A Little Update

It's been a few days since my last post and I just thought I'd let you know what's going on with my pokerings. I've been playing on Titan lately trying to finish the requirement to get Hold Em Manager for free. Just about halfway there and super excited. I've used the 15 day free trial for it and it is amazing. Helps a lot with multi-tabling and making reads. I'm also trying to make it to the World Series this year. Gonna try and play one or two $1000 events. I've been trying to figure out the best way to do this and figured it would be through the 6.50 + .40 heads up shootouts on Full Tilt (winner gets a $26 token). I've only gotten one so far because I've been pretty busy. If any of you guys are trying to get there, let me know what you're trying and how it's going.


Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

Deposit on Titan

I deposited a little bit on Titan Poker last night. Did this for two reasons

1. To get Hold Em Manager for 'free'
2. To take advantage of their sign up bonus

I don't know if you guys know that Hold Em Manager will give you credit towards their program if you deposit onto their site and use their referral code. All you have to do after you deposit is make about 500 player points and you're set. Also, you can use HEM on any other site when you get it. Pretty awesome bonus if you ask me. Titan has these 'Jackpot' sit and goes where if you win 4 $2, 5 $5, or 6 $20 in a row you get a jackpot bonus of $2000, $53,500, and $75000, respectively. So I decided to try out a few of these, and the play is pretty ragged. Lots of fish making terrible plays. Knowing this I figured it wouldn't be super hard to come close to getting the bonus. The blind structure in these, however, is insane. Near the end of the sit and go it's pretty much just a crapshoot. I think I'm going to continue to have a go at them and see what I can muster together.


Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

Custom Table Mod

So I tried my hand at doing a custom table mod for Full Tilt. I'm doing a Vancouver Canucks theme and it's going pretty well. I've gotten the lobby and tournament windows down, just having a little trouble with getting the actual table sized correctly. Once I'm done I'll post it on the blog and the Full Tilt Forums so you can check it out...

Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

Bankroll Update

My bankroll is doing a bit better now. After losing that $120 in the past week I took a break and am ready to come back strong. I made about $50 back of the $120 I lost. The main thing though is that I've been playing really solid. This is a little timeline of how my bankroll has gone

Feb. 14 -$10
Feb. 21 - $150
Feb.28 - $260
Mar. 7 - $560
Mar. 14 - $440
Mar. 23 - $214 (after withdrawing $450 to pay some bills)

Bankroll management, in my opinion, is probably the most important discipline any poker player needs to learn. Check out Chris Ferguson's rules on bankroll management at
http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/chris-ferguson-challenge

cheers boys

Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

Back on the Grind

I decided to hit up a few sit and go's today after my final midterm was over (such a relief). Anyways I played pretty well in both of them, made one really bad read though and busted out pretty early in one of them. The hand was pretty peculiar but I'll let you guys decide what the best play is.




Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 5.5 Tournament, 20/40 Blinds (9 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button (t1440)
SB (t1955)
BB (t1155)
Hero (UTG) (t1545)
UTG+1 (t1480)
MP1 (t1740)
MP2 (t1155)
MP3 (t1730)
CO (t1300)

Hero's M: 25.75


Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q, Q

Hero bets t140, 1 fold, MP1 raises to t240, 6 folds, Hero calls t100

Flop: (t540) 3, 9, 10 (2 players)

Hero checks, MP1 bets t1500 (All-In)

Total pot: t540

Your Play?

I put him on a big ace because the overbet was weird. He turned over KK though making me wish I reraised him preflop or at least bet out on the flop so I could make an easy laydown after....


Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

Disgruntled

So I've been on a bit of a dry spell for the past couple days, lost $100 playing $5 and $10 sit and go's. I admit my play hasn't been good but the cards have been kicking me in the you-know-what a bunch. I busted on the bubble when my Kings got cracked by 89o. I think I lost 9 straight until today which I came third in one. I'm pretty upset about it considering the money means a lot to me. Anyways, I'm gonna take a break for a week or so. Just gonna play FTOPS event #20 on Friday and then study over the weekend for my midterm. I think that's the best way to cure the poker blues; just move away from the game for a bit and come back with a fresh mindset. Cheers guys,

Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

Sit and Go Madness Tourney Result

I just finished playing the Sit and Go Madness and I finished 54th out of 16047. Pretty good result although the payout structure was really weird. I only got $70 from it. ITM started at 3600 which is way too much of the field in my opinion. Anyways, I played pretty well, definitely caught some cards when I needed to. Busted out from losing a coin flip, AQ>77. Not much I can do about it but get lucky next time. Anybody else play in it? I'd like to hear how you did.

Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

Goals for March and April

So I've been running pretty the last little while. I've built my bankroll from $10 to $500 in the past month or so and because of this I've set myself a few goals. I think it's always important for a serious poker player to set goals for himself, because without goals there isn't that much drive, and without drive comes bad play and making stupid calls. So with that being said here are my goals for March and April.

1. Play in at least one MTT each week. As you know I am a student which makes it hard to find time to play, but hopefully I'll be able to get into one at least once or twice a week.

2. Play a minimum of 25 sng's a week. Once again time constraint is a problem.

3. Work on my reads and stop making really bad calls.

4. Build my bankroll to over $1500

I think these are some pretty realistic goals, I'd also like to here some of your goals as well. Let me know what you think about them and if I should add any more.

Kyle
Sit and Go Expert.

MTT Today

I registered into a $5 MTT today. There were 478 players total. I played some of the best poker I've ever played before. Only a few minor mistakes here and there but I'm really proud of the way I played. I finished 4th after being the shortstack for most of the final table. I made some key steals and all in pushes that helped keep me in there. We were four handed and I was just about to double up and take a huge chip lead when this happened...

BB (t69736)
UTG (t217603)
MP (t103581)
Hero (Button) (t181244)
SB (t144836)

Hero's M: 14.22

Preflop: Hero is Button with K, K

UTG bets t18000, 1 fold, Hero raises to t44000, 1 fold, BB raises to t68986 (All-In), 1 fold, Hero calls t24986

Flop: (t162722) 7, 10, 9 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: (t162722) J (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t162722) J (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: t162722


After playing so good and for so long my efforts weren't paid in full. It was pretty upsetting to have gone so far only to be sucked out on. But that's poker I guess. Anyways, I just thought I'd share this with you guys. I plan on playing more MTT's in the near future. WSOP here I come!

Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

Online Poker Tells Part 2

Just two more things to discuss for Online Poker Tells. First, is a player breaking from auto play mode, and second, the dreaded min-raise or the check min-raise.

1. When a player breaks away from their auto play pattern and comes in with a raise they most likely have a really big hand, Aces, Kings, or big slick most likely. Take extra caution if you have a HUD and their VPIP and PFR are really low.

2. You've all experienced someone min-raising or check min-raising you. It's one of the most dreadful plays to be up against in online poker, and it can throw you off quite a bit. Does he have top pair, or better? Is he on a draw? Is he just taking advantage of my tight play? These are all questions I've asked myself and have come to a  few conclusions. 1) he probably does have top pair, an over pair, or better, depending on the texture of the board. 2) if the board is low and has two-to-a-flush, he probably has the nut flush draw, possibly with two over cards, or top pair with the nut flush draw. 3) if you've been playing tight and your read on your opponent is that he is a solid player, he could be taking advantage of your tight play. So if you have top pair top kicker or a really good draw, don't be afraid to play aggressive and re-pop them. 

Note: I wouldn't suggest coming over the top of them if it is early in the tournament. One things I advocate (and will be something I'll go over in a little while) is to not get all your chips in the middle early in a sit and go. If the blinds are still small and your getting good odds, just call, don't raise. You can peel off another card and see how he reacts. Otherwise you might regret that re-raise.

