Or maybe not. Looks like SCOOP tickets aren’t redeemable, at least not going by last years rules (haven’t tried with this ticket, so hopefully I’m wrong, but I saw on another blog a similar thing so I’m thinking I’m SOL with this).

So can I win loads of dosh with it? Um, no, I can win a place to another tournament. SCOOPS is a steps tournament – that $215 gets me into step 4. I have to win that, and then another to see any money.

Like that’s going to happen…

Hmph. How much could I have won playing 8 hours of husngs or cash? If it wasn’t for the great atmosphere of it, ie the chat with other bloggers, the live blogging etc, then it was a big waste of time.

Fake Profit: a ‘$215′ ticket

Real Profit: two new additions to my blogroll; Black Widow of Poker & Rabbi Poker News (there’s a few others I want to hunt down too – ppl who were chatty during the game)

• S1ndr0me seems to have fallen asleep, guess he’s not playing. United113 got a good early start too. Haven’t found anyone else yet…
• Took a stab at a 3way pot, but got check-raised by someone who appeared to be disconnected. Looks like this is going to be it’s usual shove until I die spewfest bingo crap…
• Found BurnleyMilk – he’s still on a starting stack. Still looking for more compadres – should be more of us around somewhere.
• So many people sitting out, and so many timeout disconnections Very sloooowww!
• Bit of stealing, bit of bluffing. Twice avg pot.
• Damn, all in AK against AJ – boards gets two Jacks. Back down to an average potsize
• Hit another straight. Not much action though. Chickens.
• Same idiot with AJ calls down my top pair to hit his ace on the turn. Getting annoyed now
• Pulled off a bluff for $1000 – maintains me at average stack size (~$3k)

• Nice Shame the shortstack got the flush
• Damm, lost a weak TP against a set of 5′s
• Wheee, I hit a set of 5′s and take a $1k pot ($4k stack, $1k ahead of avg)
• Few more pots, up to a $5k stack, and we go into the first break.

$1.5k ahead of the average stack – things are going ok I guess. At least I’ve seen a bit of action and hit a few hands. Still feels like I’m skirting on the edge of disaster – after the husngs being so straightforward, FR play feels like a crapshoot. Still 1440 players from a field of 2000 – field’s not thinning very quickly unfortunately. Never mind – keep this up and I might just get a $11 tourney ticket   Anyway, time for a pee (and not into a bottle)

• Looks like BurnleyMilk took a hit, he’s down to $1.3k   United113 is, like me, on a $5k stack.
• Cowboys! 3bet the raiser, he folds. Just great. United’s pulling ahead to $6.5k
• Nice – this irritating leprekahn02 idiot is constantly stealing – I 3bet him from the button, he calls, I cbet and take a nice $800 pot Perhaps the idiot will calm down now
• United’s storming further ahead – $7k! I’m still $6k, average stack is $3.8k
• BurnleyMilk’s out. 1359th place. Tough break m8.
• Leprekahn02 gives me another $1k pot. Mind you, he’s doing well with a $9k pot, so I should be careful of him really.
• Crap, United113 has taken a hit – he’s down to $1k. I’m still at $6k. Leprekahn is still stealing
• United’s out. 1263rd.
• Hit a set of 8′s, 3way pot. Wimps all fold – I thought I was overdoing the aggresive image, but obv not. $7k stack, avg = $4k, still over 1k players left (bleh)
• Found another blogger – Conan776. He’s on $4k which is ok, but judging from his blog he was doing better before the break
• Guy to my left has been sitting out entire time. Free blinds Otherwise still chipping away. $7k now (avg = $5k). Almost overtaken Leprakahn
• Last hand before the second break I get QQ. Someone in MP shoves his short $1.5k stack, I shove all-in to fold out the dregs. It holds up (J8o I think), and now I’m $10k, avg $6.5, 785 players left.

Doing well I think – normally I spew out of control in these things. Awesomely Conan776 has knocked out the red pro at his table! No bonus for that I guess? Just kudos

• Arse. All-in against a $6k stack with AKs – he has AQo. Of course a Q comes up. Down to $3k.
• Push hard for a few reasonable pots. Up to $5.6K
• DevlsBnkroll (winner of an earlier wbcoop game this week) has joined our table. $8k stack. On my immediate left. Just great!
• Haha, I LAG him out of $2k   Stack = $6.6k, avg is $8.8 now though… (yes, LAG is now a verb)
• Just did a complete donk idiot move! AK in UTG+1, UTG raises & I 3bet, rest of table folds & he calls. Flop is low and dry – he shoves his stack. Now it’s not that big, but still pretty big, $4.5k or so. I put him on a bluff and call – he has TT! I hit a K on the river. Super lucky! Stack now $11k – above the average
• QTo hits two pair on the flop. Villain with $3k stack leads into me. I’m not sure what to do – two tone flop, my nemesis! So I shove, he folds, I’m happy with that.
• 500 runners left
• Wow, DevlsBnkroll is a nit! Wasn’t expecting that… could be dry run of hands perhaps
• Conan776′s on $11k! Something good happened – I think I just missed it since there’s just gg in the chat box (lol). Wow, it was a royal flush
• $4k pot from 2nd pair
• Damn leprekan took me for a $7k pot – I had K9 on a K55 pot. He just let me bet into him… At least I pot controlled myself a little bit (only a little bit tho)
• Oh no – Conan776′s on $500 – guess it’s game over for him
• aaaand, he’s out
• And then I do this to leprekahn

