Oops

Full Tilt Poker Game #21122842538: $5 + $0.50 Rush Tournament (162538399), Table 106 - 50/100 - No Limit Hold'em - 20:40:13 ET - 2010/05/25
Seat 1: omg73 (20,320)
Seat 2: rafaellhp77 (3,456)
Seat 3: shirzulino (17,189)
Seat 4: usa13 (4,170), is sitting out
Seat 5: SuperCheese21 (13,712)
Seat 6: DM_Hand2 (9,825)
Seat 7: CgCook38 (5,482)
Seat 8: KillDevil666 (9,088)
Seat 9: DoubLLeTroubLLe (13,172)
rafaellhp77 posts the small blind of 50
shirzulino posts the big blind of 100
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [2s 2h]
usa13 folds
SuperCheese21 folds
DM_Hand2 folds
CgCook38 calls 100
KillDevil666 folds
DoubLLeTroubLLe folds
omg73 calls 100
rafaellhp77 raises to 500
shirzulino calls 400
CgCook38 calls 400
omg73 calls 400
*** FLOP *** [Tc 5s 2c]
rafaellhp77 bets 400
shirzulino folds
CgCook38 raises to 4,982, and is all in
omg73 calls 4,982
rafaellhp77 calls 2,556, and is all in
CgCook38 shows [2s 2h]
omg73 shows [Ac Td]
rafaellhp77 shows [Kd Ks]
*** TURN *** [Tc 5s 2c] [9h]
*** RIVER *** [Tc 5s 2c 9h] [Th]
CgCook38 shows a full house, Twos full of Tens
omg73 shows three of a kind, Tens
CgCook38 wins the side pot (4,052) with a full house, Twos full of Tens
rafaellhp77 shows two pair, Kings and Tens
CgCook38 wins the main pot (10,868) with a full house, Twos full of Tens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 14,920 Main pot 10,868. Side pot 4,052. | Rake 0
Board: [Tc 5s 2c 9h Th]
Seat 1: omg73 (button) showed [Ac Td] and lost with three of a kind, Tens
Seat 2: rafaellhp77 (small blind) showed [Kd Ks] and lost with two pair, Kings and Tens
Seat 3: shirzulino (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 4: usa13 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: SuperCheese21 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: DM_Hand2 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: CgCook38 showed [2s 2h] and won (14,920) with a full house, Twos full of Tens
Seat 8: KillDevil666 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: DoubLLeTroubLLe didn't bet (folded)

More FTPA

Full Tilt's Poker Academy continues to fill holes in my poker game. One area that it has really helped me in is making situational aggresive decisions from out of position when I plan on calling anyway. Here's a situation that came up recently. I made a raise UTG 5-handed with KQo and flopped top pair with a late position opponent. My "continuation" bet was called and the turn paired the board with another 6.

At this point, there was $0.62 in the pot. My opponent had $1.16 remaining. If I bet my top pair again, I'd likely make it a $0.40 bet, meaning if my opponent called or shoved, I'd be committed to the hand regardless of what the river was. That bet and any call or raise would put at least $1.42 in the pot and I would only have to worry about my opponent's remaining $0.76.

If, however, I check, there's a chance that I can play the hand to showdown for only another $0 - $0.62. That's preferred, since I ONLY have two pair, and not even AQ for the top kicker. I'd rather ONLY invest $0.40 into this pot unless a Q comes on the river.

So I determined that my best course of action was a check on the turn. Any bet by my opponent would automatically commit me to the pot, therefore I would check-raise all-in if necessary on the turn, or check-check-call to showdown otherwise. Either way, folding never crossed my mind. It turned out to be the correct move. My opponent gave no credence to my continuation bet and probably put me on AK or AJ, with the second 6 giving him an extra hand to represent. Here's the run down.

Full Tilt Poker Game #18973203949: Table Gushing Spring (6 max, shallow) - $0.02/$0.05 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:25:41 ET - 2010/03/04
Seat 1: jojo972 ($1.76)
Seat 3: Shinobao ($2.17)
Seat 4: tb1984 ($1)
Seat 5: CgCook38 ($3.19)
Seat 6: baseball14t ($1.51)
Shinobao posts the small blind of $0.02
tb1984 posts the big blind of $0.05
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Qc Ks]
CgCook38 raises to $0.15
baseball14t calls $0.15
jojo972 has 15 seconds left to act
jojo972 folds
Shinobao folds
tb1984 folds
*** FLOP *** [Qs 6h 2d]
CgCook38 bets $0.20
baseball14t calls $0.20
*** TURN *** [Qs 6h 2d] [6c]
tino_g43 sits down
tino_g43 adds $2
CgCook38 has 15 seconds left to act
CgCook38 checks
baseball14t bets $0.40
CgCook38 raises to $2.84, and is all in
baseball14t calls $0.76, and is all in
CgCook38 shows [Qc Ks]
baseball14t shows [8s 8h]
Uncalled bet of $1.68 returned to CgCook38
*** RIVER *** [Qs 6h 2d 6c] [Js]
CgCook38 shows two pair, Queens and Sixes
baseball14t shows two pair, Eights and Sixes
CgCook38 wins the pot ($2.89) with two pair, Queens and Sixes
baseball14t is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $3.09 | Rake $0.20
Board: [Qs 6h 2d 6c Js]
Seat 1: jojo972 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: Shinobao (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: tb1984 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: CgCook38 showed [Qc Ks] and won ($2.89) with two pair, Queens and Sixes
Seat 6: baseball14t showed [8s 8h] and lost with two pair, Eights and Sixes

Losing Left – Why Stack Size (and thereby Tournament vs. Cash) Matters

Last week I introduced my “new” rule about playing weak hands out of position in online tournaments. Basically my theory is based on the fact that I can wait out these situations and hope for either a) a better hand later, or b) a passive opponent that assists me to a showdown cheaply. I also relied heavily on the fact that blinds chop away at a stack quickly in a tournament.

This week I want to talk about the exception that makes the rule. What happens when I have 10,000 chips and the blinds are 25/50 for the next 15 minutes online, or 40 minutes in a brick and mortar? Am I going to play this situation the same way? Well, I will say that this will be my general rule for tournaments. However, the deeper the stack sizes are, the more I’m willing to make an exception. Also, reading the board can’t be dismissed. If there are draws out there, then a called bet by a positional player becomes weaker based on the chance that they are chasing a draw.

The definitive example of this exception comes in cash game play. While the game is technically “table stakes”, ultimately the amount of money that can be won is only limited by how many times players reach into their deep pockets. There is some money out there to be made in value with middle pair. While my intention is usually to keep the pot small, in a cash game, or a deep stack tournament, the best way to insure a small pot it to be sure to take control of the pot, which means taking the lead after the flop.

