Evil Columbo

Last night, I was more Rorschach than Columbo??? Anyone who's played with me knows I am about as unemotional at the table as it gets. So how did I become the bad guy?

I sit down at a 1-2 charity poker room table with $200 (max). I flopped top pair a couple of times and it was good. After about an hour, I am at $325 with nothing memorable happening. I did get Aces once, and 2 callers saw a flop that had more draws than an animation studio. I played the hand very cautiously but both players stuck to the end with a pair and a gutshot that did not get there.

and now "the hand".

UtG (2 to my left) limps, folds around to the cutoff, who makes it $15. The button, with $400 sitting in front of him, makes it $30. This is significant. In my entire time at the table, there had never been a pre-flop re-raise. I also know that this guy would normally bring in a pocket pair for raise, never a limp. All the alarms go off in my head, and I figure in the SB I am going to fold almost all holdings. It was then I peeked down at KK.

Obviously, folding is a horrible play. So even if I think he has Aces, I am not going to fold pre-flop. If this is a tournament, this is an easy 3-bet. But at a 1-2 table with a raise and a re-raise and the bet at $30 (the largest yet). I do not intend to drop $350 on a pair to a weak table. I am thinking Deep-stack cash poker (or so I hope). The "correct" raise here is about $90, forcing all hands but Aces or stupid morons to fold. And that is a large and insane bet at a 1-2 table I felt, when the button could very well have AA here. Why get $90 in pre-flop when I am winning the hands I showdown? (that is my thinking at my time.) So, I decide to make a marginally incorrect play and call here, seeing the flop 3 handed and put pressure on any flop without an ace. The original limper surprises me and calls. Now the original raiser has a must call and 4 people see a flop with $122 in the pot!

The flop is 9s9c4c. The UTG immediately moves in for his remaining $115. The cutoff insta-folds. The Button makes a relatively quick decision and CALLS. Oh what a tangled web we weave. If I had raised pre-flop, then the decision would have already been made. I sit back and mutter "Wow". It takes me about 30 seconds to work through that the EP limper either had 44 and flopped the biggest hand of his life, or that he simple had "some pair" and decided to move in because of the pot size. I make a mental note that I don't think he moves in there with 44 and that is that. I am no longer thinking about the UtG player at all in my decision. So now back to the button. I start calculating the odds that he has AA. He did not raise here, nor did he really consider folding. I am thinking about AA and if I would call here vs. raising. I count out the $115. About 2 full minutes has passed. This is a long time apparently, since a guy at the end of the table starts muttering to make a decision. I then realize, late in the process I know, that I can NOT call here. Either I am playing for my stack here or I am not. I am not going to face another bet on the turn and fold. So, the entire $350 is at risk.

Then he gets louder to insure everyone hears his discontent. I look over and say "Do you have somewhere to go?". To which he replies, "Yes". Normally I wouldn't have said anything, but now the engagement has started. I say, "Well go then. I have an important decision to make." At this point the BUTTON jumps in and says something to the affect of, "you can call the clock if you don't like it." This guy immediately does that. This did not go over big at the table, but what's done is done. I say, "fine" and I fold. (I actually am still torn at this point, knowing I am probably the best hand yet knowing that this fold is only a small error. I am obviously uncomfortable with my decision or lack of one.)

UTG tables 33, button shows 88. ARGH. Everyone could tell when I saw the cards, I was ahead. It was written all over my face. The turn was an 8. Wow again.

There was much discussion now about the hands and some of it directed at the guy who called the clock. I chirped in "You were out of line." "Hey, Don't blame me for folding." "I do blame you." He bolts out of his chair. There was some sort of exchange now that seemed like I was back in high school. "You want to take it outside?" (really, he says this. The guy is 50 easy too.) I say "Com'on, how old are you (using a tone that indicating I meant we were too old for that, not that he was weak old guy). Then, Something about it being my fault. Then me saying that I am not the asshole here. Then him saying "are you calling me an asshole?" and I said "I am not the asshole here." Finally it comes to an end, somehow. Mostly, because having seen this SO many times in my life, I know the answer is to simply not stand up. That usually ends the escalation. When the second guy stands up (*cough* Motor City *cough*) its shouting.

The game moves on. The button and I continue to talk about the hand, much to the annoyance of the UTG player in the hand. He especially did not like the fact that we both thought he had nothing. The button and I discuss this for the next two hands among ourselves.

At this point, the clock guy gets up and leaves. That's right, he had to leave anyways and wanted to get a few more hands in, thus his complaining. He called the clock to get in 2 more hands. And I am the evil Columbo? He walks over and from over my left shoulder offers his hand and says, "Are we good?" Aghast, I shake his hand not meeting his eyes. Actually not even turning to look up at him. But I am not one to refuse his "closure".

Later on, not too much later on though, we (the button and I) start discussing the hand again. Now, the cutoff guy in the hand chimes in and says, "You are obviously a good player. You were taking a long time to make a decision." I reply. "It was a long time, but it was a big decision for $300 and 2 minutes is just not that long of a time when you think about it that way." I could tell he not only did not agree, and additionally thought I was some asshat.

Still later on, the button and I are talking about the hand again. This time the UTG chimes in rather exhaustively, "You guys are still talking about the hand? Let it go." I am already out of my shell... "If you want to be a good player, you need to think about these types of hands." He then says, "If *I* want to be a good player? You don't think I am a good player??". Oops. I realize the box I am in, so I just say "I don't think anyone here is in the November 9." and that is that. But now he too has me labeled as an asshat. And NO, I did not think he was a good player. He was the worst kind of player, who floats out of positions with marginal hands and marginal draws. Now he has targeting me, and this will be VERY profitable for me as he will continue to call my raises with marginal cards, flop just enough to call a flop bet, then fold on the turn to a huge bet, losing chips in $35 chucks.

Moving on. I am in a hand with a player and I flop TP. I bet 65% of the pot and he folds his flush draw. Now HE makes a comment that I did not bet enough. (um, but, you folded.) I say, "No, I bet enough to give you -10% equity on your draw." This statement shocked him that to the point that he never said a word the rest of the night to me. It did not hurt then now I am accumulating chips at an alarming rate.

I take a flop with AK and the flop is Ace high (like A47). My UTG friend cant let go of yet another hand and the Button wanted to play again too~ More chips for Columbo. The River was a King, but I was already ahead. No one called my river bet.

Another hand I have QQ and the flop is Ten high with 2 spades. The UTG bet, the button Calls, and I make it $100. They both fold.

I am up to close to $500 now and I am about to get into another hand of interest. I take a flop (there was a small raise) with 77 in the SB. The flop is T73 with 2 spades. The raiser moves in for almost $100 and I have second nuts. The button CALLS. Sound familiar? For the only time all evening, say "all-in". Now he knew I folded a BIG PAIR last time he was in this soup. He also knows I have shown down all monster hands. He also notices I have him covered. He asks if I have a big hand and I, noting the 2 spades, say "Oh yeah" with confidence. The button eventually, after much pain, folds the Ts. (No he did not have 2 spades). The turn and river (they rabbit hunted) were both spades. The giant bet was not what pushed him off the hand. It was the fact that I was practically telling him I had a set. I did everything but state it.

I am sitting now on $800 in chips and hear from the two newer guys who sat down in the 8 and 9 seats. I limp from EP with 7s6s and call a small raise to stay in the hand. The flop is 5s9sTd. I check, he bets, I call. The flop is the 2h. I check, he bets, I call. The river is the 8s. I just made the immortal nuts. I check, and when he checks behind, I casually as you say "oh high" say "Straight flush" and turn up the cards. The 8 seat already thinks I am an asshat. He also makes a comment about about my play and "keep doing that", like he is going to stack me. Then he tells the 9 seat about "the hand". Now the 9 seat thinks I'm an asshat. I don't know how the 8 seat even knew about it. He was correct for the wrong reason. My calls were correct (I could even raise the flop, but I put him on a weak holding), but my check on the river is bad in retrospect.

I played another rotation and the button is now involved in a new hand with a player on my left and the infamous UTG guy (who is UTG+1 in this hand). I am NOT in the hand. The flop is KK5. Guy on my left moves all-in for $300. Famous UTG guy (if I want to be good?) CALLS and the BUTTON (yes, that button) calls, Proudly stating that he knows he's behind! All three all-in. It does not take a detective to know what the hands are. 55, AK, AA in my opinion. Turns out it was 55, AK and KQ. That KQ call may be the single worse 1-2 call I have ever seen. The button just called $350 with the THIRD BEST HAND. (now do you think losing $30 with KK is bad?) They both go broke.

I play a few more hands and leave, saying, "Sorry for the drama guys". In the end, I made great decisions with the potential exception of the KK hand. But it was quite a night. Columbo the asshat. Up 350% for the night.

interesting hand...

Full Tilt Poker Game #14092061522: $34,000 Guarantee (103658629), Table 86 - 60/120 - No Limit Hold'em - 15:18:16 ET - 2009/08/17
Seat 1: SteveS2005 (2,360)
Seat 2: chadster96 (2,780)
Seat 3: jimbo1308 (5,423)
Seat 4: Dark-Knight100 (2,390)
Seat 5: GOOORiLLAAA (3,190)
Seat 6: vwchadw (6,260)
Seat 7: columbo (10,100)
Seat 8: eDude_The (4,097)
Seat 9: Business Man (6,728)
Business Man posts the small blind of 60
SteveS2005 posts the big blind of 120
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [6c 4c]
chadster96 calls 120
jimbo1308 folds
GOOORiLLAAA has reconnected
Dark-Knight100 calls 120
GOOORiLLAAA folds
vwchadw has 15 seconds left to act
vwchadw folds
columbo calls 120
eDude_The has 15 seconds left to act
eDude_The calls 120
Business Man folds
SteveS2005 checks
*** FLOP *** [2h 7c 5c]
SteveS2005 checks
chadster96 checks
Dark-Knight100 checks
columbo bets 480 (as opposed to just being a shove-monkey)
eDude_The has 15 seconds left to act
eDude_The calls 480
SteveS2005 folds
chadster96 folds
Dark-Knight100 folds
*** TURN *** [2h 7c 5c] [Kd]
columbo checks
eDude_The has 15 seconds left to act
eDude_The bets 720
columbo has 15 seconds left to act
columbo has requested TIME

Considering stack sizes, I cant see getting away from this. (It seems to me he hit the King.)

Why?

I have been very hard on myself as of late, in regards to "putting players on hands". I always work like a detective, and focus on the WHY instead of the hands. Maybe this is why I have so many issues in a cash game (or perhaps not). But WHY is an important question. Why did he check, Why did he bet? I have always been less concerned about his holding.

But now, that is coming back to possibly haunt me. As I reach the precipice of being really good at this game, this has become my glass ceiling.

