220s

Beat a fellow Chicago player in my first 220. Felt I had a few good reads on him in our short match, here's the hand:

PokerStars Game #10386612298: Tournament #52624181, $220+$10 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2007/06/11 - 17:23:15 (ET)
Table '52624181 1' 2-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: weeminer (1350 in chips)
Seat 2: RyPac13 (1650 in chips)
RyPac13: posts small blind 10
weeminer: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RyPac13 [Jd 5d]
RyPac13: raises 40 to 60
weeminer: calls 40
*** FLOP *** [3h Jh 4c]
weeminer: checks
RyPac13: bets 80
weeminer: raises 205 to 285
RyPac13: calls 205
*** TURN *** [3h Jh 4c] [2d]
weeminer: bets 420
RyPac13: raises 885 to 1305 and is all-in
weeminer: calls 585 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [3h Jh 4c 2d] [8s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
weeminer: shows [4d Ad] (a pair of Fours)
RyPac13: shows [Jd 5d] (a pair of Jacks)
RyPac13 collected 2700 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2700 | Rake 0
Board [3h Jh 4c 2d 8s]
Seat 1: weeminer (big blind) showed [4d Ad] and lost with a pair of Fours
Seat 2: RyPac13 (button) (small blind) showed [Jd 5d] and won (2700) with a pair of Jacks

Second match was a lot longer. I may have called down a bit too much but I felt I really knew when I was ahead and the rivers really priced me into calling against my assumed range. A few rivers really sucked. Since I don't post hands a lot I'll show some of the good and bad ones.

PokerStars Game #10386723205: Tournament #52624678, $220+$10 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2007/06/11 - 17:30:20 (ET)
Table '52624678 1' 2-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: weeminer (1590 in chips)
Seat 2: RyPac13 (1410 in chips)
weeminer: posts small blind 10
RyPac13: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RyPac13 [2d 2s]
weeminer: raises 40 to 60
RyPac13: calls 40
*** FLOP *** [4d Ks Ah]
RyPac13: checks
weeminer: bets 80
RyPac13: calls 80
*** TURN *** [4d Ks Ah] [Ac]
RyPac13: checks
weeminer: checks
*** RIVER *** [4d Ks Ah Ac] [Td]
RyPac13: checks
weeminer: bets 160
RyPac13: calls 160
*** SHOW DOWN ***
weeminer: shows [Qh Js] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
RyPac13: mucks hand
weeminer collected 600 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 600 | Rake 0
Board [4d Ks Ah Ac Td]
Seat 1: weeminer (button) (small blind) showed [Qh Js] and won (600) with a straight, Ten to Ace
Seat 2: RyPac13 (big blind) mucked [2d 2s]


PokerStars Game #10386762456: Tournament #52624678, $220+$10 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level II (15/30) - 2007/06/11 - 17:32:48 (ET)
Table '52624678 1' 2-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: weeminer (2470 in chips)
Seat 2: RyPac13 (530 in chips)
weeminer: posts small blind 15
RyPac13: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RyPac13 [As 9s]
weeminer: raises 60 to 90
RyPac13: raises 440 to 530 and is all-in
weeminer: calls 440
*** FLOP *** [Ac Qh Jc]
*** TURN *** [Ac Qh Jc] [Ah]
*** RIVER *** [Ac Qh Jc Ah] [2s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
RyPac13: shows [As 9s] (three of a kind, Aces)
weeminer: shows [8d Ks] (a pair of Aces)
RyPac13 collected 1060 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1060 | Rake 0
Board [Ac Qh Jc Ah 2s]
Seat 1: weeminer (button) (small blind) showed [8d Ks] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 2: RyPac13 (big blind) showed [As 9s] and won (1060) with three of a kind, Aces


