Day two in Vegas was uneventful. I played in the 11 a.m. Mirage $60 buy-in and went out on the final table bubble. Average results playing no limit and some luck at the table games left me slightly ahead. I wandered off to the Venetian, where they were having a deepstack tournament with a $550 buy-in. I sat down at the 4/8 half kill omaha game and got on a real heater, cashing out for about $250 over my buy in. I had been down to only $16 at one time from my $110 starting stack. Great night and a very nice poker room.
Day 3 (Thursday) again started with the Mirage tournament. I was seated with the most annoying player you can imagine. He was a big, tall Swede who was sh_t faced drunk when the game began. He annoyed everyone at our table by taking forever to muck his cards...hmmmm, shall I call, hmmmm....nope....fold. However, he was drunk lucky and kept wiping people out or doubling them up. I commented to the guy sitting next to me that he "probably will win the tournament" as he was fairly clueless and either made horrible folds or lucky all-ins. I was catching lots of pairs, but all small ones. Pocket 7's 5 times, 4's, 3's, 10's twice and my big pair....jacks. When we got to the final 4 in the tournament I suggested that we do a 4 way split of $300 each, but Mr. Drunk lucky would not hear of it, being the chip leader. At this point he had been cut off from more alcohol by management and everyone was completely annoyed, particularly the dealers. I ended up heads up with him and just anxious to be done. Second paid around $260 and when I suggested a chop....he again refused. I decided to just shove every hand and get it over with. Miraculously I became the chip leader when my Q/5 hit two pair against his A/9. He had me with the same hand later and I was on the very short stack. We then jumped up in blinds (8/16,000 with 1000 antes) and he wanted a quick break. I reluctantly agreed since I was outchipped only to see him head for the bar (cut off in the poker room). I complained, they went to get him, and I proceeded to shove until I finally got him. The dealers all thanked me, and I won $560 for first.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
vegas part 1
Day one in Vegas is always very exciting. You are rested, filled with enthusiasm you can hardly wait to hit the tables, and are not bloated from eating at the buffets. The weather was a big disappointment. It had been in the low 80's but dropped to the 50's for two days, only warming up today as we left. Staying at Treasure Island was a minor inconvenience. Their poker room is small and not very active (for reasons I will get into later), so we started playing at the Mirage, which is a convenient tram ride next door. It is one of my favorite places to play, small and fairly intimate with fair table service and usually lots of easy tourist pickings. I jumped in to a 1/2 no limit game and just traded dollars most of the time. I got all-in with a big hand pocket aces only to have the other player have the other two aces. I survived a near disaster when he almost rivered a flush. One other all-in doubled me up and decided to drop out of the game and relax with a simple 3/6 game. There were bonus quad and straight flush opportunities and lots of easy tourists, but my cards were pretty dead and I just broke even.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Unbelievable
I had a very bad feeling when I got my table draw on Friday night. The dealer was Clydene, who I have had problems with before on my right and a guy who has won many tournaments on my left. He is a noted ATC luckbox just so you know. Early on I played 4/5 suited in the blind. He limped UTG with 6/7 offsuit. The flop? 6/6/7 giving me the open ender to draw dead to. I bet small twice, missing thankfully, then when a 5 came on the river I check called his 200 bet. Oh well, it could have been much more painful.
The painful hand came later when I looked down at pocket kings in the small blind with about 5 limpers at $80 BB. I raised to $340 and everyone folded except ATC in the BB. The flop was 8/9/J rainbow. I bet $600 into the 880 pot and he reraised all-in. I thought for just a second (not long enough) and called. He turns over Q/10 offsuit for a flopped straight. I am the first one out of the tournament. What I should have done is take time to run through the hands he may have called with preflop: 88, 99, 1010,JJ, AA, QQ, AK, AQ, AJ. I really cannot imagine anyone calling a big out of position raise with Q/10 here, but I should have given him credit for flopping a set. Of those hands, I think the most likely shove would be 10/10 with the one overcard and open ended straight draw. Any flopped set, you let the other guy bet it for you. Aces probably shoves, and queens too as they would be afraid of straight cards coming. Anyway, an unhappy ending for my quest for Vegas cash. Leaving Tuesday morning and planning on playing mostly tournaments.
The painful hand came later when I looked down at pocket kings in the small blind with about 5 limpers at $80 BB. I raised to $340 and everyone folded except ATC in the BB. The flop was 8/9/J rainbow. I bet $600 into the 880 pot and he reraised all-in. I thought for just a second (not long enough) and called. He turns over Q/10 offsuit for a flopped straight. I am the first one out of the tournament. What I should have done is take time to run through the hands he may have called with preflop: 88, 99, 1010,JJ, AA, QQ, AK, AQ, AJ. I really cannot imagine anyone calling a big out of position raise with Q/10 here, but I should have given him credit for flopping a set. Of those hands, I think the most likely shove would be 10/10 with the one overcard and open ended straight draw. Any flopped set, you let the other guy bet it for you. Aces probably shoves, and queens too as they would be afraid of straight cards coming. Anyway, an unhappy ending for my quest for Vegas cash. Leaving Tuesday morning and planning on playing mostly tournaments.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Online Freeroll
The first money I ever made online was in a freeroll. I won a pot limit omaha tournament with several thousand players and won the princely sum of $7.00. This enabled me to play in very low limit cash games and eventually into larger buy in tournaments. I have never deposited into my account and have been playing off the original money ever since. Have even been able to "sell" some of my winnings by taking cash and transferring money into other people's accounts.