Here’s another example- top pair, mediocre kicker. But with a deeper stack (and as important my opponents had deep stacks), I was able to take control of the hand on the flop, and put it away on the turn when it became apparent I had the best hand.


*********** # 1 **************
PokerStars Game #39510252010: Tournament #241450085, $0.25+$0.00 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (25/50) - 2010/02/09 19:32:10 PT [2010/02/09 22:32:10 ET]
Table '241450085 10' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: amour59 (1615 in chips)
Seat 2: horizon58 (2975 in chips)
Seat 3: shaydushane (6155 in chips)
Seat 4: CgCook38 (4910 in chips)
Seat 5: moneymaica (750 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 6: clingfree (2550 in chips)
Seat 7: lexxl19 (8900 in chips)
Seat 8: JimmiBlY (9540 in chips)
Seat 9: TJ1812 (6960 in chips)
amour59: posts small blind 25
horizon58: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Th Ah]
shaydushane: folds
CgCook38: calls 50
moneymaica: folds
clingfree: folds
lexxl19: folds
JimmiBlY: calls 50
TJ1812: folds
amour59: folds
horizon58: checks
*** FLOP *** [8s As 6d]
horizon58: checks
CgCook38: bets 100
JimmiBlY: calls 100
horizon58: calls 100
*** TURN *** [8s As 6d] [9c]
horizon58: checks
CgCook38: bets 350
JimmiBlY: folds
horizon58: folds
Uncalled bet (350) returned to CgCook38
CgCook38 collected 475 from pot
CgCook38: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 475 | Rake 0
Board [8s As 6d 9c]
Seat 1: amour59 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: horizon58 (big blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 3: shaydushane folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: CgCook38 collected (475)
Seat 5: moneymaica folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: clingfree folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: lexxl19 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: JimmiBlY folded on the Turn
Seat 9: TJ1812 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Losing Left – Small Pot, Pretty Please

The biggest problem with players to your left is that they will get to see what you do before they have to make any decisions. It seems that recently I’ve been crushed online while out of position, especially when I have a small hand – top pair, okay kicker or weaker hand. The strategy I try to employ is pretty basic: invest the smallest amount of chips in order to get to a showdown.

This presents one very basic problem, and it’s where a positional player gets his power. If I check to invest no chips, I am showing that I am weak (which I am, of course). An astute player can bet any two cards and I am likely to fold. If I bet I am increasing the pot size (which is already going against my strategy). Either way, I have no idea how the other player feels about their hand, even after he acts behind me.

In online tournaments, I should check nearly every time when I have a mediocre hand. The reason is that I simply won’t know either way whether I have the best hand. Checking keeps the pot smaller, tying up fewer chips from my stack. Since the blinds are ever increasing toward the size of my stack, I need to find better places (then mediocre hand, out of position) to invest them.

Here’s a great example:

PokerStars Game #39149867931: Tournament #238986486, $3.00+$0.40 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2010/02/02 19:17:35 PT [2010/02/02 22:17:35 ET]
Table '238986486 1' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 2: Betty73 (905 in chips)
Seat 3: nedoshlo (1550 in chips)
Seat 4: CgCook38 (1975 in chips)
Seat 5: jefferson577 (1415 in chips)
Seat 6: mad pounder (2560 in chips)
Seat 7: amyi (3980 in chips)
Seat 8: Simonelli2 (2530 in chips)
Seat 9: Bakster (7085 in chips)
Betty73: posts small blind 50
nedoshlo: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Ah 8h]
CgCook38: calls 100 I've been trying to limp more with playable hands before I reach that iffy 10 rounds left level. This is part of that strategy.
jefferson577: folds
mad pounder: folds
amyi: calls 100
Simonelli2: calls 100
Bakster: folds
Betty73: folds
nedoshlo: checks
*** FLOP *** [Qc 6d 8c]
nedoshlo: checks Alright - Second pair, best kicker. My new strategy says check nearly every time. Instead I....
CgCook38: bets 300 ....into a 450 chip pot
amyi: folds
Simonelli2: calls 300
nedoshlo: folds
*** TURN *** [Qc 6d 8c] [Th]
my bet on the flop increased the pot size by over 130 percent!! Not quite the desired result with one opponent still remaining. I'm still out of position with the pot now at 1050 and 1575 left in my stack. What do I do now? I should check and fold to a bet here. That Th didn't help me and helped so many hands that may still be out there. 9Tc, 79c, TT, JTc, AKc, ATc.
CgCook38: checks
Simonelli2: bets 300 I'm beat bad right now, but I don't want to admit it. A stupid bet on the flop begets a stupid call on the turn...
CgCook38: calls 300 after all, I have five or fewer outs, I'm being offered 3.5 : 1 odds, and I only need to invest nearly 20% of my remaining stack. This is the kind of losing poker that I've been playing for months online. I need to get away from it.
*** RIVER *** [Qc 6d 8c Th] [Qd]
CgCook38: checks No miracle card on the river. Thank goodness. The villain took down the pot with a full house, sixes over queens. I was drawing dead on the turn. I shook this off and managed to place third in the tournament.

Adventures in Pot Limit

I have been playing PL Hold'em cash games recently - doing very well at them I might add. I am in no way an expert at pot-limit Hold'em, and I make many small mistakes along the way. I've never read a book specific to the game, nor have I seen many articles related to it.

However, I am learning a lot as I play. PL seems to give me better control over the size of the pot on a given hand. For example, if I end up out of position with QQ in a heads-up pot, I can check call and (presumably) save some money to a single overcard on the board. This is great for me, as in No-Limit games I have lost a lot of money due to stubbornness on hands.

I've noticed that my play at these tables tends to resemble the style that I play in NL Hold'em real-life cash games. I see a lot more flops waiting to get paid off for others' large mistakes. I let go of big pre-flop hands to silly little small bets when there's virtually no way for me to pull the pot. I raise less from the blinds and from late position when there's no chance of me chasing limpers out anyway. The following hand illustrates the powerful disguise that these situations when I actually hit my hand. All credit to my opponent, as they appeared to lose the minimum with this hand.

