Just got back in from a home game, 10nl cash format with a few friends, mostly 4 handed. We don’t play all that often and I managed to spew 6 full BI’s a couple of weeks back, so I had a little something to prove today at least to myself.
After playing really bad online for months in all honesty, I think I can safely say I played the t session of poker in a v.long time, despite being really tired after no sleep. I played really tight for my usual standards in our home games, and worked hard at avoiding the spew, yet also looking out for good spots to 3b, squeeze and c/r, etc. I pulled off flop c/r in a 3b pot (only folded A high, but got a fold from the range I expected), I also managed at least one light 3b over the evening, and left feeling very pleased with how I played, despite loosing a stack on the final hand, when my aces up couldn’t hold.
Huge thanks to those who attended xxx
Not all disasters are accidents... Buy the Sole Survivors Club, by Zoe E. Whitten
December 31st, 2009
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker |
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Several of my friends have moved home recently, two of them into much larger homes, with very nicely sized dinning rooms complete with tables which would make an ideal improvised poker table, so naturally we are all hoping that our rate of home games will increase dramatically over the next year or so. Hopefully it won’t just be me begging for a game to get started now that some of my friends have got settled out of student life.
The only downside was that we needed something to protect the table, I’ve looked at table top’s before but never really felt great about them, and the piece of cloth we have used in the past is now cut up for war hammer lol, so I hit up Google again to see whats available, and Boom! the Poker Fleece, only had to glance at the home page to know it would be perfect lol, I love it when that happens. Only worry was whether they ship Internationally, but they do that too, looks like I run good at online shopping lol 
I’ve got one on order now, I will update this page further when it arrives and hopefully post some pics of it in use, but until then here’s some details from the website.
The Poker Fleece is a roll out playing surface, with a thin rubber backing to ensure it stays fixed to your table, and a cloth top layer to provide a smooth surface for your cards and chips. It is currently only available in black, but handily comes in 2 different’ sizes, one for 6m and one for full ring which u can order as a set for $49. Another awesome thing is that there is a 60 day money back guarantee, and they ship to US & Canada and Europe.
My Poker Fleece arrived the other day, I think it was within two weeks from ordering, which is very good, I’m assuming it came from the US, though I could be wrong about that. I still haven’t gotten around to playing on it yet, though hopefully I will do soon, but I have taken some photo’s and can share my initial thoughts on it with you.
This first photo, shows how it will arrive on your doorstep. The Poker Fleece is packaged in a clear tube, as shown in the next photo, which was neatly wrapped up in brown packing paper. For some reason I assumed it would come in a box, but this makes much more sense lol.
Package as delivered
When you open the packaging this is what you will see. The Poker Fleece set inside a clear tube, you can clearly see the logo on the front, and it is very light and easily transportable. The tube is sealed with a plastic cap on each end fixed with compression from the tube, and they pop off fairly easily. Its a little more of a hassle getting them back on as the tube flexes a little, but not by much. The small Fleece is rolled up inside the larger one, and they slide out of the tube fairly easily. The only trouble I had was getting them back in, you just have to be careful to roll them up small enough to take care not to let them separate when you are trying to push them back into the tube, otherwise the ends can stick out, and you won’t get the caps on. Though they do stay pretty well in the case without the caps on.
Poker fleece inside its case
The photo bellow shows both the small and large Poker Fleece side by side, I have placed a regular DVD case in the middle to provide a scale. My initial thought was that they where smaller then I anticipated, but getting over that, they are a really good size for a table top cover actually, I think subconsciously I was picturing them compared to full sized poker tables lol. The smaller one reminds me of when I used to play other a coffee table with a piece of cloth, playing HU with friends, and it would be totally perfect for that, though on an adequately sized table you’ll easily get 4 round it with plenty, 6 might be a big of a stretch, but its hard to visualize without it being on a table, I’ll see how it goes when I get a game on it. Both of them had a sort of leather smell to them when I first rolled them out, and they have a nice texture.
