I was Waffled!!!

After some early success in the Big Game, I went card dead for almost an hour...

Maybe that is why I was unable to even contemplate being behind here:
Full Tilt Poker Game #6204674670: Blogger Big Game (41741004), Table 5 - 80/160 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:05:43 ET - 2008/04/27
Seat 1: iam23skidoo (3,039)
Seat 2: NumbBono (3,252)
Seat 3: SirFWALGMan (7,803)
Seat 4: cmitch (5,370)
Seat 5: ck31 (2,065)
Seat 7: BuddyDank (7,860)
Seat 8: UpForPoker (3,282)
Seat 9: columbo (4,277)
NumbBono posts the small blind of 80
SirFWALGMan posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [9c 8c]
cmitch folds
ck31 folds
BuddyDank folds
UpForPoker folds
columbo calls 160 iam23skidoo folds
NumbBono folds
SirFWALGMan checks

*** FLOP *** [3c Kd 2c]
SirFWALGMan checks
columbo bets 160
SirFWALGMan calls 160

*** TURN *** [3c Kd 2c] [6c]
SirFWALGMan checks
columbo bets 320
SirFWALGMan calls 320

*** RIVER *** [3c Kd 2c 6c] [6d]
SirFWALGMan checks
columbo bets 800
SirFWALGMan calls 800

*** SHOW DOWN ***
columbo shows [9c 8c] a flush, Nine high
SirFWALGMan shows [Qc 4c] a flush, Queen high
SirFWALGMan wins the pot (2,960) with a flush, Queen high
SirFWALGMan: yay

Should I have played this differently after the flop?

The Definition of Irony

Its Riverchasers MTT and my hands blow. I re-steal my way to like 6700 chips. Never with anything but air. Then, I catch a stack overplaying KK pre-flop and get him all-in and I am sitting in the late position with AA. My first real hand of the night...

CRACK

I cant remember a game recently where I played better. wah!! Now with half the players gone, I am no longer 8th, but short stack under the start stack size.

I must admit though, I am happy. I mean, I played well. And sometimes that's all you can do.

But I am not out yet... I start stealing my way back... slowly but steady...

I win a race from the SB and I am back to 17th/30... (KQ vs. 66 button raise, I push here from the SB) still below average though.

A hammer drop takes me to 14th... still below avg with 23 left.

I again get my money in ahead in a battle. I LP raise with AcTc and get a BB re-raise. I decide this is it and push to see the BB show JQ? Cool

CRACK everything as he flops TRIPs and turns a BOAT. The best 23rd place of 72 I ever played.

Texas Hold'em

When some older people hear the word poker, they may simply think of the game 7 Card Stud as it used to be the most popular form of poker for decades. However, when newer generations hear the word poker, they most likely think of the game that began in the smoky bars of Texas – namely Texas Hold’em poker.

This is because the game originating from the lone star state has flew past 7 Card Stud to quickly become the most popular form of poker played today. Yes, Texas Hold’em is the most widely played variation by far and it has been aided greatly by its TV exposure. You see back in the early 2000’s, a small group of people believed that they could be successful by filling television time slots with Texas Hold’em. Of course there were many skeptics at the time as people thought watching cards on TV would be extremely boring to people.

These skeptics also thought that it would be difficult to find sponsors to back Texas Hold’em poker as there weren’t really many pre-set personalities already in place for people to identify with. After all, Texas Hold’em was more of a cult-type game before it exploded onto TV and none of the stars were really mainstream in anyway.

But nevertheless, marketers and business owners alike took a big leap of faith and decided to start broadcasting poker on television. The results were a smashing success which helped lead to the game grow in many unexpected ways.

Now, it’s hard to find an area where at least some people aren’t avid Texas Hold’em poker players and it’s even harder to find people who don’t know some of the major stars like Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth. If you don’t know about Texas Hold’em poker, then you should definitely start catching up on it!

more interesting results

no TV, just radio while playing. and no open web pages... Got railed in Skillz when I pushed in HA/Omaha PLO round with AA and the nut flush redraw on the flop. A set called me and it held.

But in the bodog, I finished 4th, moving me up from 13th to 10th for the series.

Interesting results so far.

better play, but no results

played well in the Hoy, but eventually with 20 left, lost back to back races to the same player. AK vs TT and AQ vs 77. Both times I had the Ax and got called on a pre-flop push. And just like that you go from 8th to the rail.

