Tuesday, April 27, 2004

I'm hooked on freeroll tournaments

I happened to get a seat at a Ladbrokes poker tournament tonight, a freeroll tournament in online no limit Texas Hold'em where you don't have to pay but can win real money.

I haven't played much real online poker, mostly only with "play money" and never been in a (freeroll)tournament, so I was happy to just partake in it.

I had prepared. Beverage, candy, cheat sheet (guidelines for when to play and not). I had drawn up a plan. Primary goal was just to survive. Secondary goal to survive a few levels. Tertiary to win money, any money. (1st place gave $1762.50, 130th $7.50)

Thanks for playing... We (all 2500 players in the tournament) start out with $1500 each.

First hand, I get dealt a pair of deuces as hole cards. I said I would play carefully, so I just follow and call all the way to the river and still have the same (could have hoped for a set). On the river betting everybody checks, so that doesn't cost me more but I lose (don't remember to what) and I'm already down $240. How can I possibly play deuces to the end?

Round two. Let's get ready to rrrumble! Dealt Kc, Js. Nice, I'll play these, just call the $20. Hooray, the flop gives me a pair of kings, and there was two spades giving me the possibility of a flush. The players before me fold or check and I bet $100, some follow. The turn, another spade. The players before me fold or check and I bet $100, some follow. The river. Another spade. This is a whole gundang toolshed, but most importantly, I have a f-l-u-s-h.

The only remaining player except me bets a lot (don't remember if he went all-in, or just bet more than I had...) but I have to go all-in. My thinking went "flush is a good hand. I have the jack, the ace and king of spades are on the table together with another spade. He probably also has a flush but the odds are low that he has the queen. I can't NOT play a flush.".

Showdown time... Whammo. He has Full House, aces full of deuces.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they call it gambling.


I bet against the possibility that the opponent would have a better hand. One can't wait for an unbeatable royal straight flush, the odds for that are so low your money will be eaten up by the blinds.

Pity, I didn't even have time to get a feel for the players, this was the second hand, remember? Hadn't barely had time to sit down at get comfortable or have a closer look at the cards. I was just like, ya'know; "Flush!", "The ace of spades, the ace of spades!" \m/

(Finished 2432nd place out of 2500 players. The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry, and leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy.)

No comments: