How is poker going?

About like this:

PokerStars Game #33250242541: Tournament #198265724, $10+$1 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2009/09/24 22:34:48 ET
Table '198265724 1' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: arstug (1480 in chips)
Seat 2: VoxTurtle (1510 in chips)
Seat 3: FR Vessant (1410 in chips)
Seat 4: bouchaco (1670 in chips)
Seat 5: badboyjayuk (1580 in chips)
Seat 6: rawdog7575 (1410 in chips)
Seat 7: WiredSet (1520 in chips)
Seat 8: KrazyCraig84 (1480 in chips)
Seat 9: MAGNUM8454 (1440 in chips)
KrazyCraig84: posts small blind 10
MAGNUM8454: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Kc Kd]
arstug: folds
VoxTurtle: folds
FR Vessant: raises 60 to 80
bouchaco: folds
badboyjayuk: calls 80
rawdog7575: folds
WiredSet: calls 80
KrazyCraig84: folds
MAGNUM8454: folds
*** FLOP *** [8c 7c 6d]
FR Vessant: bets 200
badboyjayuk: calls 200
WiredSet: calls 200
*** TURN *** [8c 7c 6d] [7s]
FR Vessant: bets 1130 and is all-in
badboyjayuk: folds
WiredSet: calls 1130
*** RIVER *** [8c 7c 6d 7s] [9c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FR Vessant: shows [Kc Kd] (two pair, Kings and Sevens)
WiredSet: shows [7h 2h] (three of a kind, Sevens)
WiredSet collected 3130 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3130 | Rake 0
Board [8c 7c 6d 7s 9c]
Seat 1: arstug folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: VoxTurtle folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: FR Vessant showed [Kc Kd] and lost with two pair, Kings and Sevens
Seat 4: bouchaco folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: badboyjayuk folded on the Turn
Seat 6: rawdog7575 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: WiredSet (button) showed [7h 2h] and won (3130) with three of a kind, Sevens
Seat 8: KrazyCraig84 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: MAGNUM8454 (big blind) folded before Flop

My email to Pokerstars support, subject "Doomswitch"

Hi

Could you turn it off now? I appreciate your sense of humour but this is just sick:

PokerStars Game #31222081385: Tournament #183600842, $5.00+$0.50 Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (150/300) - 2009/08/03 23:00:31 ET
Table '183600842 34' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 2: FR Vessant (6290 in chips)
Seat 3: RVRchsngDONK (21317 in chips)
Seat 4: gallory8 (7260 in chips)
Seat 5: Perrin57 (16222 in chips)
Seat 6: Chuckzeduck (9645 in chips)
Seat 7: Rick007 (6825 in chips)
Seat 8: stormswa (8665 in chips)
Seat 9: yurntrbl (1950 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts the ante 25
RVRchsngDONK: posts the ante 25
gallory8: posts the ante 25
Perrin57: posts the ante 25
Chuckzeduck: posts the ante 25
Rick007: posts the ante 25
stormswa: posts the ante 25
yurntrbl: posts the ante 25
yurntrbl: posts small blind 150
FR Vessant: posts big blind 300
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [4h 4c]
RVRchsngDONK: folds
gallory8: folds
Perrin57: folds
Chuckzeduck: folds
Rick007: folds
stormswa: folds
yurntrbl: raises 1625 to 1925 and is all-in
FR Vessant: calls 1625
*** FLOP *** [Tc Td Ts]
*** TURN *** [Tc Td Ts] [Th]
*** RIVER *** [Tc Td Ts Th] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
yurntrbl: shows [3s As] (four of a kind, Tens)
FR Vessant: shows [4h 4c] (four of a kind, Tens - lower kicker)
yurntrbl collected 4050 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4050 | Rake 0
Board [Tc Td Ts Th 2h]
Seat 2: FR Vessant (big blind) showed [4h 4c] and lost with four of a kind, Tens
Seat 3: RVRchsngDONK folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: gallory8 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Perrin57 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Chuckzeduck folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Rick007 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: stormswa (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: yurntrbl (small blind) showed [3s As] and won (4050) with four of a kind, Tens


