High On Poker

I earned my bonus on Empire, and I have to say, I think I love the site. The .50/1 game has been easy pickins so far. It seems like some players don’t know how to fold. I’m just following my usual patterns (with minor variations throughout to throw off savy players, and I haven’t had a losing session yet. With the $25 bonus, my Empire bankroll has reached over $125 from my original $50. I’m very tempted to withdaw $50, but I think I’ll wait till I hit $150, or maybe $175. Right now, neither goal seems too out of reach.

In addition, I am thinking of taking advantage of their referral bonus. I’m thinking of referring my brother, who is also my roommate, but doesn’t play poker (wink wink). Its an easy $50. I almost wonder why I’ve not been bonus whoring before this venture. I suppose in the past, I could never clear my bonus. But that was before I was playing low limit hold’em (as opposed to no limit ring games and tournaments). Now, I was able to clear 125 raked hands in a day, collecting my bonus with ease. To receive the referral bonus, brother Keith will have to play 125 raked hands as well. No problemo.

On a final note, if anyone wishes to sign up for Empire, please feel free to leave a comment or email me (brodybanky@aol.com) if you wish to use me as a referral. I could use the bonus, and I think you get a 20% bonus as well. ParOtherwise, good luck to all. A happy Passover to all Jewish readers. And a happy weekend to everyone else.

Thank you Empire Poker. Empire sent me a CD with a $25 bonus on it. I signed up for an account, and abandoned my “Brodybanky” handle for “HighOnPokr”. Notice there is no “e” in Poker, because apparently someone beat me to it. Jerk. They also got HiOnPoker, but I think my variation, sans the e, is better.

I deposited $50 initially, so the $25 bonus is really a 50% bonus, which is pretty sweet. Now I have to play 125 raked hands to be receive it. So far, I’ve played 36, and am up $5. Not bad for 10 minutes. Let’s hope its all North from here.

Wow! I just withdrew another $50 from my online account, after bringing my online bankroll to $200. My logic is this: I won the tournament and left $125 in my account. I figured that once I reached $200, I could withdraw $50, and have $150 in my account. This will allow me to continue at my higher stakes and build my bankroll, while taking a definite profit out. So, my next goal is to reach $220 or $225 (I haven’t decided yet). Then I will withdraw another $50 and be left with $170 or $175 online. My bankroll will expand, but I will still have my $50 profit locked away. Hopefully, I can continue my recent success.

On Monday, I have my home game, assuming I can scrap up enough people. Usually, I don’t win at my own home. There are too many distractions to play solid poker. But, at least my online poker is turning profitable (slowly). Thanks for reading, and Happy Poker!

Hey folks. After last night’s Aps loss, I decided to play some .25/.50 NL, to win back my money. Generally, this is never a good idea. However, by the end of the night, I won $60 online. I don’t count that in my winnings for the year because I have yet to withdraw the funds from Golden Palace. However, it was a great moral victory, and brought my online bankroll to $144.

To make matters better, I was playing this morning on two .25/.50 NL tables. On one, I eventually lost my $20 buy in. In one miserable hand, I had about $12, and someone pre-flop went all-in with $11. I called with my QQ. He had K8 suited…and hit the flush! Dumba$$.

However, on the other table, I doubled up. I was at about $40, when the chipleader with $60 raised all in. Interestingly, a raiser before me raised to 1.50. I called with JJ. Chipleader came over the top with all his chips. I’ve seen him go all in before with 66. I thought about it. I had to call, but $40 was a lot of dough. I called…and he had 99. Ka ching! He didn’t hit his cards, and I was up to $80.

My Golden Palace bankroll is now at $187 or so. I plan to withdraw $50 when I hit $200. My winnings for the year are at $264, so the $50 (if I hit $200) will allow me to break the $300 mark again. Even so, I am behind my goal of $100 per month. Hopefully my online success will continue. Thanks for reading. If you get a chance, respond to You Decide #4. I really could use anyone’s opinion. I’m still not sure if I should’ve called the pre-flop raises. I’m fairly confident about my all-in, but others may think differently. Holla back and happy poker!

I lost both of the $40 tournaments at Mikey Aps tonight. In the 2nd one, I was the first to lose the tournament….in the third hand. The hand went like this:

8 players, 100 chips each, 1/2 blinds. I am the BB. I look down to see 44.