Full Tilt Poker Game #12083621865: Table Galva (6 max, deep) - $0.02/$0.05 - Pot Limit Hold'em - 15:24:14 ET - 2009/05/07
Seat 1: Steve345 ($5.53)
Seat 2: WiseRabbit ($10)
Seat 3: ricoquad ($5.16)
Seat 4: weguewegue ($9.80)
Seat 5: CgCook38 ($17.89)
Seat 6: bentlyb ($8.98)
CgCook38 posts the small blind of $0.02
bentlyb posts the big blind of $0.05
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [As Kd]
Steve345 folds
WiseRabbit folds
ricoquad has 15 seconds left to act
ricoquad calls $0.05
weguewegue calls $0.05
CgCook38 calls $0.03
bentlyb checks
*** FLOP *** [Jh 6h Qs]
CgCook38 checks
bentlyb checks
ricoquad bets $0.05
weguewegue folds
CgCook38 calls $0.05
bentlyb calls $0.05
*** TURN *** [Jh 6h Qs] [Tc]
CgCook38 checks
bentlyb bets $0.35
ricoquad calls $0.35
CgCook38 raises to $1.75
bentlyb calls $1.40
ricoquad folds
*** RIVER *** [Jh 6h Qs Tc] [4s]
CgCook38 bets $4.20
bentlyb calls $4.20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CgCook38 shows [As Kd] a straight, Ace high
bentlyb shows [9c Kh] a straight, King high
CgCook38 wins the pot ($11.76) with a straight, Ace high
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $12.60 | Rake $0.84
Board: [Jh 6h Qs Tc 4s]
Seat 1: Steve345 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: WiseRabbit didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: ricoquad folded on the Turn
Seat 4: weguewegue (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: CgCook38 (small blind) showed [As Kd] and won ($11.76) with a straight, Ace high
Seat 6: bentlyb (big blind) showed [9c Kh] and lost with a straight, King high

Scary Dog, Scary Hand

I played the following hand with my good friend Brian (Watchdog26). It was interesting because I was simply trying to single up against the ultra short-stack and steal the blinds (and change) with a likely coin-flip-or-better situation. Unfortunately for me - or rather: eventually fortunately for me, Brian had a pretty significant hand and decided to call my raise pre-flop. I found myself in another possible implied collusion situation. However my pre-flop raise created a large side pot that offered lucrative odds if I could grab it from Brian. So I decided to bet out with my sixes and hope that Brian had a big Ace and decided to fold it. It all worked out well for me, as I would have lost the hand outright to the short-stack, but instead I collected a bigger side pot.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11868700621: The Poker Pod Home Game (85237044), Table 3 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:27:28 ET - 2009/04/25
Seat 2: xycroma_zone (525)
Seat 3: watchdog26 (1,575)
Seat 4: CgCook38 (1,850)
Seat 5: Jens73 (6,190)
Seat 6: Mothura (3,885)
Seat 7: HouCowboy (85)
Seat 8: given68 (1,560)
Seat 9: garden42 (845)
Jens73 posts the small blind of 25
Mothura posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [6s 6c]
Mothura: nh
CgCook38: nh
xycroma_zone: nh
HouCowboy raises to 85, and is all in
Jens73: ty
given68 folds
garden42 folds
Mothura: and I hade 3's
xycroma_zone folds
watchdog26 calls 85
xycroma_zone: should not have shoved
CgCook38 raises to 450
Jens73 folds
Mothura folds
watchdog26 calls 365
*** FLOP *** [3s 4h 8d]
watchdog26 checks
CgCook38 has 15 seconds left to act
CgCook38 bets 400
watchdog26 has 15 seconds left to act
watchdog26 folds
CgCook38 shows [6s 6c]
HouCowboy shows [Ts Qh]
Uncalled bet of 400 returned to CgCook38
*** TURN *** [3s 4h 8d] [Td]
*** RIVER *** [3s 4h 8d Td] [4d]
CgCook38 wins the side pot (730)
CgCook38 shows two pair, Sixes and Fours
HouCowboy shows two pair, Tens and Fours
HouCowboy wins the main pot (330) with two pair, Tens and Fours
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1,060 Main pot 330. Side pot 730. | Rake 0
Board: [3s 4h 8d Td 4d]
Seat 2: xycroma_zone didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: watchdog26 folded on the Flop
Seat 4: CgCook38 (button) showed [6s 6c] and won (730) with two pair, Sixes and Fours
Seat 5: Jens73 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: Mothura (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 7: HouCowboy showed [Ts Qh] and won (330) with two pair, Tens and Fours
Seat 8: given68 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: garden42 didn't bet (folded)

In the Mood for Cash

I play terribly at cash games most of the time. The reason is simple: I take too many risks. When I am successful, I make laydowns that I would never think of doing in a tournament because (chances are) I am beat. In a tournament, you’ll never stay above the increasing blinds if you never take a risk. Here’s an example. Unfortunately this guy made an impossible bluff, and I would have had him beat. The decision was correct given the circumstances.

PokerStars Game #24347069285: Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2009/01/27 21:09:19 ET
Table 'Lilaea V' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Tyler_WinAA ($25.90 in chips)
Seat 2: GoodFight.gf ($7 in chips)
Seat 3: board2 ($32.50 in chips)
Seat 4: legionverde ($25 in chips)
Seat 6: Couzin P ($9.75 in chips)
Seat 7: CgCook38 ($23.90 in chips)
Seat 8: Asterix 76 ($30.05 in chips)
CgCook38: posts small blind $0.10
Asterix 76: posts big blind $0.25
Snurrespratt: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Kd Kh]
aintitkewl joins the table at seat #5
Tyler_WinAA: calls $0.25
GoodFight.gf: folds
board2: folds
legionverde: folds
Couzin P: calls $0.25
CgCook38: raises $1.25 to $1.50
Asterix 76: folds
Tyler_WinAA: calls $1.25
Couzin P: folds
*** FLOP *** [Jd As Jh]
CgCook38: checks
Tyler_WinAA: checks
*** TURN *** [Jd As Jh] [8s]
CgCook38: checks
Tyler_WinAA: checks
*** RIVER *** [Jd As Jh 8s] [4h]
CgCook38: bets $1
Tyler_WinAA: raises $3 to $4
CgCook38: folds
Uncalled bet ($3) returned to Tyler_WinAA
Tyler_WinAA collected $5.25 from pot
Tyler_WinAA: shows [7h 7d] (two pair, Jacks and Sevens)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $5.50 | Rake $0.25
Board [Jd As Jh 8s 4h]
Seat 1: Tyler_WinAA collected ($5.25)
Seat 2: GoodFight.gf folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: board2 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: legionverde folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Couzin P (button) folded before Flop
Seat 7: CgCook38 (small blind) folded on the River
Seat 8: Asterix 76 (big blind) folded before Flop

Close Call

I was playing in an MTT, likely needing about 10,000 chips in the next hour to make the money. I almost got it here.

