blonde poker forum

Hi,

For those who don't know me, I'm John Black.  I have a diary on blonde here
 http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=56559.0

And as a result of this diary I am now an online 6max Cash grinder on Stars.  Currently at 25nlm I've moved through 10nl beating it for over 1.5bb/100 over 200K hands.

I also play a lot live when I can (upped a lot in recent months) and currently play £1/2 live, building a BR with very good results in the last few months.

I have played a couple of these specific events before, cashing in London 36th and busting out of Stoke in my first ever 'feature table' hand (pic below).
I've also played over a dozen tournaments if this 'buyin' or higher and am very comfortable with them and their structures... only coming close to some big scores a couple of times.


I know from my previous GPS events these are peppered with some very good poker players, but that the large majority are satellite entries or recreational players making a stab at a comp just outside their usual 'reach'.


I am going to play the event anyway, but am selling 30% on here @ 1.136 to just try and 'ease' BR commitments since I'm still building properly.

Therefore
1% - £5
5% - £25
10% - £50

Due to the late notice of this thread.. (I literally just decided I'm going to play it).

I will accept a comment on the thread or a pm to me as binding and payment can be arranged tomorrow or at a later date - cash there is fine also.


NB
I do not plan to re-enter tomorrow, if however I decide to play Friday Day1A as tomorrow is unsuccessful (highly unlikely) I will offer first reserves to the team.  
If people would not like to be 'held' for a second entry, please let me know.

10 plz

10% culdnt possibly miss this

rest

A Facebook message from 11:46 from Marky 147

aA&aNB GPS Birmingham - LATE NOTICE
www.facebook.com
11:46pm
Can't get on blonde atm mate, but I'll take 5% pls


So I'm afraid he gets the first 5%.


Then Ryan for 10%
Dave 10%
G2L 5%

Thanks guys!

I hoped I'd sell some but sell out in 20mins is incredible.

btw, why did we ever criticise you for calling river in hand ^ :D

HAHAHA like the top 5 most brutal hands :(

Gutted i missed this all the best!

JB I'll take any piece of a second bullet too.

The hand was played well in accordance with these lines...

River > preflop > flop > toilet break > dinner break > drive to stoke > getting stopped by police going to collect money at 3am and getting a 'producer' < TURN!

marky doesn't know about the second bullet, so ill give you the full 10% of that. He will only have the first bullet, deal?

Give him the option too mate- if he's happy to split 7.5 of each bullet might be better?

river was obv fine, but turn in said hand was huge mistake

Sounds fine.. happy for us to work it out tween ourselves!

Hopefully some of LilD's money can help rungood!

think was noted previously, somewhere....

As I said in the OP, a Friday re-entry is highly unlikely... probably requires some kind of EPIC stack + mega whale + mega suckout + mental coaching from TL900 to think about it.
(plus, I've got really good plans Friday night - :P)

Can anyone find thread? Jbs posts go back miles and couldnt find it in PHA searching through August which is when google told me GPS Stoke was. I tried!

I'll recount it for you.

In "Confessions of a Winning Poker Player," Jack King said, "Few players recall big pots they have won, strange as it seems, but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career." It seems true to me, cause walking in here, I can hardly remember how I built my bankroll, but I can't stop thinking of how I lost it.


I open first hand  4h 5h

folded round to BB, he flicks in the call.

I know I know him... but I don't know how or why...


I flop gin, clearly... and cbet 650 into 1100.  (still got the numbers its that bad!)

He flicks it in, again.


He checks and I cbet BIG, 2700 > 2700... he raises to 7000.
I go through my outs, the hand.. what I think he has (best two pairs..) and that I think I'm getting the other 19k in on the river if i make a good hand.

River
bink....

He sets me in and I call off the 19k.

oh ok, i take back my comment.

sorry bro. :D

dont take it back.. the river was one of the well played parts... :D

Left a little late, but have a breakfast baguette and on the way...

Morale is high!!

I was going to wear my bright green Africa shirt at my next mtt outing but I also said id wait for it to be for tighty...
So next DTD mtt will have me in a lime green 'africa shirt'.

:D

VBOL JB!!

Sent. Gl!

Can't wait.

:-)

Good luck John.

Thanks all, here, regged.

Looking good.

