If You're Getting Bounced Out of A SnG...

Go out in style....

Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t60 (6 handed) converter

BB (t1730)
UTG (t860)
Hero (t3025)
CO (t3725)
Button (t3020)
SB (t2640)

Preflop: Hero is MP with Kc, Ks.

Hero raises to t120, 1 fold, Button calls t120, SB calls t90, 1 fold.

Flop: (t420) Kh, Ad, 5s (4 players)

SB checks, Hero bets t420, Button calls t420, SB folds.

Turn: (t1260) 6c (3 players)

Hero bets t1260, Button bets t1260, Hero calls t0.

River: (t3780) 7s (3 players)

Final Pot: t3780


Results in white below:

UTG doesn't show.

Hero has Kc Ks (three of a kind, kings).

Button has Ac As (three of a kind, aces).

Outcome: Button wins t3780.

My Baptism to $50 NL

Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em, $.50 BB (9 handed) converter



MP3 ($32.70)
CO ($25)
Hero ($52.30)
SB ($48.70)
BB ($48)
UTG ($37.75)
UTG+1 ($6.70)
MP1 ($28.10)
MP2 ($15.50)


Preflop: Hero is Button with 7h, 7d. CO posts a blind of $0.50.

UTG calls $0.50, UTG+1 calls $0.50, 3 folds, CO (poster) checks, Hero raises to $1, SB calls $0.75, 1 fold, UTG calls $0.50, UTG+1 calls $0.50, CO folds.


Flop: ($5) 7s, 2d, 5h (4 players)

SB bets $2.5, UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, Hero raises to $5, SB raises to $7.5, Hero raises to $27.5, SB raises to $30, Hero calls $0.


Turn: ($62.50) 6h (2 players)


River: ($62.50) Ac (2 players)


Final Pot: $62.50


Results in white below:
SB has 5s 5d (three of a kind, fives).
Hero has 7h 7d (three of a kind, sevens).
Outcome: Hero wins $62.50.

Time to Move Up?

Ok, so today I was reading April's latest post, and it got me to thinking. I've been hitting the $25 NL tables for an obscene win rate over my small (1.5k) sample. If I combine my UB bankroll with my Stars bankroll, I'd probably be comfortable playing up a level at $50 NL. But I don't want to play scared. I'd probably clear the rest of the reload in record time, so there's free money there.

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Why am I so %$##^&#$! timid?

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I know I'm a good enough player. Hell, I've played 4/8 limit and 1/2 no-limit in AC. Why is it that we (or me, more appropriately) are so afraid to play those limits online? Is it that we all consider online poker to be "not really gambling," and at higher limits it crosses that imaginary line into true gambooling? Is it that we are afraid of the variance, or is it that we are afraid of ourselves? I mean for me at this point, we're talking about one bad beat, and 1/3 of my UB bankroll goes away, not to mention a good chunk of bonus funds...

I'd read DoubleAs for some advice, but the firewall at work keeps filtering out more Blogspot addresses by the day, including my own. How I can still publish to the API is beyond me. Anybody who knows a workaround, don't hesitate to leave a comment. Any ideas are appreciated.

The funny thing is that I'm WAY up as a micro-limit player so far, both live and online. My online bankroll between Stars and UB is a relative pittance. I take more money to the Taj every time I play. Why is this move up such an issue for me, or is it that I feel comfortable where I'm at, laying waste to the schools of fish that gather at the $25 NL tables? I mean, more profits are there for the taking. There are AT LEAST as many fish at $50 NL as there are at $25. And the REALLY funny thing is, although you wouldn't know it from what you're reading now, confidence in my poker game is something that I am not lacking in any way.

So what is it?

You know, I think I'm gonna just throw caution to the wind. I think that tomorrow morning, I'm going to make my debut on the $50 NL tables at UB. Report to follow...

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Woman Breast Feeds Tiger Cubs

Apparently, a woman in Burma has decided to take care of two young tiger cubs who wouldn't take to a rubber-nippled bottle to feed by breast feeding them. She already breast feeds her seven-month old infant son, and now, two Bengal tiger cubs. First, how exactly does one volunteer for this? Second, the zoo says that the breastfeeding will stop by either the end of April, or when the cubs start teething, whichever comes first. No shit. And for the non-believers, link, with a picture.

Happy Slapping

Apparently, those crazy Brits are at it again (no offense to my British readers). Teenagers have taken to the idea of walking the streets, finding an innocent passerby, and slapping them square in the face--all while recording the event for posterity on a video camera phone. Link. You know, I'm sure that it isn't particularly funny for the slappee, but isn't it a bit like MTV's Jackass? People are calling this "a violent crime caught on camera." Again, I'm not sure that the guy who slapped me would be able to run fast enough to keep all his teeth in his mouth, but from an outsider's point of view, is it really a violent crime? Either way, it's only a matter of time, especially since our mainstream news picked it up, that Happy Slapping invades a town near you.

Say It Ain't So!

Star magazine has doctored pictures of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to make them appear together. Oh my Jebus! You mean some of those stories aren't true? It's actually a shame. When Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston split, I thought that Brad was the biggest doofus in the history of the printed word. When I heard he might be having secret little rendezvous with Angelina Jolie, it somewhat redeemed him. You can't really upgrade very much from Jennifer Aniston, but Angelina Jolie is definitely in that select group. So if it were true, he'd have pulled the ultimate upgrade. I mean, even Mrs. PokerShark wants Angelina Jolie. But now there is doubt. Did they or didn't they? Either way, until I get confirmation, Brad Pitt is officially a doofus again.

