Tony Plays Too

A new blog starting up in place of another I had been reading:

http://tonyplayspoker.blogspot.com/

Check it out.

Our Cash Game

I arrived back in Sitka to find my old cash game in what I considered to be disarray. When I left three years ago we had two standard formats. Mostly we played .05/.10 blinds, with a $5 minimum and a $20 to $25 maximum. When we really wanted to throw money around, we would play a .10/.25 game with a $10/$50 min/max. The result of our 200+ big blind maximum was obvious to an experienced player. Differences in starting hand values were reduced because of the implied odds that a deep stack no-limit game presents. Playing solid poker, it would be very difficult for a player to get felted in one hand. Players who excelled at decision making post-flop were rewarded consistently.

Currently the games that are run use much shorter stacks. The .25/.50 game allows a buy-in of only $20, or 40 big blinds. The results are obvious. One of the first games I played in saw a very high percentage of all-ins (with calls) in the first 20-30 hands. On the first hand a player raised with pocket eights and had a couple callers. The flop came out something not so coordinated like Jx-7x-4x. It was checked to the better and he made a standard continuation bet. The player in the big blind check-raised, and the original better considered his options. He re-raised all-in and was called and beat by something like a J9o.

How do you lose your whole stack when an overcard falls on the flop in a cash game? With 40 BB, you might not have a choice. There are 75 cents in the pot to start. The raise made it $2 to go and was called by two players; let's say they were in the blinds, making the pot $6. Both blinds check and the original better makes it $5. He gets check-raised to $12. There is $23 in the pot and it only costs $7 to call. In a deep stack game, he might call to see if the turn is an 8, 9 or 10 - he's getting over 3:1 odds for the call. However, now he only has $13 behind if he folds. With $23 bucks in the pot, he's getting the same odds to move all-in and attempt to win $36 with his $13 as he would get with a flat call here. Given a loose-aggressive player on the big blind, he might have something like A7 with three of one suit, or 74 for a beatable two-pair. Given an overly conservative (not to be confused with tight) player, he might lay down 99 or TT here to a re-raise. So it's easy to see why a player would move in with merely pocket eights in this small stack situation.

There is another factor that may have influenced the move. House rules stated that a player can't chip up a short stack unless it falls below the $2 mark. Now a player with $13 behind is forced to try a tournament-style pre-flop move with strong hands. Otherwise his $2 raise commits too much of his stack.

The other game played is a $1/$2 game with a $50 max - only 25 big blinds!!! I refuse to try it because I can't afford to have my aces cracked and end up tabling $100 in a single night.

And Then There Was One

After three long, wonderful years in Maine I will be hosting my final poker game of this tour on Memorial Day, May 25th starting at 12pm. I am excited about this game. The first event will be a heads-up tournament. We'll follow that up with a standard format NL Hold'em game and finish up with a cash game.

I am also a little upset about this game. I've made some great, life-long friends here. It will be sad to see them [me] go. But I've learned from the Coast Guard that there's no telling when I'll be playing poker with these friends again in the future. If you're reading this, I hope you are close enough to make it.

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)

Giving and Taking

A response to a fellow Railbird's post about hitting top pair after raising pre-flop and betting every street only to be drowned by a river flush card:

I know it's been pounded into my head since I started playing that you can't give free cards.

However I think this is a place where you want to do just that. You only have a pair and you KNOW you won't get rid of a flush draw with any reasonable bet. So check. Then if the turn is safe, fire off the 2/3 pot bet, giving the player his 9 outs only once, thereby reducing his odds of winning by nearly half.

This is a helpful tactic in smallish buy-in loose-passive tournaments. Of course, you're basically losing chips by not betting on every street when you are ahead. But in a tournament you can only rarely win the thing with a single hand; you can always lose it.

Lee Jones' Winning Low Limit Hold'em

I wanted to take some weeks to review the poker books in my library. I will start at the beginning for me. My first read was Lee Jones’ Winning Low Limit Hold’em, published by ConJelCo. I own the third edition (2005). I borrowed the book from my dad originally. I am not sure if the version I have right now is that book or if it is the one I bought. If I recall, the pages were so torn up after I got through with it that I just bought my dad a new one.

