well....not really, but it sure has been frustrating lately when I keep getting cold cards.
I mentioned that I played poorly in a tourney last Saturday. My demise came when my AK met pocket queens and didn't improve. Last night at Lottery Larry's tournament of champions game, I had deja vu when I was short stacked and was faced with 5 limpers and I was in the small blind with jack seven suited. My hand was meaningless as there was 25% of my stack in the pot including the blinds and if I could use my short stack while it still had fold equity I could make a push and pick up a nice pot. Even if I get called by one of the limpers It's very likely I have 2 "live cards". It's doubtful I was facing a big pair as no one but the first limper would try to foray into a limped pot with a big pair. So I made it look like I had a good hand and pushed all in and the big blind, the only person that I had no reasonable read on, woke up with pocket queens and went all in himself. The others folded and even though I technically hit a full house (the board was 88833), he had a better full house and I was on the rail.
I can at least claim that my early night was due to grief. My wife called me just as the tournament started to let me know that our last goldfish, Michael, had finally succumbed to whatever ailment his two compatriots had fallen to.
RIP
Michael
2007-2008
While the fish were dying at my house, the fish seemed to be thriving at Lottery Larry's house. I am reluctant to mention hands and names as Lottery Larry has recently taken passages from my blog without permission and put it into his trip report. (he'll be hearing from my lawyers Dewey, Phuc M, Goode, & Howe) I don't wish to publicly call anyone a bad player and criticize their hands. Especially since I am no big shakes myself. I like to think I am always improving in poker, but I most certainly don't make all the right moves nor claim to be an expert. I'll just say that worst hand kept winning. Over and over and over again. Even in the low limit cash game I played in afterwards, I had my aces cracked by 67 with a CAPPED PREFLOP POT! (in other words, the bets were raised and reraised 4 times- the most allowed.)
I can't complain all that much, I had fun joking around and I didn't lose very much money. The best line of the night came from the razz specialist, Dan. A player came over to the cash game from the tourney and started complaining that he was knocked out on the bubble. He started playing alot of crappy hands like 10 4 off suit and was winning big pots. He then claimed in defense of his bad play-
"I was a two-thirds favorite to win that hand on the bubble and I lost, so why should I play good hands if that doesn't seem to work?"
Dan quickly remarked, "Because two out three times you aren't going out on the bubble?"
ahhh...nerd humor...
Showing posts with label poker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poker. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
High Stakes Poker will be back for season 5!
I can't seem to find the official confirmation but according to several blogs from poker players and 2+2 it appears that the show High Stakes Poker will tape it's fifth season in September and air on GSN in February. Originally the option for HSP wasn't renewed and the World Poker Tour was also let go on the Game show Network. It looked bleak for poker on TV as the only shows that were being produced was a time buy in Poker After Dark airing at 2:30AM, The World Series on ESPN and the Heads Up challenge that airs once a year on NBC.
PAD did fill the void of the lack of cash game play by airing a week of cash games last week but it's regular format is a 6 person sit and go. I think that cash is ultimately more interesting to watch and play than a tournament where increasing blinds create variance and dictate action. I suppose the TV execs want the all in action but I think if done well with a good commentator cash games can make for a more interesting show.
Why GSN had the change of heart? I have no idea, but nonetheless, I'm glad it will be back. I will also personally hunt down males aged 18-35 with neilson boxes and make them watch the show. I should've done this years ago for Arrested Development and Firefly.
PAD did fill the void of the lack of cash game play by airing a week of cash games last week but it's regular format is a 6 person sit and go. I think that cash is ultimately more interesting to watch and play than a tournament where increasing blinds create variance and dictate action. I suppose the TV execs want the all in action but I think if done well with a good commentator cash games can make for a more interesting show.
Why GSN had the change of heart? I have no idea, but nonetheless, I'm glad it will be back. I will also personally hunt down males aged 18-35 with neilson boxes and make them watch the show. I should've done this years ago for Arrested Development and Firefly.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Rooting for the hotness
The World Series of Poker Main Event is down to the final 3 tables of 27 players. The only two "recognizable" names are actress and poker hostess Tiffany Michelle and known pro Brandon Cantu. I can't say that I knew of Tiffany Michelle other than her hosting on camera for Pokernews.com. I have no idea if she is a good player or not. Quite frankly, with past winners like Jerry Yang and Jamie Gold, I don't think it will be required. Apparently she has some minor acting roles to go along with her poker hosting duties.
While it isn't definite, it is very possible for her to make the final table with her currently being in 3rd place out the 27. Sure, she could have an epic meltdown like me last Saturday but her odds are good she'll make the final table. She'll be the 1st woman to make the final 9 since Barbara Enright did it for the 1st time in 1995. This year they are taking a 4 month break after the final 9 is set so ESPN can air the final table 2 days after showing all of their coverage up til then. That way they can keep the winner more suspenseful. The extra media coverage will also make the final 9 stars instead of unknowns (and more marketable). If Tiffany makes it she will have the spotlight thrust on her the brightest.
Which in my opinion is a very good thing. In some ways it's a shame that her good looks will be a part of that fact but it will perhaps encourage women to not be so intimidated at the poker table. Plus the extra ratings will be a very good thing for those who enjoy watching poker on television as lately the ratings have not been stellar. Shows like High Stakes Poker haven't been renewed and I miss that show terribly.
So if a nice looking female can play decently or get lucky and thus gets some extra press for poker, it's all good. Poker could use some more positive stories after two big cheating scandals in Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. (look for 60 minutes this September) Plus it's better than watching Phil Hellmuth throw another tantrum and berate players.
While it isn't definite, it is very possible for her to make the final table with her currently being in 3rd place out the 27. Sure, she could have an epic meltdown like me last Saturday but her odds are good she'll make the final table. She'll be the 1st woman to make the final 9 since Barbara Enright did it for the 1st time in 1995. This year they are taking a 4 month break after the final 9 is set so ESPN can air the final table 2 days after showing all of their coverage up til then. That way they can keep the winner more suspenseful. The extra media coverage will also make the final 9 stars instead of unknowns (and more marketable). If Tiffany makes it she will have the spotlight thrust on her the brightest.
Which in my opinion is a very good thing. In some ways it's a shame that her good looks will be a part of that fact but it will perhaps encourage women to not be so intimidated at the poker table. Plus the extra ratings will be a very good thing for those who enjoy watching poker on television as lately the ratings have not been stellar. Shows like High Stakes Poker haven't been renewed and I miss that show terribly.
So if a nice looking female can play decently or get lucky and thus gets some extra press for poker, it's all good. Poker could use some more positive stories after two big cheating scandals in Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. (look for 60 minutes this September) Plus it's better than watching Phil Hellmuth throw another tantrum and berate players.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Heads up melt downs
This past weekend's poker tourney I cruised into the final two with a 7 to 1 chip lead.
I came in 2nd.
