O.K., yes I said I was not planning to play there again. But, decided to risk the bad beats and bad drive to play. It turned out to be a good decision as I practically owned the game! There were only 2 tables, 14 players @ $40 buy-in, so only 2 places plus the bubble were going to be paid. I got on fire early, knocking 3 players off my table, then another on the final table. Ace/4 shoves with a short stack? No problem, got this covered with my A/A. Flush draw calls my preflop bet with 9/9. No problem, flop a set, turn a boat. Having knocked both dealers out, I agreed to deal when 5 handed. Dealt myself KK, AK, AJ, AJ in short order. We got down to 4 players (I knocked the 5th out too as I remember) and I went card dead. A short stack got hot and blinds went up to 300/600. As we started out with only 1100 in chips and at that point we all had at most 5 or 6 big blinds and fairly equal stacks, I suggested that we chop 4 ways. Done deal, $140 each. Not a big payday after buy-in and dealer tip, but had fun on my night out and really felt that I had played well and definitely getting great cards.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wheeler
Well, it has been a long time since I have played at the Tsunami Bar & Grill game in Wheeler, Or. As I may or may not have posted before, it is similar to our Friday night Legion game. Same buy-in ($40), same players, similar structure. I am on my own this week as my lovely wife is grandkid sitting in Portland this week. I have several tasks to complete, including sanding all of my kitchen cabinets, car in for service, cleaning house, etc. Leaving on Sunday for my trip to Maui. I am prepared with new swim trunks, swimming shirt (sunblock protection material), reef walkers, and a new Kindle with built in cameras (all the better to blog you with). Will add some photos from the beach! My only real downer about the trip is the sad news this week about an old friend drowning in Maui while snorkeling on the same beach I am going to. Here is a link about the death.
http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/27147889/dick-sanders-is-remembered-by-our-community
Dick Sanders was a good friend, going back to the 70's. He was the assistant pastor at our church and a great guy who "walked the walked" as an inspiration to all of us. I had not seen him for a few years, but when we bumped into each other at the Dairy Queen a couple of years ago, it was as if only yesterday, not the 18 years or so since I had seen him last.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Draws & Rivers
Maybe I am just whining here, but why does it seem that the river never helps me, but makes someone else's hand? Playing online Omaha today I flopped sets at least 5 times only to lose on the river when someone's straight or flush draw came in? I was on a freaking draw too, but for a full house or quads!!!!
So, here is a bad beat from an online tournament. I am in 3rd place, raise with AJ, and am re-raised all-in from A/10 with fewer chips. I call, he hits a 10 on the river. Dominated hand got lucky. Very next hand I have A/J again and shove. Same player calls with K/J and hits a king. Again the dominated hand got lucky. Sheesh Kabeesh!
It has been said that poker is a game of incomplete information.
You can have the best hand and simultaneously have the best draw. Since you don't know what the other hands hold, we "experts" are always looking to build a pot when we have this situation. The problem is, the other players don't know that they are drawing to a miracle 2 outer. It always amazes me. I bet when I have trips, other players call with overpairs, flush or straight draws. The board is paired with 3 hearts and some idiot is calling with a straight draw! Then wins! In my omaha game, have seen the "underfull" raising and even re-raising. Wow.
Since I share my bad beats, here is one of my very few awesome flops. I am playing a J/Q of clubs (along with other cards..Omaha game), and the flop comes 8/9/10 of clubs. I check call the flop with multiple players, the board pairs on the turn, a player bets, I raise, he re-raises and I cap. Same action on the river. He has the "nut" full house with his 9/10. Sweeeeet!
So, here is a bad beat from an online tournament. I am in 3rd place, raise with AJ, and am re-raised all-in from A/10 with fewer chips. I call, he hits a 10 on the river. Dominated hand got lucky. Very next hand I have A/J again and shove. Same player calls with K/J and hits a king. Again the dominated hand got lucky. Sheesh Kabeesh!
It has been said that poker is a game of incomplete information.
You can have the best hand and simultaneously have the best draw. Since you don't know what the other hands hold, we "experts" are always looking to build a pot when we have this situation. The problem is, the other players don't know that they are drawing to a miracle 2 outer. It always amazes me. I bet when I have trips, other players call with overpairs, flush or straight draws. The board is paired with 3 hearts and some idiot is calling with a straight draw! Then wins! In my omaha game, have seen the "underfull" raising and even re-raising. Wow.
