Three handed for nearly an hour; heads up for another hour. Three very different players at the table. One of the hardest satellites I'd ever played.
50 000 chips in play. Only first place receives at seat in Party's Million Dollar Guaranteed.
Seat Ten was aggressive. Damn aggressive. I'd say too aggressive, but the fucker was winning 70% of the pots. He'd raise every single hand. And if anyone had the temerity to call him, he'd put them all-in on the flop. He was nigh impossible to play against.
Seat Seven was tight. Damn tight. I'd say too tight, but even though he'd win about 5% of pots, he was still there, hanging on: a short stack when the final table started, and a short stack now. I saw him play two hands three handed: JJ and KK. He'd wait and wait and wait, and just when you think he was on auto-fold, he'd double himself up.
And there I was, a playing style somewhere in between the two. I would've like to be the more aggressive, but seat Ten had most of the chips and I was forced to pick my spots (the chip break-up was approximately 30 000 (seat Ten), 14 000 (The Royal Sampler), and 6000 (seat Seven). As Ten would raise every hand; I'd wait until I hand any pair, any Ace, or a King and another big card, and come of the top. This kept me slightly ahead of even.
This went on for a long, long time. The chip stacks were not really changing, but the blinds were increasing and the night wearing on - something had to break. Fortunately, it was the chip leader. He'd been making a lot of comments in the chat box, and these comments had progressively gotten angrier ("play a XXXXing hand"; "This is boring"; I have to go to bed"; "wow - we get to see a flop" and so on). I knew that it was getting to him that he just could not knock either of us out. Then he started making mistakes.
I raised pre-flop with 99 and he called. The flop came down A62 and he pushed. I just didn't believe he had the ace. He most certainly would not have bet so big if he did have it - so I called. He showed Q8 and failed to improve. Now his chip lead had been cut right down.
Then I checked A8 on a flop of AQ7, seat Ten bet, I re-raised all-in, and he called with A4. Unfortunately another 7 hit the river and we split. I could understand him making the call here, but his game was deteriorating - and fast. I started coming over the top of him more often, and his confidence seemed to waver.
Then I won a huge pot when my A8 held up against his A7, and when, the very next hand, I got him all-in with 55 against my JJ, it looked like the long time chip leader would be off to the rail. Of course, poker is a bitch, so a 5 flopped and I was knocked back down to about 14 000.
Ten, however, didn't seem to keen to use his new found lead wisely. I doubled through when A6s held up against his KJ (the very next hand), and knocked him out the following hand when he put me all-in when I was holding AJ and he had... 82o. I guess he must have been tired.
Now it was me and the sleeper. He hadn't made a single comment in the chat box, and didn't respond when I gave him the obligatory 'gl' when it got down to heads up.
So I pounded him. I bet and bet and bet and ground him down. And he just kept folding. He seemed content to wait me out.
He got his chance when we saw a flop of A88 - I thought my AQs would be good, but his 86 smashed me in the groin and he doubled up. Shit.
Then my two pair (Kings and Twos) got done by his two pair (Kings and Tens) and I was down to a few thousand chips. Fuck.
So I did what anyone would do with a short stack against a against a tight player: I bet myself out of trouble. I just bit the bullet and bet, raised and pushed whenever I felt weakness. And it worked. Without any major hands going down I managed to grind my way into the chip lead.
Then he hit a set when I had top pair and it was back to square one.
And this is the way it went for the next two levels - I would bully my way to a big chip lead, then I would hit a big hand - and run into a monster (at one stage we both flopped a straight - but his was higher). But as far as I was concerned my aggression was paying off: I had enough chips behind me so when I took a big hit, I could pick myself up off the canvas and go another round. He didn't have that luxury. By ceding so much of the action to me he had nothing to fall back on if one of his big hands didn't hold up.
Soon he was down to a few thousand. Even by his ultra-right standards, he would simply have to play a hand soon. I had him, I fucking had him.
Then connection went down.
("not now, god not now, no no no no"). It went down for some time ("are you fucking serious?"). And i just knew my opponent, after realising my link had gone down, was raising every fucking hand (would i do the same? I don't know. Maybe. I'm not Andrew Black; but I do like to win straight up). By some quirk of the internet, when my connection eventually came back, it flipped through all the hands I'd auto-folded - AK, KQ, QQ, AT - no, I'm no lying.
A became a bit light-headed. Spittle started to fly from my lips everytime I swore. I found strange comfort from the cracking sound the mouse made everytime I slammed it against the desk. I imagined dousing my opponent's house in kerosene and dancing to the towering flames as the night burned red.
I guess I was tilting a little.
And I just couldn't get the fucker down. Silent, patient, watchful: maybe he was a fucking bot. We were approaching the 1500/3000 level and had fought ourselves to a standstill (three-handed play had started at the 150/300 stage). I seemed to be winning most of the pots, yet we remained even in chips. Must have lost a big pot in there somewhere - just can't remember it now. I was starting to feel I couldn't take this bastard out.
So I did what any tired, tilting, desperate cardsman would do in the same situation - I sucked out. I put all my chips in the middle with 55 - he turned over 88. I groaned and sagged back in my chair, then yelped with glee when a 5 hit the turn, and punched the air when all the chips hovered over to my seat.
And of my opponent - who had fought so tenaciously, who had played a short stack so well, who had never given up - I thought: 'fuck you'. Fuck magnanimous, I'm too tired.