Scale of poker fleece set
I can’t get a true feel for them until I get a game on them, but my first thoughts are that they are very good. Just laying them down on the hard wood floor, you can tell they are way better then any of those simple cloth table tops, which always move about and ruck up. Both mats stayed pretty firm on the floor once laid out, and the top surface was smooth and soft so I can’t imagine having any problems sliding cards or chips on top of them.
September 2nd, 2009
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker, Reviews |
10 comments
I’ve been enjoying the benefits of online poker for a little over a year now and it truly is a great thing for the game. Not only do I have the option of playing in the comfort of my own home, in any condition I seem fit, I have a whole host of games that I probably wouldn’t have even heard of if it wasn’t for online poker, and it is even more likely that such games will not be available to me in a card room anyway.
My current situation also forces me to play micro poker, so I wouldn’t be able to afford to play in a casino anyway, it just makes me really thankful for the opportunities online poker has presented me with.
I really love the idea that you can enjoy all the action and excitement of online poker without having to leave the comfort of your home. Come to this exhilarating new online casino, and with all the games available to keep your interest you wont be disappointed.
The biggest problem I have at the moment is getting time on the computer, as now I have to fight for access with my friends who seem to spend more time at the tables then I do lol.
October 2nd, 2008
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Casino, Home Poker, Non-Hold'em, Sit N' Go's, Tournaments, cash games |
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Just finished a lengthy cash game at a friends house. It started off 4 handed, and became 6 at its height, and lasted for maybe 4 or 5 hours.
It was the first “real” cash game I’ve had with my friends, so I did my best to make it a positive experience. Things seemed to be going well, until I reached a point where I decided to leave the game, and people misunderstood the rules, on people buying back in, which seemed to sour the evening. I was rather annoyed with this, as I had talked through all the rulings before the game begun, but there was still some confusion which lead to a premature ending to the game.
Still, I made $20, although most of that went on food lol, and one of my friends who is as keen on playing the game as I am, faired equally well. The rest of the group where not as happy with two only just scarping a profit and the other two loosing two buy-in’s.
I played tight and patiently, not getting involved in many pots. I managed to hit a straight on the turn after a deceptive raise, but my opponent only held AT high and wasn’t prepared to call my push, drawing to the higher straight. I also moved in against another friend with middle pair and an open ended straight draw who doubled me up when his KQ high and a gut shot missed.
A friend of mine, played some really good poker, laying down kings in a tricky spot when he knew he was beat, despite not seeing a playable hand for awhile. It was him and myself that took home all of the money, and I agree with him, when he said something along the lines of “nice to have solid poker, take home the money for a change”, we’ve both had some rough times in recent home games lol
I’d love to get another cash game organized, and be a bit more prepared, for instance we was really limited in both chips and change, but I expect it to be a long time before enough of my friends will be willing for it to be worthwhile.
March 15th, 2008
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker, cash games |
no comments
Thought I’ll write a post about a few areas where I need to improve. It will serve as a reminder for me, and may stir you into thinking about where you can improve too.
The Big Post Mistake
In the online sit-n-gos’, even the heads-up ones I have been focusing on lately, and especially in home games with my friends, I suffer from something I would call the big pot mistake. This is where, I pick up lots of small pots, and manage to navigate out of trouble easily, until I’m faced with one big decision often involving a big pot, and I invariably screw it up. Its utterly pointless being skilled enough to pick up twenty or so small pots early on, if I then give away 3/4 of my stack to my opponent from making a stupid play or an horrendous call.
The Frustrated Push
The next mistake is often connected with the above, I loose a huge pot, either by making a bad decision or being sucked out on, both live and online, and I have a tendency to try and steel a pot away from my opponent by pushing my chips in on a draw, sometimes even with just an inside straight draw on the turn. Instead I should just concentrate, take my time and play my hand correctly, instead of making a risky move for the rest of my chips, where if I was patient I would have enough chips and time to still do considerable damage.
Passivity
My next mistake, evolves around my style of play in the online sit-n-go’s. I play to survive foremost and then for the win, this is my biggest strength but it is also my biggest weakness. I usually end up being far too passive around 4 or 5 handed, when my stack is around the average. These are the times where I should be pushing the action to try and build my stack to put me in a good position to make the money and to win.
