Betting at Betfair: Ben Grundy

Ben Grundy has left the building

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:50:56 +0000

The popular Ben Grundy has moved on to pastures new and everyone at Betfair Poker wishes him the best of luck in the future.

We asked Ben to pen a thoughtful and reflective post on his time at Betfair Poker recording the highs and lows of his poker journey, his move into playing PLO and his experiences of playing cash games at the highest level but he wrote this instead.

Hi Guys I'm still blogging at http://www.milkybarkids.blogspot.com/ I still play loads on Betfair, come and challenge me at the tables :-)

For anyone who is going to miss the popular Ben here is a selection of articles he wrote for the site over previous years - be warned though...some of the youthful-looking photos will make you think you are getting poker advice from a 9-year-old.

Ben Grundy Poker Articles
Playing suited connectors (May 2007) Premium starting hands are rare in Hold'em so you have to learn how to win with different types of hands..... Read more

PL Omaha Tournaments - Top Tips (February 2007) If you are new to Pot Limit Omaha, tournaments are a great way to get started.....Read more

Ben "bennyboi" Grundy - 7 Card Stud (March 2003) Seven card stud is one of the most complicated forms of poker. Therefore, if you can reach a high standard....Read more

Anyone for Omaha? (April 2002) The reason Omaha is such a popular game and why I like it so much is that it creates a lot of action.....Read more

The last few months

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Its been a while since i updated my blog so here goes.....

I've played just two tournaments since my last entry, the Irish Open and EPT Monte Carlo. Both had massive fields and huge prize pools as well.

The Irish Open i pretty much went out to a cooler. I raised the button with AA and got reraised by an aggressive player in the small blind. I decided just to call, as i want to try and extract the maximum with my AA. If i three bet preflop he will probably lay down most hands.

Anyway the flop came down K94, after another 4 came on the turn we get all the money in and he shows KK. So i was destined to go out on that hand however i played it.

Monte Carlo was much more frustrating. Particularly as i liked my table so much. I walked top pair into a set a few times early and dropped from 15000 to around 12000.

The crucial hand for me was when some guy opened for 500 (blinds 50/100), i looked down at QQ in the SB and made it 2200 (22 big blinds). The flop came down 279 rainbow, and i led for about half the pot. He called. He didn't appear strong at all. Turn brought an 8. I checked with the plan of check raising all in. He checked behind!

River was an Ace. I checked again to him. He now bet 3000. I could rule out 22, 77, 88, 99 and AA pretty much. I couldn't really see how the Ace could have improved him. He can't have called the flop with AT, AJ, AQ or AK. So I called and he showed the good old A7 off for a rivered two pair. Its sick that someone can call 22 big blinds with A7 in such a big tournament.

I never recovered from that hand and busted out an hour or so later!

On a more positive note i've been doing really good in my regular cash games. I think i'm playing my best ever poker online at the moment in the $25/$50, $50/$100 and $100/$200 Pot Limit Omaha games. I am probably running above average luck wise, but long may that continue. I'll try and post some big pots in the next week or so.

Las Vegas isn't too far away now either. Its less than six weeks till it starts. I've booked myself into a decent suite at the Palms as a change to the Bellagio and the Wynn. Its quite expensive, but i figure its a good investment if it makes me play 10% better. Here is my provisional schedule:

May 30th - World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em $10000
June 2nd - Pot-Limit Hold'em $1500
June 3rd - No-Limit Hold'em w/ReBuys $1500
June 4th - No-Limit Hold'em $2000
June 5th - No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed $2500
June 7th - No-Limit Hold'em $2500
June 10th - Pot-Limit Omaha $1500
June 11th - No-Limit Hold'em $5000
June 12th - Pot-Limit Holdem/Omaha $2500
June 13th - World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em $10000
June 14th - Pot-Limit Omaha W/Rebuys $5000
June 16th - No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed $2500
June 18th - Pot-Limit Omaha W/ReBuys $1500
June 29th - World Championship Pot Limit Omaha $10000
July 3rd - World Championship No-Limit Texas Hold'em $10000

I'm feeling positive about Vegas this year and have never played so many tournaments in a short period so it should be fun. I've only played 3/4 tournaments so far this year, so i plan on playing some NL Hold'em multis for practice before i go.

EPT Dortmund

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:20:46 +0000

Bleeeurgh...