Full Tilt Poker Game #10005734496: $2 + $0.25 Tournament (75878198), Table 27 - 100/200 - No Limit Hold'em - 18:32:40 ET - 2009/01/12
Seat 1: CgCook38 (5,870)
Seat 2: kelark82 (7,850)
Seat 3: tellysavallas (4,420)
Seat 4: mike59760 (6,610)
Seat 5: beavis mac (9,195)
Seat 6: rover199 (9,080)
Seat 8: solgerr (15,735)
Seat 9: Zorba300 (2,060)
beavis mac posts the small blind of 100
rover199 posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Tc Qs]
solgerr folds
Zorba300 folds
CgCook38 raises to 600
kelark82 folds
tellysavallas raises to 1,000
mike59760 folds
beavis mac folds
rover199 folds
CgCook38 calls 400
*** FLOP *** [Qc 8h Qh]
CgCook38 bets 1,200
tellysavallas calls 1,200
*** TURN *** [Qc 8h Qh] [7s]
CgCook38 bets 3,670, and is all in
tellysavallas calls 2,220, and is all in
CgCook38 shows [Tc Qs]
tellysavallas shows [Ad Ac]
Uncalled bet of 1,450 returned to CgCook38
*** RIVER *** [Qc 8h Qh 7s] [Ah]
CgCook38 shows three of a kind, Queens
tellysavallas shows a full house, Aces full of Queens
tellysavallas wins the pot (9,140) with a full house, Aces full of Queens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 9,140 Rake 0
Board: [Qc 8h Qh 7s Ah]
Seat 1: CgCook38 showed [Tc Qs] and lost with three of a kind, Queens
Seat 2: kelark82 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: tellysavallas showed [Ad Ac] and won (9,140) with a full house, Aces full of Queens
Seat 4: mike59760 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: beavis mac (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: rover199 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 8: solgerr didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: Zorba300 didn't bet (folded)

Sometimes I Forget to Pay Attention to Who Pays Attention

Recently a good friend from Railbirds knocked me out of a private tournament. I had been playing extremely tight, and that should have been an indication that any reraise or bet on the flop by a knowledgeable opponent would be a showing of great strength. Easy enough reason to get rid of JJ post-flop. I make a lot of good lay downs against multiple opponents – not enough against just one.

Full Tilt Poker Game #9965694311: The Poker Pod Home Game (75200527), Table 1 - 50/100 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:52:40 ET - 2009/01/10
Seat 1: CgCook38 (2,615)
Seat 2: (2,786)
Seat 3: (6,235)
Seat 5: (2,860)
Seat 6: (3,145)
Seat 7: (530)
Seat 8: FLU5HING QU33N (2,370)
Seat 9: (4,615)
xx posts the small blind of 50
xx posts the big blind of 100
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Js Jc]
xx: i just cannot keep a connection tonight
xx folds
FLU5HING QU33N raises to 350
xx folds
CgCook38 calls 350
xx folds
xx folds
xx folds
xx folds
*** FLOP *** [Tc 7h 4h]
FLU5HING QU33N has 15 seconds left to act
FLU5HING QU33N bets 850
CgCook38 has 15 seconds left to act
CgCook38 has requested TIME
CgCook38 raises to 2,265, and is all in
FLU5HING QU33N has 15 seconds left to act
FLU5HING QU33N: i bet u have an ace something
FLU5HING QU33N calls 1,170, and is all in
CgCook38 shows [Js Jc]
FLU5HING QU33N shows [Kd Ks]
Uncalled bet of 245 returned to CgCook38
*** TURN *** [Tc 7h 4h] [Ts]
*** RIVER *** [Tc 7h 4h Ts] [Qh]
CgCook38: ugh nh
CgCook38 shows two pair, Jacks and Tens
FLU5HING QU33N shows two pair, Kings and Tens
FLU5HING QU33N wins the pot (4,890) with two pair, Kings and Tens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,890 Rake 0
Board: [Tc 7h 4h Ts Qh]
Seat 1: CgCook38 showed [Js Jc] and lost with two pair, Jacks and Tens
Seat 2: didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 7: didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: FLU5HING QU33N showed [Kd Ks] and won (4,890) with two pair, Kings and Tens
Seat 9: didn't bet (folded)

My Problems with the Sit & Go– Part III

Part I is here.
Part II is here.

I went on to win the following tournament, but at this stage, I was desperate. Six people left and only four get money. I was short stack with an M of about 3. I’m going to push any two cards that are reasonable high or close to being connected. Unfortunately, the big blind in this hand is the chip leader and I’m worried he’ll make a call with just about any hand. I just hope he realizes that I still represent 25% of his chip stack.

Full Tilt Poker Game #9945305763: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (75592074), Table 2 - 200/400 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:11:28 ET - 2009/01/09
Seat 3: kid61 (2,745)
Seat 4: fa88 (7,530)
Seat 5: ke1222 (4,805)
Seat 7: Auc (3,670)
Seat 8: CgCook38 (1,890)
Seat 9: hraim88 (6,360)
kid61 posts the small blind of 200
fa88 posts the big blind of 400
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [6h Td] – Not ideal, but if it folds to me, I’m pushing.
ke1222 folds
Auc folds
CgCook38 raises to 1,890, and is all in
hraim88 folds
kid61 has 15 seconds left to act
kid61 calls 1,690 – Oh boy, I didn’t plan that. He’s got to have a monster. As I said, what does he gain by knocking me out in sixth place?
fa88 folds
CgCook38 shows [6h Td]
kid61 shows [Qh 7h] – Wait, what is he doing??? He could easily have folded there and hoped the big stack on the BB called me! If not, the two of us are still tied for the non-money spots and the blinds are about to hit me again. Right now he’s a 64% favorite.
*** FLOP *** [9h Kc 6d]
*** TURN *** [9h Kc 6d] [As]
*** RIVER *** [9h Kc 6d As] [2s]
CgCook38 shows a pair of Sixes
kid61 shows Ace King high
CgCook38 wins the pot (4,180) with a pair of Sixes
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,180 Rake 0
Board: [9h Kc 6d As 2s]
Seat 3: kid61 (small blind) showed [Qh 7h] and lost with Ace King high
Seat 4: fa88 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: ke1222 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: Auc didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: CgCook38 showed [6h Td] and won (4,180) with a pair of Sixes - Wow! Now I’m pretty much in a tie for third place and the other guy’s pretty much out with such a short stack! Yeah me!
Seat 9: hraim88 (button) didn't bet (folded)

Now the risks I was taking last week weren’t nearly this extreme. I remember one hand specifically where I was sitting in the small blind with JQ suited and the chip lead. A player across the table made a standard raise. I called along with two others. On the flop I made two pair and check-raised the raiser. He called and we took a harmless turn. I checked again and he bet out. I put him all in and he called with AQ for one pair. The river brought an Ace and I lost the hand and the chip lead. I failed to cash in the tournament. I made all the right moves after the flop and the turn, but the river brought the wrong card. I was behind pre-flop and probably would have won the tournament if I had just folded to his raise.