Yesterday I came very close to cashing in another freeroll. There were 3,883 entrants and I ended up 27th (paid 18 places). What was interesting was that I took a dinner break late in the tournament and was surprised to come back with around 100 people left and still having 15,000 chips ( I left with 40,000). My first hand back was pocket 3's and decided to just shove with 2/4000 blinds plus antes. I doubled up when they held up against AK. Back in the hunt I ultimately shoved with pocket 5's and was called by another short stack with A/9 that had me covered. Here is the sick part. The flop was Q/6/x, the turn was a 6, the river....queen.... for two higher pair on the board, counterfeiting my two pair with the ace playing. I hate freerolls.
My friend Bob is in Salem this week visiting and called to see if I wanted to meet him at Spirit Mountain today. Does Frosty have snow balls? I was all over the invite until I realized that tonight is the American Legion tournament plus next week Bob, Geoff, Ron and I are going to Vegas, so decided to try to build up my bankroll here.
Yesterday I came very close to cashing in another freeroll. There were 3,883 entrants and I ended up 27th (paid 18 places). What was interesting was that I took a dinner break late in the tournament and was surprised to come back with around 100 people left and still having 15,000 chips ( I left with 40,000). My first hand back was pocket 3's and decided to just shove with 2/4000 blinds plus antes. I doubled up when they held up against AK. Back in the hunt I ultimately shoved with pocket 5's and was called by another short stack with A/9 that had me covered. Here is the sick part. The flop was Q/6/x, the turn was a 6, the river....queen.... for two higher pair on the board, counterfeiting my two pair with the ace playing. I hate freerolls.
My friend Bob is in Salem this week visiting and called to see if I wanted to meet him at Spirit Mountain today. Does Frosty have snow balls? I was all over the invite until I realized that tonight is the American Legion tournament plus next week Bob, Geoff, Ron and I are going to Vegas, so decided to try to build up my bankroll here.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Online Success
Playing in some small online tournaments (45-300 players) I have been meeting some success this week with 3 final tables (one second, one 8th, and one 9th place finish). Would have (couldhave,shouldhave) won the second place finish...had the guy covered when he slow played pocket aces. I flopped the open ender with flush draw...which hit on the turn. He rivered another club to get me with his ace of clubs. Oh well.
I am meeting with mixed results in my omaha cash games. They are just nuts with people jamming preflop with inferior hands. Example: pot raises with A/3, or QQ stuff like that. I pretty routinely just call preflop, even with monsters like AA23 double suited. The flop just destroys so many great starting hands.
I am meeting with mixed results in my omaha cash games. They are just nuts with people jamming preflop with inferior hands. Example: pot raises with A/3, or QQ stuff like that. I pretty routinely just call preflop, even with monsters like AA23 double suited. The flop just destroys so many great starting hands.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Nemesis
There always seems to be one person who really hurts you in poker. Tonight at the American Legion I ran into one. The evening started poorly with me being asked to deal one of the four tables. I really hate that as it distracts from my play, but i reluctantly agreed. The table was pretty good to me, and being on table 3 I finally got to be a regular player when we got down to 2. I made the final table, but was fairly short stacked. I finally go really lucky when I pushed with A/8 offsuit in the small blind and was called by the big blind with KQ offsuit. I caught an 8 on the flop and runner runner 8's for quads, which knocked off the high hand of AAAKK. It pays $88 and with only 7 players left, looked like it would stand up. This is where my nemesis comes in. One guy flops quad aces and kicks my 8's off the board. A few hands later he raises to 6,000 (blinds 1 and 2,000) with AQ. I reraise with pocket 10's all in for 5000 more and he calls. The flop was low, but an ace hit on the turn and I am out of the tournament in 6th place for a $92 win. It was bittersweet since there were two short stacks at the table that probably would have gone under first, and I would have moved up substantially in the money.......but, I was playing for 1st place and not just a few bucks more.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Tough Tournament Decision
Playing in the final last night for the 10 day Wildhorse Poker Roundup package I got on an early heater. Beginning the final with 35,000 in chips with 500/1000 blinds I was in average or slightly above chip count. I had decided early on to play aggressively and took down the first pot with pocket 4's against the tournament leader. I then went on a heater, getting pocket 7's (lost), pocket 10's (won), pocket queens (won) and AK (won). I had almost doubled up in the first 1/2 hour and was now around 4th in the tournament with about 60,000. That is when my trouble hit.