But I only got my money in behind once all night... So concentration is not over rated so far.

Time, Time, Time, what has become of me?

I don't know where to begin. There are times that I see the light, and others where I simply am staring at tomorrow. So begins this weeks experiment in self. Anti-Time Mgt. That's right. Chucking my normal task and interrupt driven round robin method in favor of one that forces choice through de-evolution. Mark Mothersbaugh would be proud.

This week, in conjunction with my kids school's self pronounced "TV turn-off week". I am also turning off the idiot, time wasting distractions I love so much as an Dr. Frankenstein like experiment to focus on the items that will improve my life.

No easy task.

So gone this week is
* surfing the web
* responding to email as soon as it comes in. (I am shooting for 4 times a day)
* working on trivial tasks
* TV shows

What I will indulge in:
* Poker - but only without TV on
* Music
* family activities (without the email)
* a modicum of research

We'll see how it goes. But it does mean one thing for my game. I am going to be overly focused on my hands this week. Good? Bad? time will tell...

I consider this my self-hypnotic adderall.

6max insanity - outplaying yourself...

I am playing for about 15 minutes, when this hand comes up.
Folded to hero in the SB with A7. Call
BB checks

Flop is AT8 rainbow. I bet pot, he calls.
Turn is a 2. I bet pot, he calls.
River is a 3. I shove....

He calls with what range here? Well, since I DISGUISED my Ace, he can call with Any Ace Rag and think he is ahead, right?

And that is exactly what happened. I get A7 in the SB, he has A9 in the BB.

I am not a big complainer, but man have I been cold decked this week at ring games. Running 2 pair or TPTK in to SETS and other second best hands like the above.

I have been felted TWICE in the last 2 weeks. ARGH!

What is it about 6max that makes me think I HAVE to play like an aggro?!

My neglected blog

or is it my neglected game. I was listening way too much to the aggro feedback. So what's the downside of aggro? Walking into sets. Which I have done ALOT this week. 2 pair, TPTK, what have you. I was discarding the best part of my game lately, being freaking Houdini and escaping from bad spots.

So, its back to being columbo. And you know what? I dont fear those insane 6max tales any longer. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Not aggro enough

The head of my poker satellite club shook his head at me when I turned in my registration for the 6max NLHE event in June. "You're not aggressive enough for that game".

My response was related to avoiding a donkey push field in NLHE while getting in more post-flop play. That and you have to play much more patient in a 3 table MTT, when you are rewarded for every single elimination before you...

But he does have a point. I am not big on re-stealing out of position and practically never re-re-steal. Will I get eaten alive?!

As for my most interesting hand on Saturday, look at this...

3 table MTT, about 14 left.
Blinds are a whopping 800/1600 and I have about 20k. I am 4th in chips at the table (I think). The utg+1, who raises with every decent hand he gets and is known as one of the most aggro players in the group, make yet another raise, but this time makes it 8k (not 6k). Interesting. (He has me covered)

Now, there have been two hands of note at this table. TT and AQ. TT has lost everytime and many jokes made about it. I put him on the following range based on the over range, TT-KK, AK, AQ.

I have AK on the button... You can NOT call here. You can not get a THIRD of your chips in to see just 3 cards as he will shove on almost any flop (certainly one without and Ace).

Shove or Fold?!

Token games are so soft its frightening

A simple 2 table MTT and its still early. WE have doubled up to $3300 in chips, and so has the BB. We are currently 8 handed.


*** HOLE CARDS ***
UtG folds and it comes to us
Dealt to columbo [9h Td]
columbo calls 80
So, I call. Sue me. I know that if the blinds were higher, I would be throwing money away. And I know that I just limped with a drawing hand from out of position. But the table has been passive pre-flop and I expect to see a flop at a reasonable cost.

