Friday, June 30, 2006 

26+ SNG's? WTF!

Alright, looks like this has been floating around for a while now...but I just came across this today.  Frickin' insane.  This dude was accused by pokerstars of being a bot or something because he was playing 26+ sng's.  This guy turns on his video camera along with the Rocky soundtrack and sticks it right back to Stars proving he's doing all of this on one monitor. 

Now, I've done my share of numerous table play.  At most, I've probably had 8 going at one time on two monitors, but 26?  C'mon dude!  This guy claims he can win doing this...and if that's a true statement, MAJOR RESPECT!  Otherwise...cripes...just frickin' insane!

Props to g3Poker for posting this.  Read more here: http://g3poker.blogspot.com/

Or go directly to the google video:
The guy introduces himself to pokerstars
The 26SNG live session on 1 Monitor

-Adam

 

Cash, WSOP, and a Space Shuttle...

Hey all...
Today's a rough day. Crunch day here at work with it being the last day of the month. I'm going to keep this brief with the hopes of posting my next chapter in my "winning poker tournaments" series later today.

Last Night...
Made a small showing in a $30 MTT last night. Finished 36th I believe it was out of nearly 500 players. A moderate cash finish, but a cash finish just the same. I was set to go very deep in the money but had a semi coin flip that didn't go my way. My KQ losing out to 55. I played it properly in consideration of my position, but my opponent just had the better hand in the end. Tis how the cookie crumbles.

This Weekend...
While winning a seat to the WSOP is always the plan, I have no idea how this weekend will pan out. I was suppose to go down to Cape Canaveral tonight to see the shuttle launch. In all my time here in Florida, I've not had the chance to go check it out. I've really been looking forward to being a part of this launch. But the word on the street is saying that there's a good chance they're going to delay it due to Weather. So, with that, I'm still up in the air about it...pardon the pun. Whatever the case, I wish the crew the very best of luck. I'll divert my normal prayer to the poker gods and offer them in their direction.
Mission Photo
STS-121 Discovery Crew

That's all for now...more to follow when time allows. Best of luck at the tables all!
-Adam


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Wednesday, June 28, 2006 

Supporting PokerStars Support...Keep Your Focus!

PokerStars support get's a lot of heat on various forums and newgroups for a myriad of reasons...so, I figured why not share a success story.  Perhaps in doing so, it'll help others.

Here's the email I sent them explaining the problem:

Previously, when playing
on stars, it was easy to multi task and write emails or im's in the
background.  When the pokerstars client brought focus to the table, i
could continue writing in whatever application i had running in the
background.  However, as of the last few days...whenever it's my turn
to act on my tables, the client hijacks my cursor and will not let me
continue typing in my other apps.  I have to preform my action on the
table before I can return to the window i was typing in.  Very
frustrating when multi tasking, especially for someone who writes for a
living on the side, lol.  But anyway, the only reason I bring this up
is that this is a new phenomenon.  Is this a client update or bug? 

Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Adam

Here's Stars Response:

Hello Adam,

I regret that there's no feature in our software that will prevent
this (technically it's called "grabbing keyboard focus") -- that is
simply the way the software behaves.

If you are using Windows XP, installing the XP Power Toys "TweakUI"
module may work for you.   This package, from Microsoft, has a feature
under "General" and "Focus" that prevents applications from stealing
the focus. You can download it from:

  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

It's free, and I think this will make the software behave in the
manner in which you'd like it to work.

Regards,

Douglas
PokerStars Support Team

Bottom line, this fixed the problem.  Certainly wasn't hard to install.  Two minutes later, back in business.  Thought this was worth sharing.

Later,
Adam




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Winning Online Multi Table Tournaments - Part 3

Winning Online Multi Table Tournaments
By: Adam LaBare

Part 3
Arm Yourself

“With knowledge comes success”
-Adam LaBare

If you’ve not yet read parts 1 and 2 to this ongoing article, I would recommend that you do. Not required, of course, but it will help with the overall direction I am focused on.
Preface | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3


At this stage you’re probably wondering when we’re going to discuss what cards to play and when. Or perhaps some magical formula I can share that will ensure your success. We’re going to get in to specific strategy soon enough…however, I’ll leave the magic formulation to your interpretation of all that I am presenting.

In this section, we’re going to discuss how you can arm yourself with the needed knowledge to hold your own in any multi table tournament online.

Before I arm you with my interpretation of strategy, it’s important to have a baseline of general knowledge. If you’re reading this, you’ve most likely taken that initial step somewhere along the way. These are the things I would suggest one does before seriously taking on any real tournaments online…

Read Books
Sure, every poker persona seems to have a book out there but look at it this way: They have books out there for a reason. They’ve been doing something right far longer than most and it is a fair assumption that some of their thinking can have an impact on your performance at the poker table.

I’ve read many, many books over the last 15 years, some far better than others. The only caution I would give you though before taking on all of these titles is to take it at face value. Everyone has an opinion on certain situations, but no one opinion is the perfect solution. If you pose the same scenario to 10 different poker professionals, you’ll most likely receive 10 different and well thought out answers. A well written poker book will contain many nuggets of wisdom, just try not to take it all as gospel. You can read Doyle Brunson’s book from front to back and try to mimic your play exactly like him, but I guarantee you will not have the same results as Doyle Brunson.

I’m going to supply a list of books that I have read that I have found extremely beneficial to my play. Some are more relevant than others.
  • Caro’s Book of Poker Tells. I’ve read a lot of books prior to this book, but I list this one first for the sheer amount of benefit this book brought me afterwards. This book has undergone a few version updates and I believe the one I read was a bit older than the most recent…but just the same, this book contains amazing concept and theory on how to identify various tells at the table. How does this apply to online tournaments? You would be surprised. To me, identifying a tell boils down to identification of patterns or repetition. Typical tells are relevant online as they are offline with the online world bringing an entirely new fold of tells to study. Read this book!
  • Doyle Brunson’s Super System. Many view this book as almost the poker world’s bible. I didn’t take it quite so literally but found many of the chapters to be true gems. This book proves how poker strategy and theory can transcend time having been published in the late 70’s. I highly recommend this book as you will be well above the fold for just reading this.
  • Ace on the River: An Advanced Poker Guide. Barry Greenstein did a great job. This book really sat well with me. Having been accustom to the typical poker book discussing long, drawn out strategies with very technical odds and statistics, I found this book refreshing. Barry delivers concepts beyond the table along with back story. This opened my mind to very different ways of thinking.
  • Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players. I read this book many years ago and still find myself going back to some of the chapters for reference.
  • Championship no-limit and pot-limit hold’em. A great book with many examples of what to or not to do in various situations.
  • Harrington on Hold’em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments

It’s obvious I’ve not read every poker book out there but I do believe the above listed books can give any poker player an advantage at the table. I don’t necessarily believe in any one books overall message, but I do believe having read a wide variety gives me the needed insight in to a true poker professionals psyche.

