck.)

www.ultimatepokerbankroll.com

Having said that, after spazzing out of a tourney in 10th and, with my 2nd attempt, getting down to $400 (notional) with no-one else under £1k, I managed to pull of an unlikely win, which has had the effect of raising my account to a record $67! Admittedly $10 of this was pokerroom.com's bonus, but hell.

(I suspect when Sgs is in the States I might enter a few multi-table tourneys - then I won't be disturbing anyone if I stay up till 5am playing...)

How are you all doing? Y'all give us an update!

Also, don't bet against someone who is consistently but unostentatiously raising - every single bad game I have, I lose all my $$$ by being overconfident with my 2 Queens or whatever.

If you feel it's going away from you, rein yourself in - fold all but the best hands, but maybe play a little looser on the ones where you've paid the blinds/where everyone else has folded.

I'm sure the advice of a mediocre beginner like me ain't worth diddly, but that's what has worked for me in its own small way. Losing $5.50 in one game and then winning $15 or $25 in the next seems to be my MO, and it's one I'm pretty happy with.

I tend to play loosey-goosey before the blinds go up to $50 / $100, & then I tighten up. My problem is getting burned during the loosey-goosey stage by a decent hand, & me not recognizing what could be out there to beat me. (I'm always afraid of being bluffed out of a pot, w/ usually gets me in deep shit more often than it gets me a win.)

Let the bluffers win sometimes, but keep an eagle eye out for when their hands are revealed and it proves that they bluff.

I just won another $5 + $.50 tourney (bringing my tourney profit to $71 after 38 tourneys - yes, I am anal, but it helps me keep tabs). I'm beginning to think of moving to $10 + $1 - anyone want to give me reasons why I shouldn't?

Also - belated congrats to Ken on his win! Wooo! Moolah!

(I've discovered that if you get called a bully during play, you're doing something right)

I love talking about poker. I have become a complete poker bore/evangelist.

The only time I've played real life poker, I got pwned by Sgs.

This is OTM. I fucked up royally in head-to-head play this past week with my regular group. I was short-stacked and hit a straight draw on the flop. I read my opponent as having a weak hand with a low pair (and I was right), but I kept calling his bets instead of raising him. I didn't hit an overpair OR the straight, so I went all-in on the river, he read it (correctly) as a bluff, and that was that.

Stupid. As Markelby noted, the correct play was to go all-in after the flop, or fold.

Anyone signing up there's some split bonus for referals so just let me know and I'll give you my username.

I was looking at a comparison site yesterday that rated all the major poker sites. Pokerroom.com gets a good all round report, but several other sites seem to have much stupider players who you can screw for vast amounts of money. I dunno if that should tempt me away from pokerroom, where I feel pretty comfortable. But, y'know, sign up bonuses, suckers, it's tempting...

Had a poor night tonight, playing lick a dick (genuine typo, so I'm leaving it in) and coming 5th twice. I pretty much know when I made my mistakes, but even so, it brought home how not very good I am at this game. I'm sure I'll be playing again tomorrow night, though.

I was that lucky person* tonight. Three times I go all in with A or K high; three times the other dude makes a lower pair on the flop; three times I make a pair with my higher card on the turn. He was not impressed.

*but not lucky and stupid. Just lucky.

I was sensible, aggressive when necessary, folded well, bet well and backed off if I needed to. More than that, I identified early on the three other players I thought were actually playing decently (the others were clearly just calling stations). When it came to the last 4, it was me and the three I'd picked. And the steady, unflashy guy who'd I'd marked down as the dark horse got gradually more confident and aggressive, and played a masterful game to take the win.

A profit of $4.50 isn't worth talking about. But the comfort I felt in the room is. If I feel this way in a few games times, it'll be time to move to the dizzy heights of (gasp) $10 + $1 games...

The biggest pot I played tonight I lost heads up to a four of a kind (fours). I had full house (aces full of fours). Bastard.

The idea is to have the best 5 card hand out of those 7 cards. (so if there are two fours in the middle, you can have a four of a kind and full house with 4s.