07/27/07 The Big Tournament: What Happened, Why I'm Out, and Why I Would Make the Same Play Again

Before I get into my big long story about the tournament I played tonight, let me give you a synopsis of what I've been doing the last few days. I've played in several 4.40 180 person tournaments on Pokerstars. I have not cashed in any, but I've been in the final 40 twice. Something good is bound to happen to me soon in one of those MTT's, I can feel it (probably this weekend). I have also taken some shots in some $5.50 or less major tourneys on Stars, some with up to 2000 players. I've played well, but my finishes don't reflect that... poker can't be results oriented though, especially in multi-table tournament play. The variance in these games is so high that I must expect to lose consistently by entering them. Eventually, when I do take one down (and I will) I will be reimbursed for all the previous lost buyins, with some to spare.

I've been grinding the .10/.25NL tables again. I've been very successful. I can control tables at these limits with ease, as long as I'm paying attention and not steaming from losing at .25/.50NL.

I also purchased two books I had meant to buy forever ago- Harrington on Hold'em and Super System. I'm about halfway through Harrington's book right now, and before I read Super System I think I will reread Caro's Book of Poker Tells and The Theory of Poker just to brush up a bit. I would recommend these reads to any player that wishes to advance their game to the next level.

Anyway, on to the tournament. I entered the KofC Annual Davison Festival of Flags Hold'em Tournament, scheduled as a two-day event today and tomorrow. The field was projected to max out at 450 players, but we ended up with a little under 300. The promised first prize was downgraded from 6000 dollars to 3500 dollars accordingly, and with this field only the top 25 paid out. I intended on being one of them. But unfortunately, I can recall each and every pot I played in, as I only held my seat in the tournament for an hour and forty minutes. But before we get into what actually happened, I want to show you exactly what I was thinking going into the event. I knew three things going into the tournament: one, the type of field; two, the caliber of play; and three, how I planned on playing.

1. These types of tourneys generally garner a field consisting of 70% old people. Old people are a double-edged sword when it comes to poker. They are good to play against because they cannot control their emotions- they wear their tells on their sleeves and often times play too tight for the structure. They also tire easily and are more likely to make bad mistakes after a while at the table. They are bad to play against because they tend to be unpredictable at times- they make prideful plays out of spite, and they will defend their blinds too often. Some of them have also been playing their entire lives- granted, some haven't improved much along the way, but a few of them are better than you'd expect them to be.

2. The caliber of play is pretty much the same in these tourneys. TOO TIGHT. No one wants to risk their chips, so hyperagressive play is almost always the best option against these fields. Another thing to note about this particular poker event- the Festival of Flags and its beer tent were likely to lure no fewer than a dozen drunks to the big game, where they would subsequently order more beer and then donk of their stacks to the first person that found a legit hand against them.

3. My strategy went as follows. In the first two levels, 10/20 and 20/40, I would be playing very conservatively and raising only in position, and only with hands I felt were ahead. I planned on spending more time observing the table than playing cards. I wanted to construct a tight image- show them my monster hands and show a big laydown or two. Once we came back from the first break, I was going to open up a little and start bullying some players around, in particular the ones I felt were overly tight in the first two levels. The blind levels shortened to 30 minutes each, beginning with the third round, so I knew that if I made it to level five or six I was going to have a big stack from pushing my table around.

LEVEL 1

By the time the tables got sorted out and we recieved our chips and a dealer, it was close to 8:15. From talking to the table for the last 45 minutes, I already had a solid read on almost every player, but I will explain in further detail the reads I had and why later on. The first hand I played was with Q5 in the BB. The table folded around to the button, who limped, and the SB folded. I checked and the flop came Q-2-3. I checked, and he bet out 20. If it was later in a tournament, I would likely raise here, but I was trying to stay out of trouble early, so I just called. The turn was a K. I checked again, and he bet 40. Again, I just called. The river fell a J, and I checked to him a third time. He bet 60, and with the pot at 230, I was getting almost 4:1 on a call. I studied for a minute, thinking about what hands I could possibly beat. A2 and A3 seemed likely, and I just didn't think he had a Q beat. Although we'd only played a few hands so far, once already he had bet the entire way in a pot with a woman at our table, and then folded to a modest raise on the river. The final reason that I called was the fact that he kind of slammed his last bet into the pot, as if to say "GO AWAY!". I told him that I like to start off tournaments with bad calls, and he shook his head and said, "I doubt it..." I showed my queen and he mucked, mumbling something about "Those damn small pairs."

The next hand I played was in my SB, when I completed with Kd7d. The came 8-7-3 and the three players in the hand checked around. The turn came another 3, and I bet out 60, prompting folds from the BB and the MP limper. A little later I raised from the cutoff to 60 with AJo, and it folded around. I showed my hand, letting the players know I wasn't stealing. In my next small blind, the guy UTG+1 raised to 70. I hated that, because it was the first time he entered any pot. I was hoping to look down at AA or nothing, but unfortunately I found TT. I was the sole caller and we took a flop of 8-Q-6. I checked, and he bet (rather unconfidently) 80. I should've seized this opportunity to raise, at least to see where I was at. However, I just called, and the turn was an A. I looked at him and saw him noticeably twitch, then start shaking a little, so I couldn't have check/folded fast enough. I told him he hit his Ace on the turn and folded my TT face up. He either had AA or AK, I'm not really sure which.

I took another small pot late in the level by raising to 70 with AJo in MP and having it fold around.

Then I raised with Tc6c two from the button with about 5 minutes to go. It was a bit of a dumb play, and it kind of went against my strategy. Just the button called- a woman with a death wish that either was catching a sick rush of cards or had balls of steel. The flop came 9-6-2 and I led out 70. She asked what the bet was, and I said 70. She turned to me with a puzzled look and said "Seventeen?!?" I said S-E-V-E-N-T-Y really slowly right in her face. She looked down at her chips and said "Oh yeah? Well I raise it to 100 then!" If you don't play poker very often, you may not know that the raise was an illegal bet. In the commonly accepted rules of Texas Hold'em, your raise must be at least double the original bet, and hers wasn't even close. I folded fairly quickly and flashed a 6, but my table went crazy arguing over whether or not it was a legal raise. Our dealer was no help- he didn't know the flop from his asshole. An idiot or two at our table sided with the woman, and we called the floor over. The tournament director told our table that any raise is legal as long it is at least the amount of the big blind. If I had known we were playing back-asswards Texas Hold'em, I would've made a different decision. With 340 chips in the pot, I absolutely MUST call with my T6 and a backdoor club draw- I am getting more than a sick 11:1 on the call. Even up against AA, I will win that pot about one out of every five times, and the pot is offering me righteous odds at drawing to do so. Not to mention the implied pot odds, assuming I make my hand with a T or 6 on the turn. She might move in with a hand like A9, and that 11:1 might be child's play before long. Had we been playing by sane, human rules, her raise would have laid me only 5.33:1 odds on a call- a little more than I'd need, but my read on her would indicate that I can easily fold my hand getting that price. I had seen her jam a couple pots on the turn with oversized bets, ergo ensuring that I only see one card with my call of her 70 chip raise. Therefore I am only roughly going to improve 16% of the time, so instead of getting 5.33:1 on a call with a 5:1 chance of winning, I am getting 5.33:1 on a call with only a roughly 8:1 chance of winning - not nearly close to the price I would need to call a monster turn bet.

