This is what happens when you don't knock a player out

Bad things can happen when you don't knock a player out when you have a chance.  Playing today in a $25 guaratee rebuy tournament I ended up re-buying 3 times.  The first re-buy happened when I raised with KK and was re-raised all-in by QQ.  Naturally, he hits a queen in the door.  Re-buy, I turn top pair with my KQ (flop was 10/J/2).  I shove with my top pair and open ender to be called by 9/2.  He hits a 2 on the river and I re-buy.  Now I get deep and this hand comes up.  I have around 10K, with blinds @ 200/400 and I am in big blind with garbage, J/4.  A short stack shoves for around 1400 and is called by the small blind...a very loose player.  I consider calling but we are near the money bubble and I have garbage.  Understand that if the other player folds, I am calling as there are antes involved and I am getting pretty good pot odds.  So, the all in player doubles up plus antes and my blind with his 10 high.  This player not getting eliminated is important to me later.

So, now on the button, the chipped up player shoves.  I have 6/6 and call only to see his 7/7 hold up.  Now short stacked, but in the money (16 players left...paying 18), I limp on the button with K/10.  The flop is 9 high and checked to me so I shove.  Everyone folds except the loose player to my right who calls with a 5/7 open end draw.  Naturally, he hits his 8 on the river to eliminate me in 16th place.  I get back almost 2 buy-ins, but a losing tournament for me.

The tournament pictured below was a disappointment.  I played for 2 1/2 hours and missed cashing by 6 people (42/36).  There were over 600 re-entries and add-ons.  I only bought in once with no add-on.  Was eliminated by runners to make a straight...had him all the way.

   

Don't Forget About the Button!!!!

Last night's "adventure in pokerland" included my dealing table 2 as usual.  I almost didn't, telling people I had a 30% better chance of cashing by concentrating solely on playing, but on the other hand, a 100% chance of my poker not costing me as much by dealing.  Plus, I am coming down with a monster cold.  I made a couple of mistakes dealing, including shoving a pot to a player before I dealt the river card (don't laugh, have seen the "professionals" do this several times).  Anyway, the all-in player did not improve and was gone.

Had to make a couple of monster laydowns early, including one where I flopped a 5 high straight (playing A/5 spades, flop was 234 with 2 clubs).  I bet big, about pot size of 600, with 1100 behind me and got one caller...my nemesis Robert.  The turn brought a very bad card for me, a 5, and I bet only $350 (sign of weakness if you are paying attention).  Robert then went all-in and I folded face-up.  It may have been a chopped pot, but he is known to draw for gutshots.  The player next to me had a sour look and said, "I folded 6/7"....he did not draw to a gutshot which would have been very bad for Robert.

Luckily for me, the very next hand I had KK, shoved was called, and recovered a big chunk of my chips, still below starting stack. Then, on the last hand before the break, I ran into trouble.  Limping in the hijack with 8/9 of hearts, the flop came Q/8/9 with 2 clubs.  The UTG player bet $300 and I re-raised all-in putting him on a flush draw.  The button, who I had forgotten was even in the hand, shoved over the top of me.  The original bettor tanked, and finally folded, turning over A/8 of clubs.  It probably helped him find the fold when the button said "I think we are going to chop".  I immediately knew he had 10/J for the flopped straight, and worse,  the UTG had one of my outs!  So, I was gone (but still had to deal) until the final table formed.  I left without collecting my tips.  Oh, yeah, the final table was down to 4 players and Robert had a monster stack......

2 Bad Beats, 2 Poker Chips & a Plate of Christmas Cookies

After spending a day in Portland & 2 days in Seattle, I barely made it back to the beach in time for the American Legion tournament last night.  I blew all of my cash during the trip and had to borrow a twenty from my daughter to enter the tournament.  Luckily, I had $21 waiting for me from my last dealing so no longer in debt.  Even though I was sooooo tired from the drive, decided to sign up for table 2 dealing.  They are having lots of trouble getting dealers (I like it...almost free poker) and could have dealt table 1 for 50% of tips but didn't want to stay if knocked out early.  That almost happened.  We were at the 100/200 blind level when the short stack next to me (had him covered by 2, $100 chips) shoved.  I called with JJ and was happy to see 99 against me.  Ooops, forgot that I suck as a dealer for myself delivering him his 2 outer in the door.


Now the short stack at the table with blinds going up to 200/400 next hand, I called a shove, re-shove, and overcall with my J/9 suited in this "volume" pot.  Faced with a small pair, and a couple of over-cards in the other 2 hands I managed to nail a jack on the river to quadruple up.  Nice.  Later I would get involved with another shove with KJ suited and triple up plus some (blinds) when I hit my king.  Managed to go from 2 chips and a chair to the final table with above average stack of around 7,000.


