5 Billion Hands

In case you haven’t heard, PokerStars is approaching its 5 billionth hand, and has a few promotions running to celebrate.  They marked off a few other milestone hands and participants in those hands get some nice bonuses.  They are also doubling their FPP and VIP points for the next week, which is what got my attention.

I haven’t played a lot at Stars since they rolled out their VIP program at the beginning of the year.  I haven’t played much anywhere for that matter, but I didn’t try to achieve any sort of VIP status at Stars because I didn’t think I played enough, or at high enough limits to earn enough points to make it worth it.  Since they are doubling their points for a while I figured it would be a good time to try.

I think Silver status is something I should be able to attain without too much work, although Gold is probably out of reach.  At least for now.

----

Sometimes it amazes me how I can be simultaneously running really well and really poorly.  I usually play two tables at once.  Any less and I get bored/distracted and any more and I start to get flustered when I am involved in hands at more than one table. I really don’t know how you people do it.  

Anyway, it seems that I am always even for any given time period.  If I’m up big on one table, I’m getting killed on the other and vice versa.  There’s no sessions where I lose my buy in or double up on both tables.  

----

There is nothing more satisfying that starting out with a good hand, getting way out flopped and then winning the hand on the river because your opponent decided he would be sneaky and slowplay his monster.  I thought I was the only one who got screwed by slowplaying, and it’s good to see that isn’t always the case.  

So while that kept happening on the one table and I kept winning huge pots, I got destroyed on the other.  I would have a high pocket pair, or flop top pair/good kicker, only to find myself check raised on the turn.  If there is one thing I hate it is being check raised on the turn.  Mostly because I will almost always call that bet, and the one on the river, knowing full well that I am beat.  And also because whenever I try to do it I run into the nuts.

So if I’m always doing well at one table and crappy at another, why don’t I just close the bad table?  Good question.  Today I closed both because was starting to tilt after I got sucked out on the good table.  I figured I should quit while I was ahead. Usually though I figure my luck has to turn so I stick it out.  And I’m too stubborn  and lazy to try to switch tables.  Stubborn and lazy.  Those are traits of a good poker player.  Right?