My success in poker at any table in any tournament is always going to rely on the same variables. In every situation I encounter I need to take an account of all of the evidence offered to me and make sound, game-winning decisions. And every downturn in my bankroll will likely be the fault of small decisions that I make along the way that have minimized the advantages I’ve worked so hard to gain. I can’t wait to post this week’s weekly report to see how I’ve improved.

Positional Power

The following hand is from a cash game. It demonstrates the powerful advantage of position when you are facing an opponent that you have a great feel for. [Edit: see comment below]

Full Tilt Poker Game #9821427250: Table White Sails - $0.10/$0.25 - No Limit Hold'em - 18:30:17 ET - 2009/01/02
Seat 1: ampyJ ($25)
Seat 2: CraiGMaCxx ($25.10)
Seat 3: adyRehab ($12.85)
Seat 4: oper557 ($25)
Seat 5: gbreath111 ($6)
Seat 6: YEDontheRIV ($32.95)
Seat 7: bip ($24.75)
Seat 8: CgCook38 ($37.20)
Seat 9: azykanuck51 ($22.65)
bip posts the small blind of $0.10
CgCook38 posts the big blind of $0.25
5 seconds left to act
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Kh 7d]
azykanuck51 calls $0.25
ampyJ folds
CraiGMaCxx has 15 seconds left to act
CraiGMaCxx raises to $1.10
adyRehab calls $1.10
gbreath111 folds
YEDontheRIV folds
bip folds
CgCook38 has 15 seconds left to act
CgCook38 calls $0.85
azykanuck51 folds
*** FLOP *** [2h 6d 7s]
CgCook38 bets $1.50
azykanuck51 stands up
CraiGMaCxx raises to $4
adyRehab folds
CgCook38 calls $2.50
*** TURN *** [2h 6d 7s] [2d]
CgCook38 checks
oper557 has been disconnected
oper557 has reconnected
CraiGMaCxx bets $6
CgCook38 calls $6
*** RIVER *** [2h 6d 7s 2d] [5h]
CgCook38 checks
CraiGMaCxx has 15 seconds left to act
CraiGMaCxx checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CraiGMaCxx shows [4c 4d] two pair, Fours and Twos
CgCook38 shows [Kh 7d] two pair, Sevens and Twos
CgCook38 wins the pot ($22.50) with two pair, Sevens and Twos
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $23.65 Rake $1.15
Board: [2h 6d 7s 2d 5h]
Seat 1: ampyJ didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: CraiGMaCxx showed [4c 4d] and lost with two pair, Fours and Twos
Seat 3: adyRehab folded on the Flop
Seat 4: oper557 is sitting out
Seat 5: gbreath111 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: YEDontheRIV (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: bip (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 8: CgCook38 (big blind) showed [Kh 7d] and won ($22.50) with two pair, Sevens and Twos
Seat 9: azykanuck51 folded before the Flop

Positional Poker Play

I recently won Event # 4 of The Poker Trivia Tour through Railbirds. The event was Fixed Limit Hold’em with 29 players. The money was at four people, and the points for Player of the Season started in sixth place. The following hand took place with 15 players left – still a ways from the final table of 9. I was around 8th place in chips at the time. My game up to this point may have been considered over-aggressive in position by others at the table. I also had a great feel for the other players at the table, and I had lost very few chips without a distinct thought process going through my head. In the following hand, my check on the turn was in order to avoid a check-raise bluff that would force me off of the hand. The call on the river was with the distinct impression that my opponent was betting a missed draw. Decisions like these won me this tournament. It was very gratifying.


Full Tilt Poker Game #9854486311: PTT Event #4 (72078327), Table 3 - 200/400 - Limit Hold'em - 15:27:40 ET - 2009/01/04
Seat 1: Mr Shug (5,070)
Seat 2: crazee55 (690)
Seat 3: FRENCH RAP (2,910)
Seat 4: houndawg37 (3,710)
Seat 5: seaurchin1 (2,635)
Seat 6: edwin232 (3,210)
Seat 7: edly68 (4,195)
Seat 8: CgCook38 (2,900)
FRENCH RAP posts the small blind of 100
houndawg37 posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Td Ts]
seaurchin1 folds
edwin232 folds
edly68 folds
CgCook38 raises to 400
Mr Shug folds
crazee55 folds
FRENCH RAP calls 300
houndawg37 folds
*** FLOP *** [9c 3h Qh]
FRENCH RAP checks
CgCook38 bets 200
FRENCH RAP calls 200
*** TURN *** [9c 3h Qh] [Kd]
FRENCH RAP checks
CgCook38 checks
*** RIVER *** [9c 3h Qh Kd] [4h]
FRENCH RAP bets 400
CgCook38 has 15 seconds left to act
CgCook38 calls 400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FRENCH RAP shows [Ad Tc] Ace King high
CgCook38 shows [Td Ts] a pair of Tens
CgCook38 wins the pot (2,200) with a pair of Tens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,200 Rake 0
Board: [9c 3h Qh Kd 4h]
Seat 1: Mr Shug didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: crazee55 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: FRENCH RAP (small blind) showed [Ad Tc] and lost with Ace King high
Seat 4: houndawg37 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: seaurchin1 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: edwin232 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: edly68 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: CgCook38 showed [Td Ts] and won (2,200) with a pair of Tens

Keeping the Pot Small(ish)

Following is a hand history from the very early stages of a 180-person sit and go. Actually it was twelve hands into it. At this stage I had folded for an entire round around the table, playing only my big blind and folding it straight away on the flop. I limped in on the button with a suited Ace and picked off three small bluff attempts by a player after flopping top pair with no kicker. This hand was two hands later.

PokerStars Game #23561574929: Tournament #131687831, $4.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2009/01/04 10:18:52 ET
Table '131687831 19' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: CgCook38 (1730 in chips)
Seat 2: pie1972 (1720 in chips)
Seat 3: rend0207 (1130 in chips)
Seat 4: Famn (1070 in chips)
Seat 5: ppybunch (1670 in chips)
Seat 6: eepymike (3780 in chips)
Seat 7: FACOLOR (1400 in chips)
Seat 8: lowatt_sm (1370 in chips)
Seat 9: gprai (1030 in chips)
Famn: posts small blind 10
ppybunch: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Ac Ah]
eepymike: folds
FACOLOR: raises 60 to 80
lowatt_sm: folds
gprai: calls 80While certain times might allude to limping with aces, this is definitely not one of them. I need to raise, and I need to raise significantly.
CgCook38: raises 240 to 320
pie1972: folds
rend0207: folds
Famn: folds
ppybunch: folds
FACOLOR: calls 240 In most cases this would indicate a big hand. Online in a $4 tourney is a different story. He could have any hand and I am worried he might spike 2 pair or a set on me.
gprai: folds
*** FLOP *** [Jc 3d Tc]
FACOLOR: checksWhat would you check with here? And should I bet? Either he’s got a great hand like JJ, TT, 33, JT, or he’s got nothing. If he has AJ or AT here, he’ll probably fire out to “see where he’s at”. If he has a pocket pair that didn’t hit, I might give up a little by checking here, as he may hit one of his two outs. If he’s got AK, and a Q comes out, I’m in a lot of trouble. That is still only four outs though.

