High On Poker

Hey all. First lets start with a reminder. DADI 5: WSOP Satellite is coming, and there is a shit load of prizes going to some of the players that get close but don’t win a seat. For more details, go to DADIpoker.blogspot.com. We’ve gotten donations from Poker Source Online, and PokerOnAMac.com, as well as some extras and an “endorsement” from Wil Wheaton. So check it out!

Nothing much happening in the land of Jordan. I had Passover Seder last night at my family’s house. For you non-Jews, its a holiday celebrating when Moses freed the Jews from the Pharaoh’s tyrranical rule and fled into the desert for 40 years. Part of the tradition is to not eat any levened bread (i.e., any items made with yeast) for 8 days or so. Now, I was bar mitzvahed and all of that, but following the bar mitzvah, I have really moved away from the religion. It’s nothing specific. I’m just a man of leisure and logic, and organized religion does not connect with either of those things very well. Mind you, I don’t begrudge anyone thier organized religion, which overall can be a very positive influence on most people. The point is, I don’t think I’ve ever kept the no-bread thing, and I didn’t plan on starting now.

At the High on Poker family Jewish holidays, Mama High usually cooks up all sorts of great things, but noticably absent were the good stuff: ziti, cornbread, kugel, etc. I was a bit miffed, but I knew what to expect and I respect my religion, even if I don’t follow it, erm, religiously. So, breadless dinner it was. But then I noticed desert. Cakes, chocolate covered pretzels, and pies. Bread, bread and bread. Funny how we selectively sin.

Speaking of selective sin, I won a Rio last night. That’s a good thing, because I lost one the night before. Hey, it happens! The table I lost was the tightest Rio I’ve ever played, with all 6 players lasting until the 50/100 level. I believe I went out in 5th when someone called my all-in with a flush draw. No complaints though. There is always some variance. Luckily for me, I got up and stopped playing immediately after the loss. It was for 2 reasons, mostly. First, it was late. Second, and more importantly, when I lose an SNG (especially Rios) I feel more likely to lose the next one. I don’t know what that is all about, but its good that I’m aware of it.

Interesting thing happened. Omaha hi/lo is still not the cash cow it once was (for a period of 6 hrs, apparently, only). But I’ve been playing smart enough not to bleed to much in dough. The bottom line was that I was initially on a rush. The rush has ended so I’m back to waiting for good cards. A couple of minor losing sessions are no big deal, so I’m not concerned. The interesting thing occured two days ago, though. I started up 2 Omaha hi/lo games, but I had this weird feeling that I should be playing 1/2 Limit. No, in general, I had moved up to 2/4 limit, but I specifically felt like 1/2 would be a money maker for me. Well, after a while, I switched it up, down less than $20 from Omaha, and ready to make some 1/2 money. Sure enough, I ended up over $25 at 1/2.

So, here is what I find interesting. I first started playing Omaha h/l a couple of days ago on a hunch. Now its 1/2 Limit on a hunch. Its almost as though I can feel what I am primed to play. The games require different thought processes and skill sets (with obvious overlaps). I have to pay more attention in the future to my “feelings” to see where I’ll end up. I guess that is why bonus chasing can be (and at times, has been) detrimental to my game at times. I’m playing for bonuses with one goal in mind, the bonus. I don’t think about what I am in the mood to play. Fortunately, Noble poker lets me earn points on SNGs, MTTs, and ring games, so no matter what I play, I’m earning my bonus.

I think that is all for me right now. I’ve been very busy at work and home, so bear with me. I want to make a shout out to Dr. Pauly, who seems to be at the beginning of the end of his blog. I can understand where he is coming from. This whole blogging thing at times reminds me of my fraternity from college. The new guys start off unsure, then make their bones and go buck wild with the concept. They eventually get into the fraternity life groove, only to eventually get burnt out on the lifestyle. By the end of senior year, they are already mentally checking out of the fraternity because “real life” beckons, and the fraternity has become full of new kids eager and fresh. It almost seems like it was never yours in the first place, and it sure as hell isn’t yours anymore. Now, I’m not saying that this is what Pauly is going through, but it sounds kinda like it. A little bit of burn out and soul searching. If it wasn’t for Pauly, there’d be no High on Poker, so I thank him again, and wish him the best of luck. Just remember, Pauly, no matter what you decide, you are still a brother.