WPBT

Wow, this post has ADD, n'est-ce-pas? Listen up--another WSOP satellite for the poker bloggers out there. Sunday, May 1st at 7 PM EDT at PokerStars. Email Iggy for the password, or if you played the last one, it's the same as before. One seat in the $1500 NLHE event at the WSOP on June something-or-other (unlike Iggy and Al, I can't drink Guinness and blog--I'm at work, so I'm jacked on Red Bull) for every 50 entries. Play, damnit. Join Bob in representing in Vegas!!!

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy...

I'm currently clearing the reload bonus at Ultimate Bet. I played the limit tables quite a bit, and found that the quality of player was generally horrible. Players like the aforementioned "If-It's-Good-Enough-To-Call-It's-Good-Enough-To-Raise," and "Any-Two-Will-Do" populate the 0.50/1 and 1/2 limit tables there quite a bit. Then I found the motherlode. I found the $25 NL tables, and I figured out why April plays there. These may be some of the softest games on the internet. ABC poker will get you mucho winnings, and it's generally not even hard. I've been datamining UB a lot, and I sat at a table last night with an unbelievable 7 calling stations, 1 LAA, and 1 rock. I nearly tripled up in about an hour. I set Game Time + to show my stats, and what did it say? VP$IP=16%, PFR=9%, Post Flop Aggression=3.32, BB/100=308.67. I ran over the table--quickly, to the point where a pre-flop raise all but guaranteed me the pot.

I played a SnG too, took 2nd place, and it frustrated me because I only made one mistake. I checked top two pair on the turn and allowed my heads-up opponent to catch his inside straight draw on the river. That pretty much ended it for me. I had him covered when he went all-in, but only had about T1100 left, and it wasn't long then. All-in-all, I made about $70 in profit on the day, and I cleared another $8 or so in bonus. I'm about half-way finished now, and I may actually stay and play a little more when I'm done clearing it. I wonder if anybody knows when the next re-load is--any inside tips on when to cash out????

Congrats to One2Many on winning the WSOP satellite--prior obligations kept me from playing, but I am hyped that a blogger will be in Vegas to represent us at the WSOP. Make us proud!!!

Fun With Ultimate Bet

I've been datamining Ultimate Bet lately, because like Party, you can use Ultimate History and observe tables while downloading hand histories. So it can be said that I have a good book on more than a few players who play there on my limits. I've run in to 3 players who have the oddest stats I've ever seen, and could warrant a new note-tag: GFACGFAR. Good-For-A-Call-Good-For-A-Raise. These 3 players (in around a 100 hands each, small sample I know, but this is significant) have VP$IP numbers that are identical to their PFR numbers. Every time they are putting money into the pot, it's with a raise. A new breed of maniac? I played a guy who I had 150 or so hands on. His VP$IP was a semi-loose 34%. His PFR? 34%. He never called pre-flop, only raised. He would also re-raise. With junk. K8o, any ace. It was almost funny to watch. So, this morning, I play a little more, pop the GT+ window up, and at my table, what do I see? A player with 120 hands played, with almost identical stats! I played until the table got short, about half an hour, won my 9BB, then moved on to another table. And what to my wondering eyes should appear but a fancy new table, with another player with >100 hands whose VP$IP=PFR.

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Funny thing is these three guys bleed money like the US government in a hardware store. They win just enough to stay in the game and keep them coming back, but they lose a ton. They'll chase, too, since they're so pot committed that they almost have no choice but to chase a marginal hand. It's amusing to watch, especially when you hit the flop and he misses.

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You know, if Full Tilt had Poker Tracker compatibility, I might play there more...HDub, ya think you could get that kicking?

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Does anybody have a great set of auto-rate rules for PTO?

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And last, but most certainly not least--I am so happy to hear Felicia's good news. You're a strong woman, and the fact that you've overcome so much already is a testament to that. Continued good health, and hopefully we'll see you at a table kick our asses at Razz real soon.

There's a Sucker (Or Two) Born Every Minute

While I was actually in this hand, I couldn't help but think, "What the hell do they think I have?" My general table image is that of a fairly tight, very aggressive player. After I look at the hand history, I STILL can't help but think, "What the hell did they think I had?"

Hand #5415503-4200 at Manchester ($.50/$1 Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBet
Started at 21/Apr/05 18:45:50

goodee is at seat 0 with $14.60.
boudalia is at seat 1 with $16.10.
slickchaps is at seat 2 with $23.50.
diezel99 is at seat 3 with $22.80.
j4thmn is at seat 4 with $36.20.
mike8008 is at seat 5 with $47.75.
nomar27 is at seat 6 with $45.40 (sitting out).
Pudnugget is at seat 7 with $24.85.
Tiburon0041 is at seat 8 with $32.65.
KiwiDan6320 is at seat 9 with $45.90.
The button is at seat 3.

j4thmn posts the small blind of $.25.
mike8008 posts the big blind of $.50.