I lost a third of my chips on a ridiculous hand.  AQ biggest stack raises, I call with 4/4, then another player shoves and we both call.  With one all in, the flop is small, but no 4 and the big stack bets big.  I look at him, think for a while, then say "I hope you are not bluffing into a dry pot".  I then fold face-up.  He turns over AQ for no pair, while the all-in shows K/7, and a pair of 7's.  The river of course delivers an ace and the player is down but the whole table gets after the big stack.  He is an idiot we surmise.  Later, he shoves with 6/6 and is called by a bigger stack who has AK.  His small pair survives and the big stack now has exactly as many chips as me, 2500.  He is small blind, I am big blind at the 600/1200 blind level.  Surprisingly, it is folded to us and he shoves, as I expect having just lost most of his chips and probably on tilt.  I have enough to fold and get through the blinds, but we are all in the money with 5 players remaining and I look down to see....A/6.  While not my favorite calling hand on a shove I figure to be ahead of the tilted one....who coincidentally is the one who got lucky earlier with his 9/9 against me!  I call and shit....he has K/K.  Oh well, but karma is a sneaky bitch and an ace hits the door!  Nice.  I only have to dodge a king or running hearts as he has the king of hearts and there are 2 hearts on the flop.  What was I saying about karma?  Running hearts has me running for the door in 5th place for a $77 win (plus $31 in tips, less $5. tip for a $73. net win).  Plus I collected a plate of Christmas cookies from the tournament organizer, Mary, as I headed for home.

Posting for Don

Due to popular demand, here is a new post.  My job in the Tri-Cities has ended, and with it my frequent poker games.  The past week I played in about 10 tournaments, cashing in 2 and final tabling all but 1.  My luck has been running pretty sour so the cash games have drained most of my winnings in tournaments.  Had a couple of particularly disappointing outings there and lost my maximum stop/loss.  The winning sessions were generally small, so overall negative cash game sessions.  I estimate a very small profit for the trip, close to break even....which according to Kenny Rogers is the best you can hope for.



Thinking about this song I think it sums up the decision to close our Tri-City business venture.  It has been a good 9 year run and has allowed me to meet a lot of nice folks, play some poker and supplement my retirement income.  Doesn't get any better than that.  So, I think it is time to "know when to fold 'em."

I will continue to write my poker blog, because that is what I do.  My poker will probably be limited to Friday nights at the Legion, but there is plenty to write about there.  The online stuff kind of is not real poker (despite my giant wins, lol) and may screw up my "real" game, so am planning to curtail that some.  Until next time.......

Busting The Tight Players

Playing in the 3/20 spread game at the Moose last night there were 3 very tight players.  One who shall remain unnamed, is the most legendarily tight player ever.  He buys in for the minimum and nurses his stack like it is a wounded eagle.  If he limps in he has a very good hand.  If he calls a raise, he has a great hand.  If he calls a bet after the flop, he has the nuts.  Simple as that.  Also, he has a very bad temper when he loses a hand (after waiting all night for the nuts).  So, this hand came up:  I limped in with AJ, he limped in with 8/8.  The flop had both an Ace and an 8.  It was checked to me in late position and I put in around an $8.  bet.  He calls.  Rut Row, thinking my kicker is no good at this point (which it definitely was not).  However, the turn is an excellent card for me (I think) a jack, giving me aces up.  I bet larger this time (probably 20).  He calls for all of his chips...remember he buys short, so he had only about $8.  We turn over our cards  and I get the bad news.  The river, halleluja brings another ace for my Aces full over his 8's full!  This also wins me the high hand for the hour, which unfortunately is no longer $399, but only $100.  I split with my buddy Ron on a 75/25 and then they bring me the dreaded IRS form to fill out.  I have gone over $600 for the year and will be taxed!!!

Later, the super tight couple leaves only to be replaced by a younger super tight couple.  As opposed to the other couple, I like this one, so not so happy to bust the wife with my raise of her two pair bet with my flush draw.  With only $30 behind I was o.k. to gamble.  Would have folded if she had a bigger stack.  That brings me to the discussion of short stack vs. big stack play.  Big stacks seem to always have more gamble whether they bought the chips or won them.  Short stack play has some pluses, like being able to chase draws very cheap when all-in but cannot maximize earnings with big hands.  Overall I like the strategy of having a deep stack in a cash game but playing pretty tight.

Bottom line on my game:  Bought in for $100, cashed out for $296 after giving Ron his $25.  A good night of poker.

http://www.pokerology.com/lessons/playing-tight-players/

Another Freeroll Win

Playing the $10 guarantee freeroll tonight, I was chip leader for a while, took some beats, but ended up in 4th place for 95 cents.  This will pay for almost two entries in the $25 guarantee tournament which can pay over $13 for first place.  Yee Haa!

 The first screen shows me near my peak (had around 300k at one time. Second screen is final results for me.  I still feel pretty good outlasting 473 other players.