UCLA rocks

So the move in saturday morning was pretty flawless. Although i have a triple and thus have less free space, its actually not too bad and kind of cozy. My days have been super busy, consisting of hanging with floormates, drinking, free concerts, and dances. And eating in the dining halls, of course :) They let a lot more kids in this year, which i like. Theres a ton of cute girls ; ). Ive also hit up the gym and played frizbee a bunch. Anyways, i guesd judt the usual college life. Theres one super cute girl i hope to see more tho. Tonight some older friends of ours move into their apartment, and its one of those kids Bday as well, so i think im heading over there. Who knows what the night will bring.

Packing, Packing, and Hands

I spent all day packing up my stuff for Move In day tomorrow. I also got a haircut in the morning but there wasnt much hair to take off(comapred to usual, at least). Im pretty exhaused, to be honest. It will be a great feeling once im settled in and ready to go in my dorm. Then i will let the good times roll.

I decided to email pokerstars and see how many hands i had played on there total, both cash games and tournament hands. The answer is 360,876 hands. Haha, thats a lot of hands. And to think i have played around 60k hands on all other sites combined....wowzer. Most new hands will be cash games as ive said, as it will fit into my schedule better if i can start and stop at a moments notice.

The next post will be made from UCLA. Go Bruins!

Oh, and i actually got a comment last post. However, it was some advertisement, how sad. So feel free to make a comment and say hi, random reader!

Money$$$$$

Ive been doing well at 3/6 NL and 2/4 NL cash games. I can beat 3/6 but theres so much dead money at 2/4 that at certain times 2/4 is more profitable i think.

I got deep in a 900 person $22 tournament tonight. I had a nice stack then lost a huge pot when KQ sucked out on my pocket Aces. Oh well. Only pocket aces i got whole tournament and it takes 60% my stack. I survived tho because im a short stack ninja. I ended up bustingin 16th place when my AsQs lost to 88. Oh well. Still a profitable day.

Oh, Poker

I am doing somewhat well at 2/4 NL and 3/6 NL on pokerstars, but some of my profits are being wasted in tournaments that im taking tough beats in. When i leave for college, on saturday, i will play more cash games than tournaments because my schedule wont have many 3-4 hour empty periods. Maybe wed. or friday afternoons.

Update: Well, i would be destroying NL games but i lost over $800 to some guy named Conik on bad beats. Check out this 3 outter on the river.

PokerStars Game #2629238329: Hold'em No Limit ($2/$4) - 2005/09/21 - 18:33:00 (ET)
Table 'Jiangxi' Seat #6 is the button
Seat 2: Ckrad ($329 in chips)
Seat 3: Duff McGuire ($182 in chips)
Seat 4: Good2BFree ($316.85 in chips)
Seat 5: Conik ($360 in chips)
Seat 6: Barny Rubul ($571.35 in chips)
Seat 7: danutz6868 ($371.70 in chips)
Seat 8: studd7card ($501.40 in chips)
danutz6868: posts small blind $2
studd7card: posts big blind $4
djinoc: sits out
Conik: posts big blind $4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ckrad [8h 8c]
Ckrad: calls $4
Duff McGuire: folds
Good2BFree: folds
vita641 joins the table at seat #9
Conik: raises $16 to $20
Barny Rubul: folds
danutz6868: folds
studd7card: folds
Ckrad: calls $16
*** FLOP *** [5s 5h 5d]
Ckrad: bets $16
Conik: raises $56 to $72
Ckrad: calls $56
*** TURN *** [5s 5h 5d] [7c]
Ckrad: checks
Conik: bets $268 and is all-in
Ckrad: calls $237 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [5s 5h 5d 7c] [Qd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Ckrad: shows [8h 8c] (a full house, Fives full of Eights)
Conik: shows [Qc 2d] (a full house, Fives full of Queens)
Ckrad said, " ngdxgfcjdtj"
Conik collected $661 from pot
Ckrad said, "tedjtd"
Ckrad said, "y"
Ckrad said, "yjgdh"
Ckrad said, "j"
Ckrad said, "gd"
Ckrad said, "UNREAL"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $664 | Rake $3
Board [5s 5h 5d 7c Qd]
Seat 2: Ckrad showed [8h 8c] and lost with a full house, Fives full of Eights
Seat 3: Duff McGuire folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Good2BFree folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Conik showed [Qc 2d] and won ($661) with a full house, Fives full of Queens
Seat 6: Barny Rubul (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: danutz6868 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: studd7card (big blind) folded before Flop

