[BrettButter]

Play one of the 9-man $1 + .20 NLHE sit and go tournaments on Poker Stars. I was in the mood to play but didn't really want to lose any money, so I sat down at one of these.

I have to say, the calibur of players assembled at this table was the worst that I had ever seen. I played my regular game, for a while, and eventually started just limping into every pot and folding when I didn't hit a piece. I was chasing backdoor draws to min-bets, it was fun for a while. Once we got short-handed it was pretty boring though.

If you're more curious as to exactly how bad it is, PM me your e-mail address, and I will send you the entire hand history for you to look through.

Oh yeah, and I won, woohoo. Backdoor flush after my A6 suited got outflopped by A4 o/s on an all-in pre-flop. $4.50, and some wholesome entertainment for an hour.

[shadesofgrey]

see bro! you're coming around! thats why i put another $5 on your game.... i could smell it..

i watched you nearly bubble at the CT tourny tonight - final table action - better than i've ever placed..... meh thinks you should loosen up and play AQ to get busted out - LOL

i rarely get to play CT tournies...

do you ever play HORSE tournies to pass the time? thats good stuff!

[BrettButter]

I got ridiculously lucky in the CT tournament and busted SpaceMonkey3's AA with 99, I got quads again. I got lucky a few other times as well to make the FT, and misplayed a hand against Lisa. I have a long way to go to compete consistently with the people on this site!

Here was the first hand of that tournament last night.

PokerStars Game #9740125908: Tournament #49428608, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/05/04 - 02:39:57 (ET)
Table '49428608 1' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: BrettButter (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: DickieBoy-24 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: tjski74 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: Power 180 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: ronierage (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Big*AZ*Daddy (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: anth2417 (1500 in chips)
VT_p0ker_pr0: posts small blind 10
sniper8012: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BrettButter [5h 8c]
DickieBoy-24: raises 40 to 60
tjski74: calls 60
tjski74 said, "****ie don't make me feel sorry for you and VT I hate duke"
Power 180: calls 60
ronierage: folds
Big*AZ*Daddy: folds
anth2417: calls 60
BrettButter: folds
VT_p0ker_pr0: calls 50
sniper8012: folds
*** FLOP *** [Js 7d 2s]
VT_p0ker_pr0: checks
DickieBoy-24: bets 160
VT_p0ker_pr0 said, "lol"
tjski74: calls 160
Power 180: folds
anth2417: raises 160 to 320
VT_p0ker_pr0: folds
DickieBoy-24: raises 1120 to 1440 and is all-in
tjski74: calls 1280 and is all-in
anth2417: calls 1120 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [Js 7d 2s] [3c]
*** RIVER *** [Js 7d 2s 3c] [5c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DickieBoy-24: shows [Qh As] (high card Ace)
tjski74: shows [Jd 9c] (a pair of Jacks)
anth2417: shows [9s 7s] (a pair of Sevens)
tjski74 collected 4640 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4640 | Rake 0
Board [Js 7d 2s 3c 5c]
Seat 1: BrettButter (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: sniper8012 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: DickieBoy-24 showed [Qh As] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 5: tjski74 showed [Jd 9c] and won (4640) with a pair of Jacks
Seat 6: Power 180 folded on the Flop
Seat 7: ronierage folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Big*AZ*Daddy folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: anth2417 showed [9s 7s] and lost with a pair of Sevens

Here is the second hand, which confused the crap out of me. If I knew how this guy would be playing the rest of the way, I'd have been betting/raising more on 4th and 5th..

