Pike River

Unlike in Chile, it appears the miners trapped underground in New Zealand will not be as fortunate. These guys that chose to work underground have always had my admiration and its a job I could never do.

It does make me think of this brilliant video from many years back. Cheers guys.

Perspective

It's been a pretty rough week for me health-wise. After going for a jog a while back, I felt a bit on an ache in my left foot. Of course I ignored it and continued on, only to find the next week I was hobbling around on an extremely sore foot. Then i went to see the Doc about a persistent little dot I'd had on the end of my nose for most of this year. As it turns out, it was a nasty little skin cancer which fortunately they'd caught early. Not early enough to save me from a non-too insignificant scar down the bridge of my nose consisting of 6 stitches. And of course, while struggling with what then became a slightly infected wound I ended up with the mother of all head colds. Trying to expel a pound of snot with several stitches on your nose really is some task. Yep, it was all a bit much for a while there.

And yet, while waiting in the surgery to get the stitches out I saw a guy about my age with a scar running from above his eyebrow to just below his ear - apparently he had the same thing but hadn't caught it early.

And then, to put all that in perspective there's also Thuy:

http://www.pokerroad.com/blog/thuy-doan/22

Then i feel grateful for all that I have and i put in a quiet word to the bearded one up stairs.




FG

And now for something completely different

Beyond absurd

Not the hand but being 0 from 20 allin preflop with aces. I hate to think of the odds. This was the icing on the cake and i found myself laughing hysterically. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing...




Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 9 players

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter



Hero (MP1): $24.50

MP2: $66.90

CO: $16.20

BTN: $25.00

SB: $38.65

BB: $10.00

UTG: $19.25

UTG+1: $9.50

UTG+2: $25.00



Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is MP1 with A K A J

3 folds, Hero raises to $1.50, 1 fold, CO calls $1.50, BTN raises to $6.75, 2 folds, Hero raises to $22.50, 1 fold, BTN calls $15.75



Flop: ($47.25) T 9 T (2 players)

Hero bets $2 all in, BTN calls $2



Turn: ($51.25) 8 (2 players - 1 is all in)



River: ($51.25) 7 (2 players - 1 is all in)



Final Pot: $51.25

Hero shows A K A J (two pair, Aces and Tens)

BTN shows 5 Q T T (four of a kind, Tens)

BTN wins $48.85

(Rake: $2.40)

Bring the pain

I'm on my biggest down-swing since playing poker. I don't whine about bad beats and don't find them particularly interesting. I'm finding that variance is well and truly biting me on the butt when my stack goes in and I'm only winning the smaller pots. Today was a typical example where leading up to this hand I kept getting run down every time i got my stack in with at least a 60% edge. This time, I knew i was coolered but went with it anyway. I'm curious to look up how far behind i was.





Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 8 players

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter



MP1: $8.30

MP2: $12.76

CO: $5.31

BTN: $17.63

Hero (SB): $14.99

BB: $15.08

UTG: $13.14

UTG+1: $10.57



Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is SB with K 6 A K

1 fold, Hero says "just one time'", UTG+1 raises to $0.75, 1 fold, MP2 calls $0.75, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.65, 1 fold



Flop: ($2.50) Q K 9 (3 players)

Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $1, MP2 calls $1, Hero calls $1



Turn: ($5.50) 5 (3 players)

Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP2 bets $5.24, Hero raises to $13.24 all in, UTG+1 calls $8.82 all in, MP2 calls $5.77 all in, Hero says "bring the pain"



River: ($36.34) J (3 players - 3 are all in)



Final Pot: $36.34

MP2 mucks T K J 9

Hero shows K 6 A K (a flush, King high)

UTG+1 mucks 8 J T 9

Hero wins $4.16

Hero wins $30.38

(Rake: $1.80)

Folding bottom set

With what range of hands does my opponent smooth call the flop then 4bet into me?

No reads. I'm new to the table and yet to play a hand.

What hands am i beating in this spot?



Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em $0.10 Ante - 9 players

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter



UTG: $160.00

UTG+1: $51.90

UTG+2: $131.00

MP1: $53.95

MP2: $125.00

Hero (CO): $96.40

BTN: $102.50

SB: $61.50

BB: $50.65



Pre Flop: ($1.65) Hero is CO with 5 5

UTG raises to $1.50, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls $1.50, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.50, 2 folds, BB calls $1



Flop: ($7.15) 5 8 9 (4 players)

BB checks, UTG bets $4.50, UTG+2 calls $4.50, Hero raises to $20, BB folds, UTG folds, UTG+2 raises to $55, Hero folds



Final Pot: $51.65

UTG+2 wins $49.10

(Rake: $2.55)

Elliot #Sharp

I honestly can't figure if this is a 'Spinal Tap'esque piss take, or if his music operates on a much higher plane then my brain can process...

The Accidental Value Bluff

I thought i was good on the turn. I almost fired the river but gave respect to a solid opponent playing 4 tables of rush.

Full Tilt Poker $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter



CO: $24.14

Hero (BTN): $24.85

SB: $45.64

BB: $6.98

UTG: $42.43

UTG+1: $19.50

UTG+2: $21.75

MP1: $10.00

MP2: $32.79



Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BTN with J J

1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $0.85, 4 folds, Hero calls $0.85, 2 folds



Flop: ($2.05) 3 4 T (2 players)

UTG+1 bets $1.56, Hero calls $1.56



Turn: ($5.17) 4 (2 players)

UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $2.50, UTG+1 calls $2.50



River: ($10.17) 3 (2 players)

UTG+1 checks, Hero says "AK?", Hero checks



Final Pot: $10.17

Hero shows J J (two pair, Jacks and Fours)

UTG+1 shows A A (two pair, Aces and Fours)

UTG+1 wins $9.67

(Rake: $0.50)