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Someone quoted John Harrington during the tournament last Friday.  "Poker is a betting game played with cards".  I have been pondering that this week, and after playing a ton of freeroll tournaments would have to agree.  We have all been the "victim" of the aggressive big stack who raises with squadoush and nails the flop or bets better hands off.

I have also been pondering how it seems that "the worst hand always seems to win".  I keep seeing this, and have been the victim much more than the beneficiary. This is because as a relatively tight player I normally play better cards than my opponents start with (cooler shown below as an arguement against this statement).   A great example was a freeroll I played a few minutes ago.  I raised 3x big blind with A/J.  A player shoved (had me covered as I had just done late registration) with A/10 off and naturally hit a 10 to eliminate me.  Wow.  But I saw 3/3 beat 8/8 two hands earlier when he flopped the 3.  Just sayin' that if my AK is against AQ there is a high likelihood that he will flop trip queens.

Here is the real life example of the cooler I experienced today.  How sick is KK vs. AA?  On a positive note, did cash in this small buy-in tournament (12th place out of 80 or so).  It was a $.50 + .05 buy-in and I won $1.10.  This is an on-demand tournament that runs pretty continuously as soon as 18 players sign up.  There is a $25 guaranteed payout, with 18 players getting at least their money back as normally 80-90 sign up.  I plan to build my online bankroll with this tournament as you can coast near the end with not many chips, or if lucky win 1st for $12.00 or so.  My goal is like the Ferguson challenge to build up to $10,000 from nothing.

Patience, Aggression and Judgement

I have been thinking about the qualities that make for a great poker player.  These three came to mind first.  I have been playing in a bunch of freerolls lately (trying to duplicate my "big" win) with little success.  I am getting my money in good but the loose luckboxes have been doing what they do best...getting lucky.  So, thinking about the super loose players I see online, what usually propels me to final tables is patience.  Often the hyper-loose player is also the hyper-aggressive player too.  I like to sit back and wait for a great opportunity to double up by trapping them by limping in with monsters, or calling with good hands like pairs or big aces.  It works nearly every time.

Lately in the $10 freeroll I have been just getting my ass kicked.  Some first hand all-ins with pairs facing bigger pairs, massive draws not arriving (good example this morning, pre-flop raise by another player (A/A), I call the smallish raise in position with 10/J of clubs.  The flop is K/Q clubs/ 8.  So I have open ended straight flush draw.  The turn is another 8, and we get all our chips in.  Whiff!

America's Cardroom

After having my computer crash a couple of times on one of my free poker sites (Zen Entertainment), decided to download America's Cardroom, a site one of my Legion friends plays on.  He was telling a group of us last week about his small wins on the freerolls so I decided to have a go at it.  My first tournament was pretty brief.  They begin with 270 players, then you can late register for the 1st hour.  My second tournament this morning ended up with 492 entrants.

I really like this site, it has good graphics, smooth play, lots of choices of bets (1/3 pot, 1/2 pot, 3/4 pot, etc) that make it easy to use.  Also, the lobby has tons of information....big stack size at each table, smallest stack, average chips, next blinds, etc.  I have played at many sites, including pokerstars, ultimate bet, pokerroom, zen, full tilt, etc. and this one ranks at the top.

So, anyway, playing my 2nd tournament I hung in there, got some double up opportunities, and was in the top 1/4 of chips.  I took a huge hit with my QQ when I was re-raised all-in pre-flop by 5/7 who caught a river 6 for a gutshot straight.  Ouch!  Then I almost lost my tournament seat when KK slowplayed my JJ preflop raise.  I hit a straight on the river to survive (who says I never get lucky?).  My big breakthrough came with QQ when I raised, then was re-raised all-in by AX, over-shoved by AX, and called by some total crap hand.  We all had a lot of chips, and when the dust settled my queens held up and I was 2nd in the tournament.  I just hung in there to the final table, occassionally knocking a short stack out and ended up heads-up with the massive chip leader.  He had me about 4/1.  We went back and forth, changing leads a couple of times.  I had him cold twice but he sucked out with garbage.  The final hand I had something like A10 vs. 9/10.  The winning prize was only $2.50 out of the total prize pool of $10, but it now allows me to play some micro buy-in tournaments or cash games to run it up.

  

WTF Online

I must admit that I would much prefer to be playing "real" poker, but despite the lack of skin in the game, many online events play much as live poker.  Guess that is why I stick with it.  The key, I have found is to play very tight at first due to the high percentage of donks who like to attempt quick double ups with garbage.  They can destroy you, or propel you into the early lead if you have a big hand.  I prefer to sit back and wait for good opportunities.  My favorite game is the $1000 buy-in 45 person SNG on Pokerstars.  The prize pool is good and it plays similarly to the morning moose tournament.  They pay 7 places, so if you can make the final table with decent chips you stand to make a few bucks.