Busted level six for a big pot with AJ all in on a JJ8 flop v QQ. Turn 8. River Q. Weird i knew it was coming!!

Ok better go hit the cash games :-)

Hold'em hands part 2

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:13:13 +0000

Ok firstly to the three hands that i posted a few days ago....

The first one i think is a close call between calling the flop raise and shoving most non scare cards on the turn, and folding. I don't think shoving on the flop is a good option because it's going to get insta called in this spot by a big draw or a dominating hand. I actually decided to fold, this isn't a spot where i can have a dominating hand.... and there is also a chance he can have a K8, K9, 88 or 99 hand which almost leaves me drawing dead.

The second hand i really hated. I was expecting that if he was going to bet that it would be about $12000... and considering i had hardly seen this player before, i just had to look him up. Especially as i had checked to induce this sort of move. He showed QA which was quite surprising given the action. I'm still not sure its profitable in the long term to call in that spot, but sometimes you just have to go with the feel you have in the hand.

This hand happened shortly after the previous one. I thought that because of this, it looked to me like he had me beat. I just can't see him betting JJ and smaller pairs. Often calling the turn, and leading out in this kind of hand means a big hand. So i folded....

I'll search my poker tracker and post some more interesting hands in the next few weeks.

I've been looking at my tournament schedule, and in the next few months i am looking forward to playing four EPTs (Dortmund, Warsaw, San Remo, Monte Carlo).. its also my 30th birthday soon and i'm going skiing to Val D'isere which should be wicked. After all that its the WSOP again... it always seems to come around very quickly.... i've done a rough schedule which i'll post closer to the date!

Some Hold'em hands

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:33:30 +0000

I haven't posted any NL Hold'em hands for a while. I've actually been doing pretty good in the last eight weeks or so at NL 50/100 and 100/200, which has improved my confidence after the miserable run I had at the start of 2007.

These three hands are all from a $100/$200 NL games.

1. I have $29,000 stack. Game is six handed. I limp UTG with 89. UTG 1 calls. Cut off min raises it to $400 (he does this a lot). The button calls, and both blinds fold. The flop comes 89K. I check UTG 1 checks. Cut off (the min raiser) bets $200. Button folds. I raise the pot to $2500. Now UTG 1 (who I think is Ram Vaswani) makes it $9600 to play. He has me covered. What do you reckon is the best play?

2. Heads Up game. I have a $37,000 stack, my opponent has a $34,000 stack. He has the button. He makes it $600. I reraise with KQ
to $1800. He calls. The flop comes 64Q
. I bet $2450. My opponent calls. Turn is the K
. I bet $4200. He calls again. River comes a 6

I considered betting but decided to check to hopefully induce a bluff. The pot is $16900. He jams for $25550. This was the first time I have played this guy Heads Up, and only a couple of times in a ring game. What now?

3. Last hand. Same guy on a new table. Both $20,000 stacks. Second hand in I raise with QQ to $750 on the button. He makes it $2200. I called. The flop comes K47
. He checked. I checked. Turn K
. He checked. I bet $3000. He called. River 4. He bets $10,000. What now?

Loads of Hands

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:51:02 +0000

I mentioned in a previous blog that on December 30th I was down $180,000 playing two tables of $50/$100. The games were against Emily86 on Betfair, and they play much bigger than a regular 50/100 game.

I've included my percentage chance of winning the hand when most of the money went in, and included all the pots over $15,000 we played on the table I was losing the most!

A nice way to get me steaming at the beginning - Ben 80%

Haha make a good read and still lose tilt - Ben 78%

Finally one holds up - Ben 81%

Now i think all is going to go well - Ben 100%

Start of sick run - Ben 65%

Unreal $40,000 pot. I was so tilted after this - Ben 71% (i thought much bigger)

Finally i get it in with the worst hand and lose obviously - Emily 64%

Flop nuts and lose - Ben 65%

Nuts again couldn't lose - Ben 100%

Catching Bare Ace - Ben 100%

Really sick $68,000 pot that pair of fives win. I really shouldn't be gambling here. Emily 57%

Tilted i get all in preflop next hand and get lucky one time - Emily 56%

Hmmm Emily's bluffing range is huge, don't like this one so much - Emily 100%

This sums it up - Ben 55%

Coin flip, Emily wins again - Emily 52%

Facing $113,000 stack, the comeback begins - Ben 80%

We like these odds - Ben 97%

Nice turn - Ben 82%

$37,000 pot. Think i may have stopped if my call was wrong - Ben 100%

$80,000 pot. I wanted to make this pot big preflop as i knew if i hit a set i was likely to get a double up. One time. Ben - 73%

Overall that table I lost $35,000. I won about the same on the second table. Too many hands, so i'll just post the biggest three.