PokerStars Game #9740138835: Tournament #49428608, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/05/04 - 02:41:42 (ET)
Table '49428608 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: BrettButter (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (1440 in chips)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (1480 in chips)
Seat 5: tjski74 (4640 in chips)
Seat 6: Power 180 (1440 in chips)
Seat 7: ronierage (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Big*AZ*Daddy (1500 in chips)
sniper8012: posts small blind 10
tjski74: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BrettButter [Jd Jc]
Power 180: calls 20
ronierage: folds
Big*AZ*Daddy: folds
BrettButter: raises 60 to 80
VT_p0ker_pr0: folds
sniper8012: calls 70
tjski74: calls 60
Power 180: calls 60
*** FLOP *** [8s Ac Ad]
sniper8012: checks
tjski74 said, "what just happened???"
tjski74: checks
Power 180: checks
BrettButter: bets 150
sniper8012: folds
tjski74: calls 150
Power 180: folds
*** TURN *** [8s Ac Ad] [4h]
tjski74: checks
BrettButter: checks
*** RIVER *** [8s Ac Ad 4h] [9s]
tjski74: bets 220
BrettButter: calls 220
*** SHOW DOWN ***
tjski74: shows [7d Kc] (a pair of Aces)
BrettButter: shows [Jd Jc] (two pair, Aces and Jacks)
BrettButter collected 1060 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1060 | Rake 0
Board [8s Ac Ad 4h 9s]
Seat 1: BrettButter showed [Jd Jc] and won (1060) with two pair, Aces and Jacks
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: tjski74 (big blind) showed [7d Kc] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 6: Power 180 folded on the Flop
Seat 7: ronierage folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Big*AZ*Daddy folded before Flop (didn't bet)

PokerStars Game #9740186661: Tournament #49428608, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/05/04 - 02:48:24 (ET)
Table '49428608 1' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: BrettButter (2090 in chips)
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (1410 in chips)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: tjski74 (4050 in chips)
Seat 6: Power 180 (2630 in chips)
Seat 7: ronierage (1820 in chips)
tjski74: posts small blind 10
Power 180: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BrettButter [8s Qs]
ronierage: folds
BrettButter: calls 20
VT_p0ker_pr0: folds
sniper8012: folds
tjski74: raises 40 to 60
Power 180: calls 40
BrettButter: calls 40
*** FLOP *** [Kd 7s 6d]
tjski74: checks
Power 180: checks
BrettButter: checks
*** TURN *** [Kd 7s 6d] [Qh]
tjski74: checks
Power 180: checks
BrettButter: bets 100
tjski74: raises 100 to 200
Power 180: folds
BrettButter: calls 100
*** RIVER *** [Kd 7s 6d Qh] [7d]
tjski74: bets 20
BrettButter: calls 20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
tjski74: shows [4s 3d] (a pair of Sevens)
BrettButter: shows [8s Qs] (two pair, Queens and Sevens)
BrettButter collected 620 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 620 | Rake 0
Board [Kd 7s 6d Qh 7d]
Seat 1: BrettButter showed [8s Qs] and won (620) with two pair, Queens and Sevens
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: tjski74 (small blind) showed [4s 3d] and lost with a pair of Sevens
Seat 6: Power 180 (big blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 7: ronierage folded before Flop (didn't bet)


Here is pretty much the best summary of the way "tjski74" played the entire tournament..

PokerStars Game #9740232761: Tournament #49428608, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2007/05/04 - 02:54:55 (ET)
Table '49428608 1' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: BrettButter (2230 in chips)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (1080 in chips)
Seat 5: tjski74 (6110 in chips)
Seat 6: Power 180 (2380 in chips)
Seat 7: ronierage (1700 in chips)
ronierage: posts small blind 15
BrettButter: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BrettButter [8c Js]
sniper8012: folds
tjski74: calls 30
Power 180: folds
ronierage: calls 15
BrettButter: checks
*** FLOP *** [5c Ac Ts]
ronierage: bets 60
BrettButter: folds
tjski74: raises 60 to 120
ronierage: calls 60
*** TURN *** [5c Ac Ts] [Qh]
ronierage: checks
tjski74: bets 90
ronierage: raises 90 to 180
tjski74: calls 90
*** RIVER *** [5c Ac Ts Qh] [Tc]
ronierage: bets 30
tjski74: calls 30
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ronierage: shows [Ah 4c] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
tjski74: mucks hand
ronierage collected 750 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 750 | Rake 0
Board [5c Ac Ts Qh Tc]
Seat 1: BrettButter (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: sniper8012 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: tjski74 mucked [Kc 6s]
Seat 6: Power 180 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: ronierage (small blind) showed [Ah 4c] and won (750) with two pair, Aces and Tens

[littlebu]

first hand - yeah it's only $1 you'll see that a lot.
hand 2 - I most likely fold to the river bet. At these stakes these guys will play any ace.
hand 3 - fold preflop. To often you will make a second best type of hand with hands like these and end up losing lots of $$$$$

Originally Posted by BrettButter

I got ridiculously lucky in the CT tournament and busted SpaceMonkey3's AA with 99, I got quads again. I got lucky a few other times as well to make the FT, and misplayed a hand against Lisa. I have a long way to go to compete consistently with the people on this site!