The forward is written by Wil Wheaton, which is pretty damn cool (is that the word?). The book itself is written for a wide range of players; it is specifically not for those who have never played any version of poker, or those who have mastered the lower limits. This was a great fit for me, as I had played poker before (mostly Texas Hold’em or 5-card Draw), and I was extremely familiar with the mechanics of the game thanks to television coverage.

The book is divided into four main sections. Each section is followed by a helpful quiz on the knowledge provided. The first section is an overview of the game itself. Along with the basic structure of a typical limit game, it covers pot odds, implied odds, and how to read the board. Lee also covers what types of stereotypical tables you’ll encounter, and why it’s important to know how passive or aggressive the table is. Most importantly, Mr. Jones covers the most important basic considerations a player must take into account prior to playing each hand. Namely these include starting cards, position, the action before you, and other players that may enter the hand.

The next section is the meat of the reading. It is really two separate sections: pre-flop play and post-flop play, each of them containing their own quiz. It covers the most important considerations for pre-flop play – how to play your two starting cards in a variety of situations. Lee covers which hands play better with fewer players and which you can play against multiple opponents hoping for a monster return on your investment. He also keeps you out of trouble with trap hands and dominated hands.

Post-flop play is highlighted by Jones’ stressing of why position is so very important in Limit Hold’em. He talks about each street in detail. He shares the important concept of earning a “free card” by showing aggression from position on the flop. He also gives in depth coverage of why deception is usually not the preferred method of earning money at small limits.

Arguably the most helpful section for me was the book’s coverage of Internet tournaments and sit-and-go play. At the very least Lee provides my favorite part of the book in this section. Under a subtitle Calling a big bet on the flop with AK (no pair) there is simply the word “Don’t”.

The final section of the book also proved to be useful. It gives the standard four stereotypes that most poker players fall under. Jones also writes about which stereotype you should fall under. He also gives tips on playing in public cards rooms and on other topics.

Winning Low Limit Hold’em is undoubtedly the most profitable book I’ve ever read regarding poker. The reason is very simple – it breaks down the game into the most profitable approach towards players who don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Since I mostly play on the Internet at some very small stakes, these are the players I most often play against. When my game breaks down and I start to lose, I run back to this book to get back on track. I highly recommend it as a first book to someone starting a poker library.

Poker Burnout and the Long Recovery

So how did I let myself get burnt out on a game I can’t stand to not think about? What happened to take me so far out of the loop for so long? Well, I’m always one to think that there’s nothing better to drive you away from the felts than a good losing streak, and that’s what I hit. During my trip out to Arizona for Billy’s service I treated my bankroll like I was on vacation. And my bankroll suffered like it was spending money.

Next, I may have played a bit too much in January. This was because of an excess of success and time. I was laid up from surgery and had a lot of unexpected time on the couch from it. I was playing so much during the days because I simply could not do anything else but TV, books, and/or poker.

Finally, I was an emotional wreck from the end of January through – alright, let’s be honest – I’m an emotional wreck most of the time. However, poker proved to be much more than I could handle for the last month or so. My approach to the game has improved though; as I play more games to get back into the swing I realize that I’m handling the ups-and-downs much better.

In the meantime Danny Saiz hooked me up with a great banner and background for the blog. So thanks Danny. And while I’ve lost perhaps my favorite regular reader in Billy, I know I’ve picked up a couple more along the way. And hopefully I’ve started back up quick enough not to lose them as well.

Cut Throat

I saw a great example of when Implicit Collusion should not apply. I was observing a hand that I folded in which one player was all-in pre-flop. Five people were remaining in a tournament that only paid four. The big blind made a modest (strange) re-raise to against the small blind's call. There was 900 chips in the main pot and 800 chips in the side pot with blinds at 60/120. The flop came JK9 rainbow and both remaining players checked.

The turn was a 6, putting two hearts on the board. The BB had 1,600 chips behind, and the SB had 2,600. If you were the small blind I would encourage you to bet out about 400 chips here. The big blind would likely fold if he had anything less than a pair of Jacks, and would be crazy even to do that. That would risk 400 to win 800, and possibly 1,700 if you win both pots. Knocking the fifth place player out would be beneficial to both players, but betting out would leave him with only 900 chips if he beat you anyway. Meanwhile the big blind would be left with only 1,600 chips after folding and you would have at least 3,400.