However, checking has multiple advantages. First, it will disguise the true strength of my hand. Who checks aces after a flop like this? Second, if another club falls, I will be drawing to the nut flush, giving me additional outs against a made hand. Third, I keep the pot small, making it easier to get away if the board pairs on the turn, or if he goes all-in after I don’t see a club on the turn. Lastly, and likely the most important, if he does have a set and I fire a standard continuation bet into the pot of about 500 into the 750 pot and he goes all-in on a check raise, I will be pot committed and possibly way behind.

CgCook38: checks
*** TURN *** [Jc 3d Tc] [6c]There’s my club, and I have no intention of setting my hand down. If he checks to me I’m putting enough chips in to commit myself to the hand. If he’s got JJ, TT, or 33 I am still going to win 23% of the time (Thank You Cardplayer). That jumps to 36% if he’s got JT. Any other “big” hand that he has I have destroyed, with him only having between one and two outs to win.
FACOLOR: bets 1080 and is all-inAnd look at that, he put my money in for me - easy call, even when I am behind.
CgCook38: calls 1080
*** RIVER *** [Jc 3d Tc 6c] [Qc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FACOLOR: shows [Th Ts] (three of a kind, Tens)
CgCook38: shows [Ac Ah] (a flush, Ace high)
CgCook38 collected 2910 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2910 Rake 0
Board [Jc 3d Tc 6c Qc]
Seat 1: CgCook38 showed [Ac Ah] and won (2910) with a flush, Ace high
Seat 2: pie1972 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: rend0207 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Famn (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: ppybunch (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: eepymike folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: FACOLOR showed [Th Ts] and lost with three of a kind, Tens
Seat 8: lowatt_sm folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: gprai folded before Flop

This was a great result for me. I like keeping pots small when I am in position. I was 14% to win this hand on the flop, and it would have been foolish to commit myself to the hand with no knowledge of my opponent's holding. If I didn’t hit and ace or club on the turn, his all-in bet would have forced me off the hand. Otherwise I would likely check behind him to see the river. This is why I never-ever go for the check raise out of position with a re-raiser behind me. It’s way too dangerous to give free cards out of position.

Learning in Practice

My sister gave me Daniel Negreanu's Power Hold'em Strategy for Christmas. I was extremely excited to add this book to my library and was anxious to break into it. I just started in on Daniel's section tonight. Preceding his chapter David Williams has a section on mixing up your game. It was a great read, and although he's a lot crazier than I am, he nailed a few great points. Specifically he talks about how trained your opponents memory will be on the bad things you have done to them.

Following, you'll see a hand from an 18-person sit and go tournament where I did a fantastic job of mixing up my play. I was re-raised three times before this hand. Each time I folded because I had squat. Each time the opponent (whether through other action or out of courtesy) showed me a great hand. When I got opponents in for all of their chips, I had them crushed!

One particular hand took place at the final table where I had raised pre-flop with JQo from under the gun, a very loose play. A tiny stack in seat 6 called all-in for a lot less than my raise. The player on the button, Mikey also called my raise, leaving 500 chips in a side pot between us as well as 500 in the main pot. I wasn't about to check the hand down when it came three low cards, I fired out a continuation bet, as implicit collusion didn't seem to apply. I was trying to win the 500 chip side pot as the other 500 seemed lost to me. Mikey folded and I showed down nothing. A queen hit the river and I took the main pot too! I knew that anyone paying attention would use that hand against me later, so I had to be careful.

PokerStars Game #23386612430: Tournament #130426290, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (100/200) - 2008/12/29 22:17:44 ET
Table '130426290 2' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: titan (4575 in chips)
Seat 3: NHRA (1900 in chips)
Seat 4: CgCook38 (9130 in chips)
Seat 7: Scorned (370 in chips) Another Shortstacked player, I don't care about how much I lose to this person because they are less than my current standard raise right now (600). It would be like folding after someone's reraise if I lose - only 600 chips lost (or less here).
Seat 8: van (3875 in chips)
Seat 9: Mikey (7150 in chips)
titan: posts the ante 25
NHRA: posts the ante 25
CgCook38: posts the ante 25
Scorned: posts the ante 25
van: posts the ante 25
Mikey: posts the ante 25 The same player in on the button in this hand, a perfect opportunity if the situation comes up again. Let's look at my cards.
titan: posts small blind 100
NHRA: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [9c 8c] Perfect. Last time I raised UTG I had two big cards. Now I've got crackers!
CgCook38: raises 400 to 600 Standard Raise
Scorned: calls 345 and is all-in Falling into my trap, I hope, one of the remaining players will call figuring that I will bluff the flop again. I will not bet into any flop unless I hit it hard.
van: folds
Mikey: folds
titan: calls 500 Perfect, he had to fold his blind last time, so no doubt he knows what's going on. If he has a hand, I hope it's Ace or Kings so I can bust him. Williams calls this a mistake, by the way. If he has enough chips and thinks I am bluffing he should reraise substantially.
NHRA: folds
*** FLOP *** [Ks 9d 9s] OMG! How much more perfect can this hand be (unless he has Kings of course)?
titan: bets 200
CgCook38: raises 1000 to 1200
titan: calls 1000 Trickle, trickle, trickle.
*** TURN *** [Ks 9d 9s] [Jd]
titan: bets 1500 Haha he's protecting against the flush and hoping against the nine!
CgCook38: raises 1500 to 3000
titan: calls 1250 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (250) returned to CgCook38
*** RIVER *** [Ks 9d 9s Jd] [As]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
titan: shows [Ac Kh] (two pair, Aces and Kings) A reraise pre-flop would have chased me away and saved his tournament life.
CgCook38: shows [9c 8c] (three of a kind, Nines)
CgCook38 collected 8410 from side pot
Scorned: shows [Kc 9h] (a full house, Nines full of Kings) Like I said, I didn't care what this player had.
Scorned collected 1385 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 9795 Main pot 1385. Side pot 8410. Rake 0
Board [Ks 9d 9s Jd As]
Seat 1: titan (small blind) showed [Ac Kh] and lost with two pair, Aces and Kings
Seat 3: NHRA (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: CgCook38 showed [9c 8c] and won (8410) with three of a kind, Nines
Seat 7: Scorned showed [Kc 9h] and won (1385) with a full house, Nines full of Kings
Seat 8: van folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Mikey (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

A Questionable QQ Decision, Part II

Part of what makes having a blog so effective and yet so intimidating is that I open myself up to plenty of criticism about how I play the game. The following hand holds the door open for that criticism. This is from another $4.40 180-person sit and go tournament. There are only 17 people left, so we are all already in the money for $8.64. The next pay jump does not come until the final table of nine. The difference between winning and finishing 9th is $203.76. So the real money is in the top three spots.