LEVEL 2

Going into level two I have slightly over 2200 in chips. Not quite where I wanted to be, but doing well. When it folded around to my SB, I raised to 120 with T4 offsuit in attempt to steal WomanWithADeathWish's blind. She called, and the flop came 9-4-2. I checked, she bet 50, and I called. The turn was a 3. I checked, she bet 100, and I called again. the river was a sick 5. I checked, and she threw in a black $500 chip. I tanked for forever. A part of me really thought I had the best hand. I don't know why, but my gut told me to call. There were just too many hands that caught up to me, and although I could beat an A2 on the flop, I couldn't do so on the river. I folded and was down below 2000 for the first time in the tourney.

On my next small blind I completed with 86. The pot was three ways, me, crazy deathwish woman, and a loose/passive player in the cutoff seat. The flop was a glorious 8-6-6. I checked, crazy ass checked, and so did the cutoff. The turn was the 7s, which put out a flush draw and a straight draw. I checked again, batshit insane checked too, and the old man on the cutoff said "Well, someone's gotta bet!" and he threw in the min bet of 40. I quickly minraised to 80, and for some reason crazy lady called and so did the old man. The river was the Ac, and I took a big chance by just checking. The woman checked, and the old man looked like he was about to turn over his cards before he decided at the last second to bet 100. I sat back, put on a show, and raised to 300. The woman folded, much to my dismay, and the old man called relatively quickly. That pot got me up back to around 2300.

Later on in my BB the button minraised to 80, and I called without looking after the SB folded. The flop came J-9-6, and I looked down to find Q9. I checked, and he bet 150. I raised to 450, and he immediately raised 500 more. I laughed and said "Kings are good!" as I mucked my hand. He showed QQ (essentially the same hand). I told the table I had AJ.

I stole a couple of small pots and lost a couple of small pots, all leading up to this final hand. The old man directly to my right had shown some curious tendencies- to get involved in pots with very modest holdings, and bet them like monsters before folding. He went to the bathroom and came back to the table acting UTG+1. He raised to 200, hardly even having sat down. This set an alarm bell off in my head. I asked myself three questions before looking at my cards. 1. Why would he raise to 5 times the blind at such a tight table? 2. Why would he raise on his first hand back to the table? 3. What range of hands do I need to call? I failed to mention earlier that this man told me his least favorite hand was AK. He raised with it earlier, then checked it down in a pot with a loose, shortstacked player. I could tell just by looking at him in that previous hand that he had AK, and just as he checked the river I yelled out "You've got AK don't you!?!" He chuckled and showed it, telling me how much he hates the hand. Anyway, I looked down at TT. Immediately, my stomach dropped and someone from deep inside my brain screamed "FOLD!" Not exactly the action I want holding TT, but I figured if the flop was bad I could get away easily. The table folded around, and the flop fell J-9-3. He led out for 300. I went into the tank. Head first. His bet told me he didn't have 33, 99, or JJ. It was unlikely he held any Jack at all, and with AJ this particular player probably isn't going to bet this flop. It also told me he didn't have Aces. Or at least, if he did, he really wanted to charge a tight table a steep price before the flop. In my mind, if he didn't have QQ or KK, I had the best of it. He was overplaying hands for the last two hours and there was no way I could put him on a monster. I really had only two options here- push or fold. If I fold, then I may be passing up a big opportunity where I might be ahead. If I push, I risk being called by one of the two big hands I thought he might have. I contemplated for a while, and decided to make my move. I pushed, and he almost beat me in the pot. He showed KK, and I bricked out. He had me slightly covered, and I was as goodas gone. As I analyze the hand now, I still don't regret my decision. Most of the time he is going to have a hand like AQ, AK, or 66-88 and will fold when I re-raise. I was just unlucky to run into an overpair.

Although I think that one day I will be able to fold TT before the flop in that spot, I am not at that point yet. And judging by the way I broke down the hand, a J-high flop was good for me, so its tough to fold to a bet that any player is going to make in that spot with any variety of holdings. Next time I'll do better.

Here is a list of reads/tells/playing styles of the table I was at yesterday. I'm disappointed I couldn't play longer... I think I had everyone pegged. it woulda been a rough night for all of them had the flop come J-T-3 instead. :)

Seat One: Loose, sad looking man that limped into too many pots and played very passively postflop. He checked top pair several times. He also limped with a hand as solid as AQ at least once. His tells of strength included general interest in the action at the table- otherwise, his eyes were all over the room as he leaned back in his seat.

Seat One (Replacement): Tight asian player who didn't enter a single pot before I busted. He was very shortstacked when he came to the table.

Seat Two: Old man who limped into more pots than anyone, many times with very modest holdings (he once showed down Q4). He was capable of a three-bullet bluff, but also smart enough to fold when he was played back at. He overplayed small pocket pairs and middle pairs on the board. He also did not bet properly as to discourage other players from fighting for the pot. His tells of strength included the worst shaking I have ever seen, barring only one player, a guy I met at 3/6 once at Soaring Eagle. If he wasn't shaking, it was safe to assume he would fold to a bet. Concordedly, if he was betting and not shaking, he would likely fold to a raise. He stared at the flop when it didn't help him; he looked at his chips when it did.

Seat Three: Boisterous old man who busted me. He played tight, and raised with solid hands. He would sometimes limp with rags, but not too often. His tells of strength occured whenever he stopped laughing and talking. He became brash and stern when he had a real hand.

Seat Four: Me.

Seat Five: Death-wish woman. Limp/Called a lot. Re-raised very small amounts on several occasions, only to overbet on later streets. Very catty and dislikeable. Tells of strength included small raises and general excitedness. She played hands with general disregard to her chips- she called down a few pots and even bet the whole way with things like bottom pair.

Seat Six: A solid player who told us he played in event 35 at this year's WSOP. I saw him raise two pots in 2 hours. He was good, and he appeared very tight and very commited to a conservative strategy. I had less of a read on him than any other player.

Seat Seven: An old man with thick, yellowy glasses. He talked like he knew the game better than anyone else. He played very, very, very tightly. The few hands he did play were conducted with sheer unabated aggression. His hands shook like a fish out of water whenever he had top pair or better. If he finds cards and adjusts to the bigger blinds, he might cash in this tournament just out of sheer stubbornness.

Seat Eight: The tightest player. He said maybe three words in over two hours sitting with him. He was old and frightened looking. He also had a terrible shaking habit when he was strong. When he was weak he would stare at the flop like it was a nude woman, his eyes unbreaking like more cards might be coming.

Thank you for reading this long ass blog. I hope you like it. Please post some questions/ suggestions/ comments in the forums section if you would like.

-$pade Flush-

07/24/07 Insert Creative Title Here

I have been playing a few low-risk high reward tournaments on Pokerstars the last few days. With buy-ins ranging from $3.00 to $10.00, they garner as many as 2000 players for a pretty solid prize pool. I can honestly say I've played pretty well in each one, but I haven't cashed yet. It feels like I'm right on the cusp of making something big happen, but I either go card dead or get sucked out on. I finished in 23rd in a 180 person tourney the other day, with the top 18 getting paid. I don't even remember how I busted, but I do remember telling Ian about it, so ask him.