Players tend to get angry when you do this to them (especially if they would have KO'd the other player). The big blind probably feels entitled to a check down to try and guarantee money. However, mathematically getting 2:1 odds on a bet here is simply too good to pass up. Only the most stubborn player would continue with the hand once you bet.

Tilt is Good

I love Full Tilt Poker. I am playing terrible poker there lately, but I still love it. Their technique for allowing access to their pros and celebrities is awesome. Recently I observed Gabriela Hill playing a tournament. I wished her luck and asked her to join my friends and me in a private $2 tournament. A minute later she was registered, making someone’s night when she gets knocked out by them (that person receives a pro bounty and t-shirt) or beats them heads-up for the win, while increasing the amount of entries into the tourney. Another group from Railbirds got Michael Craig in their tournament (same bat-format, same bat-time). The result was both tourneys being pushed over the 50 buy-in mark with half-an-hour left to start time.

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)

January

I saw a total of $475 cashed out for the month. This is excellent progress towards my goal of $1200 for the year. Actually it puts me on pace to earn nearly $5600 for the year (@ over $15/day). That is an unrealistic expectation, as I likely won’t play as much as I did in January in the coming months. However, you never know, since the ever-increasing bankroll allows me to take larger risks.

My most consistent success came on PokerStars at the $1 S&G and the .10/.25 cash game at the end of the month. Most of my money came from FullTilt however, as I hit the $26 45-person S&G and finished first. Since my cash out from that site, I have done nothing but lose. I have some theories as to why this always seems to happen after a cash-out. I’ll have to write about it sometime. I want to say right now that it’s no master-plan of the poker sites to make you lose money after you cash out. That theory simply makes no sense (you already have your money, what does it matter if you lose?).I have been terrible in the last two weeks at Full Tilt MTTs, and I am convinced that it is my aggression level compared to their blind structure. When I switched back to PStars, I saw a lot more success and consistency.For February I am going to stay focused on my cash game. So far everything is going great. In limited action on the 1st, I was able to secure another $100 cash out, bringing me half-way to my goal for the year. I am terribly excited about my play right now, and I can’t wait to take my game to the real life felt in Laughlin later this month.

Speaking of Laughlin, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support they have shown since my Uncle’s passing. My family and I are doing much better of late. There is a small sense of normalcy that has returned to phone conversations with my dad (poker stories, rooting for the less-hated football team together, a general sense of disappointment after another football season with the bad guy at the top, you know – normal). I’m able to tell stories about my uncle to my coworkers and my kids without choking up. In general, there is a lot more smiling and laughter this week than there was last week.

For Billy

On Saturday I was home from work with nothing to do but think about my uncle's passing. I was unsure of how I would do on the felts given my emotional state. I decided that I would play one game for the day, and dedicate my performance to him. I chose a $4.40 180-person S&G. Billy used to buy me into these all of the time. In over 30 attempts for him, I only ever broke even. I was surprisingly focused, and I got lucky a couple of times. Here's the result:

PokerStars Tournament #136136584, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $4.00/$0.40
180 players
Total Prize Pool: $720.00
Tournament started 2009/01/24 11:10:07 ET

Dear CgCook38,

You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $216.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 218.47 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/leader-board/


Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.

One of Life's Bad Beats

I started playing poker in 2003 after moving to Sitka, Alaska. Ever since that time I have always had poker buddies. Much like drinking buddies or fishing buddies, our conversations revolved around our hobby. Sure, every once in awhile we would wander into discussion about family or friends or work or sports or whatever. The basis for our friendship had started in poker, and therefore the dialogue would inevitably end up there.

Usually these poker buddies would become my best friends. I spent an inordinate amount of time with them over the years. Each poker tournament ran at least three to four hours. Our cash games would run through the night. Our phone calls would go on and on about this bad beat, or that great rake. At work we would pass the time talking over strategies or felt stories that amused us. We would dream together about one day sitting at a prestigious final table together and having EPSN do a feature about these two friends making it all the way.

This past week I saw the passing of one of my best friends – one of my favorite poker buddies. My Uncle Billy died while I was out on the boat. I found out on Thursday.


Billy was the most driven poker player I knew. He lived alone and spent much of his time away from work working over the fish at PokerStars. My first Christmas gift to Billy was a poker book, a poker DVD, and a set of cheeky card protectors. His first gift to me was Harrington’s second Hold’em book. Family made Billy my Uncle, but Poker made Billy my friend.