Thanks

Doomed to stay at the 11s

Why do I always run so badly when I move up? I just don't understand it. I fired up a 22 this morning. Just one, because I'm working. Mostly I folded, then I picked up TT at t50, raised to 3x and got two callers. The flop was 442, so I led out. One of the fishes raised and because I was committed, I got it in. He has JJ. Next up, I have 88. There's a limper, a shortstacked fish raises and I call. I didn't notice the fish was short, or I would have likely shoved over. The flop comes 9xx, the limper checks, and the fish bets out small. I know he has nothing and shove over. The other fish snapcalls with A9. How come they always have it? Every fucking time! The guy limps A9 from early position, calls a raise and flops top fucking pair. So I have a few chips left and get up to 400. I pick up KK in the small blind. Sadly they all fold to me, and I raise but the fishy big blind decides this is the one time he will not defend his blind. FML.

This pretty much sums it up though. Here's my bustout hand:

PokerStars Game #31179674313: Tournament #184216436, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2009/08/02 20:50:43 ET
Table '184216436 1' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: FR Vessant (415 in chips)
Seat 2: decorounder (2210 in chips)
Seat 3: meeks16 (3415 in chips)
Seat 4: geomed (2060 in chips)
Seat 5: O'Brien_6 (3380 in chips)
Seat 6: zapedy (1340 in chips)
Seat 9: jeffery b3 (680 in chips)
jeffery b3: posts small blind 25
FR Vessant: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [8c 5d]
decorounder: folds
meeks16: folds
geomed: folds
O'Brien_6: folds
zapedy: folds
jeffery b3: calls 25

He's very short obv. so I doubt I have much fold equity.

FR Vessant: checks
*** FLOP *** [5c 6c 3h]

That should be an okay flop.

jeffery b3: bets 200

I expected him to bet his whole range here, so I am not folding. I probably have the best hand.

FR Vessant: raises 165 to 365 and is all-in
jeffery b3: calls 165

And I do. He has 32. I mean, fucksake, how can I not beat these clowns? If you want to play that shit, shove it man.

But yeah, you probably spotted that he has a draw to the straight, so that's fucking it for me.

*** TURN *** [5c 6c 3h] [6s]
*** RIVER *** [5c 6c 3h 6s] [2s]

And there it is. Like clockwork.

I mean, no fucking kidding, I am doomed never to move up past the 11s. I simply cannot win at a higher level. I can't get to the long run, and I suspect that even if I did, they'd still be hitting every single draw, every single flop, everything against me.

Fuck fucking poker

STTs suck. Early in this one, I had QQ cracked by a guy who shoved when I 3bet a UTG raiser. He had AKs and probably should have folded. So I had basically no chips and clawed my way back. I got to the bubble with 2Kish chips, and lost some when I raised with JJ and a huge fish called and openshoved an A high flop. He probably didn't even have the ace, but you can't risk it. Then I got blinded down a bit, so a few hands later.

PokerStars Game #31116131795: Tournament #183786853, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (100/200) - 2009/08/01 7:11:44 ET
Table '183786853 1' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: kinkykay-de (3881 in chips)
Seat 2: FR Vessant (1225 in chips)
Seat 4: Bluesmansav (6548 in chips)
Seat 5: SezzGecko (1846 in chips)
kinkykay-de: posts the ante 25
FR Vessant: posts the ante 25
Bluesmansav: posts the ante 25
SezzGecko: posts the ante 25
FR Vessant: posts small blind 100
Bluesmansav: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Kh 9s]
SezzGecko: folds
kinkykay-de: calls 200

This is our fish, who loves to limp, to call raises, and to make dim stabby bluffs at the flop.
FR Vessant: raises 1000 to 1200 and is all-in

I have been playing tight, so I figure I have a ton of FE.

Bluesmansav: folds
kinkykay-de: calls 1000

Wrong.

The fish has called me with K7s. I mean, wtf. You can't think you're ahead with that. I think the one thing I never get over in STTs, even though I am pretty cool with the truth that it's all about luck now, is these tards who just gamble. Yeah, I know it's all gambling, but intentionally putting your money in behind is awful.

*** FLOP *** [8c 6s 9h]

When I saw the flop, I knew I would be busted. Yes, I have top pair. But what does that matter? He has a draw and it's going to come in.

