Thanks.

Well, I'm not fond of NL ring games and I saw that first hand early in November when I sat down at the $0.01/$0.02 NL tables. If I am going to play ring, I'll stick to the things I know and feel comfortable with: limit hold'em, limit Omaha Hi/Lo, limit Stud, limit Stud Hi/Lo and maybe (just maybe) PL O8.

As for SNGs and MTTs being swingy, I have a fairly good track record of my performance from my previous 3 years of experience, so I know a good deal of what variance I have in them. For SNGs, my longest no-cash streak was 7; for MTTs with buyins under $5, my longest was 5 I think (I need to go back and make sure on that). I don't have a lot of final tables for MTTs, but I do place in the early cash levels enough to make solid progress.

Anyway - last night I finished 25th for a net profit of $1.65. The 2nd to last hand I played, I raised on the cutoff with K8s after one limper. He is the only caller. I flop a flush draw and the flop is jack high and the limper checks to me. I bet out for 30k and he reraises all-in. I have him covered by 55k or so, and I'm getting just over 2 to 1 on my call. I call - he has QJo (no diamonds). I miss my flush and my king though, so now I'm in real bad shape.

A few hands later, I push allin preflop with A8o and get called by the BB with KTo. He hits a ten on the turn and I'm done for.

Even if I just hit the last hand, I am back into decent shape (about 120k with blinds at 5k/10k), and I don't really regret either hand. I do wish I could have won one of them though, because a final table was definitely on my tongue last night...

Anyway - I'll take what I can get after my losses over the weekend. I'll probably just play those two tournaments, maybe with an occasional SNG mixed in when I feel comfortable.

First off, let me remind you, I am talking about the $5 buyin or less on Pokerstars (meaning 1k players or more).

While you are correct that I'm not going to make a lot of money playing these tournaments, I disagree that a final table needs to be a regular occurance in order to show profit. No I'm not going to make a killing at them unless I hit a final table, but there is no reason to accept that I am going to be losing money unless I hit a final table.

As to variance, look at the two tournaments I said I would be playing: 10FPP (ie - no cost, only profit potential) and the $0.25, $100 added tournament. With just 33 data points, I have no final tables, 9 cashing spots and a net profit of $6.68. My ROI is sitting at 167%.

Complicate all of this with the fact that I play poker for the enjoyment of it (else I would be worrying about hourly rates and such), and I get the most enjoyment out of tournament poker and it makes plenty of sense to have these two as staples of my bankroll for a while.

Don't confuse my willingness to make the money line as a line giving up on the "real money" of the final table or the top 3.

I did not mean to say that I did not value your advice Ed. What I did want to say is that I disagree with you.

"This is a pretty good way to break even (give or take), but you will not make money in MTTs playing for the cash."

I do not agree with this statement. You can make money just fine playing "for the money."

That said, playing "for the money" does not also equate to a lesser chance at a final table appearance.

If I am having a good tournament, my stack will represent that. That said, if I am having a bad tournament, I don't just throw it away - I do what I can with what I am given.

Didn't play on Wednesday since the wife wanted to get it on.

But I came back on Thursday with a vengeance. In the $0.25 tourney, in the first level, I completely screwed myself with A8o from the BB to see a free flop. I checked the A7x flop and it checks to a bettor on the button who leads in for the pot. I flat call.

The turn is a 9 and I suddenly lead out with a pot-sized bet and this guy comes back with an all-in raise. And for some odd reason I called.

He had A7 and I miss my 8 on the river. Blah - down to 130 in chips.

That said - I managed to rebuild up to 2k at the end of the first hour and about 1/2 way through the second hour, I was at a solid 10k.

Other than that misstep in the first level, I fared pretty well and although I didn't make it deep into the money - I did make it to 384th - which is just fine with me after that hand...

In addition, I played a two $1.20 SNGs, placing 2nd and 5th. In the latter one, I got all in with nines versus a complete idiot with A2o (I had 3/4s of his stack) on a 478 rainbow board. He spiked an ace on the turn to send me packing. Blah.

I also placed in the money in the 10FPP tournament without ever being above 3k in chips. Nothing happened there - just enough to keep me alive...

Anyway - here's the summary:

12/06 10:00pm $0.25 NL HE multi ($100 added) (3834), 384th, 12:04am, 118 hands, +0.49
12/06 10:09pm $1+.20 NL HE SNG (9), 2nd, 11:23pm, 110 hands, +1.50
12/06 10:40pm 10FPP NL HE multi ($500 added) (4189), 522nd, 11:38pm, 58 hands, +0.25
12/07 12:34am, $1+.20 NL HE SNG (9), 5th, 12:58am, 27 hands, -1.20
$12.88

Tonight is my work's holiday party, so if I play, it won't be until late.

Also - I've had these two posts in the MTT section for a while with no comment. If they are standard situations, it doesn't hurt to let me know and I certainly would appreciate some comment:

forum/viewtopic.php?t=28564
forum/viewtopic.php?t=28584

I hate to beg for comments but if its what I have to do, so be it...

