In the midnight hour

A friend recently asked me how my online poker was going and I sighed and said "Breaking even. It's pretty frustrating cos I'm winning all the small pots then getting unlucky in the big ones".

"That's pretty good then isn't it" he said. "That you're still managing to break even despite that?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess so".


He was right. Perspective is a beautiful thing.

As I was playing today and reading the hand history below, the first hand that I post I flop the nuts. When he called the allin, I honestly expected to get snapped off again.


Hand #1: Before sitting down
Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2009/01/21 2:43:37 ET
Table 'Demiddelaer IV' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: sa06308p ($30.75 in chips)
Seat 4: perseus18 ($25.35 in chips)
Seat 5: suspekt23 ($11.75 in chips)
Seat 6: Negotiant ($4.65 in chips)
Seat 9: Volatilt ($12.20 in chips)
suspekt23: posts small blind $0.10
Negotiant: posts big blind $0.25
heyyrob: sits out
crisb732002: sits out
NYBATTERI: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Volatilt: raises $0.25 to $0.50
AlekzDj joins the table at seat #8
sa06308p: calls $0.50
perseus18: calls $0.50
suspekt23: folds
Negotiant: folds
*** FLOP *** [Ad 8c 4c]
Volatilt: bets $0.50
sa06308p: calls $0.50
perseus18: raises $1.25 to $1.75
Volatilt: folds
sa06308p: calls $1.25
*** TURN *** [Ad 8c 4c] [2h]
sa06308p: checks
perseus18: bets $3
sa06308p: raises $9 to $12
perseus18: raises $11.10 to $23.10 and is all-in
sa06308p: calls $11.10
*** RIVER *** [Ad 8c 4c 2h] [6s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
sa06308p: shows [3d 5d] (a straight, Deuce to Six)
perseus18: mucks hand
sa06308p collected $50.05 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $52.05 | Rake $2
Board [Ad 8c 4c 2h 6s]
Seat 1: sa06308p showed [3d 5d] and won ($50.05) with a straight, Deuce to Six
Seat 4: perseus18 (button) mucked
Seat 5: suspekt23 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: Negotiant (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: Volatilt folded on the Flop



Hand #2: First Hand
Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2009/01/21 2:51:19 ET
Table 'Demiddelaer IV' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: sa06308p ($68 in chips)
Seat 2: crisb732002 ($9.50 in chips)
Seat 3: NYBATTERI ($25.35 in chips)
Seat 4: Genius4832 ($26.80 in chips)
Seat 6: Forrest Gump ($25 in chips)
Seat 7: heyyrob ($14.30 in chips)
Seat 8: AlekzDj ($12.80 in chips)
Seat 9: Volatilt ($11.65 in chips)
Volatilt: posts small blind $0.10
sa06308p: posts big blind $0.25
Forrest Gump: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Forrest Gump [Jd Tc]
crisb732002: folds
NYBATTERI: folds
Genius4832: folds
Forrest Gump: checks
heyyrob: folds
AlekzDj: folds
Volatilt: calls $0.15
sa06308p: checks
*** FLOP *** [9c 7c 8s]
Volatilt: checks
sa06308p: bets $1
Forrest Gump: raises $1.20 to $2.20
Volatilt: raises $1.20 to $3.40
sa06308p: calls $2.40
Forrest Gump: raises $21.35 to $24.75 and is all-in
Volatilt: folds
sa06308p: calls $21.35
*** TURN *** [9c 7c 8s] [Kc]
*** RIVER *** [9c 7c 8s Kc] [Th]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
sa06308p: shows [Td Qc] (a pair of Tens)
Forrest Gump: shows [Jd Tc] (a straight, Seven to Jack)
Forrest Gump collected $51 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $53.65 | Rake $2.65
Board [9c 7c 8s Kc Th]
Seat 1: sa06308p (big blind) showed [Td Qc] and lost with a pair of Tens
Seat 2: crisb732002 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: NYBATTERI folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Genius4832 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Forrest Gump showed [Jd Tc] and won ($51) with a straight, Seven to Jack
Seat 7: heyyrob folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: AlekzDj (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Volatilt (small blind) folded on the Flop



Happy Hour
I was listening to a podcast with a high stakes HU specialist and he mentioned that the 1am to 3am period seems to be the juiciest online. This is something I've also noticed and fortunately I get home from work at around 1am U.S time and I've noticed there's a 'sweet spot' for an hour or two before the tables quickly dry up.

Bear versus the kids
This thread on Pokerroad is pure gold. I wish I understood all the concepts discussed but when they start mentioning Nash Equilibriums my thoughts wander off to nodding drinking birds...

http://www.pokerroad.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3936


Toot toot, over and out.




FG