Interesting Thoughts

I was reading a post of young poker professional Terrence Chan and really liked some of the thoughts. One of the smaller themes about all choices in life being a "gamble" also hit a note with me. Everytime you choose to take someone up as a friend or put trust in someone, youre taking a gamble. All relationshiops with people, whether study buddies, friends, or dates is a gmable of some sort. Even if you think theres a 95% chance someone is trustwothy, theres that 5% chance they will fuck you over. All life decisions are made be you identifying the options, the chances of each choice working out, and then making the choice you deem correct. The same is true in poker.

Anyways, heres his thoughts on the term gambling for poker:
"....I think those that haughtily denounce the use of "gambling" to describe poker -- well-intentioned though they may be -- aren't focusing their energy in the right place.

It isn't that poker isn't gambling. I think that's an absurd position to take. It's a game where people bet on the cards in one's hand and the probability of the cards in one's opponents' hands and the probability of certain cards coming. Such an activity can be described as nothing other than gambling. Poker players (and other, much smaller groups of gamblers) often argue that it's not gambling if you have an advantage. This is simply absurd. Of course it is. It's simply gambling with an advantage. Re-defining "gambling" as "some card or dice game where everyone loses" is not constructive.

The problem lies not in the idea of "poker as gambling", but as gambling as an inherently bad thing in itself. The problem is that gambling is looked down upon in our society as a negative, unproductive activity. The perhaps natural reaction is to disassociate the game we love from this icky, bad thing by using distinguishing factors that in fact are not distinguishing at all. I mean really. If I'm getting 3.99:1 on a 4:1 shot I'm gambling, but if I'm getting 4.01:1 I'm not, because I have "an advantage"? Come on.

The fact of the matter is that *everything* we do in life is "gambling" in one sense or another because it involves uncertainty. Your decision whether to cross the street to buy a litre of milk involves an element of gambling. You must estimate your probability of being hit by a car, multiply it by its associated cost, and subtract it by the probability you don't get hit by the car multiplied by the utility derived from the quart of milk less the cost of the quart of milk, less your value of time. Your decision whether to buy a Mercedes or a Ferrari involves gambling. Whether you ask Jane or Julie out on a date involves gambling.

I posit that any time you have to make a decision based on uncertainty regarding the probability of (an) event(s) occurring and/or uncertainty as to its payoff if it occurs, you are gambling! If you look at gambling the way I do, there is no need to disassociate poker from it. The problem is not the word gambling. It's peoples' reaction to the word, which is a result of the fact that they misunderstand its true nature."