Had a "late" night on Friday due to my company's holiday party, though in reality, I was still home by ~10:15pm or so because it is a big family event. They usually have dancing and such after I leave, but I see no point in torturing my kids for another couple of hours after Santa leaves.

Once the kids were in bed, I settled in for a short night. I decided I would try to make it into the $2 tournament at 11pm if I did well in a $1 SNG. Since I was down to 4 players with the chip lead at the time it started - I decided to follow through.

In the 10FPP and the $2 tournaments, I just didn't get anything going and was knocked out early in both with race situations that I failed to hold on (one where I was ahead, the other where I had the over cards). Not a big deal though since I finished 1st in the SNG and did another one shortly after getting knocked out and finished first there as well.

12/07 10:40pm 10FPP NL HE multi ($500 added) (4206), 1529th, 11:14pm, 32 hands, 0
12/07 10:59pm $1+.20 NL HE SNG (9), 1st, 12:16am, 113 hands, +3.30
12/08 12:00am $2+.20 NL HE multi (1734), 1215th, 12:25am, 20 hands, -2.20
12/08 12:22am $1+.20 NL HE SNG (9), 1st, 1:36am, 168 hands, +3.30
$17.28

In other news, I'm getting staked for a few tournaments upcoming. Not sure how it will work out, but I guess its a gamble for my staker and it gives me an opportunity to jump back into things. Regardless, I am very thankful for the opportunity and I will be playing my first tournament tonight - $15+1.50 on stars. I checked it out last night and it had 872 players in it. If I feel particularly on my game, I'll probably also do the $10+1 at 11:15pm.

EDIT: Apparently the $10+1 at 11:15pm is a 6-max tournament. Since I've had little experience with that type of tournament, I'll be skipping it for the night. Might need to find an alternative tournament to play - but I guess the $15+1.50 is fine for now.

Well tournament is underway and I'm hanging in there. Hit a flopped flush draw fairly early and the guy called a nice value bet on the river despite the straight and flush on board... Then I folded for a bit until this wonderful KK hand...

PokerStars Game #13739932263: Tournament #68768617, $15.00+$1.50 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2007/12/08 - 22:37:11 (ET)
Table '68768617 23' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: Xx_Spoon_xX (1397 in chips)
Seat 2: Wizard_2051 (1210 in chips)
Seat 3: BriGuy45 (2439 in chips)
Seat 4: tamamik (2795 in chips)
Seat 5: Starstealer (2285 in chips)
Seat 6: telley80 (3179 in chips)
Seat 7: doubleaces77 (1951 in chips)
Seat 8: Casper0z (1129 in chips)
Seat 9: SirSwish6 (1365 in chips)
telley80: posts small blind 25
doubleaces77: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Starstealer [Kc Ks]
Casper0z: calls 50
SirSwish6: folds
Xx_Spoon_xX: calls 50
Wizard_2051: calls 50
BriGuy45: folds
tamamik: calls 50
Starstealer: raises 350 to 400
telley80: folds
doubleaces77: folds
Casper0z: raises 729 to 1129 and is all-in
Xx_Spoon_xX: folds
Wizard_2051: folds
tamamik: raises 1666 to 2795 and is all-in
Starstealer: calls 1885 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [5d 6c Ad]
*** TURN *** [5d 6c Ad]
*** RIVER *** [5d 6c Ad 4s]
telley80 said, "lol"
*** SHOW DOWN ***
tamamik: shows [Jc Js] (a pair of Jacks)
Starstealer: shows [Kc Ks] (a pair of Kings)
Starstealer collected 2312 from side pot
Casper0z: shows [As 7s] (two pair, Aces and Sevens)
Casper0z collected 3562 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5874 Main pot 3562. Side pot 2312. | Rake 0
Board [5d 6c Ad 4s 7d]
Seat 1: Xx_Spoon_xX folded before Flop
Seat 2: Wizard_2051 folded before Flop
Seat 3: BriGuy45 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: tamamik showed [Jc Js] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 5: Starstealer (button) showed [Kc Ks] and won (2312) with a pair of Kings
Seat 6: telley80 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: doubleaces77 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: Casper0z showed [As 7s] and won (3562) with two pair, Aces and Sevens
Seat 9: SirSwish6 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Yup - that's a net increase of T27 from kings... blah.

I guess I should be happy the cutoff decided to limp-re-re-raise his jacks...

Didn't get a lot going on in my favor in the $15 tourney. Late in the first hour, I was down to 2.3k in chips and dealt pocket eights in MP.

I open raised to 2.5x BB (250) and got called by the player to my left (4.2k) and a short stack (who is allin for 228).

Flop is 69T with 2 diamonds.

I led out for 1k and the other player raises me all in. I call and he shows [Th]. I miss my straight and I'm done for.

I'm not real happy with that hand at all, but not sure how I should've played it (if at all).

On another note, I did sign up for a $2 tournament (I thought there was a $3 tournament but there apparently wasn't), and I am already in the money (though just the first levels of that).

About 300 left with 9.5k in chips and blinds at 300/600 with a 50 ante.