We played mixed games until 3:30am last night. It was a blast, even though things started out a little rough for me. I finished in last and second to last in the first tourney, having rebought and busted again. The only highlight I can remember was the hand that busted me. We were at .50/1.00, Ian limped, Roy limped, and Derek completed in the SB. I woke up with TT in the BB, and with so many limpers I decided to make it 4x the BB. Ian folded, and Roy contemplated calling for what seemed like an eternity, and then Derek reached to throw his cards in the muck but tossed the call in with his other hand. The flop came something like 8-7-5 rainbow, and Derek moved all-in. I called instantly and he tabled 9-5 for bottom pair. The turn came a 9, and so did the river giving him nines full of fives and rewarding his boneheaded play. I rebought and doubled through him the very next hand, when Ian raised, Roy called, and Derek called. I pushed with 99, and it folded to Derek who instantly called with 8-9.

In the second tournament, I ended up rebuying twice. Since the payout worked out to $30.00 for first and $10.00 for second, I would have to win to make any money. I played the shortstack for a large portion of time, but then took a sizeable pot off of Ian and won a race with KQ v. Matt's 88. I was heads-up against Derek, and I busted him about ten hands in to win the tournament.

Matt and Roy took off around midnight, and Derek, Ian, and I played a H.O.R.S tournament with 15-minute cycles and no rebuys. Derek had a rough start to Hold'em and Omaha but caught well in Razz and Stud to stay alive. Once we got to hold'em again, Derek busted and it was down to Ian and I. He had almost a 2:1 chiplead, which I eventually overtook. Then he caught a three outer on me and doubled up, and I eventually crashed somewhere in the third round of hold'em. It was good to see him win one, even if it had to come against me.

We then played H.O.R.S cash games, in which I won 9.00 and Ian won 1.00. Derek accumulated a stack but then couldn't maintain it, and when he busted we called it a night.

Today I entered two multi-table tournaments with big prize pools, as I referenced earlier. The second tournament bears the biggest point of interest. With almost 1000 players, we were down to the final 300 or so and I was nursing a shortstack around 2k. I kept pushing and stealing the blinds, and I eventually doubled up, and then doubled up again with KK v. AQ. I was maintaining my stack, but I missed some flops with AJ, KJ, and AK and I was back down to around 6k. Several rotations later I picked up A9 UTG at our eight-handed table. I raised to 1200 (the blinds are 200/400 with a 25 ante), and 4 players behind me called. The flop came 9-8-7. The SB checked to me, and I pushed for around 5k. The player two seats to my right called for his last 3k, and then it folded around. He tabled TT, and I couldn't catch up when the turn fell another 8, and the river a 3. A couple hands later we were down to 187 players, with the top 180 getting paid. But I didn't enter this tournament to finish in 180th- I entered it to win it. I found AcQc on the button with two limpers already in the pot. I pushed for just over 2000, the blinds folded, and the UTG limper called (the same guy who doubled through me with TT). The other limper folded and he showed...TT again! The flop wasn't bad, Kc-8c-9d, giving me an extra set of outs, as now any club, A, or Q would more than double me up. The turn was another K, and the river fell the sickest card in the deck, the Tc. This gave me the nut flush and him a full house, busting me out in 187th place. I am upset with how it ended, but I fought like a goddamn champion and it just didn't work out. I missed a ton of flops with premium hands, and the only reason I didn't finish in like 600th was my insanely aggressive preflop play. I seriously survived on stealing blinds and antes long enough for over 400 players to bust. Oh well, it's just money, right?

-The Gerk-

07/22/07 Here's What's Up

I haven't updated in a few days- not for any particular reason, really. Not too much has changed, but I'm doing better for myself now than I was the last time I posted. On Thursday and Friday I dumped some more money at .25/.50 and pretty much donked it up until I felt I had lost enough. Then Friday night I made another irrational decision and decided to take a shot at the top, entering a $20,000 guaranteed tournament on Pokerstars. The buy-in was 27.50, a much larger chunk of my bankroll than I should have ever chosen to play for. The field was over 1400 players, with first prize taking home over 7.6k. I navigated the first three levels nearly perfectly, and I had over 7,000 chips at the first break. Then things kind of hit the fan- I made a raise in LP with AK, and got called by the SB. The flop came T-high, I bet, he called. I slowed down on the turn, and when he checked to me on the river, I felt I could steal the pot with my unpaired hand. I bet 2k into a 2,500 chip pot, and he called with 99. Later on I lost an AT v. AJ situation, with me holding the smaller Ace. I was down to below 2,000 chips, and I started pushing to take the blinds. I worked my way back up to 3,500 (still less than half the average stack), and then I made an awful mistake. With the blinds 150/300 with a 25 ante, I picked up 33 in MP. The guy one seat ahead of me raised to 600, and I should've either pushed or folded. Instead I called, virtually sticking myself to the pot. The guy in the SB (the very very very lucky chipleader at my table, that should've busted twice dead to two outs) pushed all-in and the initial raiser folded. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do here, and I don't think I can fold without knowing he had an over-pair (I'd seen him push earlier with AK in a similar spot). To make a long story short, he had KK and I couldn't suck out for my tournament life. I survived over 950 players but busted out of the money. Despite losing a good chunk of change, I was happy with the way I played.

On Saturday I took a seat at a 10.00 S&G, with the intention of sharpening my game before I ventured back to .25/.50. I dominated and got it heads-up against a very predictable player. We went back and forth, both of us taking and losing the chiplead. Then when I had a slight lead, I called a minraise with 4d5d, and flopped bottom pair on a 4-8-T flop. He checked and so did I, and the turn fell a 5. I checked, and he bet 2k. I wasn't about to fold here, and I pushed over the top. He called and tabled TT, and I was drawing dead. I was crippled and finished up 17.00 for second place. Later in the evening Ian, D-rock, and I played a Hold'em tourney and some mixed games. I won the tournament, and Derek went on the luckiest tear in the mixed games I've ever seen him go on (and that's saying something!) Hand after hand, he was catching 4 outers, 3 outers, 2 outers... it was absolutely sick. Runner-runner straights, flushes, and sets were the norm, and despite putting him in bad positions over and over again, Derek found a way to rake almost every pot. I dropped my tournament winnings and ended up dead even, and Ian dropped about 15.00 to Derek's three hour rush. We'll be playing again on Monday, and I'll be gunning for one particular player at every possible opportunity. I'll let you know how it goes.

After the mixed games I sat down at .10/.25NL and left up 18.00 after my 89 doubled me through on a 9-5-7-9-2 board. He mucked after calling my all-in on the turn.

I'm playing in a 152 person 3.30 Stud Hi/Lo Tournament right now. I was 12th in chips fairly early on, but after the same player rivered me three seperate times, I have fallen back to a below average stack. It's only the third level though, I'll be fine. I will update if I cash.

-The Gerk-

07/17/07 What now?

So I'm at a bit of a crossroads right now, and I've decided how I'm going to deal with it. I'm only going to play 4.00+.40 180 person Sit and Gos for a while, and play some tournament poker and avoid the cash games. The real reason I still have a bankroll was a stretch where I final tabled in 3 out of 4 of these things, winning one. I think that if I can FT once or twice in a stretch where I'm getting some of my gusto back, I will go back to the cash games, but probably at .10/.25NL for a while. I also think I'm going to play more 7-card Stud, which I consider my second best game.

