Let's play darts!!!

So... february as been pretty good to me.

Cash Games
I have started playing cash games for the first time, playing the jackpot 1/2 PLHE game. I have played the odd game before but never taken it that seriously. I've decided I want to get 55 cash hours before april 2nd so I can play the cash league final. To do this I need a system for playing these games, so basically, €150 buy in and play friday/sat nights from about 1am when the drunks stumble in, play TIGHT and hope the big hands hold up, very formulaic. I have been pretty strict with myself that if I lose my initial €150 i stand up and leave, no rebuying, thats that night written off. This can seem like I'm playing with scared money, but I feel it is playing within my limits and having such a boundry protects me from having a €500+ losing night. So far I have run reasonably well. I have lost a buy in or two but have had some reasonable winning sessions. From the start of March I'll be keeping much better track of my cash game exploits. A conservative estimate of winnings for February from cash games is about €300 profit.

Freeroll Madness
On Feb 22nd we ran the DIT Freeroll with €500 added from Greenjokerpoker.com. There was 50 players and an impressive €855 euro in rebuys thanks mainly to myself, Mark (AKQJ10), Oscar (bohsman) and one or two others who gambled it up early. During this game as I watched a mixed field dwindle I resorted to playing a reserved style (mainly as I was dealing) and I've always faired better in these college games when I minimise my stupidy (sounds obvious but easier said than done). I gathered a healthy stack following two hands with disguised strength when I limped early with JJ and QQ. This type of play has been pretty useful for me and something I've tried a few times with a bit of success after a conversation with Lloyd about a QQ hand from his Drogheda win that got him in a very nice position. I'm aware than underplaying hands can have consequences but it's working for me at the moment, I'll give it a while before it becomes something I will defend as being consistantly effective. One thing I did notice was how much Shane (phantom_lord) has come on as a player, the lads had mentioned how his game has changed dramatically and how he was the best player in a €50 STT in the jackpot. I hadnt played shane in some time, and the last time I played him we was tighter than Christina Aguilera's underwear but when he got moved to my table he had a very big stack and was involved in alot of pots, winning them without a showdown, and when a hand was shown down he had the goods. Equally his success online is something I'm planning on "attempting" to emulate.... but his KK was no match for my AA... har har!! Anywho, finished 2nd and got €300 online which I'm using as my bankroll for lowstakes madness.

Biggest Ever Poker Win
... wooooooo!!!!! And I didn't even win the tournament! I won €2,000 at JP's End of Month game for 3rd place out of 115 runners. My biggest win coming through one of the biggest fields I've played. Only had 90% of my action though so technically after buy in and tip I only made €1,600 but still delighted... now the details. I was easily early tourny chip leader early on after taking out two players in the first level when I limped with JJ from early position and about 7 players saw a flop, of Kc8c8h. Now I've no interest after this flop but all 7 of us check, small blind bets 200 at a 3c turn and I convince myself that a call is correct and maybe 4 others call, I know i'm behind but am happy enough to lose 250 with jacks... but... but.... BUT... the river is a Jc put 4 clubs out there and giving me the 3rd nuts (behind KK and 88), I decide to make a sneaky value bet of 300, but wait... there's a raise.. and now ANOTHER player is all in... i'll call that... and so will one the raiser!! One has K8 for a flopped house, the other has the nutflush! Apparantly when I win a pot now I'm to say "LET'S PLAY DARTS!!!", this is Joe's (goodluck2me) idea, not mine... so LETS PLAY DARTS!! I felt another guy soon after when I limp push with QQ and by the time the tourny average is 20k I'm sitting happily on 50k, knowing that 100k will be average at the final table... but then disaster...

I raise to 2200 with 77 and Eamon (5pin5) calls who has about 3k less than me. We see a flop of 10,6,8. We both check. Another 10 comes on the turn, i check and he bets 6k. I think and call... his bet of 6k on the turn threw doubt in my head. I didnt think he'd bet the 10 if he had trip 10's and definately not that strongly, and I think he'd have bet the flop if he had a 6. So I call, thinking my 77 could be good and I want a cheap showdown BUT Eamon goes ALL IN before the river card is even dealt. So I decide I'm behind and will fold on the river... but the river is a non flush 9... giving me a straight. I call instantly and he shows 88 for a full house 8's full. I'm GUTTED!!! And down to 3k when the average is 25k. Not good. LESSON: Never, NEVER, never call an all in instantly. Take at least 20 seconds to think about calling an all-in. Again, simple to say... but I want to introduce this to my game.

Now follows a crazy 40 mins or so. I decide I'm not going to panic and throw my chips away because I'm short stacked. I fold until it is my big blind, i have 56 and somewhat bizzarrly there are 7 limpers, probably wanting to catch a flop and take a player out. I was going to push preflop but opted for a twisted stop and go move and push any rag flop. The flop is 974 giving me a nice open ended straight draw and I push, and EVERYONE folds... GAME ON! A few well timed pushes and I'm hovering on about 9k as blinds go up to 700-1500. I pick up A8 on the big blind and decide to push, but there is 2 limpers and a ROCK goes all in, it hurts me to fold A8 but I know i'm not live and dominated. Next hand, on the SB and there's a raise and a call from mid position players, I have Ace-ten, now or never, my chips go in quickly. Original raiser who has a nice stack thinks for a while and calls, but then the other player goes all in over the top. We end up with a 3 way all in. I have AT, against KQ, and KJ... I cant ask for better than that, and an ace on the board and i tripple up. I'm now just below average but work my way to about 26k, then raise UTG with AK, and dave from the jackpoton 26k too on the BB pushes with AQ, I call and am on 50k+ and well above average. phew....

zzzz... zzzz... card dead.... zzzz... card dead until pretty much we make the money. I get a cheap double up when I have A5 on the big blind, flop AK9 all spades, check check. Turn is a 9 and I figure if he has the ace and IF he calls we'll split the pot, I don't think he has the 9 or the made flush so I get the chips in. I get insta-called by K4 with the 4 of spades, and a red 4 hits the river and my bigger 2 pair wins... I then hover around the 70k-90k and the money bubble bursts... a few minutes later and we're at the final table. I was quite card dead from about 30 players until the final 9. First hand of the final table I fold 88 to an UTG limper. It just made sense to me. Then second hand of the final table I get AA against KK and double up. Going to the final table there were 2 big chip leaders who pretty much owned the final table. I got 3 handed but was very short. In the end my A6 was no match for QQ on a Q high flop. But 2k richer and I'm away happy!

I'm estimating my February profit at about €2,000 after buy in's to a few tourney's, a few cash losses and percentage pay outs. I'm a happy bunny!