I noticed it when I played 1-2 cash for the last couple of weeks and was not a factor. Other than suckouts and bluffs that got called, nothing remarkable at all. Which is NOT a good thing.

Now is the time. To paraphrase the intellectual (Steiner) in La Dolce Vita, I am stuck between amateur and professional, living a sheltered existence of sheltered risk. Now, my focus has to be on correcting this through fixing my weakness while playing for higher stakes.

OMG, NL O8B???

I played a small 2 table SNG last night at a VFW hall. No big deal. But after the tournament, they all sit around and play NLO8B. Really!

It was very strange at first, and I dropped $40 trying in vein to protect top set. After that, I adjusted and went with the flow. Here was the idea. Everyone would call any raise pre-flop, so betting was pointless and everyone knew it. 11 players would see a flop. Here is the funny part. If someone flopped the immortal nuts, they got paid off by multiple players! It was just a matter of flopping a big hand or draw. So you spent a dollar prospecting, then folded or started betting. I ended up only about $20, but one guy started flopping nut straights and when the draws failed to get there, was up $600 bucks. Re-donk-u-lous!

I have got to try this again...

10% to the 456

OK, so its an obscure reference (Torchwood). But I hear myself saying it every time Mrs. Columbo complains about someone doing something stupid. It was all I could do to not scream it last night when someone called $44 in a 1-2 NL Game with 72 soooted and the flop was A72. He broke the Ax hand player. It was at this point, I decided I was going to see flops and fold until I hit HARD. I finally, after 3 days, flopped a set and against 2 players that had me covered. I checked, let them bet $50 and a call, before moving in. One of them STILL called me and it was a profit for the evening. The problem is that it isn't very fun, and it isn't challenging like a tournament. But as luck would have it, I ran into a player I used to play with in a league a few years back and they have a Tuesday private tournament going again, and I'll play in that tonight.

Off to other notes: Face the Ace.
Yes, its a 30 minute Full Tilt infomercial. Yes, the first episode was VERY bad. The second one was a bit better. But more importantly, the second one shows why I should NOT play poker at all. I am not a lucky person. Gus Hansen is the Run-good god. If I had the time for such efforts, I would photoshop a headshot of GUS on a tiki pole, complete with worshippers bowing down and bringing gifts of fruit whilst he hold aloft some obscure 2 native cards, say the 2 of bananas and the Chief of coconuts and a board with all 2s and coconuts.

Next post: A return to betting lines...

Stacked!

It's been a long time since I have been stacked in 1-2. Last night, after the player on my left rebought in a third time, he went on the most heinous heater. He hit every flop he played and quickly moved his stack to over double. To make matters worse, he decided to straddle my BB. I have 55 and I call his inevitable straddle raise.

Flop is 773 and he bets $50. I am incredulous. Fast forward to him showing AA on his straddle. Doesn't get any better than that folks.

Updates?

Well, not many. I am playing the $34k daily and getting ITM often enough, but ending up somewhere like 88th for $50 bucks. Ugh.

As for live poker, that ramps up again Saturday with league night, followed up with more casino cash games for a couple of weeks.

NFL camps have started and Lions report today. They flipped 8 of 11 starters on Defense. They are functionally an expansion team. I hope this time, there are improvements.

Listening to Ante-up podcast and still not sure my new segment is more interesting than the old one. Maybe as we get deeper in the tournament. I have also done some work with Lee (acumen poker) so I can attest to his skill level as a teacher.

I REALLY, REALLY want to get a regular weeknight game starting in Fall. I have one lined up, but that one will only have about 10 players. I would prefer a LEAGUE type where results are tracked week to week.

Detroit Casinos report, cash vs. tournament, and miscellaneous thoughts

It's been a while since I had played poker at the Detroit casinos, so I made it a point this week to play at least a session at each one. I will admit, frankly, that I avoided the downtown casinos because of the parking situations. Much of the parking in the past had been unattached and this is just not going to work for me. I have zero intention of setting a foot in the city proper with a bankroll. Now, I am happy to report the all 3 casinos (even Greektown) has an attached parking structure. Just to round out the tour, I spent an evening at one of the "charity casinos" that are so popular now, this one at "Doc's sports bar" and now at the Northville Downs.

I started my tour at MGM since it the easiest to get into and out of, it being 5 feet from the off ramp.

MGM Positives:
Poker room is sequestered on another floor, which is quiet and smoke free.
Lower attendance means getting a seat faster.
Call ahead seating that actually works.
Very comfortable chairs (downright the best)
low buy-in game is deeper at 50-300 instead of 50-200.
I found the dealers very competent.
nicest interior of the 3 major casinos, smells nice

MGM negatives:
The regulars are annoying at times
No tournaments
NLHE only
Some VERY amateur players at times.

I had 2 (once 3) callers on multiple occasions put in $50 pre-flop just to try and crack my big pair. They succeeded both times.

Next it was off to MotorCity casino, perhaps the poker room of choice in Detroit.
I think its best to some up my experience with MC by skipping right to the list.

MC positives:
Better players
more tables than the others
mixed games and higher stakes games
free food and drink bar for players

MC negatives:
always seem to have to park on the roof (and return to highway past burned out housing street)
longest wait ever for a seat
evening tournaments only Mon & Thurs
dealer mistakes
big one: EVERY TIME I have been at MC, there has been an altercation. This time was no exception. (shouting/arguments, dealer mistakes, having to review tape to sort out the mess, etc.)
Noisy as hell. (loud music, sounds of the casino very near)
I reek of "casino smell" when I get home.

I am always confused as to why people like to play here. Maybe because its not Greektown casino.

on that segue...
Wednesday, I am sick of cash and decide I want to play in a tournament. Greektown casino is running a 7pm, so I call and inquire. "We get about 70 players. As long as you are here by 6:30 or so". I show up at 6:30 to see a FULL tournament and a wait list of 40+. The "management" of the poker room is horrible. They are more concerned with if the "hard candy" bowl is full than running the room. ("Hey, do you think you could do better?". In about 1 day!) Who the f*ck eats hard candy out of a bowl in a poker room? The poker-room staff is bothered by everyone ("This job would be great if it wasn't for the players.") Not only all this, but they SHRANK the room down to 1/2 its normal size and put in slot machines, losing the 6 limit tables they used to have in the process. The "tournament director" looked lost, as did pretty much everyone working there. (Maybe its because of the maze of corridors as the casino is built into a old indoor mall. Looks cool though.) Cash tables were up to an hour wait.

I cant tell you about the play there because I LEFT. I got in my car and went back down the worlds stupidest parking structure design and proceeded to MGM. I sat down upon arrival and began to play immediately.

Greektown Positives:
Assuming that a badly run tournament is better than no tournament, this is on the positive side.

Greektown Negatives:
Too numerous to list (see rant)

My fourth/fifth trip was to a charity room, Doc's and Northville Downs. At Doc's this consists of 2-4 tables squeezed into a section normally reserved for parties. At Northville Downs, it 5-6 tables in the basement section.

Charity room positives:
Play so bad that its funny
CLOSE to a home near you!
better beer list at a bar, where applicable
people are friendly

Charity room negative:
less tables when there is a party in the restaurant/bar (Doc's)
dealers are bad. so very bad.

During this whirlwind tour I did notice a few things about cash games vs tournaments. Tournaments require more "situation reads" where as cash games require more "player reads". I would expound on this, but its stuff I have commented on before and dont feel like re-hashing right now. I made some good players reads and some bad player reads. I also played far more check-call poker than I would in a tournament.

YAOCF

"Yet Another One Card Flush"

Tilting, Full of HATE!!!

Going to go play cash at MotorCity tonight. Played at MGM last night and the room was too "clicque-ish". Everyone was regulars and the play was all limp and hit/miss stuff. Difficult grind for a very small profit.

Not just that, but I find cash games BORING compared to a tournament. Really!

Just one more thing

By the way, I was just listening to the Ray Foley interview on Ante-up and he said something during hand of the week that was both common-knowledge and yet worth repeating.

When you have position and you raise a c-bet post flop and the c-betting CALLS you, he will rarely lead out or try to re-take the lead in the hand.

Then, I get to re-evaluate on the turn, where the OOP player does not.

This is a persuasive argument for raising c-bets with good but not great hands instead of looking for trying to control the size of the pot. (like with a 2-1 draw)

If I were to CALL the c-bet from the button and the c-better fires a second barrel, I would be forced to fold marginal hands now.

I found it interesting to contemplate.

Barry Greenstein said a similar thing in his book. He stated the raising the c-bet was the better move.

Trip to the MGM detroit

The family was camping and I stayed behind to work, so I took to the streets one night and ended up at the MGM. The 2-5 had only 1 table, so I sat down at 1-2 and tilted soon after.

I am playing tight, but not having a lot of luck. I even had to fold a flush to a higher flush. But then, I get dealt AA UtG. I expected some stupid raise, so I limped and sure enough a raise to $8 and then a raise to $20 from a guy with only $55 left. Then the kid (ac/dc muscle shirt) flats the $20. He only has $100 behind. I make it $100 to go and the $8 folder folds right away. The rest of the action is a testament as to why Hold 'em is the game of choice among donks.

Guy who made it $20 says out loud, "I know I am beat, but its my last $30" and pushes it in.

Guy on his right who flatted his call, "thinks" for about 10 seconds and piles in his entire stack.

First guy has KQo (not even a pair). But wait for it...
Second guy has AQo!? with the Ace of diamonds.

The flop is all diamonds and the river a diamond and he makes the one card flush.

I am down like $250 now for the night and he has $280 in front of him.

Fast forward a couple of hours. I won most of my money back, while he lost his entire $280 and another $100 on top of that. Best of all, he liked to bluff the river. Each time he did, someone would call and he would say "good call".

Amazing how hard it is to be a big favorite in a HE hand.

Sigh...

Knew this was a +EV move. But my short time of running good is over... "Alas, I hardly knew yee."

Full Tilt Poker Game #13278858207: $34,000 Guarantee (98235235), Table 14 - 2000/4000 Ante 500 - No Limit Hold'em - 18:35:45 ET - 2009/07/08
Seat 1: dezyr_two (78,850)
Seat 2: Mezosius (242,156)
Seat 3: columbo (132,173)
Seat 4: bberger91 (118,520)
Seat 5: kingshafter (203,527)
Seat 6: --OURAGANT-- (57,278)
Seat 7: Hawkeye1414 (320,707)
Seat 8: Zombo (42,342)
Seat 9: bozobobo (38,636)
dezyr_two antes 500
Mezosius antes 500
columbo antes 500
bberger91 antes 500
kingshafter antes 500
--OURAGANT-- antes 500
Hawkeye1414 antes 500
Zombo antes 500
bozobobo antes 500
columbo posts the small blind of 2,000
bberger91 posts the big blind of 4,000
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [As Kd]
kingshafter folds
--OURAGANT-- folds
Hawkeye1414 folds
Zombo folds
bozobobo has 15 seconds left to act
bozobobo folds
dezyr_two raises to 78,350, and is all in
Mezosius folds
columbo raises to 131,673, and is all in
bberger91 folds
columbo shows [As Kd]
dezyr_two shows [Tc Ad]
Uncalled bet of 53,323 returned to columbo
*** FLOP *** [Ts 6d 5s]
*** TURN *** [Ts 6d 5s] [Ac]
*** RIVER *** [Ts 6d 5s Ac] [Jd]
columbo shows a pair of Aces
dezyr_two shows two pair, Aces and Tens
dezyr_two wins the pot (165,200) with two pair, Aces and Tens

Would have put me 6th in chips with 35 left. Sigh...