It's the 2nd such meltdown this year. I know anyone can win heads up due to higher variances but it is certainly disappointing and it makes me wonder if I have a serious weak spot.
I do feel I get somewhat impatient heads up and my aggressive play may be too strong. But then again, the short stack is usually 10 big blinds or less so any action taken needs to be forceful or else you're just giving away chips.
While I doubt myself at my heads up skills I do think when I play live my table talk gets people to call me down when I have the goods. The fact that I joke alot and perform some antics gives people the impression I am playing too many hands when in fact I'm playing rather tight.
I guess if I were to take 2nd in every tourney I wouldn't be so upset but it smarts when you have such a commanding lead and can't hold on. I have yet another tourney this coming weekend, here's hoping I get a chance to practice my heads up play.
I came in 2nd.
It's the 2nd such meltdown this year. I know anyone can win heads up due to higher variances but it is certainly disappointing and it makes me wonder if I have a serious weak spot.
I do feel I get somewhat impatient heads up and my aggressive play may be too strong. But then again, the short stack is usually 10 big blinds or less so any action taken needs to be forceful or else you're just giving away chips.
While I doubt myself at my heads up skills I do think when I play live my table talk gets people to call me down when I have the goods. The fact that I joke alot and perform some antics gives people the impression I am playing too many hands when in fact I'm playing rather tight.
I guess if I were to take 2nd in every tourney I wouldn't be so upset but it smarts when you have such a commanding lead and can't hold on. I have yet another tourney this coming weekend, here's hoping I get a chance to practice my heads up play.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
TJ Cookier
This is old time poker player and degenerate gambler TJ Cloutier...
Someone on the poker fan website pocket 5's saw this cookie....
...and thought that if he were to combine the 2 pictures the resulting picture would be funny. (and it was!!)
Now I know it may seem stupid to you, but I've literally been laughing at this picture for over a week now. So, I feel compelled to share. They've even started a whole thread dedicated to putting TJ Cookier in different situations and movie posters over at 2+2. Enjoy!!
(snicker...TJ Cookier...guffaw!)
Someone on the poker fan website pocket 5's saw this cookie....
...and thought that if he were to combine the 2 pictures the resulting picture would be funny. (and it was!!)
Now I know it may seem stupid to you, but I've literally been laughing at this picture for over a week now. So, I feel compelled to share. They've even started a whole thread dedicated to putting TJ Cookier in different situations and movie posters over at 2+2. Enjoy!!
(snicker...TJ Cookier...guffaw!)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Yet another poker report
Played in a home cash game last night (Lottery Larry again) and will be playing in a tournament at my house tomorrow night.
Pokerpokerpokerpokerpokerpokerpokerpokerpoker......whoooohooooo!
While I wasn't a huge winner by any stretch, I definitely made some plays that I liked. One hand in particular I think I made a nice read. The blinds were $0.50/$1.00 and I was in on the cut off position and looked down at pocket tens. The hand was limped once or twice to the guy to my right. (it was a night of lots of limping, which ultimately if you can play better post flop pays very well.) He put in a raise to $4 and was playing rather loosely up most of the night and had no problems raising with 10 9 offsuit. I decided to pop it again as I didn't think he had a real hand. To my dismay the small blind called rather quickly and then the original raiser also called.
At least I had position on both of them!
The flop cam a low and ragged one. I believe the board was 2 4 6 all different suits. Both my opponents checked. There's no way anyone was playing a 3 5 or even low pocket pairs. Plus the more I thought about it, there really was only one hand that was conceivable that was currently beating me- pocket jacks. I firmly believed that if either of my opponents had a bigger pocket pair than jacks that they would have reraised me preflop. I just didn't think either player was capable of slow playing aces in that spot with a raise and reraise. My opponents range of holdings was down to JJ, 10 10, 9 9, 8 8, AK, & AQ, all of which I beat except the jacks.
Needless to say I liked my lot in life just then and put in a strong bet. There was 39 dollars in the pot so I put in about 2/3rds of the pot ($26). If either one had an underpair I get some more money into the pot with a call, if they have the jacks they're likely to push all in and I have to make a big decision. If they have AK or AQ they'll likely fold and I push out out their chance of hitting one of their overcards. I threw out the bet and both folded after some hemming and hawing. Both later said that they both had AK. Had I had my x-ray glasses I think I wouldve only thrown out 1/3rd of teh pot and hoped to get a call, but nonetheless I played it properly and made a good read. It's moments of realization like these that make you appreciate the game.
Here's hoping I make some similar ones tomorrow night.
Pokerpokerpokerpokerpokerpokerpokerpokerpoker......whoooohooooo!
While I wasn't a huge winner by any stretch, I definitely made some plays that I liked. One hand in particular I think I made a nice read. The blinds were $0.50/$1.00 and I was in on the cut off position and looked down at pocket tens. The hand was limped once or twice to the guy to my right. (it was a night of lots of limping, which ultimately if you can play better post flop pays very well.) He put in a raise to $4 and was playing rather loosely up most of the night and had no problems raising with 10 9 offsuit. I decided to pop it again as I didn't think he had a real hand. To my dismay the small blind called rather quickly and then the original raiser also called.
At least I had position on both of them!
The flop cam a low and ragged one. I believe the board was 2 4 6 all different suits. Both my opponents checked. There's no way anyone was playing a 3 5 or even low pocket pairs. Plus the more I thought about it, there really was only one hand that was conceivable that was currently beating me- pocket jacks. I firmly believed that if either of my opponents had a bigger pocket pair than jacks that they would have reraised me preflop. I just didn't think either player was capable of slow playing aces in that spot with a raise and reraise. My opponents range of holdings was down to JJ, 10 10, 9 9, 8 8, AK, & AQ, all of which I beat except the jacks.
Needless to say I liked my lot in life just then and put in a strong bet. There was 39 dollars in the pot so I put in about 2/3rds of the pot ($26). If either one had an underpair I get some more money into the pot with a call, if they have the jacks they're likely to push all in and I have to make a big decision. If they have AK or AQ they'll likely fold and I push out out their chance of hitting one of their overcards. I threw out the bet and both folded after some hemming and hawing. Both later said that they both had AK. Had I had my x-ray glasses I think I wouldve only thrown out 1/3rd of teh pot and hoped to get a call, but nonetheless I played it properly and made a good read. It's moments of realization like these that make you appreciate the game.
Here's hoping I make some similar ones tomorrow night.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
LOL Donkaments
Poker when played optimally will lead to winning money over enough time and hands. Of course there will be short term variance that will lead to losing streaks despite how skilled you are. Tournaments have an even higher variance due to the escalating blinds and antes (forced bets) that create players to act with hand holdings that are less than preferred and players will try to bluff and steal more often than in cash. The increased luck factor obviously takes out some of the skill. The more players that play in a tourney, the more luck is a factor over skill. It's why guys like Chris Moneymaker and Jerry Yang have won millions of dollars in the main event of the WSOP.