Billy and I grew closer than ever over the last seven months or so. I flew to Vegas to watch him and my dad play in the WSOP event #2. Along with the time I spent stalking his play for day 1, I spent a ton of time with him elsewhere. We watched movies up in the room. We went to nearly every meal together. We ran to the strip to play various cash games and tournaments. Probably the most important part of the trip – we swapped cell phone numbers.

Since that trip we’ve been in steady contact on the phone. Somewhere along the line he learned to use the text messaging feature on his phone. Along with the 380+ email conversations over the past year, we’ve also added phone conversations to our repertoire.

Billy has also staked me in multiple games above my bankroll. Most recently he bought me into the Sunday Warm Up. He also was planning on having me fly out to Vegas this spring to buy me into the WSOP circuit event that was coming to town. At every step it was apparent that Billy treasured our new friendship as much as I did.

Really all I can do now is treasure that friendship. I will cherish the time God brought Billy into my life. I will grasp at the memories that bring a smile to my face. It is one thing that helps when my brain is running and trying to logically explain why he is gone now. Or worse, when my brain tries to run through scenarios that have me miraculously calling or emailing him at the right time to derail him from the course of events that lead to his death.

My other help comes from the family and friends that I have on and off the felts. My daughters can’t help but make me smile all day long. My dad is like an anchor, in spite of losing one of his best friends in Billy. My friends at Railbirds are amazing in their support, proving to be a form of therapy for me. I look forward to playing games on Full Tilt with them soon.

This has been a busy month for my blog. I will be taking a needed break from publishing through the remainder of the month. In the meantime I will be appreciating more time with my family, and trying to smile more than usual.

The Abbie Burgess Game

I will be on the boat most of this week. In my first year and change on this tour that would mean no poker for me. The game has a fairly large following now and we’ve been playing quite a bit. Winter time is usually best for this, as the sun goes down early forcing us to anchor up before people are exhausted.

I wanted to set up our game as close to the format that someone would run into if they visited a cardroom that ran NL Hold’em, while still being able to limit how many chips I bring with me. So we play $1/$2 NL and we each start with around $150. Of course, we don’t actually play at these stakes, we just emulate them. We’re actually playing for no money at all, meaning if you pull off a bluff, it’s the bluff of the century.

I don’t even think about bringing all of my chips aboard. I only take two racks – 40 black and 160 red chips. The blacks are $1 and the reds are $5. We can only fit five people comfortably on our messdeck, so the best short-handed players usually win. Well, that’s not actually true. We encourage players of all skill levels to play, and the beginners that have no clue how to play usually win. The best short-handed experienced players usually finish up for the night.

The reasons for the beginners running the table are simple enough. First, experienced players have extreme issues deciphering the betting patterns of a first time player, as they are not usually based in logic and experience. This is evident when a new player does the raise $5 pre-flop, bet $1 post-flop routine. Betting $1 into a $14 pot isn’t in any book, especially when it happens every single time.

Second, beginners who are just looking to pass the time simply DO NOT care about the results of the game. I can honestly say my goal when sitting down at a free game is to prove that I am the best player that night. The only way to show this is by winning more chips than anyone else. Beginners don’t think that way. What brought them to the game is what is motivating them – let’s have a good time; let's beat the boredom. So playing trash all the way to the river is very common for these players. It’s not surprising to see a player with J4 winning a big pot at the end by hitting runner-runner two pair.

Third, experienced players are looking to “try things out” at this level of play. I don’t know how many times I’ve put my good friend Justin all-in with nothing sensing some sort of weakness, only to have him call me when he was “pretty sure” (and dead-on) that he had the best king-high hand. This same attempt to play tricky poker against a beginner usually ends in disaster.

Finally, experienced players sometimes forget that the person calling them every single hand might actually have aces or kings this time. It’s too easy to get trapped by a player who simply doesn’t know he’s supposed to be betting his big hands.

All of that aside, I love the boat game. It’s great to sit with people I enjoy and play poker. It reminds me of everything that I love about this game. And this particular version, the Abbie Burgess game, is one that I will miss when I am gone.