I’ve often argued that I can’t raise with such and such here, because my opponents will always call me down, and that is often the case, but rather then accepting this chicken shit generalization, I should be assessing my table and my opponents, and making the correct moves to build my stack regardless of what my cards are. This is pretty basic stuff, and I’ll have to adapt again at higher buy-in’s or among friends who now this type of strategy, but down with the fish this is what works, so I should be doing it!
The Biggest Mistake of Them All!
Playing when I am not able to, I do this all the time, and its a large part of why I’m not making money at poker. Besides a short period a couple of weeks a go, I’ve been in pain every day since before Christmas, yet I still keep playing. Its got to the point where I can’t sit still again, yet me being stupid, I keep sitting in games, as I have just done, and invariably I end up loosing.
There’s other distractions too of course, such as hunger, tiredness, boredom, etc and I usually ignore all of these too, but seldom do I overcome them and do well. Part of this is me trying to get my bonus cleared, and part of it is me just wanting to play, either way i shouldn’t play when I’m not able to concentrate fully on the game at hand.
That’s all for now…
February 2nd, 2008
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker |
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Haven’t been feeling too well over the last couple of days, so consequently haven’t gotten much poker in, and I’m feeling a little down about that.
Had a nice 5k starting stacks, 3 handed home game, which I won, but got lucky in doing so. Heads-up, I made a bad read and moved all-in to protect my hand I felt was good, eventually my opponent folds the better hand. Later on, the pots getting big and I push, with a small pair and a flush and straight draw, eventually my opponent calls with two overs and the nut flush draw, I mange to dodge his outs and take an astonishing lead. We later found out my edge was only around 2%, I felt my flush draw was good at the time, but my opponent was drawing to the same flush with his ATs, so I lost many of my outs there, and only just held on. Surprisingly he managed to double up several times before I managed to knock him out and eventually take the win.
Online hasn’t been as good, only just completed my first sit-n-go of the day, where I was knocked out in 4th, when my KT push runs into the chip leaders AK. I’m hoping to get in another game tonight, but I’m going to relax a while first to see if I can start to feel a bit better first.
January 29th, 2008
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker |
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Not enjoying myself lately, I’m getting really stressed with online poker at the moment, had a few really awful sessions, I played well I feel in each but each time I found a hand which was a rarity anyway I ran into really tricky situations and usually ended up being the worse off.
I’ve started to just fall back into an “I hate online poker” mood, and its hurting my game, I’m not playing best because I’m too wrapped up in how crap it is which annoys me even more. I think If I’m ever going to make it has a pro poker player it is going to be in live games, the few I have played I’ve had great fun taking part and have often won or finished high at least, despite that I havn’t played in a live tournament at a casino yet, despite having 3 casinos close by, maybe its time I gave it a try.
I did have a really good heads-up battle with a friend yesterday though, which has been my poker highlight of the week. We played with deep stacks of $5,000 for the first time for a huge prize pool of £1 lol, it was good fun, especially when I used my table image to bluff my friend out of a huge pot (it helped that he only held trash :p).
November 18th, 2007
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker |
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I’ve just come first in a home poker tournament winning my biggest poker earnings from a single tournament so far, £20 from a £3 buy-in.
The crazy thing is I went in the intention to just watch and maybe deal for everyone but got too excited as people started to take their seats so I bought in, and I’m very glad I did.
There where a few irregularities, but nothing to major so it was actually a really good tournament, and I surprised myself by how much I was enjoying it. I tried to make sure some key rules where upheld, and in the most part they where, though a couple of people kept removing there cards or chips from the table and there where a few attempts to make incorrect bets. The only real nightmare was that almost everyone was acting out of turn, especially when they wanted to fold.
I amassed a nice lead, winning my first 3 hand, but after awhile with the chip lead, I started to loose concentration so lost the lead, I regained my composure though and kept playing solidly, gradually building my stack and knocking people out until it became heads-up.
