Free Poker Money

recieved a very nice email from Party Poker yesterday stating that they had credited my account with a $30.00 bonus. So I sat down at a $0.50/$1.00 Limit Hold'em table last night to see if I could do anything with it. I will probably play at Party for the rest of this week so I can work off the raked hand requirements for this bonus. I played almost 200 of the required 300 hands last night. I did pretty well during last night's session. I made a few lousy calls and lost a little bit, but I was dealt some good cards at the end of the session and managed to finish up $14.50.

The biggest pot I won was $12.50 at the end of the session. I raised with AJ after one player in front of me called. The player behind me reraised and I called along with 2 others. I made top pair on the flop of J46. I bet after two players checked to me and the pre-flop reraiser again reraised. I figured I am up against a high pocket pair, but I called to see the turn. The turn was another six and I checked expecting to fold if it gets bet. The reraiser checked also and I got to see the river for free along with three others. The river was another Jack and I knew I had this won. I bet and two players called. One turned over AK and the preflop reraiser turned over AQ. I was very fortunate that hand. I might have lost a lot of money if an ace had come out on the flop.

One of the big things that I have learned over the last few months is how to be patient. If I am down a few bets a session, I know that it might only take a couple of good hands to either get back to even or up a few bets. Also, I know that if I find myself up a few bets, I know that it only takes a few missed flops to fall back down below even for the session. The point is, I try not to get too upset over the losses that I take and not too excited over the wins, because things could change very quickly.

Current Bankroll: $285.61

Tags: Online Poker, Poker, Texas Hold'em, $100 Free at Party Poker

A Very Nice Weekend

he two sessions I played over the weekend turned out to be very profitable. A few hands into Saturday's session I flopped a set with a pair of fives and then improved on the turn to a full house and won a $1.95 pot. I then won another $1.95 a few hands later after flopping two pair with AK. After fewer than 20 hands I was already up $2.40. The rest of the session did not go as well however. I lost a pretty good chunk with KJs after flopping two pair, but a queen on the turn completed my opponent's straight. I made a few mistakes during the remainder of the session and folded the best hand a couple of times. Near the end of the session I was pretty frustrated and missed some big opportunities. But I still left with $0.89 in winnings.

Sunday's session started of very much the same way as Saturday's. First I won $1.90 with K4s, after making a flush on the river. Then I won $3.35 after being dealt 44 and flopping a set, then improving to a full house on the turn. After 15 hands I was up over $3.00 and my good fortune carried on throughout the rest of the session. After winning $2.22 with pocket aces I had nearly doubled my $5.00 buy-in. After splitting two pots with AK and AT and then winning another with QT, I finished up $5.92 for the day. I know that I was very fortunate with the cards I was dealt, but I don't think I made many mistakes.

After more than a year of playing this game, I feel like I have made a good deal of improvement in my post flop play in the last several weeks. Also being picky about seat selection has boosted the bankroll.

Current Bankroll: $241.11

Tags: Online Poker, Poker, Texas Hold'em, $100 Free at Party Poker

Disappointing Finish

finished 222nd in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship yesterday. I was really hoping to do better. I just didn't get the luck I needed. The best hand I was dealt was QQ twice, but I wasn't able to win much with them. Late in the tournament, when I was shortstacked, I knew it was only a matter of time before I busted out. I finally pushed my remaining 465 chips in with QJs after UTG+1 limped in. When the flop came AKQ, I was sure I would be elimated, but was surprised when UTG+1 turned over 33. But the three on the river killed my chances of moving up. I know that even if I had won that hand I would still be very shortstacked and the odds would still be stacked heavily against me, but I would have been nice to play a little longer.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t800 (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com (Format: Plain Text)

MP2 (t23180)
CO (t2155)
Button (t16920)
SB (t4760)
BB (t7060)
UTG (t32415)
UTG+1 (t12440)
Hero (t515)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Qs, Js.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls t800, Hero calls t465 (All-In), 3 folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t2815) Qd, Ac, Kh (4 players, 1 all-in)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets t1600, SB folds, BB folds.

Turn: (t4415) 2c (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t4415) 3d (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t4415

Results below:
UTG+1 has 3s 3c (three of a kind, threes).
Hero has Qs Js (one pair, queens).
Outcome: UTG+1 wins t4415.

Tags: Online Poker, Poker, Texas Hold'em, $100 Free at Party Poker

Little Progress

haven't been able to make much progress lately. The Friday night and Sunday afternoon sessions played out pretty much the same. For each show down I won, another one was lost. Three times out of both of those sessions I was dealt KK and lost all three times. Two of those times my opponent made three of a kind on the river. I know I am not going to win every time with pocket kings, but this is a little bit ridiculous. Over both of those sessions I lost $1.11. I still think I made good decisions, but had some bad luck.

Monday and Tuesday night's sessions were a little bit better. I ended up winning $0.37. Monday night I hit a couple of flops early from the BB and managed to get up about $0.90. But later in the session, I missed the flops with hands like AK and KQ and only walked away with $0.10.

Tuesday night I found myself down about $1.10 twice, but managed to squeak out $0.27. On my second BB I was dealt K7o. The flop was 987 and everyone checked throught the flop. I was sure I was going to win after another 7 fell on the turn. I raised after the SB bet, then he reraised and I began to think he might have flopped a straight. I called him down to the river and sure enough he held 65. Then two hands later I was certain I was going to win some of it back with AJs and the flop came A65, but my opponent held AK. He check raised the flop, we both check the turn and then check raised the river. Then I saw him make a similar play a few hands later.