• Muwahahaha!  $24k stack, almost twice the average.
• Turns out it was lipaonline that knocked Conan776 out (runner up in an earlier event, 2nd place maybe?). He seemed to have all the tough tables!

3rd break. $26k stack, average $13.8k, 370 runners left. Not a bad run for me really.

• Raise 55, get shoved over by a $5k stack, folds to me so I call hoping not to see another pair. He has AQ but it hits a straight (see – AQ is hard to beat!). $20k stack, avg is $15k so still ok
• nits to my right, LAGs to my left. Just great!
• Looking throught the field, lipaonline is 6th – just how does he do it every time?

Amazing that this still happens this deep;

and yes, the winner was the biggest fish at the table…

• Average stack is catching me up Need to play some hands! Tables getting a bit shove happy tho
• Just realised people are betting odd amounts, like $2,999 – the spare change creates a huge stack graphic. Pretty good idea, might make some think the bet is bigger than it really is.
• Thankfully I get the chance, not that I hit any flops but fortunately my opponents have no balls. Two hands go my way and up to $28k, avg at $19k
• Fish in hand earlier is now chip leader. The name Labschie rings a bell though – maybe he’s not a fish? The hands he’s been playing tho… Hmmm, seems he’s like lipaonline and is one of these pokernews bloggers who don’t blog…
• Took some money of Labschie, stole a few blinds, stack at $30k, avg $20k, feeling comfortable now to win my $11 tourney ticket (whoohoo)
• Hmm, he took some back off me, putting his stack over $100k. Good grief…
• Just realised it’s not an $11 tourney ticket, it’s $22 OMGOMGOMGOMG! Gotta get in the money now!
• Last hand before the break, and again won a big pot – $12k this time, giving me stack of $32k. Not quite sure how it happened tho – I was on the button, raised for a steal & got 3bet. I called although had a very weak hand – I mainly called because it was obviously a defend from this 31/22 guy. I hit bottom pair on the flop which left me in an awkward spot – he checked though. I put in a 1/2pot raise and he folded. I’d won a pot that was way bigger than I expected. I gotta be careful I think!

4th break. Stack $32k, average $23k, 216 runners left (153 for ITM)

• 1st hand – $18k pot, AT & hit an A on the flop – bet flop and turn and checked back the river. Villain showed A6. Stupid call from the BB by him really… My stack $41k, not quite twice the average.
• In a nice spot now – nits to my left. Also guy to my right tried to steal, I 3bet with 66, low flop and I got him to fold which was a nice pot. Not sure I can do that too many times to him though – seems like the kind that would fight back. $49k stack.

Good grief – this is against Labschie;

• Then my TT stood up, so now on $65k, 10th place out of 193 runners

OMG!!! I get 33 on the button, labschie limps so I give a good raise. He reraises though, so I shove, thinking ‘wtf, I’m tired, I have him covered (just), if I lose I still might make it to the tickets (only a few to go out). He calls with AA.

The flop, turn and river sloowly eek out into a fuck’in 4567 straight!!!

I’m 2nd place in chips – $106k! 160 runners left. Wow, awesome suckout

• A misclick loses me $10k – I thought I was clicking bet to steal the blinds, but someone had already raised – duh. Down to 6th place. Still not ITM yet! C’mon!!!
• ok, tables are synchronising – one more poor fool to go out and we can start playing poker again. Smallest stack is about 2 orbits, so might take a while
• ITM
• Bit of a card drought

Another break. God I wish I hadn’t drank that bottle of wine earlier – I’ve a headache, it’s work tomorrow, it’s 1am. Oh well, let’s keep going. Stack’s $102k, 5th place out of 127, which means another 64 players to go out before my ticket goes up to $55. How many more hours? God knows…

