Fun poker hands

[maks]

the last game i won was with a couple of 2s and jacks.....i will add that ive never lost money playing texas holdem.

not saying im the best player i totally think its half luck and half attitude.

[JohnnyB]

Question for the online guys.
I play alot of the free tourneys on full tilt just for the sake of staying fresh. Pretty soft games for the most part with a few exceptions. I've been thinking of throwing a few bucks in that directions and seeing if I can grab some cash for these endeavors.
What's been your experience with online for cash and what are your recommendations on the subject?

[Jsw]

I play on PS with real money, my answer is...

It depends...

Personally, I would recommend just throwing $20 and getting your feet wet. Play micro stakes and get your bearings for the speed and action before moving up. It really does take a little while to get hang of online poker - it has a much different feel than live games(in my opinion anyways).

I've played for a while and I can honestly say I don't really like it as much as live games at all. If I lived close to a card room or could get my cheap ass friends together without a headache I probably wouldn't even play online.

It takes a lot of discipline to manage your bankroll online IMO. A lot of people find that its easy to dump money online because you aren't physically handing cash over to a dealer or pit boss so there is more of a disconnect between the money you are loosing(just like some people feel "less guilt" swiping a credit card as appose to handing over cash and get in trouble) - but that is a different topic for a different day.

If you start small, and set a weekly limit for amount you are willing to loose and stick with it, then it can be fun, relaxing, and even profitable. There is a lot of bad poker being played online these days.

There are third party programs out there than can help you manage your bankroll and calculate ROI%(return of investment). And even ones that can give you statistical information on your opponents at the table. I would also looking into "rakeback". Google it - but basically its like a rewards program that deposits a % of the rake that you pay into your account at the end of the month - which can really help your bankroll(I've seen break-even players make a few hundred a month just on Rakeback). It only works on certain sites(cakepoker and Fulltilt off the top of my head). PS has their own reward system but you have to spend an assload of money on their tables to get anything out of it.

Its worth noting that I haven't been playing online much this year due to work and school so some of my info may be a little out of date. Just do your own research if you plan to deposit significant amounts of money on poker sites, it can make a big difference in the end.

*PS its 2am and I've been studying for like 4 hours so forgive me for the bad grammar, run on sentences, and scattered thoughts.

[JohnnyB]

Thanks for the advice. I threw a $20 tester on FT when I got home. I'm sitting with $50 after a few dollar tournaments.
I think I'm just gonna build this up slowly. As I said this isn't to make money, just have fun and stay in practice.

[Jsw]

Good mentality to have.

Don't get "up" and then start playing like a jack ass. I swear every time I deposit I experience a huge upswing followed(inevitably) by a drop out. This is all just variance of course but Its hard to NOT change your game when you experience an upswing.

I'm writing a poker theory right now, and the main idea behind it is that the biggest reason why educated casual players almost always lose money in poker is the fact that they get away from whatever strategy they utilized in order to increase their bankroll.

A simple example of this would be the a player who plays tight-aggressive at micro stakes and experiences an upswing of variance. That same player 2 hours later becomes loose and lazy by telling himself "What the hell, I'll call - I'm already up X amount!" and begins making huge mental errors which sink the ship.

This is why patience and discipline are two of the biggest assets of any poker player in my opinion. The knowledge of what the best % play is only a small part of the battle - the patience and discipline to apply that play no matter how much you are up or down is 90% of it.

*edit* I'll stop giving unsolicited poker advice now to someone who probably doesn't need or want it

I just love Poker.

[sleepy]

As I said this isn't to make money, just have fun and stay in practice.

I don't know how much value you'd get out of it, but Full Tilt has the Full Tilt Poker Academy that offers videos, lessons and challenges associated with major concepts of the game. They award points for completing challenges that you can then spend in the Full Tilt store. I know you already know how to play, but it's a way to keep your game in good form, and also forces you to discover and work on possible leaks in your game. It's free to sign up, but requires real money to complete the challenges.


sleepy

[uNicedmeMan]

So I was out in the first 1.5 hours of a holdem tourney last night (2 hands after rebuys). I had some decent hands but played them pretty poorly. Anyway, the guy I drove with was killing it and ended up getting second so I had to sit around for a while. There was a crazy dealers choice cash game but I wanted nothing to do with that.

Fastforward to the good stuff... The tourney concluded and the cash game was wrapping up. Someone called a blind holdem game for $10, I come out of right field and ante up, 5 total players. I win with q 7 unsuited, for some reason I can't remember the board (I had alot of fanta grape). Then another $ blind omaha game is announced, I oblige along with 6 others and win again on some crazy shit. So basically I won as much as 3rd place in the tourney Crazy luck.

[JohnnyB]

Just got back from a home game. $10 NL horse tournament winner take all.
8 people and it was down to two people in the first 15 minutes . Myself and my friend Krista. We are the two tightest players there, not so tight that we can't see the value of small suited connectors, but very unlikely to pay to see if we hit a miracle. We're usually not the big stack, but we almost never lose money.
We went 4 hours heads up, very back and forth TV highlight reel worthy poker. All six people who went out quick style stayed to watch and made it more fun by becoming our cheering section.
I finally got her with QhQsKhKs vs. AsAhQdQc with a set of kings.
Insane to get that dealt heads up in omaha and made the night that much more fun.