Network
It’s one thing to read every poker book known to man but I believe if you take the time to network with the right people in the poker world, you will be wiser for the effort. With the Internet, there really are no limitations to you whom you can network with. Get out there in the open and talk strategy with your peers so to speak. You’ll find people that love this game as much as you do LOVE talking about poker in general, strategy, etc. Not sure what to do in a certain situation? Pose the question to several people. Obtain feedback. Be a student of the game with an open mind and you’ll find your game is always improving.

Some specific ideas for networking include the following:
  • Newgroups. More specifically, rec.gambling.poker. An invaluable resource of poker knowledge, strategy, and spam. Yeah, if you can tolerate the spam, there are some very fine people on the newgroup.
  • Blogs. If you’re reading this, you obviously have the right idea. However, I encourage you to seek out poker related blogs. I have come across many great writers out there that bring various perspective to poker along with in depth analyses, discussion and often times, humor. It’s great to see the “human” side of poker through blogs.
  • Forums. Most major poker sites on the web have some variation of a forum. Some are far more useful than others. But every once in a while you’ll find a gem. Bookmark that site and visit often. You’ll be glad that you did.
  • IM’s. Obvious, but worth mentioning. Once you’ve created a network of fellow poker enthusiasts, add them to your IM client and stay in touch.

Find a Mentor
Without the teachers and mentors of my past, I do not believe my game would be what it is today. Granted, my game has a long way to go, but without the valuable assistance from key individuals in my past, I do not believe I would have made a dime playing poker.

When you associate yourself with quality people in the poker world, you will find those that are always willing to share experiences, strategy, and advice. Attach yourself to the right people, and the sky really is the limit. I highly recommend taking on a mentor. However, I urge you to take caution when you look in to making that special bond. There are many types in the poker world that claim expertise and will want to charge you for such services. Some may want a piece of you in future tournaments, etc. The point here is, if you’re comfortable paying for such advice/services, there are plenty of quality schools, professionals, etc. offering such services. I do not believe one should be charged when dealing with a mentor type figure.

Subscribe to Podcasts
This has been a new found side project of mine. I’ve subscribed to just about every poker related podcast I can find. With podcasting still in it’s infancy, I find that quality content is hit or miss. I’ve found quite a few great shows…but most are average at best. However, the gems are worth the effort. It’s great to listen to interviews with professionals away from the cameras of ESPN. You get the “real deal” interview on a podcast without the necessary censorship which comes with network television. I predict podcasting will be extremely important to the future of Poker in various forms.

In Summary
The message I would want anyone to take away from this is to simply arm yourself with as much information as you can. Not everything will stick, but what does will make all the difference when you’re sitting there facing the bubble, or down to 4 players at the final table. Even the items you don’t think stick, re-emerge when you need them. The secret is to stop and think before making key moves and decisions in a tournament.

Good luck at the tables!
-Adam

Be sure to return for Part 4 in this ongoing series of articles





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Tuesday, June 27, 2006 

Getting to Vegas...

Vegas…
Alright, so 2 day's in to the WSOP and I'm already stir crazy!  I realize real world responsibilities keep me here in wonderful Jacksonville, Fl, but damn if I don’t want to be in Vegas right now.  I have friends out there dealing, telling me about it already and it’s driving me nuts.  The solution?  Go to Vegas. 

At this stage, obviously I have not yet won my entry.  There’s time and I do have a plan to win that entry.  Like I was saying yesterday though, I better do it pretty damn quick.  However, as a backup plan, I have some pretty good information from the dealers out there how the satellite structures are working and the method one might take to getting that seat.  So, with that, I think I’m going to head out there preemptively for a long weekend and take part in a few satellites.  The trick will be minimal costs as I do not want to impact my current bankroll significantly.  There is still plenty of time to secure that seat online…but I think if I get out there and take a crack at the real deal in person, something will happen.  WSOP, Adam LaBare, World Series of Poker, Adam LaBare's Poker Blog

Going to work on securing that plan over the next few days.  More to follow.

Last night…
Nothing to really report from play last night other than I know remember why I hate limit live action.  I should have known better, but I sat down at the 3/6 last night and just took beat after beat.  Got off of those tables in a hurry and called it an early night.

I was playing in a $5 WSOP satellite to the $160 double shoot out later that evening.  I had sailed along fairly well and was getting close to the cut off but I was running low on chips.  Had I let the blinds hit me, I would have been depleted leaving me no room to move on anyone.  So, I’m first to act and I look down to KJ suited.  Not the hand I was hoping for, but it’s either now or never.  I move all in making a little difficult for anyone to call.  Everyone folds including the small blind.  But the big blind has me covered and for a minimal amount more, he makes the call.  I can’t fault him for making the call…but I can’t express joy with him showing 82 unsuited and hitting a 2 on the flop.  No help to me and I’m sent packing.  Such as life. 

Tonight’s Plan…
Do whatever I can to get in on the $160 DS while hitting any WSOP satellites I see.  Beyond that, I’m going to be plotting a brief stay in Vegas.  If anyone has a hookup on room rates or flights, lemme know!

Adios,
Adam

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Monday, June 26, 2006 

WSOP, Live Action, and Other Thoughts...

Weekend Roundup…
Pretty much a rainy weekend for the most part which gave me all the reason I needed to stay indoors, play poker, and not feel overly guilty about it.  If you read my update from Saturday night, you’ll see things are continuing to go well.  I really wanted to take that energy and invest it in to Sunday’s Satellites for the $1,000.00 entry on PokerStars.com as well as the  $650 WSOP big satellite.  However, neither plan came to fruition.  I was tempted at one point to just buy in directly to one of the events, but thought better of it. 

Strangely enough, I found myself doing something Sunday I haven’t really done in a long time.  Having worked on my VIP points Saturday evening, I caught a taste of live action which really didn’t interest me that much being in several tournaments while doing it.  But when Sunday afternoon rolled around and I wasn’t signed up for any of the big tournaments, I re-visited the 3/6 limit tables for the hell of it.  I really forgot what the hell happened at these tables.  I’ve been watching over my wife’s shoulders a lot lately as she practices on the play money tables.  Checking out the 3/6 limit tables was absolutely no different.  Absolute junk cards being played by people obviously not caring about their stacks.  I grinded it out for a few hours and must admit, I made more money playing these tables then I have in live action for the last year combined.  Was a very unexpected surprise.  As a result, I’m now actually close to obtaining “gold” status in the VIP thing stars is doing.  May obtain that and forget about live action for a while.

As for the tournament front…
I was really thinking I could do something about the WSOP seat this weekend.  With that not being the case, and with time running out, I really have to re-evaluate my approach over the next 2 weeks or so.  The reality is, if it’s going to happen, it’s got to happen quickly.  I’m debating if I only want to focus on WSOP satellites or continue to mix it up.  I’m going to be thinking on this today and hopefully have some insight to share this evening.

