41 replies to this topic

[Smasharoo]

The GoalTo turn $50 in my first Pokerstars deposit into $1000.The RulesI'll play only Limit games, primarily Holdem, though I might mix in some O8 or Stud etc. later on.I won't move up in limits without at least 300BB for the new limit. I will post hands that I win and lose and explain my thinking behind how I played them.I'm too lazy to spellcheck. Deal with it.Day 4 Poker is EASY!Ever have one of those days? You know the ones I mean, where you flop flushes and sets, where every longshot draw where you have the pot odds to call comes in? You know the days I'm talking about. Poker is EASY days. Think back to that first day you had when you said to yourself "Hell, this is easy, I could do this for a living." In all likelyhood it was a Poker is EASY day. If it was a Damn, poker is all LUCK! day, then you probably have a problem (1-800-GAMBLER!).I started off today looking to knock out about 1000 hands and push towards $60. I normally add a pstars micro table in place of one of my ussual Pary 3/6 grinding tables, but today I figured I'd mutli-table at pstars a little and get a bunch of hands in, and play 3/6 later tonight when it's softer anway.I was half hoping I'd have a down session to expound about how you can play well but the cards just don't hit you right sometimes. I started off well in that vein dropping about $2 on a one table in an hour to the variance monster when every bad player seemed to catch a gutshot on the river or two pair to my AA.I was treading water at the other two tables, but down over all. Then the poker fairy came and sat on my shoulder and whispered in my ear "Sometimes you play well AND get lucky, you know!"I don't have a lot of intresting hands here, aside from a few calls where I was pretty sure I didn't have the best hand but I had odds.Hand 1, or what I like to call "I knew there was a reason I raised with AQ pre-flop"PokerStars Game #1091597983: Hold'em Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2005/01/17 - 18:40:24 (ET)Table 'Lomia' Seat #1 is the buttonSeat 1: mikephilly18 ($0.86 in chips) Seat 2: silverbeard ($5.23 in chips) Seat 3: BlazyBlah ($1.62 in chips) Seat 4: JD52 ($2 in chips) Seat 5: thecandle ($4.76 in chips) Seat 6: leeloo_211 ($0.95 in chips) Seat 7: Dr. LJ ($4.36 in chips) Seat 8: YM61 ($1.90 in chips) Seat 9: Merkurie21 ($2.92 in chips) Seat 10: deweyspages ($20.02 in chips) silverbeard: posts small blind $0.02BlazyBlah: posts big blind $0.05JD52: posts big blind $0.05*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to thecandle [Qc Ad]JD52: checks thecandle: raises $0.05 to $0.10leeloo_211: calls $0.10Dr. LJ: calls $0.10YM61: folds Merkurie21: calls $0.10deweyspages: folds mikephilly18: calls $0.10silverbeard: calls $0.08BlazyBlah: folds JD52: folds Horay for cold calls.*** FLOP *** [9h 7h Qs]silverbeard: checks thecandle: bets $0.05leeloo_211: folds Dr. LJ: raises $0.05 to $0.10Merkurie21: calls $0.10mikephilly18: calls $0.10silverbeard: folds thecandle: calls $0.05To three-bet or not to three bet. I bet out beause I didn't think I could get a C/R in at this table, but the raise surprises me. Don't have a good handle on if he'd raise with KQ or whatnot, so I just call.*** TURN *** [9h 7h Qs] [9d]thecandle: checks Dr. LJ: bets $0.10Merkurie21: raises $0.10 to $0.20mikephilly18: calls $0.20thecandle: calls $0.20Dr. LJ: calls $0.10Figure I'll CR here...or not.Does this mean a 9? Probably. Is the pot too big to fold with possible the best hands and two outs to the likely nuts?Yes.