The higher variance of tourneys has led the posters over at 2+2 to nickname them "donkaments". The donk part refers to "donkey"- lingo for a bad player. The posters there even raised alot of money to donate to Barry Greenstein's charity to get him to say the phrase, "LOL Donkaments" on the TV show, High Stakes Poker.
This past Saturday's home tourney reminded me of why donkament is such an apt name. Never have I seen so many inferior hands win over statistical favorites. One player even called an huge all-in pre-flop bet with an ace and ten of hearts to be dominated by his opponents aces. Less than one times out of ten will the ace ten suited win, so it was a big suck out when 4 hearts hit the board and the poor player with aces went home in 4th place.
Personally, I even beat 4 to 1 odds to win a huge hand that propelled me to a 2nd place finish. The blinds started to get big and it was time to start making some moves. I was dealt a king and queen of diamonds so I came in for a raise. I ended up with 3 other callers (BAH-No respect!!) so already the pot was large before the cards came out. The flop was ragged as it contained a 9, 10 and 5 with 3 different suits. Since I was the preflop aggressor and there was a decent amount of chips to be won I figured I should take the first stab at it. I bet the size of the pot and I got a quick call from Chris, the others folded.
Chris is a solid player, but his flat call made me suspicious. It meant one of two things to me- he had a huge hand and was trapping me (possible but unlikely) or he suspected me of stealing (which I was) and had a "bluff-catcher". A bluff-catcher is a hand that probably beats most of my holdings if I'm bluffing. So, he could have hands like AK, AQ, 88, 77, 66, etc. I ruled out jacks or better because I think he reraises preflop with those. I think this type of hand is the most likely and therefore I think I can move him off the hand with an all-in bet if a favorable turn card comes. If I get called by nines, tens or fives then "c'est la vie" and I go home.
The turn card was a 4, so unless Chris was fucking around with a 78 the card is a good one to make the bluff with as it likely hasn't hit Chris. I take a little time to count out my stacks and then push it in and announce my all in.
I get instacalled.
He turned over pocket 8's which really surprised me. That basically told me he thought I was bluffing the whole time as there really weren't many hands that he can beat except for a bluff. Pocket 7's were the only holding aside from a bluff that I could have that he could be beating and even that hand would be me bluffing at the pot. A10, A9, 78, K10, J10, 10's, 9's, 6's, 5's, jacks thru aces wre all strong possibilities for me to have in my hand. Chris went with his gut that I was making a play and made a great call here. I have to give kudos to him.
Unfortunately for him, the bad luck was high that night and the queen came on the river and I won the huge pot and took the chip lead. (I had about an 18% chance of winning with a jack, queen or king) He lasted a little while on a short stack but never recovered. My respect for Chris' game has risen over the past year and I somewhat regret inviting him to the game. (not really tho, because it's mostly for fun)
I eventually got heads up with a 6 to 1 chip lead but as luck would have it my opponent doubled up twice with some small bad beats to me and I had no choice but to go all in with an ace three and lost to his ace queen. Shame the worse hand wins trend stopped there.
What can you do? LOL Donkaments
The higher variance of tourneys has led the posters over at 2+2 to nickname them "donkaments". The donk part refers to "donkey"- lingo for a bad player. The posters there even raised alot of money to donate to Barry Greenstein's charity to get him to say the phrase, "LOL Donkaments" on the TV show, High Stakes Poker.
This past Saturday's home tourney reminded me of why donkament is such an apt name. Never have I seen so many inferior hands win over statistical favorites. One player even called an huge all-in pre-flop bet with an ace and ten of hearts to be dominated by his opponents aces. Less than one times out of ten will the ace ten suited win, so it was a big suck out when 4 hearts hit the board and the poor player with aces went home in 4th place.
Personally, I even beat 4 to 1 odds to win a huge hand that propelled me to a 2nd place finish. The blinds started to get big and it was time to start making some moves. I was dealt a king and queen of diamonds so I came in for a raise. I ended up with 3 other callers (BAH-No respect!!) so already the pot was large before the cards came out. The flop was ragged as it contained a 9, 10 and 5 with 3 different suits. Since I was the preflop aggressor and there was a decent amount of chips to be won I figured I should take the first stab at it. I bet the size of the pot and I got a quick call from Chris, the others folded.
Chris is a solid player, but his flat call made me suspicious. It meant one of two things to me- he had a huge hand and was trapping me (possible but unlikely) or he suspected me of stealing (which I was) and had a "bluff-catcher". A bluff-catcher is a hand that probably beats most of my holdings if I'm bluffing. So, he could have hands like AK, AQ, 88, 77, 66, etc. I ruled out jacks or better because I think he reraises preflop with those. I think this type of hand is the most likely and therefore I think I can move him off the hand with an all-in bet if a favorable turn card comes. If I get called by nines, tens or fives then "c'est la vie" and I go home.
The turn card was a 4, so unless Chris was fucking around with a 78 the card is a good one to make the bluff with as it likely hasn't hit Chris. I take a little time to count out my stacks and then push it in and announce my all in.
I get instacalled.
He turned over pocket 8's which really surprised me. That basically told me he thought I was bluffing the whole time as there really weren't many hands that he can beat except for a bluff. Pocket 7's were the only holding aside from a bluff that I could have that he could be beating and even that hand would be me bluffing at the pot. A10, A9, 78, K10, J10, 10's, 9's, 6's, 5's, jacks thru aces wre all strong possibilities for me to have in my hand. Chris went with his gut that I was making a play and made a great call here. I have to give kudos to him.
Unfortunately for him, the bad luck was high that night and the queen came on the river and I won the huge pot and took the chip lead. (I had about an 18% chance of winning with a jack, queen or king) He lasted a little while on a short stack but never recovered. My respect for Chris' game has risen over the past year and I somewhat regret inviting him to the game. (not really tho, because it's mostly for fun)
I eventually got heads up with a 6 to 1 chip lead but as luck would have it my opponent doubled up twice with some small bad beats to me and I had no choice but to go all in with an ace three and lost to his ace queen. Shame the worse hand wins trend stopped there.
What can you do? LOL Donkaments
Monday, May 19, 2008
Who's Ed McMahon?!!
Just this past Saturday night I played in my regular home game and poker tournament. (report coming up tonight or tomorrow) At the final table I am sandwiched in between two guys in their early 20's, Tim and Chris. I was fairly manic-y that night as I usually am during poker events. The previous night I was up until 3am with insomnia due to racy thoughts. So fueled solely on a manic high I was more Brian-ish than usual. (Wow, two made up words in one paragraph!!) I was singing at times. I was making inappropriate jokes (like joking about Tom sucking on his Mother's tit with her right next to him). I was also doing silly impersonations. In other words, I was my usual obnoxious self.