That’s it for now…real world obligations on the work front are keeping me busy today.  Best of luck to you…
-Adam


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Saturday, June 24, 2006 

Poker, Nacho's, and Mega Pixels...

A Quick Update...
It's Saturday night and I felt like making a quick update. Took my
normal Friday off from poker and enjoyed some beer on the driving range
after work. From there, more beer...and then a little more. Made it
home and had a good nights sleep.

Saturday afternoon resulted in a trip to the movies. For my new
readers, I'll try not to bore you, but I often lend some insight to the
movies I see being a huge movie buff.

Nacho LIbre
7 out of 10 Stars

Nacho Libre
I suspect most won't enjoy this movie. However, I'm giving this a
tentative 7 out of 10 stars. I say tentative because, honestly, I
liked this movie but think after seeing it a second time I might enjoy
it even more. It very much reminded me of the first time watching
Napoleon Dynamite. I didn't like it much that first time, but the
second time around, man...laughed my ass off.

Anyhoo, I won't get in to the plot but it made me laugh out loud
several times. Obviously, you're not going to see this for the plot
anyway, but if you like stupid humor, you'll enjoy this. Jack Black in
my humble opinion playes a good role with an interesting supporting
cast. If you check it out, let me know what you think. I have a
feeling many won't agree with me on this one.

Results...
Things continue to look good. Played two tournaments earlier this
evening resulting in 2 final table showings. Placed 7th in a $20 MTT
and 3rd in a double shoot out for tomorrow's big WSOP tournament.
While the bankroll continues to increase in health, I really want to
use this momentum and secure that damn seat! Perhaps tomorrow will be
the day.

In the meantime, I've placed myself on a few 3/6 limit tables to rack
up my VIP status on Stars. I hadn't much cared about the VIP point
program at first, but having obtained the Silver rating a few months
ago, I've enjoyed the tournaments offered. They've had several
tournaments with WSOP seats at no cost. Seems to be worth racking up
the points for a few hours while staying out of trouble.

Camera?
I'm looking to pick up a new digital camer and have been considering the Nikon Coolpix. Thoughts? Suggestions? Want to spice this blog up a bit and my exisiting digital camera just sucks.
7345679 Angle Detail

Tis all for now...

Good luck,
Adam

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Thursday, June 22, 2006 

Bankroll Management...

Quick Update...
I didn’t spend much time playing last night which was probably a good thing.  The last several nights I’ve been up rather late playing out these recent final tables.  An early night to bed was very much needed.  I can actually hold my eyes open today.

I hope to keep my momentum going strong tonight.  I’m considering stepping outside the box for the $160 MTT this evening.  I haven’t decided yet.  When my bankroll was healthy last year, I had great success in this tournament but have not made any recent appearances in it.  We will see where the evening leads me.

Today’s Topic…
I wanted to speak on bankroll management and extracting from that bankroll.  I am a huge proponent of keeping your poker bankroll entirely separate from your normal funds.  Everyone does it a little bit different, but I’ve been fairly faithful to that line of thinking.  When I pose this question to the mases, I’m never really sure how to interpret their response.  Everyone seems to think they’re a winning player and seem to want to impress you with how much they are tucking away.  I really don’t think I’m getting accurate information.  However, I’ve been considering the following.

In the spirit of keeping poker earnings separate from personal savings, I’m considering paying myself a percentage of my bankroll on a weekly basis.  This would not be used for personal expenses per say, but would be deposited into a savings account separate from all other accounts.  In the past, I would just allow my roll to stay with whatever poker site I have it in…but keeping it like this prevents me from playing in local action as I play online more these days than I do offline and my online roll is much larger than my offline roll. 

Thoughts?  What percentages would be wise to deduct?  Stay as is?  Perhaps if it’s not broken,  I shouldn’t be messing with it…but I figured this was worth considering.

  • Thanks to BSN over at bigslicknuts for stopping by.   Appreciate the link about Moneymaker vs. Farha.
  • As always, many thanks to CC for droping by recently.  Check out today's follow up on the catalysts of poker discussion from yesterday.
  • Great to see Rod back from his perfect wedding in Jamaica.

Winning Online Poker Tournaments - Part 3 Should be up tomorrow if all goes well.  In the meantime, be sure to check out Parts 1 and 2

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Wednesday, June 21, 2006 

Poker Catalysts?

CC caught my attention today over on his blog.  Granted, the Britney Spears impersonator pic may have had something to do with it, but CC brings the following discussion point to the table:

What are the top ten seminal moments or catalysts in the poker boom to date?


CC provides his top 18 discussion points which are all very detrimental to today's poker success.  However, my thinking creates a bit of a different prioritized list.  Here's my top 8.  Let me know your thoughts...agree/disagree? 

  1. Chris Moneymaker (While often critiqued for his true skill, few can deny the impact this man has had on the game, the exposure, the appeal. If he can make millions, why can’t we? Chris single handedly along with PokerStars.com’s promotion sent hundreds of thousand of poker wannabe’s to the sites causing this surge.  Do I think this was "good" for the game?  That's a different post entirely)
  2. Rounders (pivotal in creating an overall appeal to the game. Made it appear as though any average joe with determination and grit can make his stand)
  3. Hold Card Cameras (without this concept, I do not believe we would have the interest we have. If we weren’t watching Moneymakers cards, I really don’t think anyone would have cared as much)
  4. Launch of online poker (before online poker, you were geographically bound and restricted. This created a whole new world of poker enthusiast.)
  5. ESPN Coverage (somewhat goes hand in hand with the Moneymaker affect. ESPN saw an opportunity for good television while covering the world's underdog, promoted the hell out of it, thus creating a windfall.)
  6. WPT Coverage (I put this neck and neck with ESPN but think the WPT coverage was paramount to the success poker has had in recent years.  The WPT really brings forth many veteran and new poker celebs to mainstream America.)
  7. Poker Books (with all the media’s attention, everyone wanted to learn how to play. Increased interest, increased book sales, increased new material, etc.)
  8. Poker Celebs (without favorite’s in any sport, no one would have anyone to cheer for. Some are great ambassadors, others are down right bad for the game. In the end, the exposure to those in the biz has been very important.)
Would love to add this list.  Please feel free to comment.

-Adam




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Is It a Streak?

It's 1:30 in the morning and my ass is dragging so I'll make it quick...just wanted to share the following:

PokerStars Tournament #26791398, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $20.00/$2.00
180 players
Total Prize Pool: $3600.00
Tournament started - 2006/06/20 - 21:36:56 (ET)

Dear JvilleWhip,

You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $1,080.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 309.44 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/tlb_tournament_rankings.html

Two nights in a row...two first place finishes. 