PokerStars Game #23287002856: Tournament #129709193, $4.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (400/800) - 2008/12/26 22:21:41 ET Here the starting pot is $1,800.
Table '129709193 17' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: Trev1972 (7780 in chips) M of 4.3
Seat 2: scaldret (11847 in chips) M of 6.6
Seat 3: Jack (31292 in chips) M of 17.4
Seat 4: golf (4529 in chips) M of 2.5
Seat 5: Manager (14735 in chips) M of 8.2
Seat 6: CgCook38 (23373 in chips) M of 13
Seat 7: uncle (20675 in chips) M of 11.5
Seat 8: BBC (12562 in chips) M of 7

golf is the only person desperate here. A couple people need a double up, but he's nearly out of time and should move all-in with any decent holding. With an M of 13 I need to be more aggressive than usual, while staying out of marginal situations.

Trev1972: posts the ante 75
scaldret: posts the ante 75
Jack: posts the ante 75
golf: posts the ante 75
Manager: posts the ante 75
CgCook38: posts the ante 75
uncle: posts the ante 75
BBC: posts the ante 75
scaldret: posts small blind 400
Jack: posts big blind 800
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Qd Qc] Wow, what a great holding. There are not many marginal sitiuations I can imagine holding this hand.
golf: raises 3654 to 4454 and is all-in Like I said, I would be doing this with any reasonable holding. That means with any A, K or Q or a J7 and up, if it folds to me, I'm all-in. Knowing this, there is no reason this side of being unlucky that says I don't have him dominated.
Manager: folds
It's my turn. I have a couple of options. I can call or I can raise. Calling 4454 would leave me 18,844 behind. The benifit of calling is that I could potentially trap someone's reraise with something like JJ. The downfall is that I might get someone raising behind me with any hand that could marginalize a magnificent situation for me.

If I raise, it will likely be close to the minimum, or all-in. The benifit of either approach is that any AJ suited maniac will see someone who's committed to the pot. The disadvantage is that if someone comes over the top with AA or KK, I won't get away from the hand.

In retrospect, an all-in seems like the best approach, as JJ or worse might still call, while I take away the opportunity of a big stack opponent to take the hand away from me on the flop if an Ace or King falls. If I call here, two conditions should be met - I should commit myself to any more pre-flop action, and I should be able to drop the hand to a scary flop board if I am just called by someone with a deep stack. That being said....
CgCook38: calls 4454
uncle: folds
BBC: folds
Trev1972: folds
scaldret: folds
Jack: raises 26763 to 31217 and is all-in Whoops... I just turned my wonderful sitiuation marginal. I should have never been in this situation, and with a little pre-call planning, I would easily call this bet. I'm already in the money and this is a hand that will potentially set me up for the win. However, I didn't put enough thought into my original call, and eventually I folded thinking that I still have chips and I can still be a factor. This was a huge mistake, compounded by the fact that I saw that I would have won the hand.
CgCook38: folds
Uncalled bet (26763) returned to Jack
*** FLOP *** [Td 5h 8h]
*** TURN *** [Td 5h 8h] [6c]
*** RIVER *** [Td 5h 8h 6c] [6h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Jack: shows [Ks Ah] (a pair of Sixes)
golf: shows [Jh Ac] (a pair of Sixes - lower kicker)
Jack collected 14362 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 14362 | Rake 0
Board [Td 5h 8h 6c 6h]
Seat 1: Trev1972 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: scaldret (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: Jack (big blind) showed [Ks Ah] and won (14362) with a pair of Sixes
Seat 4: golf showed [Jh Ac] and lost with a pair of Sixes
Seat 5: Manager folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: CgCook38 folded before Flop
Seat 7: uncle folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: BBC folded before Flop (didn't bet)

A Questionable QQ Decision

I was playing in a PokerStars 180-player tournament with 61 players remaining. This hand came up and I was screaming at c24 to fold. What do you think? (For those that don’t know, I learned the ‘M’ factor from Harrington on Hold’em. Check it out here.