• Still card dead. C’mon, c’mon…
• Hmm, made a couple of really bad plays and donked off $25k. Tiredness and frustration at no decent hole cards. Ok, slap in the face, concentrate, don’t be a donk.
• Another pot lost – JT in early position (I know, I know), btn calls. A J arrives on the turn, but the river brings a possible straight if he has 87. How likely is that? I decide to check-call. Of course he has it… Stack $46k – less than the avg stack. 93 left in – need another 30 to go out. Gonna be close I think unless I can win a reasonable pot
• Call a $10k stack’s shove with AT. He has QQ and it holds. I’m 54th out of 88. A couple of blinds come my way, but it feels miserable
• Someone called JBug40 has the most gorgeous avatar ever! Although she has a bit of a strong chin? Hope I’m not doing a crying game there
• AKs, I 3bet, they fold. Half way down the field now. Should make it to the $55 ticket, now 16 players need to go out.
• UTG to my right shoves his $20k stack. I have 55??? It’s early position and too many to act after me, and that’s half my stack. I fold – it goes round the table and someone calls. He had 99 – phew!
• Conan776 still railing! Hope it’s not too dull man!
• KK on the button. Get a nice bundle from Jbug (not to showdown unfortunately)
• Straight away another $28k pot as KT hits TPGK. Now 20th out of 67, above average stack – easily into the next bigger prize
• A nice run of cards at last – a couple of AJ’s, and into 18th. Tables sync as we wait for one more idiot to fall
• Play the most bizarre line ever against a big stack – folded to me in the SB, I check, he think and raise, I call and check-raise the monotone flop. I think he just folds out of confusion
• Hit TPTK, and get a nice $40k pot – 8th out of 64 now. Still waiting for that last idiot! And it looks like it’s going to be our table as loads of ppl shove! 44 beats AK, but no-one goes out
• Hit a set, but no action. The idiot has gone, I now have a $55 ticket

Another break. Why’s this on a Sunday?!?

• Hooray, another person sitting out to my left – free blinds!
• Oh, he woke up
• Table’s become very tight. So dull! So I start randomly splashing around raises, particularly effective from utg, utg+1 – up to 9th now. Hope they’re not reading this
• 7th
• ah, messed up – tangled with the guy on my right, realising only afterwards he was a nit and the flop hit his range really hard – I folded river, but should have folded pre, or on the flop. Back to 11th
• And a bigger mess. Guy two places to my left never makes sense. He plays it just like a FD, then calls a big river bet with bottom pair? Of course I had nothing, but that’s not the point
• Had a nice semi bluff with 33. People seem to be folding ok
• 6 more to go out for $215 ticket!
• Mass all-in knocks two people out! I get moved to a new table with new strange people who haven’t seen my manic play yet. Cool!
• Which fails instantly as I throw $70k at someone (half my stack!). Oh well Half way down the field again.
• won a couple of reasonable pots, plus some blinds. Not really moved up the field much, but at least I’ve kept my stack up with the joneses – 2 players to go out for next prize up
• 1 more to go out. After that I’m not sure if I can stay awake. Lots of shoving going on the other tables, but the shortstacks keep doubling up.

And now we’re on a break…

• So I take the last guy out myself on a lucky T4o call hitting a 4. Shortie was btn and raised, I called expecting the BB to also call and we’d check it down. But he folded, duh. Still, lucky result. Now have $216 ticket.
• Took someone else out with A8s. Good grief – the next prize up is $2k! I guess I’ve got to keep going – I’m 11th at the moment, 23 to go out
• Picked up a few more shortstacks. Now 7th. Too tired to blog much really
• QQ, flop has a K and I get cold feet checking the turn. That lets the other guys flush in Down to 21st out of 27 – need 17 to go out to win $2k, feels a bit like a long shot in a way
• I’m too tired. I shove KJs against a bigger stack. I get my flush. I’m now 9th – it won’t let me go

Ah, then I finally get in trouble – I get 3bet and I call. Flop is low, but a bit connected. I go for a checkraise (I just have overcards), but realise the pot is too big, and all I can do is minraise. He thinks then shoves, and I decide to fold. It left me very low in the field – very careless!

Immediately the next hand is AQs – I reraised by a bigstack and I go all-in. He has 44 and it holds up. Game over.

So, a $215 SCOOP ticket. I’ve no idea what that means, but I’m too tired to find out now. I might play it rather than cash it, since right now it’s not money or even bankroll – it’s just a ticket. We’ll see.

Anyway, if you’ve been following (and thanks to Conan for railing!), thanks, and good night!

also, in before tl;dr

(pic ‘Borrowed’ from Conan776)

Bit of a bingo game going on…

On the brighter side I had a go at at HU SNG’s as recommended by Yegor. Technically I’m rolled for $10 games, but I tried out the $5 ones first just to get my toes wet.