I will be sure to let all of you know how I'm doing as I play more 180s. I just entered one a few minutes ago, and as luck would have it, I'm already out. Early in the second level I called a 3x raise with 9hTh on the button in a 5 way pot. The flop was 2h-6h-8h, giving me a flush with a redraw to a straight flush. It was checked around to me, and I bet 250. The SB folded, and the BB min-raised to 500. It folded around to me, and I decided if he had flopped a bigger flush, then I wasn't going to give him credit for it. I pushed over the top and he called instantly with 2d6d, for middle and bottom pair. The turn was the A of hearts, but on the river he caught his sick 4 outer, with the 6c. It makes me so sick, to get my money in so good, and then lose anyway. I mean, it's not like its AK v. AQ or something, and he flops a Q. He called a raise out of position with 2d6d and then commited his whole stack as like a 7.5:1 underdog. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

On a side note, I played (and ran well in) the live game last night. In the first tournament, I doubled up on the second hand with 33 on a board of 7-3-3-A-7. The guy had K-7 and thought he caught his gin card on the river, when in all actuality, it was mine. I got it headsup with a 9:7 chiplead against the player with the least experience at the table (The Douginator, oddly enough). I missed a bunch of flops and he wittled me down to about a 2:1 lead in his favor, then I started getting aggressive. With the blinds at 4.00/8.00, I pushed in four of the next six hands (in one of the other two he gave me a walk). Suddenly I had a chiplead, and I kept grinding him and controlling the preflop play. He got frustrated and told me he didn't want to play anymore. He pushed the next hand, and I was silently praying to wake up with a hand to call with. I found KJ, called, and he tabled his 95o. This is not the best position for me to be in, but I'll certainly take it. The board bricked through the turn, but gave him an open ender to go with his live cards. The river was a crushing 5, and I was crippled. I doubled through with my shortstack the next two hands, but on the third push he found A4 and made quads by the turn to bust my Q8. Whatever, I sincerely doubt I could've played any better, and I also doubt I could've folded my KJ when he pushed.

In the second tourney, my stack was up and down and I was outdrawn in a couple important pots in the third level. It wasn't really a big deal, but I got my money in good when we were three handed and I busted in third.

We then decided to play a mixed games tournament starting with a massive 50.00 in chips. The tourney was grueling, and even though it was only four handed with one rebuy, it lasted three hours. I lost two huge omaha pots, forcing me to rebuy in the second round of games. I had a nice sized stack, but then lost one pot to a rivered flush where I potted on the turn and then lost a monster when my A-K-4-4 hit a flop of A-Q-4. Ian potted, I re-potted, and he moved in with A-Q-5-3. He basically needed an A or a Q to survive, and I had one of his outs. Well, the turn fell a 5 and the river a 2, and his wheel was enough to cripple me. With my new stack of chips, I fought and fought and somehow got it headsup. I had a big chiplead on Derek, but he called off his whole stack in omaha with a 7-2 playing on a 7-2-8-A board. I had a flush draw, 99, and essentially half a deck full of outs but didn't get there. I went on a tear through razz and stud though, and I think his lack of experience in those games really hurt him in thr tournament. By the time we were back to hold'em, I had him right where I wanted him. He min-raised on the button with the blinds 3.00/6.00, and I called with 56. The flop fell K-6-K, I checked, and he pushed. I couldn't get my money in the pot fast enough. He turned over AQ, and the board bricked out on him. It was nice to win that tournament, but I'd really like to relocate that success to Pokerstars.

-The Gerk-

07/16/07 Shifting Strategies and Taking it Like a Man

When a player is running bad, he can go through a checklist of things to right himself. Some players like to just take some time off of the game. Others shift the variation of poker they are playing, i.e. going from Omaha to Stud. Others still just ride out the beats and take their lumps, trying their best not to tilt.

I had tried to take time off, but I love playing the game too much to just sit around knowing I could be at a .25/.50 NL table. I didn't really want to change games either, because I know Hold'em is my strongest game and I think I'm actually playing pretty well. The third strategy wasn't really an option- my bankroll isn't exactly large enough to ride out losing 40.00 a day for very long. So today when I hit the tables I decided I was going to alter the way I've been playing dramatically. I think I've been seeing too many flops and playing too many marginal hands out of position. Today, the mindset was clear-cut and simple. No more playing moderate hands out of position- no JT, no QT, no KT, no QJ, no KJ, no KQ, no A-rag, no connectors or gappers. And if I choose to play any of those hands, I'm coming in for a raise, and I'm going to be in LP. I also decided I was only going to play one table, so I can focus on my opponents and not get action-crazy because I was card dead on one table or the other.

Before I got into how I played, I want to share a sick hand I witnessed at the tables today. A guy raises from the cutoff to 2.00, the button calls, and I fold JT in the BB. Flop is T-8-6. The cutoff checks, the button bets 3.00, and the cutoff raises to 8.00. The button calls. Turn is a 2. Immediately the cutoff bets 8.00, and after a short delay the button calls. River comes another 6. The cutoff checks, and after 20 seconds the button bets 18.00. Of course, the cutoff tanks for forever, and eventually calls with 99. The button shows AQo. 65.00+ pot. Simply amazing.

One of the first pots I played, I picked up AT clubs and opened in MP. A guy in LP called and so did the SB. The flop fell Qc-9c-6h, and the SB checked. I check, and LP bets 2.00. The SB folds and I call. On the turn the Js comes, and I check; he fires 6.00. I have an open-ender and the nut flush draw getting almost 3:1 on a call. I call, the river is the 8c, and I push. He only has 5.75 behind, and after a few seconds he calls and I take a pot with the nuts.

Then a bully named Wojuu came to our table, and took the first 3 pots raising and re-raising out of control. The fourth hand I raised UTG with AhQs, and he reraised in the SB for 3.00 more. I call and the flop came 2h 4h 5s. He bet 2.50, I called. The turn is the 4d, he bet 2.50, and I called again. The river was a non-heart T, he bet 4.00, and I called. He showed A9 and I took it down with my AQ.

Later on (after turning a full house with 9-4 in my BB and not getting much action) I looked down at KdTd in MP. I raised, and only Wojuu called in his BB. The flop was 4-A-A, he checked, and I checked behind. The turn was a T. He checked, and for some reason, I checked again. The river came a Q, he checked and I also check. He has T-8. I win, but I think I misplayed that hand.

I chipped up, actually hit some flops, some top pairs and the like. I eventually got into a groove and starting playing SOME marginal hands again, but only in LP, and almost always opening the pot. Lost a small one when a guy in MP raised to 1.50 preflop and I was the sole caller in the BB with AKo. Flop was 2-2-3, and I checked, although I really really really should've bet there. He checked back, the turn was a Q, I checked, he bet 1.50, and I made a good call with the best hand. The river came a J, we went check check again and he showed KJ. I could’ve taken that one preflop, on the flop, on the turn, or maybe even on the river. You can tell that I still have some “outdraw jitters”.

My stack was built up nicely, then I missed a 15 outer in a big pot against AK. Then I ran my TT into 88 and AcQc on a 2c-8c-7s-Kc-Qh board. The AQ made it 1.50 preflop, I made it 4.00 with my TT on the button. 88 called in the BB, and so did the AQ in EP. They both checked the flop, I bet 6.00, and both called. On the turn the BB bet 5.50, EP raised it to 14.00, and I obviously folded. The Kc is the worst scare card ever in that spot. I still lost a lot of chips there though.