*** TURN *** [8c 6s 9h] [Jh]
*** RIVER *** [8c 6s 9h Jh] [5d]

See? If I played 200 games a day, I'd be over it, because I'd see it all the time. So yeah, maybe play more than 50 this month, Zenners?

bleh

How am I ever going to move up in stakes if I run so badly?


PokerStars Game #31114065461: Tournament #181767859, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2009/08/01 5:05:49 ET
Table '181767859 35' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: LatzFatz (2980 in chips)
Seat 2: mandymoo77 (2990 in chips)
Seat 3: BIGTONE53 (6140 in chips)
Seat 4: FR Vessant (2960 in chips)
Seat 5: arameer (2860 in chips)
Seat 6: Munstah (1640 in chips)
Seat 7: I_win_Hands (3000 in chips)
Seat 8: Daf12 (3000 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 9: aannaa1 (2980 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 10
arameer: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [7c 8c]
Munstah: folds
I_win_Hands: folds
Daf12: folds
aannaa1: folds
LatzFatz: folds
mandymoo77: calls 20
BIGTONE53: folds
FR Vessant: calls 10

Easy complete.

arameer: raises 80 to 100


Seems bad so I'm going to call and hope to outflop him.

mandymoo77: folds
FR Vessant: calls 80
*** FLOP *** [Jc Tc 5h]

Should be a good flop for my hand.

FR Vessant: checks
arameer: bets 220
FR Vessant: raises 400 to 620

I hope to fold him out here.

arameer: raises 400 to 1020
FR Vessant: raises 1840 to 2860 and is all-in

With 13 outs against top pair, I am going to gamble here.

arameer: calls 1740 and is all-in

He has Ac9c. Fuck my luck.

Get this though:

Uncalled bet (100) returned to FR Vessant
*** TURN *** [Jc Tc 5h] [4c]

It's enough to make you cry.

On coaching

Some guy on 2p2 asked me for coaching. He was angling for free help by buttering me up, but I don't have time, so I said I'd do it for money (not much money -- 30/hr if you want to learn how to crush) and he asked what would be the best way to gain from coaching and how you should do it. So I said this:


There are three indispensable skills if you want to win using a 2p2-type strategy: 1/ Hand selection 2/ Not ****ing up postflop and 3/ most importantly, late game.

In 1, you have to know which hands to play in which spots, which hands you'll threebet, which hands you'll shove over limpers, which hands you'll resteal with against which players. Some of this you can figure out for yourself, some you can be taught, some you just get a feel for as you play.

In 2, there are different approaches, but the most important thing is not to make the bigger mistakes your opponents make: not to stack off light with top pair, not to go broke in unraised pots with hands that are easily beaten, not to chase draws; and more positively, to bet strong hands hard, to apply aggression correctly and to understand bet sizing and have some idea of what your opponents are trying to do. An appreciation of range-based thinking and play is essential, because this is the foundation of good poker.

In 3, you need to know when to push and when to fold. This involves understanding ICM above all, and working through spots in a program like SNG Wizard, which is an essential purchase for anyone who wants to improve at STTs. I don't have a lot of time to study ICM, which is one reason I don't play turbos too much (regular speeds are more forgiving of patchy late-game knowledge), but there are good and bad ways to use it imo.

If you get anyone to help you with your game, you need them first of all to understand what you know. To do that, they need either to sweat you or to go through a HH in a replayer. They can do this without your presence, but tbh talking to a player about why they played their hands a particular way lets you know whether they get it or not. You know what I mean? Someone might do something differently from the way I would, and I'll ask them why. If you understand the game, your answer will make sense to me, if you don't, the flaw in your understanding becomes apparent. Most people have glaring leaks because they just dont' understand areas of the game, or spots that they are in. This is true of everyone bar the very best: I'm a moderate player and I definitely don't know it all.

I'll be honest with you. Coaching has a value in STTs, but it's limited, because a lot of the knowledge you need is gained through experience and work that you have to do for yourself. So it's valuable to have someone talk through some games with you, and explain broadly where you're going wrong/what you're doing right, but they can't teach you push/fold -- you have to study that for yourself. Having said that, if you are very much a learner, either being sweated or going through a HH in a replayer will work -- using Skype and Teamviewer or similar. I think the second is best because there's no time pressure and you can explain your thought process.