Certain phrases and words said by others were triggering my brain to sing songs that those words or phrases reminded me of. So, when someone announced that he had a pair of sixes by saying, "I got sixes", the Schoolhouse Rock song, I Got Six popped into my head and I started to sing it. Tim curiously started to look at me as I was singing the song, "I got six, that's all there is. Six times one is six- one times six." "Is that a made up song?", he queried.
I fully expect someone of Tim's age and generation to not know the Schoolhouse Rock catalog of songs. Especially as I Got Six is one of the more obscure and less popular ones. The Schoolhouse Rock animated shorts were beloved by my generation as they played in between the usual mix of Saturday morning cartoons. Most of my core knowledge of the multiplication tables, American History and the preamble to the constitution, basic science and human physiology and grammar was due to me being a typical kid couch potato every Saturday morning. I weep for Tim's generation as they did not have Schoolhouse Rock's catchy tunes beaten into their young impressionable brains. He did a have a glimmer of recognition when I told him it was the same guys who made I'm Just a Bill and Conjunction Junction.
I felt a touch old as I thought about that but then I felt even older a few minutes after that. After a interesting card came out on the turn on one hand I screamed, "Hey-o!!" in my best Ed McMahon impersonation. (well, it really was an impersonation of the late, great Phil Hartman impersonating Ed, but you get my point.) I followed up my initial Ed catch-phrase with a "You are correct sir!" and an Ed laugh. Chris then asks me, "Who are you impersonating?" I didn't know if I should be insulted as I thought Chris didn't recognize the impersonation because I was doing it poorly. I sheepishly replied, "Ed McMahon" Then the shock and awe bombing began with the next question from Chris-
"Who's Ed McMahon?"
"Are you serious?!" I incredulously replied somewhat out of line.
After some explaining that Ed was Johnny Carson's sidekick on the Tonight Show and he's the guy who delivers the big Clearinghouse sweepstakes check, he did know who Ed McMahon was. He then made the comparison to him being an Andy Richter and since he was close enough, I let the subject drop. A person who was a pop culture icon to my generation and to the 2 or 3 generations before me was becoming a footnote.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think Chris is dumb or anything like that for not knowing who Ed McMahon is. Quite the contrary as Chris appears to me to be a very intelligent, mature and funny young man. (good poker player too) Looking up the tonight Show on wiki, I see that Ed and Johnny said their goodbyes in 1992. While 1992 doesn't seem all that long ago to me, it's 16 years!! Chris was around 7 years old when Ed for the most part left the TV scene. Unless Chris' parents were completely neglectful or had weird ideas about when to put children to bed and what to let him watch on TV, It's understandable that he wouldn't instantly recognize the impression or name as I do. It's just like when I got a dirty look for not knowing who Ernie Kovacs was when I was in college. (I do now, having seen alot of his stuff, he was brilliant and groundbreaking)
So there you have it- what was once a star is now a memory. I am a bigger old fart than I previously thought (yet again, it seems to be getting worse...) and my only solace is knowing that someday Chris might finding himself saying, " 'Who's Andy Richter?!!' How could you not know who Andy Richter is?!!"
Certain phrases and words said by others were triggering my brain to sing songs that those words or phrases reminded me of. So, when someone announced that he had a pair of sixes by saying, "I got sixes", the Schoolhouse Rock song, I Got Six popped into my head and I started to sing it. Tim curiously started to look at me as I was singing the song, "I got six, that's all there is. Six times one is six- one times six." "Is that a made up song?", he queried.
I fully expect someone of Tim's age and generation to not know the Schoolhouse Rock catalog of songs. Especially as I Got Six is one of the more obscure and less popular ones. The Schoolhouse Rock animated shorts were beloved by my generation as they played in between the usual mix of Saturday morning cartoons. Most of my core knowledge of the multiplication tables, American History and the preamble to the constitution, basic science and human physiology and grammar was due to me being a typical kid couch potato every Saturday morning. I weep for Tim's generation as they did not have Schoolhouse Rock's catchy tunes beaten into their young impressionable brains. He did a have a glimmer of recognition when I told him it was the same guys who made I'm Just a Bill and Conjunction Junction.
I felt a touch old as I thought about that but then I felt even older a few minutes after that. After a interesting card came out on the turn on one hand I screamed, "Hey-o!!" in my best Ed McMahon impersonation. (well, it really was an impersonation of the late, great Phil Hartman impersonating Ed, but you get my point.) I followed up my initial Ed catch-phrase with a "You are correct sir!" and an Ed laugh. Chris then asks me, "Who are you impersonating?" I didn't know if I should be insulted as I thought Chris didn't recognize the impersonation because I was doing it poorly. I sheepishly replied, "Ed McMahon" Then the shock and awe bombing began with the next question from Chris-
"Who's Ed McMahon?"
"Are you serious?!" I incredulously replied somewhat out of line.
After some explaining that Ed was Johnny Carson's sidekick on the Tonight Show and he's the guy who delivers the big Clearinghouse sweepstakes check, he did know who Ed McMahon was. He then made the comparison to him being an Andy Richter and since he was close enough, I let the subject drop. A person who was a pop culture icon to my generation and to the 2 or 3 generations before me was becoming a footnote.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think Chris is dumb or anything like that for not knowing who Ed McMahon is. Quite the contrary as Chris appears to me to be a very intelligent, mature and funny young man. (good poker player too) Looking up the tonight Show on wiki, I see that Ed and Johnny said their goodbyes in 1992. While 1992 doesn't seem all that long ago to me, it's 16 years!! Chris was around 7 years old when Ed for the most part left the TV scene. Unless Chris' parents were completely neglectful or had weird ideas about when to put children to bed and what to let him watch on TV, It's understandable that he wouldn't instantly recognize the impression or name as I do. It's just like when I got a dirty look for not knowing who Ernie Kovacs was when I was in college. (I do now, having seen alot of his stuff, he was brilliant and groundbreaking)
So there you have it- what was once a star is now a memory. I am a bigger old fart than I previously thought (yet again, it seems to be getting worse...) and my only solace is knowing that someday Chris might finding himself saying, " 'Who's Andy Richter?!!' How could you not know who Andy Richter is?!!"
Thursday, May 8, 2008
ESPN/Harrah's shakes up the WSOP
A few things happened to the World Series of Poker format while I was away-
For starters, here is the ESPN TV schedule for this year's WSOP events:
• July 22 - Event 1: $10,000 pot-limit hold 'em
• July 29 - Event 2: $1,500 no-limit hold 'em
• Aug. 5 - Event 3: $1,500 pot-limit hold 'em or Event 4: $5,000 mixed hold 'em
• Aug. 12 - Event 5: $1,000 no-limit hold 'em with rebuys
• Aug. 19 - Event 45: $50,000 HORSE
• Aug. 26 - Event 50: $10,000 pot-limit Omaha
• Sept. 2 to Oct. 28 - Event 55: $10,000 no-limit hold 'em main event
• Nov. 4 - Event 55: WSOP main event final table preview show (10pm)
• Nov. 11 - Event 55: WSOP main event final table
No stud events with the exception of the HORSE event (mixed games consisting of Hold Em, Omaha, Razz, Stud, and Eights or better stud.) I know that TV ratings are getting weaker and weaker for poker so it's a bitter pill to swallow to see less variety. A shame that they cut the HORSE down to 2 hours, 6 hours last year was perfect and fulfilling.