Good luck everyone!
Adam


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Tuesday, June 20, 2006 

Winning Online Multi Table Tournaments - Part 2

Winning Online Multi Table Tournaments
By: Adam LaBare

Part 2
Limit Your Distractions

“I’m addicted to multi-tasking, HELP!”
-Anonymous

Online poker is unique in that you have the freedom to be doing as many simultaneous things as you like. When playing a home game or in a casino, you’re obviously limited to the interaction you have while sitting at that one table. You’re not buying in to several tables/tournaments and running across the room trying not to miss a hand. Imagine an entire poker room at The Bellagio with people running from one table to the next…chaos. But somewhat funny to imagine.

When you’re playing online poker, you have the freedom to play several tables, several tournaments in several different poker clients. You could be running 3 tables on PokerStars.com while playing in two different tournaments on PartyPoker.com. While your doing this, you could be surfing the internet and reviewing sites like digg.com or better yet, poker blogs! Beyond that, you may also have the television going with a fairly interesting plot line on ABC’s Lost (one helluva show if I may say) all the while your 3 dogs are plotting where the next batch of throw up will hide itself in anticipation of your wife to stepping in it thus resulting in a bad case to Tourette Syndrome. Then there’s always the wildcard door bell and phone call on top of those few things.

The thinking here is that when you’re playing poker online, it is very easy to be doing too many things which results in decreased focus which leads to increased loss monetarily. The solution? Limit your distractions! Or in the words of my Father, “Keep it simple, Stupid”.

I can’t give you the simple solution to limiting those distractions as I face them every day myself. I’m literally a multi tasking junky. I can’t sit still just doing one thing. I don’t think it’s adult ADD. But if my attention is not entirely utilized, it’s easy for me to get bored. Drives my wife insane. But I have been successful in limiting those distractions and here are a few things I do that contribute to my success.

  • If you’re like me and play poker on your laptop out in the living room to ensure you’re spending time with your loved ones, stop. Well, not entirely, find a happy mix. Trust me, your significant other does not consider this quality time. Instead, spend time in a different room away from typical household surroundings. Venture in to your second bedroom, or office and just be alone with your poker. You would be surprised how this has helped with larger, more important tournaments in my past. If you choose this path though, you better make darn sure you emerge from your cave and spend that lost time with your loved ones. Trust me!
  • Limit the background noise. Personally, I don’t really mind the T.V. going, but it HAS caused unnecessary distractions which very well may have contributed to an early tournament knock out here or there. This may sound odd, but I have had far and away more success when I’ve been listening to music vs. having the television on. While I can’t show you the science, it works for me. Perhaps you can compromise, turn your t.v. to your music channels. My cable company has a great line up of music choice. I also have Sirius Satellite radio streaming in to my home entertainment system. I LOVE this service. And, if I’m really in the mood to geek out, I have my ipod often plugged in to my Xbox 360. If music can soothe savage beasts, it may have a slight impact on us surly poker players.
  • Play on a full stomach. Yes, simply eat a snack before you sit down to that 6 hour tournament. The hourly 5 minute breaks don’t last very long. You’ll find that the less you have to get up and do normal, human stuff, the more focused you can remain on the game.
  • Use the bathroom before sitting down to those longer tournaments. Granted, if you have a lap top, you can work something out…and you lap top owners know what the hell I’m talking about. Don’t lie! But seriously, take care of business before hand-your several body parts will thank you for it.
  • Drink in moderation, or don’t drink at all. And for that matter, if you partake in ANY mind altering substance…if you’re playing poker for profit, I caution you to seriously consider partaking during or right before a tournament. Now I’m not suggesting you stop your binge drinking, pot smoking Saturday’s, but I am saying that I very rarely win a dime while playing intoxicated. You’ll see many poker players comment on a few beers or drinks relax them allowing them to play a better game. Okay, perhaps this is true…but if your in a marathon session, 2 crown and cokes can easily turn in to 9 resulting in you waking up at 4 in the morning with your laptop on the ground next to you. Then you ask yourself, how the hell did I get on the ground, under the coffee table? And why is my face sticking to the floor? And why is PokerStars still running? You get the picture. I remember one night I “fell asleep” a few years ago to wake up the next day and realize I finished in the money yet I had absolutely no recollection of participating in the tournament. I think that was part of the “growth process” and learning ones limitations. Needless to say, I very seldomly drink alcohol while playing. Maybe a beer or two every now and again. But even then, when your up running to the bathroom between hands…it get’s tedious.
  • Let the dogs out before you get started. Trust me.
  • Keep your cable modem and routers nearby. My cable company updates my IP about once or twice a week which means that I have to hard reset my modem and router manually. This has happened several times during very important tournaments. I've gotten the reset process down to a science and can be back up and running in about 60 seconds.
  • If you’re playing in a large tournament, play in an empty house. My wife has been very supportive of this without even having to ask. When she finds out that I’m playing in the stars 1 million tournament on Sunday’s, she’ll often get out of the house for the afternoon. She’s great when it comes to that. I just find that with larger, more at risk tournaments, the less distractions, the better. I’m just lucky my wife understands. Plus, it probably helps that she realizes a first place finish in this tournament could alter our lives quite a bit.
  • Relieve Stress. Easier said than done I realize. But when I sit down to a tournament, I do significantly better when I have less taxing things on my mind. For example, if I know on a Friday that I’ll be playing in the big tournament Sunday, it helps if I preemptively prepare at work. Meaning I’ll take care of open items in the workplace that Friday so that I won’t have to deal with them Monday morning. If your anything like me, Sunday afternoon’s can suck just knowing Monday is a work day. The less you have to stress about, work related, the better you will do in that tournament. This category can cover so many things…but other items that can impact your play:
    • Outstanding bills. Don’t go in to a tournament knowing that you HAVE to win to pay financial obligations. I keep my poker bankroll entirely separate from any outside financial obligations.
    • Sex. If your horny, get it out of your system before the tournament. Better yet, if your significant other is horny, make them happy before the tournament. It can be quite the dilemma when you run in to the bathroom during a 5 minute break and she say’s to you, “come here” from the bedroom as you head back to the computer. I’ll leave it at that…but you can see the problem this might present. Plus, the whole “you’d rather play poker than be with me” argument is a very slippery slope. Barry Greenstein had a great section on this topic in his recent book. A very good read I might add.
    • Double booking. Don’t plan to be somewhere at 8pm if your tournament starts at 6pm. Unless you want to fail which is just stupid and I which case, you deserve to fail. Playing with the added pressure of having to be somewhere really is setting yourself up for failure. Take care of your obligations before hand.
Most of these thoughts are common sense and may seem fairly obvious. But the reality is, we can never fully prepare for the unexpected. By limiting your distractions, you are in essence giving yourself an upper hand against an opponent who may not be so prepared.