Omaha Hi/Lo, I barely knew thee. Yet, you already turned on me, you vile Omawhore! Yep. Yesterday, the Omaha hi/lo game took a turn for the worse. Fortunately, my new and improved Spidey Sense (danger! your poker play is sub-optimal!) told me that I had to get the hell out of Dodge, so I made it out with only a $25 loss at .25/.50 and an under $10 loss at .10/.25. Multi-tabling is back in effect, baby!

With that red number on my spreadsheet (red denotes a losing day, folks…you know I can’t spoon feed you everything), I decided to take a chance with the ole Rio again. And what a Rio it was! First place in my first Rio landed me a $37 profit. Third place in my second Rio landed me another $1 on top.

Look, people, I hate to proselytize, but here it comes. And worse yet, I’m plugging too. Do you like money? Do you play low stake SNGs ($20 and under), and want to move up a level, while building your bankroll AND lowering variance. Then sign up for Noble Poker from this link or that perty banner on the right. Here’s the deal. Noble has a 50% bonus for first time depositors, up to $250 in bonus dough. You earn it in $10 increments, with 500 pts = $10, which is released immediately. If you are an SNG player, like me, you can earn pts with SNGs (a lot of sites, such as Ultimate Bet, only allow raked hands in ring games to count). If you play in the Rios, you get 60pts per Rio ($20+$3 fee, 20 pts per fee dollar). So, for every 9 Rios (actually 8.33 or so), you get $10 bonus money. That is more than a dollar off of each tourney.

But wait, there is more. The thing about Rios are, they are low variance, quick, and have an interesting bonus included. I know, you’ve heard it before, but RiverRun and others will tell you that it ain’t just hype. And take a look at my old posts. I’ve played at Noble before and I’m back again because it’s such a good site (especially with the Rios). The Rios are 6 player SNGs that take about 30 minutes, start to finish. Top 3 places pay, so you are going to be in the money 50% of the time. Basically, play tight and let some of the push monkeys (Noble has some terrible players) knock themselves out. Once you are in the money, turn it on and take first, without fear of losing and taking 3rd. 3rd is only $1 profit. 2nd is $13 or so. 1st is $37. If you get 1st 6 times in a row, you win a $25,000 bonus. If you place 1st or 2nd 6 times in a row, you get a $300 bonus. There is just so many freaking ways to win, it makes me want to vomit!

And, look, I’m shilling for Noble, yes. But I’ve been a fan of Noble for a long time. In fact, one of my favorite posts, The Mystery of the Missing Rake, was about Noble. So, it comes with my sincere seal of approval. In fact, you can email me at highonpokr@yahoo.com and I’ll hook you up with a special extra something for signing up with Noble. I’d tell it here, but the Powers That Be might not take kindly to it.

There you have it. Omaha hi/lo is in the crapper (temporarily) and Rios helped save another losing day. I just can’t get enough.

I started the poker day yesterday with high hopes. Wifey Kim was on Long Island helping her mother find a dress for an upcoming party. That left me home alone with a list of chores and a portable laptop.

The day started with a $10 MTT. I lasted until about 21st place out of 63 or so until I succumbed to my fate. I followed that up with another $10 MTT. Again, I lost. Hoping to turn it around, I played a $20 MTT on Absolute. Yep. Lost again. Specifics escape me, but it wasn’t poor play, at least not primarily. It was a little bit of the ole variance. My suspicions regarding sir variance was confirmed when I decided to play a $20 SNG on Absolute. A single table tournament with no distractions…this should be a piece of cake. And it was. That is, until we were down to 4 people. Then, on the bubble, I confidently call someone’s all-in with my AK. He held A6…and flopped a 6. Not one to sulk, I played with my uber short stack until I got it to a somewhat threatening level, think 900 when all other players have 2k plus. I pushed all-in trying to hold onto the momentum, but my A3 was called by AQ. A 3 on the flop made me glad that variance had come around, until the turn and the river showed QQ.

