Brian
08-10-2004, 03:48 AM
One year and 2 days ago, on August 8th 2003, I made my first (and only) deposit of $50 into Party Poker, and I haven't looked back since. This is my story.
I'll avoid getting too personal in this thread, but I feel a little background information is appropriate. I am 19 years old, and I live with my parents and girlfriend of 2 years. From the ages of 15 to 18, I played another card game called Magic: the Gathering, and won about 60k. In early 2003, I decided that the travel which is mandatory to play Magic professionally was wearing on my nerves, and by June I was out of a source of income.
Many of my friends who played Magic were into Texas Hold'em, and I decided to pick it up just so that I'd be able to understand their conversations. Of course, it didn't stop there, and I soon purchased HPFAP, at the suggestion of a friend. Not long after, I was lurking on the the 2+2 forums trying to make sense of what I had just read. And thus my journey began.
Needless to say, with only a $75 bankroll (thanks to a $25 bonus) and a very crude understanding of basic strategy, I ran quite well at the .5/1 tables to not lose it all several times over. Had I experienced the worse side of variance at the start, I am not sure if I'd even be here today. Here's my first post ever on 2+2:
[ QUOTE ]
Hey everybody, been coming to this site for a while but haven't posted anything (in other words a lurker). I plan on posting some hands here pretty soon, as most of the winning players in this forum have said that that is the best way to better your game.
Anyways, this post is more of a question for myself having to do with Sattre's situation rather than an answer for his question. I have often been wondering what to do when you are in the SB or BB and dealt pocket pairs when a lot of people have limped in. Here, Sattre completed, stating that he didn't want to raise because his odds were only 7.5:1 (which is correct of course) of making his set, which seems like a fine play to me and one that I would normally have made before visiting 2+2.
However, I can't help but feel that a raise right here is pretty good too. Assuming that you're playing at a typical low limit game, I think you pretty much assume that the BB and the 5 other limpers will probably come along with you, thus keeping your odds the same (before 6sb:1sb, now 12sb:2sb). So what does this gain you if the odds are still the same? Well you are getting in that extra money before the flop so that when you do flop a set there is even more money in the pot. In other words, when you limp with 77 and then flop a set, in a normal low limit game where a lot of people see the flop but are also quick to fold on the flop, you aren't getting any extra bets from those people. However, because your hand is so well-disguised, you will still be able to milk the other people that you normally would be able to milk had you limped.
I think you guys understand what I am saying, but if you need an example I'd be happy to post one. BTW, I do understand that when there are so many people in the pot and you have 77, this is a purely hit the flop or fold situation.
-Brian
[/ QUOTE ]
Link to thread (http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=310106&page=510&view=expa nded&sb=5&o=all&fpart=#310106)
Not too bad of a first post, but I clearly misunderstood some concepts, which is clearly shown in my first hand post:
[ QUOTE ]
First time posting a hand on here, please be gentle Been playing Hold'em for over a year, but on and off, and I lurk here a bit. Also, LarryJoeFish, or anyone else, please give me an official "welcome to the forums" :-P
Game is .5/1 on Party Poker. Table is pretty typical from what I could tell, but people were constantly leaving and new ones coming in so I never really got a chance to get a good read on anyone.
Dealt A Q in the BB. UTG calls, folded around to the cutoff who raises, SB calls, and I re-raise. UTG calls, cutoff calls, SB calls. 4 to the flop for 12sb.
I realize that AQo is a hand that shouldn't be calling many raises, and as I didn't have that much of a read on the player and it wasn't an attempted steal due to UTG calling, then I probably should have just folded. However, I DO realize that this is a raise or fold situation, and as the game wasn't really too tough, I went ahead and re-raised him. I was glad to see him only call my re-raise, and I figured I had the better hand.
Flop: 9 /images/graemlins/club.gif 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif T /images/graemlins/club.gif
SB checks, I bet, all call. 4 to the turn for 16sb, 8bb.
Turn: 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif
Checked to UTG who bets, original raiser in cutoff folds, little blind calls, I fold.
Results will be posted soon. Thanks everyone :-D
-Brian
[/ QUOTE ]
Wow, how far I have come. I spent most of August and September playing 1 .5/1 table while I learned the ropes, and gradually worked my way up through the limits, all the while adding on more tables. By late October, I was settled into 3 3/6 tables, and that's where I spent most of my time up until 2004. I've made several stabs at 15/30, but overall I am down about 4k there. So for now I'm sticking with as many 5/10 tables that my 17" monitor can handle, which is surprisingly 7 to 8 with a ton of overlapping. Hoping to get a dual monitor setup soon. /images/graemlins/cool.gif
For most of the past year, I've been pretty lax with my poker playing, generally about 8-10 hours a week. In June '04, though, I decided to test my willpower and see how much I could really play. I managed to get about 40 hours a week, earning about 1bb/hour/table at 5/10. I considered posting one of those self-challenges in the General forum, but decided that it was so clogged with those already that it wouldn't be worth it.
In the past year, I have made approximately 20k playing poker. Inspired by my summer playing, I have set a goal for the next year to earn 100k and finally move my girlfriend and I out of my parent's house. We are also planning a trip to Vegas for my 21st birthday next September, and I hope to meet many of you there.
In conclusion, I'd like to thank the many people at 2+2 who have made this possible for me. First and foremost, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth, whose books I now all own. And I'd also like to thank the entire Small Stakes forum, especially (in no particular order): Dynasty, El Diablo, JTG, Joe Tall, Homer, anatta, slavic, Tosh, Bob T., inthacup, MGinNJ, J.R., nottom, and a few others I know I am forgetting.
And, a special thanks to: Ed Miller, GuyOnTilt, Clarkmeister, Jim Easton, and crockpot.
