RPI-Fan's Freeroll Poker Commentary

[RPI-Fan]

This will chronicle my attempts to win the Pokerroom 2x daily freeroll. The freeroll means you can sign up for free (up to 750 people play, and that max is always reached), and huge play money prizes are distributed for the Top 15 or so players. The real treat, though, is the real money prizes awarded to the top 3 finishers ($50, $25, and $10). Some days I'll play once, others twice, and just as many not at all.

If anyone wants to try this sometime (the tournaments are at 9am and 3pm with signup at 8 and 2), go to Pokerroom, sign up, then click on the "Texas Hold 'Em Tournaments" link (you can choose Light or 3D mode). From there click the "Multi-Table" tab, and just click sign up.

I'm using this mostly as a tool for myself, and I believe it will accomplish two things.

1) Occupy me after I've mucked hands.
2) Provide a better avenue for me to analyze my own play.

If others benefit from it as well, that's excellent.

I'll go over my strategy right now while I take a few minutes for the tournament to start (this should help me map out my plays better, as well).

Oh, also, the blinds increase every 15 minutes. Each player starts with $800, and the limits start at $15-30. They increase every 15 minutes.

Basically, I'm going to play extremely tight. From early position (meaning the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person to act pre-flop), I'll only play QQ, KK, AA, AQx, AKx, or KQx). From middle position, I'll include ATx, AJx, QJx, KJx, KTx, JJ, TT, and 99. From late position I'll play any small pair, any high connectors, or any high suited cards.

I'm going to make sure I try and stay close to this policy for as long as possible (when my stack gets lot, or the tournament dwindles down to much fewer competitors, I may have to alter it). It may make for some boring playing, but that's fine. My goal is to win this thing, and I think I can do it. Much like TredWel, I'll only note hands that I actually play.

Hand #3: I get a very interesting hand on the big blind - 77. I check preflop, because it's really not all that powerful a hand (there were two other limpers). The flop comes Kh Ad 2d, and after I check and one limper checks, there's a bet which I obviously can't call. I definitely put him on an Ace or King, which leaves me two cards in the deck to win the hand for me. That's a (1 - 45/47*45/47), which certainly wasn't giving me odds to call with only two other players in the pot.

Hand #7: In middle-late position, I get dealt 33. I call the blind, as do 3 others. The flop comes 8c 9d 7d, and after there's a bet, I'm compelled to fold. He either has a straight draw, or one of those pair, or some combination of the above. Thus, assuming I'm already beat, there's only two cards in the deck to win it for me, and thus I'm left with the same, poor, (1 - 45/47*45/47). That leads me to my conclusion to fold.

As it turns out, the bettor had 79s in the hole (so my read was correct).

Hand #9: I'm dealt 33 in early position, but (I think) I made a disciplined play by laying it down. It's really not a strong hand from early position.

Limit increase to $25-50

Hand #18: From middle position I get AQx, and raise. I get two callers. The flop is perfect - A96, rainbow. I bet after one check. Both players call. The turn is another A - even better. I bet again, and again both players call. The river is a 6, leaving one hand to beat me (66). I can't put either guy on that, since they'd have bet postflop. This time, though, the UTG bets, so I'm a little weery. Regardless, I raise, the third guy folds, and I get reraised back. I just call this time - no need to make some huge mistake this early.

Turns out he had A7. So I guess he probably was concerned about betting since he had a bad kicker (which was a smart play). But the 2nd six on the board eliminated the kicker, allowing him to bet.

We get a split pot, and I take in $380, which gets me to $825 (and buys me a couple rounds of blinds - I had a profit of ~$100 on the hand).

Limit increase to $50-100

Hand #25: On the button, I get KTx. There's one limper before more, so I go for isolation with a raise. The flop comes 574 (two clubs), so I bet into it when it's checked twice.

This puts someone all-in, and unfortunately they had a 7. So I lost a fair amount of money there. (~$175)

Hand #26: I get dealt JTx, and I go ahead and call from my late position. The flop comes KQ8, giving me an open ended straight draw. I'm getting good odds here, and call. The river is a blank, but I'm still getting the odds, so I call again. The turn is a miracle card (a 9), giving me the nuts. I raise and reraise, but, predictably, someone else had JTx. I did, however, gain some money from the hand.

Hand #28: KQs is my hand, and I limp, along with three others. The flop is 9T3 rainbow, and is bet into by the big blind. I know I'm beat right now, but I have 10 cards in the deck to save me, giving me 4:1 odds on the turn alone. Those are the right odds to call, and so I do. The card is, again a miracle, a Jack. I raise the pot, and one person calls all-in, while the two others simply call. The river is an Ace, and I still have the nut straight (I can only be tied). It's checked to me, and my bet scares off any action. The other person who was all-in had a pair of 9's.

That huge pot gets my bankroll up to $1800.

Hand #31: I'm given ATx in 2nd position. I call, but when the BB bets (and there are a lot of limpers), I'm certain I don't have the best hand right now. So I lay 'em down, consolidating my losses. I've found ATx to be a trap hand, and don't even know why I called with it in the first place. Just a bad play.

