World Cup Of Online Poker

Hey!

Last night I was nitting it out as I went around my friend Chris' house so that he could sweat me playing some no-ante tournaments. He's recently been staying in Texas, USA with the SNGIcons guys that grind a living out in the multi-table SNG's on Full Tilt which don't have antes as so now he is quite knowledgeable on optimal strategy.

Antes make a HUGE difference in tournaments. The notable difference is that you have to adjust to a much tighter strategy as raising from late position to make steals is less effective. Also due to the nature of having no antes, people blind down lower and so the tournament is often a lot shallower. I have to admit now that I really prefer tournaments with good ante's much more than without as I think it allows more postflop play as you are often deeper and it's generally much more fun. However, as party poker effectively doesn't have antes in their tournaments as of yet, it is an adjustment that I will need to make if I want to become profitable in their larger buy-in MTT's. You certainly can't use the same strategy in both ante tournaments and no-ante tournaments.

Well the night went OKish. I managed to blag a second in one of the $75/45 mans for about $800 but bricked all of my tournaments on Party Poker I was playing in the background which resulted in a breakeven/marginal loss night. Not to worry though as I think I learnt a lot more about efficient play without antes. It was in fact surprising according to Chris the number of people who were open shoving 13BB's in late position with far less than premium holdings (Like K7o and stuff) as this isn't +EV given the lack of antes and the risk reward ratio of when you get called!

I bought some software a while back that helps with push-shove decisions and so in the next few days, I'll be looking at some hand ranges for shoving in the party poker tournaments to ensure I'm not shoving too wide/not wide enough!



Other than that, Pokerstars has just released the 2009 World Cup of Online Poker schedule, which I aim to play quite a few events in:

Thursday, September 3rd
14:30 ET - Event 1: $215 NL Hold'em [6-max], $1,250,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 2: $215 Razz, $200,000 guaranteed

Friday, September 4th
14:30 ET - Event 3: $215 PL Omaha [6-max], $500,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 4: $215 NL Single Draw 2-7 w/rebuys, $200,000 guaranteed

Saturday, September 5th
12:45 ET - Event 5: $109 NL Hold'em, $1,000,000 guaranteed
14:30 ET - Event 6: $215 NL 5-Card Draw, $200,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 7: $215 FL Hold'em, $400,000 guaranteed

Sunday, September 6th
12:45 ET - Event 8: $215 NL Hold'em, $1,000,000 guaranteed
14:30 ET - Event 9: $10,300 NL Hold'em [High Roller], $2,000,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 10: $530 NL Hold'em [2-day], $3,000,000 guaranteed

Monday, September 7th
14:30 ET - Event 11: $320 Mixed Hold'em [6-max], $350,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 12: $215 PL Omaha [6-max, 1R1A], $500,000 guaranteed

Tuesday, September 8th
14:30 ET - Event 13: $320 7-Card Stud, $150,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 14: $320 FL Badugi, $100,000 guaranteed
20:00 ET - Event 15: $1,050 NL Hold'em, $500,000 guaranteed

Wednesday, September 9th
14:30 ET - Event 16: $530 NL Hold'em Triple Shootout [10-max], $500,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 17: $320 8-Game, $300,000 guaranteed

Thursday, September 10th
14:30 ET - Event 18: $530 PL Hold'em [6-max], $400,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 19: $320 FL Triple Draw 2-7, $100,000 guaranteed

Friday, September 11th
14:30 ET - Event 20: $215 NL Hold'em w/rebuys, $1,250,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 21: $530 FL Omaha Hi/Lo, $400,000 guaranteed

Saturday, September 12th
14:30 ET - Event 22: $530 NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play], $1,000,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 23: $320 H.O.R.S.E., $400,000 guaranteed

Sunday, September 13th
12:45 ET - Event 24: $215 NL Hold'em, $1,000,000 guaranteed
14:30 ET - Event 25: $25,500 NL Hold'em [High Roller Match Play], $800,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 26: $1,050 NL Hold'em [2-day], $3,000,000 guaranteed

Monday, September 14th
14:30 ET - Event 27: $320 Mixed Event [PL Hold'em, PL Omaha], $400,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 28: $320 NL Hold'em [2X Chance], $800,000 guaranteed

Tuesday, September 15th
14:30 ET - Event 29: $320 PL Omaha w/rebuys, $700,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 30: $530 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo, $200,000 guaranteed
20:00 ET - Event 31: $1,050 NL Hold'em, $500,000 guaranteed

Wednesday, September 16th
14:30 ET - Event 32: $215 NL Hold'em [big antes], $500,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 33: $320 PL Omaha Hi/Lo, $500,000 guaranteed

Thursday, September 17th
14:30 ET - Event 34: $530 NL Hold'em w/rebuys [6-max], $1,000,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 35: $2,100 PL Omaha [6-max], $600,000 guaranteed

Friday, September 18th
14:30 ET - Event 36: $530 NL Hold'em [1R1A], $1,000,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 37: $1,050 FL Hold'em [6-max], $400,000 guaranteed

Saturday, September 19th
14:30 ET - Event 38: $530 PL Omaha [Heads-Up Match Play], $500,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 39: $2,100 8-Game, $400,000 guaranteed

Sunday, September 20th
12:45 ET - Event 40: $215 NL Hold'em, $1,000,000 guaranteed
14:30 ET - Event 41: $10,300 H.O.R.S.E. [High Roller], $1,000,000 guaranteed
16:30 ET - Event 42: $5,200 NL Hold'em Main Event [2-day], $10,000,000 guaranteed


Total Guaranteed Prize Pool: $40,000,000

I've highlighted in Italics the events I would like to play in. I might try to satellite into some of the larger buy-ins like $500 ones, but it is a bit unlikely and will be a spur of the moment thing. Unless of course there is like a $100 satellite freezeout with 30-50 seats guaranteed, but I can't be arsed with these $30rebuy turbos with 1 seat guaranteed as they are too much like crap shoots.

I'm looking forward to the series, I'de like to have a $40,000 roll by then, so the aim is to increase my bankroll between now and then by about $12,000 which I believe I can do if the cards keep falling my way and I get the volume in.



I shouldn't be withdrawing too much more from my bankroll unless I decide to make the trip to Ecuador in the Summer which I'm umming and arring about now. My friend is teaching English at a school over there and it would be pretty different and quite a cheap holiday (except the flights). If I did go we would head into the Amazon rain forest and hike up a volcano including other expeditions I'm sure. But I'm quite hesistant due to the high crime rate over there. For instance there is a lot of armed robbery especially against white foreigners who are deemed to be loaded (and I guess we are to their standards) and hostage taking wanting ransoms. It's hard to deem without being there the reality of all this, but I'll be waying the pro's and con's and go from there!

Hope all is good on and off the felt! Later!