TOC Coming Up!

Richards TOC is coming up. The final results for the year were pretty interesting:

1. MALNER - 308

1. PALLADINO - 308

3. R NASH - 304

4. CAMPBELL - 279

5. RYAN - 261

6. JAMFREEK - 252

7. DANNY - 211

8. PRINDLE - 208

9. GEORGE - 181

10. CLARDY - 179

Out of 16 tourneys that I was able to play, I cashed in 7, and won a bunch of those (at least 2-3). So that obviously contributed to my 6th place finish. The TOC should be fun, since I think we will start with a little more chips so we should have a bit more play. We are still trying to come up with a good name for our poker club. Most of the names that I've come up with I think have a nice ring, but the tournament director thinks otherwise.

Here's an intriguing hand from a Pokerstars Triple Draw game I was just playing in.

PokerStars Game #13430940709: Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball Limit ($0.50/$1.00) - 2007/11/24 - 00:22:52 (ET)
Table 'Hippokoon II' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: ($14.50 in chips)
Seat 2: ($13.10 in chips)
Seat 3: ($17.85 in chips)
Seat 4: ($18.65 in chips)
Seat 5: ($12.45 in chips)
Seat 6: jamfreek ($36.85 in chips)
Seat 1: posts small blind $0.25
Seat 2: posts big blind $0.50
Seat 5: posts big blind $0.50
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to jamfreek [4s 2s 7d 9c Kc]
Seat 3: folds
Seat 4: calls $0.50
Seat 5: checks
jamfreek: raises $0.50 to $1
Seat 1: calls $0.75
Seat 2: calls $0.50
Seat 4: calls $0.50
Seat 5: calls $0.50

Lots of action, but a pretty loose game...standard raise from me

*** FIRST DRAW ***
Seat 1: discards 3 cards
Seat 2: discards 2 cards
Seat 4: discards 2 cards
Seat 5: discards 1 card
jamfreek: discards 2 cards [9c Kc]
Dealt to jamfreek [4s 2s 7d] [3s Kh]
Seat 1: checks
Seat 2: checks
Seat 4: checks
Seat 5: bets $0.50
jamfreek: raises $0.50 to $1 Raising for value and to try and get it heads up
Seat 1: folds
Seat 2: calls $1
Seat 4: calls $1
Seat 5: calls $0.50

HMMM, again it's pretty loose so I figure I can hit any 5/6/8 for a win...

*** SECOND DRAW ***
Seat 2: discards 1 card
Seat 4: discards 1 card
Seat 5: stands pat CURIOUS
jamfreek: discards 1 card [Kh]
Dealt to jamfreek [4s 2s 7d 3s] [5s] GIN
Seat 2: checks
Seat 4: checks
Seat 5: bets $1
jamfreek: raises $1 to $2
Seat 2: calls $2
Seat 4: calls $2
Seat 5: calls $1

WOW! Sweet mulit-way pot and everyone is playing for a chop or drawing dead!

*** THIRD DRAW ***
Seat 2: stands pat OH MY
Seat 4: stands pat OH MY
Seat 5: stands pat OH MY
jamfreek: stands pat on [4s 2s 7d 3s 5s]
Seat 2: checks
Seat 4: checks
Seat 5: checks
jamfreek: bets $1
Seat 2: calls $1
Seat 4: calls $1
Seat 5: calls $1 NOT SURE WHAT THESE LAST TWO CALLERS THOUGHT THEY WERE BEATING??
*** SHOW DOWN ***
jamfreek: shows [4s 2s 7d 3s 5s] (Lo: 7,5,4,3,2)
Seat 2: mucks hand
Seat 4: mucks hand
Seat 5: mucks hand
jamfreek collected $20.50 from pot
Seat 4: said, "nh"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $21 | Rake $0.50
Seat 1: (small blind) folded after the 1st Draw
Seat 2: (big blind) mucked [8h 3h 2d 4h 6h] This is the only hand that should be calling here
Seat 3: folded before the Draw (didn't bet)
Seat 4: mucked [4d 8s 5c 2h 7s]
Seat 5: mucked [7h 8c 6s 3d 4c]
Seat 6: jamfreek (button) showed [4s 2s 7d 3s 5s] and won ($20.50) with Lo: 7,5,4,3,2

That's about how it's been going for me in the TD games. You hardly ever see these kind of overcalls in the 1/2 games and i've never seen them in anything higher. Hopefully this kind of play will stick around, and maybe i'll get lucky in the TOC coming up.

The TOC

In two months we will have our Tournament of Champions for our little local poker club. For one year we have been playing two tournaments a month raking up points to get to the top 10 so that we can get a chance to win the big one. I have done pretty well and am in 6th place. It is a really great tournament structure that my buddy Richard has put together, but it is not without any normal problems. Things like guys who don't know automatic raise amounts, folding out of turn, etc. I still love the game and most of the players are friends, so its, well, friendly. Every tournament we give a little cash to the host for food, and there is always the perfect amount, and we give a little to a progressive jackpot. This past month one guy hit the jackpot for a second time when he hit quads on the river. Oh, and he's probably played about 6 of 20 tournaments thus far. He's a luckbox. Quads gets 25% of the jackpot, a straight flush gets 50%, and the royal gets 75%. At the end of the year, whatever money is leftover goes to the prizepool in the TOC.

Whenever I hit a dry spell playing online poker, I tend to cash out a chunk of my bankroll and play smaller and tighter. The past 3 months have been extremely profitable, so I can afford the opportunity to build back up. Thats the way it is in an action game like triple draw. I really wish I had the time to play more MTT's. Even though I get more tilted when I take a bad beat in tourneys, they don't hurt the bankroll as much as running bad in the TD game. What I need to do is set out one night a week where I play a tournament or two, and see how I do for a month. I feel like I have "lost it" a little, and really need to get back on my game.

This Sunday we are going to see Keller and the WMD's. I am really looking forward to this show. The last time we saw Keller with a band he didn't really play many of his own songs, and this should be interesting. I'll probably keep a setlist as usual.