Went on to lose to QUAD KINGS of all hands (with 55). Finished 30th.

DQB BITCHES!!!

Full Tilt Poker Game #13278102572: $34,000 Guarantee (98235235), Table 111 - 1000/2000 Ante 250 - No Limit Hold'em - 17:50:55 ET - 2009/07/08
Seat 1: youngman7 (22,587)
Seat 2: columbo (45,184)
Seat 3: billyed (28,920)
Seat 4: firedog0002 (13,960)
Seat 5: mau69 (66,516)
Seat 6: lolli82 (113,095)
Seat 7: jtown5 (28,014)
Seat 8: Albatarrr (52,373)
Seat 9: GUCCEE (43,892)
antes 250

mau69 posts the small blind of 1,000
lolli82 posts the big blind of 2,000
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [5h 5d]
jtown5 folds
Albatarrr folds
GUCCEE folds
youngman7 folds
columbo raises to 5,005
billyed folds
firedog0002 folds
mau69 calls 4,005
lolli82 calls 3,005
*** FLOP *** [9h Js 5c]
mau69 checks
lolli82 checks
columbo bets 12,000
mau69 calls 12,000
lolli82 folds
*** TURN *** [9h Js 5c] [5s]
mau69 checks
columbo checks [so +EV/$$$, he'll think he is goot]
*** RIVER *** [9h Js 5c 5s] [2h]
mau69 bets 16,000
columbo raises to 27,929, and is all in
mau69 calls 11,929
*** SHOW DOWN ***
columbo shows [5h 5d] four of a kind, Fives
mau69 mucks
columbo wins the pot (97,123) with D'EMS (DARE'S) QUADS BITCHES!!!!

Villain had KK !

I ironically, I was just lamenting that when I had my last big hand KK. Utg raised, I raised UTG+1 and everyone folded including the shorty UTG. I only added $4500 to my stack, but then I reminded myself I played it correctly and so be it.

Can't complain now

Full Tilt Poker Game #13277857296: $34,000 Guarantee (98235235), Table 114 - 800/1600 Ante 200 - No Limit Hold'em - 17:36:51 ET - 2009/07/08
Seat 1: schmooof (29,805)
Seat 2: Heke88 (13,821)
Seat 3: UlationControl (13,024)
Seat 4: columbo (25,042)
Seat 5: Swiss I Master (61,581)
Seat 7: jmk 1168 (29,461)
Seat 8: kingshafter (50,889)
Seat 9: redbob14 (130,824)
schmooof antes 200
Heke88 antes 200
UlationControl antes 200
columbo antes 200
Swiss I Master antes 200
jmk 1168 antes 200
kingshafter antes 200
redbob14 antes 200
columbo posts the small blind of 800
Swiss I Master posts the big blind of 1,600
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [8c 8d]
jmk 1168 folds
kingshafter folds
redbob14 raises to 3,900
schmooof has 15 seconds left to act
schmooof folds
Heke88 folds
UlationControl folds
columbo raises to 24,842, and is all in
Swiss I Master folds
redbob14 calls 20,942
columbo shows [8c 8d]
redbob14 shows [Ts Tc]
*** FLOP *** [3d 8s Ks]
*** TURN *** [3d 8s Ks] [Ah]
*** RIVER *** [3d 8s Ks Ah] [6d]
columbo shows three of a kind, Eights
redbob14 shows a pair of Tens
columbo wins the pot (52,884) with three of a kind, Eights

I really thought based on this guys stack, PRF of 38% and last hand calling an all-in with A2, that he would fold or show some marginal A7. TT was WAY bigger than anticipated, but for some reason, today I run good.

Why today? Who can say? I cant get over it. I have to get my money in behind to do well? ok, stop lamenting and play, dammit!

I am free rolling now with 102 left... TABLE BROKE. ALL NOTES WORTHLESS...

What a difference a week makes

Would I have folded this last week????

Full Tilt Poker Game #13277040763: $34,000 Guarantee (98235235), Table 114 - 300/600 Ante 75 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:48:59 ET - 2009/07/08
Seat 1: Slayer_pol (7,829)
Seat 2: SAPP313 (4,270)
Seat 3: UlationControl (17,085)
Seat 4: columbo (23,438)
Seat 5: Swiss I Master (30,593)
Seat 6: wesleyloves (7,044), is sitting out (faking it)
Seat 7: 7Ace7King7 (28,310)
Seat 8: WSOPstar2B (23,095)
Seat 9: Cigoli (21,890)

antes 75

WSOPstar2B (Iron man chip) posts the small blind of 300
Cigoli posts the big blind of 600
The button is in seat #7

Slayer_pol raises to 7,754, and is all in
SAPP313 folds
UlationControl has 15 seconds left to act
UlationControl folds

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [Jc Js]

Don't want to think too long and have others peg me as JJ... So I dont want to call time...
columbo calls 7,754

Swiss I Master folds
wesleyloves folds
7Ace7King7 folds
WSOPstar2B folds
Cigoli folds
Slayer_pol shows [Ad Qh]
columbo shows [Jc Js]
*** FLOP *** [9c Kc 5c]
*** TURN *** [9c Kc 5c] [As]
*** RIVER *** [9c Kc 5c As] [2c]
Slayer_pol shows a pair of Aces
columbo shows a flush, King high
columbo wins the pot (17,083) with a flush, King high

Also of note was that I tried a re-steal from a button raise with A6s and it turned out he really had a hand (77). When he shoved I was forced to call, but the A6 prevailed.

Could I be, cough - cough, running good today?

Two Plus Two Forum

I will freely admit, I have not been a big "forum" guy. But recently I went trolling through the "best of" 2+2 forum links and among the flotsam and jetsam of diatribe I found a wonderful gem (link lost, sorry).

There was an interesting and thought provoking post on stealing. The supposition was that when it comes to the difference between and intermediate player and an advanced player, the intermediate player will steal when the situation is good (later positions, FTA, etc) and he has a hand that has some value such as a suite connector or a small pair. The idea being that its a semi-steal. He would be fine picking up the blinds, but if gets called, he has a hand that has some "hit value". The advanced player, however, is stealing based solely on situation and player profiles, generally with ATC (any two cards). This is further enforced by the "Harrington Bots" because Harrington himself expounds the idea that steals should be with hands that are not "trash hands".

There is a wealth of information to contemplate in these ideas, but what I took from it is, "am I a lame stealer"??? i.e., "will I only steal with non-trash hands?"

I think the answer is yes. I consistently avoid situations where I would have to play post-flop with "air". I think this is because so many players will call c-bets with a naked Ace or a baby pair. In my WSOP event, my c-bet was flatted by a naked Ace FOUR times, THREE of which were rewarded with an ACE on the turn!!! I got away in 2/3 of them, but this is only a good play if the player you are flatting is weak (will always check turn if missed flop) or you have a plan based on reads or tenancies to take the hand away. Otherwise, you are just "floating, hoping for a checked turn". Emphasis on Hope.

So I have been very weary of stealing with air. The terrible downside of this is that since even a decent hand will miss 2/3 of the time, I am not doing myself any favors! Being unwilling to practice playing a hand with air is hurting my ability to rise to the top of the the "pyramid of play".

Unlike in the past, I am looking for a minor adjustment, not a major one. I am looking to add a bit of this play, not a ton. But it does force me to ask myself this, "am I missing even more re-steal situations?". I fear the answer is YES.
I need to be conscious of this and track situations where I could have re-stole but opted not to...

Thinking Good, Running Bad

It's hard to continually post about how good my decisions are and yet try and justify how I could possibly be running so badly. Well, here's one. I dont play loose enough or enough hands to have a brutal beat just fade into the mix. So when I determine I am way ahead on the flop and a user is willing to play for his stack, I have zero reason to try and control the pot size.

Onto other thoughts. Is there a better way?
A beginner is a player who plays his cards well.

It was said that one graduates to intermediate when "he plays his opponents cards". That is bullsh*t. Its when he (she) becomes "situationaly aware". Understanding the correct move in a diverse number of situations. Harrington's book taught an army of beginners how to be intermediate players with M and Q alone. But the better intermediate players have added a playbook of situations that they draw from. (blind vs. blind, pot control vs. pressure bets, stealing, re-stealing, punishing limpers, when to be a shove monkey, etc).

Then there is the final passage. ADDING individual player tenancies (i.e. READS) to the above two. (If you can read a player, but done understand situational awareness, stick to cash games). It's here were the pro's really shine. Understanding when their opponent absolutely has to have middle pair. Knowing that they are bullying vs. running good, and knowing the optimal defense for that player when one gets into hands with them.

I for one find this last part much harder online. Player tenancies are more erratic and time to think and analyze (and down time) is minimal. But you can make up for some of this with shear volume. And that is some of my obsession with the daily $32k.

Today's missed cash:

Full Tilt Poker Game #13258843800: $34,000 Guarantee (98098435), Table 14 - 250/500 Ante 50 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:27:16 ET - 2009/07/07

Seat 1: DrewGodofPoker (14,050) <= likes to FLAT any raise as he is on my direct left.
Seat 2: Call-kluka (18,082)
Seat 3: SirThomasNichum (24,136)
Seat 4: marcsnick (8,068)
Seat 5: BurmD (9,986)
Seat 6: sonicreducer420 (5,575)
Seat 7: supertonic1989 (7,845)
Seat 8: DonksRock (14,702)
Seat 9: columbo (11,246)
antes 50
Call-kluka posts the small blind of 250
SirThomasNichum posts the big blind of 500
The button is in seat #1

marcsnick folds
BurmD folds
sonicreducer420 folds
supertonic1989 folds
DonksRock folds

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [Js Qs]
columbo has 15 seconds left to act
columbo raises to 1,250

I decide with it folded around to me in the cutoff, I would raise/steal here.
I had won (without showdowns) 3 of the last 4 hands I played, and I had folded a fair amount of hands without a bet, such that my stack of 10k was that size for a while, while the avg. jumped to nearly 14k.

DrewGodofPoker calls 1,250

again, flatting me from the button this time. No surprise. (pot is 3250)

Call-kluka folds
SirThomasNichum folds

*** FLOP *** [8h Jh 4c]
columbo has 15 seconds left to act
columbo bets 2,500 (into 3250 or 3/4 pot)

One could make an argument for a number of silly plays here, but to me with this hand and this flop, the best strategy was a simple, standard c-bet.

