26 Jun 09

English Community Round-up

Welcome to the news round-up for the English Community. Each week, we will keep you in touch with some of the most important threads within the forum together with some of the fun posts, so that you never need to miss them.

Our Community round-up is your weekly source for all that happens inside the PokerStrategy forums. If you missed something last week and you still want to be in touch with our community, here are some of the most important posts. This is just one of many community-related projects being set up.

Back to the limit this week, yes thats right Fixed Limit and community member jmackenzie's blog:

limit hold-em FTW!

I'm actually surprised that self-confessed "Wannabee Poker Pro" James finds time to update his blog because you'll often find him helping out fellow community members with their own blogs. He is always more than willing to offer help, suggestions and most of all a great deal of encouragment to other members. On behalf of bloggers everywhere, many thanks jmackenzie and good luck with that new monitor of yours, I'm sure it will be utilised to the full. ;)
Whats that I hear you shout? You want to see a SnG sample hand, oh ok, well here's one from community member Chopsticks43 who finds himself on the bubble with KJo, what would you do in this situation:

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tournament, 300/600 Blinds (4 handed)

Hero (UTG) (t3000)
BB (t11680)
SB (t2390)
Button (t2930)

Hero's M: 3.33

Preflop: Hero is UTG with K, J
Hero raises to t3000 (All-In), 2 folds, BB calls t2400

Flop: (t6300) 4, 4, 3 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: (t6300) 8 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t6300) Q (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: t6300


Judge Unam: "In my opinion it's a push, if I fold now I need someone else to get unlucky, the push is +EV except against a loose BB so I shove and do it with the knowledge, that I am building a stack to survive and that I am not waiting to get lucky."
A big warm welcome to all new community members this week. Included amongst them is randomly chosen new community member of the week Nosssweat who joined us on the 23rd June. Welcome, it's good to see you.

We wish all our new community members every success and enjoyment with your poker and look forward to seeing you active in the forums soon.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have and/or share your poker experiences, our members are really keen to help fellow poker players whenever and wherever they can.
Our community amassed winnings of $ 16,005.12 this week. 

Congratulations to all our winners/other performances, which included:

• Active English community member & Swedish community Moderator sidewalker qualified for the WSOP main event in Las Vegas next week from a PokerStars Satellite event. Many congratulations sidewalker from all your friends in the English community, a tremendous achievement and we wish you every success, have fun over there :) ;
• Yoghi has been doing quite well recently, check out this thread to see what I mean;
• thebigheizung85 cashed in the top 500 of the Sunday Million on PokerStars;
• Tournament wins for Adzi, WildBeans & Dippy19 amongst others;
• moneybo was Runner-up in the Full Tilt early double tournament;
• Final tables for sirilidion & Jackalof;
• kay639 outplayed 2,500 players to almost final table a PokerStars tournament, not to mention cashing the same tournament two days running;
• fuzzygoggle was one of many community members receiving upgraded PokerStrategy status this week. Congrats on the Silver, nice one. :)

Sorry I cannot name everyone each week, but I'll try to pick up a selection of different people each time. Keep posting those wins in this thread, we're still short of our $1,000,000 target, but we are nearing the $500k mark with a current total of $487,898.80.
Spotlight this week on community member Maria21, interviewed by EagleStar88.

PokerStrategy: Hi Maria21 welcome and thanks for agreeing to an interview for the community. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Maria21: Thank you, I am pleased take part in this. My name is Radu Floruta, I am a literature student, final year, I will graduate this autumn. I live in Sibiu/Hermannstadt (Romania). I am an outgoing, active person. I usually party all night, sleep 'till noon or participate in pretty much any activity at night, I am unable to operate early in the morning.

PokerStrategy: Is there a story behind the nickname, does it have any special meaning?

Maria21: Oh yes, my main nickname is Grathen which I picked up in my high school days, maybe with a little help of doom metal...It stands for Grail and then, and symbolizes the way humans always tend bite off more than they can chew, because even if the grail is found, no one will actually know what to do with it. As for my nick on PokerStrategy it comes from the name of my ex-girlfriend.

PokerStrategy: How long have you been playing poker?

Maria21: I've been playing online for roughly around 3 years now. Actually I've seen a couple of WSOP live events on Eurosport, i think it was back then, and I liked what I saw, I started off at Poker Stars, because they were advertising during a break on that same show.