A couple hands later I had AJ in the BB and checked, seeing a two-way flop with a loose player in LP. The flop was 5-9-5, I checked, he bet 1.00, and I called. The turn was a J, giving me two pair with the best kicker. I checked, and he bet 5.00. I called, and the river was a third 5. He checked, and I bet 8.00. He called instantly and tabled 99, for a flopped full house. I was taken aback by the way he played that hand, and it cost me.

I watched my booming profit for the day slip through my fingers, and before long I was down again. I made a flush and boosted my stack a little, only to have it tumble again when I missed a 12-outer in a pot that could've doubled me up. I kept fighting, scrapping, taking the small pots, and just being as levelheaded as a man can be when he runs his overpair of tens into second set and the nut flush on the turn in a huge pot.

I caught AA twice, both times in my SB, and both times winning small pots (one as small as .50). Frustrating, for sure.

Then in four consecutive hands I had 55, 33, 77, and AJ. I raised with each, got re-raised in two occasions, missed every flop, and lost all four pots, two of which were quite large. With the 55, I fired three bullets at a 4-K-T-7-7 board, and the guy made a 10.00 call on the river with KT. With 33, I was 95% sure the guy was bluffing when he bet out at a 5-K-K-4 board. I called and the river came another 5, counterfeiting my hand.

I went from solid, tight, agressive to loose, unlucky and terrible in a matter of minutes. And any comeback was nixed when I couldn't fold my KJ to a guy who had just called my raise preflop on a board of A-K-Q-J-7. He of course had AK. I am simply fed up with poker right now. I don't know how else to put it- I'm starting to loose confidence in myself and my game and I'm beginning to wonder if all my success was just luck, and now I'm reaping what I've sown over the last four years. My mind is shot and I'm giving up for a while. Who knows when my next post will be.

-The Gerk-

07/15/07 Still Struggling...

It seems like something is missing from my game right now. It has been this way for the last couple of days, and somehow I've kept my head above water until last night. I'm not being dealt any hands, so I've been getting creative with the only playable garbage I'm being dealt- JT, QT, K9, A8, those type of hands. The result has been catastrophic. I'm also not hitting any flops, or worse yet, when I do, I'm catching middle or bottom pair and if I bet I'll get raised and have to fold. I am not afraid to admit that I am playing scared right now, and while I'm usually the table leader, I have slid down to the bottom of the pack and become the table bitch. Every play I make seems to be caught. Every continuation bet is raised. Every slowplay is checked down. Every JJ is met by a AKQ flop. You know the feeling? It is gut wrenching. I won't get into details about how much I've given away in the last couple days, but it hasn't been pretty. I'm considering stepping back down to .10/.25NL and getting my bearings back. I won't let myself play again today, and if I do tomorrow, it will be on a very short leash. I am looking forward to mixed games Monday night and a day off of work Tuesday- I think I need some "me time".

-The Gerk-

07/14/07 Got it All Back and Then Some

Vindication.

You just can't keep a good man down, not at the poker table anyway.

Into the third hour of my .25/.50NL Hold'em session I was just about to call it quits, as you may have read in my previous blog entry. But since I posted last, a lot has changed. Here's a rundown of the last 30 minutes:

Things would get worse before they would get better. I was still missing flops and floating in between 8.00 and 20.00 at the table (as I mentioned before, I was making a conscious choice not to reload). I opened a pot in MP with 89 of clubs, and only the BB called. The flop came down 2h-Ks-9d, and he checked it to me. I was pretty sure my hand was good here, and I bet out 1.50. He called very quickly. The turn was the 3 of diamonds, which he checked to me. I fired out another "where am I?" bet, this time 3.00, and he called. The river was the 6 of diamonds, and he checked again. This time my fear of being outdrawn saved me, and I insta-checked behind him. He tables 9d4d and takes a hefty pot. The sick thing is that my 8 kicker would have played on that board too. At this point I am down to 7.00.

I worked my way back up, just ignoring the beats and fighting on, blissful in the face of adversity. When shit like this happens, I just reassure myself that it has to happen. In order for me to be a great player, the only beats I am supposed to take are the bad ones. It is how I deal with them that seperates me from other low stakes players. Anyway, I doubled up when I called a button raise with KTo and pushed on the Q-J-K flop. He called, the turn came another K, and the river came a 7. I showed, he mucked, good enough.

Then I went on a "Pokerstars super-rush" (thanks to Ian for the term). I was dealt KdKs in MP. A loose player opened for 1.50 UTG+1 and I re-popped to 4.00. The guy in the SB called and so did the initial raiser. The flop came J-8-2 all diamonds; the SB checked, and the EP raiser bet 2.00. I push for 9.50. SB folds and UTG thinks for maybe 15 seconds and makes the call. The turn is the 2h, and the river is the 6d. He shows 9cTd, for a flopped open-ender and a medium diamond draw. My second nut flush is good.

At this juncture I am down only 3.00 for the day and I wouldn't mind quitting and cutting my losses. But just as I'm about to leave the table, I watch myself receive the EXACT same hand as last time- KdKs. And just like the previous hand, the loose player (now UTG) raises to 1.50. And as if it were deja vu all over again, I re-raised to 4.00. This time, a guy in LP calls and it folds around to UTG who also calls. The flop is a much more pleasant 8s-4s-4d. The initial raiser bets .50 (WTF?!?!), I just call, assuming I'm dodging only an Ace. Then the guy in LP makes it 5.50 to go. UTG throws it away and I think for a second. I'm not scared of this guy's hand whatsoever. He would've re-raised preflop with AA, he isn't going to to call a raise and a re-raise with any 4, and he's not going to jam the flop with 44 or 88. I push for about 20.00 more (about the pot size), hoping to take it down right there. He tanks, asks for time, and reluctantly makes the call. The turn is the 8h, and the river is the 9s. I worry for a split second about the flush draw getting there, but when I show KK, he mucks and I take down another enormous pot. I immediately left the table, up 26.00 for the day.

I've been thinking about that second KK extravaganza for a long time, and I'm trying to put him on a hand. I doubt he would've called 20.00 more after the flop with any pocket pair lower than the 8 on the board. He obviously didn't have a 4 or 8, and he obviously didn't have KK or AA. So what does that leave us? Well, although it is possible, I sincerely don't believe he made that call with AK. Although my image at that table was less than impeccable, I had just taken down a huge pot with KK the hand before and played this one almost exactly the same way. I also doubt that he had QQ, or else I believe he would have called my all-in a lot faster and may have even re-raised me preflop. This player was not an idiot by any means, and it is for that reason that his range of possible hands is incredibly small. In order for the sequence to make sense, he had to have precisely one of three hands- 99, TT, or JJ. Not quite strong enough to insta-call an all-in on a 8-4-4 flop, but certainly strong enough to call with in position in a big pot. Hell, if he flops a set, he may bust me and my opponent. I strongly believe he had either 99 or TT, and if I had to guess, I'd say 99. What do you think? Post in the forums under the topic "The Gerk's Poker Blog" and let me know how you see the situation.

-The Gerk-

07/14/07 Hey! Anyone Else Wanna Suck Out on Me?

