Dawdling Service

This is my all time favorite clip regarding customer service.  From Lonesome Dove, my all time favorite cowboy show.

Great Starting Hands vs. Great Flops

I was playing Omaha 8 today and pondering the disconnect we sometimes have between our great starting hands vs. great flops (for someone).  Several times I was dealt powerhouse hands, like AA23 double suited, only to see a flop that destroyed my great start.  Think of a flop like 9/10/J with either two or three of one of the suits you don't have.  You have no low draw, and really no high draw either without running cards,  ace and pairing the board.  You have to sadly fold.  It is especially bad on some of the aggressive tables where it is often raised or capped preflop.  Naturally, with a big starting hand like that you are merrily raising and calling with the herd.

Now compare this with a starting hand you would never play except in an unraised big blind.  Say, K, 9, 7, 2 rainbow.  Trust me, if it is raised preflop this bad boy is going straight to muck heaven.  However, sometimes everyone limps (actually, in O8, this happens a lot).  I might even limp with this hand from the small blind with 8 limpers.  Anyway, the flop comes down 9/9/2 and it is capped after your opening bet...and in omaha, slow play is not the way to play the game.  This game can be so easy!!!  Of course, with the board paired you are now fading all overpairs, a 9 with a bigger kicker, and even runner small cards to steal half your pot!!!

So, the question remains.  Do you prefer great starting hands, or great flops?  This brings us to the eternal question of what hands are playable in poker.  I am coming to realize that many hands are worth playing if the conditions are right as far as position, chip stack, and table image.

Some of the lessons I learn playing omaha are so translatable to holdem, but others are not (at least I think not).  One of the things I am learning to do is to not chase the non-nut hands.  I refuse to chase straights or flushes if the board is paired.  Sometimes I fold the best hand, but overall feel that most of the time you are drawing dead.  Some players will call or even bet with small flushes or straights when the board has flush possibilities or full house potential.  I think this is a losing strategy, as they are often betting as advertised.  Also, not drawing to low hands unless they are the nuts, and unless I flop 2 low cards.  Runner runner low is not a way to make money in this game.  Of course, sometimes you are trapped in a large pot where it is a mistake to fold either a low flush draw, or non-nut low.

I like to follow the "flop it or drop it" rule for the most part.  That relates to the first part of my blog.  If you get a bad flop, you only compound it by chasing.  A good example is starting with pocket kings.  The flop pairs a smaller card, there is a bet and a raise to you.  Fold.  Simple.  Or, an ace on the flop but everyone checks.  Don't bet.  Someone just doesn't like their kicker.

Another trap hand in omaha is two pair, or sometimes even 3 pair on the flop.  I have lost a ton of money on this.  Consider your hand J/10/A/2.  Very playable.  The flop comes down J/10/2 with two clubs.  You have no clubs.  There is a bet and a raise in front of you.  Great time to fold.  You are drawing to at best maybe 3 outs.  You are way behind JJ, 10/10, AA, A2, and any two clubs.  You have no low draw.  No good will come from this hand in my experience.                                                                       

Another example of idiot lucky then unlucky

18 Player SNG, I have AA.  I raise to 200, idiot calls with K6 offsuit.  Check out result below:

 
We got all of our chips in on his check raise of my continuation bet.  The turn card paired the other card from his flopped two pair and he was toast.  I finished in 6th place, two out of the money.  Short stack and flopped top pair in big blind.  Button had bigger kicker. 

How's This For Running Unlucky

A recent comment about being an "unlucky" player struck home.  Sometimes, honestly, I feel that if my luck were just average I would cash nearly every time.  Here is an example though, of my bad luck playing early in a 27 person online sit n go tournament.  I am in early position with 2/2, several players limp, including an idiot with K/5 offsuit.  The flop is 2/5/K.  I bet $80, he reraises to $360, I reraise to $800, he shoves, I call.  The turn is a 5 and the river is a king.  Now short stacked (I had him covered), I shove with 8/8 on the button.  Everyone folds except one player who calls with A4 suited.  He hits an ace on the turn.  I am gone.

Playing in a 2nd sng, I limp from the small blind (all other players folded) with 7/7.  The big blind shoves, I call.  He has 9/9.  I am gone.

Legion Recap

Being as how I have been running major league card dead, my expectations for the Legion last night were exceptionally low.  I was not disappointed.  Drawing table 2, the one I usually deal, an older player was killing the game, winning the first 4 hands we played.  I was getting my usual garbage and folding, or small pairs and calling only to fold after the flop.  I was eliminated in 3 hands within one rotation.

Hand #1.  The old guy won a few more hands, uncontested, and when he raised yet again, I called with A/9.  The flop was middlish, 8 high.  He bet 2x the BB and I decided he had something like a big ace that did not connect with the flop, so I decided to raise to $300.  He flat called.  Well, I was hoping to take it down there or at least have my hand better defined but that didn't happen.  Another middle card came on the turn, again he bet $80.  I flat called.  River pairs 6's, he again bets $120 this time.  I raise to $400, he calls and tables pocket aces.  Hmmm, lost almost half my chips on that fiasco.

Hand #2.  Maybe 2 or 3 hands later, in the BB I have KJ.  Lots of limpers, including the UTG.  Flop is 8 high, very connected.  We all check.  Turn is K, I bet $120 and am raised to $400 by UTG.  I question him, "are you slow playing a flopped straight?"  He doesn't answer.  River is an ace, I check, he thinks a bit, then bets $350, about half my stack.  I call, he turns over K8 for two pair.  Granted, they were suited, but really?  King 8 UTG is a crap hand.

Hand #3.   Now extremely short stacked two hands later, on the button, I have 8/8.  There are a couple of limpers, and with blinds at 20/40, I go ahead a shove.  Everyone folds except a woman playing for the first time.  She calls with A/6 suited.  Naturally, an ace comes on the flop and no rescue on the turn or river.  Nice call, lady.  there is literally no hand I am shoving with that she is ahead of.

I leave the tournament, first out in quite a while.

How wrong is this?

Playing in a 27 person SNG online, I am sitting pretty snug in 2nd place with 14 players remaining.  In an unraised pot, playing J/Q in the small blind, The flop is 3/4/J.  I bet a half pot bet, everyone folds but one player.  The turn is a queen, I bet pot size, the player calls.  River is a king, I bet about 1/2 his remaining chips, he calls and turns over K/K for a set.  Now well below average stack, on the button I limp with J/10.  Flop is J/10/x with one club.  I shove all in, the chip leader calls with 10/2 of clubs.  Runner runner clubs and I am gone.  Unbelievable.

Playing another SNG, I flop a straight with 9/10 (flop is J/Q/K).  Caller has J/Q.  River brings another Queen.  Later, I flop 2 pair on same flop with K/Q.  Caller has 9/10, his straight holds up.  How wrong is this?

Either I am the unluckiest player in poker or the worst.  Haven't decided yet.  Keep getting snapped by inferior hands, like this morning AJ vs K10, he flops two kings.  Queen high flop, I have Q8, all in called by 6/8, he gets runner runner flush.  Bad luck or what?  I hate this game.

It continues.  Just knocked out of another tournament.  In BB with Q/Q, 3 limpers.  I shove, called by J/9.  He hits a J on flop and 9 on river.

Permanently Pissed Cause I Missed Woodstock

O.K., a lot of other people in my generation missed it too, but still, it was one of the greatest concerts in the history of the world....during my youth.  Here are some of the reasons it was awesome:













My sincere apologies to Paul Allen, but never liked Jimi Hendrix.  I have the 4 cd collection of all the woodstock songs, and just skip over them.   I do like Richie Havens.