MP, cutoff, and button all fold
SB calls 40
BB raises to 200

Ok, so as expected, someone raised. But now the price is $200 and its lower than if I would have made the 3xBB raise from EP to $240. And I am going to get action with my 9T. Now I can either win a big pot or lose a small pot.

columbo calls 120
SB folds

*** FLOP *** [4d 9d Tc]
BB bets 200
columbo value raises to 640
BB calls 440

*** TURN *** [4d 9d Tc] [Ad]
BB checks as expected and I figure no matter what we bet here, he will fold. The pot is about 1700 (half a stack) so I value bet about $580

columbo bets 580
BB calls 580
*** RIVER *** [4d 9d Tc Ad] [3h]
BB bets 250

How can he possibly bet here?

columbo calls 250
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Jogador shows [Js Jd] a pair of Jacks
columbo shows [9h Td] two pair, Tens and Nines

Now later in the same game…

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to columbo [Ad Jh]
utg+1 calls 80
columbo checks from BB

*** FLOP *** [6h 3h 7h]
columbo bets 80 (will he stand the all heart board?)
utg+1 calls 80 (yup)

*** TURN *** [6h 3h 7h] [4h]
columbo bets 160 <= I gots a flush, but does he?
Utg+1 raises to 320 <= ugh, probably.
columbo calls 160

*** RIVER *** [6h 3h 7h 4h] [6c]
columbo checks (3 hearts better than mine)
utg+1 bets 400
columbo calls 400 (his bet is a trip to value town and I am stuck)

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Utg+1 shows [Tc Ts] two pair, Tens and Sixes
columbo shows [Ad Jh] a flush, Jack high
columbo wins the pot (1,800) with a flush, Jack high

OMG!

Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen...

Two years ago, I turned down a Director level job at a big Detroit firm to stick with my high tech job in Computer and Asset Mgt. I took a promotion and became the VP of Global IT for 200m dollar company. I was making great money, had all my debt paid off, and had more than 25% equity in my home. I found myself easily coping with the responsibility and was able to measure and determine that I am good at what I do. And I was having fun... including poker. (And I stuck by my guns and did not play in the WSOP since I did not satellite my way into an event.)

But now its 2008 and my company was bought last year. This did not go well for me as I immediately did not mesh with the bug company IT executives who all came from Peoplesoft/Oracle. (A point I do not apologize for as they continue to run a poor IT department.) As I made the final table at the winter blogger table, I was officially laid-off. But, I still had my health, my home and a bright future due to an incredible resume of experiences and my recent track record of proven success... right? right?

well, if only...

My Michigan home has lost 25% of its value in the last 9 months. (A new record and the leading decline state in the nation!)

My health is not bad, but I did have to have lymph-nodes removed from my neck due to chronic pain due to unknown causes that continue to be unknown after 3 doctors. (Still, could be much worse). So, I am sore for the next few weeks.

My job prospects are WAY lower than expected. I remember telling Paul a year ago, "You couldn't afford me." At the time, it was accurate. But despite great references, successes and even solid management skills, the best I can do is small companies. Some can only afford to pay me consulting fees, others can hire me but are cash flow concerned to the point of having daily meetings on sales. I have designed entire back office infrastructures for companies, know cutting edge agile and sass software development, and ran an IT shop so efficiently, that it ran below 3% of gross revenues! Yet, I can't find a mgt position?! HUH?!

And my poker game in the last 3 weeks has reflected the above in too many ways...

But I can take some solace in events:

Although my house is low, I have a decent mortgage payment so I don't expect to "go under" and I could "hold" it even if I move.

Although my health is not stellar, I am not diagnosed with anything serious and neither is anyone in my family. Despite the lack of root-cause, I expect I am past the worst of it.

I am at the top of my game, work wise and I still expect to land something in IT executive mgt eventually. How long is the question. and where.

and I have some money saved. Enough to get by for a year if I had to. Its not alot, but its a heck of alot more than some people have.

When we hit hard times, we compare them to where we WERE, not were we could be. And maybe that is the lesson for today...

I may not have won a tournament (or even cashed) in 3 weeks, but I know I am still better than I was 2 years ago... By far! And I satellited into the $1500 6max in June, so its blogger-ific.

And when I was laid off 6 years ago, I had zero savings and some debt.

But saving money just to watch others blow it and all end up at the same place is
Sorta like playing solid at a table with Scott Fischman.

I am not sure why I am even writing this, as its very a-typical for me to discuss non-poker related topics. Maybe I just need to write it so I can better absorb it. Maybe its in the hopes of hearing some good news. Maybe I cant help it somehow. And despite the tone of this post, I am always an Optimist when it comes to the future.

Who knows? A year from now I could have a new job, and a new home in a new city and be far better off. It's good to have a goal... But for now, all I can do is spin the wheels...