Today I am running the worst I've run in recent memory. Twice I've run top-pair-top-kicker into bottom set, and twice I've had a flush beaten by a runner-runner full house. Nothing is working for me right now and I'm just trying to ride it out and minimize the damage. The second time my flush was runner-runnered, I almost folded the second nut flush for a 10.00 be on a board of J-8-7-8-5. I couldn't do it, and of course he had 85o. I am so sick right now. I was excited because I had a lot of time to play today, and now I just can't believe the spots I'm getting put in. My frustration is only fueled by the fact that everytime I wake up with AQ or AK, I either miss the flop or run into a set of fours. When I have a big hand preflop, I have to play it like a goddamn donk in order to even make any money off of it. And when I flop a big draw in a big pot in position, I'm never ever getting there. It feels like I'm running in shoulder-deep water. You fight and fucking fight and you just don't get anywhere. Even plays that are supposed to work aren't- I pushed with A-rag on the button for 1.9k in a tournament at the 50/100 level. There was lots of dead money in the pot, and the table was playing tight. But the BB woke up with 66 and decided to call of 80% his stack and I did not improve.

I'm only down half a buy-in right now, because I'm playing really well. I just can't get momentum and I'm playing more fearfully than usual, just anticipating that next bad beat. Fuck poker.

Post script: Well, nevermind the half-a-buy-in thing. I raised in MP with 89 of clubs and got one caller in EP. The flop came down 6h-Ks-8d, and he checked to me. I tried to represent the K and fired out 2.50. He called and the turn was the Qs. He checked, but I had a sick feeling that if I bet he was going to move in (I had a weird hunch that he had two spades). I checked back, and the river was the 4s. He fired out 4.00, and it didn't make any sense for him to have a K or Q, so I called despite my earlier worries. He had AJ of spades. So now I'm pretty much done. If I lose this buy-in I'm going to stay away from Hold'em cash games for a while- maybe play some stud of just take some time off to let my nerves settle.

-The Gerk-

07/13/07 Making the Wrong Reads for the Right Reasons

I didn't play much yesterday- I worked from 3:00am until 8:30am at the station and then I came home and messed around the site for a while with Mike. I sat down at a .25/.50 NL Hold'em table later in the day, but I had to leave after like 45 minutes. I played only one key hand, and it was the first time I entered a serious pot at the table. I had 99 in my BB and a loose guy made it 1.50 to go. He had just lost a good size pot, and I figured if I caught a decent flop he would probably double me up. The flop was more than decent; 9-7-3 rainbow. I check, he fires 2.50, and I perform one of those "fake tanks," and I call after 15 seconds of pseudo-deliberation. The turn is the case 9, which is probably a bad card for me, even though it makes me quads. I check, and he bets 5.00 this time. I called instead of raising here, and I think it was a mistake. If I min-raised, he'd probably have to call with any sort of hand. Anyway, the river was an A, another bad card for me assuming he didn't have one. I pushed for my last 12.00 and change, and he folded instantly. I'm not sure what he got aggressive with, but I have a sneaking suspicion he didn't even have a pair, and probably was only as strong as KJ. That pot was nice, but I can't help but wonder if I could've gotten more out of him. I ended my session up around 10.00.

Today I worked the morning shift again and was tired when I got home. I slept most of the afternoon, but when I got up I was refreshed and ready to gamble. I'm learning something about myself as a poker player- If I am tired, I will very often neglect to play a cash game because I think I have to work harder and pay more attention in order to be successful. Also, my mistakes will cost my much more of my bankroll. On the other hand, I think I'm a better tournament player when I'm exhausted- I can just tune out, pick my spots, and wait for an exciting situation to stimulate my interest.

I hopped on a .25/.50NL Hold'em table and posted my .50 to join play. I was dealt QT on the first hand, and it folded around to me on the cutoff. I check, the button makes it 1.50 to play, and both blinds fold. I had my cursor over "fold," and truly there is no reason for me to gamble with a marginal hand out of position in my first hand at the table. But he could be raising with anything, against three blind hands in position. So I call, and the flop is T 8 3, all clubs. I have the Q of clubs. I check, he bets 3.00, and that tells me right away I'm probably good. Unless he's defending an AT with no club or a hand like JJ, it doesn't make sense for him to bet that much here. I didn't think he was nearly that strong, so I minraised to 6.00. He called very quickly, and the turn was another small club. I don't really like my hand, even though it's the third nuts. In fact, my initial read was that he had a raggy King or Ace before the flop, and it might as well be a club. I check it, and he bets 6.00. It's amazing how much you can learn just by looking at a guy's bet size. I insta-push and he calls immediately, which kinda scared me, but the river was another 3 and when I showed my Q-high flush he mucked. Because he called the all-in so fast, I think he must've had a hand like JT with the J of clubs- nothing else really makes sense here.

After that I mucked around for a while and got in a bad pot where I check raised with T4 of spades on a 10-high, two spade flop. The guy called me really quick and I slowed down on the A of hearts turn, and he checked it back. The river was a non-spade Q, I checked and he bet 4.00. I'm not sure why I called, there weren't many hands I could beat. Him having a big hand just didn't make sense, I guess. Well, I was right about that- he turned over a missed flushed draw... but it was the KJ of spades, also giving him the runner-runner nut straight. A little while later I got that money back in a raised 4-way flop when I bet on the button with AT into a board of J-J-7. I took that one down.

Then I got in another sick pot with 24 of diamonds in the SB. The flop had a 4 and two diamonds. I bet out, got one called on the button. The turn was my fifth diamond, I bet again, and he raised. I meant to just call, but I mis-clicked minraise, and he reraised over that. I didn't know what to think, but I called and the river put another diamond on the board and it probably saved me some money. I checked, he put me in, and I reluctantly folded. I lost some more pots later on, like running AT into AK on a raggedy A-high board. I'm down 10.00 for the session right now, and I'm kind of tilting but I'm still fighting the good fight at the table. So I'm gonna cut this blog short and try to make some money.

Postscript: Yeah, I was tilting alright. I busted quite shittily. I'm leaving the table and getting some dinner.

-The Gerk-

07/11/07 The Other Side of Variance

Pokerstars had been pretty good to me lately- granted, over the last few months I have been playing the best I ever have, but I've also been running well online. As all serious players know, however, what goes up must come down and all of us will have endure extended stretches of bad luck. I've been facing a little bit of the ugly side of expected variance over the last few days, but I think I am handling it well.

Over a two day span I dropped close 100.00 at .25/.50NL tables. In one situation, I was up a little bit when a crazy hand came up. Let's play a little game of "Hand Analysis;" I'll give you all of the information and you try to put me and my opponent on a hand (The actual hands will be revealed at the end of this post). I am at a loose table where players love to take flops. When there are preflop raises, they are mostly 5-8 times the BB so that they scare away at least a few limpers. I have roughly 25.00 in chips at this juncture. There are 3 limpers ahead of me, and I limp from the cutoff. The button folds, the SB completes, and the BB checks his option. The flop comes down 3-4-5 rainbow. The SB bets out 1.00, the BB folds as do two limpers, one limper calls, and I bump it to 3.00. The SB calls as does the limper. The turn is the 8 of hearts, putting two hearts on the board. The SB pushes for 11.00, the limper folds, and I insta-call. The river comes down a second four (non-heart). So what happened? Who has the best hand and what is it?

