The definition of break even

Up late again. Last night I spent my session trying to parlay a $5.25 heads up SNG "shot" into a token. Won the first one, played a 2nd and won that. Entered a $6.60 token sng and got 2nd for another $4. Entered an $8.70 turbo token 2 table sng and whiffed. Overall I still finished up a few bucks.

I was 6 tabling over the weekend during SNG Madness. It's a Full Tilt promotion where they reward the top finishers at each stake level for ever 2 hour block of time, all weekend long. I really just wanted to see how far up the leaderboard I could get and the answer was: not very. You really have to do like 10-20 turbo tables at a time to stand a chance. I mean, think about it how many SNG's can you really play in 2 hours time if you're lasting in the majority of them? They average an hour's play time. If they calculate points by cashes then you have to cash in an assload to get up to the top.

My first batch of SNGs I did well 2 firsts, 3 2nds and a 3rd out of 15. The next day I tried to do turbo 6 mans and it didn't go quite so well and I ended down.

As for TONIGHT, instead of trying for another token mission I went back to grinding regular SNGs. After 6 tabling during SNG madness, I'm now going to be 4 tabling from here on out. Which brings me to the title of this post and it's accompanying visual aid. I played 11 9 man sngs and an 18 man for shits and giggles. 2 firsts, 1 second and a third for the 9 mans and no cash in the 18 man leads to exactly break even for the night:



To the far right you'll see the ending balance column 2nd from the right. Just above the highlighted portion it starts with 130.13, and it ends with.....130.13! I just thought that was amusing.

Another thing that made me crack up last night was in that turbo token game. First hand a guy busts out with turned trip fours when he gets all the money in against a guy who flopped an open ended straight flush draw with 35 of clubs. River hits a straight and the guy just types

loll
lol
lol
lol
lol
lol

I just couldn't stop cracking up for some reason. Simple minds are amused by simple things I guess. All I could do was type lol in the chat myself.

Wow even MORE pathetic

Played 3 point satellites for the big Sunday game. Two of them turbo 54 mans, and a regular 18 man. Both types the top 2 "cash" with 2nd getting points and first the seat.

I just got 3RD IN ALL THREE OF THEM.

This always happens to me. I'm on tilt and off to work.

*)&$*)$*(^@)(#*^$(*#@^$)@#$&*(

JUST finished playing a total of 10 turbo freerolls to try and satellite into a round 2 WSOP tourney. The last two tournaments I run well and make two final tables. Top 2 get the seat, I got 3rd and 4th.

I know it's free but I'm still pissed. I don't care how stupid that makes me sound.

2:30am random stuff post

I've been slacking on SNGs the last week or so, instead playing a few more tournaments. You know the usual hoping to run like God and make a halfway decent score. Nothing to report there. I did fire up some SNGs around 1am tonight and got sick lucky for 3 first places. The fourth SNG I busted in 8th when QQ cracked my rockets on the river. Can't complain because of how bulletproof I was in more than one of my other SNGs.

Kristina and I have started a baby blog @ http://babykinney.blogspot.com. I've linked it on the right hand side of the page. Oh and by the way, I'd love to snag a few more followers on this and that blog too. So if you're just lurking with a google or gmail account and you haven't signed up as a follower, you should. :) I think they've made it fairly easy with a follow button in the spot where all the followers are listed.

It's SXSW right now and I've never bought a wristband and done it up despite having been here for over 10 years. It's just too expensive, and you're not just paying for the wristband. There's gas, drinks, food, etc. Anyways, I did finally check out a free show at Auditorium Shores with Jason and his girl Allison. I was there to see M. Ward who's become one of my absolute favorite artists, especially his album with actress Zoeey Deschanel. Together they're called She and Him. Here's a few links to videos of them, and also some M. Ward on his own. The show was great!

You Really Got a Hold On Me cover



Black Hole (I'm trying to learn this one on guitar)


Lonesome Town cover (just found this one tonight, I know it by Ricky Nelson from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack)



M. Ward - Fuel For Fire



Paul's Song is one of my favorites from the Transistor Radio album



Hold Time (title track of the newest album)

Quick summary of the cash game

There ended up being 7 of us altogether. Pat, Travis, Eric, Jason, Herby, Me and Bruce. Pat and Jason I think made about $50 a piece and I ended up like $5. I ended up invested for $40 because I didn't make a ridiculously easy laydown.

It was holdem and I had 92o in the big blind. Bruce was on my left and straddled, a bunch of callers so I decide to look at a flop for a good price. Bruce has the option and mini raises 50 more cents, everyone calls of course. Flop is 994. Everyone checks. Turn's a 6 I think, putting 2 clubs out. I bet $2 and then Jason who's in the small blind check raises $10 on top of it.