Lost at Sea

When you run bad, you find fault in everything. You play too many hands, you're playing too few hands, you just read that hand wrong, you're folding too much.

But I am not sure how you win if you can's have KK hold up vs and under-pair and your AK loses 3 out of 3 times. I can't just "run well" like SF.

But as bleak as it sounds, it cant be all bad running since I haven't done well in 3 straight weeks.

The truth is I can't put my finger on it, but I think I am playing much too passive. When you are not hitting flops, then you have to steal. And when that isn't enough, maybe a bit wreckless.

But I know one thing, changing nothing changes nothing.

Thank goodness that's over

Despite a great start in BBT3, the last 3 weeks has been frustrating. I am going over it via notes and posts, but it seems that I am trying hard to accumulate chips and its the death of me. I may have to post some hands, but first, I think I need to sit back and think...

I got my token, I got my Orange Crush

That's right, I am taking a night off from Rock Band to play the Blogger Big Game tonight! (I am getting my token as I type!) (oops, nevermind, already won it.)

In other interesting news, my old roomate who spent years writing for Letterman and Conan, is now a blogger with bartoons.blogspot.com

Take a look, I think it's hilarious!

Frustrated

Ok, so I had variance coming after wining the Hoy. But gez, I have been crippled in FOUR tournaments out of 6 since, getting my money in way ahead. I know, I know, play not results. But I dread flying to vegas, signing up, plunking down my $1500 (despite the fact I won my way in) and then watching someone get all there money in with a pair and hitting a set on the river to send me home.

I should stop thinking about these things and take my loses like a man instead of some whiny blogger. But its alot easier to dismiss $10-$25 than it is to watch $1500 go out the window...

6MAX - A tale of two hands...

PokerStars Game #16204648757: Tournament #81587897, $50+$5 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/03/23 - 23:03:18 (ET)
Table '81587897 6' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: TorcidaST (1915 in chips)
Seat 2: sagar111 (9370 in chips)
Seat 3: RoadkingOz (3337 in chips)
Seat 4: Columbo777 (1503 in chips)
Seat 5: hdspoker (1825 in chips)
Seat 6: Arvid2k7 (3050 in chips)
RoadkingOz: posts small blind 50
Columbo777: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Columbo777 [3h 3d]
hdspoker: folds
Arvid2k7: folds
TorcidaST: calls 100
sagar111: raises 400 to 500
RoadkingOz: folds
Columbo777: raises 1003 to 1503 and is all-in
TorcidaST: calls 1403
sagar111: calls 1003
*** FLOP *** [3c 2h Kd]
TorcidaST: bets 412 and is all-in
sagar111: calls 412
*** TURN *** [3c 2h Kd] [Kc]
*** RIVER *** [3c 2h Kd Kc] [4s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
TorcidaST: shows [Td Jc] (a pair of Kings)
sagar111: shows [Js Ac] (a pair of Kings - Ace kicker)
sagar111 collected 824 from side pot
Columbo777: shows [3h 3d] (a full house, Threes full of Kings)
Columbo777 collected 4559 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5383 Main pot 4559. Side pot 824. | Rake 0
Board [3c 2h Kd Kc 4s]
Seat 1: TorcidaST showed [Td Jc] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 2: sagar111 (button) showed [Js Ac] and won (824) with a pair of Kings
Seat 3: RoadkingOz (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: Columbo777 (big blind) showed [3h 3d] and won (4559) with a full house, Threes full of Kings
Seat 5: hdspoker folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Arvid2k7 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

I was seeing alot of players willing to stack-off with AJ or JTs. I catch a big break here and triple up.

After some boring folding, I am an average stack with 60 left...