Limit increase to $100-200

Hand #34: I get A3s from the smal blind, and call with 6 limpers. The flop is no help, Q6K (one diamond), and after there's a bet a fold. I was playing to a drawing hand there preflop (some sort of backdoor straight, or, of course, the ace-high flush), but didn't get it, so it was an easy laydown. I don't see any problem with that play.

Hand #35: I'm dealt KQs on the button, and there's a raise from the small blind, along igwth a bunch of limpers. I call, as do all the limpers. The flop comes 82A (no hearts), and I know I'm beat right now. The raiser preflop is checked to, and raises again. I'm putting him on AK, AQ, AA, or KK.

Hand #36: Get dealt 33, and being in late position, I call. There are 4 other limpers. The flop is a gift from god - A33 (and a nice trap too!). WOWZA! It's bet to me, and I raise. Two others call along with the raiser (one is all-in). I cannot be beaten at this point (without some insane straight flush draw).

The turn is Qc, another nice trap. It's checked to the raiser (me), and I'm gonna' get fancy here - I check. It works, as the river is the Kc and it's bet into me. I raise of course, and there's a call. I beat the all-in's Kings and Queens, and the other guy doesn't show. I win a huge pot - nearly $2k. I'm now up to $3340.

Hand #41: I get T5x in the BB, and just check preflop. THe flop is JT4, and I check. Surprisingly, I probably have the best hand here, unless someone has Ten-high kicker. THe turn is a blank, and it's checked around again. The river is a Ten, and I bet into it. I think 5 people folded and I won the pot - I'm definitely getting my tight-agressive image (a good thing, IMO). It was only $800, but still, I'll take anything I can get at this point.

Hand #46: I have ATx in middle position, and call. A maniac raises, and I call putting him on nothing. The flop comes with 3 spades though (K42), and I have to fold. Again, I've got to stop playing AT. It's just an awful trap hand.

Limit increase to $200-400

I've been moved to a new table

Limit increase to $400-800

Hand #63: I get A2x in the big blind, and there's one raiser to me (everyone else folds), I call, thinking he's bluffing. The flop is J92 - I bet (semi-bluff), he raises. I fold, knowing I'm beat.

Hand #64: I get A9x in the pocket, and call an allin raise. The board gives me a straight, but he also had an Ace, and thus also hit his straight. I still take half the blinds.

Hand #65: I get A5x and call the allin (same guy), again. Only this time he has JJ, and the flop is no help. A very poor play by me, and I'm down to $1270, with a limit increase looming.

Limit Increase to $600-1200

I've been moved to a new table

Hand #81: The blinds have come to my $570 stack, putting me allin on the BB - just have to hope for a good hand here. I get no help, with 95x in the hole. Actually, though, there are only two limpers. The flop comes J2J, no help. The turn is the 4c - giving me a flush draw. It doesn't come, and I must be beat here. I am, and bow out as #71. Not bad - 71 out of 750.

Thanks for reading, and I'd love any comments!

~rpi-fan

[RPI-Fan]

Heh, you know you weren't getting hands for a while when you don't play a hand and the limits increase, TWICE, AND you get moved to a new table.

I actually think I let this get to me, as you can see by that string of 3 (well, 2) bad hands (#63-65).

~rpi-fan

[sabotai]

Yeah, a couple of large gaps too. Hand 46 to 63. And then 65 to 81. And the only reason for 81 is because you had too. Not a bad showing. Top 10%.

[RPI-Fan]

Hand #2: I call QTs from middle position, but it gets raised on the button, and with several callers, I don't see myself winning his hand, so I fold.

Hand #5: I get J8x in the BB, and get a free flop. Flop is Q45, everyone (5 of us) checks. Turn is 6, everyone checks again. River is an 8, I bet, one guy raises, I call. Got so caught up in my 8-solid kicker that I forgot about the straight. Can't have mental lapses like that.

Hand #6: QJx on the SB. Call along with 4 other limpers. Flop is Q9Q, and I try and slowplay it with a check. Doesn't work, as it checks around. Turn is a blank, and I bet dragging along a lone caller. River is another blank, and I check, looking to check-raise. Instead, he checks, and I get a relatively small pot.

Hand #9: Get KQs in middle position. Get a few callers to my raise, as usual. Flop is another beauty, this time K4K. I check, looking to slowplay. Again, it checks around. Turn is a blank club, putting out both heart and flush draws. I bet this time, though, and get two callers. River is a blank that completes the club flush (though anyone drawing to it should already be out), and I again attempt to slowplay. Again, it fails, as it's checked back to me.

Hand #13: In 2nd position, I limp in with 7 others, holding JT. Flop comes Q9J (two clubs) giving me jacks and a straight draw. I easily have the right odds to call a bet to me, and get raised back. I still have great odds (9:1 in the pot), and call again. Turn is another Queen, and now I'm worried. It's bet to me, but my straight draw odds are still good enough to call. River comes Queen. Now I'm less worried about someone holding a Queen. I bet, and am called, and my full house wins.

I missed a couple things - a blind increase, and a couple of smaller winning hands while I was getting these earlier hands annotated... I'm on fire right now, with $1745.

[RPI-Fan]

At this point, I'm chatting with a friend while playing, and don't have time to notate.

If the result is anything extraordinary I'll let you know.