 

Winning Online Multi Table Tournaments - Part 1

Winning Online Multi Table Tournaments
By: Adam LaBare


Part 1

Choose Your Path
“Facing your demons can be paramount to your success with online poker.”
-Adam LaBare

I’ve been fairly successful with live action ring games in brick and mortar establishments as well as the home game circuit. However, over the past 5 years I have had a much greater return on my investment when playing tournaments vs. live action. And the reality was that for every tournament I cashed in, it was far easier to loose that gain back in the live action play. Granted, my live play wasn’t horrible, but it was just not as consistent as my tournament accomplishments. And consistency is key.

After reading several books over the years and speaking with many qualified players, I finally came to the decision that it was probably in my best interest to choose a path. The preverbal fork in the road if you will. Do I focus on tournament play or live action? Bottom line, I was not able to do both successfully. After giving this question a great deal of thought which really consisted of nearly a year of procrastination, I finally decided to specialize in tournament play. And the result? I have not looked back since and have done extremely well as a result.

With such a revelation, that doesn’t mean I don’t partake in live action every once in a while. But my thinking was simple: “Play tournaments for my bankroll, play live action for fun.” This has since evolved to the simple truth, winning money is fun, and therefore I rarely play live action ring games any more.

Am I missing out on profit? I don’t know. I do know my tournament skill is superior to my live action skill and being able to admit that goes a long way. I still consider myself a well rounded player despite the game type or format but I feel it very important to recognize your abilities and focus on said abilities. Channeling your energy, focus and determination in to something you can do better than others will result in increased profit. Simple. So for me, I try not to be tempted by the dark side and continue pushing forward on the tournament front.

Having chosen this path has really allowed me to focus on the bigger picture. My goal is to obviously build my bankroll but long term, I really want to take my show on the road so to speak. It is my dream to play “the circuit”. And why not? If I go about it with intelligence and proper planning, anything is possible. The burden relies solely on me. Through online tournament success I have had the opportunity to play in the World Poker Tour, The World Series of Poker, and many others. And in these larger tournaments, I have had respectable showings which leads me back to the main goal of making a passion for a game in to a realistic living.

Am I ready for that transition? Probably not just yet. And admitting this is not easy. But the reality is, my bankroll is not prepared nor is my ability to just set to the road. Real life obligations still exist and the way I look at it, until I can pay all of my bills via this medium, I’m probably not ready.

So, the moral of this section, know your abilities and maximize. Are you making more money in cash games? Focus on cash games. Are you fairing better in tournaments? Focus on tournaments. Speaking from experience, it is my findings that I can not do both well to the point of consistent profit. Perhaps that’s just me, perhaps it’s not. Make some self evaluations and base your decisions on the truth. It’s very easy to convince yourself you’re better than you are. Be honest with yourself and you’ll see the results, I promise.

 

Winning Online Multi Table Tournaments - Preface

Winning Online Multi Table Tournaments
By: Adam LaBare

Preface

Everyone has a theory and a strategy when it comes to Multi Table Tournaments online, yet few have any level of success that can be considered consistent. People are quick to declare themselves a winning online poker player, yet few can back that up with any data. Here’s the deal, I don’t claim to be an expert. I consider myself an ever evolving student of the game. However, I have had my fair share of success with online tournaments and thought what the hell, let’s start writing about it and see where it takes me. If you, the reader can take even a small nugget of wisdom with you then I have accomplished my task.

First and foremost, I am human. I experience the same peaks and valleys most poker players endure. Over the years, my variances have been severe but with focus and determination, those variances have decreased a great deal. I mentioned having the data to back up ones ability. If you play poker online and are serious about it, I suspect that by now you have utilized one of the many database services available online. Such services allow you to search for players and obtain their wins/losses over time. If you want to do a little research, my screen name is JvilleWhip on most sites. While I’ve not made millions, I think I’ve done alright…and it’s only getting better.

Also, this several part article will not focus solely on how to play certain cards and when. There are so many other important factors to your online success and I will try to cover what is important to me in a thorough manner. My methods are certainly not a guaranteed road map, and you certainly don’t have to agree with them. But what works for me, very well may work for others. So, with that…enjoy.

 

1st Place Finish...

It would appear as though the Poker Gods have smiled upon me and shed their grace upon thee.  I used a sacrificial yak this time.  Seems to work.

Took 1st place in a $20 180 person Multi Table Tournaments last night which paid $1,080.00.  Was quite the tournament.  I'm often preaching to minimize your distractions.  But last night, I was bound and determined to screw around with my blog template.  I ended up mucking it all to hell which allowed me to spend the duration of the evening fixing the code.  While doing this, I kept trucking along in this MTT.  Sometimes I think it's okay to have something to occupy your mind between hands.  Granted, it's a fine balance of taking on too much.  I'll be talking about this in more detail in an article I hope to be posting later today.

The tournament itself had me riding a few roller coasters, but in the end I just had better hands than my opponents more often than not.  I really took the time last night to study my surroundings, habits, etc.  Really worked well.  Made it in to the money with a good stack, not great.  Found myself in real need to make a move or accept a poor money showing.  The tournaments momentum swung in my direction when I decided to play my position aggressively against the BB.  He was a bit shorter stacked than I.  My hefty raised urged him to either fold or push the rest of his stack.  When he pushed back, I made a decision to call no matter what with my K9d.  He turned over 22.  I hit a 9 on the flop.  People questioned this play on my part.  So let me briefly explain my reasoning:

I'm the agreesor in late position with no other action.  The BB is the only one remaining with a decision.  I'm somewhat committed to the pot at this point with my good raise.  If he pushes back, I know that more than like it's close to 50/50 or I would be the underdog with his A bad kicker.  I liked my chances here and I figured this was a great spot to double my stack and make a play for a deep money finish.  With his raise back at me, I figured him for mid pocket pairs like 66, 77, 88.  My thinking paid off.  Yes, it was a good flop for me sending me to the final table with a strong chip count.

The final table really was a test of patience.  I was in a comfortable position to make several moves for the blinds allowing me to increase my lead.  People finally starting knocking each other out.  I finally ended up heads up severely short stacked.  I was looking at 30k in chips against, 170k in chips.  At this stage, my only hope is pure aggression.  Plus, I knew someone was looking down on me when the second hand in to the heads up challenge brings me a  steel wheel, hearts.  From that point on, I doubled up several times with better hands resulting in this final hand:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?380237

Last nights win certainly beefs up my bankroll which I will graciously accept.  I can now focus on the WSOP home stretch.  Vegas or bust, baby!

Good luck out there,
Adam

Monday, June 19, 2006 

All in the Royal Family...

So, a huge congratulations to the wonderful Mrs. LaBare, the proud recipient of her first Royal Flush.

Dealer: Game #5303694223: DaniRae1 wins pot (2930) with a Royal Flush.

