wed. night at drexel

so i buy in for 100 this time, didnt even expect there to be a game, anyway, im sitting with a stack around 110, when in the sb i pick up AA. UTG raises to 10 to go, the very next guy makes it 20... folded around to me... I raise to 40. big blind and UTG fold and original re-raiser puts in 6 more. He has AQ clubs. Flop comes J 6 7 one club...
and yes
it happened
runner
runner
clubs...

oh well..

Down 60 for the night..

Monday Night Poker

So last night i went to a game here at Drexel. Blinds $1/$2 with a %10 rake up to $4. Not that bad. Bought in for $80 and won two big pots early. The first was two pair(i think) and the second was Aces full of kings against Kings full of fives. Board of K K 5 A T.
Anyway, after that took two big hits when my KT two pair lost at an AJ for a straight. Another big loss was when my AK hit top pair and lost to AA. Made it all back and more on a $200 hand with the nut straight but a 3-flush on the board. Cashed out $295 putting me up $215. With that I have hit my goal for september just in time. And since im done poker until next monday, I am pretty happy I met it.

weekend poker

played cards with my cousin and uncle at his house on sat. Then i played in a cash game last night.

Total +27

Tonight its time for the real shit
$1/$2 NL... found a game
hopefully its a well run game so it can be consistantly on my list of things to do on mondays.

past couple days

Played some cards at Tadleys last thursday night. First we had two tournaments and I won both of them. However after the tournaments we played a cash game 4-handed and i got crushed. I got second best hand after second best hand. Ended up down $80 bucks for the night.

Saturday I was down the shore and played a tournament and a cash game. I won the tournament and the cash game. Later that night I won even more in the cash game bringing my weekend total up to $79. Not bad since I made almost all of the money I lost at tadleys.

Got home one Sunday after I went to the eagles game and had cards. We had two tournaments and a cash game. I placed second in both tournaments after getting my AA cracked by K9 all-in in the second tournament, thanks vinny. I ended up down $10.

Finally on my last free night before i move into drexel I had people over last night for cards and MNF. We had a $10 tournament yesterday and I won taking in $30 profit.

That makes my tournament record in my past 10 tournaments pretty sick. In my past 10 tournaments I have finished no lower than 3rd place. I have come in 1st SIX times and come in second THREE times. I came in third once. Thats a pretty good running. Up $19 in this update.

I head off to drexel tommorow and plan on getting some games going as soon as i get there.

Update again

Been a couple of days since last update. I have played twice since then. The first time was two tournaments at my house on Sunday night. I placed second and third in the tournaments ending up down 5 for the night. Tonight we had a small cash game before two tournaments. The cash game was extremely aggressive and i managed to come out of it up $30. Then i proceded to win both of the tournaments totaling $35 in winnings(chopped the second tournament with moose with the larger stack). Not a bad night at all... There arent many hands I can think about to talk about because most of my plays tonight where all-in bluffs or monsters. Right now Im working on player profiles for the South Jersey Shark members. They should be up by weeks end.

Update from the past couple days

Recently I have been playing online alot. I havent written it down, but I think i lost around $50-60 in the begining, and then I found myself to the PLO tables and just crushed them. After reading around I realized that Full Tilt has some of the toughest competition of any online poker room if not the toughest. Realizing this, i decided to try a game other than hold'em where maybe the players arent so tight. And boy was I right. I turned $5 into $25 got up and sat down at a .10 .25 and turned $10 into $40. Bam, just like that I was back to around even for online poker.

A couple of nights ago we finally had a live cash game. The game was small and loose. It consisted of me, Dustin, Tim, Tadley, and Smitty. We played .50 $1 NLHE for a while until we finally decided to play H.O.R.S.E. To those of you who dont know horse is a rotation of Holdem, Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Eights Or Better(a.k.a. Omaha Hi/Lo). It was fun, i ended up being down $15 after the night was over.

