Hosed on River Every Time

First of all, let me wish all of you a very merry Christmas.  One of the many blessings I have enjoyed this year is good health which has let me enjoy poker, travel, friends and family (not necessarily in that order).  My hope for you this coming year is the same without which the others might not happen!  I have been very lucky this year winning the Audi and a few tournaments which may or may not make up for the many bad beats we all suffer.  I thank you for listening to my many whines about this subject, helping me celebrate my victories, and suffering through my poker "lessons".  Truthfully, the knowledge I don't possess about poker would fill many volumes.  I am frequently humbled and troubled by events at the table....just like in "real life".  That said, on to my last tournament of the year.

Chipping up a little early was critical for me, as a new player to our game totally took half my stack with a miracle on the river.  I raised in early position with QQ and was called by 8/9.  The flop was 8 high and I came firing out.  He called with his "top pair, no kicker" and some unlikely gutshot straight draw.  The turn was a brick (a king), and I fired again...thinking my flop bet was 200, and the turn 300.  The river, another 8.  I bet 200 and for some unknowable reason like he didn't know what he was doing, he just called.

Now short stacked I fought my way back some only to run into another new player.  Gosh, it seems they were coming out of the woodwork this week.  This player had lost most of his chips and was very short, maybe 300 with blinds still small at 20/40.  I found pocket 8's and raised to 100.  he came over the top all-in with 3/4 suited.  I called.  The flop was a wet dream for him, all spades, including the 8 of spades.  The turn was another spade, and with tons of outs to fill up, the river was another spade.  The smallest spade on the board was an 8, so chop-chop.  You could say that the river saved me, but I prefer to think I got hosed by the board not pairing.

A few hands later, I again got the chance to eliminate him when he raised all-in with K/10 and I woke up with A/A.  Once again, I flopped a set, and the river hosed me giving him broadway. Unbelievable.

My last shafting came on my last hand on the final table.  I had $525 with blinds at 50/100 and shoved with AK suited on the button.  The small blind called with A/5 suited.  The flop came with a king but two hearts.  Any guesses which players suited cards were diamonds and whose were hearts? Any guesses what the river brought?

Have a happy new year!!!! 

Questionable Call

One of the key ingredients in winning poker is determining hand ranges and deciding whether your hand is better or at least as good as the bettor's range.  When a player goes all-in, you have to determine if your range is equal to or better than the shover's.  Other factors also come into play, like what are the chip counts?  Who is at risk here?  If I lose, will I either be out or now short-stacked?  Are there other players behind me who might be "priced in" if I just call, rather than shove to isolate?
The equation for an overcall, is to me, a much more complex issue.  You have to add all of the above, plus decide if your hand would play well against the others.  In general, an overcall is not a good idea most of the time barring a top hand or a monster stack.  So, given my thoughts about this, at Friday's final table I shoved with AJ suited (2500 with blinds at 500/1000) in middle position.  It was folded around to the small blind who had just won a huge pot and was in good shape.  He pondered a bit, then finally called.  The big blind, who had only about 3500 on top of his blind also called.  I was a little irritated with the small blind who I really wanted to re-raise to isolate and give me only one opponent to beat.  The flop was QQX and when the small checked and the big hesitated, I immediately put him on a queen.  When the ace hit on the turn, he went all-in and turned over the QJ offsuit after the SB folded.  Unbelievable.  His over-call was awful, and flopping 2 queens was his only way to win short of a straight or random flush.  I was out in 9th place.  

What Just Hit Me? The Deck You Say?

Our Wednesday night poker was cancelled last week due to flooding.  Not only was the highway flooded to the north, part of the road caved in to the south.



We had a small (but loyal) turnout, enough for two almost full tables, around 16 I think.  I began the night with my pre-game ritual of an Old Chub beer:



This nearly always wrecks me for dealing and probably does not help my play either.  It is extremely strong.  Mike asked me to deal, but thought it better that I not.  Good choice, drunk man.

The game started off well for me, winning the first hand and just continuing as I hit flop after flop and was on the receiving end of some great starting hands.  By the time of the break, I was chip leader on our table.  Over the course of  the tournament was dealt the following pocket pairs:  AA (twice), KK (three times), JJ, 10/10 (flopping quads), other small pairs including memorably 3/3 which doubled me up on a 3/x/A flop vs. AJ.  I also double up through a big stack with AA vx. QQ.  Like I say, the deck was running over me.  Quite honestly, any player who was dealt my cards would have no problem winning any tournament....though I was able to escape a trap or two and maximized a couple of wins with my play. It really, really helps to get great starting cards, not get any bad beats, and have the flop actually help you.  I don't remember losing with any pair.

So, bottom line, ended up chopping with Scott who had me outchipped a couple of thousand (he got lucky a couple of times and played well and aggressively.  We earned $220 each for a net of $154 after buy-in, tips, and of course the cost of the Old Chub.