PLaying some cards with my man Schwah

PokerStars Game #2610922046: Hold'em No Limit ($5/$10) - 2005/09/19 - 02:35:57 (ET)
Table 'Hertha II' Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: clarkkent33 ($840 in chips)
Seat 2: fixedset ($980 in chips)
Seat 3: schwah ($1015 in chips)
Seat 4: CordeleRele ($2162.50 in chips)
Seat 5: Ckrad ($1056 in chips)
Seat 7: ScotttyMac ($740.85 in chips)
Seat 8: asdf2000 ($2038.75 in chips)
Seat 9: JohnnyD's ($333.60 in chips)
clarkkent33: posts small blind $5
fixedset: posts big blind $10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ckrad [Ac Qd]
schwah: folds
CordeleRele: folds
Ckrad: raises $30 to $40
ScotttyMac: folds
asdf2000: folds
JohnnyD's: folds
clarkkent33: folds
fixedset: calls $30
*** FLOP *** [8h 2d Qc]
fixedset: checks
Ckrad: bets $60
fixedset: raises $120 to $180
Ckrad: calls $120
*** TURN *** [8h 2d Qc] [Ah]
fixedset: bets $250
Ckrad: calls $250
*** RIVER *** [8h 2d Qc Ah] [4c]
fixedset: bets $510 and is all-in
Ckrad said, "****"
Ckrad: calls $510
*** SHOW DOWN ***
fixedset: shows [Kd Jd] (high card Ace)
Ckrad: shows [Ac Qd] (two pair, Aces and Queens)
Ckrad collected $1962 from pot
Ckrad said, "lol"
Ckrad said, "sweet"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $1965 | Rake $3
Board [8h 2d Qc Ah 4c]
Seat 1: clarkkent33 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: fixedset (big blind) showed [Kd Jd] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 3: schwah folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: CordeleRele folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Ckrad showed [Ac Qd] and won ($1962) with two pair, Aces and Queens
Seat 7: ScotttyMac folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: asdf2000 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: JohnnyD's (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

WCOOP main event

i was a satellite into the $2600 main event so i played. first place was about 860k. I played as good as i can, but it just wasnt meant to be if AK cant beat KQ and every suited connector and pocket pair misses the flop completely every time. I made several good calls and good laydowns. I finished 469/1494. I had a chance at a monster stack but AK was no good vs KQ when he was able to hit two pair on me. SUHWEEET.

My dog Gizmo is dead

My dog died today. I found her. We took her to vet where she was cremated. Rest in Peace Gizmo.

A horrible final table

I came into the $22 Pot limit hold em final table with the chip lead. After losing AA vs JJ, AQs vs 89, and AKs vs A4s, i finished 6th. The people were horrible, but my hands wouldnt win. It was sick.

WCOOP #10 $1000+50 triple shoot out

So i had been waiting for the WCOOP triple shootout evnt because after seeng the idiots who were entering the events, i didnt think anyone could hang with me in a one table format. Where, i was almost correct. The thing never filled up for pokerstars had to add 65k to meet the 700k guarantee. Anyways, my table starts 7 handed and i basically cruise to heads up. Now, as my round of 64 in the heads up event says, im pretty decent at heads up. However, i busted 3 hands in vs this guy on a SUPER unlucky river. I have him beat withmy pair of queens all the way to the river, where i hit my 2nd nut flush vs his nut flush. By the way, if i won this heads up i was guaranteed $2700, and if i won the next table i was guaranteed 11k, with first being 175k.

PokerStars Game #2567020447: Tournament #10017956, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level IV (50/100) - 2005/09/13 - 15:49:04 (ET)
Table '10017956 15' Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: Ckrad (4605 in chips)
Seat 8: bogav47 (5895 in chips)
Ckrad: posts small blind 50
bogav47: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ckrad [Qh 7h]
Ckrad: raises 100 to 200
bogav47: calls 100
*** FLOP *** [Qd Th Kh]
bogav47: checks
Ckrad: bets 200
bogav47: calls 200
*** TURN *** [Qd Th Kh] [4c]
bogav47: checks
Ckrad: bets 200
bogav47: calls 200
*** RIVER *** [Qd Th Kh 4c] [4h]
bogav47: checks
Ckrad: bets 500
bogav47: raises 4795 to 5295 and is all-in
Ckrad: calls 3505 and is all-in
Ckrad said, "gfjfjgfcjgch"
*** SHOW DOWN ***
bogav47: shows [5h Ah] (a flush, Ace high)
Ckrad: shows [Qh 7h] (a flush, King high)
Ckrad said, "ghjggjdjghj"
Ckrad said, "ghjjfhgf"
bogav47 collected 9210 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 9210 | Rake 0
Board [Qd Th Kh 4c 4h]
Seat 4: Ckrad (button) (small blind) showed [Qh 7h] and lost with a flush, King high
Seat 8: bogav47 (big blind) showed [5h Ah] and won (9210) with a flush, Ace high