One specific hand came up when Tadley raised 5x the BB with AA44 double suited. After the hand was over I questioned his raise and then thought about it. In my thinking, Tadley's raise was probably correct, it just may have been slightly too high. The answer is simple. While this hand does not rank in the top tier of Omaha hi/lo, it is quite possibly sometimes the best hand at a 5 handed table. Consider the following:
The best Hi/lo starting hands are hands such as AA23 AA24 A234 A235 A245 A236 and so on. Tadleys hand probably ranks in the top %40 percent of Omaha starting hands. His bet would(should) get rid of any hands that are ranked in the bottom %50. Meaning if his opponents call his raise, he may be beat preflop, but has potential to hit a set, flush, flush draw, or a low hand. The only mistake with Tadrocks raise would be its too large.
A common mistake of holdem players when they play either type of omaha is overrating the power of having AA as two of their four cards.... hands like AAKK double suited in omaha usually go down and lose to hands like 3478. Anyway, tadley got me to fold a bottom %50 hand and he ended up winning the pot in the end....

Labor Day Tournament Aftermath

Yea so got home to the family party today and played a little family tournament.
I took second with A2 loss to K9 preflop all-in. Got my money back though.

Tonight we had a 6-man Tournament with Me, Tim, Moose, Vinny, Cook, and Jordan. $5 buy in with $5 rebuys. I rebought once and made a $5 buy from moose to reload me with 17 more chips. I ended up winning the tournament thanks to one monster hand.

I have around 140 in chips. Tim has around 115. Moose has around 75 maybe? I am dealt 78 UTG. I call and tim folds the small blind. Moose has A9. Flop is 689.

To step away from the situation I must say I was reading hands all night. I must have read 3-4 hands out loud and was dead on or nearly close when finally vinny said something like "stop saying them out loud your letting everyone know your reads. At this point moose is in the hand and makes a raise. He asks me what does he have. I lean over to him and whisper AT. He looks at me and says close. flop comes QKx and dariao says he has Qs whatever, then the turn is x and river is A, he shows AT.... everyone was pretty siked. anyway back to the hand...

Moose bets out 10 and i call.
Turn is a 8
Moose bets out 10 and i ask him does he have pocket Queens? I call
River is an 8.
Moose bets 10 and i say ive got Ace nine but Im gonna go all in and say your dont have the Queens.
He calls for around 30 and I take down a monster....
Ended up winning my buyin from franks tourny...

Franks Tournament and some more online

Last night I won a Little more in the cash game, i think it was like 12... Today Frank had his tournament. I started off with a substantially large chip lead. As the clock came closer to 3:30 i realized there was no way i could win the tournament and began loosening up. While waiting for the final table I lost an all in to Vinny 58c against vinnies 99. I ended up goin all in with KT against Q9 on a flop of 8TJ... I had around 8g going into that hand. An average stack. So 10th place out of 24 aint bad i guess when i had to be home. No excuse however. anyway that leaves me down 20 for today... wish i coulda stayed for the cash game though.

Today in the tournament it seemed like a lot of tight players. Not alot of raising which allowed me to limp early and often. All i can do is keep playing. Hopefully i can get into a cash game this week other than online...

bad beats galore

few words to say...

AA vs 55 all-in loss
KK vs AT all-in post-flop with board of T 5 4 Rainbow loss to Tens full of Aces
AK vs 66 all-in post-flop with board of A T 3 loss to Set of Sixes

-$30 online poker

online again

it seems i have found my niche, its the .5 .10 tables at Full Tilt Poker. I completely own them. Today i sat down at two tables and doubled up at both, and became so aggressive i became the only person left at both tables! so I followed this one guy to another table to protect my loose image and just so happens i found two other dudes who play .5 .10 as much as me, i bought in for 5 and dumped it to them... ending up +5 for the session, also fellow SJ Shark tim had a nice run last night at the .25 .50 tables winning 187 bucks.... NICE.... Franks tourny is tommorow and im pumped....

Cash game at Franks

Last night frank had a cash game with about 8 guys. Dustin was the big winner taking in $80 in profit. I ended up $5 putting me $5 closer to my goal for September.

Online Poker

Been playing at the .5 .10 tables recently and made 18 bucks. Not bad. Woulda been much more except lost a big hand ($30) with A9 all in on the flop with two pair to AK who hit his king on the river for a bigger two pair. Oh well, winning at online poker is hard to do so im happy with 18.

Amazing

So last night as i have been doing recently i lurked around the Full Tilt Poker and Pokerstars rooms. Tonight I have seen it all.