Since I share my bad beats, here is one of my very few awesome flops. I am playing a J/Q of clubs (along with other cards..Omaha game), and the flop comes 8/9/10 of clubs. I check call the flop with multiple players, the board pairs on the turn, a player bets, I raise, he re-raises and I cap. Same action on the river. He has the "nut" full house with his 9/10. Sweeeeet!
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
This is Why I Hate Poker (online today, live most other days)
First online tournament of the day. I am in the small blind with QQ. A couple of players limp, then a player raises to $60 (blinds @ 10/20). The button goes all-in. I snap call. The middle position raiser uses most of the clock, then calls with.....9/4 of clubs!!! The button has aces (of course...first hand of the tournament), and the flop has two 4's and we are both eliminated by....the donkey! Unfortunately for me, the "chat" is turned off so I cannot unload on him.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Cashing In
This last trip to the Tri-Cities was not a productive one in tournaments with only one small cash. Probably played in 7 of the morning turbos, so definitely not a winner. Trying the cash game turned into a mixed bag for me. On Wednesday did very well, cashing out for a $233 win but ended up giving half of it back on Thursday. My worst hand...well hard to pick one out, but raising to $23 with pocket kings preflop with one caller (8/6 off ????) ended up losing $120 when he flopped 2 pair. He later whined when he lost a similar amount with his A/A vs garbage. Had some winning hands, but the table was pretty loose/wild and ended up losing about $120. I have been pretty down about the cash game but have made some adjustments in my game that have improved my results. I am expecting a lot of variance in my chip stack, but key is getting your share of the big pots.
Drove back home on Friday and too tired to play the Legion tournament. Will have company next week so that game may be off the table as well. Do they have poker in Maui????
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Running Bad
You know you are running bad when you get your chips in with the best hand and are drawn out on by someone who probably should not have been in the pot in the first place. Sunday $60 tournament was a prime example. I played pretty well, got some decent cards, and we were down to 5 players (paying 3...with bubble boy probably getting money back). I am 3rd in chips, but very short stacked with only 6500 (blinds @ 1/2000). The other short stacks have 2-3 blinds at most. I am in the big blind, the button calls (Marco who has had 3 major suck outs or would have been gone...example being all-in with 3/3, called by QJ, Tony hits queen, 2 diamonds on flop, Marco has 3 of diamonds...you know the rest). I have A7 suited, and shove, Marco calls with J10 offsuit and hits a 10 on the river. I should not complain about the 10/J as it has been a monster lately, even for me, cracking aces with it on a jack high flop with another on the turn.
Anyhow, the tournament this morning was looking very good for me early. In small blind with A/9, tons of limpers, we take an unraised flop. The flop is great for me, A/9/3, but two clubs. I bet around 200 if I recall correctly, and half the table called. The turn is another ace, and I bet 300. John, the player to my left in the big blind re-raises me all-in and has me covered by 100. Everyone else folds and I call...he is drawing dead (except for a 9 to chop) with the A/8. Sick. Later, I knock Donna out from the big blind with the same hand (she shoved with only 100 more than my blind). I flopped an ace, turned another ace, and rivered the case ace. Quads!!!! Told her that after the 2nd ace was just "showing off"...she of course appreciated the remark. LOL.
Despite my early chip advantage, went card dead, lost 800 to pocket aces with my 4/4, and raised from the button with K/10 and was re-raised by Dave with J/J. I was mostly in, definitely pot committed and failed to find a king. He would have been gone earlier but had a couple of major suck outs that had gotten him back in the game (biggest being all-in with A/little hearts vs. AK....one heart on the flop then runner/runner hearts.
When you are running good this happens. When running bad you can never be safe with any hand. First time I have not made the final table in a week.
Anyhow, the tournament this morning was looking very good for me early. In small blind with A/9, tons of limpers, we take an unraised flop. The flop is great for me, A/9/3, but two clubs. I bet around 200 if I recall correctly, and half the table called. The turn is another ace, and I bet 300. John, the player to my left in the big blind re-raises me all-in and has me covered by 100. Everyone else folds and I call...he is drawing dead (except for a 9 to chop) with the A/8. Sick. Later, I knock Donna out from the big blind with the same hand (she shoved with only 100 more than my blind). I flopped an ace, turned another ace, and rivered the case ace. Quads!!!! Told her that after the 2nd ace was just "showing off"...she of course appreciated the remark. LOL.
Despite my early chip advantage, went card dead, lost 800 to pocket aces with my 4/4, and raised from the button with K/10 and was re-raised by Dave with J/J. I was mostly in, definitely pot committed and failed to find a king. He would have been gone earlier but had a couple of major suck outs that had gotten him back in the game (biggest being all-in with A/little hearts vs. AK....one heart on the flop then runner/runner hearts.