The other big change is that they are stopping play when the final table is established and will restart play in November, either a few hours before the televised event starts or a day or so. (I'm uncertain at this point)
That is big news to say the least. I think it could suck but if it helps boost the excitement of poker again to it's 2004/2005 levels then I'm all for it. Collusion could come into play. Players who made it to the table via some luck may get some coaching and may change how the game would've been played. Plus someone could die in that 4 month period!! I really hope it works and nothing taints the game. Poker has come a long way to get some respect and not be associated heavily with cheating, The Absolute Poker scandal didn't reach a big audience but a collusion scam at teh WSOP would be a huge media event that I'd hate to see come to pass.
Cross your fingers and hope ESPN and Harrah's knows what they are doing...
For starters, here is the ESPN TV schedule for this year's WSOP events:
• July 22 - Event 1: $10,000 pot-limit hold 'em
• July 29 - Event 2: $1,500 no-limit hold 'em
• Aug. 5 - Event 3: $1,500 pot-limit hold 'em or Event 4: $5,000 mixed hold 'em
• Aug. 12 - Event 5: $1,000 no-limit hold 'em with rebuys
• Aug. 19 - Event 45: $50,000 HORSE
• Aug. 26 - Event 50: $10,000 pot-limit Omaha
• Sept. 2 to Oct. 28 - Event 55: $10,000 no-limit hold 'em main event
• Nov. 4 - Event 55: WSOP main event final table preview show (10pm)
• Nov. 11 - Event 55: WSOP main event final table
No stud events with the exception of the HORSE event (mixed games consisting of Hold Em, Omaha, Razz, Stud, and Eights or better stud.) I know that TV ratings are getting weaker and weaker for poker so it's a bitter pill to swallow to see less variety. A shame that they cut the HORSE down to 2 hours, 6 hours last year was perfect and fulfilling.
The other big change is that they are stopping play when the final table is established and will restart play in November, either a few hours before the televised event starts or a day or so. (I'm uncertain at this point)
That is big news to say the least. I think it could suck but if it helps boost the excitement of poker again to it's 2004/2005 levels then I'm all for it. Collusion could come into play. Players who made it to the table via some luck may get some coaching and may change how the game would've been played. Plus someone could die in that 4 month period!! I really hope it works and nothing taints the game. Poker has come a long way to get some respect and not be associated heavily with cheating, The Absolute Poker scandal didn't reach a big audience but a collusion scam at teh WSOP would be a huge media event that I'd hate to see come to pass.
Cross your fingers and hope ESPN and Harrah's knows what they are doing...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Why can't this ever happen to me?
So, I just sat down at a $0.15/0.30 NLHE deep stack table. I get a few crappy hands and fold. I fold a K6 offsuit and watch some interesting fireworks. Usually when you get quads (aka 4 of a kind) you don't win a big pot. In live and online play (non-tourney) I've had quads maybe 4 or 5 times. Once I won more than a few bets. It just goes to reason that if you have a chunk of the board in your favor, it's unlikely that your opponents will have much at all. So, unless your opponent bluffs you usually won't make much.
Not so for the lucky bastard pictured above...
He got paid off by TWO opponents. (about $60 each, which is the approximate buy-in)
Both his opponents had the misfortune of having tens full of nines, the 2nd "nuts" for this board. (nuts being the best possible hand) Unless someone has quad nines, then your tens full is a winner. Imagine their surprise when they see that 2 other people are all in with them in the pot. You figure that maybe one other guy has a ten and you're chopping the pot. (splitting) It probably felt like they got hit in the gut when the quad nines showed.
I just want to know what the guy with the 9's felt when he saw his opponents raise and reraise. I can only guess....
Monday, April 7, 2008
4AM Pot Limit Omahahahahahahahaha!
I hosted a cash game of poker last Saturday night. I had a decent amount of people show up , altho I had about 4 no shows that said they were likely coming. I had a no-limit hold em table running and we had a HOARSE game going as well. (a rotating game of various types of poker) Towards the end of the night we started up a pot limit Omaha game as most of the players had left by 3AM.
I guess if you're stuck a hundred dollars or so, it's not a bad game to play to see if you can win back some of your losses or get even deeper as it's a high variance and fast game. I probably lost about 70 bucks in that game making me a small 11 dollar winner for the whole night.
Despite my paltry winnings, I had the most fun playing poker I've had in a while. I can't explain why either. Maybe I was in a good mood or maybe I'm getting bored of the NLHE tourneys. In either case, it was good to exercise the mind and stay up late for a change instead of being a fuddy-duddy and sleeping at 10PM every night.
I guess if you're stuck a hundred dollars or so, it's not a bad game to play to see if you can win back some of your losses or get even deeper as it's a high variance and fast game. I probably lost about 70 bucks in that game making me a small 11 dollar winner for the whole night.
Despite my paltry winnings, I had the most fun playing poker I've had in a while. I can't explain why either. Maybe I was in a good mood or maybe I'm getting bored of the NLHE tourneys. In either case, it was good to exercise the mind and stay up late for a change instead of being a fuddy-duddy and sleeping at 10PM every night.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
4 years later...the poker boom on TV and the WPT on GSN.
There were 3 main things in 2004 that led to the huge boom in poker on TV.
1) The 1st and most important reason was the invention of the hole camera that allowed viewers at home see what the player's hands were. This allowed the TV audience to see how the pros and amateurs would play hands in certain situations. Without the technology there would be no poker boom. However, without proper application the technology would've gone to the wayside. That leads us to...
2) The Travel Channel and ESPN and the respective World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker telecasts brought poker into everyone's living room. It turned the game into a spectator sport. Not only could the average Joe at home watch Phil Helmuth win a tournament but they also could watch him whine and complain and understand why he was acting like such a dip, since they could see that his pocket kings lost to 9 7 offsuit. The WPT on the travel channel allowed certain players to become stars much like any pro golfer or NASCAR racer. The TV poker pro emerged from this era, and people like Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu became recognized as the top players of the game by winning or placing high in WPT tournaments. While ESPN did cover the WSOP since the 80's, the hole cam allowed them to expand their coverage in 2004 and that leads us to the 3rd reason for the poker boom....
3) Chris Moneymaker won the 2004 WSOP main event. The fact that your average stiff could win a 60 buck satellite online and then ultimately win 2 million dollars without having been the best but get lucky led to the biggest boom of all. We all could envision ourselves winning a major tournament and the flood towards online play, home games and casino poker started.
So, why the history lesson?