*** RIVER *** [9h 7h Qs 9d] [Qd]thecandle: checks Dr. LJ: bets $0.10Merkurie21: raises $0.10 to $0.20mikephilly18: folds thecandle: raises $0.10 to $0.30Dr. LJ: folds Merkurie21: calls $0.10*** SHOW DOWN ***thecandle: shows [Qc Ad] (a full house, Queens full of Nines)Merkurie21: mucks hand thecandle collected $2.60 from pot*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $2.60 | Rake $0 Board [9h 7h Qs 9d Qd]Seat 1: mikephilly18 (button) folded on the RiverSeat 2: silverbeard (small blind) folded on the FlopSeat 3: BlazyBlah (big blind) folded before FlopSeat 4: JD52 folded before FlopSeat 5: thecandle showed [Qc Ad] and won ($2.60) with a full house, Queens full of NinesSeat 6: leeloo_211 folded on the FlopSeat 7: Dr. LJ folded on the RiverSeat 8: YM61 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 9: Merkurie21 mucked [Kh 9s]Seat 10: deweyspages folded before Flop (didn't bet)Poker is easy.I'm the reason you don't give free cards on the flop:PokerStars Game #1091493565: Hold'em Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2005/01/17 - 18:17:28 (ET)Table 'Lomia' Seat #7 is the buttonSeat 1: Telvanis ($3.02 in chips) Seat 2: silverbeard ($5.78 in chips) Seat 5: thecandle ($2.04 in chips) Seat 6: leeloo_211 ($0.73 in chips) Seat 7: Dr. LJ ($5.21 in chips) Seat 9: Merkurie21 ($2.17 in chips) Seat 10: DENelson ($6.43 in chips) Merkurie21: posts small blind $0.02DENelson: posts big blind $0.05*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to thecandle [2d Kd]Telvanis: folds silverbeard: calls $0.05thecandle: calls $0.05leeloo_211: folds Dr. LJ: folds Merkurie21: calls $0.03DENelson: checks I play a lot of Ax/Kx for one bet on loose passive tables even from early position mostly because I know can get away from it if it flops bad. *** FLOP *** [5h 6d 3s]Merkurie21: checks DENelson: checks silverbeard: checks thecandle: checks I fold this to a bet most likely, allthough with the gutshot, backdoor draw, and overcard I might think about popping it for a raise in a bigger pot. Thrilled to have the free card here, though. *** TURN *** [5h 6d 3s] [Ad]Merkurie21: checks DENelson: checks silverbeard: bets $0.10thecandle: calls $0.10Merkurie21: calls $0.10DENelson: foldsThings are looking up!I'd raise this if I had better position with probably 12 outs, for value and to make a 78 pay to draw. As it is, the pot's not big enough with the flop check around for me to spend the extra bet to try to clean up the thee str8 outs. *** RIVER *** [5h 6d 3s Ad] [Qd]Merkurie21: checks silverbeard: bets $0.10thecandle: raises $0.10 to $0.20Merkurie21: folds silverbeard: raises $0.10 to $0.30thecandle: raises $0.10 to $0.40Betting is cappedsilverbeard: calls $0.10*** SHOW DOWN ***thecandle: shows [2d Kd] (a flush, Ace high)silverbeard: mucks hand thecandle collected $1.30 from pot*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $1.30 | Rake $0 Board [5h 6d 3s Ad Qd]Seat 1: Telvanis folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 2: silverbeard mucked [5d 4d]Seat 5: thecandle showed [2d Kd] and won ($1.30) with a flush, Ace highSeat 6: leeloo_211 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 7: Dr. LJ (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 9: Merkurie21 (small blind) folded on the RiverSeat 10: DENelson (big blind) folded on the TurnHooray for