If you never ever for the rest of your life do a mini-raise while playing NLH, you will almost never have made a mistake because of it. It is usually the wrong bet.
Greg Raymer (FossilMan)
I said so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, ciao to Pacific Poker yesterday. I had around $13 left and I logged in to see what I could do with it. I went to the micro tables and after a few rounds and a dip in the bankroll, I thought "this is just this side of ridiculous..." and regrouped. I then decided to hit the Sit-n-Gos. I had enough to play at least one $5+ or a couple of $2.50+. I decided on the former first.
The game got under way just about the same time my stomach did. Shall I say....I was sitting and had to go - my spaghetti dinner talking to me, as it were. So I sat out a couple of hands. This didn't seem to hurt me. I held my own and averaged +1000 chips for about 30 hands.
On hand #33, there were 5 of us remaining and I was 3rd in chips at T1050 and in the small blind. The chip leader to my right was at T3322. I'm dealt AdTd. Not a bad hand for short handed play. It's folded to me and I raise 2x BB. and it's called. I thought immediately that my raise was weak and I should have pounded him - I made it cheap for him to call.
The flop was Q-9-T rainbow with one diamond. I had second pair. I bet the pot and he went all in. I felt I was commited at this point and called. The Kd came off, giving me the nut flush draw, and then the 9h landed at the river. I had TT up to his QQ up - he had AQ.
That put me down to T143 and on life support. However, I think I was doomed on this hand no matter how I played it. If I had come in for the steal with a stronger raise or even all-in, he would have played back regardless.
I clawed my way back and into third in chips going all-in and successfully doubling up or stealing pots 4 times. I backslid on an attempt to steal with a QT and got re-raised before the flop - I floded and calmed down. Three hands later I get AA on the button. Blinds are 75/150. I came in with 300 and BB called. Flop was 7-4-6, 2 clubs. BB checked and I pushed all-in. BB called. Turn was 8s - 2 clubs, 2 spades and a strait draw on the board. River was Td.
I'm tempted to do a "Grubby hand of the Week" beacause this would be a good one. However, I don't want to drag this out - he flips over 7c 4s.....and I'm done.
I had enough and some change to play a 2.50+ 5 seat Sit-n-Go. I busted out of that one in 5 hands. I took the change to the micro tables and raised/capped every pot until I'd dumped it all. I may visit and play the free tables every now and then to see if they give me any free money again. But, other than that, I'm done with Pacific. You need a healthy bankroll that can withstand the swings you're bound to encounter do to the uber-fishyness, which I didn't have. Plus there's no No-Limit and the tournament structure is terrible.
The positive side of all this is that the money I lost was all profit - I'd withdrawn my original deposit early on when I was doing well so my play there was zero-sum and not negative-sum.
And so this stretch of bad cards, bad beats and less than stellar play of mine continues. I'm stuggling to get my game back up - my confidence has taken some dings lately but I'm staying positive.....yes, I am.