After a few bouts heads-up, I landed AJo and hit top pair with the jack on the flop, I raised my opponent all-in and he called, the turn paired is 7, but my jacks held up giving me the win.
I look forward to the next game they host, besides a few issues with the blinds and the almost constant acting out of turn it was a pretty well run game, certainly compared to some games I have witnessed.
October 25th, 2007
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker |
2 comments
Well, just finished the second game of tonight (NL Hold’em) and they could be no greater contrast between this in the previous game.
Started of on a less then smooth note by the new player(X) arguing and moaning about the rules, I can understand some confusion as a lot of things have changed, since I have actually found out how to run a “proper” Hold’em tournament (thanks go out to www.homepokertourney.com ) but trying to debate the rules to this extent rather then just get on with the game was a little OTT in my opinion, especially considering the rules in question (you can’t check to the blinds, etc).
Anyway, moans and groans aside, the game was a little too passive, well boring, yes even for a pocker nut like me. There was very little action, even when it was clear someone was ahead, all call’s and check’s. I would have loved to stir up the game and get a bit aggressive, but I simply did not have the cards, a fair way into the game with no knockouts and it was time for me to mix things up a bit with a couple of “large” raises, not wise considering the cards I held, but the game needed some action by this point.
… fast forward … a few blind levels, one player gets knocked out after a semi-forced all-in with rags who doesn’t improve, I’m next to go with an all-in on K9 suited, yes crazy I know, but was kinda worth it just to stave of the boredom which seemed deep within both myself and the player who’d just been eliminated.
So we had a heads-up situation with the two remaing players, both where roughly equal in chip stacks at this point. Player(X) picked up rather more pots then he should have simply by sensing his opponents weakness when he held nothing, I picked up on this so strongly that I asked him if he wanted to leave the room so I could make him aware of a couple of large tells, which certainly told me, if not player(X) he held nothing but rags.
Finally after several more hands, and a blind increase the remaining player to my left got the message, either through my repeated mentions openly of “when heads up you need to be more aggressive” and “when heads up, if you have nothing, chances are your opponent doesn’t either” or through improvements in his hole cards, he stepped up and made a few raises, and stayed in the hand a little more rather then folding his blind almost immediately.
It didn’t take long, and not too many wins for player X’s look of confidence to fade, a few calls to raises 1/4 size of his chip stack with nothing more then a high card soon made his stack disappear too, and not soon after he went all in to a trip jacks…. and that was that.
Not a game I enjoyed, more for how others played then my bad run of cards, but it did make a change from playing even worse players on line for play money, add my excellent “friendly” victory earlier and it hasn’t been too bad a night.
October 5th, 2007
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker |
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Just finished a quick home NL (3 handed) home game, and I achieved a somewhat miraculous victory, just a shame we decided to not play for cash until more people turned up…. hopefully we’ll get to that later.
Was probably the luckiest game I’ve had (4 full house’s maybe?), certainly for a very long time, despite that I have no doubt I played very well, and took advantage of several mistakes from my opponents.
The first knock-out was very lucky for me, my opponent let me limp in with suited connectors and allowed me to stay in when he flopped a set, I (makes a change) managed to hit my queen high straight on the river, and was in a great position. Then to my surprise my opponent (we are now heads up) goes all in, folding comes to mind, but thankfully I then take a step back and think… think some more, then I realize I’ve got the nuts, there were nothing higher then a straight possible on the board, and after thinking a little more I realized that the best he could do would tie with me, as he couldn’t beat my queen high straight, so I call, realizing he went all in, from a dominated position with a set! Sorry mate but going all-in, with only a set so late on was a big mistake, especially when your so dominated – should have made your push on the flop, I would have folded for sure LOL
So our shorthanded game became heads-up, first hand I limped in with pocket 3′s, and with a 2d and a pair of 9′s on the board, mistakenly assume I have a full house and push my opponent all-in, he calls, I realize my mistake, but he doesn’t improve, I hit the full house on the river LOL, and take the win
October 4th, 2007
Posted by
LuckyStraights |
Home Poker |
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