DrewGodofPoker has 15 seconds left to act
DrewGodofPoker raises to 5,465

Considering his starting stack size of 14k AND the fact that this is the 3rd time he has flatted me, I can put significant weight on this being and attempt to take the pot away from me. AK is a reasonable holding for me, I have few enough chips that I would be loath to continue if I missed the board. In my favor is that the flat was unlikely coming from AA or KK, so unless he has QQ or AJ, I am looking pretty good here. But most of all, is my intense feeling that he was going to do this with any hit on the board. I can put him here on A8s or A4s here, but I am crushed if he has 88 or 44 here. Still, a read is a read... And what did I learn from Hoyazo? RAISE!

columbo raises to 9,946, and is all in
DrewGodofPoker calls 4,481 <= note that he INSTA-CALLS!
columbo shows [Js Qs]
DrewGodofPoker shows [As 8s]

He puts me on the AK and I am going to...
*** TURN *** [8h Jh 4c] [8c]
*** RIVER *** [8h Jh 4c 8c] [Kc]

go home now...

But seriously, how do I NOT get my money in on this flop with my read?

So f'n close

Full Tilt $32k today and with 100 left, my table has Karina Jett, Mike McDonald, and TwoBlackAces. I am short-ish, but still have some non-shove play.

The BB in this hand has been set up by a prior play. I came in light on a button raise and he shoved on me. I made a fold. This time, its folded to me on the button again and I am ready to go...

Full Tilt Poker Game #13124409555: $34,000 Guarantee (97195837), Table 69 - 1000/2000 Ante 250 - No Limit Hold'em - 17:46:37 ET - 2009/06/30
Seat 1: Jon2322 (92,859)
Seat 2: Karina Jett (85,000), is sitting out
Seat 3: pampil (46,622)
Seat 4: aggi3guy (56,146)
Seat 5: Mike McDonald (30,277)
Seat 6: columbo (27,170)
Seat 7: lol_me_is_good (51,618)
Seat 8: regrind (27,613)
Seat 9: twoblackaces (86,165)
antes 250
lol_me_is_good posts the small blind of 1,000
regrind posts the big blind of 2,000
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [9d 9h]
twoblackaces folds
Jon2322 folds
Karina Jett folds
pampil folds
aggi3guy folds
Mike McDonald folds
columbo raises to 5,000
lol_me_is_good folds
regrind calls 3,000
*** FLOP *** [7c 2d Kc]
regrind bets 22,363, and is all in
columbo has 15 seconds left to act
columbo has requested TIME

I spend 30 seconds of my time bank here, coming to the conclusion he simply changed it up and ran a Stop N Go on me here.

I call, expecting to see either TP or AIR.

columbo calls 21,920, and is all in
regrind shows [9c Ad]
columbo shows [9d 9h]

YES! only have to sweat the Ace!

Uncalled bet of 443 returned to regrind
*** TURN *** [7c 2d Kc] [Ts]
*** RIVER *** [7c 2d Kc Ts] [Ac]
regrind shows a pair of Aces
columbo shows a pair of Nines
regrind wins the pot (57,090) with a pair of Aces
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 57,090 | Rake 0
Board: [7c 2d Kc Ts Ac]
Seat 1: Jon2322 folded before the Flop
Seat 2: Karina Jett folded before the Flop
Seat 3: pampil folded before the Flop
Seat 4: aggi3guy folded before the Flop
Seat 5: Mike McDonald folded before the Flop
Seat 6: columbo (button) showed [9d 9h] and lost with a pair of Nines
Seat 7: lol_me_is_good (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 8: regrind (big blind) showed [9c Ad] and won (57,090) with a pair of Aces
Seat 9: twoblackaces folded before the Flop

This is an automated message sent from Full Tilt Poker.

Full Tilt Poker Tournament #97195837 $34,000 Guarantee NL Hold'em
Buy-In: $24.00 + $2.00
1515 players
Total Prize Pool: $36360.00
Start Date: June 30 2:00 PM ET

Dear columbo,
You finished the tournament in 88th place.
There has been $54.54 added to your account.


F#@K!!! Nothing left but a beat story and $50 lousy bucks.
(Mike McDonald went out before I could finish this post at 74.)

KK revisited

Its interesting to ask the question this way:

You are approaching the final stretches of a MTT and its 6 to the money. You have KK and there are 2 all-ins in front of you. If you move all-in, you either finish 1st or 12th (pays 6). If you fold, you finish 6th just in the money.

What's more important? Cashing or playing to win?
Last night I played to CASH. Why? Not sure. But when I play SnG's, I play much tighter than any other situation. In cash game or large field MTT, I shove here.

So why do I fold in a SnG? I was thinking at the time that the goal in an SnG is the cash. Is that correct or wrong?

My first ever fold of KK

A 5 table SnG, with 13 players left. I am 3rd in chips, pays 6 places.

Full Tilt Poker Game #13109472706: $24 + $2 Sit & Go (97244116), Table 5 - 150/300 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:53:40 ET - 2009/06/29
Seat 1: Mlindsay (3,920)
Seat 2: Jim Leach (1,515)
Seat 3: columbo (7,510)
Seat 6: Tam Raven (4,665)
Seat 7: Chef Patty (5,790)
Seat 8: breauxdle (2,610)
Seat 9: Vestvik7 (1,630)
Jim Leach posts the small blind of 150
columbo posts the big blind of 300
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [Ks Kh]
Tam Raven raises to 4,665, and is all in
Chef Patty has 15 seconds left to act
Chef Patty has requested TIME
Chef Patty raises to 5,790, and is all in
breauxdle folds
Vestvik7 folds
Mlindsay folds
Jim Leach folds
columbo has 15 seconds left to act
columbo has requested TIME
columbo folds [KsKh]
Chef Patty shows [Jd Jh]
Tam Raven shows [9c 9h]
Uncalled bet of 1,125 returned to Chef Patty
*** FLOP *** [4s 8d 7d]
*** TURN *** [4s 8d 7d] [Js]
*** RIVER *** [4s 8d 7d Js] [3h]
Chef Patty shows three of a kind, Jacks
Tam Raven shows a pair of Nines
Chef Patty wins the pot (9,780) with three of a kind, Jacks

I figured one of the 2 may have Aces, I am not folding Aces here. Its debatable that I should fold KK, but based on stack sizes, I did not read either player as this desperate!!

SnG madness?

A recent bracelet winner (congrats again) tipped me off that the 5 table $24+$2 SnGs on Full Tilt have gotten turned very soft again.

I decided to see for myself on Sunday...

Despite my KK losing to an AK shove (see any WSOP post), I managed to cash.

Charmin-ny soft.

PokerTek tables

An addendum to my trip report is a mention of the dealer-less tables at Excalibur. After seeing dealer-less blackjack tables (2) at Caesar's, it reminded me to go try the PokerTek tables. My experience definitely tilted to one side.

First, I had to apply for a card, which meant having my ID scanned and imaged. Well, not thrilled, but my player cards have a ton of stored info, so how can I complain? Still, I suspect my license was imaged and stored, and I am not for that.

Next I had to load chips onto my card. This was akin to a credit card transaction, complete will dated/silly receipt signing ceremony. Finally, its off to the table.

The blinds have been set at $.50/$1, I supposed because of the either the niche they can fill or the backlash that would occur by collecting more rake based on more hands. I suspect it was because the room is unpopular. (click for proof)

Now to the actual play. Ummm. What? Oh, sorry I dozed off. My table had 7 players. 3 were having a side conversation about poker rooms and you could tell none of them were any better than occasional recreation players. They overwhelming loved PokerTek because they "got in so many more hands per hour". Which brought a smile to my face as their "playing" constituted picking up the card, touching the corner of their cards, touching the FOLD button, and then touching the CONFIRM button. There was even a young grinder at the table, up $80 dollars which I can only assume took him 80 hours to accumulate.

The entire experience consisted of watching players stare DOWN at the screen, clicking screens with the corner of their cards, and watching animated cards. It took the poker experience and reduced it to a mechanic task much like gardening, mockingly celebrating the extra 15 hands per hour. I could not even sit out the hour, preferring instead to shop with the wife. Are you hearing this? Shopping for gifts for the in-laws was BETTER than PokerTek. Talk about an indictment.

It even seemed to reduce the other players to surreal automatons, faceless bald-spots, clicking robots with bad AI.

On an even more personal note, I like thinking of the deck as a static determination of fate that I dont get online. Why would I want to sacrifice that live? Why would I just not stay home and play online at a BETTER interface?

There is some hope, however, in that the heads-up tables fill a niche and deal a game that could not otherwise be played live. Oh, but there are no heads-up tables, so too bad so sad for you.

Thankfully the entire "experiment" is coming to a close. Bring back the Aces-cracked Wheel!

WSOP 2009 Trip Report (event 39)

As is my tradition, I twittered all my tournament updates live (ltcolumbo) and save the write-ups for the blog. It was an eventful trip, full of lessons and anecdotes.

I arrived Wednesday, a day earlier than usual for a Saturday event. I wanted to play with my recent mentor, Lee Childs (acumenpoker) and he had to leave for a wedding on Thursday, so I headed out a day early with Mrs. Columbo in tow. My buddy Glenn had come in a day earlier, taking a 3 day detour traveling home from a sales trip in Seattle. We had a late lunch and met Lee over at the Rio.

He suggested we play some SnGs and we all 3 bought into a $100 Satellite. Lee went out early. This was great in that he got to sweat me for a few hands. You start with only 1000 in chips in this one. First big man for me was where it was raised from EP and then a 550 all-in from MP. I had TT in the blind and folded. Lee says he would have snap-called there because of the structure, but I thought the table play was poor enough so far that waiting had benefits. The EP showed a weak ace from early position vs. what I think was KQ. The Ace high held, and indeed TT would have won the day. Exactly 1 rotation later, the exact same thing happened. The same guy makes an EP raise and I have TT in the blind again. This time I calculate the max value. I had a ton of information to go on and decide that I folded that last TT for just this reason. I expect that he will make a c-bet if I call, maybe fold if I move in, but probably call. I decide to call and then re-raise his c-bet all-in. I call the $200 and the flop is Q55. He makes the c-bet of $300 and I move in for $800. He had AQ. Oops. Nice plan, if it would have worked.
Score: Lee 1, Columbo naught.