GOOD UPDATE: I played the $55 no limit tourny that also started at noon, the same start tiem at the 1k WCOOP event. I ended up getting 4 way and we even chopped for about 2280 each. But im super proud of a BIG laydown i made 6 handed. I folded pocket queens when half my stack was already in the pot...The guy tol me after we chopped that he indeed had aces and couldnt smooth call bc it was over half his stack.

PokerStars Game #2568204053: Tournament #12384171, Hold'em No Limit - Level XIV (1500/3000) - 2005/09/13 - 18:40:40 (ET)
Table '12384171 31' Seat #3 is the button
Seat 2: Y2JKID (37378 in chips)
Seat 3: moseley8 (91114 in chips)
Seat 4: Ckrad (87132 in chips)
Seat 5: 7-2o (73602 in chips)
Seat 6: Aaryn (90576 in chips)
Seat 8: El Carib (76198 in chips)
Y2JKID: posts the ante 150
moseley8: posts the ante 150
Ckrad: posts the ante 150
7-2o: posts the ante 150
Aaryn: posts the ante 150
El Carib: posts the ante 150
Ckrad: posts small blind 1500
7-2o: posts big blind 3000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ckrad [Qs Qh]
Aaryn: folds
El Carib: calls 3000
Y2JKID: folds
moseley8: raises 9000 to 12000
Ckrad: raises 27000 to 39000
7-2o: raises 34452 to 73452 and is all-in
El Carib: folds
moseley8: folds
Ckrad: folds
Ckrad said, "wow"
7-2o collected 93900 from pot
Ckrad said, "BIG laydown"
7-2o: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 93900 | Rake 0
Seat 2: Y2JKID folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: moseley8 (button) folded before Flop
Seat 4: Ckrad (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: 7-2o (big blind) collected (93900)
Seat 6: Aaryn folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: El Carib folded before Flop

$1000+50 No Limti Hold tourny

ya i didnt cash, in fact i never got bpast about 5300 in chips. I doubled up fairly early then missed every flop dealt. I was seeing many flops low with pairs and suited connectors, and didnt hit even ONE flop. If i couldbve hit even one set i wouldbe busted the raiser most likely. Oh well. Thats all i really want to say about it.

$215 rebuy NLHE

Well, i just busted 3.75 hours into it. I never really had any cards or momentum. Whatever.

UPDATE: Well i played a fewtournies tonight and final tabled in the $109 NL on stars, taking 4th place for 2 grand. Not bad. With about 19 left i took a tough beat for a 60k stack(average was 18k) when i got all in vs a guy with my AJ on a AKJ board. He had A8 so need a K ti chop, and bam river K. Haha oh well. I got him back later 99 vs KK when i hit a straight to stay alive. Still, 60k stack with 19 left woulda been nice. Still, i was able to last until fourth then pushe on the other super sohrtstack with Q9 and he woke up with A7s to bust me. Ill take it.

Out Early Today

Todaywas the $215 Pot limit hold em 6 handed tournament. It is palyed at 6 man table whole way though. Well, i took a tough beat early when my set of jacks got beat by a gutshot straight draw. so i was down to 1k chips early(start with 2500) but i then came back to around 3k by first break.

About 1 minutes after first break this hand came up. UTG folds, i limp with Ad7d. Next guy folds, button calsl and blinds call/check. Flop AQ7 rainbow. Blinds check, i bet about 200 into 250 pot. I get raised by the button. Now heres where my analysis comes in: The hands that beat me are AA, QQ, AQ, 77. After me liping i think he would raise with AA, QQ, or AQ to isolate me. So the only hand i was afraid i was beat by was 77. BUT i held one of the 7s for wo pair, so that seemed highly unlikely(it is). I push rest of my chips in and he instantly calls with 77. Wow, tough hand. Thats just poker though, i think my thought process was correct. Im gonna go grab some lunch now.