Here's hoping that I learn as much in my second year at 2+2 as my first,
-Brian
I'll avoid getting too personal in this thread, but I feel a little background information is appropriate. I am 19 years old, and I live with my parents and girlfriend of 2 years. From the ages of 15 to 18, I played another card game called Magic: the Gathering, and won about 60k. In early 2003, I decided that the travel which is mandatory to play Magic professionally was wearing on my nerves, and by June I was out of a source of income.
Many of my friends who played Magic were into Texas Hold'em, and I decided to pick it up just so that I'd be able to understand their conversations. Of course, it didn't stop there, and I soon purchased HPFAP, at the suggestion of a friend. Not long after, I was lurking on the the 2+2 forums trying to make sense of what I had just read. And thus my journey began.
Needless to say, with only a $75 bankroll (thanks to a $25 bonus) and a very crude understanding of basic strategy, I ran quite well at the .5/1 tables to not lose it all several times over. Had I experienced the worse side of variance at the start, I am not sure if I'd even be here today. Here's my first post ever on 2+2:
[ QUOTE ]
Hey everybody, been coming to this site for a while but haven't posted anything (in other words a lurker). I plan on posting some hands here pretty soon, as most of the winning players in this forum have said that that is the best way to better your game.
Anyways, this post is more of a question for myself having to do with Sattre's situation rather than an answer for his question. I have often been wondering what to do when you are in the SB or BB and dealt pocket pairs when a lot of people have limped in. Here, Sattre completed, stating that he didn't want to raise because his odds were only 7.5:1 (which is correct of course) of making his set, which seems like a fine play to me and one that I would normally have made before visiting 2+2.
However, I can't help but feel that a raise right here is pretty good too. Assuming that you're playing at a typical low limit game, I think you pretty much assume that the BB and the 5 other limpers will probably come along with you, thus keeping your odds the same (before 6sb:1sb, now 12sb:2sb). So what does this gain you if the odds are still the same? Well you are getting in that extra money before the flop so that when you do flop a set there is even more money in the pot. In other words, when you limp with 77 and then flop a set, in a normal low limit game where a lot of people see the flop but are also quick to fold on the flop, you aren't getting any extra bets from those people. However, because your hand is so well-disguised, you will still be able to milk the other people that you normally would be able to milk had you limped.
I think you guys understand what I am saying, but if you need an example I'd be happy to post one. BTW, I do understand that when there are so many people in the pot and you have 77, this is a purely hit the flop or fold situation.
-Brian
[/ QUOTE ]
Link to thread (http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=310106&page=510&view=expa nded&sb=5&o=all&fpart=#310106)
Not too bad of a first post, but I clearly misunderstood some concepts, which is clearly shown in my first hand post:
[ QUOTE ]
First time posting a hand on here, please be gentle Been playing Hold'em for over a year, but on and off, and I lurk here a bit. Also, LarryJoeFish, or anyone else, please give me an official "welcome to the forums" :-P
Game is .5/1 on Party Poker. Table is pretty typical from what I could tell, but people were constantly leaving and new ones coming in so I never really got a chance to get a good read on anyone.
Dealt A Q in the BB. UTG calls, folded around to the cutoff who raises, SB calls, and I re-raise. UTG calls, cutoff calls, SB calls. 4 to the flop for 12sb.
I realize that AQo is a hand that shouldn't be calling many raises, and as I didn't have that much of a read on the player and it wasn't an attempted steal due to UTG calling, then I probably should have just folded. However, I DO realize that this is a raise or fold situation, and as the game wasn't really too tough, I went ahead and re-raised him. I was glad to see him only call my re-raise, and I figured I had the better hand.
Flop: 9 /images/graemlins/club.gif 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif T /images/graemlins/club.gif
SB checks, I bet, all call. 4 to the turn for 16sb, 8bb.
Turn: 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif
Checked to UTG who bets, original raiser in cutoff folds, little blind calls, I fold.
Results will be posted soon. Thanks everyone :-D
-Brian
[/ QUOTE ]
Wow, how far I have come. I spent most of August and September playing 1 .5/1 table while I learned the ropes, and gradually worked my way up through the limits, all the while adding on more tables. By late October, I was settled into 3 3/6 tables, and that's where I spent most of my time up until 2004. I've made several stabs at 15/30, but overall I am down about 4k there. So for now I'm sticking with as many 5/10 tables that my 17" monitor can handle, which is surprisingly 7 to 8 with a ton of overlapping. Hoping to get a dual monitor setup soon. /images/graemlins/cool.gif
For most of the past year, I've been pretty lax with my poker playing, generally about 8-10 hours a week. In June '04, though, I decided to test my willpower and see how much I could really play. I managed to get about 40 hours a week, earning about 1bb/hour/table at 5/10. I considered posting one of those self-challenges in the General forum, but decided that it was so clogged with those already that it wouldn't be worth it.
In the past year, I have made approximately 20k playing poker. Inspired by my summer playing, I have set a goal for the next year to earn 100k and finally move my girlfriend and I out of my parent's house. We are also planning a trip to Vegas for my 21st birthday next September, and I hope to meet many of you there.
In conclusion, I'd like to thank the many people at 2+2 who have made this possible for me. First and foremost, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth, whose books I now all own. And I'd also like to thank the entire Small Stakes forum, especially (in no particular order): Dynasty, El Diablo, JTG, Joe Tall, Homer, anatta, slavic, Tosh, Bob T., inthacup, MGinNJ, J.R., nottom, and a few others I know I am forgetting.
And, a special thanks to: Ed Miller, GuyOnTilt, Clarkmeister, Jim Easton, and crockpot.
Here's hoping that I learn as much in my second year at 2+2 as my first,
-Brian