So Lee and I head off to grab another SnG, this time a $300. (We left my buddy still in the $100 SnG, and he would end up chopping first.) This table had much better play and you started with $1500 instead of $1k, similar to the online structures. Although there were plenty of good hands, I recall very few remarkable ones. Lee went out early again, and after watching us get down to five and me almost breaking the 1 seat (but he had me covered so he has a few chips left), he had to get packing. The “seat 1” was a guy who sort of looked the part. A bit over-weight, longer hair than corporate, an earring and the sort of liaise-affair demeanor to the whole thing. From the point of 5 left and down, the seat 1 doubled up four times leaving us heads up with the same chips stacks. We chopped the $3k. Score 1 for Columbo. I then realized, they paid it out in T-chips, which I would have to sell at some later date, since I pre-paid for event 39.
Meh.

Glenn and I then had a nice time at the Cuban cigar bar in the forum shops with a mojito, a drink regaining its well deserved popularity.

Thursday I went down to play the Caesar’s $330 deep stack at noon. Great structure, 200 players. I felt this was a much more manageable size than the 500 players at Venetian and a whole lot cheaper too, as Venetian was running a $1k today. I played very well.

Had to get away from a couple of hands, and even made a credible bluff and my opponent laid down a better hand. But with over half the field out and running well, things took a turn for the worst. I am a BIG believer that players, especially cash players, put too much credence in hand decisions ‘in the moment’ and not enough about ‘context’. Hellmuth sometimes accidently discloses this same strategy during tirades on bad beats. (Although he takes credit for setting up players). The idea is that everything that happens at the table, good or bad, changes your image at the table. And if I play a hand poorly or weakly, I don’t have to berate myself. I simple need to USE that to my future advantage. It’s the tournament meta-game that few players utilize. In this case, a new kid at the table, sits down and watches me raise pre-flop, then check fold after the flop. A weak play to say the least, but the flop could not have been worse and I saw no reason to contest at that point. So it comes around to me again and I raise pre-flop and the same kid calls from the BB. I can see it on his face; he wants to take advantage of me and is calling light. He has any-two-cards. The flop comes down and I hit two pair. I make the c-bet and he check-calls. I know what comes next. Give him the chance to try and take the hand away. The turn comes and I weak-lead. Heh, I am sure he is coming over the top, his body language and bad acting betraying him. The board looks relatively safe, with only a gut-shot really there. He pushes into me and I snap-called. He suddenly looks very embarrassed and turns over his QT. I show him my two pair and he starts counting out the pay-off. He didn’t even know he had outs. He had a double-buster draw, but played it as a stone bluff. When the J hit the river and he won, he only knew it because everyone at the table let out an “ohhhh”. Instead of being positioned to finish my run, I was out just at dinner and none too happy. But what could I do? I read the kid perfectly and I read the situation perfectly. He had zero idea of where he was at. And if I could see his hand, I would do it again, so I can hardly count that as a mistake.

My buddy went out 15 minutes later, so we went to the Mandalay Bay Rum Jungle for Brazilian dinner at the dinner break.

Friday, I played some 1-3 cash just to practice situations and reads. I did not win a whole lot, but I did pocket a buy-in of profit. Had another cigar and drinks at the Rhumbar at mirage, then off to my favorite Friday night location, the Hoffbrau House. We stayed late, as it’s hard to drag me out of there. Ein Prosit.

Saturday, it was breakfast at the RIO (corned beef hash) and off to event 39. The structure is very kind in the first four levels and maybe this worked against me a little when I hit a big had in Level 1. Very first rotation and I raise with 55 and get an OOP caller (one of the blinds). I flop a set. The board is AK5. He checks, I bet like 200 into the pot of 300, he calls. The turn is some blank and he checks. Now I bet 600 into the pot of like 700 and he calls. The river is a blank and he checks. He can’t like his hand very much and with out a re-raise pre-flop or on the turn, he does not have AK. He must have like AQ/AJ and is worried I have AK? There is now a good 1900 in the pot, but if I bet, I can’t see him calling. Yet, I have to bet here with the best hand. I know a more reckless player would bet like 1200 here and pray the guy made a donk call. But I just could not place him as being that stupid in level 1. So I make a value bet of 600 and he calls to see the bad news. I did not get to see his cards. He avoided me the rest of his time at the table. Maybe AT?

Despite being up 1500 early, some bad flops and some speculating dragged me back down to the starting 4500 by the end of level 1. Towards the end of level 2, this most amazing hand comes. “What wicked webs we weave”… Limp from total donk in MP. Raise from LP from uber-tight, conservative older man who looks the part of a watch-maker in the movies. I call from the button with 88. Flop is the beautiful K78 with two clubs. Donk checks, LP watchmaker bets out. I think he has AK here, c-betting, but certainly has a good hand. I could raise here, but against two opponents in the 50/100 level, I wish to play more conservatively and keep the pot small against the massive draws so I call. The donk calls and I figure him now for the clubs. The turn is a K!

A short digression here. I focused very hard mentally on Friday at the cash tables on not getting excited over hands. By the end of the night, you could deal me AA and I couldn’t care less. I played every-hand with a blank face, and this carried over to Saturday. Even when the K hit, my heart stayed steady and my expression blank. No one at the table had a clue.

Donk checks, as he is waiting for his 3rd club. Our watchmaker bets out like 800. I look like I am thinking about my hand, but I am calculating how to break two people on the river. If I raise here, the flush draw (who is drawing dead) will reluctantly fold and I will get called by trip Kings and sweat the case king and the board pairing the seven. (And perhaps an ace or two.) I figure he has 8 outs at the most. If I instead call here, club draw calls drawing-dead and if the river is a club, they BOTH go broke. I have no doubt that the trip Kings can not fold either way and that the money goes in. I make the smooth call and sure enough, club donk calls. The river is an iceburg 7 (non-club). Donk checks intending to fold and Kings make a huge bet. He just back-doored the higher boat and I forced to fold the Titanic. I was so frustrated, I had to just fold the next 3 hands knowing I would not be able to play them properly. The spider eaten by the trapped bug.

I managed to chip up and grind through level 2 and so many players are luckier than me. Three times someone floated my c-bet (out of position!) with a naked ace. All three times the Ace came on the turn. Unbelievable. Seriously, all three times.

At the level 2 break, I overheard not one but two bad beat stories of QUADS over QUADS. Yikes. Maybe I am not so much unlucky as I am just plain luck absent.

Its level 3 and I casually re-raise with KK and all the money goes in. KK vs. KK. Chop. Really?

I actually play an A2 hand when it’s folded to my button and the BB calls. Flop is T83 and he checks, I c-bet, he calls. Turn is a 2 and when he checks, I move in to shut down his hand. He must have 2 overs or a weak draw. He mucks T9 face up and I act incredulous that he made that great lay-down. “I was sure you had an over-pair”, he said. Score one for the tight image. I made sure to tell him again how impressive that lay-down was. He ate it up. (He was so sure I had JJ, he never even asked at the break.)

At the end of level 4, I raised with AQ from MP. The card rack at the other end of the table, and older guy who has only been playing only a year and won the Venetian deep stack earlier in the week, calls. He is a strong TAG player, and his c-bets are frequently the size of the pot. The flop comes AQx and I let him bet every street, getting all my money in on the river. He tables A5. From that point on, he folded every hand where I raised first to act. This helped me more than once, as he assured the guy next to him (a very weird half-Scandinavian kid) that he had made a good laydown against me since I don’t bluff.

At the break I am at 7800, which is average. Mrs. Columbo bought me a new vegas hat and delivered it at the break, so I took off the Lions hat and switched to the “vegas hat”.

Level 5 sucks. It starts when I play TsTc from EP and the flop comes down 973 all hearts. I check, new-donk bets out, button moves all-in. new-Donk looks ready to call when I fold my now marginal over-pair. Button has AK BLACK for a total bluff, new-donk caller has 77 with the 7 of hearts. WTF? Two non hearts come and again TT would have won had I been a shove monkey with any over-pair. I still say that calling there with TT would have been horrible.

Here is something else. When a player sits at the table and he wants to talk to the dealer or to players, he usually sucks. He’s an ABC player at best and the money means little to him, so he chats it up. It’s just a matter of ticks before they go broke with Top Pair. So many players I watched. Sit, Chat, Rail. And the cash game players who have zero patience for anyone else’s decision and then go into the tank for 20 minutes on a big call where they have no clue as to where they are at. They are like time bombs, waiting to explode and spew chips in multiple directions. Watching these guys stack off to other players at the table and all I can do is watch and hope to get into a similar situation.

Meanwhile, for the next level and a half, I will see no pairs, no playable starting hands, and no suited connectors. It starts when I fold KQ in the BB to a raise and a re-raise. No defending there Over 90 minutes of hands with a 4 in them. At the very end of level 8, I finally get to play a hand with KK. Everyone folds, but since it was a re-raise, I picked up some chips. I used my image and Gus Hansen’s rule that everyone hates playing at the end of a level to make 3 steals. I am 8200 at the break, the board has 9600 as average. We go to dinner.

When I return, the board has some bad news. The average is actually more like 14k and there are 873 left. The levels are 200/400/50, so with 8200, my M is poor (8). At this point I have had 4 hammers, KK twice, and pretty much just the TT hands. The guy who sat down two to my right is another BSD (big swinging dick) from Florida. Likes to push people out of pots, play big hands, but not a big post-flop player. He loses a big hand and tilts. He starts moving all in on my BB hands (we both have about 10-11k now) and I say very matter-of-factly, “I like this. Makes my decisions simple”. He mutters sometime about “making it clear-cut” and I politely smile. Again, meta-game context. He did this about 3 times (1 time I even tossed KTo). The fourth time I had QQ. Surprisingly, he had AJ. Even more surprising, he was very optimistic that his Ace would hit. When it did not, I left him with only 1k in chips. I needed that, and I had spent almost 1600 setting it up over 4 rotations.

At the break, I am 20k, with the average at 22k. Not terrible. 550 left. We go to 9 handed at the tables and I note that despite now having counted SIX hammers today, I have not had AA a single time. KK twice, QQ twice, AK twice, TT twice, KQ 3 times.

In level 7, some douche who plays online as “creative”-something-or-other is anything but. He simple moves all-in with Ax. The first time, a decent player (guy who was the level 1 payoff of my set) raises from EP and he (creative) calls. The button now raises with his AJ. The 44 calls all-in resigned to his fate. They both put him on a small pair. How do I know? Douche moves all in and puts AJ on a challenge here. AJ says he knows first guy has a small pair but doesn’t understand how this guy can move in here without AK. He finally folds and sees he was ahead when AT sooted is tabled. Ace hits the flop and AT doubles up. Less than a rotation later, the AJ guy moves all in with QQ and again, douche snap calls with AK and out draws him and sends him home.

Now in level 8, we get to new players, both on my right. The first guy in the 10 seat looks the part with his sunglasses and Italian looking hat and 5 o’clock shadow. The guy directly to my right sits down with a huge stack. Must be 70k. He looks the west coast Asian gambler part, but I have no evidence yet, just wild guesses. But let’s be frank here, poker players dress the part. A guy who is tight, does not cultivate these images.