underflushes!I knew there was a reason I ussually muck small suited connectors.Everyone hates playing overcards...except me! :PokerStars Game #1091534040: Hold'em Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2005/01/17 - 18:26:23 (ET)Table 'Lomia' Seat #8 is the buttonSeat 2: silverbeard ($4.68 in chips) Seat 5: thecandle ($2.44 in chips) Seat 6: leeloo_211 ($1.28 in chips) Seat 7: Dr. LJ ($5.26 in chips) Seat 8: YM61 ($0.90 in chips) Seat 9: Merkurie21 ($2.62 in chips) Seat 10: LADYWINSALL ($1.10 in chips) Merkurie21: posts small blind $0.02LADYWINSALL: posts big blind $0.05*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to thecandle [Kc Ac]mikephilly18 joins the table at seat #1 silverbeard: calls $0.05thecandle: raises $0.05 to $0.10leeloo_211: calls $0.10Dr. LJ: calls $0.10YM61: folds Merkurie21 said, "bye"Merkurie21: calls $0.08LADYWINSALL: calls $0.05silverbeard: calls $0.05I'm not going to get into a "Is it worth raising AK, AQ, AJs etc pre-flop?" thing here, but it is, and I do. *** FLOP *** [2c 9c 8h]Merkurie21: checks LADYWINSALL: checks silverbeard: checks thecandle: bets $0.05leeloo_211: folds Dr. LJ: calls $0.05Merkurie21: folds LADYWINSALL: calls $0.05silverbeard: calls $0.05Raise me!! Raise me dammnit!!*** TURN *** [2c 9c 8h] [Jd]LADYWINSALL: checks silverbeard: checks thecandle: checks Dr. LJ: bets $0.10LADYWINSALL: folds silverbeard: calls $0.10thecandle: calls $0.10I think I have enough outs to call but not enough potential callers to raise for value. I was too lazy to think about it much. With 15 outs, it's close if they're all clean, and honeslty I probably do most of the time. I played this hand fairly passively all around really.*** RIVER *** [2c 9c 8h Jd] [Ad]silverbeard: checks thecandle: checks Dr. LJ: checksI don't want to bet into two pair or the straight here, but I'm willing to call a bet. I realize I have what's most likely the best hand, I drew to it after all, and a value bet is probably better, but I figured I'd get a bet from one of them after the turn bet out anyway and didn't want to have to think about what to do if I'm raised.All that said, I basically chickened out and betting is probably the better play long term.Nobody's perfect.*** SHOW DOWN ***silverbeard: shows [6c 4c] (high card Ace)thecandle: shows [Kc Ac] (a pair of Aces)Dr. LJ: mucks hand thecandle collected $1.10 from pot*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $1.10 | Rake $0 Board [2c 9c 8h Jd Ad]Seat 2: silverbeard showed [6c 4c] and lost with high card AceSeat 5: thecandle showed [Kc Ac] and won ($1.10) with a pair of AcesSeat 6: leeloo_211 folded on the FlopSeat 7: Dr. LJ mucked [Jh Qd]Seat 8: YM61 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 9: Merkurie21 (small blind) folded on the FlopSeat 10: LADYWINSALL (big blind) folded on the TurnYup, one of those days.Playing well AND sucking out. Hard to beat that. If only I had the stones to fire that river value bet out I might have had a good day.Oh wait..I was up like 97 Big Bets for 400 hands. I'll take that, I suppose :)I might try to crank out a few hudred more hands tommorow and aim for $70. I'm sure I'll have a lossing session evevntually so people can tell me I suck because I can't beat .50/.10 and I can explain why I won't play .20/.50 with a $50 bankroll.Remember. Poker is easy.ResultsStarting Bankroll: $55.83Ending Bankroll: $65.56Playtime: 400 hands.Net: $9.77BB/100: 25?? something like that.

