Thursday, December 30, 2004

Money for nothing and the chips for free

Yesterday I finally ended up "in the money" in a freeroll. It takes some waiting, since there are so many participants (usually around six to eight thousand).

You need a bit of luck to build a stack but you've also got to keep in mind that when the blinds are high and your stack is low that if you wait for good cards the payoff will be good from the blinds alone.

I was actually in sixth place (out of 914 remaining of the 7880 entrants) for a while, then I had $42000 and had started with $1000. Nearer the end I was up at $111480. Finally out at 41st place, 130 places paid, which gave me approximately $3.4. We-ell, not very good hourly wages since it took four hours but one has a shot at first place or at least the ten first, which pay better.

Altering the playing style as the game progresses is necessary. In the first stages, don't go broke. Then mix it up with tight-aggressive to make sure you rake in something with good hands. Then consolidate with only superior hands and in the end go for coin tosses.

Then today I entered a cheap Sit-n-Go ten-seater and finished second so from the day before yesterday when I had zero currency units in the account where I've never put any of my own money in, I now have $5. Which can be used for more safe playing. I think I've altered my style a bit, not gambling ("Oh, I might as well put in this too") but keeping the chips until I know I'll win.

Oh, oh, oh, the day before yesterday I went and picked up that cheap (Dice, 500 pieces, five colors, aluminum case) poker chip set I talked about. Sweet! And HEAVY. Next Tuesday it's time for the regular homegame, this will be nice.

Saturday, December 04, 2004

Second place is best loser

We had another little homegame No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament, same gang as last time, but due to circumstances only four could participate so we were done rather quickly.

No good cards for me, and when I got KK on hand the flop came all diamonds, other player bet heavily but I tagged along. There was no flush though, but he had two pair. When it was only me and one other left in the game I had to go all in with a pair of sevens after the flop. He called and had nothing more than A2 on hand. The river was a deuce, haha, the only thing that can stop me now is an ace or a deuce. Yea verily, the river was another deuce and the final standings were the same as last time; same guy winning, me in second place (only the buy-in back this time) and same guy finishing last.

We use the cheap Bicycle poker chips I have, they're really not very nice but will do when you don't have anything else. I found a great deal on a 500 pieces (five colors, a hundred of each) set in an aluminum case. Only 499 of our currency units, other stores take 1000-2000 for it. However, I travelled to the nearest outlet this weekend since I was doing some christmas shopping anyway and they were sold out. "We might get some more next week" but when I called to check they said there were none in this weeks delivery, maybe next week. But then it's all that christmas hoopla so then I can't pick it up. I might get lucky in the days between christmas and New Year's eve. Or I could get a set for christmas. I've let Santa know.

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Snake eyes

At lunch today, I left work to do some christmas shopping and pick up a package (with presents I had mailordered) at the post office.

Can't tell you what I ordered as gifts (no fair peeking!) but for myself I had ordered some dice. And not just any dice, but real casino dice, you know: translucent red acrylic with no round edges, big white dots. And the online order form said that they have actually been used at a Vegas casino and removed from circulation after 8 hours of use. I look closer and at the 4-side on each there's a small indentation and then initials (or two letters) scratched on the surface.

Best of all: The casino was Binion's Horseshoe.

After work I'm now staying here to play some Hold'em online, a $1000 freeroll (1st prize $230) and later there's a $10000 freeroll. I wonder how that will go, because there are thousands of players registered. How many thousands? Well, it says "Max players: 20000" and right now "17289 entrants".

Ouch, just got knocked out of the $1000 freeroll. I had flopped a set (pair of deuces on hand, another deuce came on the flop) and slowplayed it, silly me. I simply didn't see it coming when the remaining opponent went all-in on the river and then shows a straight 2 to 6. Those itty bitty low cards. Why not a proper wheel?

I'll write more tonight when I'm $2300 richer. Buh-bye.