Apparently Goulders going to be late, "PJ making me late.."

Lol not even his horse, leave him!!!

:P

We have position on the only guy who seems competent.

Had KK and won a small pot (big for blinds tho) vs AQ vs xx on Q10xhh xh 10.

Shame about river.. Might have raised if not for that 10.

Feeling good (little cold) but have my funky SA flag scarf and going to enjoy the live poker-a-ments.

Good start continues..

Making a few hands, induced some spew..



However, have just had Steve watts come sit next to me on my left.

Fml!

Prob won't be online again until tonight, looking forward to epic updates glgl!

Just lost a big pot vs the guy on my right I thought was 'good'.

He opens utg and I 3bt him again, (3/4times already) and as expected Steve finds a cold 4 MP2, 'Ludo' finds a call, and I 5bt to induce Steve..
We have Ac Ad btw.

He thinks about it.. Takes a few minutes and after a long time decides on a fold. Ludo peels (hero).

FLOP
Ks Js 7d
I check back genuinely concerned he can have KK/ JJ as I never expected him to cold call, ever.

TURN
8d, he leads for 3k into 5k.  I take a little while.. (dont want to seem to eager) and flick in the call.

RIVER
3s

He leads for 8k, and I think through the options..
Fold - were beaten by a big part of his value range.. He can have AK, but we also block it..
Call - we've checked to induce, and induced... Its hard to have strong hands here....
Raise - we've shown him twice we have checked flops with good hands, its going to be really hard to call with anything <flush.

I decide on the 'safer' option (but doesn't include a sick fold) and call.

To be shown 7c 8c and have Steve shout "oh I had 88, that's sick"

Lolz.

Dented, damaged, spend 10mins listening to Ludo and Steve discuss the merits of raise/ call/ calling 78cc pre.....oop.

And busto

Not quite as quick as selling on here...

But after the previous hand I was 'down' to 18k, which after a couple of weak limpers I open CO with Jd 2d because the two in question have been really face up. Goes 4 ways..

FLOP
Kd Qd Td.     (pretty good flop)

SB leads, flat 725, I make it 3200.. Want to either get someone shoving J9/ KQ/ 1010/ 5d6d thinking I have Ad x.

Fold behind, SB folds.. Flatter now makes the big raise and I insta-ship...

He sighs and takes a breath.. Says something about "if you've got it, you've got it..."

And sighs in Ad 6d.

Ouch.

facepalm.jpg

Hurts so bad to have to walk away, I was playing absolutely brilliant.. Top form.

Id never even conceived the idea I would bust early enough to think about re-entry...


Now I just want back in.

Eat me.
They're both really bad players and we have position.

I would be opening a lot here..
Pre is not up for discussion.

You're right, its a mistake

huge sigh

You're just folding position vs super faceup players with 200bb's??
Its not like I tried to bluff...

With J2s yes.

I think that is a mistake with your postflop talents.

Anyways, second time we've had secondnuts in a GPS.. Second time we've bust.

Apparently nuts are needed.

Looks like today is going to be ah expensive one.

I am re-entering.
Going to the toilet, then getting the readies out.

Can all buyers please message if they want same action.

Playing irrespective.

I'll put on here any %'s that free up.

This is excellent advice.

Amazeballs!

<3 John Black

Confused??


2nd nuts man...

Ah just paid for my first bullet piece to find that you have bust!

In for the same on the 2nd bullet obv.  Will ship ASAP

what boards are you really going to be able to value bet well on? People don't fold so bluffing them isn't going to work.

Small ball ftw.

Your just isolating too much and trying to win too many pots (in 25/50 ffs) if you are isoing J2s here imo.

i dont think thats an fml.

glglgl

lol

j2 is slamdunk fold pre btw.

You get out as well..

:)

Just sat down..

Im seat 1, Wadey 4, Nick (cash game guy) 6, and the ever helpful and hopefully submissive Mr Atkin (feel he deserves the respect).

Deep deep joy.

Gl us

<3 JB

I've got confirmation from Scotty, but not the rest yet...

the life ownership of Mr James Atkin has begun.

I had a nice hand though...  Ahrt 4h


(or did I...)



Levelssssssssss!

Had a nice get there when I peel UTG, get peeled behind and a small squeeze OOP from a lolpro.