So here's why it's the easiest laydown ever: there's no hand I can beat that he plays like that. There's no way he has any big pair because he'd most likely raise it up preflop. He wouldn't call and then call Bruce's mini raise with a hand as strong as Aces Kings or Queens. There's too many people in the pot already. And he wouldn't check it behind on the flop either. Couple all that info with the fact that most people don't have the balls to make huge checkraises on the turn with nothing Jason has to have either a 9 (any kicker is better than mine) or he already has a full house with 44 or 66.

It had been 3 hours or so already and my stack was still basically even and psychologically I guess I wanted to either double it or lose it so I put my money in there like an idiot.

Another hand worth mentioning is Pat almost cracking my QQ with 23 of spade. Flop came like 224 after I had raised it up. Red flags go up when he calls my continuation bet, they usually should when someone smooth calls you on a paired board like that. Luckily I spiked the Q on the turn. Checked around. Then I got $7 from him on the 9 river. He had a good laugh turning his hand over.

By far the funniest pot of the night was in crazy pineapple though. It was a 3 way all in between me, Bruce and Jason. I had QQJ, Bruce had AAx, and Jason had QT7. So anyways the way the action went Jason raised, Herby called, I reraise, Bruce shipped it, Jason calls, Herby wants to play but he knows I'm going to put the rest of my $20 behind in so he folds reluctantly.

The funny part is that the 3 of us still in turn our hands over, but so do Pat, Travis and Herby to see if they'd have won. The PROBLEM was that it's crazy pineapple so the 3 of us still have to throw a card away and now we know what some of the folded cards are. And it made a difference to ME because the flop comes Jack high and I'm looking at a Queen in Jason's hand, and the LAST Queen in Herby's. There's no way I'm spiking a Q to crack Bruce's rockets. Pat has a Jack face up, so really I have to throw away a Queen and hope to hit a J or running cards for a straight.

Did I do that? No. I'm an idiot and I guess I gave up on winning the hand so I threw the damn Jack away like a fool.

Did I mention I'm retarded?

7 weeks now?

It still doesn't seem like Kristina's pregnant. It just hasn't hit home yet, and it probably won't really until she starts showing. Maybe when we hear the heartbeat which won't be too long.

So far the biggest challenge she's faced is being tired all the time. Her taste buds have been affected too so that green veggies are not sitting well with her. She normally likes them way more than me, but they just make her want to gag now. That's supposed to change in the 2nd trimester.

A couple of weeks ago she was still cramping and bleeding a little bit. It made her worried so she went back to the doctor and they saw that her progesterone levels were at half of what they should be. So since then she's been taking that prescription twice a day and will be for the rest of the month. Apparently low progesterone can be a major culprit for miscarriages, so thank goodness we caught that. It makes us wonder whether that was why her cycle was so off to begin with instead of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).

This past Tuesday we went to the State Department of Health and Human Services to apply for Medicaid assistance. We both felt really out of place in the waiting area. The room was filled with Hispanic mothers with young kids. We met with a younger girl named Tierra who was AWESOME. She left out all of my income information so that we would qualify, because if she had entered what was in our savings account we wouldn't have.

She told us she's got a bone to pick with the system because people like us come in all the time who have been working and are just having a hard time but can't qualify because they have money saved up. If you think about it that really is backwards because why should we be punished for being responsible and doing what we're supposed to do you know? So between Tierra and Pat at the gyno's office "hiding" us from the insurance company when Kristina had her initial ultrasound, God is really blessing us in more ways than one.

I got a text last night from Rob while I was at La Zona Rosa watching Adele. It said he's got $75 collected from people who are making bets as to what the gender of the baby will be. I was curious to know which was the running favorite: girl by $5. :)

Well I guess that's about it for now. I'm going to have some serious fun this weekend. My DJ friend Eli's coming over and we're going to spin some house records, something I haven't done in AGES. Then Sunday there's a cash game at Bruce's. Hopefully I'll do OK. I haven't played cash game since the last time we played at Eric's. Hopefully all this SNG action hasn't affected my cash game negatively.

Some hands from the sngs tonight

When I'm playing now I copy and paste hands that I want to review later into a notepad file. I played 6 games tonight so there were quite a few, but here are the most interesting ones.