Here was the first hand of that tournament last night.

PokerStars Game #9740125908: Tournament #49428608, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/05/04 - 02:39:57 (ET)
Table '49428608 1' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: BrettButter (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: DickieBoy-24 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: tjski74 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: Power 180 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: ronierage (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Big*AZ*Daddy (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: anth2417 (1500 in chips)
VT_p0ker_pr0: posts small blind 10
sniper8012: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BrettButter [5h 8c]
DickieBoy-24: raises 40 to 60
tjski74: calls 60
tjski74 said, "****ie don't make me feel sorry for you and VT I hate duke"
Power 180: calls 60
ronierage: folds
Big*AZ*Daddy: folds
anth2417: calls 60
BrettButter: folds
VT_p0ker_pr0: calls 50
sniper8012: folds
*** FLOP *** [Js 7d 2s]
VT_p0ker_pr0: checks
DickieBoy-24: bets 160
VT_p0ker_pr0 said, "lol"
tjski74: calls 160
Power 180: folds
anth2417: raises 160 to 320
VT_p0ker_pr0: folds
DickieBoy-24: raises 1120 to 1440 and is all-in
tjski74: calls 1280 and is all-in
anth2417: calls 1120 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [Js 7d 2s] [3c]
*** RIVER *** [Js 7d 2s 3c] [5c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DickieBoy-24: shows [Qh As] (high card Ace)
tjski74: shows [Jd 9c] (a pair of Jacks)
anth2417: shows [9s 7s] (a pair of Sevens)
tjski74 collected 4640 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4640 | Rake 0
Board [Js 7d 2s 3c 5c]
Seat 1: BrettButter (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: sniper8012 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: DickieBoy-24 showed [Qh As] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 5: tjski74 showed [Jd 9c] and won (4640) with a pair of Jacks
Seat 6: Power 180 folded on the Flop
Seat 7: ronierage folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Big*AZ*Daddy folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: anth2417 showed [9s 7s] and lost with a pair of Sevens

Here is the second hand, which confused the crap out of me. If I knew how this guy would be playing the rest of the way, I'd have been betting/raising more on 4th and 5th..

PokerStars Game #9740138835: Tournament #49428608, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/05/04 - 02:41:42 (ET)
Table '49428608 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: BrettButter (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (1440 in chips)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (1480 in chips)
Seat 5: tjski74 (4640 in chips)
Seat 6: Power 180 (1440 in chips)
Seat 7: ronierage (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Big*AZ*Daddy (1500 in chips)
sniper8012: posts small blind 10
tjski74: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BrettButter [Jd Jc]
Power 180: calls 20
ronierage: folds
Big*AZ*Daddy: folds
BrettButter: raises 60 to 80
VT_p0ker_pr0: folds
sniper8012: calls 70
tjski74: calls 60
Power 180: calls 60
*** FLOP *** [8s Ac Ad]
sniper8012: checks
tjski74 said, "what just happened???"
tjski74: checks
Power 180: checks
BrettButter: bets 150
sniper8012: folds
tjski74: calls 150
Power 180: folds
*** TURN *** [8s Ac Ad] [4h]
tjski74: checks
BrettButter: checks
*** RIVER *** [8s Ac Ad 4h] [9s]
tjski74: bets 220
BrettButter: calls 220
*** SHOW DOWN ***
tjski74: shows [7d Kc] (a pair of Aces)
BrettButter: shows [Jd Jc] (two pair, Aces and Jacks)
BrettButter collected 1060 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1060 | Rake 0
Board [8s Ac Ad 4h 9s]
Seat 1: BrettButter showed [Jd Jc] and won (1060) with two pair, Aces and Jacks
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: tjski74 (big blind) showed [7d Kc] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 6: Power 180 folded on the Flop
Seat 7: ronierage folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Big*AZ*Daddy folded before Flop (didn't bet)