UTG folds and I peel  4c 5c with a fish behind. He folds. Sigh...

Need a new plan.

FLOP
810Jr

He cbets, we raise... In my mind... Im just lolfolding everything here as him, its a joke board that smashes my range.

He obviously and stubbornly peels.. (ok, so he's not good enough to fold one pair then)
Were going to take off on any turn card that improves us.

TURN
7 two spades...

Not the best, if im trying to rep a set he won't give me credit of I barell now.
I check back with the intention of smashing pairups or giving up on bricks.

RIVER
6s

BIIIINK!

He never has a 9 when he checks to me again... So im always good. The only question is how much.
Felt like I got in his head a bit and he paid off 1/2 pot.

The look around the table was fun.



YES.  I did just value bet the UNDER straight..

Thread getting incred. Pls make a deep run JB!

Ive sat here chuckling most of the day at this thread, but this comment just shows you dont "get" live poker.

I cant even bring myself to impart advice

GLGL fella - roffle it in, id like to see you get a score

*edited post - it sounded different in my head - genuinely wanted it to be a well wishing comment - but dont level yourself about "bad players"

Just use your insane edge and all will be fine Mr JB.

Thanks for the edit.. It does come across a little brutal tbh.


This guy isn't a live player.
He's clearly an online reg of somekind, his sizings are joke bad.. Obv if he craises ill be thinking about it.. But I can have pair + FD's that ckb turn and got there... So Cr a bare 9 is thin.

Esp since he 3bt pre small multi way pre.... I.e. He doesn't have anything except 99, and probably not that.

#wpsir

Goooooo jb

Lol thanks.

Not sure how high up I would put myself in this field.

feeling really good and think im playing ok.


#2ndnutsthobro

Stacked the lolpro
J9dd CO vs K10ss UTG

109x dd

He checks, bet behind of 1200, I flat. He shoves 10k, tank fold behind and I insta-snap.

TURN
7d

Ulbro


45k, again..... And climbing!!!!

Out of 100 what would you rate your poker ability ?

Phone is dying..

Updates will be no more unless the other guys here do them or I find a socket (charger in pocket obv)

This is just vintage JB and should be one huge #realjohnblacktweet

"Had a nice get there when I peel UTG, get peeled behind and a small squeeze OOP from a lolpro.

UTG folds and I peel 4c 5c   with a fish behind. He folds. Sigh...

Need a new plan.

FLOP
810Jr

He cbets, we raise... In my mind... Im just lolfolding everything here as him, its a joke board that smashes my range.

He obviously and stubbornly peels.. (ok, so he's not good enough to fold one pair then)
Were going to take off on any turn card that improves us."

In all honestly I have no idea to quantify where 1 would be and 100.

If I take this field though..

I hope to think I am in the top 5-8% of the field........ comfortably top 15%

Johns phone is busto so he's asked me to so the updates for him.

For ease ill be doing it from Johns perspective

JB can u confirm I have 5 again? Did say I'd want a piece of any re entry

cambridgejohn

On a scale of 1-100 how busto is your phone? top 15% busto?

Up to 45k on my second bullet. Plenty of lolpros and lolrecs around today. Crushing super hard with 'some' thin value bets and picking off some joke obvious bluffs.

Wadey just tried to 'get me' but I ended making a sick fold with KK on QJx4 vs JJ and 44. So 'they' won the battle, but I've got the war in the bag :D

5-8%

Got charger in my pocket obv :D

Yessssssss lots of win in this thread

Some optimism here. Deep run please.

How r u updating it? Are you there also ?

True story...

We 4bt pre IP, ckb QJxr and fold to a lead and call in front.

:P

Just had a horrible hand where my read was right.. But I made the 'good fold'.

I'll do the hh later..



George you have 5% again. Everyone elses % carry through for another buy in as no one said they didn't want the Friday bullet.

got 25k avg is 32.

I've only just managed to get on and see we got ul early doors :D

Will send the other pony over shortly JB gl!

were they going batshit about your fold?

Thanks mate, ill assume lil'd is in.

:D

So a full update while phone was dead...

few bits happened.

Currently so fat and distended from Nandos tho.