I've been playing poker seriously for over 15 years and have never had my own Royal Flush...yet. But Wifey Pooh here...sitting on her play money tables hits one like it's no big deal and a common occurrence, sigh. Luckily, I'm not bitter...hehe.

Seriously though....way to go honey! Wish you got a screen shot.

A proud husband,
-Adam

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Another Final Table...

A quick update this fine Monday morning.  Did I really refer to Monday as a fine Monday?  hmmm.  See how my mood improves when I'm doing well poker wise? 

Anyway, after the World Blogger Championship debacle yesterday, I figured I would take part in a $20 180 person SnG.  Made it to the final table and walked away with 7th place.  Another great boost which has been two weeks coming.

Finished that rather early in the evening and decided to end the weekend on a positive note.  Signed off and spent quality time with the Mrs.  All in all, a good, solid weekend.

If time allows, I plan on doing some housecleaning on the blog.  I like my template, but want to re-arrange a few items.  I also plan on writing a few longer articles on specific topics which will include the following:

  • Making it to last years WSOP
  • Making the money in online poker multi table tournaments
  • Sit n Go concept and strategy according to me
  • Time Management

And more...

Hit your flops!
-Adam


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Sunday, June 18, 2006 

Father's Day Poker Bloggin Extravaganza

So here it is, a rainy Sunday Father's day here in Jacksonville Florida and I'm rearing to go in the Blogger Championship at PokerStars.com. Game just started and as suspected, 5 out of the 9 players are sitting out. So, the intent will be to take advantage of that fact and gain some chippys.

This will very likely turn in to a Hodge Podge of a post but oh well...

First things first, Happy Father's Day to my Dad, I love ya! And of course a Happy Father's Day to all you poker playing dad's out there.

Weekend Highlights...
Didn't really have much opportunity to play poker until yesterday evening. Played a small amount Friday night but didn't really make or loose anything. Saturday my wife and I joined several family members and headed south. Instead of weekend beach going activities, we went to a place called Salt Springs about an hour or so south of Jacksonville. Was a very relaxing day and much needed after the long week. Had fun seeing as much wildlife as we did. With quite a few people at the source of this spring, I was very surprised that people were swimming right along side alligators. Now, I'm still a Yankee at heart and swimming with a gator is about the last thing I would consider putting on my "to do" list. But swim with a gator I did. He was just lounging there minding his own business. We were as close as 3 feet away from him. Just very surreal.

Anyhoo, this spring was neat in that along with the gator, we frolicked with river otters and huge mullet that jumped 5 feet in to the air just for the hell of it. And while there were was plenty of entertainment in the water, there were Eagles perched right atop of us. I'm used to seeing my fair share of wildlife here in Florida, but it was just very odd for me to see that many variations that up close and personal. Hell, never even seen an otter before let alone swim with one. Odd enough to cause me to write about it in a poker blog I guess.
http://19minutes.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_19minutes_archive.html
After such a leisurely day, getting home and playing some poker was the pristine situation. My wife went to the movies with my Sister, so I had some peace and quiet on the home front aside from the dogs. I played in 3 separate tournaments last night with one resulting in a decent result.

  • My $20 sng ended fairly quickly.
  • The $3 rebuy for entry to the 1 million stars tourney was going extremely well. I ended deep, but just shy of the money. Being a lower buy in, the payout was only provided to the top 20 out of several hundred entrants. Played it mainly to pass time, but started increasing my stack with several key hands. But in the end, I went out around 50th.
  • And then there's the $10 MTT I take part in most evenings at 7:45. Depending on the field, 1st place ranges between 2500 and 4000. I've had decent luck with this tournament. Made it to the final table last night and was really set for a top 3 finish. However, I ended up over playing A9 suited and found myself against A10 with no help from the board. So, I walked away with an 8th place finish out of some 2000 people or so.

Overall, I was happy with my play last night. After the past week or two, last night was long overdue. Granted, I didn't restore my entire bankroll, but it certainly helped the confidence factor. Hope to turn that in to profit with my tournaments today.

I took note of several key hands last night I hope to have time to comment on today. After such a horrible rut, when flops just seem to hit and you win your races, I felt compelled to document such oddities.

Back to the blogger action...
Still on my first table and a few have returned from sitting out. Micon two to my left from Neverwinpoker.com. Good to see him. As I'm writing this, he pushes all in and I see AK suited. I call. He shows AJ with no help from the board. Sorry Micon...sortof. =)

Thus far, there's a lot of action at my table. Really nice starting hands are causing people to throw chips left and right. I remain content with my 3335 in chips for the moment. Stack average is hovering at 2800ish.

AK wasn't so nice to me this time around. With two callers, lost out to J10. Down to 2000 in chips which leads us in to the first break. Seems like every time the system announces a break is about to begin, that hand always get's me in trouble.

AK next hand in, sigh...here we go. Okay, I bet large to avoid the suck outs...picked up the blinds. 1485 players remaining. 50 pay out some form of prize. Long way to go.

And that's all she wrote...out in 1299th position. What does that pay? cough. Found myself in the small blind with no callers. Just me and the BB. I push with my j9 short stack, he calls with 33.

Mumble mumble...that was entirely anti climatic.

With that, off to grab some grub and return to the tables!

-Adam

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Friday, June 16, 2006 

Poker Conspiracy?

Okay, so...I believe it's official, somehow I have managed to
successfully piss off someone at PokerStars.com. Someone that has the
absolute ability to control space, time, flops and rivers. I suspect
this individual has less control over the turn, but I'm suspect.

3 tournaments last night-2 loses and one horrible cash finish.

Here's how my evening shaped up.

  • $20 180 person sng. I'm all in with AK preflop, one caller with AQ. Q on the flop, nothing improves my hand, i'm out.
  • $20 180 person sng. I'm doing extremely well in this tournament. I've doubled up several times with hands like AA, KK, and AK. 20 people left, 18 pay out. I'm on the button with 15k in chips. Small blind has 16k in chips. Everyone folds to me, I look down and see AA. I was extremely pleased especially being this close to the money. Blinds were 400/800. I raise to roughly 4k expecting a simple fold fold from the blinds. Mr. Small Blind decides to raise me back. He pops it to about 8k total. I'm thinking alright, perhaps a good pocket pair, AK perhaps, possibly even AA as well. But in the end, how do I get away from this hand? If I double up here, I'm in great position for a deep money finish. I push all in, he immediately calls. He shows KQ spades. What in the hell is this guy doing? Was he just trying to come over the top hoping I was bluffing? Anyway, I experience a quick flash of joy only to witness the flop come Spade, Spade, Spade. Turn was a rag. River brings an Ace. Okay, first of all, I realize I'm beat, and beat good. But the Ace on the river? Does this puppet master enjoy torturing people THAT much? Christ. I've been on tilt now for 12 hours and I'm not even playing poker.
  • $11 six handed MTT which has been going on in the background behind the above $20 sng. I finish in the cash but just barely. I'm still so enraged from the previous tournament's finish I'm basically on auto pilot for the remainder of this one. I can't even tell you how I busted out of this one.

