Happy Diwali

Awakened this morning predawn by massive fireworks right outside my window.  It is the festival of lights today, a big celebration that reminds me of the old 4th of Julys when we were allowed cherry bombs and M-80's.  Some really big stuff going off.

Last night took another ride, like an amusement park scary one in a motorized rickshaw.  The traffic is not to be believed....lots of motorbikes, bikes, pedestrians, cars and all zooming around chaotically.  Passing with inches to spare.

India

Safe arrival in India after two very long flights.  Jet lag claimed its first victim yesterday with me drifting in and out of sleep all day.  Visit to the dentist last night and found that implant is not doable on my time frame.  My extraction needs to heal some more and then too late for the bargain implant.  The drive to the appointment was insane.  The roads are impossibly narrow filled with pedestrians crossing and walking along the side of the road (no sidewalks).  The streets were wall to wall vehicles including bikes, motorcycles, cars and the occasional cow.  Everyone was weaving in and out with horns blaring.  This at night with a light rain falling.  You would have to see it to believe it.  Upside for everyone is that I will no longer complain about any traffic in the US.

Today everyone else caught up on sleep but I am up early.  Finally got my internet connection and played some real money poker.  Lost in small SNG then stacked twice in low limit NL game.  Maybe better to stick with the free stuff.

Stage 2 India Trip

Delayed for one day by housesitter/dogsitter change of plans we drove to Portland and picked up Amy for the drive to Seattle.  Miserable traffic and got there fairly late, around 7:00.  The packing was hilarious as we had lots of stuff and gifts that had to be distributed in multiple bags for customs limits.  Also had to make sure that all bags were under the 51 pound limit.  This took at least 3 hours.  Whew!

This morning was car shuffle time as street parking downtown runs $5.00 an hour.  Amy will drive to Portland tomorrow in my car with Meg's dog, Lola.  The shuttle is due here in a couple of hours and we are nearly ready.  Shuttle driver running a little late and need to pickup two more passengers at the Edgewater.  Hwy 99 is a mess due to the demolition of the Alaskan viaduct beginning this weekend (prepare for "carmegeddon"  Monday Seattle).  We arrive at the airport in plenty of time, no line to check bags at British Airways, no line in security, we head for the duty free shop for more gifts.  Oh yes, was able to change my rupees back into dollars, no problem, only about a $25 exchange cost!!!  This is like the rake on a 2/4 game.  Plane is at the gate, leaving in about an hour and a half.  Looking forward to sitting comfortably with headphones on and catching up on my sleep.  Next post from India. 

The Longest Journey

It is said that the longest journey begins with a single step.  We have been taking a lot of steps for months preparing for our big trip to India.  First there was my passport renewal.  Then getting visas.  Then doctor appointments to figure out which shots we needed.  Then the series of shots themselves.  Buying airline tickets, checking out side trips, information about dental work there, getting some rupees ordered from the bank, buying "stuff" for the trip...clothes, mosquito spray, gifts for the family.  Finally, we are packed (almost) and ready to drive to Seattle today.  Our flight leaves tomorrow at 6:45 for Heathrow, a one hour connection to our flight to Chennai.  A total of around 22 hours in the air.  It should be interesting!

Poker connection....not much, but will take my laptop and may be able to get in a real money game or two online as my IP address is not U.S.  Anyway, gotta go walk the dog and throw a few last things in my suitcase.

New update, just found out we cannot bring rupees into India!!!  Now I gotta take them to the currency exchange at airport and pay to exchange back!!!!

Packing for trip is tricky, have been going for 2 hours splitting up stuff and making sure that we are not bringing too much valuable stuff in and hiding stuff that could get stolen.

Tells

Final Table No Cash

Another Friday night final table, but no cash.  I ended up going out in 10th place.  I had  a decent chip stack with 5000 as there were only 24 players, so only about 50,000 in play.  I had maybe 5000 with 400/800 blinds when I picked up pocket 10's on the button.  When it was folded to me I shoved and was called by a short stack big blind with AJ.  Naturally, he called for all but about 2200 of my chips, and also naturally he caught an ace on the flop.  Now severely short stacked, I shoved a couple of hands later with A/9 suited and was called by the same player with AK.  End of the night for me.  Pretty poor cards all night and not a good ending.   

Questions for My Prep for Tonight

As I think about tonight's tournament some questions about my play come to mind.  I am not doing well on line in the crappy free games and don't know for sure if I am playing bad or getting unlucky, or a combination of the two.

1.  Am I better off playing passively or aggressively?  It seems that when I am aggressive with my super big hands like aces or kings I get no action.  When aggressive with my middle pairs I just get crushed by overcards or overpairs.  When passive I allow every garbage hand in cheap and am asking for trouble.