Tiburon0041: Jh Js

Pre-flop:
Pudnugget raises to $1. Tiburon0041 calls.
KiwiDan6320 folds. goodee folds. boudalia calls.
slickchaps folds. diezel99 folds. j4thmn folds.
mike8008 folds.

Flop (board: 6d Jc 9d): Yahtzee. Trips--watch out for the flush, though. Be aggressive.
Pudnugget bets $.50. Tiburon0041 raises to $1.
boudalia re-raises to $1.50. Pudnugget calls.
Tiburon0041 re-raises to $2. boudalia calls.
Pudnugget calls.

Turn (board: 6d Jc 9d 9s): Um, wow. They're re-raising? They're capping?
Pudnugget checks. Tiburon0041 bets $1. boudalia
raises to $2. Pudnugget calls. Tiburon0041
re-raises to $3. boudalia re-raises to $4.
Pudnugget calls. Tiburon0041 calls.

River (board: 6d Jc 9d 9s 7d): Ain't the poker gods a real bitch? Somebody just hit their nut flush. Wonder if I should tell them they're drawing dead? Naah.
Pudnugget checks. Tiburon0041 bets $1. boudalia
raises to $2. Pudnugget calls. Tiburon0041
re-raises to $3. boudalia re-raises to $4.
Pudnugget calls. Tiburon0041 calls.

Showdown:
boudalia shows Qd Ad.
boudalia has Qd Ad 6d 9d 7d: flush, ace high.
Pudnugget mucks cards.
(Pudnugget has Ks Kd.)
Tiburon0041 shows Jh Js.
Tiburon0041 has Jh Js Jc 9d 9s: full house, jacks full of nines.

Tiburon0041 wins $32.75 with full house, jacks full of nines.

Pre-flop, I was dominated. After the flop, when I re-raised, what the hell did they put me on? AA? A lower flush draw? Like I said, anybody with PT and GT+ knows I'm a TAG. Jeez. The board pairs, I hit the nut full house, and the only way I lose this (in hindsight) is for a big card to come on the river. The river brings the 3rd damond. The guy with the flush at least had a reason to call. The guy with 2 pair should have just laid this down. Even if he didn't think I had him beat, he had to think the guy with AQs did, or at least was on the flush draw. I was only afraid of the overcard, or someone having 99. Neither one came to fruition, and I scooped a big pot. Remember, folks, even in poker sometimes, even with people's willingness to bluff, if it looks like a rat, smells like a rat, and acts like a rat, sometimes it really is a rat.

Yes, I'm Now A Bonus Whore, Too...

Deposited some coin at Ultimate Bet to take advantage of their 50% reload bonus (up to $100), and it'll take 1000 Ultimate Points to fully clear it. At my limits, it'll take about 27 playing hours to clear it. The games seem a little tougher (more pre-flop raising), a few players rated as maniacs just raising to bluff, and the like. The games are winnable, though. I played about an hour this morning, kinda re-popping my UB cherry, and I finished up 6BB at the 0.50/1 limit game. I had been observing tables the past few days, datamining, and recording the stuff in Tracker, so I had a little read on some of my opponents when I sat. The bottom line is that UB is nice, but the software makes me appreciate Stars a little more.

I really feel as though I've turned a major corner in my poker playing. Yeah, I still get pissed at bad beats, but instead of getting furious and tilting, I realize that eventually, I will get that money back. It's a major part of the maturing process. I've come to the point where I eat weak/tight players alive, where pot odds just flash before my eyes, and where I can look at a player live and just know that they either have it or they don't. Of course, online play forces you to rely on your instincts more, but it feels great to feel like you're a good player. The tourney cash and the ring game run-over really helped my confidence and it's showing at the tables. Sometimes, just a little spark is all it really takes to push you through a plateau.

It's True

Worm: You know what always cheers me up?
Mike McDermott: No, what's that?
Worm: Rolled up aces over kings. Check-raising stupid tourists and taking huge pots off of them. Playing all-night high-limit Hold'em at the Taj, "where the sand turns to gold." Stacks and towers of checks I can't even see over.
Mike McDermott: Fuck it, let's go.
Worm: Don't tease me.
Mike McDermott: Let's play some cards.
Worm: Yes!

These are some of the most cliche'd lines in the entire history of poker films, but I look at them now, and for the first time since I've been playing poker (closing in on a year now), I feel like a real poker player. Maybe it's that I was at the casino at 2:00 AM when I had to be in work at 9:00 AM that morning. Maybe it was the tourney cash and the cash game winnings. It was, after all, my biggest take in a session yet. Maybe it's just because I was at the Taj. I do realize that my accomplishments really pale to the accomplishments of others, but today, for the first time, I really feel like a Rounder. I didn't win the tourney like Mrs. PokerShark did Saturday, or even win as much money as she did, but damn if this isn't a rush.

Taj Trip Report

Went down to the Taj last night, mainly for their Wednesday night tournament. We got there a bit early, and I decided to play some 2/4 Limit. I bought in for a hundred dollars, and about an hour and change I left with nearly $200. I believe the words to use there were "running over a table." It's so much fun when the fish just keep paying you off. For a few minutes, I actually felt like Mike McD, looking across the table and saying, "Naah. You didn't hit it. Raise." The most notable hand of the session had me looking down on the button and seeing JTs. I limped in, to see a flop of 8-9-Q rainbow. Yahtzee. Knowing how loose/passive the table was, I wait. EP player bets, her loosey-goosey friend raises, and we get 6 callers, including me. Turn brings a blank. It gets bet again by the EP player, raised by her friend, re-raised by an MP player, and I cap. River brings the K, no flush on board. We get 3-way capped betting. Ouch. This is gonna hurt. EP player turns over 98o. Heh. Her friend flips over Q5o. Heh. MP shows me the case 9's, giving him trips. Heh. I turn over my well-hidden nut straight and scoop it. Huge. The aquarium was definitely full. After that, I started to buy pots, mainly since nobody wanted to play with me any more...