PokerStars Game #9740186661: Tournament #49428608, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/05/04 - 02:48:24 (ET)
Table '49428608 1' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: BrettButter (2090 in chips)
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 (1410 in chips)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: tjski74 (4050 in chips)
Seat 6: Power 180 (2630 in chips)
Seat 7: ronierage (1820 in chips)
tjski74: posts small blind 10
Power 180: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BrettButter [8s Qs]
ronierage: folds
BrettButter: calls 20
VT_p0ker_pr0: folds
sniper8012: folds
tjski74: raises 40 to 60
Power 180: calls 40
BrettButter: calls 40
*** FLOP *** [Kd 7s 6d]
tjski74: checks
Power 180: checks
BrettButter: checks
*** TURN *** [Kd 7s 6d] [Qh]
tjski74: checks
Power 180: checks
BrettButter: bets 100
tjski74: raises 100 to 200
Power 180: folds
BrettButter: calls 100
*** RIVER *** [Kd 7s 6d Qh] [7d]
tjski74: bets 20
BrettButter: calls 20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
tjski74: shows [4s 3d] (a pair of Sevens)
BrettButter: shows [8s Qs] (two pair, Queens and Sevens)
BrettButter collected 620 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 620 | Rake 0
Board [Kd 7s 6d Qh 7d]
Seat 1: BrettButter showed [8s Qs] and won (620) with two pair, Queens and Sevens
Seat 2: VT_p0ker_pr0 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: tjski74 (small blind) showed [4s 3d] and lost with a pair of Sevens
Seat 6: Power 180 (big blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 7: ronierage folded before Flop (didn't bet)


Here is pretty much the best summary of the way "tjski74" played the entire tournament..

PokerStars Game #9740232761: Tournament #49428608, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2007/05/04 - 02:54:55 (ET)
Table '49428608 1' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: BrettButter (2230 in chips)
Seat 3: sniper8012 (1080 in chips)
Seat 5: tjski74 (6110 in chips)
Seat 6: Power 180 (2380 in chips)
Seat 7: ronierage (1700 in chips)
ronierage: posts small blind 15
BrettButter: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BrettButter [8c Js]
sniper8012: folds
tjski74: calls 30
Power 180: folds
ronierage: calls 15
BrettButter: checks
*** FLOP *** [5c Ac Ts]
ronierage: bets 60
BrettButter: folds
tjski74: raises 60 to 120
ronierage: calls 60
*** TURN *** [5c Ac Ts] [Qh]
ronierage: checks
tjski74: bets 90
ronierage: raises 90 to 180
tjski74: calls 90
*** RIVER *** [5c Ac Ts Qh] [Tc]
ronierage: bets 30
tjski74: calls 30
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ronierage: shows [Ah 4c] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
tjski74: mucks hand
ronierage collected 750 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 750 | Rake 0
Board [5c Ac Ts Qh Tc]
Seat 1: BrettButter (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: sniper8012 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: tjski74 mucked [Kc 6s]
Seat 6: Power 180 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: ronierage (small blind) showed [Ah 4c] and won (750) with two pair, Aces and Tens

[BrettButter]

Originally Posted by littlebu

first hand - yeah it's only $1 you'll see that a lot.
hand 2 - I most likely fold to the river bet. At these stakes these guys will play any ace.
hand 3 - fold preflop. To often you will make a second best type of hand with hands like these and end up losing lots of $$$$$

The check on the turn made me comfortable, compounded with the fact of how he had played the first hand already. I didn't want to raise because I was comfortable with the pot size for so early in the tournament, but sometimes you just know when you're not beat, and make a call accordingly.

If anybody hit any part of the flop at all, they made a little bet. Usually a min-bet. I called pre-flop, because tjski ONLY raises with cards that suck. On the rare occasion he randomly ran into better-than-average hands (AK, dry aces, dry K, pocket pairs) he either min-raised pre-flop, or just limped. Every single time, he was playing the same cards the same way. It was like he was the world's worst poker bot. After hitting the queen on the turn, I'd have been concerned if the third guy in the hand had raised, or called, but not tj. He had low cards, and at best either bottom pair or a draw.