2.  Seeing more flops?  It seems to me that I do not see enough flops, particularly in position.  I have to think more about what kind of pot odds are being offered with ATC good with enough limpers. 

3.  Raising out of position.  I am often being exploited when I limp then the big or small blind comes in for a raise.  Should I float the raise or just fold?  Should I be doing more of this myself?

4.  I keep forgetting the old "stop & go" play when short stacked in the blinds.  Rather than push with my hand, either pairs or big cards, it is often better to shove on the flop....any flop.  Can't forget this play, particularly when it is a scary blind flop like 2/2/3.

5.  I have to find a way to combat the loose ATC players tonight.  Any suggestions?  They will call virtually any raise with ATC once they have limped or even against an early position raise.  I am thinking that when they are in the hand I slow play any big hand to manage pot size then evaluate after the flop.  A big pot spells trouble usually as they will not release any pair and can catch 2 pair to snap you.

Not Playing Super Smart in $100 Tourney

Once a month we play a $100 buy in tournament at the American Legion.  I had high hopes as have been running good with two straight cashes there, plus lots of online wins.  My day started well playing very tight early on and winning a couple of small pots with pocket kings and aces.  A table broke and we drew new seats which turned out very bad for me.

I was seated next to a very loose player who had chipped up (and down) catching very lucky.  He had knocked out a great player when he called his all in A/10 suited with a Q/6 suited and made a straight with his 6.  With blinds at 200/400 and a 4000ish chip stack I raised to 1600 with 3 limpers and pocket 8's on the button.  Mr. loose caller and one other player called.  The flop was air for me J/10/7 and if I had any bluff aspirations, Mr. loose went all in before my action.  I snap folded and the other caller tanked for a moment before calling for all of his chips with KQ suited for an open ended straight draw.  Mr. Loose revealed his powerhouse KJ offsuit!  Total donk calling for 4x the BB with that.   It naturally held up and he doubled up.  The very next hand he min-raised to 800 and I discovered a K/Q offsuit.  With only 2100 in chips remaining I foolishly reraised all in hoping to catch him with a small pair, isolate him and get lucky.  He called, turned over A/J offsuit.  Not so bad I thought, two live cards and one undercard for him.  My calculator shows it as almost a coin flip.  The flop was great, small with a queen.  The turn a brick, then the ace on the river.....he caught a three outer bucking big odds.

My question to myself (and you) is:  would it have been better to smooth call the preflop raise, then shove when I caught my queen?  He probably would have checked the flop having missed, or even if he bet minimum might fold to the all in.  He was sooooo loose that I am thinking that my original play was best, trying to eliminate blinds and others from entering the pot.  Will never know for sure.

Dominated Hand on Final Table

Playing in the Legion tournament last night I again reached the final table short stacked.  Letting folks knock each other out I made the money cut with 6 places paid.  With 5 of us left and the second shortest stack, the short stack shoved for 3000.  I was in the BB with 1000 and a folded small button and the giant stack had limped.  I had A/10 suited and didn't think long before calling for about 1/2 my chips.  Ordinarily here I would shove to isolate, but did not have enough to get the very loose and very huge stack to fold.  The giant stack called too naturally.

The flop was pretty good for me (I thought):  Q/10/3 and I checked, expecting the button to check the all/in dry side pot too.  Wrong.  He is not an "experienced" player, and bet, putting me all in.  I thought he probably had the queen, but figured I had outs, and the pot was too big, and I had too few chips left not to call.  Very bad decision as we turned over our cards and the original shover had pocket 10's for the flopped set, and the big stack had AQ for a dominating hand, no more 10's to rescue me, no ace to help, only runner KJ as possible saviours.  So, I was out in 5th place with a win of $74, for a net of $30 after tip.  In reviewing my play do not see how I would play it any different next time, so just a case of very bad luck.

Ups & Downs

This week has been an absolute roller coaster ride in poker.  Sunday was a great day starting in holdem with a $150 win then moving to the omaha game another $200.  Hit two great hands, the first a flopped king high straight flush with board pairing on the river to give Gary a jacks full hand. Then rivered a royal flush, only my 5th ever.  Wish I could say that it was the start of a great week of poker, but sadly it was the high point.

Monday I played on briefly, losing $220.  Folks just took turns catching up with me on their draws.

Tuesday started well with a $100 win in 3rd place in the morning Moose.  The cash game was a disaster however, with a $280 loss.  A couple of interesting hands with 9/10.  In both hands I lost large pots with a lot of my money going in.  The first one I flopped trips and was outkicked by K/10.  The second a player caught a gutshot draw for a straight on my flopped trips.  I lost to that player twice more when his 9/10 flopped a straight and two pair.  Go figure.