This one got me into the money after playing super super nitty (tight) all game long.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11076857890: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (83335485), Table 1 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:22:26 ET - 2009/03/11
Seat 5: SHOT606 (7,490)
Seat 6: Dray (965)
Seat 7: liquid2083 (1,690)
Seat 8: ThirdHand (2,860)
Seat 9: RookieB (495), is sitting out
SHOT606 posts the small blind of 40
Dray posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Dray [3h As]
liquid2083 folds
ThirdHand has 15 seconds left to act
ThirdHand calls 80
RookieB folds
SHOT606 folds
Dray checks
*** FLOP *** [8s 6c Ah]
Dray checks
ThirdHand checks
*** TURN *** [8s 6c Ah] [Kc]
Dray has 15 seconds left to act
Dray bets 160
ThirdHand raises to 480
Dray has 15 seconds left to act
Dray raises to 885, and is all in
ThirdHand calls 405
Dray shows [3h As]
ThirdHand shows [Ts Ks]
*** RIVER *** [8s 6c Ah Kc] [3d]
Dray shows two pair, Aces and Threes
ThirdHand shows a pair of Kings
Dray wins the pot (1,970) with two pair, Aces and Threes
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1,970 | Rake 0
Board: [8s 6c Ah Kc 3d]
Seat 5: SHOT606 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: Dray (big blind) showed [3h As] and won (1,970) with two pair, Aces and Threes
Seat 7: liquid2083 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: ThirdHand showed [Ts Ks] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 9: RookieB (button) didn't bet (folded)


Half lost my mind, half almost at the desperation point The BB was tighter than me and I'm super nitty.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11077138604: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (83335403), Table 1 - 80/160 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:42:12 ET - 2009/03/11
Seat 1: GoldFish50 (1,030)
Seat 3: Dray (1,730)
Seat 4: antigravity99 (4,870)
Seat 5: bullheaded52 (2,955)
Seat 6: chevyman1968 (955)
Seat 7: PandaPandaBear (1,960)
bullheaded52 posts the small blind of 80
chevyman1968 posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Dray [4s Ks]
PandaPandaBear folds
GoldFish50 folds
Dray raises to 1,730, and is all in
antigravity99 has 15 seconds left to act
antigravity99 raises to 4,870, and is all in
bullheaded52 folds
chevyman1968 folds
antigravity99 shows [Qh Ad]
Dray shows [4s Ks]
Uncalled bet of 3,140 returned to antigravity99
*** FLOP *** [7d Kd 5s]
*** TURN *** [7d Kd 5s] [8c]
*** RIVER *** [7d Kd 5s 8c] [5h]
antigravity99 shows a pair of Fives
Dray shows two pair, Kings and Fives
Dray wins the pot (3,700) with two pair, Kings and Fives
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3,700 | Rake 0
Board: [7d Kd 5s 8c 5h]
Seat 1: GoldFish50 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: Dray showed [4s Ks] and won (3,700) with two pair, Kings and Fives
Seat 4: antigravity99 (button) showed [Qh Ad] and lost with a pair of Fives
Seat 5: bullheaded52 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: chevyman1968 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 7: PandaPandaBear didn't bet (folded)


Didn't listen to my instincts on this one. Bad laydown and it could've won me the game.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11077302383: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (83335562), Table 1 - 120/240 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:54:19 ET - 2009/03/11
Seat 1: Lil lil meat (3,340)
Seat 6: jeebussaveme (5,560)
Seat 8: Dray (4,600)
jeebussaveme posts the small blind of 120
Dray posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Dray [4s Qs]
Lil lil meat calls 240
jeebussaveme folds
Dray checks
*** FLOP *** [9h Qd 2s]
Dray checks
Lil lil meat bets 600
Dray calls 600
*** TURN *** [9h Qd 2s] [Tc]
Dray checks
Lil lil meat bets 2,500, and is all in
Dray has 15 seconds left to act
Dray has requested TIME
Dray folds
Uncalled bet of 2,500 returned to Lil lil meat
Lil lil meat shows [7d 6c] Queen Ten high
Lil lil meat wins the pot (1,800)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1,800 | Rake 0
Board: [9h Qd 2s Tc]
Seat 1: Lil lil meat (button) collected (1,800)
Seat 6: jeebussaveme (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 8: Dray (big blind) folded on the Turn