This Deserves a New Post

So i just cashed in the 11rebuy but barely so not much money. However i was still alive in the 988 person $22 NL tournament. 81 spots paid and there was 82 left. Im a HUGE stack and sitting at about 5/82. I had 40k chips, and the chip leader(maybe he was in 2nd) was at my table with 50k chips. No one else was even close to us. Anyways, i end up getting all in vs him on a baord of 2555. I have 88 and he has 22, so i have the higher full house. The pot is for 80 and a definite final table spot, most likely a top 3 finish with how well i close vs shitty players.

So i see his hand and im like YESSSSSSSSS, because even if i 5 falls i win with my 8 kicker. Well the river is 2, and im ONE OUTTED after getting all in on turn. Wow, i was 98% favorite. Thats just close to as bad as it gets. The table went nuts and i couldnt believe it. Im playing great though. But wow, jsut wow.

WCOOP EVENT #3 Heads Up Championship

I played in the $215 WCOOP event today, a geads up format. They capped it at 1024 entrants, so top 128 paid, meaning you had to win 3 rounds of heads up to cash. Well i made the money, then i won again to make the final 64. I feel like i was better than my opponent, but he sucked out on the turn in SEVERAL big pot, such as ten high flop i have ten good kicker, turn 9 and hes got 99....I played safely though not busting to these big suckouts but wittled down and busted later when 672 fell and i pushed with 54 and he called on flush draw and hit. Oh well, those suckouts on the turn killed me. I felt i played well and like my heads up strategy.

Tomorrow is the $215 pot limit hold em event in which the entire tourny is played with 6 handed tables. Should be interesting, hopefully i can cash again.

Good Day and a Tough Decision

Well the day started off with my having to play Schwah's account in the Pot limit Omaha rebuy WCOOP tourny today because he was having internet problems. I played for the first 25 minutes or so then he got back in there. I then entered a couple 130+9 one table satellites to 1000+50 tournaments. I won both which made me happyyyyyyyyyy. So now i am suddenly in a position to play more events.

As ive said before, my best game in my opinion is pot limit hold em. Well there is a small $215 pot limit hold em tourny, but the whole thing is 6 handed which will make it an odd event. I will play it of course, but im not too excited about it. However, the bit $530 Pot limit hold em tournament in on SATURDAY the 10th. I was just going to not play it because UCLAs first home football game was that day at 7 at night, and im a huge fan. So ive been debating and debating. The WCOOP is like the world series to online poker, and itd be a shame to wait all year for it and not play my best event. It will be super hard to miss but ill have to setlle for watching the game on TV. Im torn but it will be the only game i miss all year. I already won a seat for the PLHE $530 event so thats paid for.

The next question was how to spend the rest of the money. Im still developing my Hi/lo skills, so i think for this year ill dodge those events. Although i actually am a good omaha hi/lo player, my stud hi/lo sucks though. Anyways, with limited funds i need to focus on my best. So I will use 1050 of my newly made W$ for the $1000+50 no limti hol dem triple shoot out. This is basically a tournament where you win your one table to move on to the next level. If you win the first table, you go on to the next round, and if you win that table you make the final table. Its a fun format. Then , I will use 530$ to enter the $530 Pot limit Omaha non rebuy tourny. And with th rest i will use it towards the $215 NLHE rebuy tournament. This tournament will have super deep stacks so it should be fun, but take forever im sure. Im guessing like 16 hours. So thats that. good luck to me. I wont be playing the main event unless i win $$$ or more satellites. Or unless some mysterious backre pops up.

Happy labor day!