I watched the WPT coverage last night on GSN. (their debut episode)
It was mostly the same as it had been on the Travel Channel, with the exception of some better graphics and info. I was hoping it would be much better, but the tournament format that made poker popular in the 1st place is what is making it boring to watch. But I have to remember it was once exciting to me to watch and it's what mainly inspired me to go out and play without fear that I would suck. The WPT and tournaments like it give the viewer that hope that if they get the right cards and not play like a complete fool, they too can win a big score.
Of course, I've grown as a player and found much more vital information through experience and books than I ever have watching it on TV, but it was an easy way for to learn enough to get started. I've been hooked since. I also hope that the popularity stays, people at the casinos are playing like they are in tourneys and don't adjust well enough for a cash game. Needless to say, it makes me more successful in cash than in tourneys.
Although my response to watching was somewhat tepid the show did have interesting moments. Watching Phil Ivey go the rail early for the 7th time at a TV final WPT was amazing. He truly is a top 3 player in the world if not the best. For him to not get a WPT bracelet after 7 close tries is incredibly unlucky. It was also interesting to see the younger internet players take over the last 3 spots. I wish their naked aggressive style would work for me lately...
1) The 1st and most important reason was the invention of the hole camera that allowed viewers at home see what the player's hands were. This allowed the TV audience to see how the pros and amateurs would play hands in certain situations. Without the technology there would be no poker boom. However, without proper application the technology would've gone to the wayside. That leads us to...
2) The Travel Channel and ESPN and the respective World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker telecasts brought poker into everyone's living room. It turned the game into a spectator sport. Not only could the average Joe at home watch Phil Helmuth win a tournament but they also could watch him whine and complain and understand why he was acting like such a dip, since they could see that his pocket kings lost to 9 7 offsuit. The WPT on the travel channel allowed certain players to become stars much like any pro golfer or NASCAR racer. The TV poker pro emerged from this era, and people like Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu became recognized as the top players of the game by winning or placing high in WPT tournaments. While ESPN did cover the WSOP since the 80's, the hole cam allowed them to expand their coverage in 2004 and that leads us to the 3rd reason for the poker boom....
3) Chris Moneymaker won the 2004 WSOP main event. The fact that your average stiff could win a 60 buck satellite online and then ultimately win 2 million dollars without having been the best but get lucky led to the biggest boom of all. We all could envision ourselves winning a major tournament and the flood towards online play, home games and casino poker started.
So, why the history lesson?
I watched the WPT coverage last night on GSN. (their debut episode)
It was mostly the same as it had been on the Travel Channel, with the exception of some better graphics and info. I was hoping it would be much better, but the tournament format that made poker popular in the 1st place is what is making it boring to watch. But I have to remember it was once exciting to me to watch and it's what mainly inspired me to go out and play without fear that I would suck. The WPT and tournaments like it give the viewer that hope that if they get the right cards and not play like a complete fool, they too can win a big score.
Of course, I've grown as a player and found much more vital information through experience and books than I ever have watching it on TV, but it was an easy way for to learn enough to get started. I've been hooked since. I also hope that the popularity stays, people at the casinos are playing like they are in tourneys and don't adjust well enough for a cash game. Needless to say, it makes me more successful in cash than in tourneys.
Although my response to watching was somewhat tepid the show did have interesting moments. Watching Phil Ivey go the rail early for the 7th time at a TV final WPT was amazing. He truly is a top 3 player in the world if not the best. For him to not get a WPT bracelet after 7 close tries is incredibly unlucky. It was also interesting to see the younger internet players take over the last 3 spots. I wish their naked aggressive style would work for me lately...
Friday, March 21, 2008
Limiting one's strategy
Last night I donked out by the 1st break in a tourney at Lottery Larry's house. I was already getting short stacked and was on the cut off position (the seat right before the button) with no one in the pot yet. It didn't matter what cards I had as I needed to pick up the blinds and this was a rare pot that had no one entering in from early position. (I had 10 8 off suit) I went all in and prayed no one would wake up with a real hand and just then the host himself starting counting out his chips. It looked like he might call but was worried that he wouldn't be left with alot of chips if he lost as he was counting the stack that he would have left if he called. I held out hope that he would fold.
Well, my read was completely erroneous and he was counting his remaining chips so he could announce his all in re-raise. I figured I was pretty much cooked after that announcement, but it turned out to be a good thing for me as he pushed out the big blind who showed pocket 9's as he folded.
Lottery Larry tabled his pocket 4's.
I was elated to have 2 overs and an near coin flip situation to double up and stay alive. I queried as to why he went ape with the pocket fours and he seemed to have a superstition about "the power of 4". I guess he's either a Charmed fan (and got it wrong- it's the power of 3) or has unusual positive expected value with pocket 4's. Usually, I say that superstition is bad luck, but the flop was unkind to me as was the turn and river and I was sent to the rail before the night was still young.
This was becoming a regular situation for me this year and I don't know if I've been unlucky or just playing poorly. I'll have to reassess my play when I have more time and try to recall situations and see if I acted too early with my pushes.
Shortly after my exit I played in a side cash limit game that was a rotation between Hold 'em and Omaha. Omaha is a cruel mistress when played as limit. As hard as it is to push out people drawing in no-limit or pot-limit, it's a damned near miracle to chase anyone out when you have the stone cold nuts on the flop and vulnerable to the flush or full house.
The one hand that almost had me as a tilt monkey the rest of the night I had KdKhTdAh. I was double suited, paired up and on the button in great position, so I raised. Of course, everyone called including the blinds. The flop came Qs Jc 9h. I had the nut King high straight. It was bet, so I raised and everyone called! The turn was still safe but started to get dangerous as an 8s peeled off. It was checked to me so I had to bet and of course everyone called. I guess I should feel fortunate that I was getting a big pot for such a strong hand, but I just knew that the river was going to kill me with so many people still in the hand. Another jack hit the table.
Fudge
It was bet and I really had no choice but to donate and call. Of course I lost to the full house held by a James Caan look-alike. At least he didn't go all Sonny on me and have me whacked.
Considering I have not played limit in a long time, I did make a nice recovery. Maybe I was just getting lucky but I felt like I was making some nice bets and check raises at the correct times and maximizing my profits. I was ahead when I should have left and started to get some cold cards when I stayed a bit too long. I did just about break even for the game. The silver lining was that I donked off some chips to Larry's wife, so both my host and hostess benefited from my appearance. I hope they repay the favor if they come to my cash game in April.
Well, my read was completely erroneous and he was counting his remaining chips so he could announce his all in re-raise. I figured I was pretty much cooked after that announcement, but it turned out to be a good thing for me as he pushed out the big blind who showed pocket 9's as he folded.
Lottery Larry tabled his pocket 4's.
I was elated to have 2 overs and an near coin flip situation to double up and stay alive. I queried as to why he went ape with the pocket fours and he seemed to have a superstition about "the power of 4". I guess he's either a Charmed fan (and got it wrong- it's the power of 3) or has unusual positive expected value with pocket 4's. Usually, I say that superstition is bad luck, but the flop was unkind to me as was the turn and river and I was sent to the rail before the night was still young.