So, to summarize my entire evening, I share with you the following hand:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?375638

After everything was said and done, that hand just made me laugh.

In Other News...

Received Stars newsletter this morning and a few items caught my eye.

Coming Soon...Resizable Tables and New Themes

Soon you will be able to resize your PokerStars table, view our games
with new "Theme" backgrounds and even save your personal favorite
layouts for later.

If you're the type of person who has to have the latest features and
gadgets before everyone else, you need PokerStars beta. See all our
upcoming features and use them before they are released on the main
site. This includes table resizing and themes. Click here to download our beta version now.

I'm very anxious for this one item to go public. I'm really tired of
the same look and feel on stars and this will be a welcomed change.
I've contemplated using a Mod to change things up, but didn't really
like the idea of downloading someone elses executable file to coincide
with my poker client in this fashion.



So, apparently "FossilMan" has the secret i've been missing. Forgot just how easy this was...

Ask "FossilMan" about the WSOP

Q. How can I win a seat to the World Series of Poker?

A. If you want to be sure you have a seat before you
go to Las Vegas, PokerStars is your best bet. In 2004, I won my seat in
a $160 double shootout. PokerStars also has satellites for almost every
bankroll, from Frequent Player Point buy-ins to the $650 Sunday super
satellite. Your absolute best chance to win a seat in the WSOP will
come on Sunday, July 16 when PokerStars will host the world's largest
WSOP qualifier. This tournament will send the top 150 finishers to the
WSOP, guaranteed. PokerStars satellites are fantastic because winning
one also gets you travel money and a free room in Las Vegas during the
main event.

If you want to try your hand in a live satellite in Las Vegas,
the Rio will be running satellites all the time. You can play $1,060
single table satellites to the main event. The Rio also spreads $225
super satellites twice a day in the weeks leading up to the main event.

Good luck. I'll see you in Vegas!


Ho hum, I'm going back to my cave to sit in the dark....

-Adam

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Thursday, June 15, 2006 

Screech Get's Scratched!

I can't believe I'm about to post this...but here it goes:

GetDShirts.com

This was just too odd for me to ignore. Dustin Diamond (Screech from Saved by the Bell) is losing his damn house due to shitty credit and is looking for public support. At first glance I didn't give two shits...well, I still don't really care...but I kept reading the damn story. In the end, "the man" is trying to bring Screech down! An interesting read. I can appreciate using the internet when trying to make a buck but this is just funny.

Anyhoo...click if you want a chuckle.

-Adam


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Poker Stuff...

A Little Recap...
Wanted to just talk a little about last night's tournament.  Wasn't the most exciting tournament in the world, but I don't need them to be exciting as long as I finish in the cash. =)

Let me start out with the hand that knocked me out.  3 places paid out, and I found myself fairly short stacked through the duration of the tournament.  Aside from the one big stack, everyone else was fairly evenly short stacked as well.  Once the bubble made his grand exit, I look down and finally see a decent starting hand, AQ suited.  The whole premise of my game last night was to practice patience and make a move with premium hands.  I've played with these guys long enough to know that given time, they will eliminate each other leaving a path for success if I just play it cool.  And that's pretty much how it went down last night.  So, when AQ came along 3 handed, I pushed all in against the big stack.  He had me covered probably 5 to 1.  But I figured this was a great spot for me to increase my stack even if just to pick up the blinds.  Big stack calls me without hesitation.  Lovely.  What hand does he turn over? He shows Jack frickin' Jack!  I really didn't know if I should laugh or cry.  On one hand, at least I don't have the JJ this time, but on the other, JJ certainly out weighs AQ percentage wise.  But with two over cards, suited, I felt good.  So much for optimism.  I really need to work on that whole optimism thing...it's one thing to remain positive, it's another to live in reality.  So, needless to say, I lost the hand.  Nothing overly dramatic, but nothing improved my hand and I walked away with third place.

So, to Bloody P from the Hello Kitty Blog...yes, JJ did in fact show itself...not in my hand, but it still ended up busting me right in the balls!

Anyhoo...a win is a win.  So, happy I am.  Hopefully some of that mojo can manifest itself in to online success this evening.  More to follow on that front...

Celebrity Poker?
By the way, anyone catch Celebrity Poker lately?  Anybody beside me think Hellmuth has absolutely no presence as a color commentator?  Phil Gordon wasn't the best commentator in the world, but at least he had on screen chemistry of some sort.  Plus, I just respect Phil Gordon.  I'm not really trying to jump on the "I hate Phil Helmeuth" bandwagon.  In the end, the guy has done more with poker then most pro's will ever dream of doing...but he just seems like a fish out of water on this show...pardon the pun.

Had to get that off my chest.

Back to work...
-Adam


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Update...

So, tonights local tournament tourned out, "okay".  Walked away with 3rd place which equated to double my buy in.  Not a spectacular finish cash wise, but in the money just the same.  So, with that, I'll take my "in the money" finish and hit the hay. 

G'night all,
Adam


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Wednesday, June 14, 2006 

Local Tournament Action...

Just a quick update...
Heading out to a tournament across town.  Really hoping to shake my JJ blues!  Take it out on the locals!  Muah!  I could use a break from online play tonight. 

Good luck at the tables,
Adam


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I've got the Jack, Jack, Jack...

No News Is Bad News...
Would appear that I'm on a downward spiral and am in serious need of...inspiration?  I put that in the form of a question because quite frankly, I have no idea what the hell is going on.  Since my Sunday disaster involving pocket Jacks resulting in my demise 3 seperate times, I'm starting to wonder if psychologically, I'm setting myself up for failure.  This hand didn't help last night either:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?373352

Yeah, I know I played them horribly, yet again.  But my reasoning was, we're early in a tournament, the raiser only made a moderate raise.  Let's pop him back and see exactly where we stand.  I think my mistake here was raising as much as I did.  Having put that many chips on the line, when the original raiser comes back over the top all in, i only had 500 chips remaining and was overly invested in the pot.  So I made the call.  And naturally, as it turns out, I'm up against KK which leads to my very early elimination form this tournament.  I deserved to be knocked out for having such an overly optimistic mindset with JJ after the hard truths from Sunday.

So, the question is, how do you normally play pocket jacks?  Common sense, history, and several books dictate that I not invest too much value on JJ.  However, I welcome any additional feedback you may have.  Thoughts, comments, strategy?  Let me have it!

-Adam



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Tuesday, June 13, 2006 

Poker Wrap Up...

As an avid tournament player online, I was pleased to read the below article over at pokernews.com. It's great to find a resource dedicating attention to the crazy online tournament world.