Cliffs as I remember them (not necessarily in chronological order)
- raise/ 4bt KK vs whale. Wadey peels also, ckb QJx, fold once whale leads and Wadey calls.
- raise/ 4bt bluff A4o btn vs SB reg
- cbet/ fold a few hands where we have 2nd pair or worse
- value cut vs wadey J10cc vs AJ on JxxQQ
- make soul read vs Russian and Wadey with 1010 vs AQo vs A10cc on 972cc, but fold to Russian rejam.
Knew I should've called, would've held...
- changed up then down gears...
- Nandos with MC and Lonohray
Lonohray had humus
MC won the flip and had 1/2chicken medium, rice, corn and chips
I had 1/2 extra hot, rice, peas, garlic bread and xxxtra hot sauce with wild herb!
- oh and MC doubled with KQcc vs Wadeys AJo

Continue pls....

 :)

Made the 'solid' fold.

Lost a big one.

AKo UTG vs nit CO 3bt

We ship in the 32bbs to put him at risk.

He has dem bullets.  Its never a bluff from him, but its obv not just AA.


Meh.

19bbs and were grinding..........

#wpsir

Yep, exo soul read #stillinthegame

gogogo

Just arrived to play this

Seen 5 hands 3 of which include:

Some jamming 25k into a 4k pot and losing

Someone open jamming 16k @ 200 400 50 (and again just now)

someone limp and over calling an iso and 3b then leading pot and a half!

Annnnnnnnd busto.

Again.

Check my option in the BB with 16bbs. Jh 4d

There is a limp utg+1 from the whale, these have been.

FLOP
J52r
SB checks, I shove 6k into the 1500.

Genuinely dont feel like I have any other options.. The whale will call off here with any pair, a bunch of draws and it wouldn't shock me to see him call AQ/ AK if he limped it.

He sighs it off and SB folds.
He has QJo.

TURN
6 
More outs then... Would be a good time for a bink.

RIVER
Q

Meh...



Does anyone else do anything else on this flop? Pre?
Or with the AK vs a nit for 30bb's???

:( prob c/jam the J4, ul

Fold the j4 and play my 11bbs better than the rest of the table

In the bb, checked option...

Surely checking and cf is horrid.. So options are cshove or shove right??

Pmsl. Nirvana so good atm.

Yeh JB I don't think the J4 jam was the best play. There aren't many situations where jamming for 4x pot is the optimal play actually.

Prefer a check call, check shove, or bet/call, or bet/fold read dependant. Or check fold.

You'll get "them" next time kid.

Fair enough..

Thanks to all backers.

Playing cash now...

U gonna play tomorrow?

Follllllldddd

I genuinely don't get it why do we make this huge over shove? Just b/decide

Oh well was fun to rail j2 and j4 :D

Gl in cash buddy x

#supersolid

u fold ak to 13 bigs effective pre ?

yeah Nirvana and bobalike could be a comedy duo.
unlucky JB.

I love this thread too much

xx

BOB

It could be like Hansens book "Every hand played"!

But with 3 prologues?

C'mon man. Fire another bullet. You are in the zone.

No we have 19 after losing 32bbs.

And you just fold pre pat?

With the J4, I dont see how we can do anything other.. We can't play poker with 6k @ 2/400.

Or can we??

6k is plenty mate. this is live and you just gotta use your insane edge against the weaker players...... unless they are both out already :)

My bad

 could we not flat and see a flop
Re evaluate and use our post flop tekkers

well this is the wrong attitude..

Face palm

Japes

Thanks for the most entertaining 10 mins I have had on blonde in an age :)

Ul

OOP vs a nit? If we're flatting its because we think he has QQ, JJ, AQ. All of which won't do their money on A or K high flops.

To me it seems like a ship or fold pre.
Don't mind either.

James Atkin did. Just bagged up 61k

J4 check/call > check/jam > fold > open shove

AK standard

J2dd fold pre.  It's interesting that you chose that hand to not really discuss on as that is def your biggest mistake of the tournie.  Its a terrible hand to get involved with in level 2 of a live MTT.  Forget insane hedges etc its live fold and make pairs no need to FPS and try and force something to win 350 chips (which is the best case scenario of taking it down pre) at level 2.