This was becoming a regular situation for me this year and I don't know if I've been unlucky or just playing poorly. I'll have to reassess my play when I have more time and try to recall situations and see if I acted too early with my pushes.
Shortly after my exit I played in a side cash limit game that was a rotation between Hold 'em and Omaha. Omaha is a cruel mistress when played as limit. As hard as it is to push out people drawing in no-limit or pot-limit, it's a damned near miracle to chase anyone out when you have the stone cold nuts on the flop and vulnerable to the flush or full house.
The one hand that almost had me as a tilt monkey the rest of the night I had KdKhTdAh. I was double suited, paired up and on the button in great position, so I raised. Of course, everyone called including the blinds. The flop came Qs Jc 9h. I had the nut King high straight. It was bet, so I raised and everyone called! The turn was still safe but started to get dangerous as an 8s peeled off. It was checked to me so I had to bet and of course everyone called. I guess I should feel fortunate that I was getting a big pot for such a strong hand, but I just knew that the river was going to kill me with so many people still in the hand. Another jack hit the table.
Fudge
It was bet and I really had no choice but to donate and call. Of course I lost to the full house held by a James Caan look-alike. At least he didn't go all Sonny on me and have me whacked.
Considering I have not played limit in a long time, I did make a nice recovery. Maybe I was just getting lucky but I felt like I was making some nice bets and check raises at the correct times and maximizing my profits. I was ahead when I should have left and started to get some cold cards when I stayed a bit too long. I did just about break even for the game. The silver lining was that I donked off some chips to Larry's wife, so both my host and hostess benefited from my appearance. I hope they repay the favor if they come to my cash game in April.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Harrington books are here!
As mentioned before, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 2 books written by Dan Harrington on playing cash games in poker. Unfortunately, I'm getting these books for my birthday from my dad so I'll have to wait another month. Until then I've been reading the free excerpts on the 2+2 website and they just had him as a guest on their podcast.
Dan has already written what has fast become considered the no-limit hold 'em tournament bibles. I hope the cash books live up to the hype, and I think they will. Unless, if any of you reading this blog post play poker with me, in that case- I'm sure these books will suck and you should avoid them at all costs.
I do have a cash game coming up at my house in Early April, so for those interested, drop me a line.
Dan has already written what has fast become considered the no-limit hold 'em tournament bibles. I hope the cash books live up to the hype, and I think they will. Unless, if any of you reading this blog post play poker with me, in that case- I'm sure these books will suck and you should avoid them at all costs.
I do have a cash game coming up at my house in Early April, so for those interested, drop me a line.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Poker updates
Up and down game this past weekend in the regular Saturday tourney.
The good:
I came into the game with a goal- (I do this sometimes to work on my game skills) Successfully bluff someone who would be hard to bluff. In other words bluff a player who is loose aggressive and would usually call with weakish hands in a wide variety of situations. My goal was accomplished early in the tourney when I sat out the 1st 11 hands and then came in strong with 9 8 off suit and isolated a guy who was already trying to run the table over. I made him fold on the turn and he went into the tank for a long time. He said after I showed the bluff that he almost went all in.
Went into the game after the break/rebuy period as chip leader.
The bad:
Had my pocket kings busted by an any ace type of player when an ace hit the flop. Was all she wrote for me. I wouldn't be so frustrated with losing on a bad beat, but my chip lead was dwindled to the point that I had to move all in from some bad play and bad luck shortly after the break. I'm disappointed in myself for being impatient in some spots.
Since I had to wait for my buddy Dave to bust or win I decided to help deal. Then this one guy who I never played with before starts complaining about how I'm dealing. I was putting the flop and turn and river out face down after the deal. I usually don't do this while playing but the table was only 4-5 handed so I figured I could speed things up by dealing and having everything ready after the deal. So this guy starts complaining about it in a somewhat snippy fashion, so I told him I didn't want to ruffle his feathers and won't deal anymore. Turns out that Dave busted on the same hand so I was leaving anyways. Could've turned more ugly than it did. Just kinda ticks me off that I'm being helpful and someone cops an attitude with me when I'm helping when I didn't have to.
Also, more poker related news---
The bankroll challenge is officially over- not because I lost it all (I ended up with $51) but because I'm having a private tourney on Full Tilt for Phillies message board posters. But even if you're a Phillies fan you are welcome to come join us-
The tournament is Tuesday the 26th at 9:15 PM in a room called backshegoes, the password is herewegoagain and the buy in is $10+1 for a NLHE double stack game. Hope to see you there!
The good:
I came into the game with a goal- (I do this sometimes to work on my game skills) Successfully bluff someone who would be hard to bluff. In other words bluff a player who is loose aggressive and would usually call with weakish hands in a wide variety of situations. My goal was accomplished early in the tourney when I sat out the 1st 11 hands and then came in strong with 9 8 off suit and isolated a guy who was already trying to run the table over. I made him fold on the turn and he went into the tank for a long time. He said after I showed the bluff that he almost went all in.
Went into the game after the break/rebuy period as chip leader.
The bad:
Had my pocket kings busted by an any ace type of player when an ace hit the flop. Was all she wrote for me. I wouldn't be so frustrated with losing on a bad beat, but my chip lead was dwindled to the point that I had to move all in from some bad play and bad luck shortly after the break. I'm disappointed in myself for being impatient in some spots.
Since I had to wait for my buddy Dave to bust or win I decided to help deal. Then this one guy who I never played with before starts complaining about how I'm dealing. I was putting the flop and turn and river out face down after the deal. I usually don't do this while playing but the table was only 4-5 handed so I figured I could speed things up by dealing and having everything ready after the deal. So this guy starts complaining about it in a somewhat snippy fashion, so I told him I didn't want to ruffle his feathers and won't deal anymore. Turns out that Dave busted on the same hand so I was leaving anyways. Could've turned more ugly than it did. Just kinda ticks me off that I'm being helpful and someone cops an attitude with me when I'm helping when I didn't have to.
Also, more poker related news---
The bankroll challenge is officially over- not because I lost it all (I ended up with $51) but because I'm having a private tourney on Full Tilt for Phillies message board posters. But even if you're a Phillies fan you are welcome to come join us-
The tournament is Tuesday the 26th at 9:15 PM in a room called backshegoes, the password is herewegoagain and the buy in is $10+1 for a NLHE double stack game. Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
I've arrived!
There are moments when you come to the realization that you've really accomplished something.
An hour ago I typed the following into the Google search engine:
"Poker Phillies Bipolar"
The very 1st result was this blog.
(strangely enough my friend Chris is number 2 and even though he's nuts he isn't bipolar)
A tear came strolling down my cheek after I saw that.
3 relatively common words and I'm the number one on the interwebs. My kids will be so proud.