When you are running good this happens. When running bad you can never be safe with any hand. First time I have not made the final table in a week.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Double Bubble Toil & Trouble
Bubble trouble this week. Played 3 tournaments and cashed only once for $70 (4th place). With any luck....and some stupid calls that would have turned out genius, could have won all 3. Starting with the Moose Wed. a.m., went out 8th on a shove with 7/7, earlier had folded my 7/7 to a bet and re-raise. On that hand flopped a 7 and turned quads. This hand, with 5 big blinds, was called in 2 places, with the big blind having AA. Oops, 2 players down.
My other tournament, we are down to 5 players, I shove 6500 (blinds at 1/2000) with the small blind all in for 1000. The big blind is hyper aggressive and the chip leader, calls with 4/5 suited. The small blind has J/9. I have AK. A five hits on the flop, a 9 on the river, the short stack takes the main pot and I am out.
Today's tournament we are down to 4 players. I have 2,000 in the small blind with Q/5 while the big blind (10/4) has only 3000 with blinds @ 2/4000. The giant stack on the button elects to call with 8/2 off. The flop hits both of them, 2/10/x. The turn, Hallelujah, is the queen. then the river is another 2 knocking us both out. Because she had one more chip....I get 4th for $70, she gets $100.
My other tournament, we are down to 5 players, I shove 6500 (blinds at 1/2000) with the small blind all in for 1000. The big blind is hyper aggressive and the chip leader, calls with 4/5 suited. The small blind has J/9. I have AK. A five hits on the flop, a 9 on the river, the short stack takes the main pot and I am out.
Today's tournament we are down to 4 players. I have 2,000 in the small blind with Q/5 while the big blind (10/4) has only 3000 with blinds @ 2/4000. The giant stack on the button elects to call with 8/2 off. The flop hits both of them, 2/10/x. The turn, Hallelujah, is the queen. then the river is another 2 knocking us both out. Because she had one more chip....I get 4th for $70, she gets $100.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Boom Poker
http://www.boomplayer.com/en/poker-hands/Boom/11112605_0226FBD738
Cut and paste this link to see the s**t I put up with on these stupid online games. If you load Boom poker you can see all of my bad beats (and good ones too).
Cut and paste this link to see the s**t I put up with on these stupid online games. If you load Boom poker you can see all of my bad beats (and good ones too).
What Type of Player Are You?
In doing some reading today in one of my old poker books, I got to thinking about the different types of players:
Tight/Aggressive
Loose/Aggressive
Weak/Tight
Loose/Passive
Read no further, if you are not a tight aggressive player you cannot be my friend!!!! LOL!!!! Actually, reading about the "types", I sometimes fall into the weak/tight category. Let me elaborate. A weak/tight player will call when they should be raising or folding. They will fold good holdings to aggression if they do not have near nuts. They will fold draws, even when presented with good implied odds. They see monsters under the bed. They will not value bet at the end without the nuts. They will overbet when they have premium holdings. Yikes! I sometimes play like this. This is a major problem for me. In other words, I can be exploited by aware players who put me to the test.
I wrote the above before playing the Friday night tournament. I decided to not be that player. It almost got me in trouble early on. The player to my right was on a roll, winning several good pots and had probably more than doubled up. On the other hand, I was down a bit from starting chip count (part in thanks to the LAG young player I have previously written about). This hand came up: playing AK suited (I raised, thank you), the flop came with two clubs and jack high. My AK was clubs. The big stack bet small enough to give me good calling odds with two overcards and the flush draw. I believe that technically I was ahead of his pair of jacks. The turn was a brick for me and he bet bigger. This is where I had to do a weak/tight check. Do I fold now and be even more chip challenged? Or do I gamble? Determined not to quit, I called to see my miracle club on the river, but did I mention the board was paired? He checked, and fearing the worst (monsters under the bed), but determined to break out of my weak/tight mold....I went all-in. He called to show the A/J and I took a very nice pot, doubling up. So much for my theory that everyone's draws come in but mine.
Doubling up once more on a two pair (A/10) hand, I became the chip leader, despite losing a stack to QQ vs. my 5/5 vs. the wild child's preflop 3 bet and shove on the flop (ace/king showing). Due to his spewey nature I made the call, only to be overcalled by the queens. We both check checked and he won.