So, with all of these losses, I was down $75. Don’t waste your time with the math. I may’ve left something out, but whatever the case, $75 by about 2pm was a near 10% loss of my bankroll. With a heavy heart, I went to play some Literati on Yahoo Games. My mind still wanted a challenge, a little interaction. I whooped some serious Scrabble-like ass, hitting 7-letter words like it was my job. I then settled into the couch for another episode of Jack Bauer. I’ve just started watching 24 from the DVDs ala NetFlix. I’m on the 2nd disc of season 1, and I’ve got about 4 seasons to go. Joy of joys.

The laptop looked at me with a wistful eye. “Play with me, Jordan. Play with me!” I tried to look away, recounting to myself how it just wasn’t my day. “I’ve got other games Jordan,” it said. “Softer games. Lower variance games.” Damnit! With nothing but time on my hands, I eventually gave in. But I was done with those damn tournaments. It was time for a change of pace. It was time for a ring game.

I signed onto Noble poker (home of some of the softest action ever), and decided to see if anything was happening at their Omaha and Omaha hi/lo tables. To my surprise, there was a near-full .25/.50 PLO8 table calling my name. I sat down and considered short-buying, but in the end decided on the full $50. I had work to do, but I resigned myself to playing smart, playing tight, and accepting points toward my bonus, if nothing else.

And then it happened. It wasn’t anything particular. I was just playing well. If I have a hand in PLO8, I max the pot. Usually, I wait until I have the nuts, or near the nuts. Hand selection is generally: any four cards from A through T, any three cards from A through 5, any three cards from A through J with a suited low card, and random other hands where they are doubled suited or have a suited Ace with a two. It’s not exactly a science, but more of an art. I just had to remember the mantra: middle cards are crap.

As an example, if I held four cards from Ace through Ten, I’d bet the pot. I’m hoping that no low comes, and I’m also hoping to bet out those seeking a low. If I hit the flop (and not just a piece, like a pair of aces), I max it again. It was amazing to me how many people would call with crap. They were drawing to the low, or some other crap.

The joy about hi/lo is, there is just more strategy. I was looking for scooping hands. I wasn’t just going for the low. But at times, I knew that I could save myself with my low if my high hand wasn’t good enough. At other times, I was able to read from my opponent that they were going for the low, so my top pair was good. OR, when my high lost, my back up low hit.

In the end, in less than an hour, I had won back $63 of my $75 in MTT/SNG losses. I was ready to take a break when I saw Veneno online. We chatted a bit before she asked if I was still looking for a HU rematch against her. I hate to say it, but Veneno is like my personal ATM. I currently lead her by 5 games after yesterday’s win, making me one of, if not THE, most profitable players against Veneno HU. She’s a HU specialist, and I’m a Veneno HU specialist. Once again, her suckout poison was a factor, saving herself twice before I was able to give the death blow. If you are looking for a good time though, a HU match with Veneno can’t be beat. With that win ($5 game) I was inches from a positive day. But, I decided that it was time for another break and more time with Jack Bauer.

Wifey Kim came home and we spent some time together. Time passed and bed time came for the wifey. I lurked back into the living room, like a crackhead looking to score. My crackhouse, the laptop, was waiting for me with plenty of Noble poker soft action.

After my earlier success, I decided to return to the PLO8 table. The .25/.50 game was full, so I put myself on the watilist. But a shorthanded .10/.20 game was going, so I hopped in. Long story short, about 10 minutes later, while I played at the .10/.20 game and chatted with DP (aka Fluxer), the .25/.50 table openned up. I was already ahead about $15 (with a $20 buy-in) at the .10/.20 game, so I decided to play in both games. The end result, up about $25 at the .10/.20 game and $15+ in the .25/.50 game. It was like printing money. I finally called it a night when I saw myself slipping due to fatigue. I called down some crappy hand in the .10/.20 game, losing about $4. That was enough of a sign. I hadn’t been losing any showdowns in the PLO8 games , so I decided to wrap it up.