One pair wins $66,000. Ben 70%

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz $54,000 lost. Ben 80%

My play on the turn is fishy here. Ben 67.5%

I think on that particular day ending even felt like winning a million!

New Year

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:21:21 +0000

There is something strange about the start of the New Year when it comes to poker. All profit/losses get reset, and its time to go again. Despite claiming that I am going to take it easy in January, it's very unlikely to happen...

Think I am playing the best poker online of my life at the moment, so going to keep going. I'm even winning at high stakes NL Hold'em as well..... and when I am feeling less hung-over, I'll get round to posting a few hands. I also managed to reverse my biggest ever loss a few days ago. I was $180,000 down playing $50/$100 PL Omaha and got the lot back in the same session.... so sick!

I was really looking forward to playing the Caribbean EPT event then going to the Aussie Millions. Unfortunately, due to a long drawn out house purchase, i can't leave the country for the next few weeks.... so my next tournament is likely to be EPT Dortmund which had a huge field last year.

My blog may well get moved here permanently soon. There is more scope to add stuff and card graphics are coming soon as well.

Bluffing in Pot-Limit Omaha - Part I

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:20:34 +0000

Read part one of Ben Grundy's two part series on bluffing in PLO...

There is much to be read on bluffing in no-limit hold'em, but very little about bluffing in pot-limit Omaha, which is what I am to discuss in my first column for Card Player. In a series of columns about bluffing in Omaha, I am going to look at situations in which bluffing in pot-limit Omaha is very profitable. Many players follow a successful tight-aggressive strategy in Omaha, but the very best players I have faced bluff in more situations than you might think. I don't mean bluffing with a bare ace when there is a flush on the board, because many people do that, but rather, representing hands when you are able to put opponents on a range of potential holdings.

Sometimes the board will pair on the flop. In this column I will look at how bluffing in this situation can be very profitable. If you are able to accurately assess the situation, and to take advantage of it, you can take down some very big pots. The reason why bluffing on a paired board is often successful is that most players will often not want to commit most or all of their stack with a high pair such as aces or kings.

For the purposes of this example, you are playing in a $10-$20 pot-limit Omaha game with five opponents. Each opponent is playing $3,000. One player limps in from under the gun, you limp in from the cutoff with 8-8-9-10 double-suited. The button makes it $100 to play. Both blinds fold. The limper and you both call. The flop comes J-3-3 with no flush draw. It is unlikely, given the preflop raise, that any opponent has a 3 or J-J. So, you can make a move on this kind of paired board. It is more risky to try to represent a good hand on a high paired board, as it becomes more likely that one of your opponents will have made three of a kind or a full house.

There is now $330 in the pot. If your first opponent checks and you bet, it's possible that you could pick up the pot right away for a $230 profit. In fact, there are several ways in which you can win this pot. For instance, if everyone checks the flop, you could make a bet on the turn and probably win it then.

But one of the best ways to maximise your profit is to check to the original preflop raiser. He is more than likely to make a continuation bet on the flop with any high pair, or even on a complete bluff. Once your other opponent has folded, you can now make your move. If the button has bet $300, you can reraise and probably win the pot there and then, or call (indicating strength) and make a move on the turn or the river.

Suppose that you check to the button and he bets $300. I would recommend minimum-raising him another $300. The purpose of this bet is to tempt him to call - which he will often do, as he won't want to give away the pot on the cheap. You are also manipulating the pot and representing a big hand, to then bluff him out on the turn. But if he passes immediately to your minimum raise, you will have made a $530 profit.

Let's look at what happens if he calls. The pot would now be $1,530. You and your opponent have each committed $700 out of your $3,000 stack, so neither of you is overcommitted to the hand. Let's say the turn brings a 6. I would now recommend betting between 40 percent and 70 percent of the pot on the turn. If you bet the pot, your opponent would pass more often. But, at the same time, it increases how often you need to win the pot to more than 80 percent. In this example, I think you should bet around $750 into the pot. If you have assessed the situation and your opponent correctly, he will pass often enough for the play to be profitable in the long run.