"Bluffing" With the Best Hand

Bluffing is great! I love to bluff, and there’s no better feeling in life than to take someone off of a huge hand when you’re bluffing. A lot of people get confused when they are bluffing though. Here’s one definition:

Bluff
To make other players believe that one has a better hand than he/she might otherwise have by betting or raising when they do not have the best hand.

So bluffing can only take place when a player does not have the best hand. However I have seen countless times where someone bets out and, once I’ve folded, shows me some crap hand that is actually better than mine!

It must be embarrassing when you “bluff” with the best hand and then show. When I see it online, I picture a big guy in a cowboy hat chewing on a toothpick across the table from who he thinks is some girl. He winks as he flips over his cards and shovels the (usually) small pot towards himself.

The most recent example of this came when I attempted a steal attempt from the cut-off seat with pocket threes. The small blind called and the flop came AK6 with two diamonds. As I didn’t even have a diamond, this was absolutely worst case scenario for me. I didn’t plan on investing a single chip further. The small blind bet out, and as I folded he showed me 9T of diamonds. He led out with nothing, and must have thought it was a great result. What a bluff! Only, he had a 56% chance to win the hand, and therefore had the best hand. Whoops.

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)

Week 2 Report

I had a tough week. I started off strong with two wins and a second place at the $2.25 18-person sit and go tourneys that I talked about last week. However, I fell into the same tail-spin I encountered last week, and in all $2 S&G’s for the week, I lost $3.15.

My only cash game attempts this week were at seven card stud 8ob and Omaha 8ob warming up for the PTT events. I lost $3.75, but I didn’t play too poorly.

MTTs were also a loss for me this week. $6.75 lost. The highlight was another cash in the PTT in Omaha 8ob. I also hit a record 6 straight final tables until Wednesday night when I couldn’t attend event #16. About halfway through the events I am in 4th place for Player of the Season standings.

I played a $5 S&G and placed 3rd, which kept the week from being a bigger loss than it was. For the week I only lost $3.18. Because I cashed out $375 last week, it seems like a lot more.

This week I will play more of the $5 version S&Gs. I am also limiting the amount I play per day, especially since I am back to work now. I am going to play one S&G, the PTT event, a Cartel event if needed, and an MTT if time permits. I won’t be playing any cash game, no matter how much I want to.

As you can see from the graphs from this week and last, there is not a lot of consistency in my game right now. We'll see if I can lock that down in the coming weeks.

Play With the Pros

One of the best features of Full Tilt Poker is the highlighting of poker professionals in the lobby. This allows players to easily spot where the pros are competing. If you’re lucky enough to knock a pro out in a large event, you get a t-shirt and the tournament buy-in refunded. Some of the pros such as Gabriela Hill will actually interact with the players at the table as well. A lot of the tournaments hosted by Railbirds members have pros show up. I’ve yet to knock one out, but I’ve had my chances.

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.

My Problems with the Sit & Go– Part II

Part I is here.

Sit & Go tournaments don’t work the same as an MTT at the final table. There are three major differences. The payout structure generally doesn’t kick in until some of the final table is eliminated. There are generally no antes in the blind structure for a sit & go. Also, since fewer people have been eliminated, the sit & go generally has a smaller chip disparity between the chip leaders and the middle of the pack players, meaning it’s still anyone’s game.

Here’s the payout structure for a $2.25 18 person S&G:

1st: $14.40
2nd: $10.80
3rd: $7.20
4th: $3.60

As you can see, you need to have four players eliminated from the final table before competition for the final money spot even starts. This is a stark contrast from a large MTT where everyone at the final table is likely getting paid. While this is an advantage for a large chip stack – being able to use the threat of not cashing – it’s also a huge threat. For example, if player A has 4500 chips as the chip leader with 6 players left, and player B goes all-in as the “short” stack with 1900 chips, he’s representing 42% of player A’s chip stack. If player A calls and loses, he’s now the “short” stack.

Marginal situations have to go out the window if you’re the chip leader at a sit & go. In an MTT, you might call a short stack’s all-in with a QT or an A8 or something squirrelly like that. First, you have the chips to do it with (chip disparity). Second, eliminating that person bumps everyone up the pay scale (this is especially important with potential final table deals). Finally, doubling up the short stack may not make them a viable threat in the tournament, as the antes expand the size of the pot each hand.