Basicly my new favorite player Prahlad Friedman and Mike Matusow were heads up at $50/$100 NL. These guys were battling. I found Mike to be such an asshole and the chat between the two to be so amusing i decided to post it up on here... Ill describe what happened. Mike was drunk which made it all better.

Mike Matusow: I LUV U ROCK
Mike Matusow: LOL
Mike Matusow: HE SHOULD SUCK UP HIS EGO AND PLAY
SOMEONE ELSE
Mike Matusow: HES GOOD PLAEYR
Mike Matusow: if i bust p 1 more hand this game could get
good
Mike Matusow: im like - 450 to bust him on the line
Mike Matusow: lol
Mike Matusow: soon i hope
Mike Matusow: y i am watn my &#!% in your mouith
Mike Matusow: ty
Mike Matusow: ty
Mike Matusow: nl
Mike Matusow: k chat off bb after i bust him
Mike Matusow: rock only playing till 11
Mike Matusow: k
Mike Matusow: 45 min
Mike Matusow: beenup since 2 am
Mike Matusow: funny my cat does the same everyday
Mike Matusow: k
Mike Matusow: had no pari
Mike Matusow: pair
Mike Matusow: had 10 hi toug
Mike Matusow: lolo
Mike Matusow: anotehr cooler gg
Spirit Rock: gg
Spirit Rock: no more?
Spirit Rock: im real bad
Mike Matusow: why i get cooolered vs u every time
Mike Matusow: u are
Spirit Rock: then lets play
Mike Matusow: only iwn cuae u hit flush drawas an di get
oollered

Prahlad busts mike for
Here is where Mike Rebuys for 10000 when Prahlad has over 30g in front of him.


Mike Matusow: oops
Mike Matusow: if i dont get coolered illhave llthe money
Spirit Rock: had a j also
Mike Matusow: but i alway do so
Spirit Rock: almost called
Mike Matusow: illbe honest i though i had a q when i bet river
Mike Matusow: tghen as i was saying please clal illlookked
again
Mike Matusow: lol
Mike Matusow: anotehr suck out
Mike Matusow: when u start misisng u dead
Mike Matusow: cause u a idiot
The above was when Matusow wins all in with 57 against 66 after going all in flopping two pair, Prahlad had open ended with the sixes.


The following came after Prahlad went all in on the river after check raising the flop and betting the turn with non other than the GRIZ. Matusow called with AQ.

Mike Matusow: kiddy games down the fking street
Spirit Rock: you are such an ahol
Mike Matusow: im the best nl player in the world buddy
Spirit Rock: ill never be friends with you again
Mike Matusow: already know that
Spirit Rock: just take the pot nice call
Spirit Rock: no need to needle
Spirit Rock: you fking jerk
Spirit Rock: dont ever speak to me again
Spirit Rock: cant just take the pot
Mike Matusow: hey when i went broke u started needing
Spirit Rock: gotta needle after 32k pot
Mike Matusow: u said i suck come oon coomeo
Mike Matusow: so i came
Spirit Rock: seriously dont even come up to me
Spirit Rock: if you see me in person
Spirit Rock: dont come near me
Mike Matusow: iknow he did
Spirit Rock: just remember that mike
Spirit Rock: tyvm
Spirit Rock: 1 thing i know for sure
Spirit Rock: anyone calls there like that
Spirit Rock: is losing lately
Spirit Rock: fact
Spirit Rock: call everytime you gonna win sometimes
Mike Matusow: p that was the easest call ever
Spirit Rock: you gonna need a lot of luck
Spirit Rock: to beat me
Mike Matusow: yep
Spirit Rock: i always check raise pot then bet 3k into 5k then
all in on river on pure bluff
Spirit Rock: you right
Spirit Rock: very easy call
Mike Matusow: it was
Spirit Rock: if that was a easy call
Spirit Rock: you must be back on drugs
Mike Matusow: n aim just that good sir
Spirit Rock: yeah ive been noticing you been playing real well
lately
Spirit Rock: LOL
Spirit Rock: actually worst ive ever seen you play recently
Spirit Rock: but you just in slump
Mike Matusow: yep
Spirit Rock: i mean you are playing terrible
Spirit Rock: its crazy
Mike Matusow: u wouldnt talk to me for weeks now i play great
and u cry
Mike Matusow: lol
Spirit Rock: never ever seen you paly this bad
Spirit Rock: cant believe i ever gave you chances to be friends
Spirit Rock: oh well thats all done
Spirit Rock: chat off
Spirit Rock: i mean you are truly playing my god aweful
Spirit Rock: insane
Mike Matusow: nh guess the crying is over
Spirit Rock: just call everytime
Spirit Rock: maybe you'll win another won soon
Spirit Rock: YOU HAVE NO CHANCE
Spirit Rock: MIKEY
Spirit Rock: good call to win that 1600 in middle
Spirit Rock: or whatever it was
Spirit Rock: I NEVER HAVE A HAND
Spirit Rock: EVER
Spirit Rock: ALL I DO IS BLUFF
Spirit Rock: AND I NEVER MAKE A HAND
Spirit Rock: JUST CALL ME EVERYTIME
Spirit Rock: DONT EVER FOLD MIKEY
Mike Matusow: lol
Mike Matusow: normal'
Spirit Rock: nice flop
Spirit Rock: a q beats q 10 sick
Spirit Rock: so mike can i get it in writing that you will never
quit me?
Spirit Rock: lol
Mike Matusow: i will always play u
Mike Matusow: u know thath
Spirit Rock: that is terrific!!!!!!!
Mike Matusow: i polay anyone
Spirit Rock: good then i wont have to wait around
Spirit Rock: for people
Mike Matusow: dont worry if i dont bust u ivy will
Spirit Rock: i will always have you to play
Spirit Rock: sweet
Spirit Rock: i heard you claimed i would bust ivey
Spirit Rock: i guess now you changed your mind
Spirit Rock: you sure go back and forth
Spirit Rock: back and forth
Mike Matusow: well that becuse hes not a fking prick like u
Spirit Rock: this thing one day that thing the other day
Mike Matusow: u not a tenth of a player i am or ivy so go cry
Spirit Rock: id rather be known as a prick
Spirit Rock: then have 100 fake friends
Spirit Rock: poker world is a joke