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*whimper* Nobody wants to play with me!!!

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The Tournament: Taj NLHE $50+$15

We bought in early, and there was quite the large line waiting to get in around seating time. My only complaint about Taj tournaments is that the seating assignments aren't with your registration (a la Trop), but they are actually done when you hand in your registration form. They are done with little cards strewn across a table with table/seat assignments to them. They only assign three tables at a time, so naturally, Mrs. PokerShark and I get assigned the same table. Meh. Otherwise, the T5000 in starting chips, no re-buy, no add-on is a great structure. The blinds accelerate fast late, but it's a great tournament, and with the exception of the Chinese-fire-drill seating method, they do a wonderful job of hosting a first-class tournament.

Early On

The first pot I play, I end up heads-up with the Missus. Damnit. I have A7s on the cut-off, she's in EP with 25/50 blinds. I limp, flop brings rags with one heart. She bets 100. I call, turn brings another heart. She bets 200, river completes my nut flush. She had middle pair, I believe. She fires out another 500, and I just call (my heart-strings were being yanked--hard). I turn over the nut flush, and she's pissed at me. A few hands later, I get dealt AQs in MP. I call the blind, as she just limped (probably the biggest flaw in her no-limit game). Flop comes Q-J-5. She bets out 1000. I put her on something like QT, and maybe QJ, and I feel terrible about drawing out on her, so I toss it in. Chivalry isn't dead. I told her about it later, and she claimed she had QJ. Either way, I kicked it in for love. We got split up, and off we go. About an hour later, the missus comes over and tells me she's busted out. I feel terrible--she's a great player, and it hurts to see her go out. I give her a kiss, apologize to her, and she tells me she's going to walk around. Great. I should be done soon. She ran card-dead, and in a tournament, running card-dead is never a positive thing. I felt horrible, but I played on. I end up getting moved a few times, then I end up down near the TD's area, at one of the featured tables (yeah, like I'm on ESPN or something). The tourney had 286 entrants, much more than they're used to, so players were somewhat scattered around the room, so when we all got moved down toward the main area, we called it "the featured table." I soon found out why.

Bullying With The Big Boys

We had three local semi-pro players seated at the "featured table." I was winning small pots, losing small pots, and after a while, I had made some solid plays with the blinds at 800-1600 to build my stack to T55000 at the 2nd break. I looked around and noticed that I was one of the chip leaders, though with no chip counts, I couldn't be certain. I also noticed that we were down to about 45 players, with the money line at 27. It was then that I made my biggest mistake of the tournament. I had just called an all-in with A9o that I had significantly covered. The other player flipped K7o, and hit his king on the turn. No big deal, but I then limped with KTo from the button and bet into an A-4-6 flop. I got a single call. Turn card brought a 7. I threw in 10K, got called, river brought a J. I bet another 10K, got cold called, and the caller showed me his Ace. Wow. Huge hit. Now, it was about survival.

Survival of the Fittest

We are condensed down to 4 tables, and it's now a matter of push and survive, with the blinds accelerating along with the antes. Some players got knocked out, and I got dealt KQs in the BB, and the SB decided to go all-in. I had him covered but I decided to lay my hand down, with a MP player making the call. The SB had JJ, the MP player was slowplaying KK. His cowboys held up, and the SB went home. As he stood up to leave, and the next antes and blinds were posted, the TD comes over and moves us to 3 tables. What seemed like just a few moments later, the TD comes over and tells us that we've made the money! Woohoo!

The Defining Moment

Chip stacks are dwindling, and antes and blinds are popping HUGE. I'm in MP, with 4000-8000 blinds and 1000 antes, and I look down to see Paris and Nicky. I just call the BB, with about 28K left. An LP player pushes all-in with his 10K, the player in the CO raises it to his last 18K, and I call them both. LP shows 64o (bye bye), CO shows J9o (bye bye), and I flip over the sisters, much to everyone's chagrin. Right until the flop shows 6-6-K. The LP prayer-boy hit a set! The turn had the balls to fill him up with a 4. I was down to a two-outer on the river, and I didn't hit it, so now, with blinds accelerating, I'm crippled at 16K. With blinds eventually moving up to 8000-16000 with 2K antes, and the tourney down to 2 short handed tables, I pushed UTG with QTs, since the ante left me with just 16K (1BB). Of course, I ran into aces. Got a Q on the flop, no more help, and IGHN, in 13th place. I got a little applause from the tables and the railbirds, I stood up, picked up my $174 payout voucher, and walked to the cashier. Up a total of $200 on the night--a successful trip.

