Chasing Chris Ferguson

Grinding, that is what I have been doing in the 25c/50c Stud8 ring games on PokerStars.  I actually was in a patient mood last night, and didn’t scream #$^%^@ at the screen when a K85 os made a wheel. Or when bricks came to my 643A all hearts and the Qc6d2s made a club flush and a 7 low.

It is sickening to see a 4 runner flush though, when it requires odds similar to winning the lottery.  But, patience pays off, and there was only one other player in the game. I say anyone who has good hand selection to start, is a player, and it is rare to find more than one in these games.  Far be it from me to tap the fishtank, if not for them I couldn’t build my Bank Roll.

These games are juicy, and the ante is small, only 5c so it is affordable to be patient.  The pots can be $5-10 in the action games, again making a winning 2 way hand profitable. It is also not crippling when you take a flyer with a less than stellar hand and call 10c to see 4th.  My plan so far of trying to make at least $10 a day is working. I won a little then played in a $3 NLH tourney. I didn’t make it far, basically had nothing to play, the last hand I was 1 in front of the button and it was passed to me, so I doubled the bet on 66. The button called, flop was rainbow 764 I bet $400 of my $895 and the button put me all-in. I have seen many weird, bad & baffling plays, but I have to say I shook my head when he turned over 2c-3h. So why was I surprised when 3 more hearts came and he won with the 3h for a flush? I see no logic to his play, if he was going to make a run for the pot, why flat call preflop? And when he flopped nothing but a gut shot dummy end straight draw, why raise? He thought that even though I bet 1/2 my stack that I would fold? The lesson I learned here is, there just is no understanding how these people play!

I then went back to the Stud8 game and bounced in and out of 3 different games. If I got irritated over catching bricks, or getting sucked out on, I went to another table. This kept me calm (er) and helped my bottom line.  This game plan doesn’t work everynight, as some nights there is only one 25c/50c game going.

As I write this I am in a Stud8 game on Pokerstars. I am taking a break, I wanted to tell troutcd what nice cards he called my starting raise with. I need to add Qh6c2c to my preferred starting hands list. Even with hitting the Jh on 5th he still hung in there and made a 6 low flush. My 764 of diamonds only made a straight 7. Yep I am being good, I didn’t say anything, not even LOL. Like Mom always said “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”  I do have to wonder, just how much these people must lose a week? Month? Year? I see them play that way night after night, and even though it is a small game, a $5 or $10 loss a night adds up.  Sure they win some times, but playing that way they have to be constant losers. Which is good for us, who are trying to give a good chase and build a Bankroll.  The Card Fairy can sprinkle good luck dust on the donks all she wants. I am learning how to garner more patience daily and am a believer in the long haul, not one session. For the long haul it takes skill, not praying to the Card Fairy for that one outer.

Bank Roll update: $104.80 but I am still in the game…..and trying to make the best starters become the best enders against those 4 runner flushes!

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 20th, 2008 at 1:40 am and is filed under Uncategorized.