Most fold. Tony, UTG, calls. All fold to Mikey Aps, who is on the button Aps raises it to 8 total. I call, thinking that Aps is a loose player trying to steal. Tony raises it another 6! Wha? Aps calls. Should I call? Well, I did.

The flop was: 874, rainbow. I check. Tony raises 16, Aps folds. I go all in for 70 more. Should I have pushed so hard? Tony called. I triumphantly announce, “Trips 4s.” He says, “Sevens.” As in, Trips 7s! To make it worse, he hits the 4th 7 on the river. And I’m out.

Did I play this wrong? Advice and opinions are appreciated.

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Woe! I’m playing online. .25/.50 NL, with $20 buy in. In an oddly paralell and creepy hand, I was on the BB with QQ. A player raises at me, and I raised back. He called. The flop was Q8x. I raise. He goes all in. I call. I have the nuts, trips Q. He has…trips 8s!. Its practically the same situation as in my home game, except this time I won! He, of course, left the table immediately. I can’t blame him. I was out of Mikey Aps’ apartment as fast as my legs would carry me.

Anticipation is not just a fine Carly Simon song (I have to admit an odd fascination with some of Ms. Simon’s music). It’s also how I feel right now.

Tonight is Mikey Ap’s home game $40 tournament. He expects 8-9 players, most of which, I am sure, are decent players. I plan on getting my confidence up throughout the day by reminding myself of my recent tourney win and my overall genius ability at poker. In my humble opinion, there is only one thing that is more helpful than confidence when playing poker. That one thing is luck. Since I can’t control luck, I’ll settle for confidence.

Last night, I ended up even for the night (although I thought I was up, so my starting number may have been off). I now have about $82 online. I placed 3rd in a $5 STT. I also played in several limit tables (.25/.50 and .50/1). Finally, I lost $10 in a .25/.50 NL.

The NL table sorta screwed me. I lost the majority of my money when I was Big Blind with J2, and the flop came out AJ3. I thought, now or never, and bet at it. I had one caller. I think I checked to him on the turn and called him, and then moved all in (for my remaining $1.50 or so into a huge pot. I knew he didn’t have the A. What I didn’t know is that he had QJ. I should have known, but at that point, I think I was just giving my money away. Next time I sit at .25/.50, I’ll bring a full $20. I knew that starting with $10 was the wrong move, but I didn’t want to expose myself to bigger losses. Plus I was multitabling, and was not paying enough attention.

I think .25/.50 NL might become my new game of choice. Its the same stakes as my usual home games. The only glaring problem is the variance in a NL game. But, overall, I think I will work it into my poker routine. Limit has been good to me, and has kept me from blowing large stacks. However, I am still, in my heart of hearts, a No Limit Soldier.

Finally, I was comped a free room at the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City for any weeknight (Sun.-Thurs.) until June 30th. I plan on going on Sun., June 5th, with Rouss and Robbie Hole. Rouss is definitely in. Robbie is probably. We might take a fourth. My plan is to go and play poker until my eyes bleed. This will be a guys-only trip, as opposed to the last AC trip, which included my, Rob’s, and Rouss’s ladies. So, we won’t have anything stopping us (me) from playing lots of poker. Resorts is right next to Trump Taj Mahal, one of the few casinos in AC with a decent cardroom. The others (offhand) are Tropicana (which I have enjoyed in the past) and Borgata (which I’ve never played poker at). I wouldn’t mind playing at the Borg, but part of me is anti the high life. Borgata feels like it is a whole lot of hype. It’s secluded from the boardwalk. It’s definitely beautiful. But I always find it crowded and overpriced. Of course, all of the “rich” people might be good for their card room. So, maybe I’ll put my prejudices aside…but not likely.

Wish me luck for tonight. A win would be a big deal for me. The $$ would be good, and the confidence boost even better. Happy Poker.

Not too long ago, I was on the phone with Mikey Aps (or maybe it was Robbie Hole) discussing my current life’s dream: to be a professional poker player.