[JohnnyB]

I've got to vent.
Last night I went to a $1-2$ no limit game.
I'm sitting in the big blind and get 78 off 3 callers including small blind and I check it. Comes out Ah9c6h, blinds check real aggressive player throws out $24, next guy calls(this guy has been an atm all night). I sit back a bit and look up at the ceiling to make my decision I reach down grab my chips and say call as my cards are being swept into the muck. I'm screwed now, my hand has been folded. 5c come and aggressive guy bets 40 caller calls 3s to rub it in and he pushes 80 caller calls. A9 beats 96 and the fucking dealer folded my nuts for me on the biggest pot of the night.
Still cashed out $250 after my $50 buy in, but I could have ran that table with that pot.

[JohnnyB]

Just got back from a bar league. I took the first 4 people out in the first 2 hands.
First hand UTG I get kings, I raise guy re-raises another goes all in I call guy calls and the hold up.
Second in BB I get 2-6 puppy feet and flop a straight flush. I slow play and call a min bet. Another 5 on the turn and a guy pushes all-in with another caller. full boat vs. A high flush vs straight flush.
Shit was so cash.

[Jsw]

I've got to vent.
Last night I went to a $1-2$ no limit game.
I'm sitting in the big blind and get 78 off 3 callers including small blind and I check it. Comes out Ah9c6h, blinds check real aggressive player throws out $24, next guy calls(this guy has been an atm all night). I sit back a bit and look up at the ceiling to make my decision I reach down grab my chips and say call as my cards are being swept into the muck. I'm screwed now, my hand has been folded. 5c come and aggressive guy bets 40 caller calls 3s to rub it in and he pushes 80 caller calls. A9 beats 96 and the fucking dealer folded my nuts for me on the biggest pot of the night.
Still cashed out $250 after my $50 buy in, but I could have ran that table with that pot.

Wow the dealer just folded your cards for you? That is way the fuck out of line - I would have thrown a shit fit. I'm assuming since it was a $50 buy-in though that it was a "friendly" game at a buddies house? I still would have went nuts. There has to be more to the story(not doubting your integrity) because that is so ridiculous.

Did anybody even call time on you? If its a friendly game then you should have at least been able to tell the dealer your cards and have him pick them out of the muck for you. Even though this would have probably been met with protest and at the very leased aroused suspicion that you had a made hand but who cares at that point - its about integrity of the game.

[Jsw]

So I was out in the first 1.5 hours of a holdem tourney last night (2 hands after rebuys). I had some decent hands but played them pretty poorly. Anyway, the guy I drove with was killing it and ended up getting second so I had to sit around for a while. There was a crazy dealers choice cash game but I wanted nothing to do with that.

Was that the night me and Badger played? I can't believe how card-dead I went down the stretch. I was at the point where I was going to go all in with any face card I saw. I mean I was NOT trying to tighten up to make the money - I literally got all my quality cards early, so frustrating. The only other small-stack was your buddy who had more than me and was just folding everything since I had like 30% less chips than him so I basically got smothered out.

[uNicedmeMan]

So I was out in the first 1.5 hours of a holdem tourney last night (2 hands after rebuys). I had some decent hands but played them pretty poorly. Anyway, the guy I drove with was killing it and ended up getting second so I had to sit around for a while. There was a crazy dealers choice cash game but I wanted nothing to do with that.

Was that the night me and Badger played? I can't believe how card-dead I went down the stretch. I was at the point where I was going to go all in with any face card I saw. I mean I was NOT trying to tighten up to make the money - I literally got all my quality cards early, so frustrating. The only other small-stack was your buddy who had more than me and was just folding everything since I had like 30% less chips than him so I basically got smothered out.

Yeah, that is indeed the night I was speaking about. I've had to pass up the past few games I've been invited to because I had some other shit going on. I am really looking forward to the next time I play some cards.

[Jsw]

So I was out in the first 1.5 hours of a holdem tourney last night (2 hands after rebuys). I had some decent hands but played them pretty poorly. Anyway, the guy I drove with was killing it and ended up getting second so I had to sit around for a while. There was a crazy dealers choice cash game but I wanted nothing to do with that.

Was that the night me and Badger played? I can't believe how card-dead I went down the stretch. I was at the point where I was going to go all in with any face card I saw. I mean I was NOT trying to tighten up to make the money - I literally got all my quality cards early, so frustrating. The only other small-stack was your buddy who had more than me and was just folding everything since I had like 30% less chips than him so I basically got smothered out.

Yeah, that is indeed the night I was speaking about. I've had to pass up the past few games I've been invited to because I had some other shit going on. I am really looking forward to the next time I play some cards.

Me either, between the snow storms and work I've only really got a chance to play once or twice and that was in the city.