I get my first evidence we I raised from EP and the “seat 10” guy had no experience with my image, nor did he care. As soon as the flop came, he fired out and I knew this was going to be a big pot if I called. I decided not to float with my Ace.

I spend some time thinking about day 2. I’ll need over 30k in chips to be competitive and I’ll have to start playing back at these new players. I’ll have to maybe even put in some post-flop re-steal efforts. I decide that with less than half a level until tomorrow, I’ll put off that strategy for now. I have about 18k and can’t worry about anything but getting my money in good if I get the chance.

Not a couple of hands later, “Seat 10” raises to 2200 UTG. Blinds are 500/1000/100. The big stack in the seat 1 flat calls and I suddenly understand what just happened to my table. I now have two big stacks who have little to no regard for position or pot size. They are going to play every pot and shut out the rest of the table. My only saving grace is that I can move in on a big hand and if they fold, I pick up 5k. If not, I’ll have a hand to double up with. Two folds to me and just like I hoped for, I look down at JJ. Since I did a Phil Ivey on this one and calculated everything before looking at my cards, I had no further thoughts to process. My read was first guy came in light and second guy was just going to flat every pot he could with his monster stack. I move in for something around 16-18k. As I get ready to celebrate, douche moves all-in. At first I figure I am crushed, but then I figure there is a good chance I am up against AK here for a race. So now I hope my read on the first two was correct. They both put on a big show, but I see right through it. I had it pegged. There cards hit the muck and I am thrilled to have 4500 in dead money in the pot, especially when “creative” tables another AKo. I show my Jacks and all I can do is watch my new stack of 36k go to zero when the flop is AKx.

Some players just run well. I saw 1, then after level 7 two at my table that hit every flop hard. Yet, I finished about 400th, just short of the money. I got away from marginal situations and bad beats, had decent reads, and played a solid meta-game. I had set myself up to make a day 2 run and was only a race away, my only race of the entire day, which I couldn’t win. You can’t win a WSOP event without winning a race. That’s just the way it is with 2800 players.

I was very dejected. I remember saying hello to F-train and CK and Al Can’t Hang and LJ during various levels, but the writers area was empty at the end of the day, so I left, feeling like Lane Meyers. -“A man beaten. The once great champ, now a study in moppishness.”

Sunday I played some cash just to remind myself I don’t totally suck. I did not lose a single hand or make a single mistake. When I was up a buy-in, I left and we had dinner at the sidewalk café at the Paris. That sucked. But it was going to no matter what, right?

Now for my $$$ Total disclosure.
SnG profit: $1100, Cash Profit: $400, MTT profit: -$1800.

Lessons learned? Dashiell Hammett describes it in one of his “Continental Operative” stories. “Few men get killed. Most of them who meet sudden ends get themselves killed. I have experience at dodging that. I try to take the survivors for a ride.” That’s how I play. I am not looking to hit giant draws after the money goes in, or to just shove and hope. I am waiting for my opportunity to win without getting killed. I count on getting through the one or two marginal clashes in one piece. This was just not the day.

It took some big round-house punches to knock me out. I could have gone broke multiple times in multiple places, but I didn’t. And I was “lucky” in that I never had to get away from a losing set-over-set, the hardest thing in hold ém. Although happy with my performance, I would not be totally honest if I didn’t say that I am brutally disappointed. Maybe now I won’t scoff when players yell “One Time!”

-Yeah, I still will.

Congrats to Ray Foley, a local player here in Detroit that took down the event!
http://www.lasvegasvegas.com/pokerblog/archives/007359.php

And just to prove I still have my sense of humor...

Highly debated hand - results

Man, did I take a BEATING on this one!!! You guys really, really think I played this not bad but pathetically. Maybe so. Here was my (albeit highly debatable) thoughts on the streets.

It was $50 to call and I look at 86o. I felt the guy came in weak, but I am not going to get hasty. I should just fold. I call.

Flop is Q86 as we said. He bets and I min-raise to "test" for the Queen. Although this worked, the min-raise gets little love and most players hate it. Lee Childs nudged me after the hand and called it out. Although he is more a proponent of standard bet sizes.

So love it or hate it, I didnt think at the time that more pressure gets the queen to fold and it did tell me what I wanted to know spending the minimum to do it. I think everyone out there but Daniel Negreanu hated it. In working back through it, I have to agree that blowing him off the hand was best. I was forgetting this was a SnG and that he might not be a gambling donkey like so many others I ran into this weekend. There is no doubt that at least the bet should have been POT and then...

The turn card is a terrible card and now he checks. Here is where I hated my play. When he checks, I really already let the draws get there OR I didn't. I can either trust my read that he has a Queen and blow him off the hand, or CHECK behind him instead of making a dark bet of 300. When he calls the turn bet, I gain nothing. It was wasted money.

So to complete the thought above... There is no doubt that I bet pot on the flop and if he calls that big of a bet, I shut down and check behind on that crappy turn card.

The river is now an easy check. The only smart thing I did. And I let someone get there because I played very cautiously (weak) in the early going.

Funny part is, I went on to chop first. Needless to say, I played the other hands MUCH better.

Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate them. Especially the caustic ones. I had it coming here.

Highly debated hand

$300 SnG with 8left in level 2. $1500 in chips to start. I have 1550.

Limper only so I junk button call with 8s6c.

Flop is Q86 with 2 diamonds.

He bets $150 (pot). I test for Queen with min-raise. He calls.
(I believe he has a queen now.)

Turn is Td putting third diamond out. Pot is 900. He checks and I bet $300 not too afraid of 3rd diamond,but cautious.
He calls.

River is 9d. We both check. Neither has diamond but he wins hand with 1card straight.
QJ.

Again, this is a SnG.

Did this get played good or bad?

Last post before Vegas

As tradition, I move to twitter when it comes to updating vegas tournaments and results. Last night I played 3 MTT for some last minute practice and cashed in one. The hand I went out in was interesting though.

95 players left and we are in the money. At this point, the payout is a measly 2x buy-in. Now I raise on a semi-steal with JTs and a blind re-raises all-in and I am SURE its AK. I have a Q of .5 and only the top 9 receive good payouts. (i.e. I have 11k and he has 10k, avg is 20k.) I think the level was 500/1000/125, so my M is about 5.

Knowing all this information, are you willing to call the AK shove?

I was so against going another round and blinding off 2500 of my chips, that I decided that I could not fold despite being 30% here. Have not decided if it was lame or not.

The WSOP approaches

I leave in a week and I have a schedule all worked out now.

Wednesday night, play cards with Lee Childs (of acumen poker) and pick up any last minute tips and get into the right mindset.

Thursday noon - Caesar's deep-stack tourney (with a friend from Chicago playing also).

Saturday - Event 39

Monday - Return

I have for the 50th billionth time, I have adjusted my strategy going into a tournament. Everyone has probably heard the most basic strategy ever (still professed by Phil Gordon).

1. What is my opponent likely holding?
2. Do I think I am ahead (bet) or behind (dont bet).

Here is my strategy going into the next 2 weeks.

1. What range am I narrowing in on for my opponent? (can I get action from a hand that is behind?)
2. Based on pot size, what is the current "pressure point" bet?
3. What "betting lines" are we in the midst of?
4(implied). What is my best course of action?

At times I feel like Spicolli explaining how he can fix a car because his Dad has this "ultimate set of tools". Playing this game as long as I have now, I really have the tools I need. And that short above list is deceptively simple, yet VERY powerful. (Want to prove it? Write it down and hold it while watching an episode of High Stakes Poker.)

Adding this checklist to the other tools in the bag (too long to list), I feel I have what I need. It's a matter of execution.

TOC wrap-up

Congrats to the winners. 44 runners, paid 4 places. I finished in the middle of the pack. Even worse, I died a slow death. I never did get "a bit lucky". I watched some unknown shlub run his TPTK into ck's AA when they had 5k behind. ARKM? My BIGGEST pot of the first two hours was 1000 chips when a couple of players overplayed pairs on a straight board and I put in a big raise with second nuts. That was IT. Nada. Even when I attempted moves, I got pwned 3 out of 3 times). Adding insult to injury, I avoided races and bad situations all day, even folding 88 to a ck re-raise (she rarely comes in light) and finally had to win my first race against 55 and came up empty (0 for 1). This is not a set of winning stats.

I am disappointed that I could not capitalize on this great opportunity 2 years in a row. (Last year I was 21st and went out early in TOC, this year I was 16th and went out mid-way in the TOC.)

And finally, a BIG shout-out to Full Tilt and AlCantHang which not only sponsored this series, but continues to understand better than most how to cultivate brand loyalty. Running a BBT series is a thankless job at times, and Al took one for the team this year. Remember to buy him a shot of SO-CO in December.

My lower RIO in poker

Middle stages and M is between 9 and 20. AK or AQ in EP or MP.

Miss flop? Expect that either c-bet will get raised or check will get punished.
Hit the flop? Expect folds when you bet.

Odds of hitting flop are 3-1, pay off on hit = 2 to 1.

Your milage may vary, but the scenario is far too common to me as of late.
Position. Don't leave home without it.

Still not getting the results I want

5 table MTTs, still bubbling or worse... Want to WIN TOC, 10th wont due much.

In non-poker news, I upgraded my Lions tickets today. From 5 yard line row 21 to 15 yard line row 16. Let's hope they win a game now.

Advanced Betting Lines

I am seeing more clearly some of the betting lines we face on a daily basis. Naming them seems to help me with my pattern recognition, so I am including monikers with the lines.

The "Chan" Line (moniker from Daniel N.) - OOP opponent check-calls flop and leads on turn. This is a sign of strength, but gives little else away. I usually want a read on the opponent or some sort of hand to continue.

The "Ali" Line - An Opponent on your immediate left that calls your Pre-flop raise and then raises your c-bet no matter what. (named after the rope-a-dope). I am seeing ALOT more of this one.

The "Shark" line - I have seen another interesting one where the big stack limps from EP. The idea is that when someone reraises, when it folds to him he can decide to call if it results in heads-up play. He then either leads out or check-raises the flop.

I also notice that when some players are "raising for information", that they often do this with middle pair or TPWK. But they are creating a bigger pot which is harder to get to showdown. I am not sure I agree with this. All you can do is shutdown on the turn. Or are you going to fire a big barrel next?

And on that topic, I am re-evaluating the best c-bet size. MANY pros tell you to never vary your bet-sizes, so you sort of have to pick a size each level. I have RAISED mine to 75% in the early levels, where players like to chase draws, but have lowered it to 50% in middle rounds where players like to prey on c-bets. Any comments here?

Not much value in mentioning the "floater". Its so common now, that its hardly advanced. but what's with idiots floating and then not raising the turn when checked to? When I see that, I mark it down as PFW (post flop weak). If you have position, shouldn't you use it?