PokerStars Game #10386882437: Tournament #52624678, $220+$10 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level III (25/50) - 2007/06/11 - 17:40:18 (ET)
Table '52624678 1' 2-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: weeminer (2040 in chips)
Seat 2: RyPac13 (960 in chips)
weeminer: posts small blind 25
RyPac13: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RyPac13 [Td Ts]
weeminer: raises 100 to 150
RyPac13: raises 810 to 960 and is all-in
weeminer: calls 810
*** FLOP *** [4d 7c 8h]
*** TURN *** [4d 7c 8h] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [4d 7c 8h 6d] [Qc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
RyPac13: shows [Td Ts] (a pair of Tens)
weeminer: shows [Ac 9c] (high card Ace)
RyPac13 collected 1920 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1920 | Rake 0
Board [4d 7c 8h 6d Qc]
Seat 1: weeminer (button) (small blind) showed [Ac 9c] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 2: RyPac13 (big blind) showed [Td Ts] and won (1920) with a pair of Tens


PokerStars Game #10386908954: Tournament #52624678, $220+$10 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level III (25/50) - 2007/06/11 - 17:42:00 (ET)
Table '52624678 1' 2-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: weeminer (1430 in chips)
Seat 2: RyPac13 (1570 in chips)
weeminer: posts small blind 25
RyPac13: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RyPac13 [Kd 9s]
weeminer: raises 50 to 100
RyPac13: calls 50
*** FLOP *** [Js 3s 9c]
RyPac13: checks
weeminer: bets 150
RyPac13: calls 150
*** TURN *** [Js 3s 9c] [Kh]
RyPac13: checks
weeminer: checks
*** RIVER *** [Js 3s 9c Kh] [Jh]
RyPac13: checks
weeminer: bets 350
RyPac13: calls 350
*** SHOW DOWN ***
weeminer: shows [Jc 8d] (three of a kind, Jacks)
RyPac13: mucks hand
weeminer collected 1200 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1200 | Rake 0
Board [Js 3s 9c Kh Jh]
Seat 1: weeminer (button) (small blind) showed [Jc 8d] and won (1200) with three of a kind, Jacks
Seat 2: RyPac13 (big blind) mucked [Kd 9s]

PokerStars Game #10386935835: Tournament #52624678, $220+$10 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level IV (50/100) - 2007/06/11 - 17:43:43 (ET)
Table '52624678 1' 2-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: weeminer (1930 in chips)
Seat 2: RyPac13 (1070 in chips)
weeminer: posts small blind 50
RyPac13: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RyPac13 [Ah 5d]
weeminer: raises 1830 to 1930 and is all-in
RyPac13: calls 970 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [2s Jc 5h]
RyPac13 said, "gg"
*** TURN *** [2s Jc 5h] [Th]
*** RIVER *** [2s Jc 5h Th] [9c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
RyPac13: shows [Ah 5d] (a pair of Fives)
weeminer: shows [Ad 9s] (a pair of Nines)
weeminer collected 2140 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2140 | Rake 0
Board [2s Jc 5h Th 9c]
Seat 1: weeminer (button) (small blind) showed [Ad 9s] and won (2140) with a pair of Nines
Seat 2: RyPac13 (big blind) showed [Ah 5d] and lost with a pair of Fives


The second to last one was tough, the last one was semi-close against his pushing range but a standard call.

Anyways, I'm breakeven in the 220s so far, going to take a little break and try to find another fish. Obviously I'm going to need to run fairly well no matter if I'm on my A game or not. Even at the 33s in which I consider myself a very good player, I lost a few in a row more than once. That was ridiculously bad variance but the fish at the 110-220s are probably a little better than my sitting with anybody at the 33s. Not by much though, some people would be very surprised, then again if you sharkscope somebody and see they've lost 5k+ aka 25-50+ buyins at 110s/220s I guess it's not a shocker to think they belong in a lower level game.

Bankroll $3,599.63

Degen BR $612.63


Now that I look at it, I could afford to play another 110. I'm kind of in the "in between" level of whether to play a 220 or play a 110. Personally, I feel I've played pretty close to my best in all of the 110s and 220s I've played so far. I definitely feel a little more of a "race" in the body I guess in the 220s, and I am extremely comfortable in the 110s.

So maybe I'll play another 110, this is kind of a decision I've put off, what to do in the "in between" buyins where You're very near 3 buyins. We shall see.