A Postscript

I didn't drop the hammer, but this has got to be close...We had completed about 2 orbits with an empty seat next to me, and a lady finally came to occupy the seat. I'm in the SB, she's in the BB. We're still early, blinds 50/100, no ante. I glance at my cards, call the BB, and she min-raises it to 200 chips. Without hesitation, I go all-in (I've probably got her covered by a little less than 75%). She folds almost as quickly, and I make a point of showing her my 83o. Not a hammer story, but, hey, I cashed, didn't I?

O8B--The New Crack?

I really think I am addicted to online O8B. I don't have an extreme knowledge of the game like Mistress Felicia, but I know enough to realize that even on Stars, the $25 and $50 PL O8B tables are full of dufuses (dufus-->dufuses, or is it dufi?). The games are so juicy because most players don't have the slightest clue what they're doing. Stick to premium hands (Ax-Yz suited/double suited), only draw to nut hands, and be prepared to win--big. I doubled up on a $25 table on Saturday before me & Mrs. PokerShark played in the tournament (that she won). I did it, seeing 34% of flops, winning all 8 hands I showed down, and winning 5 pots without showdown. I only had to fold twice after seeing a flop--I took it down every other time. Players not understanding the "two cards from your hand" idea, or the concept of what a qualifying low in 8B actually is, or even better, players misreading a board. It's like taking candy from children.

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The early plan is for a trip to AC tomorrow. We're both off, so sometime around 3ish, we should be heading down to Trop. I'll probably just play some ring games, 2/4, 3/6 limit, or some 2/4 O8B. If it happens, report to obviously follow. Mrs. PokerShark is feeling quite lucky after her scrappy win on Saturday. Lucky enough that I staked her $100 online to play, and she's been hitting the Stars tables pretty hard. She calls me yesterday and says that she's playing the 0.25/0.50 tables. I think, "Wow, honey, that's cool." Then she says, "No limit." I almost did a spit-take. She's playing the $50 NL tables with a total bankroll of $104. I ask, "How much did you buy-in for?" She answers, "$10." I let her go, imagining the carnage to follow. She calls me an hour later, and tells me she's up $64 on the table. The deck hit her. Hard. She took it out on the fish. I told her to leave the table, and preserve her winnings. She of course, didn't, and ended up just +$2 for the session. One of these days, ya know...

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She's an amazingly talented player, and I have her saving hand histories to PokerTracker. She actually plays a little loose (VP$IP 35.45), but she gets results. I told her to just work on aggression a bit (TA-T 0.80), and she should be fine.

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Huge hugs to Felicia--I'm not a religious person, but I'll be exhausting the prayer-line for you on Thursday. I know our whole community is pulling for you just as hard as I am. I wish you the absolute best, and like I said, if you ever need someone to talk to, bitch to, or anything, let me know.

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Huge props go to Iggy, for organizing the satellite to the $1500 NLHE event at the WSOP. Bloggers WILL represent.

Event: WPBT WSOP Satellite to June 3, 2005 $1500 buy-in WSOP Event
Game: No-Limit Texas Holdem
Date: Sunday, April 24, 2005
Time: 7 pm EDT
Buy-in: $30+$3
Password: TBA (through emailing Iggy with your blog info)

Bloggers ONLY!

This will be awesome. Maybe this time, I'll actually get a chance to play...

Tournament Report

Just got back from the charity tourney. We raised money for the local fire house to give Christmas gifts to kids, so it was a great cause. So, I know you're all curious (tee hee). So, without further adieu, the April 2004 Mt. Royal Tournament Champion is:

Mrs. PokerShark

She held the chip lead almost wire-to-wire, and she ended up chopping at the final table when it was down to 2 players. She held the chip lead, by about 50%, but she agreed to an even chop of the winnings. For a $40 buy-in, she won $375! Go baby! Best part is, you all know how I feel about rebuy tournaments. 30 players played, and there were 16 re-buys. The two final players were the only ones remaining at the final table who didn't rebuy. Score one for the good guys. I couldn't be more prouder of her. She played fantastic poker, never got too high or too low, and just played her cute ass off.

I busted out in 20th or so place (I know--I suck), but the beats were brutal. I lost 3 pots all day. First, I flopped trip 4's. Played it hard, got called by a guy who turned a straight with 53o. Second, had AK cracked after I called a guy all in. Flop was A-9-T rainbow, so I put him all-in. He turns over 32s! Turn brings the 5, river brings the 4. Horrendous. Lastly, I got K9s on the button, raised and got called. The flop was K-9-3, I went all-in, player turned over those goddammned Hilton Sisters. Turn was a blank, river brought the Queen, and IGHN. I've determined, though, that if there is a player that can beat me consistently, it's the player who totally sucks. The last hand (the Hiltons) was a good hand. The others were hands were the player had 3 outs or less. Hell, even the last one, I had the guy to two outs. Those were the only pots I lost all day. I lost with great hands. I don't know if I can play with maniacs or calling stations. I won a pot with KQs, with a flop of K-T-5, turn of 9, river of 2. I bet the whole way, coming short of bringing a guy all-in on the river by T500, only because I wanted him still in. He called and turned over 74o! He called the whole way with nothing. No talent, nothing. I stuck around and dealt tables while she was playing. There was some shadiness going on (people just tossing chips, short calling, just bad stuff), so I was asked to deal the final table, and after asking if anyone had objections, and getting unanimously approved for handling prior tables well so I dealt. She had the chip lead when it came down to the final two, and she offered a chop. It was graciously accepted, and my baby is a champion.