I'm number 1!! I'm number 1!!!
An hour ago I typed the following into the Google search engine:
"Poker Phillies Bipolar"
The very 1st result was this blog.
(strangely enough my friend Chris is number 2 and even though he's nuts he isn't bipolar)
A tear came strolling down my cheek after I saw that.
3 relatively common words and I'm the number one on the interwebs. My kids will be so proud.
I'm number 1!! I'm number 1!!!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Waiting for mistakes
I played in a poker cash game that I haven't played in before on Saturday night. The game itself was fun, the host, Ron, did a nice job and the players were solid. The stakes were lower than I usually play, but I didn't mind as I needed a low key game to get myself back on track for this year. I did win about 50 bucks so that puts me back to even for the year if you don't count the small win in online play.
The very 1st hand I got paid off big by a person with top pair when I had 2 pair. It was probably because I was a new face. Most new players are often thought of as trying to steal or bluff alot. Shortly after the big pot I earned respect as a tight player and most of my raises were met with little skepticism and folds. As a result I made 2 successful bluffs and 1 bad bluff that I couldn't follow through with on the river because I knew I was getting called if I fired a 3rd bullet. I've made less and less bluffs in cash games through the years and it's been paying well for me. Basically, when I face solid players like I did, I usually sit back and wait for mistakes. As a general rule, I try to only bluff once per hour unless a good situation pops up.
It's boring to do that, but thankfully the company was fun enough that I could wait for big hands. As the night wore on, the players, who were drinking high quality scotches and bourbons, were getting looser and looser. I wasn't catching cards as well as I hoped, but I made enough hands to be a winner for the night. I could've made about 20 bucks more if I didn't keep adding to the straddle. I'll have to remember it's a dumb play and you'll usually lose money if everyone doesn't participate.
With my small online success and Saturday's win, I feel more focused going into this weekend's tourney. There will be more players than usual, so I'll have to listen to my own advice and sit back and wait for mistakes. They will come and hopefully, I'll be there to capitalize on them and not make any of my own.
The very 1st hand I got paid off big by a person with top pair when I had 2 pair. It was probably because I was a new face. Most new players are often thought of as trying to steal or bluff alot. Shortly after the big pot I earned respect as a tight player and most of my raises were met with little skepticism and folds. As a result I made 2 successful bluffs and 1 bad bluff that I couldn't follow through with on the river because I knew I was getting called if I fired a 3rd bullet. I've made less and less bluffs in cash games through the years and it's been paying well for me. Basically, when I face solid players like I did, I usually sit back and wait for mistakes. As a general rule, I try to only bluff once per hour unless a good situation pops up.
It's boring to do that, but thankfully the company was fun enough that I could wait for big hands. As the night wore on, the players, who were drinking high quality scotches and bourbons, were getting looser and looser. I wasn't catching cards as well as I hoped, but I made enough hands to be a winner for the night. I could've made about 20 bucks more if I didn't keep adding to the straddle. I'll have to remember it's a dumb play and you'll usually lose money if everyone doesn't participate.
With my small online success and Saturday's win, I feel more focused going into this weekend's tourney. There will be more players than usual, so I'll have to listen to my own advice and sit back and wait for mistakes. They will come and hopefully, I'll be there to capitalize on them and not make any of my own.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Bankroll update
As of last night my tight play has bumped my online bankroll up to 62 dollars ($7.50 of it was released from bonus, which expires tonight- I doubt I'll reach the next release). I'm still playing the cap games but if I get to $100, I'll play the 5cent/10cent NLHE and buy in for 10 bucks. I had some rough patches but overall my play seems to be superior to the typical player at those levels.
I think the reason that I'll never hit the $10K goal is that the level of skill in the players at the higher levels is much greater than that of your typical casino player. At the Borgata, a $1/$2 NLHE game is a donkfest (poker slang for lots of bad players), but if you play at 1/2 online then you're usually playing against some really good players. (probably 18 years old and already has more experience than me) The players also tend to have the latest software tools that help them analyze their game and the other players and they play even more effeciently. If I do get up to that level I may invest in some of the programs.
I think the reason that I'll never hit the $10K goal is that the level of skill in the players at the higher levels is much greater than that of your typical casino player. At the Borgata, a $1/$2 NLHE game is a donkfest (poker slang for lots of bad players), but if you play at 1/2 online then you're usually playing against some really good players. (probably 18 years old and already has more experience than me) The players also tend to have the latest software tools that help them analyze their game and the other players and they play even more effeciently. If I do get up to that level I may invest in some of the programs.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Bankroll management Schmankroll management
Over 16 months ago, Chris Ferguson, the 2001 WSOP main event winner, challenged himself to start from nothing and get up to $10K in online poker.
The concept behind this is to use proper bankroll management and if you're a good player in the long run you'll eventually hit the stated goal. Of course, starting from scratch meant that Chris had to eventually get lucky in a free-roll multi-table tournament. Once he made a small amount of money, he stuck to his rules of never allowing more 5% of his money be on the poker table and in play. This bankroll management concept figures that if you're a winning player, you'll be able to weather the swings of variance (poker nerd talk for periods of bad luck) that poker will often give you.
So, yesterday I get an email from Full Tilt Poker letting me know I'm getting a free $75 buck bonus since I haven't played in a long time. With a skeptical eye I checked my FTP account to see what the skinny was. Turns out you need to earn your you bonus by playing raked games and they slowly release the 75 smackers depending on their points system. "Screw that!" I thought to myself as I didn't have any desire to deposit any money online at this time.
But wait a sec...
My balance says I have $2.15!
I don't remember the whys or wherefores, so to me that's a free 2 bucks and 15 cents! It's like finding a fin in the dryer lint screen- sure, it's yours technically, but it's free money since you weren't even aware of it in the 1st place.
Thoughts of Chris Ferguson blog posts on bankroll management immediately came to me and soon I was already spending the $10K in my mind. Not a minute longer than that and I was plopping down my $2.15 in a heads-up match ($2 +$0.15 fee- it was perfect!!).
Ummmm..what? 100% of my money was on the table.?!
Chris took his meager freeroll money and played micro-stakes LIMIT hold 'em. Limit is just not my regular game and I knew that I'd probably come out a loser. So I risked it all on the best chance I knew of to double it up. A heads up match- assuming I'm better than my opponent, I had maybe a 55% chance of winning. Besides this is FREE money, right?!
Thankfully, I won. I now had 4 bucks. But instead of another heads up match, I decided to play more conservatively in a $.05/.10 NLHE game with $3 cap. (meaning that most you can bet on one hand is 3 bucks) I played tight as a drum and eventually I've built my 4 bucks into 20 bucks (I'm still far away from getting my bonus). So, I think as long as I stick to the micro-stakes until I've built a substantial bankroll I might be able to build a decent chunk of change.
Of course, having someone bluff into you while you hold quad Kings is always helpful!
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