After picking up $1.80 with AJ and KQ I was only down $0.20. Then I was dealt KK and lost again, this time to 77 after both of the remaining sevens were dealt on the flop and turn. But I flopped a straight with 75o and won $1.60. Sometimes the best looking hands lose and sometimes the ugly hand turn into winners.

Current Bankroll: $232.83

Tags: Online Poker, Poker, Texas Hold'em, $100 Free at Party Poker

PokerStars World Blogger Championship

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 6215386

Maniac Monday

was not able to play as much poker as I would have liked over the holiday weekend. I finally found some time on Sunday to play a couple of sessions. During the first session, I didn't really get many opportunities to see a flop. I only won two hands but ended down $0.98.

I did a little bit better during the second session and won $0.45 back. The biggest pot I won was with Q5s. I wouldn't normally play Q5s, but I thought that if I got lucky and hit the flop and won the hand that it might help me to pick up a bigger pot later on. If I had missed the flop, I could have just thrown it away and reprimanded myself for even thinking about playing that hand. I got extremely lucky when I flopped two pair and won $1.45.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Qs, 5s.
UTG calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, 2 folds, CO calls, 1 fold, SB raises, 1 fold, UTG calls, Hero calls, CO calls.

Flop: (9 SB) Qc, Kd, 5d (4 players)
SB bets, UTG calls, Hero raises, CO calls, SB 3-bets, UTG folds, Hero calls, CO calls.

Turn: (9.50 BB) 4h (3 players)
SB bets, Hero calls, CO calls.

River: (12.50 BB) 2s (3 players)
SB bets, Hero calls, CO folds.

Final Pot: 14.50 BB

Results below:
SB has Jd Kh (one pair, kings).
Hero has Qs 5s (two pair, queens and fives).
Outcome: Hero wins 14.50 BB.

I did get dealt a better hand a few hands later, but I don't think playing Q5s helped me to win a bigger pot. Only one person (the SB from the Q5s hand) called my preflop raise with pocket aces, but he called me down to the river where my hand improved to an ace high straight and I won $0.75.

Near the end of the session I got stupid when I flopped a set of eights, but my opponent had flopped a set of aces. I could have saved a bet on the flop by just calling the raise instead of reraising and allowing my opponent to cap the flop.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8s, 8d.
1 fold, MP raises, 3 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (4.40 SB) As, 8c, Qs (2 players)
Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP caps, Hero calls.

Turn: (6.20 BB) Kd (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets, Hero calls.

River: (8.20 BB) Th (2 players)
Hero checks, MP checks.

Final Pot: 8.20 BB

Results below:
Hero has 8s 8d (three of a kind, eights).
MP has Ac Ah (three of a kind, aces).
Outcome: MP wins 8.20 BB.

Monday's session was probably the most aggressive game I have ever played in. I sat down two seats to the left of a maniac who was either raising or reraising preflop with almost ever hand he was dealt. And he went to showdown most of the time. I watched his chip stack grow from about $1.00 to $10.00 in a few short minutes. I didn't didn't get involved it the madness during the beginning of the session, but instead decided to wait patiently for some good starting cards and some nice flops.

I was finally dealt a pair of queens and was able to cap preflop after the maniac reraised. When the flop cam 44T I decided I wasn't going to get into a raising war with the maniac and instead just called his 3-bet and then only called his bet on the turn and the river. I went on to the lose the hand to the SB when he made two pair (aces and tens) on the river. I am not sure if capping the flop would have made the SB fold his hand or not. The pot was already huge.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with Qh, Qc.
UTG calls, Hero raises, 1 fold, MP2 calls, CO calls, 1 fold, SB calls, BB 3-bets, UTG folds, Hero caps, MP2 calls, CO calls, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: (21 SB) 4h, 4s, Td (5 players)
SB checks, BB bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls, CO calls, SB calls, BB 3-bets, Hero calls, MP2 folds, CO calls, SB calls.

Turn: (17.50 BB) 2c (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, Hero calls, CO calls, SB calls.

River: (21.50 BB) Ac (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, Hero calls, CO folds, SB calls.

Final Pot: 24.50 BB

Results below:
BB has 7c 3h (one pair, fours).
Hero has Qh Qc (two pair, queens and fours).
SB has Ts Ah (two pair, aces and tens).
Outcome: SB wins 24.50 BB.

Fortunately, I was able to win most of what I lost with the queens back a little later while I was in the BB with Q3o and the maniac let me see the flop. I bet on the flop of Qd 4d 5s after the maniac checked to me, four other players folded and the maniac raised. I called him down the river and won with my pair of queens against his 83o.

Then I flop three of a kind on back to back hands and won two huge pots. I won $2.80 after being dealt AJs UTG and the flop came 9AA. On the next hand I was dealt JJ and won $1.85 after another jack came out on the flop. I didn't mind getting into a raising war those times with the maniac.

Soon after that the maniac left the table and the game calmed down considerably. I played a few more hands and lost a little bit, but I ended the session up $1.70.

Current Bankroll: $229.37

Tags: Online Poker, Poker, Texas Hold'em, Free Poker Money