The Tournament That Never Ends

Last night I played at a tournament at Kilgus' house. $10 buy-in with $10 re-buys for the first hour and a half. Blinds increased every 30 minutes. Yes, i said it, 30 minutes. Easily the longest 11 man tournament I have ever participated in. I ended up buying in twice, and then came in 5th. Ending up down $30 for the night I have estimated a rough number of my August Income. Its probably somewhere around $200. Not bad, i guess. My month of September will most likely start off with The Labor Day Tournament at Franks. I've been playing pretty loose lately and hopefully with my ipod i can tighten up for tanks tourny.

Last night there was a hand where Frank got this youngling to lay down Aces after the river. There were two tens on the board and Frank semi-bluffed with a Flush draw on the flop. He hit a small pair on the turn and bet it out again, then when he missed on the river bet a large amount and took down a pot which was probably %25-30 of the total amount of chips. The kid ended up beating frank AJ against KT later on to win the tournament.

And now, what most of you lame ass readers have been waiting for:
Mesiscas Final Table Picks

1.Vinny Baldino
2.Matt Mesisca
3. *****Sleeper*****
4.Frank Busillo
5.Tim McGovern
6.*****Favorite*****
7.Charlie "hasnt been mugged yet" Wohlrab
8.*****My Personal Pick to Win it All*****

To see my sleeper, the tournament favorite, and my pick to win it, you must be a paid subscriber.. (or $1 per pick)

Hand of the Day:
Your dealt pocket Tens on the button. The first player to act makes a large raise. The player behind him moves all-in. You have the second player covered. The next player folds, the player behind him folds aswell. Its on you. What do you do?
Heres the analysis:
1. First to act is a weak player but plays good starting hands.
2. The all-in player has a repuation to be a strong player, although you havent seen much strength except in his starting hands. He sees less than %30 of flops.
3. Pocket Tens is a strong holding however against an all-in and a probable call, and with two players behind you its not worth the call. You Fold.

The blinds fold and first to act calls. First to act shows AKo and the player behind him shows JJ. Good laydown. Just so happens the guy to your right laid down QQ. King hits the flop and it holds up.

Priceless

Just found this Priceless post about Phil Hellmuth at a tourny... This is translated from french but it well worth the read. Its pure hellmuth..