Now let’s get to the root of my problems. Let’s say I am the chip leader of a sit & go that pays four spots, and there are 6 players remaining. I am dealt AQ off-suit under the gun. I have 8,500 chips to second place’s 5,500 and the blinds are 200/400. If this were an MTT – already in the money, I would make a standard raise and hope with all my might that a short stack would come over the top of me. This is what might happen at a S&G:

I raise to 1,200, it folds to the short stack on the button who moves in with 2,300 total, making the pot 4,100 and I have to call 1,100 more. That’s automatic. The short stack flips over 99 and it holds up. He now has 5,200 chips and I have 6,200. The next hand he raises me off of my big blind. My chip stack is down to 5,800 and his is 5,800.

Wait a second. What just happened? How could I go from chip leader to tied with the guy on the short stack in two hands? If I fold that AQ hand I’m at 7,900 after the blinds pass me by, and the short stack is probably at 3,500. I’ve still got him 2:1!! And what do I earn by knocking out 6th place in a tournament that pays four anyway? Nothing, that’s what.

I’m not suggesting that the same series wouldn’t have taken place in an MTT. It’s just that when you’ve already hit a payday, marginal situations don’t have a negative effect on your bankroll. They just have less of a positive effect!

So far the change in my mental approach has been working. Last week in 21 $2 S&G attempts, I cashed in 6 events – about 29%, losing $2.70. To date this week I’ve cashed in 3 of 7 (43%), earning $23.85. In my next post, I’ll breakdown a hand that I witnessed that kind of shook me awake at the poker table.

My Problems with the Sit & Go– Part I

[Note: this is a three part post, and after I wrote it, I lost 7 straight sit & go tournaments. But I worked hard on this post, so you're still getting it. ;) Besides, it might be helpful!]

I am experiencing modest improvement in my performance in sit & go tourneys this week. I have found some holes in my play leading to this. I am going to attempt to lock down these problems over the next few days. I had quite a stretch in December of late finishes in massive MTTs. There’s a great advantage of being at the late tables in those tournaments – every player that gets knocked out moves you closer to bigger money. In the first part of this topic I will explain the many tools you can use when there are fewer players and higher blinds in MTTs. I will follow that up with the differences in a sit & go, and why they’ve given me problems.

At an MTT final table you have quite a few weapons to use as a moderate short stack. You can use your cards at the most basic level – “my cards are better than your cards :-P.” Your chips are also a weapon, used to place other players in marginal situations. Your position relative to your opponents’ is perhaps the most powerful weapon you have at any stage of a tournament. Finally, you can feed off of your opponents’ fear of not making the money.

Let’s look at an example final table. There are the following players remaining:

Player A -SB	8000
Player B - BB	12000
Player C	31000
Player D	5000
Player E	1500
Player F	3500
Player G	18000
Player H -Button	11000

Blinds are 300/600 with a 75 ante putting 1575 in each pot to start the hand. The most basic weapon that every player at the table has is their cards. For example, Player E has less than the pot size in chips, yet if he is dealt aces on the next hand, he will most likely (at least) double up to 3000+ chips.

As a player’s chip stack increases, it becomes a weapon of its own. For example, let’s say the Player E got Aces and doubled up through Player B’s big blind. The stack sizes are now:

Player A - Button	7625
Player B - SB	10500
Player C -BB	30925
Player D	4925
Player E	3750
Player F	3425
Player G	17925
Player H	10925

On the very next hand Player E goes all-in again and Player A on the button has 44. The previous hand, Player E’s chip stack represented 18.75% of Player A’s. Now it is a whopping 49.18%! Player E forces Player A to (likely) fold here because he’s probably up against a coin flip (at best) for half of his chips. Player E’s chip stack is now large enough to be a weapon against some players. Now imagine Player C’s advantage, having nearly a 2:1 chip advantage on the rest of the table. After Player C calls from the big blind, Player E is eliminated and the chip stacks are as follows:

Player A	7550
Player B - Button	10125
Player C - SB	35425
Player D - BB	4850
Player F	3350
Player G	17850
Player H	10850

The next weapon is position. Player G raises the next hand with pocket sixes, making it 1,800 to go. It folds around to Player C in the small blind with an A9 suited. He’s got a coin flip against Player G, however since he is in the small blind, he’ll be out of position for the rest of the hand. So he folds. Position won the hand for Player G.