PokerStars Game #16205135851: Tournament #81587897, $50+$5 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/03/23 - 23:27:02 (ET)
Table '81587897 6' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: Devin Thomas (3215 in chips)
Seat 2: sagar111 (5735 in chips)
Seat 3: RoadkingOz (6156 in chips)
Seat 4: Columbo777 (4559 in chips)
Seat 5: hdspoker (4750 in chips)
Seat 6: Arvid2k7 (2100 in chips)
RoadkingOz: posts small blind 75
Columbo777: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Columbo777 [6d 6c]
hdspoker: folds
Arvid2k7: raises 300 to 450 (3x)
Devin Thomas: calls 450 -- probably AJ again, :)
sagar111: folds
RoadkingOz: folds
Columbo777: raises 1200 to 1650 shut it down or stop N go...
Arvid2k7: folds
Devin Thomas: calls 1200 - AK maybe?
*** FLOP *** [Qc Jd 7s]
Columbo777: bets 2909 and is all-in
Devin Thomas: calls 1565 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [Qc Jd 7s] [3d]
*** RIVER *** [Qc Jd 7s 3d] [9d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Columbo777: shows [6d 6c] (a pair of Sixes)
Devin Thomas: shows [Js As] (a pair of Jacks)
Devin Thomas collected 6955 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 6955 | Rake 0
Board [Qc Jd 7s 3d 9d]
Seat 1: Devin Thomas showed [Js As] and won (6955) with a pair of Jacks
Seat 2: sagar111 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: RoadkingOz (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: Columbo777 (big blind) showed [6d 6c] and lost with a pair of Sixes
Seat 5: hdspoker folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Arvid2k7 folded before Flop

I was right the first time. These guys are willing to call big pre-flops with AJ.

Is it me, or do players loosen up way more in 6 max because they think they are supposed to? And can I even DEFEND making a stand there with 66 just because I saw a modicum of dead money? Probably not.

Someone pull the drill-bit out of my head. I be learnin'

My BBT3 badge of courage

Brought to you by theOnline Poker Room FullTilt Poker and theDead Money Poker Blog byAlCantHang

Is AL the man or what?

A strategy reminder

I played in a satellite on Sunday and sucked it hard. But it wasn't tactics that made the difference, it was strategy. The hands I played, I played as well as can be expected. But in some ways, the regularly scheduled events spoil us.

Imagine you are in a field of 500 and the top 150 get satellite seats. Easy pickings, right? Well, did you remember that you start with 1500 chips and its a turbo? I didn't. Or better said, I didn't pay it any mind. A big mistake.

What should be the strategy going into a shallow stack turbo? Top 10 hands. There is no room to get fancy, maneuver post-flop with suited connectors, etc. You have $1500 in chips and you're dealt 98s. Are you going to call $200 chips here to see a flop? If so, you're playing like a hope-a-tron. Deeper stacks, maybe. Not a turbo, maybe. Deep stacks and not a turbo? Now we are talking.

Back to the 98s. What do you do now when the flop is K93 (not your suit) and its up to you. You gonna bet? If he bets 100, you going to call? Do you see your stack shrinkling like someone is pouring acid on a stack of pancakes?

"So using your logic, if I am in a short stack turbo satellite and I dont get a top 10 hand in the first 3 levels, I am just going to lose and that's that?!"

Yup. Probably. But you'll always have the ATC push (first in only) at about $800 chips. Ironically, once you get to level 3 and its $100/$200, $800 had better be from late position.

Good luck chip-hunter.

Tonight is YOUR night in the barrel

Did not matter HOW i got my money in ahead in the this weeks Mookie, the result was the same. I ended the hand behind. Lost 3 big pots where I got my money in good, the second one of which broke my back. But it happens and I have to take my beats like everyone else. So, look out tomorrow, I got some variance comin' my way!

PLOw me!

I finished 5th last night in the skillz PLO tournament. Again, having to defend a hand against a disgruntled holder of AA. I never get that. Big pairs in Omaha not holding up? Who would have thought?! To me, having AA in Omaha is like having AK in NLHE. You need to IMPROVE.

Anyways, I always struggled in PLO to determine starting ranges (same with Stud-7 hi only). I look back over the hand histories and the real story is that I played too FEW hands and paid to much in blinds/antes. I don't make that mistake now.

In this tournament, calling a pre-flop raise with 678T was not only justified, but essential. PLO is a game of peek and dive. Peek at a flop, dive out of the way of the scrapnel after it comes.

And worse, when you do flop a straight on this hand and the pre-flop guy was "moving to build a pot", I often disregard 2 suits on the board as "dangerous". The real story is not the AA pre-flop raise, but he unjustified call to the river with it. That board screamed "crack" at the top of its lungs as far as I could see.

I twice got my money in good and lost, once complete with a flush draw, OESD draw and 2 pair to boot. The ultimate drawing flop in PLO. I lost half my stack. haha.

But I was really happy overall because for the first time in a long time (if ever), I played PLO without making a huge and fatal mistake.