Hand of the Day

Let me set the stage. Final table. There are 5 players left, and I'm dealing. The missus is on the button. Blinds just get called around until the SB goes all-in with a pretty decent sized stack. Let the folding begin, and it's down to the missus, who has him covered a little short of 2-to-1. She calls. She flips over Q3o, he flips over AA. Arrrgh. Flop brings rags, but with two spades (the suit of her queen). You know what happens next. You got it, runner-runner flush. He just sits and stares, in disbelief. He was actually a damn good player, she stood up, shook his hand, and he complimented her on fine play all day, and just said before he got his 5th place money, "I did the best I could. I got my money in the middle with the best hand. It just didn't hold up." A classy gentleman, whom I'm sure I'll be seeing more of at these local tournaments.

I told you she'd get the first bracelet in my household. And it wasn't even O8B!

Two Cardinal Rules of O8B

1) Never slow play a nut flush: It will come back to bite you in the ass more than we care to admit.

2) If there's a pair on board, and "you ain't got it," then you need to get the hell out...

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Tournament in a few hours--report and victory celebration (hopefully) to follow tonight or tomorrow.

Enjoy the weekend--it's beautiful here in South Jersey!

And One More Thing...

Couldn't sleep last night, so I fired it up for some 0.50/1 at Stars.

Never, Ever Play Tired.

End of lesson. Sometimes the best lessons we learn are the truly painful ones.

Rough Session Last Night

Couldn't sleep last night, so I fired it up for some 0.50/1 at Stars. Started off well, then sank fast. Ended up down about 12BB, and it was made worse by the way I lost some of that. I dropped 6 BB on one hand, raising with A4s on the button (table was WAY passive), getting 4 callers, and flopping trips with a backdoor flush draw. Turn card brings another spade, followed by the 5 of spades giving me the nut flush. Pot gets capped, and an EP nimrod flips over 54o, making his full house.

Breathe.

Even though I had him the whole way, he hits his dominated 3-outer on the river, even though I had capped him on the turn with my trips and 4-flush. He still called $4. Grrrr.

It's behind me though, and I played ok, winning a pot here or there, but nothing special. Just a bad session.

Also played a little Stud last night. My baby Jebus. People will call to the river with ANYTHING. I'm showing a pair of Aces and 3 spades (yes, I had the flush), and a guy called me to the river with a pair of 5's. That was it. This also means suckouts galore. Calling bets heads-up with flush draws, inside straight draws, and of course, the way I ran last night, they all hit. Oh well.

My main focus is the tournament, and I won't play a single damn hand until then. My head will be clear, my mind will be sharp, and hopefully, money will find its way into my pocket.

Ciao.

More Game Leaks--The Importance of Position

I've decided to take some time to analyze my own game, and share the information with all of you as sort of an instructional series. If my experience can help you be a better player, than I'll feel good about it (as long as you don't take my money.

First of all, get Poker Tracker. It's only $55, and it's point blank one of the greatest tools available to help you analyze your game, and if you use it to the fullest, you'll make that money back before you know it. And on that front, get Hank and Iggy's Poker Tracker Guide. Pat from Tracker endorses it, and it is an e-book that helps you get the absolute most from your purchase of Tracker. The guide's only $20, and it, like Poker Tracker itself, is money very well spent.

Positional Statistics:

Position	Total Hands	VP$IP	BB/Hand
Button	645	21.09	0.11
1 (CO)	612	23.86	0.05
2	571	19.09	0.16
3	491	21.79	0.15
4	308	23.05	0.05
5	292	22.60	0.13
6	226	17.70	0.11
7 (UTG)	101	23.76	0.02
BB	637	13.03	0.23
SB	643	29.86	0.01
Totals	4526	21.52	0.03

From this we see interesting things. Over time, first of all, your numbers should start out higher, and decrease as we move down. Translated, you should be playing more hands in late position than in early position, and if you think position doesn't matter, all you're going to do is send your chips my way. Think about it this way: Consider a hand like KTo. Marginal in every sense of the word. A great hand if you hit the flop, but remember, aces will beat you, and if you don't hit a king, any other face card can beat you. In early position, it's a hand you throw away. Why? You call the blind, a MP player raises, then an LP player 3-bets/re-raises. KTo for 3 bets isn't a nice hand anymore, is it? All you've done is take your blind and given it away.

From MP, KTo may be a decent hand. At a tight-passive table, it may be a raising hand. If the table is loose-aggressive, you need to throw it away.

As you can see, table character is nearly as important as position.

The importance of position is that you have more opportunities to see other players act before you do. You can see their reactions to the flop, how they bet (which among weaker players may be even more of a tell than their reactions), and what they put into the pot. It also gives you the advantage of acting last, and most decisively.

Looking at my table above, we notice a few things:

1) I play shorthanded a little bit (notice the lack of position 4, 5, 6, and 7 hands). Poker Tracker treats 6-max tables as SB, BB, 3, 2, 1, button.

2) I tend not to play enough hands from the button. You should tend to play similarly-rated hands from the cut-off (CO--the position immediately before the button in LP) that you should play from the button.

3) The cut-off is my loosest position. Looking at my hand histories, and seeing what I play from that position, you see hands like King-rag suited, suited connectors and one-gappers (T8s, etc.), and offsuit paint (KJo, etc.).