Another weapon is the payout structure. Here are our example’s remaining payouts and the current stack sizes:

Player A	7475
Player B	10050
Player C – Button	35050
Player D – SB	4175
Player F - BB	3275
Player G	21150
Player H	10775

Buy-in	$2.20
1st	$199.50
2nd	$109.70
3rd	$79.50
4th	$62.70
5th	$45.60
6th	$34.20
7th	$22.80

On the next hand it folds around to the chip leader on the button. He’s got 55 and shoves all-in on the short stacks in the blinds. Player D calls with 66. Player F has 77, but feels that the extra $11.40 is worth waiting for a better situation, so he folds. Player D is eliminated, while Player C avoided doubling up Player F because of the payout jump. This payout schedule really comes in handy right at the money bubble or in a satellite where there are multiple top prizes rendering final chip stacks meaningless.

These weapons are available at a final table. When used properly they can boost your bankroll by helping you into those final money spots. In my next post I will breakdown the problem I have translating this into Sit & Go cashes.

Part II

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

Some Are Just More Patient...

I just read part of a fascinating blog in which someone took a page out of Chris Ferguson's playbook with a more sadistic angle: He's playing nothing but freeroll tournaments for an entire year. It's quite amazing, especially if you've experienced the play of people in freerolls. It's called Project: Freeroll.

A Look Back at Week One

After my first week of playing I have profited $390.73. I lost $7.17 playing multi-table tournaments (MTT) ranging in buy-ins from $1-$5.50. I lost $4.00 at the cash games (.05/.10 and .10/.25). Most of those losses came at the .10/.25 tables not surprisingly. I lost $20.80 at single table $4.40 satellites, however I turned one of those into a $26 token, so the actually gain was $5.20.

I lost $2.70 playing in $2 sit & go tournaments, which surprised me. I thought I lost more than that. I sure as hell played a lot of them. If I can cash in 5% more, I will turn that number into a gain. I know I can play better in most of them, so I should be able to turn a larger profit this week.



My biggest cash came when I turned in my $26 token for a 45-sng. The payday was a monstrous $410.40. This week I am going to make another run at Brain’s plan. I gave up prematurely last week after some frustrating losses, and ironically that’s how I got my big cash. Here’s how it works:

Step A:
Play $2 +.25 18 person sit & go.

1st place pays $14.40 - $8.80 goes toward two step B “tickets”, and $5.60 goes into bankroll for a $3.35 profit.

2nd place pays $10.80 - $4.40 goes toward one step B ticket with a $4.15 profit.

3rd place pays $7.20 – One step B ticket and $0.55 profit.

Step B:
Play a $4.40 single table $26 token satellite.

1st pays one $26 token – zero additional profit to bankroll
2nd pays $10 – one step B ticket and $5.60 profit.

Step C:
Once 5 $26 tokens are collected, spend four on Step C tournaments:
9 to 45 person sit & go tournaments, satellite or cash.

Step D:
This is the one token spent on a large MTT such as a 21k guaranteed. It’s the fortune and glory shot. For example, the winner of a recent 21k won $6,204 (1,175 entrants).

New Year's First Big Cash

I won a 45 person sit & go using a $26 token I had won at a $4 table. 1st prize was $410.40. This is a great way to start the year. My plan is to use $22 of that to attempt to win more tokens, while cashing out $375. This keeps my bankroll at a great level to continue playing private events through Railbirds.

I had originally been using an approach recommended by a friend of mine. He suggested playing $2.25 18-player events and parlaying the winnings into the token events. I gave it a good run, but of my 21 attempts at the $2 level, I’ve only cashed six times and won once. I only won one token in the process. I’ve lost money at these tables. A lot of it has been some nasty-terrible-luck. Way too much of it has been my lack of patience. I attempted to play two at once to reduce my attempts to “make something happen” and lovely Maine delivered me the knock-out punch – my Internet went out while I was at the final table of each. =(

The $26 buy-in had better players that weren’t necessarily better at being aggressive. That spelled an easier game for my style. It seemed like every table I sat at had the players I was having trouble with to my right. It came down to me and the most aggressive player from the final nine. I had to get really lucky heads-up once – my 89o all-in against her 9To. I spiked an 8 and eventually caught up with her chip count.

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.