Yeh it defo says something that you said pre "wasn't up for discussion" as this is clearly a problem when like scotty says, it was the biggest mistake of the tournament (J4 is close 2nd)

If you had two players who literally call every cbet but fold 100% of turns unless they donk turn.
Or similar super linear lined players where you think you would never be put into a tough spot or have pressure applied unduely.

What would your opening ranges pre be?

We had da second nuts... In a live comp. Is anyone trying to tell me the postflop is a mistake??

I know you had some reads and stuff but come back 7th March 2013 and tell me its the correct play.

No, Adam, check the thread..

The J4 hand, similar to the AK I genuinely didn't have a 'solid' happy plan.

I said ITT, I had no idea what to do with J4.
I guess I could bet/fold 1100.. Seems better already in reflection, but maybe this is because I've spent the last 6 hours playing cash with this whale and now feel completely I his head.

The reason for saying about J2dd not being up for discussion 'pre' is because it was a live situation vs two players I was super happy with..and I think close to atc will the profitable 3 way wth position against these two.
Obv we dont get into a situation if we dont open.

But we did, then flopped 2nd nut flush with redraw.  Obv not folding now.

But the main thing where the delusion comes from is saying you think you're in the top 5% of the field yet failing to understand that 6k at 2/400 is still fine! 'what can I do w/6k at 2/4' yes you can't do triple floating but you can grind solidly with a small stack and pick your spots, one of the most important tournament strategies.

You obv had a fun time, everybody enjoyed the thread and that's what it's all about.

Btw I'm still super convinced ak is a fold. If he shoves then call but when he 3bets from 19bbs or whatever and he is a nit you're probably gonna see kk+

You have no fold equity so 'putting him at a decision' doesn't really work.

Hendon mob plz

I ain't gonna jump on the band wagon here John. I think that you have provided excellent value in your staking thread. It is most entertaining and props to you for posting all the nuts and bolts especially the stuff that leaves you open to abuse and ridicule.

I do have a point to make in that there is a guy in the last 27 of the EPT Deauville that I only heard about the other day. Someone posted gl to this guy who had a pretty impressive Herbiemob for a relative unknown. On Pokerstars TV he gives an interview about how at 1 point he was down to 3000 chips and now 4 days later is in a good position to make some serious dough. This guy is called Gordon Huntly.

http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=137400

Live donkaments really are about ABC for the majority of the time. Everyone one knows how to move to the music and everyone in the room is hearing Dolly Parton and line dancing. To see you crashing through everyone trying to do the moon walk like Michael Jackson is having me in stitches.

I love your passion but I worry about your sanity

Wasn't critical of j2dd hand or the AK one. Will leave them up to Pads. The j4o is really bad. You go from a "grinding" attitude to a what is 6k @2/400 ya know. With the J4o you said "IDK what to do" and i just wanted to reaffirm you picked a bad option mate. Ul and keep up the grind. A+ thread too.

<3 Herbie

Shove was 32bb Pads, so you put him to a decision, but how much of his 3betting range has one in this spot and do they not just always have it in this spot live?

I thought fold after seeing 'AKo UTG vs nit CO 3bt' and we have to put in 2/3 our stack to find out if we're flipping or under it...

JB just says nit, so we don't know how big, but maybe a nit flats AK because we've opened utg and he wants to hit a pair before continuing  :D

I might be dribbling nonsense though and am only gutted his run wasn't much longer as it was an epic rail :)

How often have u called off 11k here with AA in level 1/2 and its good?

 ;hide;

Equity Win Tie  
MP2  39.78%  23.66%  16.13% AKo
MP3  60.22%  44.09%  16.13% JJ+, AKs, AKo

Even if we give him a optimisitic AQ in his range:

 Equity Win Tie  
MP2  42.82%  28.08%  14.74% AKo
MP3  57.18%  42.45%  14.74% JJ+, AQs+, AKo


Eveeeeen if we give him 99/TT and AQ

Equity Win Tie  
MP2  43.14%  32.55%  10.58% AKo
MP3  56.86%  46.28%  10.58% 99+, AQs+, AKo


I just don't think its standard to go broke here, we are opening from UTG and a NIT is 3betting us.

As far as the AA hand goes, that was underplayed, and would just go ahed and bet the flop. As played, river is prolly w/ev.

