Tuesday 15 July 2008

Rollercoaster Ride

I recently signed up to PKR in the hope that the nice graphics and adverts will attract some casual players.

Add to that 30% rakeback and $600 of first deposit match bonus and I was hoping to build from there.

The software is quite good to look at but the action can be a bit slower than othersites and I've found that playing more than one table is very difficult as the cards are hidden until you look at them so I'm only playing 1 table at a time.

Anyway, last night I had a couple of hours playing $1/$2 no limit full table starting with a full buy in.

To say I had some wild swings is an understatment of massive proportions.

The first noteable hand I had was holding KK v AA, he raised in late position to $12, I reraised to $40, he made it $120 and I went all in for $160 which he called.

Then he called me a donkey when the flop came KTK.

I've read a few articles by people who think that in this sort of situation folding to the reraise is -ev.

Next came a hand where I raised to $8 in late position with Kh9s. With 2 callers the flop came down QhJhTh flopping me a straight and up and down straight flush draw.

I lead out for $16 and was called and reraised to $50 I raised all in and was called by both players, the check raiser with AQ for the flopped higher straight and the button with AhKs for top pair and nut flush draw.

So now I've gone from thinking I've probably got the best hand or best draw to needng the 9h for the straight flush as my only out!

Should I have been thinking about folding in that spot?

I know I'm not drawing dead whatever scenario and I presume it's just one of those hands I can't get away from.

I would be interested to hear whether others think I played it wrongly.

Next came another pair of kings in the small blind after a button raise.

I flat called the $12 as did one other.

The flop came down AQ9 rainbow and I'm cursing the A knowing I'm now behind so I checked and the button bet $12 but I decided to call in the hope that a K would allow me to stack a big Ace.

- this is where, in hindsight, I know I should have folded.

Anyway the king came on the turn and now I bet $50 which was called by the limper and raised by the button.

I called thinking, you can't have TJ and so did the limper who had TJ, and the button had AA, so I'm drawing dead to the case K!

I also got a pair of tens in the session with a T4T flop, but, of the 2 other players that also checked the flop, the small stack of $31 bet £20 on the third heart turn card which I called hoping the button had a flush.

He folded and then, to cap it all, a 4th heart came on the river and small stack check folded for his last $11 obviosuly not having a heart!

Another hand involved a flop of 568 when I held 56, the turn 5 giving me a full house that lost to the pocket eights of my opponent and my session went from $200 to $0, reload, down to $130 up to $530, and back down to $100 finishing at $150.

Then tonight, withing 10 minutes I've got 66 in the big blind and call the $4 raise from the UTG which was called by the sb.

The flop came K65, I checked, utg bets $12 I raised to $48 and utg is all in for $130 and its 666 v KKK. I've never known so many big hands to come up against each other in such a short space of time.

Damn variance!!!

I hope it's not the way i'm playing it!!!

11 comments:

  1. I too just joined PKR but am just playing the SnG's at the mo and am having some success.

    I too thought it would be full of Video Gamers but there is some surprisingly good play even at the lower levels. I have already noticed a few of the same names rolling around the same levels, so pretty much the same as other sites really.

    One thing I have noticed though is that seeing "characters" sitting around the table has helped me to read the players better rather than just text in a box. So perhaps this will improve my live game.

    Regards

    GTheJester (NumberEight on PKR)

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  2. I agree and the fact that you can see them looking at their cards to see if they have a flush draw gives you a bit more info but it is definitely slower and much more difficult to multi table in my view.

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  3. How r u finding it now after a few weeks Michael, l tried it for a while(4 months)and didn't find too much value there!

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  4. I found the players at PKR were horribel and there is loads of value in all their games, shame that it is almost impossible to multi-table and the games are that slow you can twice as many per hour at a "normal" site.

    Also, I seemed more interested in buying t-shirts etc for my avatar than playing poker! LOL!

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  5. Michael,

    Could you give me a shout if you get a minute.

    nick325583@btinternet.com
    pokerlobster@hotmail.co.uk

    Many thanks

    www.bigslick.co.uk

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  6. As Pud says Mick, it just takes too long and whilst I have a $600 bonus to clear I will persevere but if/ when I clear that I will go back to one of the regular sites I use, most likely Ladrokes.

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  7. Mike, cut the shit, what the fuck are you doing with a poker blog when you are fucking shite at the game ?

    You only play £5 rebuy comps or maybe when your brave play a £20 freezout and you still never win.

    What the fuck have you ever won at poker you daft slaphead ?

    Its just like my nan having a blog about american football.

    Do yourself a favour and go back to being a rentboy xx

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  8. I totally disagree with that last comment about Mike being crap at poker.

    Me and my all my friends have a private game with Mike every saturday and he usually finishes up at the end of the game.

    I cant wait till my mum gives me my pocket money so i can sit at the table with the master again !

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  9. Leave Mike alone he is a great guy.

    So what if hes an ugly slaphead who takes it up the arse and stinks of b.o.

    Its whats inside that counts.

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  10. Lol, I'm not even going to delete your comments cos they are so funny and say a lot more about you than me!

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  11. only really thick twats slag a blogger off without signing in. Perhaps it would show who has obviously been beaten recently by a better player. You should also read more and take note of some of the bigger money cash hands hd played in and won. I dont suppose you were ever even close to becoming pub poker champion were you ?

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