Not For the Faint of Heart

We got all of our chips in on the flop:

Willy Billy

Years ago my dad and I started trying out online poker. He signed on with a PokerStars account and started playing for play chips. They give you 1,000 to start and it’s an excellent way to learn the mechanics of online poker, and the basics of whatever game you choose to play. My dad is an excellent player and quickly built the 1,000 chips into millions.

Eventually we both gravitated toward real money; often he would return to play money tournaments to fill time. I made a return to the play money as well, but it was in the Ring Games. I experienced quite a lot of fun playing with friends at these tables. The problem with these tables is that if you have no friends there, it’s not really fun. The chips mean nothing to any of the players. Some of them have a sense of pride that comes with winning. Some of them are genuinely trying to play good poker. But for the most part, it’s a Donk-fest.

Lately I’ve experienced new life at these tables, as I have joined my dad (WldWilly) and uncle (WatsonWE) at a few of these games. What’s more fun than bluffing the pants off of your dad? Nothing, that’s what. My dad’s friend Richard joins us once in a while. It’s great to razz each other on the table. It is even more fun to jump on someone else’s case when they pick on one of us, not knowing that we have friends at the table. One of the best parts about these tables is that you can try out different strategies. I’ve been using Daniel Negreanu’s small ball strategy lately. It’s good to get practice to somewhat prepare me (especially in regards to discipline) for what I’ll see at real money tables. I can do this with absolutely no risk. Since starting these games up again, I’ve won about $14 playing at the .05/.10 level at the real money tables over three days.

Calling Mom

PokerStars has a new Rat – Errr, I mean “Call Moderator” feature in their table options menu. I have not been one to concern myself with chat issues recently. However, it is a new feature that I might some day be in need of. Basically, the way it works is that you click on the chip tray or options button on the table and select the option for calling a moderator. A dialog pops up and you type in what the problem is.

For example: “playerSoAndSo using offensive language”. Nearly instantly a moderator shows up with a warning for all players at the table. I was pretty impressed with the speed that this happened. As I said, I would not normally use this option. The player I called the moderator on had just tilted a little bit. I sat with him for quite some time at this table and his outburst was obviously the exception. He was actually quite a good sport for the remainder of the time at the table. It is nice to know about the option though.

Can You?

Occasionally a player will say something that surprises me at the table. I was in a sit and go observing the player on my right as a fairly smart player. On a particular hand he limped in pre-flop. I had position and I wanted to steal the dead money in the pot. I raised and, after quite some thought, he folded . I assumed that he was just posturing, and didn’t actually have a hand. Then he asked me the strangest question: Could you beat A9?

How can I answer that? Both of us had over 2,000 chips and the blinds were 75/150. I thought about the most dominated hand I could be in with against A9 suited. I thought at the time it would be A8 off-suit with the 8 of his suit. I was apparently wrong. After checking with Cardplayer.com’s Odds Calculator I found that A2 off-suit of the suit NOT his was actually the worst hand I could be in there with. I would imagine that if I had the 2 of hearts, and he had A9 of hearts and the board showed 3 4 5 6 of hearts, then he would be out of luck, and that is where the small percentage gets lost when we don’t share a suit. I’m rambling now.

With A2 off-suit I have about a 37.5% chance of winning or tying the hand against an A9 suited. If we represented all four suits my percentage hops up to over 40%. So I have a one in three chance of beating his A9 if we both went all-in before the flop.

I don’t even remember what I had as far as cards are concerned. It didn’t really matter. Let’s say for argument’s sake that I had the 5-7 of hearts and he had the A-9 of hearts. For some reason he decides to call pre-flop out of position. I have about a 35% chance of winning without betting at this point. What types of flops can he bet into/call with? With any two hearts, any Ace, or a nine high flop, I would expect him to fire off. He might get a flop like T-7-6 or 6-7-8 with or without a heart that he would call with because of the over card and straight possibilities. With any other type of flop he would have to bluff in order to win the hand. As I said at the beginning of the post, I observed him as a good player, and realizing what he needed to flop, he made a good lay-down out of position.

What really confused me is why he would ask that question. There’s no doubt that I could beat an A9 with any two cards in the deck given the right flop and my position. That is why I raised to begin with – the high likelihood that I could take down chips pre-flop, or using my position after the flop. I answered the only way I knew how.

Of Course =)