You have committed $600 bluffing before your $750 bet on the turn. So, you will have committed $1,350 in total on the bluff. You do not include the $100 that you put in before the flop, because you normally would have given up on this hand when you missed the flop completely. There is an $830 profit to be made if your opponent passes to your turn bet. Exactly how often your opponent would have to pass for this play to be profitable can be calculated as follows:

Total amount committed to pot on a bluff / potential profit = X

X/(X+1) x 100 = break-even percentage

So, for the example I have used, $1,350/$830 = 1.63

1.63/2.63 x 100 = 62%

So, if the hand reached the turn, and it played out how I have described, you would need to win more than 62 percent of the time for it to be worth making this kind of bluff. From my own experience, players will fold approximately 75 percent of the time on the turn if you have also taken account of the following factors:

- The size of your opponent's stack. It's no use trying this move if your opponent is short-stacked, or pot-committed.

- You must know that your opponent is capable of passing A-A or K-K in this situation. Some players will simply call you down.

- Don't try it if your opponent is on tilt. He will call you too often.

- Don't use the move too often. Players will start to catch on to what you are doing.

The last thing to look at is what you should do if your opponent calls your turn bet. The pot would now be $3,030 and you would have $1,550 left. Unless the miracle 8 comes on the river to give you a full house, I normally would give up the hand and check the river. If your opponent called on the turn in this kind of situation, he would probably also call your bet on the river.

Related Articles

Pot Limit Omaha - Marcus Bateman
Pot Limit Omaha Final Table 2008 - WSOPE
Pot Limit Omaha 2008 Final Table Preview - WSOPE
Pot-limit Omaha: The new Hold'em? - WSOPE
PL Omaha Tournaments - Top Tips - Ben Grundy

My Year in Review and Podcast

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:34:03 +0000

As I am winding down operations and hardly playing between now and the New Year, I thought it would be a good time to look back on 2007.

This year has definitely been a lot tougher than 2006. When I gave up my job in March 2005 with a small bankroll, I just couldn't stop winning for most of 2005 and 2006.

Between January and June I definitely got close to going busto. I had losing day after losing day, and I never thought it was possible to run so bad, for so long. Of course alot of it was my fault. Playing games that were too big when out of form. Poor game selection, and lots and lots of tilt. I think at one point in April I was about $400,000 down for the year... yikes.

Tournament form throughout the entire year hasn't exactly been good either. I've gone deep in a couple of EPT events without making the final. The lowest point of the year came when I bubbled in the $5000 rebuy PLO in Vegas. My bankroll was battered and I had a massive chance to win the tournament being in the top five in chips with twenty players left. My AAxx failed to beat KKxx and that was that. Tournaments have huge variance though, and I don't play very many, so I have to hope 2008 brings better luck on that front.

As terrible as the first six months of the year were the next six months have been amazing. I've been running the opposite of the first six months of the year, and when I'm confident and winning I play better.

I just calculated that I am over $1 million up in PL Omaha cash games for the year, and about half that down in NL Hold'em cash games. Most of the Omaha profit coming at $25/$50 and $50/$100 ... with some wins at $100/$200 as well. If only I hadn't played Heads Up Hold'em big stakes at the start of the year, then a very good year would have been an amazing one.

I definitely feel like I should be playing the biggest PL Omaha games. I just can't face putting my entire bankroll on the line so we shall see.

Some aims for 2008

- Number one aim to practice better bankroll management and game selection. I will not allow myself to make the same mistakes that I did this year.
- Play some high stakes cash games in Bobby's room at the Bellagio.
- Get luckier in tournaments.
- Crush the big PL Omaha games online.
- Have a winning year at NL Hold'em cash.
- Play less poker.
- Don't lose over 50% of my bankroll in January as I have for the last two years.

Playing the big tables!

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:19:26 +0000

I have had a big rollercoaster in the last 4/5 days. Been playing $50/$100 up to $250/$500 PL Omaha and NL Hold'em. Here is a pot i played in $250/$500 NL Hold'em...

Big Call

I played Heads Up $100/$200 PL Omaha yesterday and reached my biggest ever stack on a poker table - over $200k. I did lose $55000 on a couple of other tables but won $130,000 on the session. A nice Xmas bonus!

