Queens? No thanks, I've been over-served.

Yesterday playing the cash game for about 2 1/2 hours I was getting run over by the deck big time. I was dealt pocket queens 5 times...winning one big pot (A/Q flop), winning 3 small pots, and losing one medium pot (raised by Wayne to $7 preflop, called by Vern, re-raised by me to $17, both players call. Flop is A/K/K, Vern & I check, Wayne bets $20. Good-bye.

I also was dealt pocket aces twice, winning small pots with both, and losing a big pot with KK on a flop of J/10/8 with a bet and raise to $35. One player called, turn was king, bet by Vern, fold, he shows J/10 which means I threw away the winner as he was drawing dead to a chop at best.

A profitable day, but could have been better with the right callers on my preflop raises. But, I never dislike a check in the win column. I like my play for the most part, even my winning and possible winning folds. Trying to pay a lot of attention to the "texture" of the flop. When I see a highly textured one with straight and flush draws I am usually folding unless I have the big draw or set (which is also a big draw). Money not lost is money you don't have to try to win back later.

Stuck

Wow, yesterday was a return to reality. Playing in the cash game for about 5 hours I was stuck $500. Not horrible play, but very loose callers, draws not coming in, and major disconnection from the flops. Last hand: With only $22 left, I shove on the button with AQ. Two callers, including Greg who had called me on the river with ace high (board had 3-6's and very co-ordinated), I was on a flush draw and missed, but bet turn and river big....DonK!!!!
Anyway, he wins with KJ when his king flops. Oh well, still even after big weekend.

Speaking of getting stuck though....here is a picture of my puppy, Milo, with his $1800. broken leg.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

My birthday poker was very good to me. Playing in the 10 a.m. Moose tournament I got a very bad draw...out in the pit. The first hand of the tournament one of the loosest players got all in and won. Rut-Row! Now we all had to contend with his very loose calls for a long time. Example: I raise under the gun with AJ suited. He calls from the small bling with 7/2 (no the player is not Lynne). He flops a 2 and calls bet on the flop, turn and river with bottom pair. Ouch. Betting with air, but how the heck do you call?

I get a little short but double up through a young, loose aggressive player who raised with AK and called my shove with QQ. Back in the hunt I make the final table with a great stack, probably 2nd or 3rd most chips. Taking a horrible beat (preflop raise 2.5 times BB the blind calls with j/6 offsuit and flops two pair to my AQ) when the queen hits the turn. We eventually get down to heads up play and my offer to chop is refused when he has me outchipped 2/1. The tables turn and I am up 2/1 when I repeat my offer. He now accepts. Gracious of him.

Turning to the Omaha game in progress I win a couple of big pots and quit winning $180. With my $440 win (plus bounties), it has been a great birthday poker outing.

New World's Record Set for AA

I think I set the world's record for AA this morning. After leaving the tournament early I played cash game and was dealt AA 4 times within an hour, including back to back!!!! Have never seen that before. After the back to back ones, I checked my cards, laughed and raised big with A/2 offsuit saying, "You guys will not believe this". Dougy called my raise, and with a small flop with a queen, he raised my $15 continuation bet to $35. I called and the flop brought another small card for a 4 straight, I checked, Doug bet, I called. River completed my straight and I bet $20 into him, he called in disgust and I tabled my A2 for a winner.

Had a dentist appointment and quit $140 up in an hour, despite being snapped every time with my AK (dealt to me 3 times). Hated to give up the hot seat.

Biggest Jerk at Table? Me.

Yesterday morning had a very brief session, around an hour. This hand came up: I am in late position holding a 5/8 suited. The flop comes 2/4/7 with two diamonds (I had clubs). Ali, a loose aggressive player, bets $8 into the $14 pot and I call with my gutshot draw with other players to act. Everyone folds and the turn brings my 6. Ali checks and I bet $20. He hesitates then calls. Turn brings a 3rd diamond and he bets $20, I call to see his flush. I then say, "Wow, you really like to gamble, you did not have odds to draw (ignoring the fact that I didn't either)". He responds, "I would have just checked it to you". Now, I am not prone to giving free cards when I don't have to, and it was obvious that a straight was possible. I then comment further about how he knocked me out of Sunday's tournament with his 7/9 offsuit call of two all-ins. The floor supervisor and dealer both tell me to get over it.

A few hands later, I am short stacked, and the following hand comes up: I am in the cutoff in a straddle and call $4 with K/J offsuit (king of spades) and the aggressive button raises to $24. Small blind, big blind and another player all call and I call. The flop brings A/x/x all spades. The small blind bets $8, the big blind raises to $28, the middle position player calls, and I reraise all-in to $48 and all but the small blind calls. The turn is a spade, the board does not pair and I rake a monster pot. Ali then comments, "guess you like to gamble". I see a wide difference in a small heads up pot and this hand, particularly being all-in and not having to pay to chase. However, I do apologize to Ali and leave a few hands later saying that I would be back "when I was in a better mood".