In middle position I look down at AQ of diamonds. I raise to 3500 and get two callers ....both big stacks that have me covered. The flop? Hallelujah! Q/J/10 with two diamonds. I think briefly about my bet sizing and decide to bet 10,000 into the 12000 pot, representing a big hand, but perhaps fearful of diamonds...which would be my dream turn card if someone was on a diamond draw, also protecting against the flopped open ender of 9/10 or AK gutshot. The first limper announced raise and the button quickly mucked. To be honest, I can't even remember what his raise was, a minraise here is 10,000, but I looked at the board and too quickly reraised all-in.
What went through my mind was:
1. He probably thought I caught air and was playing too aggressively.
2. He probably has the same hand, but I have a backup plan with the flush draw.
3. He was slow playing a monster AA or KK against my raise, but I still have 12 outs against kings and 9 against aces.
4. He flopped a set, same outs as kings.
5. He had AK for a flopped straight (really not that, since I think he slow plays it a little but perhaps fearful of flush draw.)
Anyway, the pot was offering me tremendous odds against any of these hands as the total pot size was 40,000 without my reraise and I was not a huge dog. With my all-in I was getting 3/1 with about 2/1 against me. I had a chance to become the massive chip leader and almost knock out one of the big stacks.
He turns over Q/J offsuit!!! for two pair. I fail to improve and he has me barely covered. I am the first one out. Wow!
In reviewing this I see several mistakes on my part.
1. Pot Control. With a huge hand and bigger draw I should have made a smaller continuation bet. This would have shielded me from the big reraise. If I bet 5,000 on the flop and he reraises me to 10 or 15,000 I have excellent odds to call and go for the flush on the turn without risking my stack. Also this would give good odds to the last limper if he had a draw.
2. Not being able to see the forest for the trees. This is hand I can lay down this early and still have a lot of chips. The deck has been kind to me so far, so why risk my tournament on one hand. This is the most compelling mistake I made.
3. Not taking enough time for big decisions. I should have taken more time, asking for chip counts, exactly figuring odds, making him think more. I might have changed my mind about my shove.
4. Realizing the impossibility of me hitting a 15 outer.
Anyway, I was disappointed and disgusted with my play. If I had hit my flush or bigger two pair I would have looked like a genius, but that is poker. That said, the prize package was nice, but really only worth about $3500 and would not have been able to use much of it as I will be in Vegas that week, baby!
In middle position I look down at AQ of diamonds. I raise to 3500 and get two callers ....both big stacks that have me covered. The flop? Hallelujah! Q/J/10 with two diamonds. I think briefly about my bet sizing and decide to bet 10,000 into the 12000 pot, representing a big hand, but perhaps fearful of diamonds...which would be my dream turn card if someone was on a diamond draw, also protecting against the flopped open ender of 9/10 or AK gutshot. The first limper announced raise and the button quickly mucked. To be honest, I can't even remember what his raise was, a minraise here is 10,000, but I looked at the board and too quickly reraised all-in.
What went through my mind was:
1. He probably thought I caught air and was playing too aggressively.
2. He probably has the same hand, but I have a backup plan with the flush draw.
3. He was slow playing a monster AA or KK against my raise, but I still have 12 outs against kings and 9 against aces.
4. He flopped a set, same outs as kings.
5. He had AK for a flopped straight (really not that, since I think he slow plays it a little but perhaps fearful of flush draw.)
Anyway, the pot was offering me tremendous odds against any of these hands as the total pot size was 40,000 without my reraise and I was not a huge dog. With my all-in I was getting 3/1 with about 2/1 against me. I had a chance to become the massive chip leader and almost knock out one of the big stacks.
He turns over Q/J offsuit!!! for two pair. I fail to improve and he has me barely covered. I am the first one out. Wow!
In reviewing this I see several mistakes on my part.
1. Pot Control. With a huge hand and bigger draw I should have made a smaller continuation bet. This would have shielded me from the big reraise. If I bet 5,000 on the flop and he reraises me to 10 or 15,000 I have excellent odds to call and go for the flush on the turn without risking my stack. Also this would give good odds to the last limper if he had a draw.
2. Not being able to see the forest for the trees. This is hand I can lay down this early and still have a lot of chips. The deck has been kind to me so far, so why risk my tournament on one hand. This is the most compelling mistake I made.
3. Not taking enough time for big decisions. I should have taken more time, asking for chip counts, exactly figuring odds, making him think more. I might have changed my mind about my shove.
4. Realizing the impossibility of me hitting a 15 outer.
Anyway, I was disappointed and disgusted with my play. If I had hit my flush or bigger two pair I would have looked like a genius, but that is poker. That said, the prize package was nice, but really only worth about $3500 and would not have been able to use much of it as I will be in Vegas that week, baby!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)