I was going to go to EPT Prague, but am so busy over the next week i just don't have the time. Was looking forward to it as well, as i have never been to Prague.

GUKPT Final

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:08:15 +0000

It didn't go to plan! We started with 15000 chips and I lost a fair chunk on the opening hand. Blinds 25/50... I faced a raise and reraise to 600 to play before I looked down at AsKs in the big blind...

I called and the flop was Qs4s5h... opponent checked and i bet 1000. He made it 2000. I considered reraising but i was a little concerned he had QQ. Turn was an off suit J. So I had a Gutshot too now. He bet 2500 which obviously priced me in. River was a blank and if he checked I was going to push, but he bet 3000 and i folded.

After that without really hitting very much i managed to get up to 25000 practically playing every hand. I won a big pot on a 9T37A board with 68... that was the high point.

My exit hand was slightly bizarre. I pushed when i really shouldn't have with Kc2c after floating on a Ac3d3s flop the 4c on the turn, seemed a good spot to check raise all in. My opponent was probably pot committed though and called with A4. If the 4 hadn't arrived on the turn I'm sure my plan would have worked!

Play against Ben now exclusively on Betfair Poker

Back to the old days

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:49:39 +0000

I have been having huge swings just as i did at the start of 2007, when i was playing a fair bit of 50/100 and 100/200 PL Omaha and NL Hold'em...

Had quite a few +/-$50k days lately without doing too much damage to the bankroll.

Here are some of the bigger pots i have played lately!

Big pot from back door flush

Move on the turn works out well against my old enemy

Didn't really know whether I was winning in this hand

Most of my outs were covered here

This tilted me

Running good in a Hold'em hand

Making a big move that works out

I'm playing the GUKPT final which is at the Vic later this week... haven't played a tournament in a while so looking forward to it!

There is only a couple of days to register through this blog for the rake challenge (see a couple of posts below details)

Omaha Tourney

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:41:30 +0000

Hehe you can now take me on in an Pot Limit Omaha tournament - exclusively on Betfair Poker.
ALL admirers of this fantastic four-card game thinking that their Christmas has come early...

The tournament will carry a big old $5,000 Guarantee as well as a bounty worth $100 for knocking me out on my home soil!

TOURNEY DETAILS

What: MILK THE KID - $5,000 GTD PLO
When: Every Monday at 7:30pm (GMT)
How much: $55 with rebuys in the first hour and add-on available
Finer details: 2,500 starting chips, 20 minute levels
Bounty you say? Indeed, Ben "Milkybarkid" Grundy will have $100 on his head!

Had a pretty sick week online. Had a stack of over $100k on a $50/$100 table and still ended the week down due to a two hour session of $100/$200 NL Holdem where i didn't win a single decent pot!

Download Betfair Poker now and take on Ben

Blog rake challenge with prizes

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:52:40 +0000

Players who sign up with Ben Grundy are eligible for some great prizes. If you rake the most you could be in with a chance of winning a seat at the European Poker Tour. Prizes come straight from the Milkybarkid's oversized pocket...

1st Prize - Package to EPT San Remo in Italy - Entry plus £500 spending money. Worth about £4000.

2nd Prize - Entry to a GUKPT event - Entry into event of your choice in season two. Worth £1000.

3rd Prize - Mystery prize to be decided.

Competition information!

Whoever rakes the most between December 1st - March 15th on Betfair Poker can win the prizes. You are already eligible if you already signed up for an account through my blog.

All new sign ups between now and November 30th who sign up through this link can also win the prizes.

If you rake a decent amount on Betfair you have a great chance of taking down the first prize. I will put the leaderboard on this blog of the top five rakers at the end of each month, until the competition ends on March 15th. So the prizes are decided by who rakes the most over a 16 week period.

If you do sign up and want to take part in this promotion drop me an email (bengrundy@hotmail.com) to confirm your new Betfair username. Just so i can double check that you registered through this blog.

I get 10% in you in the tournaments as an interest, as i am giving away these free entries out of my pocket!

If you cannot make EPT San Remo for some reason then the prize can be swapped for a tournament of a similar value. It can't be exchanged for cash.

Any questions post in the comments......

Radio Interview at Betfair's offices

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:58:22 +0000

I went into the Betfair offices to do an interview for Betfair radio. You can listen to it here...