Omaha 8 or better, my new cashcow. Who woulda thunk it? Not me. I can’t wait for tonight!

I played at Toni’s Towne House homegame tonight. I ended up placing 3rd out of 15 people for a $90 profit. I also had the pleasure to play with Karol and Dawn of I Had Outs. I plan on having a better recap in the future, but for now, let me pose a question:

Is it Ever Good to Show?

I’m a showboat. I can’t help it. And I showed my cards tonight, at least three times! I showed that I bluffed with 32o after a guy folded, saying, “You have nothing.” I showed that I had a Jack (but hid my Ace) when I bet big and won a pot after a Jack-high flop. Hell, I think I may’ve shown another bluff again.

It’s compulsive, man! I just can’t help it. Someone says something, and I can’t help but think, “What if he saw my cards?” Let him think that his read was right, but he folded anyway. Make him tilt when he sees that you have crap. OR Show that dominating hand so he knows that folding was good. Let him think that when I bet I have good cards. Let him fear me.

It’s not just showboating. It’s controlling the game’s tempo by controlling players’ emotions. It’s about getting them angry at you OR themselves, at the cards or at luck. Or getting the others to feel smug and unbeatable.

I’m painting an ugly picture here, and I don’t mean to say that I am trying to tilt someone. Sometimes, I’m just giddy. LOOK! I HAD IT! or I WAS BLUFFING AND GOT AWAY WITH IT! It’s just the excitement of it. And if I subconsciously know that they are going to react to my cards; if I subconsciously can predict (almost by feel) how they are going to react, well, that’s a bonus. It’s not tangible. Hell, it’s barely intangible. It’s subconscious.

My fear though, my fear is this: what about the quiet guy? Am I going to outplay my target while giving the quiet guy in the corner a chance to really watch me? Watch me as I talk and react and then show my cards? Am I setting this guy up for the win? The two winners tonight were quiet-types. I’m not saying they fit the profile, but that is something to consider.

It’s a tough game and I love every minute of it. As Karol said to me tonight (mockingly, no less), in response to my obvious giddiness, “Poker gets you high?” Har dee har har. And Yes.

You tell me, though. Is it ever good to show?

Last night was slightly brutal for me online, resulting in about $70-80 in losses. Oddly, I was never quite concerned about the loss, and hopefully I never will be. The key will be to get back to solid poker and turn those numbers around. I lost a Rio, placed 3rd in one (for $1 profit), lost a 45 person SNG, lost a 18p shorthanded SNG, and donked off a lot in shorthanded 2/4 limit. I won a few bucks in a full table 2/4 limit game, and I think I learned a lesson.

For now, that lesson is 2/4 limit shorthanded = bad, 2/4 limit full table = good. It’s 2 parts variance and 1 part adjusting to the right amount of aggression that makes full tables the better bet for me. With the shorthanded games, I’m either too loose or too tight (back and forth, seemingly), and variance is increased, making $40-60 losses (aka 10BB to 15BB losses) a good possibility. In the full table limit game, I’m able to play relatively tight, and take opportunities where I see them (which is generally rare).

My SNG play was a bit erratic too. I hated one particular play which set up my 45 SNG loss. I had been folding folding and folding, until I had JJ. I raise it up and get one caller. The flop is AK5, and I bet about half of my stack (pot sized bet), only to be re-raised all-in. I was in the blinds and out of position, and I should’ve checked the flop and accepted the loss, but instead I bet out and still had to accept the loss with a crippled stack to boot. That, my friends, is not good poker. My Rio loss was due to a four-outter, so I’m not going to complain there. Sometimes luck just isn’t with you.