Omahahahahhahahahdfhdhfdhfhdhdhfhdhshshshhs

I thought this was quite interesting. I am playing a $2 PL Omaha 8 tourney (I know, shoot me) because I'm an addict but can't concentrate enough to play anything worthwhile, when this hand came up.

Full Tilt Poker Game #13462676090: $2 + 0.25 Tournament (99453018), Table 10 - 30/60 - Pot Limit Omaha H/L - 3:54:16 ET - 2009/07/18
Seat 1: superiorbath (5,325)
Seat 2: Darkdeck (1,316)
Seat 3: SexulHrsmntPnda (4,494)
Seat 4: SusieOh (938)
Seat 5: ASD-OCD (4,811)
Seat 6: basatagirl (4,863)
Seat 7: KYKenny (1,339)
Seat 8: RAGS2RICHESXXX (1,587)
Seat 9: daveteezeeme (2,068)
superiorbath posts the small blind of 30
Darkdeck posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to basatagirl [3c 4d Ks Ac]
SexulHrsmntPnda folds
SusieOh folds
ASD-OCD calls 60
basatagirl calls 60

It's reasonable to limp this in this game, where there is very little aggression.

KYKenny calls 60
RAGS2RICHESXXX folds
daveteezeeme calls 60
superiorbath calls 30
Darkdeck checks
*** FLOP *** [8c 8d 2c]
superiorbath checks
Darkdeck bets 120

Doesn't have to have much for that.

ASD-OCD calls 120

This is terrible with his actual hand.

basatagirl calls 120

I call with nut low draw and nut flush draw. If no one has or hits a boat, I could scoop.


KYKenny folds
daveteezeeme calls 120
superiorbath folds
*** TURN *** [8c 8d 2c] [6c]

So I have my flush and the nut low. There aren't too many hands I'm going to hate being against here.

Darkdeck checks
ASD-OCD bets 420
basatagirl raises to 2,100

Pot raise. I don't mind if he comes with me now.

daveteezeeme folds
Darkdeck folds
ASD-OCD raises to 4,631, and is all in
basatagirl calls 2,531

Easy call. He can have me beat for high, but can only chop low, and it has to be unlikely he has it.

ASD-OCD shows [3s 8s Jd 2h]

Fucking awful. He should never limp this pre. It's a dog. 32xx is a trouble hand in OH and he has nothing else going on really.

On the flop, he has high sewn up obviously, but slowplaying it is horrible. Why let
me hit my low for free? I am supposing he thinks he will get more from a flush if it hits, but there's a decent wedge in the pot, and if someone hits a low, he gives up half of what's already there. He has nothing to lose by pumping the pot.
*** RIVER *** [8c 8d 2c 6c] [2d]
ASD-OCD shows a full house, Eights full of Twos, for high
basatagirl shows a flush, Ace high, for high and 8,6,3,2,A, for low
ASD-OCD wins the high pot (5,051) with a full house, Eights full of Twos
basatagirl wins the low pot (5,051) with 8,6,3,2,A

So that sucks a bit, not least that he hit a full with such a bad hand. This sucks more:

Full Tilt Poker Game #13462754587: $2 + 0.25 Tournament (99453018), Table 10 - 40/80 - Pot Limit Omaha H/L - 4:03:54 ET - 2009/07/18
Seat 1: superiorbath (4,905)
Seat 2: Darkdeck (1,916)
Seat 4: SusieOh (658)
Seat 5: ASD-OCD (4,911)
Seat 6: basatagirl (5,103)
Seat 7: KYKenny (1,279)
Seat 8: RAGS2RICHESXXX (1,587)
Seat 9: daveteezeeme (1,888)
ASD-OCD posts the small blind of 40
basatagirl posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to basatagirl [Tc Ah Ks 2s]
KYKenny folds
RAGS2RICHESXXX folds
daveteezeeme folds
superiorbath folds
Darkdeck calls 80

He should try to steal with the hand he has if he's going to play it, but I wouldn't play it.