4) My highest position for raising pre-flop is also the cut-off. I will raise with a variety of hands from the cutoff, hands like AJo, A6s, and even a hand as weak as KJs. In positions like on the button and in the cut-off, you need to punish limpers, and eliminate limpers from the pot. Remember, in a true multi-way pot, even AA is no better than a even-money shot to win:

Ac Ad: 46.80%
Kc 7s: 5.68%
Qh Jd: 15.86%
7c 2h: 2.94%
8d 7d: 12.49%
5s 5d: 15.56%

5) I should be playing as aggressive from the button as I do from the cutoff. For the same reasons as above, I need to be punishing limpers. When you raise with marginal hands, though, be prepared to get out if somebody hits the flop when you don't.

6) I need to stop completing in the small blind just to complete with marginal hands. I actually called in the SB with 95s and 98o. Call to defend your blinds, call to get into a hand, call to play decent cards. Don't call just to call. It will bleed money from your game.

7) Never be afraid to throw a hand away if you feel you're beat. Regardless of position, you should always consider pot-odds, and in no-limit, don't over-commit to a draw. The more you invest in a pot, the harder it is to get away from a hand. Just last night, I was playing 0.50/1 limit, and I raised with AQs in MP, and got re-raised by a LP player. The flop came Q-8-4 rainbow, I bet, he raised, I called. The turn brought an A. I bet, he raised, I re-raised, he mucked the hand. I had a read on him, and I asked him, "KK?" He said, "Yep. It sure is hard to get away from those 'King-Kongs.'" He tossed a great hand, but saved himself at least 2BB in the process. He realized that with me pairing my ace that he had properly read with my re-raise, he was drawing nearly dead (2 outs at best). There was no need to chase a losing hand, when in just a few seconds, another hand will be dealt where he has the chance to win.

Just remember, poker is a game of position as much as it is of the cards. Use position wisely, and expect to win more often. It really is that simple.

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The tournament is Saturday. I'm re-reading Harrington on Hold'em, and I'll play ABC poker for sure. It should be a good time, and I'm looking forward to playing a NL tournament again. I haven't played a live NL tourney since November, and I'm looking to get deep. You never know, I just might win the damn thing.

Relating to that Last Post (or: Why Tilt Sucks)

I can't believe that I'm quoting my own post (which was a quote of someone else's post), but I just thought of something brilliant:

I think a lot of success in poker is internal smoke and mirrors, as far as finding a way to trick yourself into ignoring the short-term stings of bad beats and suckouts, to divorce yourself from all of the factors that lead to a visit from the Tilt Monster, solely focusing on playing each individual hand optimally.
--ScurvyDog

Why is tilt such a problem online? Many players (myself included) are results oriented. We are playing poker not only because we love it, but because we want to win money. I'm right so far, right? When you play live at a casino, you buy in, and you're handed a rack of checks. You get to the table, and you plop your chips in front of you. You play, and you can kinda tell if you're up or down, but as long as the chips you have in front of you somewhat resemble the pile you brought with you, you're good. At least I am.

Online? You are constantly reminded, right in front of you, in plain view, of exactly how shitty you're doing in that session. Don't get me wrong, in no-limit, it's quite useful. In limit, you're either calling/betting/raising or you're not. I see that number, perhaps that I'm down 10BB in the first two orbits, and I find myself playing looser to try and get it back. To pimp a blog and describe another's analogy, the Richmond Rounder is a golfer like me, and I will tell you that when you are a high-90's/low-100's golfer and you have that ugly first hole, you begin to squeeze the clubs tighter, and really try to get back those strokes.

First--you can't get them back. Not the chips you lost to that bastard who sucked out on you, and damn sure not those 2 strokes you spent hacking your way out of the tall heather after you sliced your drive halfway to hell. Second--unless you've progressed to that next level of either game, this is almost an unconscious response for someone naturally competitive like me. You want to try harder to get it back and succeed. Whether it's pushing a bad position in Holdem, or trying a risky approach from the rough, you try harder to get it back. If it doesn't work, you either lose another hand, or you push another shot, but either way, you get frustrated. This is the definition of tilt. Golf, poker, whatever the game. In golf, it's called the yips. In poker it's tilt.

ScurvyDog looks at the big picture, like I do at a live game, and he mentions "playing each individual hand optimally." That is the absolute best advice you can get. Play each hand optimally. If somebody sucked out on you with a 74o and cracked your aces, who cares? Wnen the cards are dealt again, does he have 74o? Probably not. Are you dealt aces again? Probably not. Are the flop, turn, and river the same? Probably not. (explosively profound thought coming up:)

The hand that just happened has absolutely NOTHING to do with what will happen in this hand, unless YOU allow it to.

Read that again. Unless you have allowed the Tilt Monster to come and mind-screw you, whatever happened in that last hand is done and over with.

Example: At the Trop, I got sucked out on by a guy playing T5o, who called my raises all the way with a pair of tens, then turned two pair. He even had the balls to taunt me after. If I were home, playing online, I'd see that reflected in my stack, get all pissed off, and God and baby Jebus only know what would have happened. Live, without a real care for the actual number in front of me, I literally laughed in his face. Because I knew that if he continued to play that way, I'd get the best of him. I did. I looked at Poker Tracker, and found that my percentage of winning sessions online is 55%. I've played live ring games 8 times (yes, I know all about sample size), and I've won in seven of those sessions. My loss? One for $5.