I do have some good and exciting news. This Friday, I will be making my return to Lady Falcon’s Townhouse game! The night will start with a $60 tournament, followed by a 4/8 limit game with a half-kill. I never understood what a half-kill was until Lady was nice enough to explain it in her email to the Friday Townhouse croud. I’ve asked other people to explain what a kill is before, but I never could grasp what they were saying (it was never in person, where I imagine it would be easier to demonstrate). As the lovely Lady put it: If a player wins two hands in a row and the second hand is worth $40 or more, the next hand moves to 6-12 (half-kill) betting structure until the player who triggered the kill loses. Then the betting structure returns to 4-8. Thanks Lady!

From what I’ve seen, Karol and (I think) Dawn, from I Had Outs will also be there. I look forward to actually playing with them again, the first time being in Atlantic City entirely by accident. If you want to read about it HERE.

If you don’t know, I’ve been to the Townhouse once before as a fresh-faced blogger, after Dr. Pauly got me an invite before he left for LA for, what I believe was, the first time. Because of that, the Townhouse always held a warm place in my blogger heart as the location of my first meeting with another blogger face to face (several to be exact). If you want to read the write-up, click HERE.

I’ve also updated my You Decide Index and Trip Report Index, so check those out if you haven’t had an opportunity.

Jordan, out!

CC‘s recent posts regarding relationships and poker really got me thinking. More accurately, it got me worried. Wifey Kim and I have been married for about six months, but we dated for six years before tying the knot. I feel blessed to have her. It’s not enough that she is the kindest person I know, she is also a piece of ass.

So, after reading some testimonials from blogger wives which were, shall we say, upsetting, I decided to ask wifey Kim to provide a testimonial. Yesterday, we sat down and discussed. Wifey Kim didn’t have anything that she particularly wanted to say, so instead I asked her a series of questions. I don’t have the questions/answers with me, but for the most part, the answers were brief and I recall them with particularity.

I asked her what she thought of poker and she stated that she’s not interested in it. She’s tried to play before, but she just couldn’t get into it. I asked her if it was a vice. She said she guessed it was, because it is something that I do even when I feel like I shouldn’t be doing it.

I asked her how it effects our relationship. Now this is where it got interesting. From reading CC’s blog, I was concerned. Hell, I was concerned before reading those blog entries, but those blog entries made my fears real. Internally, I worry that I play too much. That I neglect spending time with wifey Kim, quality time apart from sitting on the couch with a laptop going. I worried that I was doing something destructive to myself, and more importantly to us.

I was really using CC’s blog as an opportunity to open up the lines of communication. It was an invitation: Dear wifey Kim, you are cordially invited to dump all of your fears, suspicions and worries regarding your husband’s poker obsession, without concern for his reaction.

I built it up enough. Her reponse: I like that you play poker. You win us money to buy things like our mattress and it makes you happy.

WHA? Are you saying that you don’t have a problem with my game? Okay, well let’s do some more fishing. Here’s a loaded question: How do you think my poker will effect our relationship and life in the future? How could she not say something negative? Surely she must have some concerns about me gambling off the deep end or becoming even more of a fanatic.

She surprised me again. I kid you not when I tell you that she said this: It’s going to be great because you are going to win the World Series of Poker and we’ll be millionaires.

…

Read that again.

…

It amazed me. I was floored. I have faith in my abilities. I know I’m a good player and that I can be profitable to an extent. But wifey Kim, she’s got a whole new level of faith in me. When she says things like that, I can feel it too. I might not win the WSOP, but I know I can. I have the abilities or I will have the abilities to play successful, profitable poker. I will make this poker work. I’ve got wifey Kim behind me, so how can I fail.

So, CC, I apologize. Wifey Kim and I won’t be participating in your testimonials, unless, of course, you think this reaction will be helpful. It’s kind of odd, overall. Wifey Kim is behind me, moreso than I knew and moreso than I was behind myself. It almost seems wrong to do a testimonial. In the end, I’ll just sound like I’m bragging.

