Played holdem this weekend, new bankroll high.
Time for a little holdem update. I played some holdem at Pokerstars this weekend - where I started with $2.00 that I won in a freeroll - and my bankroll is now at a all time high of $169.66. To anyone who plays holdem regularly, that isn’t much. For me though, my goal has always been to not put any money in while continuing to grow my bankroll and move up limits. I play 3 tables at $5NL right now and plan on moving up to $10NL when my bankroll reaches $200. I don’t play a lot, I probably average about 3 sessions per week, so the journey has been slow but all that matters to me right now is that the journey continues.
As far as this past weekends play, I did have a first happen to me in the same session. I won an all-in pot with pocket Aces against A-K, and then not long after lost an all-in pot with A-K against Aces. It was a strange feeling, I couldn’t get frustrated at all since I just did it to someone else. It’s also a testament to the roller coaster ride that is holdem. So to any of the poker players that read this blog, do you play online? Which site(s)? What limit(s) do you currently play?
July 21st, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Hey Jim:
Good to see a blog with a poker theme. I wish there were more on Entrecard because I tend to visit the entrecard ones most regularly.
My husband plays pretty low limits on hold’em on pokerstars. I’m just at play money on pokerstars, but I’m playing more Omaha 8 than anything. It’s quite challenging. I know some folks don’t like Omaha (I think Johnny Quads said it was more akin to gambling than hold’em, but that doesn’t even make sense to me . . . it’s just a different game with different strategies). I’m frankly at novice stage and my husband is just a bit beyond novice.
He’s like you kindof - he hasn’t put TOO much of his own money in and is now beginning to see the winnings past his losses. His bankroll is smaller, but I think this is indicative of the learning curve. I admire that you haven’t put ANY of your own money in.
So we’re enjoying playing online. I know my husband is also signed up on Full Tilt, but for now, we’re happy with poker stars - it’s really true that you can almost always find ring games to join in on and there are plenty of SNGs any time of day or night, which is very attractive to both of us. Not as much for Omaha, of course, but still quite a bit.
We’ve also been going to our local card room, the Hustler Casino in Gardena, California, as well as playing in Vegas and some of the local Indian casinos.
Also - thanks for letting me advertise on your blog - I’m getting some hits today!
Warmly,
~Laura
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:38 pm
What factors do you take into account when getting all in preflop with AK? How important is stack size to that decision? I don’t know the answer, but I have been thinking about this a lot. In a tournament, it’s more clear cut.
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Hey Mike - I’m going to send this my husband’s way. In Omaha, because there’s a high and low hand, you look for the ability to make both, so AK might not necessarily be the monster it is in hold’em. I’ll let Bob ponder this and he can respond more to it. Obviously the position would be a factor, but I’m not sure about stack size.
We were watching WPT last night - the tournament at the Commerce Casino where Men “The Master” Nguyen’s wife, Van Nguyen, won. At a critical juncture she went all in with cowboys and really turned it around from short stack to almost chip leader. But others on that final table who went all in with AK didn’t fare as well. It’s tricky, you know? (which is why you’re asking). So I’ll email this thread to my hubby and he can ponder it and respond.
Warmly,
~Laura
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I’ve been planning on replying, just been busy. Laura- that is great that both you and your husband are into poker. Are you planning on loading some money someday? I’ve noticed I don’t play live (home) holdem games much these days, but part of that is because it’s summer, come winter there isn’t much going on so home games break out more often. Does your husband have a blog also?
Mike- First, the hand I lost we got all-in on the flop, not preflop. He raised to $0.20 and I believe I made it $0.45, and he just called. When an Ace came on the flop, it was on! I didn’t figure him for pocket Aces when he just called my preflop raise. It was a great play and I was basically trapped, it’s also something I don’t see often at $5NL (never). Shoot, most are ready to shove with any pocket pair, any suited connectors, etc.
To answer your question though. As you know I only play 3 tables and I keep an eye on how people are playing, often making notes. At my limit most players ranges are huge, so the main factor is if I see someone consistently showing up with monster hands. Honestly, if someone 3-bets (or worse 4-bet) me preflop I’d consider folding A-K, unless I’ve witnessed him being a serious donkey. Of course the size of the bet(s), are there other players calling, etc- all come into play. I don’t want to sound cocky because I’m not, but at $5NL I’ve learned that if I begin giving players too much credit I’m often missing out on some value/money.
I’m sure when I move up to $10NL I’ll be adjusting what factors into this and many other situations though.
Thanks,
Jim
July 24th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Hi Jim (and Mike, too)
Well, I need more time before I’m comfortable playing with real money. I’m such a girl! I figure I’ll do as much learning as I can with the play money and hope I’ll know when it’s time to step it up. I’ve been encouraging my husband to do a blog and he said he would do a poker one, if he does one at all. Once he gets going, I’ll be announcing it!
Mike - I did pose your question to Bob and he said that he’d be more likely to go all in on a preflop with AK if he was short stacked. I thought that was a pretty good answer, all in all. If the blinds could start eating you alive, you have more incentive to take chances - sometimes those chances pan out, sometimes not so much.
I’ll keep reading, Jim - it’s fun to see some poker here on Entrecard.
Warmly,
~Laura
July 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Hi Laura,
You could always try my angle and attempt winning some money in a freeroll.
The problem is I played in a bunch before finally winning $2.00, and to get in the money you’ll need to play 2-3 hours. It was a big drag whenever I played for 2 hours and I missed the money by 500 spots out of 10,000 or 12,000 people. So it can be a serious grind, but fulfilling all the same. Plus $2.00 isn’t much to work with, but I was lucky early and have made a steady increase ever since.
Jim
July 24th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Laura, thanks for the response. Yes it always comes down to risk vs reward doesn’t it. In a tournament, you have to take more risk as your stack shrinks relative to the blinds because your chances of getting a better hand in time to make a move go down. Also, as other people have the same concern, their hand standards will go down so your AK rises in value. Also, you have the advantage of seeing all 5 community cards when you get all in. AK likes to see all 5. The only hand it really fears is KK and AA. Not that it’s fun getting it in against QQ. I was speaking more of a cash game where the blinds remain constant. Jim, I misread your hand and thought it weas preflop. But as always, even if I was correct, I was not questioning your play in more than an academic exercise. There seems to be 2 schools of thought. There’s the camp that says “it’s not even a pair, so it is a drawing hand”. And then there’s the others who think its like KK and AA, which it isn’t. I think, oh no i’m going to say it…it depends. I definitly get it in against short stacks (say 40bb or less) and I get it in against bad players who I know will felt AQ, AJs, pre. If I have been caught stealing and people are not giving me credit, I’m more likely to stack off just because people sometimes make a stand with some garbage hand and think I don’t have anything. It also has the benefit of getting more action from AA and KK if people will include AK in your all in shoving range. So I think it’s OK sometimes to just get it in and ride the variance train!! But ideally, you want to get in about 10% of the effective stacks with it so the pot is big enough on the flop that you are more likely to stack someone if you do hit because they committed more preflop. It’s pretty easy to get it all in by the river with a bigger preflop pot and again now the pot is worth winning so you are OK with the risk relative to the reward. See you at the tables Jim. Good luck Laura!!