Later on at another table I raised in LP with AT of spades. The BB called and so did a limper in MP. The flop came A-7-7, the SB bet out and the limper folded. I promptly made a raise to see where I was at, and the SB just called. I was perplexed at this point. It's hard to put him on a 7 or a bigger Ace, but both are a distinct possibility. Had I not already been down a buy-in+ for the day (and obviously a little on tilt) I would have just called on the flop and kept this pot small- but I can't make excuses now. We went check-check on the irrelevant turn, which further fueled my belief that I had the best hand. He checked another low card on the river and I bet out 4.00 on the river, assuming I was getting value for my hand. I knew now he didn't have a seven, and the only bigger Ace that this player wouldn't re-raise me preflop with is AJ. He quickly calls and sure enough, he has AJ. I am now pretty much on full tilt. I donked off another 20.00 in a pot when I had raised it preflop with KQ of clubs and picked up an open ended straight draw and flush draw on a J-T-5 flop. I bet, he called, and the turn came a Q. I bet and he moved in having me covered. I called, and I was a favorite to pretty much anything but a set...or K9, which he turned out to have. The river bricked for me and I couldn't help but laugh at myself and sign off Pokerstars.

Later in the day and into the next I mounted a valiant comeback, cutting my losses in the two day period to only 25 bucks. I got my deposit bonus from Pokerstars the same day though, so technically my bankroll is higher now than it was three days ago. My resurgence was fast and violent, with three primary hands netting me the bulk of my profit.

In one hand a tight player raised it up to 2.50 in MP. I have two black Aces, and acting immediately behind him, I decide to do something I hardly ever do- just flat call and hope he hangs himself after the flop. This player played maybe 10% of his hands, and I had yet to see him raise preflop. I could easily put him on a big pair, and nothing short of AQ. Anyway, the flop fell 6-T-J with two hearts. He bet 4.00, and I decided to overbet and push for my last 17.00. He paused for a moment and seemed to realize he was beat, but he couldn't throw away his QQ. The turn and river bricked and I doubled up. Later on I opened an unraised pot in LP with A8 of clubs. The SB called, the BB called and a limper in MP called. The flop comes down 9-9-T, with two clubs. The SB bets 1.00, the BB folds, the limper calls. I raise to 3.00- the SB calls and the limper calls. The turn is the 6 of clubs. The SB checks, the limper checks, and I bet 5.00. The SB tanks and then asks for time. He eventually calls, and the limper goes into the tank himself. 20 seconds later he folds and the river is the A of hearts. The SB checks and I immediately push him in for his last 7.35. He thinks for a long time again, and then eventually calls and mucks. The SB had to have a 9, and the limper must have had a big T, maybe AT or KT. Either way, I'm running well now.

The last hand of interest came a few rotations later. I made it 1.50 to go in MP with AJo, and only the SB called. The flop was A-3-3, he checked, and I bet 2.00. He called pretty quickly and the turn came a deuce. He checked again and I bet 3.50. He called and at this point I was very afraid of a hand like 43 or 45. I was planning on checking it down if he didn't bet the river, and possibly folding if he made a sizeable bet. My plans were dramatically changed when the river came an A, completing my full house. He checked and I bet 5.00. He thought for a few seconds and called, then mucked. He told me in the chat box that he had 22, then said "Nice river fish." To which I replied, "Nice turn."

-The Gerk-

P.S. In the hand I broke down earlier in this post, I held 67o for the nut straight on the flop and turn, and my opponent held 84 of diamonds, for a runner-runner full house.

07/11/07 Hold'em Tourneys and Mixed Games

I put in a solid 5 hour live session last night with some friends. We played two four handed NL Hold'em tournaments with ten minute levels and unlimited rebuys through the third level. We started with $20.00 in chips, with blinds beginning at .25/.50 and progressing from there. Basically, it was a great chance for me to donk off some money. I built a nice chiplead early in the first tournament, then I gave about a fifth of my stack away on a hand where i semi-bluffed with a gut-buster on the turn and fired out a pot-sized bet when the river bricked, only to be re-raised all-in. Early in the third level I pulled a similar play that worked out even worse. In an unraised pot with three players, the flop came down Q-T-5. It was checked around to me on the button, and I elected to take a free card with 69s. The turn came an 8, giving me essentially 8 outs to the nuts, with any J or 7 making me the straight. The SB bet out, the BB called, and so did I, getting almost 6:1 on my draw. The river came another ten, and both players checked to me. I bet out 3.50, and the SB minraised to 7.00. The BB folded and I had one of two options- fold, and surrender another pot with a failed bluff, or move in and try to take it down. I thought that there was a reasonable chance that the SB was just trying to put me off of my hand, assuming I was taking another stab at a pot I didn't belong in. And if I moved in, he wold be unable to call me with anything less than a T. Well, long story short, I pushed and he insta-called and tabled QT. Whoops. I rebought, tightened up, and rebuilt a chiplead. Once we got to the fourth level no one really wanted to go broke, so I was able to attack the blinds relentlessly with next to nothing. After my rebuy, I moved in on 3 of the next 4 hands. Eventually I got it heads-up and I was outchipped about 2.5:1. I got it close to even before falling back to where I started; then came my demise. The blinds were huge and I made it 3x the BB with Q9 on the button, and he pushed over the top. I was pretty much committed and probably live, so I called and he turned over AK. Not a bad spot to be in, but I didn't improve despite picking up an open-ender and a flush draw on the turn.

In the second tournament things moved quickly and I had just about doubled up by the end of the first level. Four handed, I picked up 44 on the button and raised it to 3x the blind. The SB called, the BB pushed with his short stack, and we both made the call. The flop came J-8-4, and the SB bet out, informing me that he had the Jack, which was obviously great news for me. I moved in over the top and he called with J10. Before the turn was dealt he said "Well, at least I've got outs." The turn came another J, and he leapt from his chair and started celebrating, apparently unaware that three Jacks doesn't beat 4's full. The river bricked out and I made fun of him relentlessly. The BB chose to rebuy, but he was nearly felted again the very next hand when I raised with AT suited, and eventually called a 4.00 river bet on a 6-6-2-9-6 board. Before long, I was heads-up against the most loose and unpredictable player in our game (the same guy who felted me with QT in the last tourney). We exchanged blinds for the first few hands, with each of us raising our buttons and trying to establish momentum. Only about a dozen hands into heads-up play he minraised on the button. I looked down to see two glorious tens, and I moved all-in over the top for several reasons. One, the blinds are high and taking down his raise would give me a quality-sized pot. Two, by pushing I let him know that I'm not going to let him keep raising my blind without me attacking back. And three, because it is almost a certainty that TT is the best hand here. He thinks for a second, looks at our chipstacks, and then says "Okay, I call." He turns over A5o and I'm in great shape to win it all. But sometimes in poker stupidity is rewarded, and the flop came down A-high and I was crippled. I pushed the next hand with K2 and he called with A7. I did not improve and took second place (again.)

After hold'em we played mixed games for a few hour, with 15 minute cycles of NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, Razz, and Seven Card Stud. I was doing well for myself early, then was down late before shooting back up with a late push in the last Stud and Omaha rounds. I ended the night up 15.00 in the mixed games, and most of my pots were won just chipping away without any enormous confrontations. I took down a nice Omaha pot with Ah-Kh-7h-5c when I called pot sized bet on the flop with the nut flush draw and an inside straight draw. I made the nuts with a heart on the turn, and checked behind when my opponent checked it to me. He checked the river, I potted, and he called almost immediately. He claims he had a smaller flush, but the way he played it doesn't really encourage me to believe him. My biggest pot in stud probably came when I caught a set of fours on 5th street and called a guy down who bet each street with Ks. He made two pair on seventh street and I made a good chunk of change. In the second round of Hold'em I raised in the SB with AA and got called by the loose BB. The flop came Q-high, I checked, he bet, and I called. The turn was a blank, I checked, he bet again, and I moved in. After some deliberation he called with Q4, and thankfully the river bricked out for him.