I have to admit, I played a fast and loose game yesterday, constantly winning and losing chips. Most of the time, I stayed about even with my starting stack of 5000. But I was constantly betting and bluffing and re-raise bluffing. In one hand, I called a bet by Drizz preflop with 9To or some other crap cards. It may’ve been J2o. He was fairly shortstacked, as was I, but I had him covered by 1k or so. I was in the SB and he was in the BB. I decided to flat call, and he raised about 3x the blinds. I called with the intention of stealing later. The flop was inconsequential really. I think it was 8Q8. I checked, he made a continuation bet, and I reraised about half of my stack. He laid it down and I showed (I can’t help myself).

Why, Jordan, why? Why take a chance like that in a tournament? Well, the fact that I was sending a blogger to the WSOP meant that no matter what I felt like a winner. Gay, I know, but I wouldn’t even play a $33 event (except for the upcoming $30 DADI event for a WSOP Seat) if it weren’t for the fact that I would be sending a blogger to the WSOP (thanks, by the way, Iggy).

The other thing is the game’s format. With deep stacks, I am confident in my ability to mix it up. If I lose some chips, it’s not a problem, because I am also confident in my skills as a shortstack. I joke that “I’m dangerous on a shortstack” but I mean it. It’s not that I’m so great. I just feel like I have a knack for it. I don’t get scared and tighten up too much. I don’t get overly aggressive and stupid. I’m more patient and more focused and more ready to take any opportunities that arise.

The other thing about gambling it up is that it will get you action. There was one hand where I bluffed and/or showed down crap and/or bet preflop to take down a hand for the nth time in a row. The very next hand I was dealt AA. For this table, a preflop raise would win the hand, but when I bet, I got a player to call. Or maybe I called him. I don’t recall really. The point is, when the Q high flop came out, I re-raised all-in and got a crying call from a player that should never have called my overbet. Why? Because I looked like a loose crazy fucktard. And for that, my friends, I am proud.

There are a lot of different ways to do well in this poker game. Tight IS right. I know this from the Rio SNGs over at Noble (check em out!). But in some games, you can take advantage of a loose image. You can set up players by controlling their perception of you.

Limping into a hand with Kd5d in early position is not an optimal play if you are playing tight or if you are trying to fold into the money. BUT it can be a very profitable play if you are willing to take a chance. The bottom line is that players don’t expect you to be playing those hands, so when they hit, you will get paid off (especially if they think you are a bluffing, raising fool). The cost analysis might suggest that you fold preflop, but if someone were to raise in late position, I only lose 200 or so out of 11k. It’s a drop in the bucket. If someone raises from the blinds, its different. I still have position AND I have a deceptive hand. GCox could never put me on Kd5d there. Okay, well maybe GCox could, because he knows me, but most players won’t.

I guess that is my little diatribe on a differing style of play not really seen yesterday (with exceptions). I wish I could give more details, but it really comes down to feeling the table. I played with the lights out and the headphones in. No TV. Wifey Kim was asleep (what an angel; cute side story, she woke up in the middle of the night and asked how I was doing. It was after I lost and she was half-asleep anyway. This morning, as soon as she woke up, she asked me how I did. I guess thats what happens when you go to bed next to your manly, handsome husband playing poker with bloggers for a WSOP seat). I felt the table out, and I had a sort of sixth sense about most of my plays, raising with 2s3s from EP/MP, and junk like that.

One last thing: I had the most fun last night. Playing with bloggers is an absolute joy. Thanks everyone.

This You Decide guest stars TripJax and GCox!

Here’s the setup. You are playing in a Satellite to the WSOP with a group of strong players. You have 11,000 in chips, and are the second or third shortstack at the table. Blinds are 100/200 with a 25 ante (or maybe 50). Only two players will win seats to the WSOP in this 93 person tournament, and there are currently about 25 players left. The table is tight.

