Pokerstars - Finally Finished Reload Pokerstars Challenge

So, I finally finished my PokerStars World Record Week 25% Reload Deposit Bonus. I deposited $600 to get $150 bonus. I hit the $1600 for $1000 profit but I lost $200 in less then an hour playing headsup NL50. Man was I on tilt, lol. I wanted to win back the money but I was tired and shouldn't have been playing. And my Holdem Manager trial ran out too. I ended up getting $70 back today so I finished the challenge up $872.

Here's a hand I played early in the pokerstars challenge when I was playing $5 headsup tournaments. What is he doing calling a huge check raise on the flop with that hand? All he has is a backdoor straight/flush draw at the very best which gives him 6% chance to hit by river and 0% chance to hit on turn.


I haven't decided if I want to buy Poker tracker 3 or Holdem Manger. I thought for sure Holdem Manger and I was told by some that it has some more advanced stats and I think it looks nicer but one big problem I found was that it doesn't track your opponents until you played a hand whereas Pokertracker tracks the first 30 hands before you sit at a table so you can get an idea of how your opponent plays first and thats huge in cash game (and this is a long sentance:).

Anyway, pokerstars sent me a couple emails:

Dear Mr_Gene_Yuss,

Congratulations! You have fully earned your Deposit Bonus. Your
PokerStars account has been credited in the amount of $150.00.

Thanks for participating in the PokerStars World Record Week 25% Reload Deposit Bonus, and we'll see you at the tables.

The PokerStars Cashier
cashier@pokerstars.com

And I also received this email

Dear Mr_Gene_Yuss,

PokerStars is pleased to announce the release of two new account security enhancements which will help increase the security of your PokerStars account. We're sending this special email to you because you maintain a significant PokerStars account balance. The two new features are:

RSA Security Token
The RSA Security Token brings the strength and security of two-factor authentication to your PokerStars account, requiring you to have 'something you know' (your PokerStars password and RSA Security PIN) and 'something you have' (your RSA Security Token) to login.

This feature is a very strong defense against key loggers and unauthorized people accessing your account...

Here is a link about the RSA Security Token. I think it totally sucks and why would someone waste 6000FPP points to buy some token that just makes it harder to login every time you want to play some poker! Not cool:)

Anyway, my next challenge will be $2000 profit in 30 days.


Bonuses:
- Free $100 Bankroll at Pokerstars
- 100% Deposit Bonus at Pokerstars

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Playing NL50 Headsup - Pokerstar's Challenge (97.4% complete)

Well, I am almost complete my Pokerstar's challenge. 2924 of 3000 FPP points finished. So far I am up $851 plus $150 when I unlock the pending bonus. It's been a rollacoaster ride lately and I haven't been able to find my groove in the $25 NL 6-max games. I just swtiched to Holdem Manager poker software because my trial ran out for PokerTracker. Here is my graph for the last 3 days:


Note, right at the end I switched to $.25/$.50 headsup and I was killing it! I basically won 6 stacks for $110 total in like 30 minutes. Basically, I just looked for players who bought in short for like $10-$30. I was aggressive, I was making moves at the right time and I got lucky too. Here is one hand from one of the headsup matches, I got a straight flush:) He had 5,9 off suit. Notice, he never raised once preflop so it was an easy match.


The thing I don`t like about Holdem Manger is that it does not record the first 30 hands before you sit at the table like PokerTracker does... Maybe I`ll try PokerOffice free trial too before I buy.

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Anyway, here are a couple hands, one a $77 pot!

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed)

saw flop | saw showdown

Button ($3.40)
SB ($25.80)
BB ($25.25)
UTG ($15.20)
MP ($25)
Hero (CO) ($24.85)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 3, 5
UTG calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.25, Button calls $0.25, 1 fold, BB checks

Flop: ($1.10) 6, 4, 7 (4 players)
BB checks, UTG bets $0.25, Hero calls $0.25, Button calls $0.25, 1 fold

Turn: ($1.85) 6 (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $1.25, 1 fold, UTG raises to $5, Hero raises to $15.75, UTG calls $9.70 (All-In)

River: ($31.25) 6 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $31.25 | Rake: $1.55
Main pot: $31.25 between UTG and Hero, won by UTG

Results:
UTG had K, 6 (four of a kind, sixes).
Hero mucked 3, 5 (straight, seven high).
Outcome: UTG won $29.70

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PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed)

saw flop | saw showdown

UTG ($15)
MP ($32.65)
CO ($14.80)
Hero (Button) ($32)
SB ($25.45)
BB ($32.65)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, A
UTG (poster) checks, MP bets $0.85, CO raises to $1.45, Hero raises to $4.25, 1 fold, BB calls $4, 2 folds, CO calls $2.80

Flop: ($13.95) 8, 6, 6 (3 players)
BB checks, CO checks, Hero bets $4.50, BB calls $4.50, CO raises to $10.55 (All-In), Hero calls $6.05, BB calls $6.05

Turn: ($45.60) 9 (3 players, 1 all-in)
BB checks, Hero bets $16.75, BB raises to $17.85 (All-In), Hero calls $0.45 (All-In)

River: ($80) 3 (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $80 | Rake: $3
Main pot: $45.60 between CO, Hero and BB, won by Hero
Side pot 1: $34.40 between Hero and BB, won by Hero

Results:
Hero had A, A (two pair, Aces and sixes).
BB had Q, Q (two pair, Queens and sixes).
CO mucked Q, 4 (one pair, sixes).
Outcome: Hero won $77

Bonuses:
- Free $100 Bankroll at Pokerstars
- 100% Deposit Bonus at Pokerstars

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Pokerstars NL25 (Fast - 6 max) - Video

Here is my first video of cash game. It was right at the end of my session and I was about to leave the table but there was a player, "ccc53" and he was overbetting almost every pot. The funny thing was, he was winning every hand. He went from $20 to $65 in just a few hands. I wasn't sure if this guy was a total donk or if he was just getting lucky.