So far, won 7, lost 1 Profitz of $28

Obviously I’m very pleased with that. I’m also pleased with the way I played – the wins were ‘real’ wins rather than suckouts, although I did hit some very nice hands along the way. Best of all was the feeling of crushing the life out of my opponents. I suspect HU could be a very ego inflating game

Update: survived my first desperate shove Q8 vs AK, fortunately hitting a Q… Still an M of about 4, so not looking so hot

Update II: Hooray, survived 2nd shove. M maybe 5 or 6? Can never work these things out on the fly…

Update III: And another! Ok, M is 8 now, back in the game… Still way down the field, about 530th out of 880 (ITM is 150 places)

Update IV: Won a reasonable pot – M of 10, although stack is still only 3/4 of the average. Lots of action on the table still – crazy crazy people…

(forget the Update xx crap). Another couple of nice pots. Now have an above average stack, M = 21 & 296/716…

How’s this for value betting

Unfortunately threw it away a few hands later. M down to 13. 300th out of 530

Damn, just lost half my stack to a draw that failed. Villain had AK on the button – smooth called pre. Looks like he got more value out of it that way for sure (needed an idiot like me to do it)

Ahh, got a set of tens. Didn’t get a complete double up out of it though, wasn’t sure how to play it – two tone flop & I’m always paranoid of those things. More than I should be…. 356th out of 411. Still not great…

AK hits on the flop but I’m left with PSB for my whole stack so I go ahead and push. Villains (2 of ‘em) fold. M now 7. 270th out of 380. Stack about 1/2 average. Maybe should have eeked more value out, but again two tone flop – I’m such a chicken!

Crap! Mess up with the same villain who smooth called earlier with AK. And he had AK again!!! And he smooth called pre with them again!!!!! (exclamation mark overdose…)

I’m left with about one orbit of blinds & antes left, so shove my K8 suited. Fortunately half the table calls. My K8 hits a K on the flop, holds up and I’m back to where I was before I messed up against AK doofus. Not that that says much… M is 3, I’m 325 out of 343. Things are looking grim as we go into the second break.

Oh well, with M of 3 I shoved ATs, got called by 77 and didn’t hit on the flop. 339th from 1740 runners.

I’ve registered for the main event on Sunday. Hopefully that’ll go better. Is it worth blogging like this while it’s on (like some idiot twatter)? If this was even vaguely interesting tell me and I’ll announce my hole cards throughout the main event (yeah, right).

The 5k freeroll I went out about 9000th – playing a few hands which all missed on flop + failed to get a cbet fold tends to cripple your stack, followed by the inevitable shove as the blinds begin to bite. I saw S1ndr0me hold on a bit longer as he doubled up at some point, but later even he succumbed to a AJ vs A9 seeing a 9 on the flop. Bit of a waste of time really anyway – you have to beat thousands of others just to cash $10? What’s the point…

The Turbo Takedown is similar, but at least the cash is better. I had poor hands throughout, although at least this time I did build my stack a bit. However again the blinds were ferocious and eventually I failed to stay in. I was tantalizingly close to the money – from a field of twenty-two thousand people (!!!), only 6900 were left and 5oooth place paid $78. But beating 15,000 other idiots wasn’t enough and I was left empty handed. Yegor railed me throughout (nothing better to do, really?) and said that I needed to have built a stronger stack and taken more risks. He’s right, but I was feeling a bit risk averse unfortunately.

So, no new update to November’s results. Might play tonight, but whatever.

Plans for December? I’ve decided that all my plotting and calculations on what’s the best rakeback etc is all a bit pointless when done in a vacuum. What I really need to do is actually put my money where my mouth is and test it out.

So I’m going to split my bankroll equally between Pokerstars, Full Tilt and Ultimate Bet. I’ll switch my sessions equally between the three and see how it goes (I’ll try to match it so that by the end of the month I’ll have roughly the same number of hands at each site). At the end of the month(s) I’ll also factor in rakeback and bonuses into my winnings and see which site comes out on top. I probably should add in Titan, but I don’t want to spread the BR that thin on any one site.

This hopefully will factor in things such as the ‘softness’ of the sites, table selection etc, and see if it’s true that if the players on Ultimate Bet are that much worse than Full Tilt, then it should show a better winrate from that site.

That might explain why the showdown chart looks like this though;

That redline is somewhat excessive even by my standards. The blue line sucks though, but that’s mainly through getting stacked twice, unfortunately both times with a slightly deep stack. One was QQ on the button getting action from a blind that turned out to be AA (can’t help that), but the other was a train wreck of a hand where an OESD turning semi-bluff met a guy who couldn’t fold top pair (rightly so as it turned out).

So $24 up over two days, plus rakeback, has put my roll back over $200. That’s revitalised me a bit, and given me a second wind to push for my return to NL10 again.

Meanwhile on the Betraiser site I’ve managed one freeroll (above was my usual Full Tilt) – knocked out half way, but the standard of play was shocking. I’ll keep at it for a while, although the traffic on the site is truly dismal and I can’t see it lasting. Plus the interface is a bit buggy – I’d raise using the slider, press the bet button and somehow the bet amount resets itself so I ended up minbetting over and over again. Very annoying…