Online poker update

I've been playing a lot of online poker at PokerStars over the last week or so. As mentioned in my last update my credit/bankroll has been swinging up and down. I've had some good results over the last few days and I'm now up to $46 in the account (from the initial $5 credit that I won). I know why they call it "grinding" because its hard work building the balance. Its good practice and experience tho and when I get it in to the 3 or 4 figure range it'll be quite an achievement to have started from literally nothing.

I was initially playing the 18, 27 and 45 man games for $1 + 20c buy-ins. I did fairly well but soon realised that the time spent playing just wasn't worth the paltry return on investment. I know "hourly rate" is a concept for the pro players and its not lost on me now either. I also checked out the ring games and found the same thing. I'd win at the smallest tables but for the time you spend on there its just not worth the effort. I stepped up a level but had some sick beats and my account balance suffered. Two that stick in my mind ... pocket 10's verse ace king, flop comes ace, ten, jack ... he pushes all-in with his ace, I call with my trips knowing I've got him smashed and then the cards run king, queen to fill his straight. Another hand I have pocket 3's and there are 3 or 4 players to the flop. Board comes queen, 2, 3 ... first player pushes all-in likely bluffing, second player calls likely hitting the queen so I push over the top with my trip 3's. Second player turns over ace-queen which I put him on so I'm well ahead until the board runs 4, 5 to fill his straight with the ace. OUCH!

Anyway, with my bankroll around $15 after this session I decide to go back to the tournaments which I do well at. With the hourly rate concept in the back of my mind I decide to stick to the 27 man games and the 45 man turbos and multi-table (2 or 3 games at once). These have better pay-outs for high finishes plus playing the turbo means the blinds go up quicker and therefore the tournament is over sooner.

After spending one night seemingly bubbling (finishing one spot out of the cash) every tournament, I've done very well over the last two nights. Last night I finally finished first in one of the 45 man turbos winning $14. Nothing fantastic but a nice result for me considering I've come 2nd at least 4 or 5 times now (probably more). At one stage last night I knew I was going well when I was playing 2 x 45 man turbos and a 27 man game and realised I was final table on all 3. I ended up coming 2nd in two and 4th in another.

For me, like in APL (Australian Poker League) its not about how many tournaments you win but about consistency and of course increasing the bankroll.

Ratings up for World Series of Poker

Following on from my last post about the World Series of Poker, here's an article about the television ratings for the changed format. Click on the title below to read the full story.

ESPN: Ratings up for World Series of Poker finale - International Herald Tribune

LAS VEGAS: Television ratings for this week's World Series of Poker final table were up about 50 percent from its broadcast last year, in part, because the show aired the same day play finished instead of months later, ESPN and tournament officials said Thursday.

The World Series of Poker said the number of viewers who watched 22-year-old Peter Eastgate win the main event and its $9.15 million prize was higher than the cable network's average for regular season major league baseball and NBA games last season.

ESPN says roughly 1.9 million households tuned in to watch the final table, compared with 1.25 million households in 2007.

The show's ratings were 18 percent higher than in 2003, when Chris Moneymaker won the tournament, World Series of Poker organizers said. Many poker followers point to Moneymaker's win as an amateur in the tournament as the beginning of a boom for the no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament. Participation in the event grew from then until 2006, but declined in 2007.

Peter Eastgate Becomes Youngest-ever ME Winner

I got together with a few friends from APL on Sunday to watch the final table of this year's World Series of Poker. I had only watched a couple of the early episodes but the preview show was quite thorough so I didn't feel like I've missed too much of the action. I'm sure I'll watch the rest of the lead-up in the next few days.

The final table package that ESPN put together was very entertaining. Congratulations to Peter Eastgate on his win and becoming the youngest player ever to win the title. He had a good run on the final table with a numbers of players trying to bluff him off strong hands at the wrong time and quickly took them out.

The set up of the final table in the Penn & Teller Theatre made for an awesome atmosphere with fans going nuts for the players they were supporting. It was no surprise to see Michael Buffer come out to introduce the heads-up battle ... lllllllllllet's get ready to rumble!!

Below is one of the articles about the win ... click on the title for the rest of the story.

2008 WSOP Main Event Day 9: Peter Eastgate Becomes Youngest-ever ME Winner | Poker News

After nearly four months of waiting, the final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event concluded last night in a battle of rising poker superstars. 27-year-old Ivan Demidov had already locked up the title of biggest Russian money winner in WSOP history, and was looking to become the first Russian Main Event champ after his third-place finish in the WSOP Europe Main Event in September. Peter Eastgate was looking to be the first Danish Main Event champ, and also had his sights set on the title of youngest Main Event champion ever, a title held by Phil Hellmuth for nearly twenty years. After a grueling back-and-forth, heads-up battle on the stage at the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio, Eastgate took the title in one last confrontation of big hands to lay claim to the bracelet and the $9,152,416 top prize.

Massive poker hand

We all know poker can be a sick, sick game. I was on youtube this morning sending a video clip to some friends when I came across this hand.

I won't ruin the action by explaining what happens but there is a world-class fold pre-flop only to be spited by the poker gods on the flop ...

My first royal flush

Its been a while since I've posted, but I'll make up for that in the next few days.

Tonight I had my first Royal Flush!! Playing PokerStars on the micro sit'n go's, midway through a 45 man tournament. I was small blind with king of hearts, 8 of clubs. The flop comes queen of hearts, jack of hearts, ten of hearts. Love it ... bet ... get called. Big blind was short-stack so he was all-in. Next card out king of diamonds, bet again, call. Final card the ace of hearts ... beauty!! I push although its not too much ... other guy folds but I still more than double up. I have a screenshot of it but can't figure out yet how to put that on here.

Ran well tonight, out of maybe 10 games I cashed 4 or 5 of them. Three 2nds a 3rd and a 5th. Playing only 45 man turbos or 27 man normal games.

After struggling over the last week or two with my "bankroll" (or lack there of), I now have it at its highest point yet. Starting with the free $5 I won, I'm now up to $35. I'd keep playing tonight when I'm doing well but have a big day tomorrow. For the last week I've been up and down, getting it to $25 at some points and then having it under $5 once or twice.

(That's me with the king of hearts, 8 of clubs. I was small blind, had chips and the big blind didn't. Thankfully Jospin on the other side of the table was in the hand too but folded to my bet on the river. It was a good almost triple up for me mid-tournament.)