I’ve read a couple of postings from professionals that warned people that it was not all that it was cracked up to be. Obviously, there are losing days. I suppose, it can be very stressful, too. But there is one positive that, to me, beats out all of the negatives. As a professional poker player, I could spend all day and make a living (hypothetically) by playing a game. It’s every kid’s dream. No real work. You make your own hours. And your day in the office consists of a freaking game.

When I was discussing this with Aps (or Hole), I came to the conclusion that being a professional poker players is akin to most kid’s dream to be a professional baseball player. I never was the athletic type. But we all, at one point or another, had that dream to be a professional basketball, football, hockey or even a lowly soccer player (just kidding, soccer fans).

Now, when I watch most any professional sport (except for golf), I am older than a good portion of the players. At 25, I’ve found a new athlete to aspire to…professional poker player.

So, for anyone who thinks that my dream to be a professional poker player is a pipe dream…that’s the point a$$hole. I like my pipedreams.

I play online poker. And while I play online poker, there is inevitably something else going on in the background. Most of the time, its the t.v. Usually, Kim is watching one of her programs that I am willing to watch, but not willing to give 100% attention to. Otherwise, I sometimes turn on the t.v. myself, and leave a show on in the background, usually poker.

But lately, when I’m playing and alone, I’ve started turning to the music channels. My cable company offers channels which play different music genres. I’ve lately been listening to the Rap station. As a suburban white boy growing up in the eighties and nineties, I practically grew up on rap music. I remember at the lunch after my jr. high school graduation, my mother got me a CD, Dr. Dre’s the Chronic. My father, who had no involvement in the purchase, began reading song titles off of the back of the CD. I can vividly remember the shock on his face when he read titles like N****** with a Gun aloud. Classic.

Anyway, my point is, listening to music in the background, and Rap specifically, helps my game. There are less distractions. I don’t have to half-pay-attention to the t.v. The music recedes into the background, and I can reach a poker zone.

Now, if I’m playing in person, I can’t see myself as one of those players with their ipod at the table. I think there are too many audio tells to miss, like the tone in a person’s voice. But online, those issues are nullified.

So, kudos to rap music. I’m sure other people can suggest different types of music. I personally listen to rock as well, but I’ll dabble in just about anything (jazz, classic rock, techno, but not country or jam bands). I need to get more mp3s on my laptop, but I want to avoid opening the laptop to the perils (read: viruses) of file sharing programs. I’m thinking of signing up for one of the pay services. $1/song isn’t bad. I might even buy a CD (something I haven’t done in years). 50 Cent first, and who knows what after.

Oh, and last night, I had my second winning night in a row. I think I took another $10 or so. My online bankroll is $84, which is a nice recovery from when I was dipping below $60. Upward and onward.

So, if anyone wants to suggest some music to play poker to, please do. Leave a comment, or email me. I’d like some advice about techno music, since the trance beats work well for hitting a rhythm. But otherwise, I’m interested in any suggestions. And if you know a good file-sharing program (I am only familiar with Kazaa), pass the word along. Finally, to all NYers, enjoy the weather. And Happy Poker.

Online has continued to be a disaster. For the first time in about a week, I’ve ended the day up, about $10. However, overall, I went from 125$ after my tournament win, to about $59. Not good. I’m getting shit hands, and worse flops. But that is okay by me. I understand that it is inevitable in poker.

On the home game front, I was seriously disappointed when Desi’s home game, planned for tonight, was cancelled due to a poor response. I used to host home games regularly, and a lot of work goes into setting up a game. I guess if the players were as poker-focused (read: addicted) as I am, then it wouldn’t be an issue. But that is not the case, so every once in a while, a game folds. Or worse, a home game dries up totally, like mine did a few months ago.

In order to make my own action, I’ve set up two potential home games. I called Mikey Aps, aka Duesche Boyd, to see if he was holding his usual Thursday game. Duesche got his nickname due to his obnoxious poker demeanor (think Hellmuth) and the visor and sunglasses he occassionally wears (think Boyd). Regardless of his style, he is a great player. He runs with a crew of work friends who are also solid players.

Aps (I will avoid calling him Duesche) got me into poker in the first place. His was the first home game I attended. I started bringing friends and his games exploded. Unfortunately, I was looking for a steady game, and Aps couldn’t commit as much as I’d liked. So I started throwing my own games. His games were still happening, but less often. Now that my games are done, I guess his are back to running. By attending, I could bring in a bunch of new players. Plus, I would bet that all of the usual players know each other’s game pretty well. I can roll in as the enigma.