PokerStars Game #23268345079: Tournament #129596577, $4.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/12/26 11:27:07 ET
Table '129596577 3' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Vsteak (2620 in chips) M of 11.6
Seat 2: Czar (5488 in chips) M of 24.4
Seat 3: c24 (2640 in chips) M of 11.7
Seat 4: G81 (1277 in chips) M of 5.7
Seat 5: CgCook38 (3495 in chips) M of 11.1
Seat 6: wolf (1625 in chips) M of 7.2
Seat 7: lax (1050 in chips) M of 4.6
Seat 8: ge44 (5140 in chips) M of 22.9
Seat 9: jd68 (4505 in chips) M of 20
jd68: posts small blind 75
Vsteak: posts big blind 150
As you can see, no player is particularly hurting right now. The blinds are fairly low and we are still 43 people from the money. Less experienced players may panic here, but there’s no reason to. Every player at this table needs to accumulate chips before making the money, so no one is a strong favorite.
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [Js 4s]
Czar: folds
c24: raises 300 to 450 A standard raise from early position may indicate strength, even online. A good reason to fold most holdings.
G81: folds
CgCook38: folds Easy fold for me.
wolf: raises 1175 to 1625 and is all-in This is a bad player if others have been paying attention. He could have any two cards that most people would raise from position.
lax: calls 1050 and is all-in A fairly new player to the table, I have no idea what he has.
ge44: raises 3515 to 5140 and is all-in Okay. What the hell? This guy might have a monster. I wouldn’t do this without QQ or above, even with chips. But this particular guy might do it with anything.
jd68: folds
Vsteak: folds
c24: calls 2190 and is all-in What would you call with? It would take AA or KK for me to call here. It’s my tourney life and if I fold I still have enough for more than 9 trips around the table. If I call, I am guaranteed to get in against three other opponents. If I beat all but the shortest stack I am looking at a maximum gain of 3,755 while risking everything. If I beat all of my opponents I will only get 8,180 chips, an M of 36.4. That’s a great result, but how can I be certain that I am the favorite? If I know what the other guys have, is it still worth the call? We’ll find out I guess…
Uncalled bet (2500) returned to ge44
jd68 said, "gl all"
*** FLOP *** [7s 2c 6d]
*** TURN *** [7s 2c 6d] [5h]
*** RIVER *** [7s 2c 6d 5h] [8c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
c24: shows [Qh Qs] (a pair of Queens)
ge44: shows [9d 9h] (a straight, Five to Nine)
ge44 collected 2030 from side pot-2
wolf: shows [Ah 6c] (a pair of Sixes)
ge44 collected 1725 from side pot-1
lax: shows [As 8s] (a pair of Eights)
ge44 collected 4425 from main pot
So if I were c24 and decided to call with only pocket Queens, I would have lost this hand with only a 55% chance to win pre-flop. A coin-flip to lose. Interestingly enough, I said only call with AA or KK. If he called with KK here, he would have only had a 54.8% chance to win (63% with the other two Aces), but I am not good enough to fold those here. c24 was correct that he was ahead, but I believe incorrect to call.. What do you think? Incidentally, ge44 finished 24th just before the second break. I guess having all those chips isn’t always enough. (My percentages were obtained using Cardplayer's Odds Calculator)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 8180 Main pot 4425. Side pot-1 1725. Side pot-2 2030. Rake 0
Board [7s 2c 6d 5h 8c]
Seat 1: Vsteak (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: Czar folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: c24 showed [Qh Qs] and lost with a pair of Queens
Seat 4: G81 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: CgCook38 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: wolf showed [Ah 6c] and lost with a pair of Sixes
Seat 7: lax showed [As 8s] and lost with a pair of Eights
Seat 8: ge44 (button) showed [9d 9h] and won (8180) with a straight, Five to Nine
Seat 9: jd68 (small blind) folded before Flop

Implicit Collusion

- Implicit collusion occurs in tournament poker when a player has bet all of their remaining chips and is called by more than one player. It is the decision made by all remaining players in the hand to cease betting into a side pot, and it is the only form of teamwork allowed in the game (it is allowed in fact because it is implicit). This strategy has two advantages. The first is that an eliminated opponent helps everyone at the table move higher up on the payout scale. Secondly, the main pot won’t be won by either remaining player if the all-in has the best hand. Therefore a bet into the main pot may not return anything.

- I came to know about implicit collusion the same way many poker fans have. While I was watching a televised tournament two players used it to eliminate another. The announcer stated that checking down to the river is almost a forgone conclusion when a player is all in. Indeed many players will get outright offended by a bet when implicit collusion can be used. However, like everything else in poker, implicit collusion should be used only after all factors are considered.

- I had a recent chance to use implicit collusion. I was at the final table of a $4.40 buy-in 180 person tournament. Sixth place payed $36 and fifth payed $46.80, a significant jump for my online bankroll. The winner would receive $216. Here is the hand history with my comments:

PokerStars Game #22802198942: Tournament #126155012, $4.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XIII (600/1200) - 2008/12/10 18:21:48 ET
Table '126155012 4' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 3: Player1 (47926 in chips)
Seat 4: Player2 (5401 in chips)
Seat 5: Player3 (111977 in chips)
Seat 6: CgCook38 (31569 in chips)
Seat 7: Player4 (46108 in chips)
Seat 9: Player5 (27019 in chips)
Player1: posts the ante 125
Player2: posts the ante 125
Player3: posts the ante 125
CgCook38: posts the ante 125
Player4: posts the ante 125
Player5: posts the ante 125
Player1: posts small blind 600
Player2: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CgCook38 [As Jc]
Pretty good starting cards in pretty good position. I have been showing down cards of high value and most of my raises pre-flop were respected.

Player3: raises 3600 to 4800
Player3 is a solid player that seems to know hand values pretty well. I had not seen him make any silly moves since being seated next to him. I felt that a re-raise would do a few things here – First, it would keep the players behind me from entering the hand. My AJ is a pretty weak hand and I don’t want to play it out of position. Second, I really don’t want to see a flop with my weak ace, and I felt that Player3 might possibly fold if he was raising with a weak ace or a small pocket pair. If he has me beat and doesn't fold, he will likely raise all-in and I can easily fold.

CgCook38: raises 7200 to 12000
Player4: folds
Player5: folds
Player1: folds
Player2: calls 4076 and is all-in
This was unexpected. Player2 has played extremely solid values and I didn’t expect him to come in. He must have AA, KK, or QQ or perhaps AK.

Player3: calls 7200
This is unfortunate. I really didn’t want to see three players go to the flop. There is 17,178 chips in the main pot that Player2 is eligible for and 13,448 in the side pot.

*** FLOP *** [6s Ac Qh]
Is this the proper spot for implicit collusion? I have top pair. If I bet and Player3 folds I will win 13,448 and a possible total of 30,626 chips if I beat Player2 in a showdown. That would put me squarely in second place with 5 remaining. If I bet and Player3 can beat me, he will raise and likely Player2 will be eliminated anyway (again, likely). It would be the proper decision to bet here, but for some reason (since it is so ingrained in my brain to implicitly collude) I chose not to pay attention to how much money was in the side pot, and I checked and cost myself a shot at a lot of money and perhaps a win.

Player3: checks
CgCook38: checks
*** TURN *** [6s Ac Qh] [9d]
Player3: checks
CgCook38: checks
*** RIVER *** [6s Ac Qh 9d] [5s]
Player3: checks
CgCook38: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Player3: shows [5h 5c] (three of a kind, Fives)
Whoops… Player3 easily folds this to a bet at any point before the river card comes out. Player2 mucked [Js 9h] below and I would have won the hand outright (Note that I was way wrong about what hand Player2 was holding. Late in a tournament you never know what a player will do when short on chips). I was forced out of the tournament a few hands later because my chip stack was so low. Note that Player3 chose to use implicit collusion on the river. He could have bet here safely, as I will raise with anything that beats him, but will likely pay him off with a hand like AK or two pair.

CgCook38: mucks hand
Player3 collected 13448 from side pot
Player2: mucks hand
Player3 collected 17178 from main pot
Player3 said, "gg"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 30626 Main pot 17178. Side pot 13448. Rake 0
Board [6s Ac Qh 9d 5s]
Seat 3: Player1(small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: Player2 (big blind) mucked [Js 9h]
Seat 5: Player3 showed [5h 5c] and won (30626) with three of a kind, Fives
Seat 6: CgCook38 mucked [As Jc]
Seat 7: Player4 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Player5 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)