I started recording and I picked up a lot of hands! Unfortunately I couldn't stack "ccc53" and maybe I should have slow played the 2 sets I got against him. I skipped a bunch of hands because the video was getting long and I wanted to keep it under the Youtube maximum length of 10 min, 57 sec.

Sorry, no commentary. My microphone doesn't work on Vista. I added a couple songs though. I have to pick up a new mircophone/webcam.

Bonuses:
- Free $100 Bankroll at Pokerstars
- 100% Deposit Bonus at Pokerstars

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Pokerstar's Challenge - 600 FPP Points In 2 Days!

It's been a while since I posted about my Pokerstar's Challenge. I am know finished 2400 of the 3000 VPP points to unlock the $150 bonus. I'm up $628 total for the challenge so so far. I would like to finished the challenge +$1000.


For some reason I left the challenge to the last minute for this month. I wanted to collect 1200 points this month to reach Silverstar again and I only reached 600 in the first 28 days. So that left me with 2 days to collect 600 VPP points. I calculated I make about 100 VPP points in 3 hours playing 4 tables of NL25 (6 max). So I need to play for 18 hours in 2 days, so 9 hours per day. The only problem is I had 8 hour work shifts on both days!

I ended up playing 16 hours and I reached 600 VPP points with 2 minutes remaining before midnight. For the last hour, I actually had to play 6 fast tables to complete it in time. I also wanted to deposit for another reload bonus but I had to deposit before May and I missed the chance.

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Anyway, here are some hands:

I think this is the best bluff I've ever made. Note, BB only has like $5-$6 left on the river and it is a $25-$30 pot. The way BB played this; call flop, weak lead on turn and river steal looking bet made me believe he had a flush draw.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (5 handed)

saw flop | saw showdown

BB ($16.30)
UTG ($10.05)
MP ($33.60)
Hero (Button) ($28.25)
SB ($7.70)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 8, J
UTG calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.25, 1 fold, BB checks

Flop: ($0.85) 9, 2, 7 (3 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $0.75, BB calls $0.75, 1 fold

Turn: ($2.35) 6 (2 players)
BB bets $1, Hero raises to $4, BB calls $3

River: ($10.35) K (2 players)
BB bets $5.25, Hero raises to $23.25 (All-In), 1 fold

Total pot: $20.85 | Rake: $1
Main pot: $20.85 returned to Hero

Results:
Hero didn't show 8, J (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $19.85

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I think I played this hand pretty good. My opponent invested a lot of money on a weak draw out of position. Unfortunately he hits one of his 7 outs.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed)

saw flop | saw showdown

Hero (BB) ($25.85)
UTG ($8.20)
MP ($14.75)
CO ($27.55)
Button ($15.70)
SB ($22.55)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J, 9
4 folds, SB bets $0.50, Hero calls $0.25

Flop: ($1) 7, 9, 8 (2 players)
SB bets $0.50, Hero raises to $2, SB calls $1.50

Turn: ($5) 2 (2 players)
SB bets $2, Hero raises to $7, SB calls $5

River: ($19) K (2 players)
SB bets $3, Hero calls $3

Total pot: $25 | Rake: $1.20
Main pot: $25 between Hero and SB, won by SB

Results:
SB had K, 6 (one pair, Kings).
Hero mucked J, 9 (one pair, nines).
Outcome: SB won $23.80

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This hand makes me sick. The ace on the turn is a terrible card because I know my opponent has an over pair(I was guessing jacks, queens or kings) and that the ace would kill my action. He ended up having aces and I lose a $50 pot. A few hands later I hit bottom set, only to run into middle set and lose another $25.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed)

saw flop | saw showdown

Button ($24.65)
SB ($8.90)
BB ($8.65)
Hero (UTG) ($26.35)
MP ($16.60)
CO ($25)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 5, 5
Hero calls $0.25, MP calls $0.25, CO bets $1.50, 2 folds, BB calls $1.25, Hero calls $1.25, MP calls $1.25

Flop: ($6.10) 5, 7, 2 (4 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, MP checks, CO bets $5.70, 1 fold, Hero calls $5.70, 1 fold

Turn: ($17.50) A (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $8.30, Hero raises to $19.15 (All-In), CO calls $9.50 (All-In)

River: ($53.10) J (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $53.10 | Rake: $2.60
Main pot: $53.10 between Hero and CO, won by CO

Results:
Hero had 5, 5 (three of a kind, fives).
CO had A, A (three of a kind, Aces).
Outcome: CO won $50.50

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Bonuses:
- Free $100 Bankroll at Pokerstars
- 100% Deposit Bonus at Pokerstars

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