This morning I played 2 tournaments due to waking up at 4:30 a.m. and being unable to go back to sleep.  That time of day you mostly get European and Russian players because of the time zone difference.  The Russian players I like to call "Comrade Bluffski" due to their giant bluffs.  They can be tough because, let's face it, anyone can wake up with a real hand.  You get lulled into complacency watching them bet with bottom pair and winning big pots, then they get aces and you give all your chips to them calling light.  I have found the Spanish players a wild bunch.  I like to think that they think that they are "muy macho" when they bet.

So, anyway, this morning I was cruising to a cash with average chip stack and 10 players remaining.  I am playing A/J with the ace of clubs.  The flop is 8/9/10, all clubs.  I love the flop with my open ender and draw to the "nut" flush.  I bet, and am called by a larger stack. The turn changes nothing, I bet 1/2 pot, and am called again.  The turn is the queen of clubs.  I bet pot and am raised for nearly all my chips.  I re-raise all-in.  He turns over 10/J with the jack of clubs for the straight flush!!!!! WTF!!!!!  Bubble the final table.

Next up, new 45 person SNG, long story short, I play very few hands, getting one double up and am short stacked with 12 players remaining.  It is folded to me on the button with blinds @ 75/150, the small blind is sitting out.  I have J/8 with about 1000 in chips.  The big blind is sitting on one of the largest stacks (around 10K).  I elect to shove, and he calls with.....2/4!!!!!  WTF!!!!!  Flop brings a 2 and a 4, the turn does not hit me, leaving me drawing dead.  Unbelievable. 

Woulda Coulda Shoulda

Returning from Maui, I was asked to deal the final table at the Legion tournament.  Not a problem being fully rested and ready for some poker.  My table was somewhat unusual in that I had a father/son combination seated, one of whom was the "wild child" I have previously written about.  I was in for an evening of practically nonstop talking and bluffing and huge overbets.  Great.  The son I learned did not fall far from the tree.  They got involved in at least 3 pots together and the son generally folded to the raises from pop, showing huge respect in that he had raised first and folded to the 3-bet, showing a pair of 8's each time.  I later had the huge luck to knock pop out with my least favorite hand, 5/10 off. It was a situational thing in my big blind vs. his small stack with limpers.

The evening started out well for me, winning 3 small pots on the first 5 hands dealt.  But, alas, they were very small pots.  I missed a huge opportunity to knock out the wild child with a 5/8 early on when he almost doubled up with 2 pair, then definitely would have gotten him with a 6/7, both making straights.  I would regret this later on.  I had the good fortune to knock several players out, including a short stack with my 9/2, flopping a full house, and pocket kings of wild child's pop and another shorty with my 10/5 making 2 pair.

So, my downfall came on the button with A/Q.  I had a nice stack, with only 12 players remaining, and I slightly overbet wild child's big blind.  He had stacked up big, getting double dog lucky several times with the worst hand, and stared at me then said something like "you must want me to fold", then re-raised me all-in.  I snap called and he turned over A/9 soooooted, which he had earlier maybe 2-3 times and declared his "favorite hand".  Great, I love to play against dominated hands....that is until they spike a 9 on the river and knock me out of the tournament.  Now, here comes the ironic part.  He knocked at least 2 more players out with.....A/Q.  Snap calling both times, and behind on at least one.  What a donkey.

So, he ends up heads-up against the tournament director, who had chipped him up earlier (the director was leader on the final table), the director getting most of them back, then  QQ (wild child) vs. weak ace on the last hand.  He wins the tournament.  Lucky door to door.  

Back in CONUS (Continental United States)

Well, back from my Hawaii adventure intact.  I had a great time (pictures attached) but I have some things that I really don't like about it.

1.  Cost.  Everything there is darned expensive.  The first morning there we went out for breakfast (3 adults and one small child) and the bill was $58 plus tip.  Excuse me!  Because we were a captive audience there were few inexpensive options.  We bought groceries at the Safeway but hard to cook/plan so not many meals were prepared at the condo.

2.  How much time can you spend at a swimming pool?  The kids thought it was great, but other than the hot tub, really don't enjoy sitting poolside (fair skin easily burnt) and how much do you really want to splash around in a 3' deep pool?

3.  No poker options (except free site online)

4.  I don't think the natives really like us much.  Sometimes I feel the same way here in my resort community.  Lots of traffic, feeling overrun with tourists.  Restaurants full, long lines.

Now for the positives.

1.  Unbelievably nice weather, 85 every day.  Harsh to come back here where it looks like winter has begun.

2.  Snorkeling.  One of my favorite ocean activities.  Beautiful fish, coral, warm water.  Only drawback was wearing mask for extended time.  Kinda pinched around ears.  Also, had to cut my moustache to get a seal.

3.  Time with family.  Nice to hang with the kiddos.

4.  Did I mention the unbelievably nice weather?

Poker in Maui

There ain't none.