Kyle

Sit and Go Expert

Sit and Go Madness

Most of you probably know that Sit and Go Madness is running on Full Tilt right now. I've been hitting it up a bit lately, but not doing so well. I registered into 15 yesterday ($5) and only managed a profit of about $9. It's pretty sad because I played fairly well and either made the wrong play at the wrong time, or just didn't get the cards. I managed to make it into the freeroll however, hopefully I'll see some of you there. If you got any stories or anything you want to share about the Madness let me know.

Cheers guys,

Kyle
Sit and Go Expert

My One Week Hiatus

Just wanna let everybody know that I have 3 midterms, an assignment, and a big book review due this week for school. It's gonna be a pretty tough week so I won't likely be able to get Part 2 of Online Poker Tells posted and 'Hand of the Day' will have to wait as well. Check back next week or sometime and hopefully I'll be back on track and keep everyone updated.

kyle

Online Poker Tells

It's pretty hard to be able to pick up a tell playing online poker in comparison to playing live. Shaky hands, heavy breathing and pitch changes in someone's voice are things that you can't pick up while playing on the virtual felt. However, there are a few online tells that can help you determine the strength of an opponent's hand.

1. Insta-checking. When a player insta checks he's telling you that he didn't even think about betting at the pot. This is a good opportunity to fire a probe bet of about 1/2 the pot to try and scoop it up.

2. Insta-calling preflop. Normally an indicator of a medium strength drawing hand like 10 9s or a rag ace. If you come into a pot when someone insta calls, beware of potential flushes and straights. Lots of elephants and weaker opponents will make these kinds of plays.

3. Insta calling a bet on the flop. Quite often a tell that your opponent has a draw. If an action card hits the turn that completes a straight or a flush, be wary.

Part 2 of Online Poker Tells soon to follow......

cheers guys,

kyle

Types of Players at Low Limits

So because you're visiting this blog it's pretty likely that you know the basics of sit n' go poker tournaments. I just want to say a few things about the types of players you'll play against at the low-medium stakes, and some obvious online poker tells that can help you make a good read on your opponent.

In smaller buy-in sng's ($1-$5) there are plenty of elephants and monkeys (reread the post on player profiling about Hellmuth's Creature Guide). There is definitely going to be a lot of limping, particularly with weak-medium strength hands. I always say that a poker player should play the opposite of how the rest of the table is playing, so if you're table is limping a lot, tighten up a bit and let go of those medium strength hands. Hands like 57s in MP, and A2o on the button with a couple limpers should be tossed into the muck. Protect your chips in these situations, your PFR should be really close or equal to your VPIP.

The opposite goes for tight tables. If players are playing tight and not defending their blinds, this is a great time to loosen up your play and try to steal some blinds and take advantage your opponents. This is especially important when the blinds start getting high and your getting down to the money. A few key blind steals late can mean the difference between coming in first and busting in fifth.

For the sng's at $10 and $20 there will be a few less elephants/monkeys and likely a lion or two. It's pretty easy to spot these players if you have Hold Em Manager or Poker Tracker 3. Their VPIP will between 15 and 20, and their PFR between 12 and 17. If you don't have HEM or PT3 just look for the player at the table who comes raising into every pot and doesn't have much variance in stack size from his original stack.

Hope this gives you a little bit of an idea about what kinds of players you can expect to encounter and how to play against them.

cheers boys,

kyle

Hand of the Day Feb. 25/10

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 5.5 Tournament, 25/50 Blinds (6 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB (t1210)

BB (t3140)

UTG (t1330)

MP1 (t3010)

MP2 (t2890)

Hero's M: 17.40


Preflop: Hero is CO with 10, 10

UTG bets t150, 2 folds

Total pot: t125

Your Play?