Final Thoughts on TOC

I think Hoyazo nailed it when he said that I can play too tight in the early to middle stages. Its funny, but in the early stages is debatable. I usually drop 10-15% of my stack in level 1 and spend the rest of the early levels chipping back to start stack size (or SSS). Its those dang-tarnish middle rounds that kill me.

And what has killed me the most in BBT4 vs. say the 32k?
TWO BIG THINGS:

1. Bloggers attack c-bets much harder than your typical field. This makes it more difficult to play ABC poker in a blogger event. (this includes the re-steal on the c-bet, not just the floats and turn take-aways)

2. (excuse me as I attempt to quantify this) I have struggled with "chipping up" without risking losing large pots. As I reviewed my stats from this year, I was going out too early in too many tournaments. Yet, when I adjusted to stop that, I started literally running out of chips in the middle rounds. NOTE TO EVERYONE OUT THERE: If I figure this part of MTTs out, there will be no stopping me. So if you know why I am struggling here and you help me, there is serious karma in it for you.

I could ramble on and on about this topic, and its plagued me for nearly a year now. As a matter of fact, its the reason I originally sought out a mentor. That has resulted in some increased strategy and decision making for me, but has not really squashed the original issue.

I do know one thing though, and I think my nose has been rubbed in it enough for it to take. Simply using Q to determine if I should be crazy loose or not is just plain stupid. I have had better results dropping the Q concept completely from my MTT play.

Now its a matter of playing long rounds 9 handed as well as I play them 6 or 7 handed. Why its so different for me, I am not sure. But man I have to figure out how to win hands with marginal holdings in the middle rounds.

-
As promised yesterday, here was the big game hand that really hurt me... Note that I TIMED OUT DESPITE CALLING TIME. I think I make this call if I had the time.
At the time, I put ScottMc on either a river'd set of 7s, or AIR.

Full Tilt Poker Game #12550357817: Blogger Big Game (81289279), Table 6 - 120/240 Ante 25 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:18:10 ET - 2009/05/31
Seat 3: BuddyDank (10,385)
Seat 4: bdidde (11,960)
Seat 5: ScottMc (2,650)
Seat 6: columbo (5,785)
Seat 7: iaatg6296 (3,290)
Seat 8: rozzz5 (5,155)
Seat 9: cemfredmd (2,370)
BuddyDank antes 25
bdidde antes 25
ScottMc antes 25
columbo antes 25
iaatg6296 antes 25
rozzz5 antes 25
cemfredmd antes 25
ScottMc posts the small blind of 120
columbo posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [8d 7s]
iaatg6296 folds
rozzz5 folds
cemfredmd folds
BuddyDank folds
bdidde folds
ScottMc calls 120
columbo checks
*** FLOP *** [8c 6d 9c]
ScottMc checks
columbo bets 240
ScottMc calls 240
*** TURN *** [8c 6d 9c] [4d]
ScottMc checks
columbo bets 720
ScottMc calls 720
*** RIVER *** [8c 6d 9c 4d] [7h]
ScottMc has 15 seconds left to act
ScottMc bets 1,425, and is all in
columbo has 15 seconds left to act
columbo has requested TIME
columbo: wow (I am working it out in the old insane-in-the-membrane)
columbo has timed out (ARGH)

ScottMc shows [xx xx] (guess)

There is no way the 7 completes his hand unless he either river'd a set or made a worse 2 pair with 67. I think the odds (based on betting story, not math) might be as follows:

He made a river'd set : 3 to 1
He made two pair : 12 to 1
He has a broken draw with a pair of 7s : 3 to 1
He has a broken flush draw with Ac7c : 2 to 1

Now, as you know over the last 2 weeks, I have collided with more than my fair share of SETS. Oh my yes. A set has sent me packing more than any other hand. So, you can see why I stopped to think LONGER than I usually do. And THAT, more than anything else, cost me this hand.

and now our feature attraction

The BBT4 is finally over. I managed 11th in the brit tourney in the afternoon (1 lousy point?), followed by a middle of the pack finish in the big finale.

I have so many thoughts on my status, where to start?

Ok, the small-ball obsession is concluding. I have added it to my bag-o-tricks, but I find it difficult to play this way online where stacks are 20BB. I can use it early, and when deeper, but can not think of it as a way of life. I like it to control my FLOP play though and then on the Turn deciding what my best options are (showdown/no-showdown).

Second, I cant stand the FT timeouts. My bank is 15 seconds and yet I get 1 minute on a disconnect? GEZ. I had a hand last night that if I had the time to think through, might have been different. (I'll add that to the end of this post).

BDR was fun last night, with Chad becoming funnier as the beer kicked in. I appreciate the fact that the gang put me (your humble narrator) in the non-donk TOC category. Chad made a comment that I am disguising my hands well. That was good to know. Apparently he also made the FT 100k final table at the same time last night. Astounding.

Finally, a brutal recap of my weaknesses as we approach the TOC / WSOP.

1. When I go card dead in the middle rounds, I bleed too many chips. Even when I try to make plays, I only seem to make it worse. I need to catch some hands during the middle rounds. Even after working on this for a year, I still have only a smattering of answers.

2. My playing style seems to work best with 6/7 players at a table. This may happen multiple times at the 5 table TOC, but rarely at the WSOP.

3. I don't give players credit for hitting sets enough. If you read this blog over the last 3 months, you can still hear my screams. Yet, last night I let a user bluff a river'd set and I folded a winning hand.

4. I often start a tournament by losing 10% of my chips. WTF? Is it really that easy to small ball off your chips that fast seeing a few flops? No, its the FLOAT that eats the chips. Got to watch this early.

5. I don't re-steal very often. Okay, never. I am not a big fan of this play and yet, I know you need it at times. That leaves me in a quandary on this one. (See #1)

I think I will take a couple of days off so I can relax with some XBOX-360 (Burnout & "Saint's Row Bitches!") and then get back to it.

I also want to play a big$ Razz tournament, but that may have to wait.

So this is it

That last night of the BBT4. And in effect, the last night of training.

I have always been transparent in this blog, writing thought and strategies even if they turn out to be wild or unfounded. But the blog is one that chronicles a journey, and a long one at that. After 5 years, I strive to be more than I am.

The last year has been a wild one. Major job change, winning a 24k, breaking my back, seeking the mentoring of a pro, and realizing once again that the journey never truly ends.

Despite my results over the last year, I feel that I am better than I am last year when I satellited my way in via my home-town league. I am constantly experimenting now with advanced concepts instead of intermediate ones.

There is one day left in my "training schedule" to the WSOP, today's BBT4 events. I am 16th overall and despite that solid running, I hope this is no aspersion to any of the players in saying how disapointed I am that I am not in the top 10. There is no one to blame but myself, and I cant place much of the results on beats. With a event sampling size as large as this 3 month series, its silly to dwell on the one or two where you went out 11th.

Although this does remind of the 32ks over the last 6 months where I went down with 100 left to a brutal beat, sabotaging my repeat success.

I have thoughts about how I will approach the NLHE event 39, but that can wait. For today, I am prepared mentally for the challenge. I will be no easy mark today. My biggest mistake over the last week was playing to conservative close between 20-15 places left. I can not let myself fall into that trap again.

Good luck everyone.

so far no determinations...

Top Set could not stave off an attack from an OESD. He hit both ends on the turn/river.

The Psychology of Self Improvement

I have been thinking about this for quite some time... I remember even in grad school, the words of one professor. "You are very good at making decisions. But sometimes you make them too quickly." Still true to this day? Yes, albeit to a lesser extent, but yes. So what is a repeat offender to do?

I am going to try something drastic. I physical manifestation of a mnemonic device. (Sounds all doctory, doesn't it?)

This is a small object (not a chip) that I can hold in my hand and rub/stroke (heh) to remind me to think longer and more completely before a hand.

This is not the first mnemonic I ever used, as in my early days I had a sticker of the professor from Powerpuff girls on my monitor asking me "flush?" to remind me of the number of times (way too many) that I was paying off flushes. And it worked. Very effective.

I am off right now to locate said object and to try out my desperate grasp at control in the 32k today.

66 does me in

Its funny that on Monday I did not want to play 66 from EP and instead went out on AJ vs. 33. So color me red when I played 66 and was re-raised from the ginormous stack on the button. I called and saw a flop of T83 and he CHECKS.

Now either he has JJ-AA OR he has big overs. But when he checked, I pushed. At the time, I figured I scare a big range of his holdings and I represent a hand like JJ also. But today, I realize that his CHECK instead of a c-bet to a short stack is an invitation to go broke. So I dressed up to the nines and he welcomed me at the door with Top Set.

I think I was in trouble here no matter what, but to not recognize that simple betting line has me in a panic.

My name is (who?)

Coming from the land of eminem, I understand economic adversity. But despite all that, I am playing Event #39. Why? Numerous reasons.

1. Have to play a big tournament once in a while. The Shaolin monks would say that if you practice fighting and do not fight, then your skills are less than those who fight. I dont fight the big fights very often, but I can make an exception once a year to test my mettle. (I want to play more Razz after the WSOP is over and test my mettle there too.)

2. I have been practicing way too much over the last 3 months not to take the "test". Despite my results, my decisions are becoming honed and my game rising to a level I did not even feel I could get to a year ago.

3. With the economic downturn and the reigning in of travel and such, I need to do something that is "bigger than life". Considering I broke (nasty) my back months ago, this is as big as it gets this year.

So there you have it. Justification in the worst way. I did not qualify for a $1500 event this year in a satellite or club, so I am breaking my own rule to not play an event without expressing my way in. But I will take 3 or 4 shots are WSOP main event seats. I expect next year to be the year I get in, but you never know.

In other news, I am starting to combine chip utility and small ball together without a train wreck ensuing. This is interesting. Sometimes I feel that the best thing I could do for myself is to never know what my chip stack is... But obviously no one can afford that lack of information. I do need to make sound decisions, however, without allowing myself to be taken in by justifications. As of late, I am too prove to make a good call, even though the stand alone logic is FOLD. Interestingly I am right alot of the time. But not all the time. I am really starting to understand the meta-game behind small ball.

But in results, it can be brutal if you let your stack get too short. I bubble the PPI on Monday, and I was disapointed by a big stretch of dreck that I could not play my way out of. As it was, a suckout blind vs blind kept me out of 13th.

Skillz was Stud and if it wasn't the last BBT4 skillz night, I would have passed. Instead I made 4 second best hands to go out way too soon. Just 2 events left...

As it is, I feel slightly guilty going into the WSOP series as results have been average lately AND I punched my BBT4 ticket in RAZZ, not NLHE. Funny, eh? I'll put all that behind me tonight as I make a final, focused charge at the Mookie.

"I will fold to sets. I will fold to sets. I will fold to sets."

ok, I am ready.

If I see one more set....

I have moved from chip-utility drills to small-ball practice, but I am having a HELL of a time getting away from an over-pair when I run into a SET.