PokerStrategy: How would you describe your poker style?

Maria21: Mostly tightly agressive, I like to change my style though in the middle of a game to help in confusing my opponents, I feel comfortable in losing a few chips if it helps to better my chances. So basically I play tightly-aggressive, but I switch from maniacal, loose and even calling station-style, fake of course.

PokerStrategy: Which variants are you currently playing and at what levels?

Maria21: NL holdem SNG's 1.25 buy-in due to a major downswing, had to move down.

PokerStrategy: Do you ever play any live events, or are you mainly online based?

Maria21: I ocasionaly play Small SNG's at a local casino, 2 euro buy-in, but mostly online.

PokerStrategy: If you had to have a theme tune to enter a poker tournament to (like boxers when they enter the ring), what would it be?

Maria21: Frank Sinatra - My Way

PokerStrategy: Can you remember what happened to the PokerStrategy $50? Did you lose it early on or is it still in your current bankroll somewhere?

Maria21: I am still clinging to it. Basically I hope that without any more downswings soon, i can move up and forget about a 50-80 Bankroll.

PokerStrategy: Who are your favourite poker pro's and why?

Maria21: My favourite Poker Pro is Daniel Negreanu, mostly because he is Romanian, okay he lives in Canada, represents Canada at international games but he was born Romanian and both his parents are Romanian. He is mostly an inspiration to all Romanian players. But also I like his play, especially his lowball strategy, and the way he talks himself out of potentially dangerous pots.

PokerStrategy: What has been your biggest success/achievement in poker so far?

Maria21: I guess it was a 3rd place at a 3.30 knockout 90 player SNG, won 31.50+2.50 from bounties, I did break my BRM to play it and I'm not very proud of it.

PokerStrategy: Ah, well don't worry, I won't tell anyone ;) If you had the opportunity of playing a final table with a selection of people of your choice (doesn't have to necessarily be poker players, anyone past or present), who would be seated there with you?

Maria21: Bill Gates, Nicholas Sarkozy, Che Guevarra.

PokerStrategy: Hmm interesting selection. What do you like most about PokerStrategy?

Maria21: Mostly The community spirit. They way a schooling site can bring together so many persons from different cultures and lifestyles and still manages to prosper is amazing. The community spirit is incredible here.

PokerStrategy: Couldn't agree more. Do you have a favourite blog that you are currently following?

Maria21: No not really, reading a bit on vhallee's blog.

PokerStrategy: Ah you don't want to do that, no I'm only joking ;), it's actually also a personal favourite of mine with great humour. For those who've not seen it yet, Giblog is located in the Blogs Section of the website (not forum section). So Maria21, what advice would you give to our newer members just starting out in poker for the first time?

Maria21: Stick to SSS, play it very strictly without deviating. SNG play may seem fun and more rewarding, and it is, but the percentage of bad beats is a lot higher and I don't think many new players can cope with it. In my opinion, one of the most frequent mistakes a new player makes is in not correctly evaluating his/her own ability, either under evaluating or over evaluating their own ability.

PokerStrategy: Is there anyone in particular from the community you'd like to give a shout out to?

Maria21: Yeah I guess vhallee, I like what he does.

PokerStrategy: Do you have any hobbies outside of poker?

Maria21: Mostly partying, when bored I'm reading mostly Science Fiction literature.

PokerStrategy: If money was no object, what would you buy?

Maria21: I dunno, a spaceship..., i guess a small island in the carribean somewhere.

PokerStrategy: Well thank you for doing this interview Maria21, you've given us all a great insight into the person behind the nickname and we're very grateful for you taking the time out to talk to us today. We wish you continued success with your poker and look forward to seeing you in the forum and on the green felt soon.

Maria21: I also thank you, and I was happy to do this.


Would you like to be interviewed yourself one week or maybe you'd like to nominate a fellow member who you would like to know more about? Drop me a reply in the feedback thread and maybe your wish will come true.

  and finally

What do you like to listen to whilst playing poker, except the sweet sound of chips being pushed in your direction of course ;) Check out the tunes that other members like to listen to in this thread:

What are you listening to?


As always, this is your Community page and whilst I try to browse most forum threads looking for points of interest, it's of course not possible to cover everything. So go on, drop me some suggestions and/or your thoughts on what you would like to appear in this Round-up news item in the following feedback thread.

Feedback thread to this news