Hand of the Day Feb. 24/10

UTG+1 (t880)
MP1 (t3340)

MP2 (t1595)

CO (t1530)

Button (t1465)

Hero (SB) (t1190)

BB (t1355)

UTG (t2145)

Hero's M: 9.92

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, 10

UTG calls t80, 4 folds, Button calls t80, Hero calls t40, BB checks

Flop: (t320) 9, 4, 8 (4 players)

Hero checks, BB checks, UTG bets t160, 1 fold



Your Play?

Getting Flushed Out Again

So I just finished a set of 4 sng's. Placed 3rd in one and didn't cash in the others. I'm pretty disappointed with it. Donkeys kept chasing and hit a flush on me to knock me out of 2 sng's. Got knocked out of another AK>AQ, I bet I don't have to tell you there was a queen on the flop. I think I played ok just didn't catch the cards. Maybe next time :)

kyle

Tuesday Night Sit n Go Update

So I played 3 sng's earlier today and I played really good. Placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd which is pretty solid in my opinion. I'm gonna look through the hand histories and post one or two key hands I had that helped me make it into the money (it's gonna take awhile to search for them though). I also played a second set of 3 sng's later this night. Placed 1st, 3rd and 6th. Damn donkey 4bet all in preflop with a10 suited and I was getting prepared to double up with my pocket tens until he hit runner runner flush. No surprise from Full Tilt there. Also, I was playing against this player who had a VP$IP of 80!!!! I couldn't even believe it, but what was worse is that the four hands I played against him I had top pair on the flop and he hit runner runner. FOUR TIMES IN A ROW. Of course he busted me, but I guess I was lucky just to make it into third....

ps bankroll is looking a lot better after losing half of it playing rush :)

kyle

My All In Occurrences

Just letting you know that I posted my All In Occurrences at the top of the sidebar. In case anyone thinks FTP is rigged for all ins you should take a look at this. I can somewhat concur with these statements. I encourage you to also keep track of your all ins as a tool to help you better your game. I'll update it regularly... ps disregard the PokerStars section, it was just a 3 day test where I ran pretty bad

kyle

Funniest YouTube Video

I was cruisin around YouTube last night and saw this apparent "strategy" video by suncruzrob. Basically he just shoves every hand and calls people a donkey when the call his 9th all-in in a row with big slick and pocket sevens. By the way, he says that he's been on a bit of a "bad run," losing only 45 straight sng's. This is priceless.....

check the video out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rnwVFn2Zl4&feature=related
he's also got a few more

Get Your Rake Back!

Poker sites take so much rake from us that it's imperative you get some of it back. Many sites offer between 25%-40% rakeback so it's a no-brainer to apply at one of these sites and get a little bit more return on your investment. There are plenty of rake back sites out there, I personally use http://www.rakeback.com/. Also, if you do decide to sign up for rakeback.com's rakeback program, put in my ID: shoutoutloud37 under the friend referral to let them know that I sent you.....

Cheers guys,

Kyle

Player Profiling

So one of the most important and satisfying aspects of online poker is that you can save notes, and often 'color',  for certain players. One of the tools I use to profile players is Phil Hellmuth's Creature Guide (pictured below). As you can see it gives a color and animal to associate a player based on their playing tendencies. Full Tilt Poker, the site I use most often, is probably the best for using this feature. Poker Stars is ok but it doesn't allow you to assign a color to each player. I will go over this more in depth in the official Sit and Go Expert program, but for now you should get used to keeping track of each player's type...

First Post

Hey Guys,

This is the first post for Sit and Go Expert. This blog will be specifically centered around sit and go tournaments, with some book reviews and hand analysis as well. Me and Z are currently working on a training program that will hopefully take your game to the next level and make you a winning player. We will examine all different types of sit and goes; 6 handed, 9 handed, turbo, super turbo, heads up, double or nothing, and shootouts. Hopefully our program will be available for purchase within the next year, so in the meantime you can just join the RSS feed or visit the blog and see what two winning players can teach you.....