I thought you might like him Herbie :) he won a PCA package a few years ago and just never stopped, gets it under the radar

This is the problem with the AA hand.

He said after the hand he thought I had QQ. I was hoping he towned himself with AK type hands.

But when he goes raise, call, call he just doesn't have all the big hands.. So then its hard to find 'reasonable' hands that can bet big on that river.. Flushes are hard to make.

Im glad people enjoyed the thread, and I know I put up all the hands and spots and plays that the rest of the population probably wouldn't because it only invited criticism or abuse.

But please dont anyone tell me that I just "had a good time, rofl'd about, punted"

I played really really good poker for a lot of yesterday.  I made some good reads, most were highly marginal.
I made some 'easy' folds with big hands.. (very proud)
And I made a couple of mistakes.
The AK is potentially a mistake.. Maybe change that to 'is' a mistake, because of the player.
There are much much worse ways to lose 32bb's.
I barely bluffed of a single chip.. And tbh on my first table I played great, I just ran 2ndnut flush into nuts.
Second table ill leave upto MC...


But with my work trips coming up it looks like there won't be any ANB action on here for a bit.
Cork is just too much of a shot.
Shame though.... Really wanted to get out the guns and have a pop

http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=107714

Completely forgot to out this up, shame the majority of my mtt success has been in £50/100 fo's that aren't festival stuff...
Think there might still be one or two cashes attributed to the other John Black's as well.

Just thought I'd say that having shared a table with John throughout his 2nd bullet I thought that although he made a couple of questionable decisions, he played really well aside from that and was a pleasure to share a table with.

Watching him have an Extra Hot Nandos with Extra Hot Sauce and not raise an eyebrow was quite interesting as well!

Meh, Nandos' 'extra-hot' sauce is as extra-hot as Findus lasagne is 100% beef.

Lolz

It was my pleasure, I can assure you.

You really are as nice as you come across in your posts.  Glad we didn't have any decisions vs each other.. Fairly sure id get battered.

I'm sure my 11bb shoving ranges will be a little more accurate than yours, not sure that qualifies as battered :)

#manloveitt

ul john,

how much i owe you?

One more bullets % pls..

There's only one j black, only one j black....spewing along, spewing a song, spewing in the j black wonderland!

There's only onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeee............

:)

Luv ya really bud, also hvnt read any of the thread, just hoping there's a spew-ps will delete above if gen offended!

EDIT: Just read fred. B4 you read below, bear in mind you are gen one of the ppl I actually like most in poker.


Don't wanna be harsh but just meh John.

Mate, for someone with such an amazing poker mind-you really do the most basic things wrong.

In some ways yr top 5% of the field easy, in others you're bottom 5%-you really are.

You over complicate the simple, level yourself horridly and burn all your edge with ridic fps.

A structure like this shouldn't be abused in such a way, it should embraced.

Don't wanna be harsh and doubt a single word will get thru tbh, but gen hope one day it clicks with you. Such a waste.


So many great players-i'm not counting myself in this bracket-itt giving you priceless advice, do you really think they are all wrong?

I hate the 45s play, the j2s, j4 plays so so much.

AK is one of those fml spots, i don't pass tho-imo even a nit will spew on occasion v some1 like you who just makes em blow up with kq/aq/mid pairs here.

Pads range is too tight.

It isn't. This guy folded JJ face up to a 3 bet, and (after John bust so he wasn't to know he was THIS tight), peeled QQ in the CO to a HJ open and folded to a BB shove after HJ folded.

Thank you sir, I dont recognise the sn but no offence taken.

I know they're right, which is why I've changed so much in the last 15months. I continue to work and improve and listen and apply... However sometimes I can't help but see the light at the end of the tunnel and decide walking is too slow.  So I hop on a bike (motorised ofc) and then find out the hard way, its a train coming the other way.

I know when I have a day where it all clicks I will ft one of these and hope I can covert.

Thanks again to everyone in ITT, look out for more rare ANB piece chances with which to invest/ punt/ burn your money as you see fit.

It's Dominic Kay mate.

Shoulda said i'd replied to yr staking thread on skype yesterday lol, but assumed you knew my sn on here.

Dominic Kay? Nope. Never heard of him.

WP.

Harsh scots peeps.