Old picture, from Scott's birthday/poker party last year

Tight Play Required

At last night's Legion game I experienced extreme card death.  At the first break (1 hour), I had voluntarily entered exactly 3 pots and reached the river only once with a draw.  I did not take note of any pots that I would have won if I had played every hand to the river.  So, my goal at the first break is to try to double up.  I was at 1600 chips from the starting 2100, so it shows what extremely tight play can accomplish in terms of chip preservation.  With blinds at 100/200 after break, I had only 8 big blinds and was looking for a shove opportunity.  Other short stacks beat me to it, and had no calling hands so eventually I was eroded down to 1200.  The button, an aggressive good player shoved with 1000 and I was pleased in the big blind to find AQ.  Snap call!!!!  It was literally the first strong ace I had seen.  I was doubly happy when he turned over his A/7 unsuited.  This was my big opportunity to get back into the game!!!

So, my preflop odds are:  70%/24% to win

The flop is a monster.....for him  5/6/8

So now the odds are:  55%/40%  with 5% a tie.  Still in my favor, but instead of 3 outs, he now has 11 of them.

The turn is a nightmare for me:  7, so he now has me down to 3 outs to win, and 8 outs to tie.

The odds are:  7%/75% with 18% to tie.

I brick the river and am down to 200 in chips.  I got them in on my blind and miraculously won, but had to go all in again, winning and getting up to around 1800.  These were to be the only hands that I would win and put the remainder in from my big blind (400/800) with 5/8 due to multiple players and pot odds. 

Why Does This Remind Me of Most Poker Tournaments?

Back to Back Crack

Dealing table 3 last night in the absence of my friend, Mike, who usually deals there, I was eliminated in 16th position just after we combined to 2 tables....4 tables total....around 36 players or so.  I was looking forward to just playing but went out on the first hand dealt.  At the first break I was in excellent shape with 4600 chips, double the starting stack.  Of course there were many short stacks at that point with blinds now at 100/200 so you have to expect some shoves.  I essentially went card dead and did not win a hand for over an hour.  A new player was transferred to my table with a lot of chips and no clue.  I had never seen him before and he was drunk, loud, and to my immediate right.  He knocked out an excellent player who shoved 2000 with his A/9 suited to be called by this clown with A/3 suited.  He was lucky enough to hit his 3 (also a 3 outer I might add).  I was in the big blind (600) when this happened and that brought us to the table consolidation.

As bad luck would have it, I drew the big blind....just what a short stack does not want, and after posting had only 1200 behind.  Mr. lucky loud drew the seat to my left, and limped in with A/3 suited (again) and the player next to him called with Q/10 off.  Horrible plays on both their parts with the blinds so large.  Anyway, the flop comes down king high with 2 hearts.  I am holding K/9 off with no hearts.  I shove and am called by both players.  They check it down and Mr. Lucky hits an ace on the river.  So basically he eliminated 2 players in a row with a weak suited ace/3 by hitting one of his cards.  If the flops were reversed (hitting his ace the first time, the 3 the second), he would have lost both hands.  Go figure.

I thought that I played well but shows what happens when you go card dead and desperate stacks start shoving.  I have got to figure out a way to win some of those hands.  It also illustrates the power of the shove as folded several weak ace hands much better than Mr. Lucky's.

How Not To Play a Big Stack

First of all let me state unequivocally, I seldom have a big stack.  That said, last night after the game, I had a discussion with the dealer who was bemoaning the early big stack that went slip sliding away to the point they did not make the final table.  I actually made the final table with fewer chips than the dealer had early on.  Oh yes, and I ended up chopping heads up despite never being in the top 3 stacks until the end.  Heads up I was a 4 or 5 to 1 dog.  So, how exactly do you not play a big stack?

1.  Do not treat it as a license to enter every pot.  The basic rules apply, have cards, have position, respect most raises.  You do not have to tighten up completely, just be wise and pick your spots.

2.  Avoid tangling with the big stacks.  This is sort of a spin off from rule 1.  You want to avoid a crippling pot on marginal hands.

3.  Avoid pushing around smallish stacks that will be forced to defend when you are holding marginal cards.  Much better to pick on middle stacks that will not play back hard without monsters.

4.  When near the money, that is when the big stack needs to be aggressive to those you sense are just trying to hang on to cash.  Last night I had a perfect position when everyone folded to my button and both the small and big blinds were very short.  I was 3rd in chips, we were down to 5 players with 4 being paid.  I raised enough to put either player all-in.  I happened to have an ace and probably the best hand, but should have done this with any two cards.

5.  Avoid doubling people up.  This really goes back to my earlier comments.  I have seen so many short stacks get healthy when they are forced to defend with any two cards.  I doubled both shorts up last night but it was highly situational.  Once I was in the big blind for 600 and the short guy went all-in for $700.  Duh, didn't even have to look at my cards to call.  The other time it was more, but not a whole lot and there was dead money in the pot from limps/small blind (I was big blind).

6.  Sometimes it is best to let the smaller stacks duke it out with each other.  You can put them in this position by folding real trash in late position or small blind.

7.  Don't over call shoves with a caller ahead of you without near nuts.  It is much better to either fold or re-raise to pressure the "monkey in the middle" with the squeeze play.

8.  I like to think of a big stack as the "black hole".  You know, like a collapsed star where anything that enters does not leave, even light.  You want those chips to stick to you.