Don Biggles

Tiltin' Bill

2005-07-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Bill's movin' on up in the world. Congratulations!

2nd place and ramblings

2005-07-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted in awhile...posted another second in a $1 + $.20 5 table sit and go. In between this and my last 2nd, I busted out of at least 5 of them. This win gets my bankroll back in the black, career to date.

I've been playing some microlimit PLO8, and it's an absolute blast. I really wish PokerStars would spread a razz game; I've played that on FTP and it's quite fun also. Maybe if I make enough on PokerStars I'll cash out and dump the required $50 into FTP.

Any thoughts?

throw the crib door wide

2005-07-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

Another sit and go, another good rush of cards, including my first hammerdrop! I'm so pleased.

Edit: I'm famous! Thanks, Bill :)

working on my stare

2005-07-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

I prefer tournament play to cash games, so I signed up for a $1 + $0.20 multi-table sit & go. 5 tables, top 7 places play.

I played the best poker I've ever played. Getting run over with the deck didn't hurt, either. But I was playing aggressive and my aggression was being respsected. It took about 90 minutes to get down to the final table. After the break, I was either the chip leader or 2nd place for the majority of the time. After another 20 minutes we were down to 3. Very soon after, it was heads up! The first hand was a nailbiter:

The hand after that, however was my undoing, as my flush draw missed and he made his straight on the turn. Still, 2nd place is my best finish (even only out of 45) and $10 is nothing to sneeze at.

man it's so loud in here

2005-07-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

So I deposited $25 into PokerStars (the minimum, vs. a $50 minimum for FTP). I bought in for $2 into a $.02/$.04 table, and have been absolutely run over by the deck. I'm up 6BB (was 10). I've had Aces 3 times (only got cracked once). Of course, saying you're up 6BB isn't that impressive when it means your net profit is $0.24.

244/900

2005-07-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

Only 240 out of the money. Feh.

The killers:

I have QhJh and limp (my fatal mistake, I'm sure...I have problems playing hands like KQ, KT, QJ, AJ strongly, not sure if I should or not). Flop comes A-x-x with 2 hearts. I bet 200 (blinds are 50/100, pot was something like 800), everyone folds to Mr. Dumbass, who raises all-in. I go into the tank and eventually call. He shows K4o, I don't improve and I'm down to T25.

Next hand, I at least get KTo, so I'm all in. Board eventually comes K-x-4-4-x (here's where that K4 would've been nice). Mr. Dumbass (again) this hand has Big Slick and IGHN. I definitely need to improve my preflop play (if there should be any preflop play) on those aforementioned hands.

Shuffle up and Deal (part the second)!

2005-07-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Off we go again! Start with T1500, blinds at 15/30. Down to 1440. FTP's client is certainly nicer than that ESPN one. :)

Update: Hit a mini rush: AQo flops the nut straight, knocks out a player w/ the lower straight draw, 98o. Next hand, I take down then pot with pocket Qs when an Ace hits on the turn. Up to T2940, blinds at 20/40.

Full Tilt Freeroll

2005-07-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Since I still don't actually have any money in the bank account I'm going to be using to fund my online poker endeavors, I'm still freeroll hunting. FullTilt has a 900 player NLHE freeroll that seems to pay real money. First place pays $8...sign me up!

I added the Rocket Watch over there on the side to keep track of how my Aces hold up. I'll try to include screenshots in the future (didn't think of it for the first one).

Also, I'd like to hear any comments you have of how I played the hand. Should I just have pushed allin preflop? He had just forced me to fold semi-large bets on the previous hand, and had about twice the number of chips I did.

Well that sucked.

2005-07-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

So that was a quick night.

Downhill slide starts here:

Pick up KQo, limp in for $50, person to my left raises to $100, I call. Flop comes A-x-x, bet $200, same person raises to $400, I fold. Bad bet on my part.

Very next hand:

AA, raise to 400, same person to my left calls. Flop comes Q-9-8, I push for $710 or so, guy calls, having J-10 for the flopped straight!

Feh. Finished 801 out of 1500.

Quick quick quick!

2005-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Man, the software gives you no chance to breathe. Table moves and everything else happen lightning fast. Plus the software takes focus for no bloody reason sometimes. Very annoying. I've won 2 pots, both on steals (one of which was the blinds, the other one was an all in after the flop, causing the original raiser to fold). Up to T1320, almost at level 4.

ESPN Poker Client

2005-07-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

The client that the ESPN poker thing uses isn't too shabby. Table moves are kind of sudden, and there's no hand histories. But you can configure it for a 4 color deck, and there are other options that seem to be standard on some of the other sites.

4^H 5 hands dealt, 5 hands folded. The blinds seem to go up every 8-10 minutes, at least at first. Blinds go up in 3 minutes.

Shuffle up and deal!

2005-07-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm in the "Daily Big Play" (a misnomer since this seems to be the 3rd or so of these today). Those who place in the top 20 in one of these gain entry into a weekly qualifier tournament, held on Sundays. The top 50 finishers from the Sunday Qualifiers gain entry into the Final Tournament. The winner of this tournament receives the "Final Tournament Grand Prize Package", which is curiously, not elaborated on further on this page.

Cards are in the air! T1200 to start, 5/10 blinds. I fold K6s on my first hand. Updates when they're relevant.

First Post!

2005-07-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

I've been playing some free online poker lately, and am thinking about taking the plunge and depositing at a site. I'm waffling between PokerStars and FullTilt (I hate the interface at Party and UltimateBet). PokerStars seems to have more players and tables running, but I like the idea behind FullTilt's site (pros playing, not hiding anonymously).

While I hash that out, I've been playing on ESPN's poker club thing, trying to win a seat (through multiple freeroll tournaments) to the US Poker Championships. Probably won't happen, but I'm always interested to see how I fare.

yours fictionally,

biggles