I was feeling pretty good, chip leader and all when this hand came up. A very loose and passive woman limped (or maybe was in big blind...I forget) when I raised with KK. Blinds were 80/160 and I had made it 500 to go. She called, everyone else folded. The flop came 10/10/3 and she bet 600 with about 550 behind. I tanked for a moment, asked her, "really, you called with a 10 in your hand?". She didn't answer, and I re-raised her all-in. She called to show......A/K off. Sweet, except for the ace on the river. We had our break just after that, and I was down to about 500 over starting stack.
My last hand was at the 200/400 level with 18 players remaining. We had just formed the final 2 tables and I drew the small blind, which I figured was a good thing with only 4 big blinds in my stack. I totally misplayed the first hand, with A/2 of spades in the small blind I should have shoved with only one limper and the big blind in the hand. My thought process was that I would like to see the flop cheap and fold to a bad flop or shove with a good one. That would leave me with 3 1/2 blinds and able to see 8 more hands. The flop was beautiful for me, Q/Q/8 with 2 spades. I thought it unlikely that anyone had a queen and with a flush draw plus 1st action could get a fold easily...representing the queen and no possible better flush draw possible. Wrong! I shoved, the big blind called and the limper folded. He turns over.....8/4 off. WTF! Guess he could not put me on a queen, and despite having a player to act behind decides to be a hero. I hit a 2 on the turn, but no more 2's, aces, or spades appeared and I was gone.
Tight/Aggressive
Loose/Aggressive
Weak/Tight
Loose/Passive
Read no further, if you are not a tight aggressive player you cannot be my friend!!!! LOL!!!! Actually, reading about the "types", I sometimes fall into the weak/tight category. Let me elaborate. A weak/tight player will call when they should be raising or folding. They will fold good holdings to aggression if they do not have near nuts. They will fold draws, even when presented with good implied odds. They see monsters under the bed. They will not value bet at the end without the nuts. They will overbet when they have premium holdings. Yikes! I sometimes play like this. This is a major problem for me. In other words, I can be exploited by aware players who put me to the test.
I wrote the above before playing the Friday night tournament. I decided to not be that player. It almost got me in trouble early on. The player to my right was on a roll, winning several good pots and had probably more than doubled up. On the other hand, I was down a bit from starting chip count (part in thanks to the LAG young player I have previously written about). This hand came up: playing AK suited (I raised, thank you), the flop came with two clubs and jack high. My AK was clubs. The big stack bet small enough to give me good calling odds with two overcards and the flush draw. I believe that technically I was ahead of his pair of jacks. The turn was a brick for me and he bet bigger. This is where I had to do a weak/tight check. Do I fold now and be even more chip challenged? Or do I gamble? Determined not to quit, I called to see my miracle club on the river, but did I mention the board was paired? He checked, and fearing the worst (monsters under the bed), but determined to break out of my weak/tight mold....I went all-in. He called to show the A/J and I took a very nice pot, doubling up. So much for my theory that everyone's draws come in but mine.
Doubling up once more on a two pair (A/10) hand, I became the chip leader, despite losing a stack to QQ vs. my 5/5 vs. the wild child's preflop 3 bet and shove on the flop (ace/king showing). Due to his spewey nature I made the call, only to be overcalled by the queens. We both check checked and he won.
I was feeling pretty good, chip leader and all when this hand came up. A very loose and passive woman limped (or maybe was in big blind...I forget) when I raised with KK. Blinds were 80/160 and I had made it 500 to go. She called, everyone else folded. The flop came 10/10/3 and she bet 600 with about 550 behind. I tanked for a moment, asked her, "really, you called with a 10 in your hand?". She didn't answer, and I re-raised her all-in. She called to show......A/K off. Sweet, except for the ace on the river. We had our break just after that, and I was down to about 500 over starting stack.
My last hand was at the 200/400 level with 18 players remaining. We had just formed the final 2 tables and I drew the small blind, which I figured was a good thing with only 4 big blinds in my stack. I totally misplayed the first hand, with A/2 of spades in the small blind I should have shoved with only one limper and the big blind in the hand. My thought process was that I would like to see the flop cheap and fold to a bad flop or shove with a good one. That would leave me with 3 1/2 blinds and able to see 8 more hands. The flop was beautiful for me, Q/Q/8 with 2 spades. I thought it unlikely that anyone had a queen and with a flush draw plus 1st action could get a fold easily...representing the queen and no possible better flush draw possible. Wrong! I shoved, the big blind called and the limper folded. He turns over.....8/4 off. WTF! Guess he could not put me on a queen, and despite having a player to act behind decides to be a hero. I hit a 2 on the turn, but no more 2's, aces, or spades appeared and I was gone.
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