This week in Poker

Variance ate me alive this week, resulting in a negative swing in the bankroll. In all cases but one, I got my money in ahead. In the last case I was about a 5-1 dog getting 4-1 and reluctantly made the a call on the river (in Omaha, if you call the flop, you are often calling the turn).

So, to recap: Poker sucks, first losing session of Omaha ever, week long tilt.

Oh, and this small thing happened: A federal judge in New York ruled that poker isn’t gambling under federal law because it’s primarily a game of skill.

Holy pocket aces! Ok, in the grand scheme of online poker, this is really not relevant. BUT, it does mean that home games can not be prosecuted, nor can running games be considered racketeering. Which is semi-significant.

Do You Validate?

I have finally put enough time between me and my last MTT to discuss it. Four table MTT and due to a poor showing the previous week in a 3 table MTT, I vow to play perfect.

We are down to 3 tables, the level is 200/400/50 and I am in the SB with $14k in chips. ( M=14, Q is around 1.)

EP standard player raises to $1200 UtG. Folds around to me and I have QQ. I make what I consider a standard raise here to $3k. Villain moves in for $8k.

I thought only briefly about this, thoughts of building a stack in my head. My two choices:

FOLD and have $11k left. (A very weak play here in my opinion)
or
CALL off $5k more to win the pot of $17k or so. (This would put me at $23k and very comfortable.)

Is this an easy of a choice as I made it? More importantly, would you RAISE there with QQ vs. and UtG raiser with $9k?



I call and he tables AK, which hits an ACE and takes 65% of my stack... BUT, I am not out yet... I build it back up. By the time we are down to two tables, I am back at $14k, but the levels are now 500/1000/100. I Call a short stack all-in with TT, only to see that she flopped a flush draw. Turn = boom and I am again now at $8-9k and hanging on.


I grind back up to about $12.5k and finally get KK, but in EP. I cant really fool around and make it $3k to go. The BB is the only caller. But that $3k call + $500 SB + antes will take me to $17k if I take it down on the flop. Not great but not bad.

The flop is 8d9h9d and the BB CHECKS. Can emphasize this enough. He CHECKS. I have only $9500 behind and bet $4500. He then ASKS what I have behind and I state, just $5k. He then CHECK-RAISES me all-in on a OESD. WTF? GREAT for me as I am going to double to... Oh wait, TURN is a TEN and his 67 sends me home. He might of even had 6d7d but I didnt even care to make sure, as I am NEVER folding KK to a single BB caller when I am short-stacked and the flop is 899.

So, frustration and despair results. But overall was happy with my play. Still, second guessing, could I have just CALLED with QQ? (No I still dont think so).

Forced to post

I dont want to post! I played solid early level poker last week, running $10k to $15k and then. TRAGEDY.

Lost to a 3 outer on river, KQ outflops my AJ, two middle pair hands go astray and finally a steal attempt runs into QQ. Not a great end to a fine start.

So I did not want to post. Instead I have been studying some poker play video, concentrating on knowing when to see a turn card and subsequent actions, and just as I think I can still avoid posting...

THIS HAPPENS

PokerStars Closes Deal With DOJ
"and repay players outside the U.S. within 90 days, as was specified in the agreement last week."

RLY? Merry F'xmas to me then!

But of course, the fine print: "The remission process is still up in the air at this time." Which means, the DOJ is involved in some way.

wat I lernd tooday

"You want to manage the size of the pot to the predicted strength of your hand on the river. In other words: grow the pot with value hands (where you will tend to have a pretty strong hand on the river naturally), and with hands that will make strong hands on the river with some frequency (decent draws). This is sometimes misinterpreted as aggression? Turn missed draws into bluffs some % of the time. Try pot-control with hands of medium or mediocre strength."

"Playing game theory optimal/equilibrium strategies is "playing defense." Estimating your opponents' strategies and trying to exploit them is "playing offense." The first important fact here is that playing defense ignores your opponents. You only want to play defensively when an opponent is exploiting your play."

Hand Tactics should include situational awareness. (position, image, stacks, opponents) and often come into view pre-flop.

uh, wah?

To quote professor Farnsowrth, "Good News Everyone!" It seems that Pokerstars becomes the GG PS

Although, until a final public statement is made by both PS and DoJ that the full bankroll (not just DEPOSITS) are being returned, I'll continue to hope not assume.