I am banging my head on the table. Look, if you play me at all in the next week and you raise me on the turn and I dont fold, just type SET into the chat box to remind me what a DONK I am.

I would also like to PIMP a poker podcast, Poker Soup TV. Other than occasionally leaving the podcast running for an extra hour while they play poker on skype, I really like to return to old-school poker podcasts where people talk about hands. No, take that back. Where you dont just TALK about hands for a few seconds, but you analyze hands. I miss that so much. (Get them on itunes).

Self-flagellation

OMG, just I just play a hand like a donkey.

Limper, I make it 4xBB, BB calls, original limper calls. Flop is 989. chcek, check to me. I make a c-bet of 2/3rds the port with an overpair of JJ.

Like that bet? Well, I c-bet into 2 players. But not necessarily incorrect. I am able to assume that one player hit a card higher than 8 (a 9 in this case), but since there are two of them, its just as valid to think they both missed. so far, still ok.

BB now RAISES to 3x my bet. original limper folds.
AS HARD AS IT IS here to put the BB on A9, QQ, KK or even AA, I feel stupid because once again I make a QUICK decision and get it all in. Now to be fair, if I CALL here, the money is going in over the next 2 streets because he has KK.

Its a hard read here, but I was 11th in chips and did not need to play a big pot with a pair. At the same time, how do I put the BB on KK? (TripJax played this tricky and got a great flop for it I think, considering there were 3 to the flop.)

situations and thoughts

ok, mostly thoughts.

mini-Ftops is worthless. I want to see if I can hold my own in a RAZZ tournament, so I sign up for mini-ftops Razz. 1200 players? In a limit game? what for 24 hours? gez. I bowed out. FTOP razz was more reasonable at 400, but its was a $300 buy-in. so I guess I can continue to fool myself a while longer.

Working on my game going into the final training stretch before Vegas. My results in the last 6 months are all over the place, and yet I am playing incredibly well as of late.

How many of you have lost to QUADS 3 times in 2 weeks?

"thought I'd something more to say..."

Recovering from a brutal beat

When you play in a tournament, a big tournament, you are focused on making good decisions. But in the end, there is a fundamental difference from the smaller tournaments you will play. In the big tournaments, results DO matter. Its a tad ironic that you got hear by remembering the mantra, "decisions not results".

So you train, practice and study making good decisions. You analyze every mistake. Then you walk into the big tournament and you know what? Fish start jumping out of the water and into your boat. It's what you trained for. You feel great. And then an early setback.

Have a sample:

Seat 1: WidowJack (3,625)
Seat 2: boyana05 (8,553)
Seat 3: donkurchips2me (2,947)
Seat 4: rhe041 (2,615)
Seat 5: MrHeuvel (2,965)
Seat 6: Gabyleviking (2,080)
Seat 7: columbo (4,995)
Seat 8: koikoi1 (2,095)
Seat 9: HevvyDevvy (10,160)
rhe041 posts the small blind of 25
MrHeuvel posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [9h 9c]
Gabyleviking calls 50
columbo raises to 150
koikoi1 folds
HevvyDevvy folds
WidowJack folds
boyana05 calls 150
donkurchips2me folds
rhe041 folds
MrHeuvel calls 100
Gabyleviking calls 100
*** FLOP *** [6d Js 9s]
MrHeuvel checks
Gabyleviking bets 500 (top pair, probably AJ)
columbo raises to 1,000
boyana05 folds
MrHeuvel folds
Gabyleviking has 15 seconds left to act
Gabyleviking raises to 1,930, and is all in
columbo calls 930
Gabyleviking shows [Jd Ks]
columbo shows [9h 9c]
*** TURN *** [6d Js 9s] [Kd]
*** RIVER *** [6d Js 9s Kd] [Jc]
Gabyleviking shows a full house, Jacks full of Kings

Not just a full house mind you, a runner-runner bad beat.

My above average stack is now reduced to a starting stack and I am forced to stare into space, a gaping hole in my face where my jaw was.

We have ALL been there. But what is important is that I am "down but not out". Chip-and-a-chair cliche' moved aside by a Monty Python, "I'm not dead yet".

Chris Ferguson once said that one of the biggest differences between an amateur and a pro is how quickly the amateur will shift to all-in hope-and-a-prayer poker after his stack suffers a big loss. Again, we've all been there.

So how do we soldier on? Here is what I do.

First off, If I get knocked out, I think of it this way. "It took runner-runner to take me out". (or on Sunday, "it took a 3 outer to take me out".) It's not a bad beat story. Its a testament to how lucky someone has to get to outplay you. The "how" is irrelevant. 'It took QUADS to knock me out.' Not that is a statement.

If I did NOT get knocked out, then its usually a call to arms. I am not going to sit idly by and watch my stack dwindle. oh no! You have unleashed pain upon the table my friend. You thought I raised a lot before? The pots just got bigger because I'll take a bit more volatility now! And I will bet into you after the flop like a kamikaze pilot. The reality is that I will start to do that, but slowly shift back down after the image is established or I get some chips back. Then I am going to try and stack someone even if it means getting my money in on Middle Pair with a solid redraw. Once I reach average again, its back to my regular game plan.

One last thing. I never, ever get into a discussion at the table in an attempt to justify my play. The best you are going to get from me is a shrug. I can not be rattled. I'll even say that to myself. "these guys are not good enough to tilt me. They might be bad enough to tilt me..."

Its true in many ways that its harder to get through minefield of fish than a sea of pros. But is there anything more satisfying that watching that idiot who luck-boxed away with your chips go broke while you are still sitting there and get to watch him walk to the rail? If you are going to wage a comeback and you have some volatility, you may have to win a race. Or worse, win from behind. So be it.

All the more satisfying when some player who read a chapter on small ball lets you get there on the turn and river to 2-pair his TP weak kicker. He'll tell me how bad that play was. And I'll shrug. Because after all, he's half right!


Its funny that I feel stupid writing this post. I mean, I have the urge to just delete it. Sometimes when I read it, I feel like I am explaining cooking my favorite dish to a chef. But I want to be able to go back and read this post later. Because one day, I might need to learn this again. There is only so much beating a person can take before they require some solace.

"I run bad" Hall of fame first ballot

Think it can't happen TWICE IN ONE WEEK?!?!?? THINK AGAIN!

Full Tilt Poker Game #12066319284: $34,000 Guarantee (90177637), Table 102 - 500/1000 Ante 125 - No Limit Hold'em - 17:14:47 ET - 2009/05/06
Seat 1: bego82 (3,068)
Seat 2: stockpig (45,260)
Seat 3: pokerpro109 (52,675)
Seat 4: Guitarhero10 (25,418)
Seat 5: Lefty_wAAs (18,919)
Seat 6: nemo_fr (31,048)
Seat 7: columbo (18,347)
Seat 8: Gregtzky85 (11,408)
Seat 9: miski (19,624)
bego82 antes 125
stockpig antes 125
pokerpro109 antes 125
Guitarhero10 antes 125
Lefty_wAAs antes 125
nemo_fr antes 125
columbo antes 125
Gregtzky85 antes 125
miski antes 125
stockpig posts the small blind of 500
pokerpro109 posts the big blind of 1,000
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [Js Jh]
Guitarhero10 folds
Lefty_wAAs raises to 2,000
nemo_fr folds
columbo calls 2,000

This guy was hard to figure out on bet sizes, but often came in light and tried to buy it post flop.

Gregtzky85 folds
miski folds
bego82 folds
stockpig folds
pokerpro109 calls 1,000 (big stack, almost exact same note)

*** FLOP *** [9d 3h 6d] (not bad at all!)
pokerpro109 checks

(10-1 lefty bets here)

Lefty_wAAs has 15 seconds left to act
Lefty_wAAs bets 7,625
columbo raises to 16,222, and is all in SWEET
pokerpro109 folds SWEETER
Lefty_wAAs calls 8,597
columbo shows [Js Jh]
Lefty_wAAs shows [8h 8c]

SWEETEST!!!!! So many chips!

*** TURN *** [9d 3h 6d] [8s]
*** RIVER *** [9d 3h 6d 8s] [8d]
columbo shows two pair, Jacks and Eights
Lefty_wAAs shows four of a kind, Eights
Lefty_wAAs wins the pot (40,069) with four of a kind, Eights
columbo stands up

*** SUMMARY ***
YOU RUN BAD. HAVEN'T YOU LEARNED THAT YET? GO HOME NOW.

playing well or opportunistic

Other than my run in the previous post, I finished 3rd in my league on Saturday and sixth in the donkament on Sunday.

The Saturday tournament was interesting in that with 3 left, a solid player started tilting for no discernible reason and raised all-in 5 hands in a row. This hand I have 88 and I RAISE first to act to send a message. I am not going to play scared and back down. I have 70k and its $3k/$6k so shoving all-in every hand is not how I want to play. He shoves again, and I call with 88. He has a hand with AK and the King hits the river. Discussions digressed into a comment that was akin to "the best I could hope for was a race". I don't think that enters into it. 3 handed, I will not be pushed around by folding a pocket pair to a 6th all-in in a row. I have no need to be the table police, but with 3 left I need to establish some sort of sane foothold.

Sunday, on the bubble play was tight and you just know it was inevitable that it would be a pair of big hands. I had TPTK, he had flopped a set. Too bad for me.
Final table, WPBT points, but no monies.

"I run bad" Hall of fame entry - Best in class!

Full Tilt Poker Game #12027105331: $34,000 Guarantee (89920510), Table 16 - 120/240 Ante 25 - No Limit Hold'em - 15:48:24 ET - 2009/05/04
Seat 1: Capuccio (8,728)
Seat 2: FCN-Forever (6,368)
Seat 3: Alfie Lemon (5,699), is sitting out
Seat 4: CodeNameDonkey (8,370)
Seat 5: davits59 (4,279)
Seat 6: columbo (5,105) [short due to a bluff that got picked off for almost $3k, but still ok health wise for this level]
Seat 7: ZgunnZ (2,097)
Seat 8: justfloppin (3,030)
Seat 9: josue29200 (16,183)
antes 25

davits59 folds
Dealt to columbo [Ac Ah]
columbo raises to 720 [sweet]

ZgunnZ folds
justfloppin folds
josue29200 raises to 1,440 [sweeter]

Capuccio raises to 8,703, and is all in [sweetest]
FCN-Forever folds
Alfie Lemon folds
CodeNameDonkey folds
columbo calls 4,360, and is all in [now with squeeze bonus money!]
josue29200 folds [free $1400 in monies!]

Capuccio shows [Kh Kc]
columbo shows [Ac Ah]

*** FLOP *** [Kd 8c Tc]
*** TURN *** [Kd 8c Tc] [Ks]
*** RIVER *** [Kd 8c Tc Ks] [Qh]
Capuccio shows FUCKING QUADS! YOU RUN BAD. GO HOME NOW.