""At my table i had quite a few short stacks, i was in seat #7 in seat #8 was chip reese (i had a chance to get revenge for Nick, another friend who got knocked out by chip in the WSOP) in #10 Jenicide and in seat # joe cassidy (short stack) Reese has just a smaller stack than me, and a tight reputation, i was surprised to see him call a raise from UTG+3 with Kd 10d and make a royal flush and get paid by A-Q My table Broke after only 15 minutes and i changed tables, in going towards my table i see a legend of poker Phil Hellmuth, i figured his reputation as a baby was exagerated but he deserves it. He doesnt Shut up and critisize, there is rarely a sentence that he doesnt mention his 9 WSOP championchips i am in seat#5 him in #7 There was also the chip leader from day one in seat #2 and someone who must have thought they were superman they played every hand aggresivly obviously its TIM PHAN here is a conversation between tim and phil
PHIL : " If U keep playing like that , U'll go broke today "
TIM : " U want to bet that I won't go broke today "
PHIL : " Noooooooooo , I dont want U to slow down "

my 3rd hand, i limp UTG with 4-4 Phil raise to 1600 TIM call from BB I call
PHIL di : " WOW , call & call my raise like that "
FLOP 337 check-check- Phil bet , Tim check raise i fold

Phil di : " Is this going to be like that all the day ? "
and folds AQ a few rounds later, i get AdTd LP , I raise 3x the BB , cutoff call , and Phil call from the boutton , the blinds fold.

Flop : 3d6c7c

I bet 3500T$ put my elbows on the table, my hands on my head, my palms on my cheeks, and my fingers on my temples cutoff folds

PHIL : " OK ??? "
Phil thinks.....but i dont see him. he fakes mucking his cards in front of me, and asks me to move my hands i start to make them shake and he laughs and folds

In 45 minutes i get one good hand JJ and only pick up the blinds.
I try to steakl in the cutoff with Kd 3d when the table had folded around. Only Phil calls and checks in the dark Flop 2h7c8c

I bet2500T$ in the pot of~3300 and take my same stance as before with my hands over my face.
PHIL : " How many chip U have left ? " I count them
PHIL : " Now I see ur face ! ! ! ! "
JPP : " & U like my face " looking at him
PHIL : " That's the way U play ? everytime U raise preflop , U bet big on the flop ? "
JPP : " 75% of the pot , that's big for U ? "
PHIL : " U know that all the championship that I have won , it was because I was reading my opponent so well "
JPP : " ah ?! " I look him in the eyes for 30 seconds but he has sunglasses
PHIL : " U seem very confident about ur hand "
JPP : " What U read on me , that me look like so confident ? "
PHIL : " I think , that if I fold that hand , its because im a genius "

He shows top pair and folds a few hands later phil gets mad Phil Hellmuth. in one hand he raises in the dans le sb ) .

Pot of ~3800
Flop Td2h3h
PHIL throws 1500 devant lui
BB calls only
Turn Td2h3h-4h
BB bet 5000T$ quickly
Phil thinks 2 minute and calls
River : brick
BB bet 12 500T$
Phil thinks 4 minutes and call the BB shows Jh8h flush His face goes red like he is in horror

PHIL : " I cant beat a freaking amateur who call my raise with Jack-high " He stands up at a tall 6 foot 6
PHIL : " I just flop top set & got beat by a monkey with J8 ! "
Le gars avec J8 : " I feel bad , Phil , that U take a bad beat , but that's not a reason to treat me of a monkey "
PHIL : " U watch television sometime ? "
J8 : " yes I watch televisions with my kids "
PHIL : " U saw how many time I win tournements ? "
J8 : " That's not a reason , if U want , we'll go outside , & we'll find out who of me or U is the monkey "
PHIL : " I didn't U were a monkey ! ...I just say that I cant beat a monkey with J8 "

END OF DISSCUSSION Here is my elimination . with only 14 500Total$ , and blinds 300-600 Ante 75 . i limp utg+1 with 5-5 , and everyone folds to tim Tim in the sb raise to 3500 , BB fold . i read him as weak one of these AJ , AQ at worst AK , or 77-88 . after thinking for a minute i limp re-raise , i limp re-raise to look huge .i think at worst he will call with AK , but should fold the rest of my range that i put him on . he thinks for 2 minutes , and calls with AQ AQ!!!! , my read was good but i was sure he would fold AQ A on the turn and GG""