[looshle]

Let's do the math. If someone just made a straight, two pair, or a set, I'm drawing deadYou had the nut flush draw

[Smasharoo]

Yeah I was on the wrong hand.Fixed it before you posted I think.

[Ed]

Smash,Question. I had the chance to watch a few of your hands earlier this afternoon. You picked up a nice pot by flopping a set of 10s and I thought you played it very well in terms of dragging a nice pot from it. You were on the button and limped in. Not asking you to give away secrets or anything, but is this the higher-percentage play in this situation as opposed to raising? I think there were probably 6 or 7 players to the flop total.Thanks,Ed

[superchuck]

i dont knwo about smash but in hold em, pocket pairs 2-10 are great drawing hands. i believe greenstein said somethign to this affect. try to get in real cheap and flop a set. the reason they are gret drawing hands because the only action u get post flop is from people who make there (K,Q's) and (A,K's), or the occasional loooooose ace high call on the river. medium pairs play similarly to aces with low kickers. most of the action you get from (A,5) or (A,6) is when you suckout on a (A,K) or something to that effect with a two pair or something. i hope most of what i said made sence. feel free to let me know if u believe otherwise.

[MSR]

I usually raise on the button with a pair like that, but if you're playing at a super loose table calling can make sense as well. You said six people called the big blind and saw the flop. If he raised it probably would have been about three people making the pot around the same size. But when you hit the flop that well you want the six people in there, you're more likely to get good action when there are more people in the pot. And of course it is easier to get away from a middle pair if an overcard or two flop when there are six people in the hand as opposed to just three.

[tenesmus]

keep at it smash i read every line

[Aparrothead]

hey brody[/size]STFU[size=8]if you dont have anything constructive to say just simply pass over the post and dont say anything at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!BTW i cant wait to see you lose that imaginary 50K you are going to redeposit

[Aparrothead]

keep upi the good work smash!

[superchuck]

lol. brody is 16. smash plays higher limits, he is doing thsi to help beginner hold em players. stop flaming everyone and get a life, i remember you from rgp bro and your act is old.

[jack24bauer24]

Charlie, you're a fool...if you don't want to read about his quest to reach $1000, then don't read and reply, its that simple. I started out with 50 on pokerstars and am now over 3500, I wish i'd done something like he's done to keep track of how things went, the ups and the downs, etc.No need for you to be a complete jackass for no reason.

[Sullyarmy]

im sure you don't need me to say this but smash your little blog or w/e is very entertaining and informative at times... funny as well since ur playing at such low limits to get to ur 1000 long ways to go... i also read everyone one line for line... GET A LIFE JESUS....haha j/k keep up the good work

[Smasharoo]

Hey Smash, as i really really hate your stupid posts with a passion, and your trying to justify your every play, why dont you ever put some plays where you played a hand poorly ( i mean everyone does). To not bet the AK clubs when you spike the A on the river is stupidity. And btw i have probably spent the profit you have sooo hardly fought for on this guy that cleans my windshields when im driving home for the last couple of days. Hate to break it to you, but you should just go find a job. Or else it will take 10 years for you to get to this stupid 1,000 goal of yours.I do have a job.I'd tell you how much the advance for my last book was, but I don't want you to start crying or anything. I mean the fact that I can pump out a book in 100 hours that I make more money from than you'll earn in a adecade might be fresutrating.You're right, though, I should have bet that river.No one's perfect.You remember when they told you that when you having trouble learning how to read, right?I mean it was just last week and all.

[wrto4556]

Ed said:

Smash,Question. I had the chance to watch a few of your hands earlier this afternoon. You picked up a nice pot by flopping a set of 10s and I thought you played it very well in terms of dragging a nice pot from it. You were on the button and limped in. Not asking you to give away secrets or anything, but is this the higher-percentage play in this situation as opposed to raising? I think there were probably 6 or 7 players to the flop total.Thanks,Ed

After so many people are already in the pot, it's generally correct to limp in too. I will limp with jacks on the button after enough people limp in in front of me.

[JMHeel]

Quote

one thing that i am is honest in these stupid forum thingies, and theres no reason for me to lie about it.

Hey here's an original thought junior - if these forum thingies (also known as messageboards) are soooo stupid then why even register and post. Spare us from your pathetic whining and obvious attempt to flame a respected board member. Get a life.

[CharlieBrody]

OO sorry i would never ever in my life wish to flame a respected board member. To think of the sin i have committed! -

[Smasharoo]