Another Joker Chop

My Joker's winning streak is now an unbelievable 3/5 wins lifetime. It was great to split with my friend Lynne particularly coming into the final table as one of the three shortest stacks.

The Moose Sunday tournament was not kind to me. Terrible table draw out in the pit. Short stacked I called an all-in (Q/10 suited), but had him barely covered. Ali also calls with 7/9 offsuit!!!!! He hits a 7 and puts me all in (barely). I call with 2 overcards to the board and a gutshot straight draw. When I miss he knocks us both out. What a terrible call on his part, literally no hand he can be ahead of preflop.

Playing in my favorite Omaha game I very quickly get stuck $100 then take an available hold-em seat as the game is very short handed and about to break down. Played about an hour and made up my omaha loss plus about $20 towards my tournament buy in loss. All told, an o.k. weekend, on the plus side.

I am trying to build up my poker bankroll this year to play in a world series event. Can hardly wait to talk to my old friend Don about this when I see him later this month in Phoenix.

Draws Coming In, Hands Holding Up

I have said (whined)for a long time, "just let my hands hold up and/or my draws come in and I will make a lot of money in poker". This week it is happening for me. Chopped the morning Moose for $140 win then sat briefly in the cash game and won another $150.

Notable moments: tournament: down to $300 in chips with blinds at $200/400 and won my all-in AJ (chopped with 10/J making a straight also), then all in 3 ways with AA which held up.

Cash game: Called big raise heads up with 4/5 suited, flopped open ender, turned straight.
Won three big pots with my new best buddy favorite hand: Q/10...making a straight once, two pair once and trips (vs. AA) the other hand.

Bet big with KK all folded but 8/8, kings held up.

Like I say, just needed to have some draws come in or hands to hold up and I can win serious money. Hoping my streak continues this weekend during tournament play.

Pot 'O The Night

Playing in the $2/20 cash game has been very painful for me lately. Usually booking losses, some worse than others. Finally, I was able to eke out a small profit of around $50 and was about to call it good when I took a tremendous hit against a loose chaser. With the K/Q offsuit (queen of hearts), I got a flop of 9/10/J all hearts. A loose player bet $7 into me and I reraised to $27. He called and everyone else folded. The turn was a blank and I bet another $20. He called. The river brought another heart and he bet into me, I called with the 3rd nut to see his ace of hearts. Donkey!!!

Now slightly stuck, I win the next hand and am $30 ahead for the session. Thinking of quitting I get involved in a big pot. I limp with Q/10 of hearts and it is raised by Clark to $22. With 4 callers I call the raise. The flop hits me really hard.....J/9/4 with two hearts. I bet $20, hoping to take down the pot right there but Clark raises to 40, Joe calls and a stranger reraises. I call. The turn brings a heart and I bet, Clark and Joe fold and the other guy calls. River a blank, I bet and the stranger calls (Bad Bob was all-in on main pot). The other guy turns over his flopped two pair...J/4 and Bob mucks. I rake the $400 plus pot and quit a few hands later up over $300.

Sixty Cents an hour win rate

Sunday morning Moose $60 bounty tournament was disappointing to me. Played for 4 hours and finished in 6th place (money back). The $2.50 profit came from chopping a bounty. John was eliminated when he had $300 left in the big blind. He had walked out earlier thinking his all in was covered (he forgot chip and chair) but still had 3 chips left. Marco raised with K/Q, I called with K/Q and we both knocked him out to split the $5.00 bounty.

My last hand was 10/J in big blind vs. A/8 offsuit on the button. Had only 1.5 BB's so defended the blind. A little worse than a coin flip, but two live cards and one over. Just not my day, but yet again another Final Table appearance.

Coin Flips, Alternates, Freerolls

Started my poker day with the Joker $60 buy-in deepstack. Got hurt early on by a very loose player with A/6 versus my 9/9. He hit a 6 on the flop with a 10/6/3 flop and came out betting. I did not believe he had a 10 and called. The turn was another 6 and I called his bet planning on stealing the river. He then bet fairly big and I put him on either big cards or smaller pair.....

Short stacked with blinds at 200/400 the short stack next to me shoved with A/Q and I found 8/8. Normally not liking to call shoves I went ahead and lost the coin flip with only 10 big blinds and UTG next hand. He of course hit his ace.