SusieOh folds
ASD-OCD has been disconnected
ASD-OCD folds
ASD-OCD has reconnected
basatagirl checks

I have no fold equity for a raise, even though my hand is okay. I prefer not to bloat the pot without any hope of just TingID.

*** FLOP *** [3h As 7c]

Not the best flop because there's a low out there and the ace is really bad for me.

basatagirl checks
Darkdeck bets 200
basatagirl calls 200

I call because I have TPTK on an unconnected board, and he doesn't have to have a low
because these boys will often play high-only hands. I should probably fold, but I hate to give up too easily against these really bad players.

*** TURN *** [3h As 7c] [Kh]

That's a great turn for me, because I now have the best high.

basatagirl checks
Darkdeck bets 400
basatagirl raises to 1,800

I am hoping to make him fold hands that have bad lows and no highs and draws to beat me, like 64xx maybe.
Darkdeck calls 1,236, and is all in
basatagirl shows [Tc Ah Ks 2s]
Darkdeck shows [2c 4s 2h 5c]

Obviously he is not folding a nut low. I am in good shape for high though because he'd need a 4 or a 2 to beat me, and obv. he has one of the 4s and only one 2 is still in the deck.

Uncalled bet of 164 returned to basatagirl
*** RIVER *** [3h As 7c Kh] [4c]

Oh shit.

****

My bustout hand was quite disappointing.


Full Tilt Poker Game #13463062792: $2 + 0.25 Tournament (99453018), Table 10 - 80/160 - Pot Limit Omaha H/L - 4:36:27 ET - 2009/07/18
Seat 1: superiorbath (7,032)
Seat 2: Darkdeck (3,397)
Seat 3: pokerbill72 (24,917)
Seat 4: back2therail (4,035)
Seat 5: ASD-OCD (7,154)
Seat 6: basatagirl (4,165)
Seat 7: KYKenny (1,139), is sitting out
Seat 8: Boxcar85 (2,783)
ASD-OCD posts the small blind of 80
basatagirl posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to basatagirl [Ad 3s Qh Qd]
KYKenny folds
Boxcar85 folds
superiorbath folds
Darkdeck folds
pokerbill72 folds
back2therail has 15 seconds left to act
back2therail raises to 320

I hate minraises in Omaha. You don't have much, if any, steal equity, so all you're doing is bloat the pot.

ASD-OCD calls 240

Will call with nearly anything, he's that bad.

basatagirl calls 160
*** FLOP *** [Jc 6d 2c]
ASD-OCD has 15 seconds left to act
ASD-OCD bets 960

That's a big bet, so he probably has something. However, I'd think he's more likely to have something like 54xx or Acxcxx than a set of jacks, so I'm probably ahead for high and have hopes for low. Folding here would be far too weak in my view, and given the amount I have to call, I should play for stacks.

basatagirl raises to 3,840

So I do.

back2therail folds
ASD-OCD calls 2,880

I would have rather kept the pot smaller with his hand, and looked to make money when I actually had a hand, but I'm not him.

I now very much don't want to see a club on the turn, particularly not a high one.

*** TURN *** [Jc 6d 2c] [Qc]

FUCK. I mean, on the one hand I have a set, but on the other, the flush made, and he's likely to have it.

KYKenny has been disconnected
ASD-OCD bets 160

Yeah, cunt, you should have done that on the flop, given that I only had 5 left behind.

basatagirl calls 5, and is all in
ASD-OCD shows [2h 3d Ac 7c]

He has the worst possible hand for me. He should have 3bet preflop imo, because it's always better to take it down preflop than to try to let me have a shot at outflopping him on a high-only board getting 5/1.

Sadly, he not only has the flush, but he halves my low too, so I badly need the board to pair.

basatagirl shows [Ad 3s Qh Qd]
Uncalled bet of 155 returned to ASD-OCD
*** RIVER *** [Jc 6d 2c Qc] [9c]

Which of course it doesn't.

Oh well. Just because this fish played nearly every fucking hand and hit perfect against me are not reasons to cry. But his being Australian is. All -- and I mean all -- Australian players are entirely retarded, and should never win a cent at poker imo.