The number representing your remaining stack has to be there, whether you're playing limit or no-limit, stud, or O8B. For me, maybe the key is paying a little less attention to it, and paying more attention to just playing each hand optimally. Great play will get rewarded in the long run. It's just inevitable. Look at the pros. Other than Hellmuth, and maybe Matusow, how many of them really allow that crap to get to them? Look at Ivey, Lederer, Daniel Negreanu, all the rest. Daniel seems like he's legitimately having a blast at the table. It might just be image, but if it works... Did anyone see how Lederer got bounced from the US Poker Championships at the Taj? He flopped trip 10's, went all-in, turned the full house, then got beat by a guy who drew a bigger full house. Not sure if it was a bad beat necessarily, but he just got up, shook the hands or the players at his table, then left. With a smile. He made the best play. He had been sucked out on before, but he realized that he made the best play. More profound stuff:

No matter how much you try, or how perfect you play, you CANNOT control what your opponents do.

You can play optimally, but if you push with trip Aces post-flop, and a guy just knows he's gonna call no matter what, even though he has 23o, and all he has is a pair of deuces, he's calling you. If he draws out quads, nothing you can do can or will change that. Play each hand optimally. Do your best to ensure a winning session, tournament, or whatever you're playing. If a guy makes a bad call and wins, all that will do is make him feel more invincible, and the next time he makes that crappy call, maybe you'll be there waiting for him.

The bottom line: Spend a little less time sweating your stack. Sweat the cards in front of you, and try to make the best possible play on every hand. If you play well, you will win far more than you lose.

It may sound basic, but that is one of the keys to this game.

Post of the Week

Kudos to ScurvyDog from Sound of a Suckout for a myriad of advice:

Long story short, don't be discouraged if you're studying, reading, analyzing your play, and still not making much head-way at lower-limits, as far as profits go. In the long run you'll get there, if your game is solid, and the dividends will only increase as you move up limits.

I would highly recommend setting up a plan to regularly withdraw and invest a portion of your winnings each month. For me, it's more a psychological trick than anything, but it keeps me much more focused amisdt the grinding out of hands, knowing that even a +$2.67 day, after three hours of play, is a positive contribution into a monthly chunk of money that's going into a Vanguard fund (which has the potential to become a much larger sum of money 20 years from now).

I think a lot of success in poker is internal smoke and mirrors, as far as finding a way to trick yourself into ignoring the short-term stings of bad beats and suckouts, to divorce yourself from all of the factors that lead to a visit from the Tilt Monster, solely focusing on playing each individual hand optimally. It's helped me a lot to fomralize the reward part of that feedback loop, as far as withdrawing and investing a certain amount of profits each month, instead of just letting it accumulate in an amorphous fashion in my online bankroll.

Variance is a bitch. No matter what level you play, if you play long enough, you'll have scrotum-shrinking stretches when nothing goes your way and all you do is bleed money. Ain't nothing to do about that but expect it, cuss at it when it smacks you upside the head, and keep getting back on the horse, no matter how many times you get thrown off.

Great advice. It's stuff that we all may know deep down, but it always helps to hear it from someone else, particularly someone as successful as ScurvyDog!

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Eight days to go before the next local tournament--just a little $30+10 NLHE thing. We expect about 100 players, and only the top 4 get paid, so ROI can be extreme. It's also a little odd that it will be time limited. After 5 hours, chip counts will be done and a winner will be declared. Betcha the chips will fly at that final table on that last hand...I have to find out if Domenic wants to play. It should be a blast, with many, many fish to fry. To gauge the caliber of the average player, think Party Poker. Then think 0.05/0.10 NL. Then realize that most of them don't even know what blinds are. Solid play should be supremely rewarded here.

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Rule #5: Don't try to bluff a really crappy player. They don't have the faintest idea what they're doing, and they might not even realize how "far behind" they are when the board pairs their deuce.

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About that tournament, wouldn't it be a bitch if we got down to the final 3, and it ends up being me, Mrs. PokerShark, and Domenic? The organizer has already said there would be no deal/chop/anything, so the question is--would I bust out the wife? My friend? Heehee.

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Did you know that people were wagering, dead-pool style, on Terri Schaivo's passing? Is that a guaranteed first-class ticket to hell? Or just another way to get action on a dollar? I mean, hell, my NCAA tourney pool went to shit when Wake Forest lost, so...

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If that isn't a first class ticket to hell, this definitely is.

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What a Sick Bastard

Gunman Steals Bag Of Feces From Dog Walker

>POSTED: 11:52 am EST March 31, 2005
SAN DIEGO -- This robber definitely didn't want to be left holding the bag.
Police in San Diego are looking for a gunman who swiped a bag of doggy waste from a woman out walking her dog. The woman told police that she was out walking her dog Misty when a man ran up behind her and grabbed the bag she was holding.
Police said when the gunman discovered what was in it, he threw it down in disgust, pointed his gun at the woman and demanded money. He then aimed his gun at Misty and pulled the trigger twice but the gun didn't fire.
He then fled the scene.

Now, I've seen everything...

Have a great weekend all. May the fish be with you.