O-Poker

Gnome had a great idea in setting up a Blogger Deep Stack Cash game. I wasn't sure how much of a turnout he would get for a 4/8nl cash game with a min/max buy-in of $800/$1,600. I wasn't even sure if I was going to play because I am trying to only play within my current online bankroll. I try to play with a min of 20 buy-ins even if it is just a one time game. That would mean a minimum of $32k ($1,600 x 20) to play the game somewhat comfortably. Eventually Fuel talked me into to playing. I decided to only buy-in for $1k, not reload, and leave if I lost my original $1k. Obviously that is a poor way to approach a game, but oh well.

The turnout was better than I expected:
weak_player - not sure if I have the right link since the blog was last updated 1 year ago.
smizmiatch - The host
RecessRampage - I figured he had the biggest advantage since he has probably logged more full ring hands than most.
Fuel55 - Dead Money :)
Bone_Daddy84 - Didn't know much about his cash game play before this game.
RakeFeeder - same as bone daddy - wasn't sure about his cash game style.
Waffles - Weeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! Helped liven up the game and played fairly well, but probably a few too many hands for a full ring game.
thepokergrind - Same as Bone Daddy and Rake Feeder
Me - calling station

I went into the game with the idea of not playing any big pots unless I had a monster. I planned to pick up the small pots that looked to be easy picking, play big pots with big hands, and take some pots away from anyone that got a little too aggressive. Nothing earth shattering there.

I only had a couple of interesting hands.

Hand 1 - The first hand of any interest happened in the first few orbits. I called (in position) gnome's preflop raise with 67s. Everyone else folded. Flop came Ah5h10d. He led out for $50. The bet seemed a little weak to me for some reason. Maybe he had bet bigger on previous flops. I'm not sure. So, I decided to try to take down the pot right there. I raised to $152 figuring that he couldn't continue without an Ace. He re-raised me. (I guess I shouldn't have told him before we started that I wasn't reloading if I lost my stack.) I folded and he showed 66. Nice play and the best hand!!!

Hand 2 - I was dealt 1010 in the SB and decided to disguise my hand my flat calling thepokergrind's late position pf raise. Flop was pretty good for my hand - 9s8s9h. He made a small bet and I flat called with the intention of check raising a good turn. Another good card came for my hand - 7d. I checked planning to c/r and he bet pot. I figured the pot size bet for either a bluff/semi-bluff or a monster. If I c/r the turn, he is probably folding most hands I beat and shoving hands that are beating me or shoving a big draw (straight and flush draw). I decided that the best risk/reward was to just call and see what the river brings. I couldn't be worried about letting him catch up. The river was perfect - 9d (put trips on the board). If he had an overpair or a 9 then so be it. It may look weak, but I felt like checking was the most +EV play. It gives him the opportunity to bet if he missed his draw. He bet pot and I called - again no reason to raise because only a better hand would be calling my raise. He had QJo and I won a decent sized pot.

Hand 3 against Waffles - The table had been pretty tight and I think that I had a tight image at the time, so I raised from the CO with 78o. Waffles called. Flop came 77K. He donk bet into me. I flat called. Turn was 10h. He led into me again for a little less than pot. I flat called again. I think this is where I made a big mistake. I should have re-raised him and he might have shoved a hand like AK, KQ, or flat called with a weaker King. I felt like he might make another pot sized bet on the river. The river had to be a scare card for his hand - Qh. He checked and I made a bet small enough that I thought he might call. He thought and folded. I'm not sure what he had, but I would guess Kx or something like 88 or 99.

Hand 4 - Not much to say other than I could have lost a lot more here. Opponent was one of the non-bloggers at the table.

I finished up around $400 from a high point of about $700. Weak Player was the big winner thanks to getting all in with a set over set and flopping a set of 2s against AA. Fuel played great but ran into some horrible situations like flush vs flush.

Here is the win/loss of the players in the game (including the non-bloggers at the table):

























I had a great time playing and I'm looking forward to the next time gnome gets one of these going.