Last Friday was a "Black Friday" for American friends regarding the online poker world. It was such a sudden move that online poker was banned in the US. Very weird. We play US poker sites and the most we could think of is our own country got banned instead of them. I'm not too sure what happened though but business as usual for foreigners. It also affected our games because it takes quite long to start a game without the US players. It will also shock the people who are professional online poker players who grind for a living, its sad.
Increased my stake to $5 recently on my SNG HUs. I still need to get used to it because this stake is definitely over my margin based on my capital. I had a game earlier, it was close.. I was down to 295 and managed to win back the game (brag). It was easily a loss. I was lucky on shoves.
The guy was tight and aggressive. But so far the first opponent I faced without a single limping. He either raised 3bb or fold pre-flop. But he only 3-bet me once in the session, so I did not worry about bluffing the blinds. In HUs, I think one of the challenging opponents are those who fold immediately upon your show of strength (a raise, re-raise). He fold 70% of the time on my pre-flop raises. He wants to control the game, meaning he only allow hands to go on on his lead (last to bet). I like to play this way too because it makes opponent pretty hard to win your money, the only way you can do is to trap him, which I did but not 100% successful, explain later. But I prefer varying my play throughout the game. But my weakness I supposed is I get too predictable on bigger blinds.. due to risk.
I took the hand replays of key hands in the session.. just for record sake.. was happy with the win. :) Like Jack "Treetop" Straus incident on winning the 1982 WSOP main event after he shoved and left a chip which leads to the saying "Chip and a Chair".
Hand #7 - Huge pot lost early in the game. I was in this state most of the game.. struggling hard.
Hand #25 - not sure he was bluffing but I almost shoved in here.. lowest chip count after this pot.
Hand #26 - this was ugly play by me, but I thought of trapping by failed.
Hand #28 - first shove.
Hand #50 - this was another lucky shove.
Hand #53 - I tried to trap here, but he didn't raise on river. maybe because this was the firstime I called him to the river. we all wish every flop is like this.
Hand #55 - another huge drawdown.
Hand #68 - last key pot for me on the match. won him with a kicker.
Hand #72 - last hand.
About 22 minutes for 72 hands. This was one of my best. Of course I almost gave up mid-way.
It is Good Friday, have a happy long weekend everyone! For fellow Singaporeans, election is coming.. vote wisely!!
Black.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Poker Heads-Up & School Sucks
It's been a while.. again. Been super busy with work and school at nights. There are 4-5 assignments at hand right now and free time are only having a few hands of poker, barely had time to have drink with friends even.
My plan now is to resume trading after my very last exams, which will be upcoming end May. After which, I will put time back to chart analysis and swing trade, because I don't want to have intensive trading yet. I seriously can't wait for school to be over with.. this 3.5 years seems like 35 years to me. At least within this working/studying 3.5 years, I managed to learn the fundamental basics of trading and poker. After that I will have lots of own time.
I just bought an iMac recently at our yearly IT Show in Singapore. I remembered FX said, once you go iMac, you won't go back to Windows. Haha I agree.. it has very nice usability and everything is simpler. I preferred a desktop since my school is finishing, and I bought an Acer notebook 3 years back but I barely carry it around. So a desktop, without a CPU, is the reason I go for it. Carried it home, plug just one wire and ready to roll!
As for pokerstars, after my huge drawdown early march playing 10c cash games multi-tabling, I haven't really stepped back to cash games. Right after, I played a bit of 18-men SNGs (Sit & Go) and 9-men SNGs, I even go for some micro turbo 90-men SNGs, all without much luck. SNG is a different play with cash games as you all know. I think cash games require a bit more skills, and SNG require skills early game, and the fishes like me have their chance to catch up late game when the blinds grow big.
Since end last week and this whole week, I have been grinding some HUs (heads-up) SNG and had lotsa fun. Yea fun because I won haha. I played 2+0.2 HU and 2+0.1 HU-Shoot-out - shootout meaning 4-men heads-up.
I used to have much fear playing HU because it is some thing you have to give your full focus, like when your opponent is tight, starting to bluff, starting to attack or withdraw, basically the rhythm of things. So I don't dare to go more than two tabling at once. I wonder how pokerstars' superstar showdown, where they go four-tabling against the SAME opponent is like OMG.