Smash,Question. I had the chance to watch a few of your hands earlier this afternoon. You picked up a nice pot by flopping a set of 10s and I thought you played it very well in terms of dragging a nice pot from it. You were on the button and limped in. Not asking you to give away secrets or anything, but is this the higher-percentage play in this situation as opposed to raising? I think there were probably 6 or 7 players to the flop total.Thanks,EdEd, I generally limp with TT on the button if it looks likely that raising will leave me sort of between getting value for the set odds and with having few enough opponenets that my odds of having the best hand are good.If there had been 6 calls before me I'd have raised, if there was 1 or 2 I'd have raised. Three or four I generally just limp. I'd probably raise JJ though. I know Ed Miller says to raise, and he's probably right, but I'd rather just play them for set value with this many callers in a game this loose.I didn't riase the flop because it looked completely harmless and there were two to act behind me and going for overcalls seemed like it'd make more money.It was checked to me on the turn and river so I bet out.Here's the hand:PokerStars Game #1091720309: Hold'em Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2005/01/17 - 19:08:00 (ET)Table 'Adriana' Seat #10 is the buttonSeat 1: kekova04 ($3.72 in chips) Seat 2: 40oztofreedm ($0.67 in chips) Seat 3: YM61 ($0.85 in chips) Seat 5: Jompi ($2.57 in chips) Seat 6: BibbCity99 ($16 in chips) Seat 7: Packers04 ($0.98 in chips) Seat 8: lastcall ($1.32 in chips) Seat 9: 3 buggy tops ($2.65 in chips) Seat 10: thecandle ($4.42 in chips) kekova04: posts small blind $0.0240oztofreedm: posts big blind $0.05*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to thecandle [Th Ts]YM61: folds Jompi: calls $0.05BibbCity99: calls $0.05Packers04: calls $0.05lastcall: folds 3 buggy tops: folds thecandle: calls $0.05kekova04: calls $0.0340oztofreedm: checks *** FLOP *** [Tc 2d 6h]kekova04: checks 40oztofreedm: checks Jompi: checks BibbCity99: bets $0.05Packers04: folds thecandle: calls $0.05kekova04: calls $0.0540oztofreedm: folds Jompi: calls $0.05*** TURN *** [Tc 2d 6h] [Ad]kekova04: checks Jompi: checks BibbCity99: checks thecandle: bets $0.10Stud Killer joins the table at seat #4 kekova04: folds Jompi: folds BibbCity99: calls $0.10*** RIVER *** [Tc 2d 6h Ad] [4h]BibbCity99: checks thecandle: bets $0.10BibbCity99: calls $0.10*** SHOW DOWN ***thecandle: shows [Th Ts] (three of a kind, Tens)BibbCity99: mucks hand thecandle collected $0.90 from pot*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $0.90 | Rake $0 Board [Tc 2d 6h Ad 4h]Seat 1: kekova04 (small blind) folded on the TurnSeat 2: 40oztofreedm (big blind) folded on the FlopSeat 3: YM61 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 5: Jompi folded on the TurnSeat 6: BibbCity99 mucked [Jd 6s]Seat 7: Packers04 folded on the FlopSeat 8: lastcall folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 9: 3 buggy tops folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 10: thecandle (button) showed [Th Ts] and won ($0.90) with three of a kind, Tens

[speedz99]

CharlieBrody said:

OO sorry i would never ever in my life wish to flame a respected board member.  To think of the sin i have committed! -

This is the second time I'm writing this, but I wanted to make sure that you read it.You are 16. Go out, get drunk in your friend's basement, try to bang a cheerleader, smoke some weed, play a sport...but for God's sake do something other than playing poker online and bashing other people's posts.

[CharlieBrody]

Go get Drunk? No thanks, im completely against that.Smoke Weed? No, i dont want to be a pothead or do illegal drugs.Bang a cheerleader? still working on itPlay a sport? Hows nationally ranked in tennis ( even though its a "weailing sport"And ill stop the bashing

[Duff_Man]

What I find pretty impressive about Smash's goal is the discipline it takes to sit at a .05/.10 table and play until your BR gets high enough to move up limits. Especially when you have the means to play at much higher levels. I played at these tables also when I first made a deposit at Stars so I could get use to there software. It's hard(at least for me) to sit at a micro limit table for an extended period of time and only come away up $10 or so. Granted it can be considered a great session, but in the back of my head I'm thinking about howif I played at a higher table I could have doubled or tripled what I had made. Probably why I'm more of a SNG player rather than limit. I don't have the patience it takes to be able to fold 90% (or so) of my hands. I get antsy and start playing hands that I know I should fold like Q 10 off in early position. Anyway just my thoughts. Good luck Smash.Duff