I didn't like the spade but I figured there were still a lot of hands I was ahead of to call the turn min bet.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11077457007: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (83341694), Table 1 - 15/30 - No Limit Hold'em - 1:05:54 ET - 2009/03/11
Seat 1: Pecascyn (1,710)
Seat 2: dalls23 (1,455)
Seat 3: damgdgoods (1,455)
Seat 4: Hymen Crusher (1,185)
Seat 5: Mrs BlueJacket (1,470)
Seat 6: Dray (1,500)
Seat 7: kmason187 (1,665)
Seat 8: winer100 (1,560)
Seat 9: Claudia59 (1,500)
Mrs BlueJacket posts the small blind of 15
Dray posts the big blind of 30
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Dray [2h 4c]
kmason187 calls 30
winer100 folds
Claudia59 folds
Pecascyn folds
dalls23 folds
damgdgoods folds
Hymen Crusher calls 30
Mrs BlueJacket calls 15
Dray checks
*** FLOP *** [Ts 2d As]
Mrs BlueJacket checks
Dray checks
kmason187 checks
Hymen Crusher checks
*** TURN *** [Ts 2d As] [4s]
Mrs BlueJacket has 15 seconds left to act
Mrs BlueJacket bets 120
Dray has 15 seconds left to act
Dray calls 120
kmason187 folds
Hymen Crusher folds
*** RIVER *** [Ts 2d As 4s] [5d]
Mrs BlueJacket checks
Dray checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mrs BlueJacket shows [2s 4h] two pair, Fours and Twos
Dray shows [2h 4c] two pair, Fours and Twos
Mrs BlueJacket ties for the pot (180) with two pair, Fours and Twos
Dray ties for the pot (180) with two pair, Fours and Twos
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 360 | Rake 0
Board: [Ts 2d As 4s 5d]
Seat 1: Pecascyn didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: dalls23 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: damgdgoods didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: Hymen Crusher (button) folded on the Turn
Seat 5: Mrs BlueJacket (small blind) showed [2s 4h] and won (180) with two pair, Fours and Twos
Seat 6: Dray (big blind) showed [2h 4c] and won (180) with two pair, Fours and Twos
Seat 7: kmason187 folded on the Turn
Seat 8: winer100 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: Claudia59 didn't bet (folded)

One bad beat.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11077683932: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (83339971), Table 1 - 80/160 - No Limit Hold'em - 1:24:32 ET - 2009/03/11
Seat 1: GPMauser (2,550)
Seat 7: Dray (3,290)
Seat 8: maddog593 (7,660)
GPMauser posts the small blind of 80
Dray posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Dray [As Kd]
maddog593 folds
GPMauser calls 80
Dray raises to 480
GPMauser calls 320
*** FLOP *** [4d Js Ac]
GPMauser checks
Dray checks
*** TURN *** [4d Js Ac] [8h]
GPMauser bets 960
Dray calls 960
*** RIVER *** [4d Js Ac 8h] [2h]
GPMauser bets 1,110, and is all in
Dray calls 1,110
*** SHOW DOWN ***
GPMauser shows [Jc 8c] two pair, Jacks and Eights
Dray mucks
GPMauser wins the pot (5,100) with two pair, Jacks and Eights
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5,100 | Rake 0
Board: [4d Js Ac 8h 2h]
Seat 1: GPMauser (small blind) showed [Jc 8c] and won (5,100) with two pair, Jacks and Eights
Seat 7: Dray (big blind) mucked [As Kd] - a pair of Aces
Seat 8: maddog593 (button) didn't bet (folded)


This was not long after Dred had doubled up after being shorter than me for what seemed like an eternity. I was just trying to make the money and wait for him to get elimnated but now that I'm the only technical short stack, I pretty much went into fuck it mode.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11077927128: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (83341497), Table 1 - 100/200 - No Limit Hold'em - 1:45:58 ET - 2009/03/11
Seat 1: Gurtbfrobe42 (3,795)
Seat 2: Dray (1,325)
Seat 3: Jarhead76 (5,580)
Seat 8: dred1002 (2,800)
dred1002 posts the small blind of 100
Gurtbfrobe42 posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Dray [5c Js]
Dray raises to 1,325, and is all in
Jarhead76 folds
dred1002 calls 1,225
Gurtbfrobe42 folds
Dray shows [5c Js]
dred1002 shows [Ts Ah]
*** FLOP *** [9d Jh Kc]
*** TURN *** [9d Jh Kc] [Jc]
*** RIVER *** [9d Jh Kc Jc] [9s]
Dray shows a full house, Jacks full of Nines
dred1002 shows two pair, Jacks and Nines
Dray wins the pot (2,850) with a full house, Jacks full of Nines
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,850 | Rake 0
Board: [9d Jh Kc Jc 9s]
Seat 1: Gurtbfrobe42 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 2: Dray showed [5c Js] and won (2,850) with a full house, Jacks full of Nines
Seat 3: Jarhead76 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: dred1002 (small blind) showed [Ts Ah] and lost with two pair, Jacks and Nines