All in all I made out a 25.00 winner in what is a pretty social game where the poker is second to the camaraderie. Not a bad night at all.

-The Gerk-

07/10/07 Up and Down in the Cash Games

I just lost two monster pots in four consecutive hands at the .10/.25 NL tables. Here's how they went down.

I catch KK on my first hand at the table. I bump it to 1.00. One caller, flop is T high. He checks, I fire 1.50, he folds, so far so good.

The very next hand I pick up AKs in late position. I limp, the button raises to 1.25, the SB calls and so do I. Flop is T high again. SB checks, I check, button bets 1.50. I usually would put in a raise here, but the SB repops to 4.00. I fold, no big deal.

The VERY NEXT HAND I have KQ on the cutoff. A guy in middle position raises it to 1.00 and I call and so does the BB. Flop is QA7. BB checks, the raiser bets 1.00. I smooth call, the BB folds. The turn is a beautiful Q. The original raiser bets 2.00, I just call looking to set him up on the river. The river comes an offsuit 8; there are no straight or flush possibilities. He bets 3.00 and an alarm goes off in my head. Someone in the back of my brain is screaming at me to just call, maybe he has AA. Well, I didn't listen and pushed for my last 3.70 and he insta-called with 77.

I rebuy, and the very next hand I am dealt 66. I raise to .75, a guy re-raises to 1.50. It folds around to me, and I make an automatic call, hoping to flop a set and get my damn money back. The flop is an ugly KQQ. I check, surrendering the pot. He thinks for a moment, then checks behind. I immediately think he might have a hand like JJ. The turn is a 3. I think about betting, but I just check. He insta-checks behind me. What the fuck? The river is a glorious 6, giving me 6's full of Q's. I bet 2.00 into a pot of 3.50. He tanks for maybe 20 seconds and pushes. I quickly call and he tables... KK. Fucking sick.

But I don’t quit, running into bad situations doesn’t mean I played those hands badly. In retrospect, the most I could’ve possibly salvaged in those two big pots was my last 3.70 against the 77. But the guy could have just as easily had QJ, QT, or AK, and I have seen crazier plays made at low limits with total rags in that spot. I buy in at a .25/.50 NL table, and my first hand there I pick up A2 of diamonds in the BB. The button minraises.50 to me, and I call, there are three players to the flop. It comes down 4 5 T two diamonds, giving me the nut flush draw and an inside straight draw. I check, the guy in middle position checks, and the button bets 2.00. I think he is completely full of shit, and if he has a hand as strong as JT I would be shocked. I call, and the guy in middle position immediately makes it 4.00 to go. I put him on an overpair, probably JJ or QQ. The button calls, and so do I, getting almost 5:1 with what could be as many as 15 outs and two pulls at the deck. The turn is another ten. This is a pretty terrible card for me, because if my read was wrong and one player has 44 or 55, I am drawing dead. (I also can’t bluff if I miss my draw, because any player with a T will make the call. I check, MP bets out, button raises, and I fold. End of story. (Turns out the button had T7, and the guy in MP mucked.)

I lost 5 bucks in my first hand at the table, and so far things aren’t looking very good for me today. A few hands later, I get some money back. I limp from the cutoff in a 5-way pot with J8 of spades and the flop comes down JK6. The SB bets out 1.00, and it folds around to me. I don’t know what to think here. I just call, looking to set her up on the turn or river to make her lay down a weak K or J. The turn is another 6. She fires again, 1.50, and I insta-call. For some reason, I am thoroughly convinced now that my hand is good. The river came down a 2, and she put me to the test. She fired out 4.50, about a pot sized bet. I don’t think for more than 5 seconds before I click “call”. She tables Q4 off-suit, complete rags. I take down a nice pot.

A few hands later I find AKo in my SB. It is raised by a loose cannon of a player in middle position, and the button has already called. I just smooth call, looking for a chance to disguise my hand. The flop is 2 7 K. I check, knowing MP will fire. He does, a value-ish bet of 1.00. The button quickly calls and I check-raise to 3.00. MP calls and the button tanks for a moment before folding. The turn is a scary 7. I could totally see this player raising pre-flop with a rag A7. I slow down and check, and he fires 4.00. The wheels are spinning in my head. I don’t think he has a seven, and the only way I can call is if I think he has a weaker King. I feel sick but I call the 4.00. The river is a harmless 5. I check, and he moves all-in, having me covered. The only way I could call on the turn is if I know he doesn’t have the seven, and I figure that since I’ve come this far, I need to stick to my read. I call and he shows K4. I rake a huge pot, doubling up my buy-in.

Now I actually have a profit for the day. I leave the .25/.50 table and go back to grinding the .10/.25 NL. I battle for another 45 minutes or so, and finish my short (but tumultuous) session up ten bucks. They say that profit of 5 big bets in an hour is pretty solid in limit hold’em. Although I played no-limit, I have to assume that making 40 BB’s in an hour’s worth of work isn’t too bad.

Yesterday I was playing moderately well, and an interesting hand came up. I had about a double buy-in in chips at a .10/.25 table, and I limped with 44 in late position. There were five to the flop, which came down K 5 4 rainbow. Right now, I’m soiling my drawers with excitement over what a nice pot I’m about to take down. One guy bets .50, another guy calls, the next one folds, and the next guy re-raises to 2.00. Could he really have AK? Oh boy! I just smooth call, and the other two guys fold. The turn is a 6 of diamonds, putting two diamonds on the board. He bets 4.00. I push, he insta-calls. My brain screams “OH FUCK,” and I know his hand before his cards are even tabled: 55. I lose a nice chunk of chips, but I end up recovering later on to break even for the day. Nobody likes set over set, unless you’re the guy with the bigger set. I’ve been playing so much PL Omaha lately that I’m surprised that I couldn’t fold that hand. But for some reason my poker brain is conditioned to switch gears from undervaluing big hands in Omaha to overvaluing moderate hands in hold’em. Although I am prone to losing some pots in both games with that mindset, I am also able to break down confusing situations and make some amazing hero calls that turn me a profit in the long run.

In the hold’em level of a mixed game the other day I limped with 55 and the flop came down 689, and I checked to the button, who bet the pot. I know he is the kind of guy who commits a lot of chips with his draws, so I call, hoping to slow him down. The turn is a 2. I check, he checks. I am almost completely sure he has just a 7. The river comes another brick, a 3. I check, he bets the pot again. I go into the tank, trying to suck my balls up into my chest and make the call. I mutter something Hellmuth-esque about what a great call this would be, and then I counted out the call. He is usually a talkative player, but he was completely silent here. I found that very odd, and it only strengthened my read. I fired in the call and he said “you got it.” I triumphantly tabled my 55 and took down the pot.

I’m about to play a 4-5 hour live session with some friends of mine. We usually play a couple of NL Hold’em tournaments followed by a mixed game with NL Hold’em, PL Omaha, Razz, and 7-Card Stud. Gotta Go.

-The Gerk-