Driving to the Moose since busting out so early I sat down in the cash game. Poor seat choice of the two open as the player taking the 4 seat hit quads his second hand plus 2 full houses. A freeroll began at 3:00 and have not played that for a year or two. Signing up, was dismayed to find myself 18th alternate. Not good. Ultimately there were 63 alternates for a total of 113 players. I hit some big hands against frankly some very poor players, lots of them playing their first tournament. I made the final table with only 12,000 and ended up in 6th place when I shoved UTG with 9/9 and was called by the two biggest stacks (triple up hopes), but the luckbox old Asian woman playing probably her first tournament called with K/Q offsuit and flopped the king.
Goodnight.

The Island

Don't play much at the Island casino but tried my 2nd deepstack on Wednesday. Running pretty bad I got moved to a new table and caught some good cards, back to back queens and aces. I was moving up and then ran my 10's into an all in with AK who won the coin flip. Down to about 15 players after 4 hours of play I found myself shortstacked with blinds at 2,000/4,000 and $500 antes I was in the big blind with only $4000 behind.

The UTG player shoved with queens (he was the coin flip winner against me), the next player called all-in with A/J (1st all-in had him covered), then a bigger stack (Dr. Val) called with 10/10. I thought for just a moment and called without looking at my cards. I was not displeased to turn over 8/6 offsuit. Not my first choice, but live connectors. The turn was medium cards and I picked up a straight draw needing a 7. Missing I was eliminated when the queens held up. Oh, well.

Playing in the Friday morning moose was able to squeak out a 4th place finish worth $80 which I quickly lost in the cash game....along with more. Oh, well. Next stop...Joker's deepstack today.

How do you do this?

Playing in the turbo "morning Moose" I was totally on fire, knocking out 4 players with monster hands. Moving to the final table I was undisputed chip leader with 1/3 of all chips in play. It was like a switch got turned off. I kept looking down at indescribably terrible hands, folding to the big blind twice (who was an aggressive short stack), calling a reraise with pocket 2's (notably the only pocket pair I was dealt on the FT) by a short stack who I doubled up with his j/9 suited (what was he thinking???) Anyway, did not win a single hand and was out in 5th place. Un-freaking-believable!!!!!

Dollar Water?

The things that I really love about playing poker at the Crazy Moose are simple things, Comp'd meals, free coffee & water (technically soft drinks too, but they require tipping a server). Slowly but surely the new ownership is screwing it up. First they took away the yellow comp certificates that you could save up for a better meal than the poker menu. Then they made it so you had to pay for little extras, changing from fries to fruit on the menu, etc. Now they have taken away the free water bottles. In their quest for increased profitablility they are in danger of alienating their customers, a break from the golden rule of customer service.

One other change I am not really happy about is the starting of the cash game before the morning tournament. This draws money out of the prize pool and sometimes even cancels the tournament. Those players would be playing the tournament if the game wasn't starting early. I realize that this is part of the profit picture as the game is much more profitable for the house, but hey, there are other tournaments at other casinos and it may be time to travel to those.

The All Night Boys

Showing up early for the 10 a.m. Moose tournament on Sunday I took the only available seat in the cash game. After sitting down I rethought playing. There were 3 players (Sal, Ahn, & Sang) sitting with around $4,000 total in front of them and one very stuck on tilt player (Miguel) desperately raising every pot trying to get his money back. They had been playing all night. Won very nice pot against a big stack then chopped one with Sal when he rivered the straight that I had flopped with Q/10 while he was chasing a flush (10/6 suited) with terrible pot odds. I then gave away half my stack with AQ vs. KK. I raised preflop in late position and he just called with his KK in small blind. With a queen high flop I was stuck, but fortunately he ran out of chips on the flop bet, raise and reraise.

Quitting with a small, $35 profit to help pay for my tournament, I busted out around 20th place raising in late position with 10/J, being reraised by KQ suited out of the blinds and calling his all in flop bet (10 high with 2 of his suite...he caught his flush on the river). As a fairly short stack I really was pot committed and got my money in with the best hand.

So, taking a seat at the Omaha 4/8 half/kill game I got stuck $100 before winning several pots and cashing out for a $140 profit. Total win for the day: $110. Had lots of worse days playing poker.

New Year's Poker Resolutions

I have been giving a lot of thought lately to exactly why I have been losing (other than really running card dead). Here are some resolutions to help me play better this year.

1. Focus on Zen. By this I mean focusing on them moment rather than what happened in the past...last hand, last month, etc. This prevents tilt and anger, which leads to seeking revenge. Also, do not focus on the future. The correct way to play a hand needs to be separated from the results. Winning the hand is not the important lesson, playing correctly is.

2. Play with an adequate bankroll for the size of the game. You cannot win with scared money which is what you do buying in for the minimums. Also, having a lot of chips in front of you is intimidating, helps you make correct decisions, and maximizes profits when you finally have "the nuts". In analyzing my play have decided that it is why I do so much better in tournaments than cash games. But, the further lesson for me is late in the tournament I again need to focus on correct play, not just where I could potentially end up on the payouts. That again is focusing on the future, not the present.