I posted this one on 2+2 to see what they thought of my line. I was scared of all the possibilities out there on this flop.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11078011456: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (83341497), Table 1 - 120/240 - No Limit Hold'em - 1:53:38 ET - 2009/03/11
Seat 2: Dray (7,580)
Seat 3: Jarhead76 (4,330)
Seat 8: dred1002 (1,590)
Jarhead76 posts the small blind of 120
dred1002 posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Dray [Qs Ad]
Dray raises to 480
Jarhead76 has 15 seconds left to act
Jarhead76 calls 360
dred1002 folds
*** FLOP *** [Jd Ts Ah]
Jarhead76 checks
Dray checks
*** TURN *** [Jd Ts Ah] [5c]
Jarhead76 has 15 seconds left to act
Jarhead76 checks
Dray bets 720
Jarhead76 has 15 seconds left to act
Jarhead76 calls 720
*** RIVER *** [Jd Ts Ah 5c] [8s]
Jarhead76 checks
Dray has 15 seconds left to act
Dray checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Dray shows [Qs Ad] a pair of Aces
Jarhead76 mucks
Dray wins the pot (2,640) with a pair of Aces
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,640 | Rake 0
Board: [Jd Ts Ah 5c 8s]
Seat 2: Dray (button) showed [Qs Ad] and won (2,640) with a pair of Aces
Seat 3: Jarhead76 (small blind) mucked [Kc Kd] - a pair of Kings
Seat 8: dred1002 (big blind) folded before the Flop


This raise heads up was different than all the others, plus I had lost my momentum from 6 or 7 hands ago.


Full Tilt Poker Game #11078106416: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (83341497), Table 1 - 150/300 - No Limit Hold'em - 2:02:22 ET - 2009/03/11
Seat 2: Dray (4,700)
Seat 3: Jarhead76 (8,800)
Jarhead76 posts the small blind of 150
Dray posts the big blind of 300
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Dray [3d Td]
Jarhead76 raises to 600
Dray raises to 1,800
Jarhead76 calls 1,200
*** FLOP *** [7s 4h 5s]
Dray bets 2,900, and is all in
Jarhead76 calls 2,900
Dray shows [3d Td]
Jarhead76 shows [6h 9d]
Dray: gg
*** TURN *** [7s 4h 5s] [Kd]
*** RIVER *** [7s 4h 5s Kd] [2c]
Dray shows King Ten high
Jarhead76 shows King Nine high
Dray wins the pot (9,400) with King Ten high
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 9,400 | Rake 0
Board: [7s 4h 5s Kd 2c]
Seat 2: Dray (big blind) showed [3d Td] and won (9,400) with King Ten high
Seat 3: Jarhead76 (small blind) showed [6h 9d] and lost with King Nine high

So for the night I played 6 SNGs. 3 thirds and I took down the above game. Ducked into a $2.25 double stack tournament too, but busted with AK vs KQ all in preflop shortly into the 2nd hour.

Next post I think I'll do a pregnancy update. No news on the job front. I'm really loving filling in for production staff at the station. Honestly I could get used to this for a while longer. :)

If you thought Hellmuth was a bad loser

David "Devilfish" Ulliot ladies and gents. Anyone who actually swears at and blames the dealer for their misfortune, ESPECIALLY someone who's been playing as long as this guy, gets a big DOUCHE stamp from me.

Whiney "whoa is me" losers irritate me in the game, but not quite as much as guys like this who actually spit venom and are downright mean.

February recap

First and foremost the BIGGEST news of the month is that Kristina and I are expecting! We've been "at it" for a while now and we didn't think this would happen anytime soon because she doesn't ovulate properly. But last Sunday night when she got back from out of town she took a pregnancy test and it was an instantaneous positive reading. We're both a little worried about the timing of this since I'm out of work. But we have faith that God knows what's going on and that we'll be taken care of in some way shape or form.

As for poker, the SNG experiment went well I think. I'm nowhere close to a reasonable sample size but I definitely put in more volume than I thought I was going to be able to. Here's the breakdown for the month:

120 $2.25 SNGs = $270 invested

11 firsts x $9 = $99
25 seconds x $5.40 = $135
19 thirds x $3.60 = $68.40

$302.40 returned - $32.40 profit

12% ROI (return on investment)
46% cashing rate

Early on I double checked with a new 2+2 friend and he said 45% was a good cash rate to shoot for so that's really the biggest stat to me. Now if I could just get a few more first places dammit. :)

By the way when you're playing 3 games and you cash in all of them it gets REALLY hectic. My computer almost can't handle it. Overall I lost around $16 for the month because of all the damn tournaments I played in. Just goes to show I can't ever stick to ALL of my self imposed rules.