A small exerpt:

"Online Poker Weekend Wrap Up: Deal, or No Deal?

This week, the biggest online poker tournaments on the web were
slightly less big than normal. The result was a nice overlay for
players, and good value all the way around. Even with a decent amount
of money added, two players still cracked the $150,000 mark in earnings
this week.
Online Poker

The gold star of the week has to go to player StrongKungFu, who made the final tables in both the Paradise $150k, and Full Tilt
$200k events held yesterday. Yesterday was also significant in that
only one deal was made in the big tournaments. The players decided to
let the cards, and the game play decide the outcome. See you next week.
"



My Plan...
Right now, my immediate plan is to focus on the small stuff. My bankroll took a good hit this weekend with satellites and the $20 sng's resulting in nothing. This evening's focus will most likely center on 6 person sng's with a taste of a MTT or two.

Best of luck all,
Adam


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Monday, June 12, 2006 

Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword...

I've been dreading writing this post...but alas, if I am to improve my game, evaluate this chain of events I must. This may be a little tedious to digest if you open the links, but if you do, I think you'll agree this is almost comical.

So, as I mentioned yesterday, I made my way in to the 1 million Guaranteed tournament on Stars yesterday. The entry is normally $200. $29 satellite got me in. I was pretty pumped. I was fully intending to bring my "A" game. Had some time to relax at the beach to clear my head, had fun. I was ready to go.

The action started out fairly mundane. Picked up a few hands that brought me up to around 3000 in chips. Was a little ahead of the curve. Took a minor hit bringing me down to 1825 in chips. Then the following hand presents itself.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?370576

My thinking was, okay...a weak raise in front of me. I have JJ. Not a hand I generally enjoy playing. Usually the death of me. But, at this stage, I figure lets try to shake things up. All or nothing. So, I push all in with it just hoping to pick up the blinds and the weak raise. Small blind calls, original raiser folds. He shows KK. AAARRRRGH! I was upset, but that was the risk I took. If I'm out, I'm out. However, flop brings a J, and I end up doubling my stack to 3930. Ahhh...this felt GREAT!

Time passes. I've made a few minor steals bringing my stack up to 4280 only to find JJ again in the small blind. I'm thinking, okay, in the small blind, this can work to my advantage. Blinds are only 50/100 at this point. Here's how it plays out:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?370578

Flop doesn't help me. Only one over. I played to the side of caution being first to act. I check, he checks. Flop brings a 10 of clubs leaving a possible flush on the board. But if he didn't hit the K, I think i'm okay here. So, I take a stab at it and bet 300. He raises me 300 representing the flush. I didn't think the flush was likely, but it was possible. Didn't really think he was slow playing a K either. But also entirely possible. I call his raise. The river bring a Q, giving me a really nice straight. I put him all in. If he's got the flush, good for him. He turns over pocket 9's. I take the pot bringing my total up to nearly 4000 in chips. Out of the 4000+ entrants, and with about 2500 people left, I find myself in 76th position. I'm shaping up to be in a great place for the long haul.

And here's where my day ends. Blinds are at 100/200 with a 10 ante. I have 3642 in chips. I'm one away from the button. Here we go again. JJ. Christ. So far though, they've worked out wonderfully for me. So, I take back my resentment and keep an open mind. Action comes around to me, and I raise it 5 times the big blind to 1000. Small blind pushes all in. A pretty well known player too. Here's how it played out:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?370580

I really should have known better. I should have just let my Jacks go. But, at this stage, I was pretty much invested in the pot. If I put him on AK, or mid pocket pairs, I have a fighting chance. But with his larger stack, I really figured he was thinking my raise was just a sign of aggression and he was wanting to bully back and protect his blind. So I put all my chips on the line. My theory was clearly not the case. He turns over KK, against my JJ. Okay, I get it...i'm beat. It's not looking good. But maybe a miracle card will show itself. Flop comes AAA. WTF!!! Okay, sucks, but I still have outs. Turn brings a 10. Not looking good. River brings another A. Are you kidding me?

Sigh...

I should have folded my JJ against his all in. I realize that. But was it that easy of a decision with that many of my chips already in the pot? I'm kicking myself in the ass because had I folded, I could have still had a great showing. But I was tasting it. I really thought I could have a real commanding chip count had I scooped that pot.

Here it is, the day after and I'm licking my wounds. So be it. Live to fight another day as they say. I fell on my sword, but luckily it was merely a flesh wound.

Stay away from JJ!
-Adam


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Sunday, June 11, 2006 

Stars 1 million

Alright...I'm in.  After a bad satellite showing last night, played one more this morning and got in.  So, I'll be playing in the big show at 4:30.  Wish me luck.

I'm headed to the beach to relax and get my head straight.  Back in a bit!

Good luck everyone!
Adam

Friday, June 09, 2006 

2nd Place Finish...

Loose as a Goose...
So, I ended up taking 2nd place last night in the
local tournament I was previously talking about.  I think this was needed and
will greatly boost my momentum going in to the weekend.  It's really funny how
used you get to online play.  Sitting in a live tournament, you really have to
remind yourself to be patient and wait for your hands.  Action is just so
incredibly slow.  You also have to remind yourself that the quality of
tournament is directly in line with the buy-in and the host.  Meaning, you get
what you pay for.  Last nights tournament consisted of people doing shots,
drinking vast amounts of beer, and shitty dealers.  I have no problems with the
loose atmosphere, but one thing that annoyed me something fierce; my dealer
bought his wife in to the game who was also sitting at his table.  Every
frickin' hand he would look at her discarded cards and give her looks.  This guy
is familiar with my play and knew my general habits and literally starting
getting upset with her when I pushed her out of a pot, or won a pot from her. 
As loose as this tournament was, I found this to be unacceptable.

Anyway,
that's the extent of my bitching about it.  All in all, can't complain about a
2nd place finish other than not finishing 1st.  I plan on taking that momentum
and pushing in to the weekend.  I want to focus on satellites for this weeks $1
million tourney on Stars along with WSOP seats.  Hopefully we can make something
happen.

Good luck at the tables!
Adam


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Thursday, June 08, 2006 

You Had a Bad Day...

$#&*...
Ever have a day where you reflect on the previous day's play and just say to yourself, "what the $%*! was I doing?".  Today is one of those days.  My play yesterday was horrendous at best.  I'm not sure why per say, other than I keep risking my entire stack on good hands leaving no room for bad beats.  Perhaps I should put a sticky on my computer reminding myself NOT to be an idiot! 

With yesterday's poor showing, I think I need a break tonight...sortof.  I'm going to deviate away from online play this evening and participate in a local tournament.  In all honesty, I should be taking part in as many live tournaments as I can if I was to be prepared for the WSOP.  So, I'm going to go out there tonight and dominate!  Mr. Optimism, that's me.

Later Gators!
-Adam


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