How Do They Do It? 2 Opponents hit same 3 outer (which means they hit a two outer).

Playing for the first time in a week at the American Legion tournament we had just consolidated to 2 tables when this hand came up. I was under the gun with AK suited (spades). Blinds at 100/200 I raised to 600 with 3600 behind. Two players called, one in early position, and the big blind. The flop was A/Q/10 with two clubs. I bet 1000 and the early position player pushed for 3200. The big blind then called for all of his chips with 3100. I went into the tank and tried to figure my pot odds. I put the first player on A/Q, and the other caller for at least A/10 or K/J. With the pot at 7200, with a 2200 call and having both of them covered (by 400) I figured I had 7 outs twice, for decent odds on better than a 3/1 call. I finally said what the heck, a chance to triple up and knock two players out, I call. They both turn over A/Q!!! What a crazy catch of a two outer! I of course miss and am shortstacked with an all in next hand (6/8 off). The next flop is K/K/7 and I am gone. Would have been a nice flop the hand before.

Posting Cause Lynne told me To

Sometimes there is not much to say, and unfortunately some of us go ahead and say it anyway. I am in Cannon Beach this week where the poker opportunities are very limited. Probably leaving before the Friday night Legion tournament.

My last day in Pasco, Friday, was a fairly lucrative one, but not as good as it should have been. I hit a $231 Monte (quad 5's), but overtipped Hector and gave Bob his share (25%) so no big win there. Plus, that monte pushed me over the $600 level for the year so had to fill out a W-9 tax form!!!!

Decisions

A very young poker player asked me for advice a few days ago. I thought for a while and came up with "always make good decisions". Elaborating a little bit I added, "this is also great advice for life". Poker, as in life, is ultimately about making more good decisions than bad ones while always operating with "incomplete information". We don't know the outcome because there are too many variables. What we do know are odds in poker and whether or not the bet is giving us correct ones or not. My friend Jim emailed me a few days ago and broke down the odds of chasing a flush heads up over 100 hands. It is a winning proposition, but only if you ignore the rake, drop, and toke. It then becomes a loser. Yet, how often do we see this happen? If the "EV", expected value = 0, then there is no benefit in playing.

Soft Table, Latif Continues to Haunt Me

Playing on a super soft table yesterday (think Las Vegas tourists) with 5 players I have never seen before, one couple who obviously are playing for maybe their second time I feel like this may be my big score for the week. I river a flush for a big pot, win a couple of others and am up about $150 quickly. Then, with Latif in a pot with 10/3 offsuit!!!, and me with a big 10, the flop comes 10/3/x. Latif bets small, I flat call. The turn brings another 10, he checks, I bet $15, he raises 20. I call. River does not improve me, and I lose another $20. Nice hand, Sir!

Later, JJ also wins a huge pot with 10/3 offsuit (played in middle position against a raise and a caller. Raiser had JJ, caller QQ). Flop is 3/3/10. Sick game, and what was really bad was that the "tourist lady" had the queens and she failed to re-raise the original bettor which would have made him muck his hand, at least I think he would have.

So,now I run into my second cooler, calling a preflop raise with my AQ suited. The flop is queen high and I bet $15 which is snap called. I plan on check calling unless I improve on the turn, which I do when an ace comes. I bet $20, and again a snap call. I check the river and he bets $20, which I snap call and see his pocket queens!

So, after a couple of hours of play on the softest table I have seen in months, I net a $4.00 profit (well, only $1.00 if you count the tip I gave my dinner server). I plan on giving Latif a wide berth for a while and try to avoid coolers as I have definitely been over-served on those!!!

Donks & Dealers

Sometimes there are forces out there working against you. Last night I took a bad beat my very first hand and never really recovered. Usually my beats occur when someone is playing a hand that really should have been in the muck preflop.

First Hand:
I limp with A/3 suited. Flop is A/4/5. Great flop with top pair and gutshot. I bet, to see where I am, and Latif calls. Turn is another ace, I bet and Latif raises. I call, hoping for a 3 or pairing the board. River is a blank, I call "La Thief's" bet and he turns over set of 5's!! Thank you Mr. Dealer for missing my 7 outer.

Here is an example of screwed by dealer: Latif on my left is confused and thinks it is his big blind so he puts out a $5 chip. The dealer being oh so helpful asks if he is straddling as he is UTG with me as big blind. He says "no", takes it back, then puts it back out. He has 9/3 offsuit. In the bb, I see 7/10 suited and with a couple of callers also call the added $2. Latif checks. The flop is 9/9/7 and Latif throws out a $7 bet. I call after everyone else folds, believing that he would not bet trips. The turn is a 7 and he bets $15, I call. The river is a blank, he bets $20, call with my underful. Thank you Mr. Dealer for talking him into playing the straddle.