Like I said in the beginning, I started out how I'd normally play a tournament. Had it not been for $1, and had I thought the guy betting into me on the river was better at poker than my sock, I may have folded the jacks. When the players are that bad, playing by-the-book poker is boring. I used the chips I would have normally used to try and steal to just limp into pots and try to hit flops. tj was too stubborn to bet him off of a pot, so there's no sense in stealing blinds or bluffing at that table. I played patiently and pretty meek, and it worked out in the end.

This tournament was more of an unwind for me. Usually when I bust out of a bigger tournament where I've been focusing and concentrating for a long period of time, I'm a little frustrated. It's good to find a place to just kind of relax and play on instinct instead of making the proper play based on the odds every single time, and laugh at people. I didn't play this tournament like I'd play any other tournament, because the circumstances were completely different. Even if I lost, it was kind of a way to just work off the steam from doing poorly in the CT FT.

[littlebu]

The part in bold is what worries me. You play how you practice is what my soccer coach always told us.

Originally Posted by BrettButter

The check on the turn made me comfortable, compounded with the fact of how he had played the first hand already. I didn't want to raise because I was comfortable with the pot size for so early in the tournament, but sometimes you just know when you're not beat, and make a call accordingly.

If anybody hit any part of the flop at all, they made a little bet. Usually a min-bet. I called pre-flop, because tjski ONLY raises with cards that suck. On the rare occasion he randomly ran into better-than-average hands (AK, dry aces, dry K, pocket pairs) he either min-raised pre-flop, or just limped. Every single time, he was playing the same cards the same way. It was like he was the world's worst poker bot. After hitting the queen on the turn, I'd have been concerned if the third guy in the hand had raised, or called, but not tj. He had low cards, and at best either bottom pair or a draw.

Like I said in the beginning, I started out how I'd normally play a tournament. Had it not been for $1, and had I thought the guy betting into me on the river was better at poker than my sock, I may have folded the jacks. When the players are that bad, playing by-the-book poker is boring. I used the chips I would have normally used to try and steal to just limp into pots and try to hit flops. tj was too stubborn to bet him off of a pot, so there's no sense in stealing blinds or bluffing at that table. I played patiently and pretty meek, and it worked out in the end.

This tournament was more of an unwind for me. Usually when I bust out of a bigger tournament where I've been focusing and concentrating for a long period of time, I'm a little frustrated. It's good to find a place to just kind of relax and play on instinct instead of making the proper play based on the odds every single time, and laugh at people. I didn't play this tournament like I'd play any other tournament, because the circumstances were completely different. Even if I lost, it was kind of a way to just work off the steam from doing poorly in the CT FT.

[BrettButter]

It wasn't practice, it was a way to avoid going above my comfort level in stakes, but still getting to play a little more wreckless than normal.

For example, after losing a 6:1 chip lead going into heads up vs. Joe on Monday and losing, I lost about $30 because I entered a Sunday Millions satellite, and some MTTs that I had no business being in. I got unlucky and lost a coinflip, and got hit with a two outer on the river, and I had no shot at getting money back because I was, again, at just enough money to play in CT tourneys for fun and not try to build anything.

Playing in that tournament was a way for me to avoid losing the extra $11 I had just won, because I got like $23.85 or something for 8th. I wanted to re-invest my initial $11 + another $11 for CT tourneys in the future, and that left me with less than $2 extra. I wanted to play in a game, I wanted to play it differently than I play every day of my life, and I wanted to exploit the fact that these people weren't very knowledgeable about poker. My play in that tournament is what I felt was the best way to do that. If I played as close to the vest as I normally do in that tournament, I'd probably still be playing heads up for the $4.50. I saw a lot of flops, I sat back and let the other people be aggressive, and I took down the pot when I had a hand.

I started the night with $22 to play in two CT tournies, I ended the night with enough to play three of them, and either a $3.40 turbo, or a $4.40 180-man where I have a chance to add a little money. The $1.85 was worthless.