You are in early position (UTG+1) and decide to limp with Kd5d. This, in and of itself, might be an error, and that is the first question. However, this, to me, isn’t the crucial question, because I’m assuming 9 times out of 10, you are going to fold here.

Everyone folds to the small blind, GCox, who has about 16,000. He raises from 200 to 600. TripJax, in the big blind, has 25,000, and calls. I decide to call, reasoning that there was a decent amount of money in the pot and I was in position.

The flop is A 2 3 with two diamonds. I have a flush draw and an inside straight draw (if a 4 comes). GCox is first to act, and bets 600-1000. Trip decides to re-raise to somewhere between 3000 and 5000. I have a decision to make. I push all in. GCox folds begrudgingly, and Trip calls with AJ.

I fail to hit anything on the turn and river and IGHN. GCox had AK, and consequently would have won, but he feared the two re-raises (rightly, I would suggest).

So, what do you all think. I want you to keep in mind a few things. (a) I thought GCox AND Trip were going to call me. (b) Only the top 2 spots paid out of the entire tournament.

Personally, I liked the play, and I think I would do it again, but I want to know what you think, because its definitely one of those suspect plays.

Enjoy!

Addendum: Please review the following diagram for some additional insight into the hand.

I’m running HOT, ladies and gentlemen, and its all because of my own personal cash cow, the Rio SNGs. I decided to return to those lucrative SNGs, in order to boost the bankroll and take a break from PokerStars and thier damn 45-person SNGs. The Rios have been cash cows for me in the past, and I don’t know why I ever leave them (although I have a sinking suspicion). Here are the results over 10 such SNGs.

Rio SNGs played: 10
ITM: 7 out of 10
1st Place: 3
2nd Place: 3
3rd Place: 1
Lost: 4
Total Buy-Ins: $230
Total Winnings: $151
ROI: 66%

Now, let me explain the Rios, in case you have not read me extolling their virtues. Rios are 6-person SNGs, with a structure somewhere between turbo and regular (but leaning toward turbo). The buy-in is $23, and the top 3 places pay ($60, $36, and $24), so you have a 50% chance of ending in the money. In addition, if you place 1st 6 times in a row, you win a bonus of (currently) $25,000. If you place 1st or 2nd 6 times in a row, you win $300. In my most recent run, I placed 1st or 2nd in 4 consecutives games, only to be wiped out by a 4-outter on the river. BUT, I still made a good amount of dough.

Here’s the part where I whore myself. If you are interested in playing Rio SNGs, you can play them via NOBLE POKER (click here or on the New banner on the right). The players are weak, the site doesn’t support Poker Tracker (which is good if you are like me and don’t use PT), and they have an incredible 100% bonus, which, in my experience, has been pretty easy to earn. I’m a new affiliate, so I’d appreciate any help!

But really, I did win all of that dough from the Rios. That’s not just an ad pitch. I’m just lucky that the timing was right.

So, where was I? Oh yeah. Well, my bankroll is still moving northward, and I hope to continue the trend. I can feel myself souring on Rios, mostly because I’ve played so many recently and got so close to the bonus. I almost don’t want to mess up my record by trying some more. But try some more I will, as I have more bonus to earn (the fee in SNGs count toward the bonus), and I think I am fooling myself here. I’ve consistently moneyed in these things. All you have to do is play tight. In my most recent loss, it was due to a suckout when there were 6 players still in the game. I should’ve avoided some earlier hands, and I would’ve been okay, but I didn’t and eventually was willing to push pre-flop with AJ (I was called with KQ, and flopped AJ until his river T).

I think I have to cut this short, but if you haven’t done it yet, sign up for the DADI 5: WSOP Satellite at PokerStars. You’re gonna love it!

I got home last night from the bowling alley (236, 270, 178-don’t ask) and I was itching for a game. I IM’ed TripJax and he was done for the night. The regular 45-person SNG was not filling up very fast, so, against my better judgment, I entered the $6 + .50 Turbo 45-person SNG. Apparently, my judgment sucks! I took 1st.

Happy hump-day.

J