Next day: $25 morning tournament. Kelly shows up fashionably late (just one hand before he would have been unable to enter tournament). Wins his first hand when checked into a flush. He then doubles up when he hits 2 pair against a nut straight then rivers the boat.

A few hands later, he raises my $50 BB A/10 suited to $275 with Q/5 suited!!! There are 2 other callers. The flop comes A/Q/8 with 2 spades (not his suite) and I lead out $300, he calls. The turn? Glad you asked, another queen. I go all in and am gone. Thanks Mr. Dealer for bringing his 5 outer home. I take my name off the waiting list for the live game and leave.

Ramon The Golden Horseshoe up the wazoo Boy

We often comment on how "lucky" or "unlucky" a player might be. Usually when we refer to unlucky, we are talking about ourselves. Can't catch 14 outs with two cards to come? Unlucky. People always catching their two outers against you? Unlucky.

Some folks seem to have that golden horseshoe wedged securely where the sun don't shine. Ramon is one of those. Example: playing yesterday the dealer accidently hits his hand with a card, causing it to flip over. Which card? Why the ace of clubs, sir! Has Ramon's luck turned against him? Au contraire, monsieur. The replacement card happens to be a 10 which nicely matches the 10 already in his hand. Well, if you are Mr. or Ms. average luck like us, the story stops there. The flop is ugly, two or more overcards, you lose a big pot. But, if you are Ramon and have lady luck on your side you flop a set, like he did. Now, Mr. unlucky, you might think it stops there, but noooooooo. The river is another 10 giving him quads and a $100 bonus. Now that's lucky.

Royal Flush Magnet?

Exactly how many royal flushes have you had in your lifetime? How many have you seen dealt at the table you are playing? My answer just went up by 4 this week. Amazing. After the third one I mentioned it and sure enough Joe turns one. I was only involved with 1 of the hands, I had turned the straight when Aaron rivered the gutshot royal. This goes way beyond any probability chart.

Trying to get back into some tournaments, played 2 on Saturday with a two way chop on the first one and a 6th place in the second.

Senior Poker

I tried to scan this funny article from Poker Player Magazine but the print was too small to read!!! Anyway here are excerpts.

* A shaking hand is not necessarily a tell. You should consider the additional options of age and infirmities before leaping to the conclusion that your opponent has a monster hand.

* Phlegm clearing does not violate the "English only" table policy. Neither does mumbling.

* People with head phones are not the only ones who can't hear the dealer.

* Repeatedly checking hole-cards doesn't necessarily mean your opponent is looking to see if he has a flush draw. He probably just forgot what he had.

* Deep knee bends dujring a hand are not an affectation, but if the player fails to get back up, call for help.

* Slow playing a hand is not necessarily a strategy.

* Neither is slow rolling. However, eye rolling is, given the years that it takes to perfect it.

* Almost everyone wears glasses, yet the person sitting farthest from the flop will have forgotten theirs.

* If you think a girl at the table is the hottest girl you've seen in years, you left your glasses on top of your head.

* Bathroom breaks need to be closer together.

Thank you, Shari Geller.

Roller Coaster Rides Make You Scream & Puke

What a ride this week. Up, up, then way down, slightly up, down again. Roller coaster? Of course not, poker. After posting a few great days (up $200 & $400 & $135) I came crashing down to earth with a numbing $500 loss. Then, next day a miniscule $12 profit and yesterday an $88 loss. I like to consider yesterday a good day however as I was stuck almost $400 before clawing my way back. It was a day that started out getting great starting cards that lost huge pots. Then, when almost all was lost I got frisky and began chasing longshots. My big pot came when I hit trip 8's (I was playing 5/8 sooooooted in a raised and reraised preflop pot for goshsakes!) on the river. I then sucked out a couple more. Bob Pischel commented (he never says anything) "Phil, you have lost the right to complain about bad beats for 3 years". Ha! Ha!

I will have to admit that a lot of my loss came as a result of both tilt and failed bluffs (remember about bluffing the calling station). I got my aces snapped by 6/9 offsuit, and yes I raised $12 preflop so decided to try a total bluff by raising with the same hand...got reraised by.....ACES! Of course the flop missed me entirely.

Today planning to play in the deepstack at Jokers. Hoping for the best as have not played any tournaments this week.

Hand of the week was: 10 high straight flush. Flopped the straight with an open ended str. flush draw, hit it on the river. Another player raising I reraised and drove out the "nut ace" flush draw. My bad but still a big pot.