I can't really tell why I'm on winning streaks for HU at the moment, probably most of opponent I meet are taking micro-stakes for fun. HU is very different from full table. I had fun, and learn even if I lose. My results this week is 20-8. 8 of the lost, 2 of which are the same opponent, the other 2 is against my good friend, and the other half are some one else. My 20 wins are from different opponents. It probably mean that the same opponent who beat me twice seriously outplayed me in some ways. But by winning once, doesn't mean anything probably, that's why I don't re-challenge opponent I won LOL.
Still got half the assignments to rush. And I hate Mondays omg. As writing it's Sunday night and I can't bear to go to sleep. Wet weather this week and I didn't went to jog for my training of IPPT - Individual Physical Proficiency Test every Singaporean men have to take every year. You get some money if you get pass with certain points, more money with silver medal, even more with gold medal.
I only got gold once in my national service days and after that test I told myself it will never happen again. Almost run to death. 2.4km in 9.24min (gold is <9.45). After my service I had two years of silver, last year I had a passed with money because of some operation before the test. I am targeting a silver this year but I think it's gonna be tough. I never had problems with static stations (sit ups, shuttle run etc) but running is a serious killer. I hate running and I sucks. It takes not only physical, stamina but even mental ability to push through.
Wish me luck, wish you luck, wish everyone luck luck luck!
Black.
My plan now is to resume trading after my very last exams, which will be upcoming end May. After which, I will put time back to chart analysis and swing trade, because I don't want to have intensive trading yet. I seriously can't wait for school to be over with.. this 3.5 years seems like 35 years to me. At least within this working/studying 3.5 years, I managed to learn the fundamental basics of trading and poker. After that I will have lots of own time.
I just bought an iMac recently at our yearly IT Show in Singapore. I remembered FX said, once you go iMac, you won't go back to Windows. Haha I agree.. it has very nice usability and everything is simpler. I preferred a desktop since my school is finishing, and I bought an Acer notebook 3 years back but I barely carry it around. So a desktop, without a CPU, is the reason I go for it. Carried it home, plug just one wire and ready to roll!
As for pokerstars, after my huge drawdown early march playing 10c cash games multi-tabling, I haven't really stepped back to cash games. Right after, I played a bit of 18-men SNGs (Sit & Go) and 9-men SNGs, I even go for some micro turbo 90-men SNGs, all without much luck. SNG is a different play with cash games as you all know. I think cash games require a bit more skills, and SNG require skills early game, and the fishes like me have their chance to catch up late game when the blinds grow big.
Since end last week and this whole week, I have been grinding some HUs (heads-up) SNG and had lotsa fun. Yea fun because I won haha. I played 2+0.2 HU and 2+0.1 HU-Shoot-out - shootout meaning 4-men heads-up.
I used to have much fear playing HU because it is some thing you have to give your full focus, like when your opponent is tight, starting to bluff, starting to attack or withdraw, basically the rhythm of things. So I don't dare to go more than two tabling at once. I wonder how pokerstars' superstar showdown, where they go four-tabling against the SAME opponent is like OMG.
I can't really tell why I'm on winning streaks for HU at the moment, probably most of opponent I meet are taking micro-stakes for fun. HU is very different from full table. I had fun, and learn even if I lose. My results this week is 20-8. 8 of the lost, 2 of which are the same opponent, the other 2 is against my good friend, and the other half are some one else. My 20 wins are from different opponents. It probably mean that the same opponent who beat me twice seriously outplayed me in some ways. But by winning once, doesn't mean anything probably, that's why I don't re-challenge opponent I won LOL.
Still got half the assignments to rush. And I hate Mondays omg. As writing it's Sunday night and I can't bear to go to sleep. Wet weather this week and I didn't went to jog for my training of IPPT - Individual Physical Proficiency Test every Singaporean men have to take every year. You get some money if you get pass with certain points, more money with silver medal, even more with gold medal.
I only got gold once in my national service days and after that test I told myself it will never happen again. Almost run to death. 2.4km in 9.24min (gold is <9.45). After my service I had two years of silver, last year I had a passed with money because of some operation before the test. I am targeting a silver this year but I think it's gonna be tough. I never had problems with static stations (sit ups, shuttle run etc) but running is a serious killer. I hate running and I sucks. It takes not only physical, stamina but even mental ability to push through.
Wish me luck, wish you luck, wish everyone luck luck luck!
Black.
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