The only shortcoming to Aps’ game is the distance. Aps is deep in Queens, so travel via subway takes 30-45 minutes. It can be tough on weeknights. But I love poker, so I’ll make due.

The second game that I am arranging will be at my apartment, this upcoming Monday. This is a big deal to me, since I have not hosted a home game in about a month. If any readers would like to attend, please post a comment or send me an email. I am in NYC, in the financial district (near Wall St). Its a .25/.50 cash game, where players usually buy in for $20. I don’t think anyone has lost more than $100 for a night, but players usually don’t win much more than $100 (it has happened though). Its a friendly drinking atmosphere. Game time is 7pm.

Keep leaving comments. It’s always good to see that someone is reading. And good luck with all of your poker pursuits.

Man, I must be playing at the wrong places. Lately, whenever I am at a home game, I am playing with loose rookies. To make it worse, they never play in any shape or form that is discernible. It makes my head spin. Who do I have to shtup to get a normal game with experienced players?

Okay, now that the complaining is done, let me add this. I won $40 at Robbie Hole’s Birthday Poker Extravaganza. The players were mostly newbies. There is nothing more tedious than explaining the blind structure on every hand…EVERY hand. It’s like, “Guys, its nothing new by the 40th hand!” Fortunately, I know how to play against rookies (usually). The key is to do nothing fancy. Bluffing should be minimal and saved for situations in which you know no one has anything. I mean anything, including bottom pair.

One player in particular, T-Money, was driving me and most of the table nuts. He would bet $6 pre-flop in a game with .25/.50 blinds. In fact, he bet $6 relentlessly. 9 times out of 10, we all folded. T was apologetic and even offered to stop doing it, but I told him to just play how he wants. It was his money, he had already won a big hand early on, and he had every right in the world to bully. Plus, I was waiting for him to bet into me when I was holding the nuts. It didn’t happen, but he did eventually lose it all in a hand in which he flopped two pair, As and 3s. Another player made the wheel (A2345) on the turn, while someone else made a 7 high straight to take a monster hand. The 7-high straight guy had called a $4 pre-flop bet with 6-7 off suit. See what I mean? Crazy.

On the final hand, I was down $2. I took the hand, and won $40 for the night. Here is a basic rundown of the hand. I held QJ under the gun. I limped in, because I was getting antsy, and I had to leave. This is never the way to play, but it did pay off. There were 8 players at the table. Rouss called, T-Money (who was now short-stacked) raised it to $2.50. Andy and Randy (no joke), the SB and BB, called. I called, just for the hell of it.

The flop was TT9. I had an open-ended straight, which I’ve been overplaying lately. I checked. Rouss checked. T checked. Andy raised $4. Randy folded. I begrudgingly called. Rouss raised it to $8. T-Money called and was all in.

The turn was 8. T-Money, who lacked all poker decorum, announced, “I can’t lose now.” Rouss seemed to feel the same way. I hit the nut straight. Joy of joys. But I was certainly aware of the full house possibility. Even so, I felt confident enough. T-Money was already all in, and I didn’t have much left to lose anyway. I raised $4. Rouss raised it to $8 and was all in. Andy called (surprisingly) and was all in. In case you haven’t figured it out, at this point we were all a little shortstacked. I called, fearing the full house.

R0uss had KT. T-Money had Tx. Both had a set of tens. Andy was smart enough to not show his cards. I took down the monster pot with my straight.

I shouldn’t have played the QJ with a pre-flop raise and out of position. I shouldn’t have called the $4 flop raise, and the $4 re-raise, with an open ended straight in my hand and a possible full house on the table. I got lucky, I suppose. I can’t say it any other way. But at least my winnings for the year gets a bump. I’m at $345, and looking to get to $400 on Tues, at Desi’s game.

One last thing. My fiance, Kim, came to Robbie’s with me. She hung out and waited patiently while I played. I am very lucky. I know she would’ve prefered spending the night doing just about anything else. But she was a trooper. Thanks Kim.

Good luck everyone. I’ll be back soon to discuss more poker mayhem.