A Year In Useless Stats, Part I - Big Pots

Well, it has been a full year since I started playing cards on the Internet for money. I started out on February 7, 2006 with a $75 Instant Bankroll promotion, a bit of book knowledge, and a lot of hope. Almost 51,000 hands and $6,000 later, I think I'm pretty happy with the way things went.

Since I'm a numbers / stats guy, the next series of posts will deal with some of the "records" that happened in the first year. Most of these have no redeeming values but are fun for me to look at, so you're all stuck for the next few posts. You don't like it, start your own blog. :-)

Many of these "records" will be separated into dollar records and BB records so as to not ignore my play at the lower levels.

Biggest Pot Won ($$): $68

1/18/2007, Full Tilt Poker, Limit: $2/$4 (6-max)

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is Button with Q♠ Q♣
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, CO calls, Hero raises, SB 3-bets, 2 folds, CO calls, Hero caps, SB calls, CO calls.

Flop: A♣ 9♦ 4♣ (14SB, 3 players)
SB checks, CO checks, Hero bets, SB raises, CO calls, Hero calls (19:1).

Turn: Q♥ (10BB, 3 players)
SB bets, CO calls, Hero raises, SB calls, CO folds.

River: 2♠ (15BB, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB calls.

Results: Final pot: 17BB
Hero showed Q♠ Q♣
SB mucks A♥ K♠

Hand Comments:
Well it was obviously a nice suckout on the turn, but given the 19:1 odds I was getting to call the final bet on the flop, I actually had odds to draw to my 2-outer. I knew I was behind, and got lucky. Looking back at it, I wouldn't change the way I played this hand at all, which will not be the case for most of the other hands in this post.

Biggest Profit From One Pot ($$): $42

2/6/2007, Full Tilt Poker, Limit: $2/$4 (6-max)

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is CO with 9♥ 7♥
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls (2.5:1), Button calls, SB raises, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls (8:1), Button calls.

Flop: 7♣ Q♣ 9♠ (7.5SB, 5 players)
SB bets, BB raises, UTG+1 calls, Hero 3-bets, 2 folds, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: A♦ (8.75BB, 3 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

River: 3♦ (11.75BB, 3 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets, BB calls, UTG+1 calls all-in $3.

Results:
Final pot: 14.5BB ($63 pre-rake, Hero's net is $42)
Hero showed 9♥ 7♥
BB mucks Q♠ 8♥
UTG+1 mucks J♦ 9♣

Hand Comments:
Nice to have my biggest net profit in a pot come on the very last day of my 365 day year of playing. This is a "flop bottom two pair and hold on for your life" hand. No change to the way I'd play this hand either. Of possible interest, UTG+1 was a complete tard with stats of (get this) 92 / 0.7 / 0.4. Nice seat, huh?

Biggest Pot Lost and Biggest Loss in One Pot ($$): $99 pot, Hero's loss of $32

1/8/2007, Full Tilt Poker, Limit: $2/$4 (full-ring)

Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is MP2 with A♠ J♥
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, Hero raises, 4 folds, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: 3♠ J♠ 4♠ (7.5SB, 3 players)
UTG bets, UTG+1 raises, Hero calls (10.5:2), UTG 3-bets, UTG+1 caps, Hero calls (19.5:2), UTG calls.

Turn: A♣ (9.75BB, 3 players)
UTG bets, UTG+1 raises, Hero 3-bets, UTG caps, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls (21.75:1).

River: Q♥ (21.75BB, 3 players)
UTG bets, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls (23.75:1).

Results: Final pot: 24.75BB
UTG+1 showed 9♠ 8♠
UTG showed T♠ 5♠
Hero mucks A♠ J♥

Hand Comments:
Well, this one certainly did suck. I played this incredibly wrong, although the same result was bound to happen. I think the "right" way to play this once I flopped TPTK and the nut flush draw was to 3-bet the flop (and call the inevitable cap that would have come), and then call the turn with plenty good odds to draw to my nut flush and 4 full house outs. The river is a toughy - I simply don't know that I'm good enough to fold top two pair for a single bet in a 24 BB pot closing the action. It might have been -EV but +sanity in case those clowns would have both shown up with hands I could beat.

Biggest Profit From One Pot (BB): 27 BB

5/28/2006, Paradise Poker, Limit: $0.50/$1 (full-ring)

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is CO with J♣ T♣
2 folds, UTG+2 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, Hero calls (4.5:1), Button calls, SB calls, BB checks.

Flop: 9♣ 8♠ 5♦ (7SB, 7 players)
SB checks, BB bets, UTG+2 raises, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, Hero calls (12:2), Button calls, SB calls, BB calls.

Turn: Q♥ (9.5BB, 6 players)
SB bets, BB calls, UTG+2 raises, MP3 3-bets, Hero caps, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls, UTG+2 calls, MP3 calls.

River: T♦ (29.5BB, 5 players)
SB bets, BB calls, UTG+2 calls, MP3 calls, Hero calls (33.5:1).

Results: Final pot: 34.5BB
MP3 shows 7♥ 6♥
Hero shows J♣ T♣
SB shows Q♣ T♥
BB shows 9♥ 8♦
UTG+2 shows 8♣ 8♥

Hand Comments:
Now that is multiway action - flopped straight vs. turned straight vs. top two pair on the river vs. flopped top two pair vs. a flopped set.

Regardless of the outcome, I played this hand wrong on at least two streets. The flop is an easy 3-bet for value, and the river is an super easy raise. I have the second nuts, and there is simply no way someone hung around that long with KJ. Not raising this river is a crime, and I missed out on at least another 3-4 BB by failing to do so.

Biggest Loss in One Pot (BB): 10 BB

2/19/2006, Party Poker, Limit: $0.15/$0.3 (full-ring)

Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is CO with Q♦ Q♠
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, Hero raises, Button 3-bets, SB caps, BB calls, 2 folds, MP1 calls, Hero calls (19:2), Button calls.

Flop: 9♦ Q♣ K♥ (22SB, 5 players)
SB bets, BB folds, MP1 raises, Hero 3-bets, Button caps, SB calls, MP1 calls, Hero calls (37:1).

Turn: 3♣ (19BB, 4 players)
SB checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets, Button raises, SB calls, MP1 calls, Hero calls (26:1).

River: 8♠ (27BB, 4 players)
SB checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets, Button raises, SB folds, MP1 3-bets, Hero calls (33:2), Button caps, MP1 calls, Hero calls (38:1).

Results: Final pot: 39BB
Button shows J♣ T♠
MP1 mucks K♣ 8♥
Hero mucks Q♦ Q♠

Hand Comments:
Where to start? I (evidently) totally disregarded the button's cold-cap on the flop. The turn and river are pure spew. I should have checked/called the turn drawing to by full house, then checked the river. When I would have been faced with 2 bets back to me and not closing the action on the river I think I can safely lay down my set. Or so it seems. Even as played, I should have laid it down for 2 back to me, not closing the action. :-) I'll chalk this one up to it being within the first two weeks of starting play - I sucked more back then than I do now.

Well, that's all for the "big pots" post. Next post - best and worst days of the year.