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So, this is my Blog, my thoughts / feelings / ideas. You may comment if you like. If you attack me, I come back at you with reckless / racist / suicidal abandon. If you compliment me, I thank you. If you don't ever visit again I don't care. Other than that, just enjoy what I write, or not.
Salagatle!


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Friday, July 31, 2009

Some poker news

Ok, some background for all of you uninitiated, non-poker playing readers out there:-

Online Poker is the biggest, and fastest growing "sport" in the world today! The amount of money involved per annum is more than the National budgets of most mid sized countries.
Games played vary from 50c cash tables to over $1000 a hand cash tables, Sit 'n go tournaments, from as little as ZAR10 buy in, 4 players, to USD 1000 buy in (and more) multiple players (upto 3000).
For big tournaments, because the buy in is so big, satellite games are held, where for a lot less layout, a player can win a seat into a bigger game, and so get a chance to play the big stake games cheaply.
Also, on most sites where this game is played, players earn "points" which can then be used to play "freerolls". These are games where no money is involved, you pay by sacrificing points, and can win some money. Most use this for fun / passtime / whilst waiting for month end so they can reload real money and play real games.....
Four of a Kind Kings. Great hand - a few of these in the big game will welcome.

Now, I regularly play the freerolls. I use it to pass the time, but it's also a way to test new game plays, learn new players plays.
I recently won one of these. No mean feat as there were 804 entrants, so coming first is an achievement. Prize was ZAR 350, AND (and this is why I play) a seat into a satellite for the ZAR2 million game! (Worth ZAR660). Now, you have to play in the satellite, and try and win a seat into the main game. Once again, it's a rebuy tournament, lot's of players (in this case we were 84) and many of them rebuying.
Buy in (if you didn't win a seat like me) is ZAR 660, rebuys are about ZAR250, and a top up, before the rebuy period ends is ZAR250.

Last night I played the satellite. There were 13 seats to the ZAR2m guaranteed.!! With all the rebuys, and then the top ups taken (all this money accrues to more seats), there was eventually 27 seats guaranteed.
I played a demon game, and only took the top up (Spent ZAR250). When we were 29 players left I was begging the guys just to fold their blinds out so that I could at least limp into 27th place and get a seat. 28 players left, I am the smallest stack, and I am small blind. (If you don't know what small / big stack is, LIU). The blind is half of what I have left. I beg the big blind, who does not have too many chips himself, to fold to me, just to keep me in the game. I select "extended time", and watch what is going on on the other table before I make a call. 3 all in's. Suspense, this could be it. Flop, turn, river.....2 players OUT!!! I made it. And my blind ids folded to me anyway!! I thank the player. Now everyone just goes all in. No matter what. They all have a seat, nothing left to play for. During this madness, I manage to get to 17th place. But it's irrelevant.Straight flush - oh, boy, you have to love this hand. It's such a game breaker.

I have won a seat to the ZAR2 million game.

Tournament is on 2 August 2009.
Start time is 19hoo.
Buy in is ZAR2500 + ZAR250 (thats for the house)
Rebuys are ZAR 1500 + ZAR150 - for 240 minutes (4 hours)
Top up / Add on is ZAR 1500 + ZAR 150.
Tournament stops at 00H00 nightly, and restarts at 19h00 the next night, till the final hand is dealt to the winner.
Then the game is on as no one can rebuy, so they play tighter poker.

Currently there are 169 entrants registered. Late registration is open for 3 hours!

Prizes are as follows:-
1st Place - ZAR 1,000,000
15th place - ZAR 25,000
Royal Flush - the best hand in Poker. You get this and you probably knocking out a couple of opponents!

Ok, the problem here is I have to play this as a freeze out, ie. no rebuys, try and win every time I play (only play when I can win) and steal against the strength of the other players. A saving grace could be if I get on a table with other players like me, who can't afford the rebuys.
I need to make sure that I have the Top Up / Add on available in my balance, because if I am in the top 30% by the time the freeze out period starts, I want to have those extra chips in my stack. It's worth it.

So that's the story. For most of you, you probably wont read this. For those of you who do, I hope it makes sense. In any event, wish me luck. A game like this can be life changing, literally!!

Salagatle!

1 comment:

Bruthafromanothamutha said...

Good luck tonight bru! I'd love to try online poker but a) i'm crap and b)i'm broke

hope it goes well - looking forward to hearing about it