WCOOP Event #1 REsult

I ended up 961/3062. I played very safely whole time, and the hand i went bust on was the first time i was all in whole tournament. At my peak i had 6k chips(started with 2500). After that point i blinded down to 2200 or so after not getting a hand for 1.5 hours. wit the blinds at 100/200 and going to 100/200 25 ante in like 3 minutes, it folded to the button. He min raised like he always did on button, and i pushed in for 2k. The BB calls me with AT and endeds up hitting on me to bust me. I really have no idea why he called, but i guess the obvious answer is hes a donkey. Oh well. I knew i would lose the first all in hand. Nothing i can do, I think i played it find. I hadnt been defending my blinds at all and hadnt played any hands in forever. So im not really sure why i got called by AT. Better luck next time i guess.

First place was over 300k.

Either way, this exact read is evidence on my skill today.
PokerStars Game #2497503081: Tournament #10017947, Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2005/09/04 - 17:23:31 (ET)
Table '10017947 211' Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: HooBangin (2604 in chips)
Seat 2: peeks33 (2705 in chips)
Seat 3: HalosMgr (2935 in chips)
Seat 4: Mafews (2350 in chips)
Seat 5: Dirt McGirt (2450 in chips)
Seat 6: boo88844 (1576 in chips)
Seat 7: neyek (2050 in chips)
Seat 8: Ckrad (2335 in chips)
Seat 9: enyce5510 (3435 in chips)
HooBangin: posts small blind 15
peeks33: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ckrad [x x]
HalosMgr: folds
Mafews: calls 30
Dirt McGirt: raises 85 to 115
boo88844: folds
boo88844 is sitting out
neyek: folds
Ckrad: calls 115
enyce5510: folds
HooBangin: folds
peeks33: folds
Mafews: calls 85
*** FLOP *** [Ac Js 7d]
Mafews: checks
boo88844 has returned
Dirt McGirt: bets 215
Ckrad: calls 215
Mafews: calls 215
*** TURN *** [Ac Js 7d] [Qh]
Mafews: checks
Dirt McGirt: checks
Ckrad: checks
*** RIVER *** [Ac Js 7d Qh] [3s]
Mafews: bets 800
Dirt McGirt: calls 800
Ckrad said, "pocket 7s are good"
Ckrad: folds
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mafews: shows [7s 7c] (three of a kind, Sevens)
Dirt McGirt: mucks hand
Ckrad said, "fhdfh"
Mafews collected 2635 from pot
Ckrad said, "IM SO GOOD"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2635 | Rake 0
Board [Ac Js 7d Qh 3s]
Seat 1: HooBangin (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: peeks33 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: HalosMgr folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Mafews showed [7s 7c] and won (2635) with three of a kind, Sevens
Seat 5: Dirt McGirt mucked [Kh As]
Seat 6: boo88844 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: neyek folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Ckrad folded on the River
Seat 9: enyce5510 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

UCLA Bruins and WCOOP Event #1

So the Bruins kicked SDSU ass tonight, thats rocked. Mo drew looked badass and so did marcedes lewis when we actually had to use those two. Markey the backup to Drew also looked good. I'm excited for the season. Next week we play Rice which should be another easy win.

Tomorrow at 1:30 the first event of the WCOOP begins. I'm just buying in, but i bought W$ from cashmanbrian.com so im only paying $495 for the $530 event. A slight discount but still nice. 2500 chips to start and 30 minute blinds, hopefully i play well!

WCOOP-Buy a Peice of Me!

I am selling peices of me in the 1 million prizepool gauranteed tournament. Each 1% will cost 15$. So if you spend 150$ you might win over 30k!

If you are interested email me at ckrad@aol.com or msg me on AIM Ckrad.

Summer Bliss

The new Death Cab for Cutie CD is pretty sweet. Very mellow and i like it. Running horrible in sngs and taking ridiculous beats. MY dads bday is sept2(today i guess, is 1 am right now.) Happy birthday to him. Saturday ill hopefully be watching college football. Im in a 12 person college footbal pool.