So I'm back to square 2: The Million Dollar Tournament.
Let's do it.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Crushed
Fifth hand of the Million Dollar Guaranteed I am dealt KK... and run into AA.
I'm gutted.
He raised pre-flop, I re-raised, he went all-in. I seriously considered folding. I really did. But this is Party Poker and I'm not TJ Cloutier.
I'm gutted.
He raised pre-flop, I re-raised, he went all-in. I seriously considered folding. I really did. But this is Party Poker and I'm not TJ Cloutier.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
The Bubble Bursts
Sometime later, after the dust had settled on the quads debacle, I fired up a 20 + 2 satellite for the Party Million Dollar Guaranteed Tournament.
The first four levels were a desert. Not a single playable hand. My best starting hand was 77(seriously). I made a couple of steal attempts and a couple of bluffs, but even these were largely unsuccessful and by the 25/50 level I had around 300 checks left. So when the action was folded to me and I am dealt QT in the cutoff, I figure it to be as good as it gets, and push. Both blinds call. Board reads (KT3) (6) (2). My opponents show 98 and 73 (nice); I breathe again and triple up (I'm not going to comment on what I was called with here - after betting 6 times the Big Blind - we are talking about Party Poker. No further explanation required).
Then I proceed to go on a rush, building my stack up to about 4200 by the end of the level. I took some big pots down without showing a hand, but the key hand was getting all my chips in with QQ vs AK pre-flop. My hand held up (no, this is not a coinflip: I was a 57 - 43 favourite. It bothers me that people insist on calling this a coinflip. It isn't. I'll take the ladies any day of the week against big slick).
At the 150/300 level I jumped from 6000 to 1800: I had AA twice (I think in three hands), and won without having to show it down. I did get lucky when I busted a short stack with J6 vs AJ (flop was J high, I bet and he min-raised me. Which is just dumb. He priced me into the hand, and as far as I'm concerned it's his own damn fault the 6 hit the turn).
Then I went in two hands in a row in quick succssion against the same guy, who called my all-in re-raises with KJ and AT respectively. On each occassion I had AK. It stood up (what the fuck? AK stood up TWICE? Now that is a blogable occurence), and he went to the rail having put pretty much all his chips on the line with KJ. Again, no sympathy there.
Anyway, things progressed pretty steadily to the final table. With 139 entrants, 4 would win a seat, and the next three got a bit of cash. Bugger all for 8th and above.
So there I was at the bubble, and after pontificating on the correct way to play this stage at some length in my last post, I’m pretty sure I didn’t take my own advice. The first three people were knocked out pretty quick, and with 5 – 7 people left I oscillated between 23 000 and 11 000. I’d win a decent pot, the following hand I’d be dealt a good hand, raise, either be outplayed or outflopped, and be back down again. I was easily the most active player at the table. The chip leader (sitting on about 60 - 70 000 immediately to my left) kept calling my raises and then coming over the top of me on the flop. I was almost convinced he was outplaying me until I watched him play a few hands against other players – where he would either bet if he had it or check it down if he didn’t. Anyway, it’s hard to build a stack when the chip leader keeps hitting hands against you (or, like I said, is outplaying you).
With 6 of us left I took a wicked beat when short stack pushed from the button and I call with 77 on the SB. He shows 67 suited (in hearts)… and makes a straight on the river. Not sure why, but even when I saw his hand, I knew the beat was coming.
(digression) Why is this? Why is it that just sometimes you know, when the chips are all in and before the cards are dealt, you just know where it's going. You can feel the dark cloud of that bad beat creeping up, and even to the turn, even when you only have two outs against you, that terrible sinking feeling in the pit of your guts only intensifies and spreads. And you already feel dead, even before that two outer hits, you're numb (digression ends).
I managed to recover slightly from about 8000 to 13000 (not sure how). And soon, with five people left and the blinds at 500/1000, I was well and truly on the bubble. Two stacks are huge – 80 000 or more; myself and the other two players were around the 10 000 – 13000 mark. I find KT on the button and raise to 3000 – both blinds call (SB is the chip leader and the BB has about 8000 behind, while I have about 10 500 behind). Flop comes down K92 with two hearts. I bet 6000 (which was a mistake, I should have pushed then and there) into a 9000 pot to drive out the draws. Chip leader folds, short stack cold calls with 2000 behind (?). Turn is an offsuit 7, SB pushes, I have to call. He show 67 of hearts (oh how this hand is stalking me) for a pair and a flush draw, rivers a heart, and the motherfucker beats me.
I have about 2300 left and am inconsolable (“how could he make that fucking call?”) and am promptly dealt KT again. Of course I push, and of course my 67s friend (the second 67 guy, not the first one) calls with K8, and of course the flop contains and 8, and just as I pick up my chair to hurl at the monitor, the river brings a T: a beautiful, uplifting, sanity preserving TEN. Thankyou ten, thank you.
So I have about 6800 and push about three times in fairly quick succession (each time I had a little something) and chip up to about 10 000. By now, the other short stack has about 6 000 and was clearly trying fold his way into fourth, and now found himself close to being blinded out. I figure that – if worse comes to worst – I’ll let the fucker get blinded out and gently ease myself past the bubble.
Unfortunately I’m not in the habit of taking my own advice, and when shortstack min-raises UTG (blinds are now 750/1500) and I find 77 on the button, I push. The big stacks get out of the way and leave it to the two desperados to slug it out. Shortstack calls and shows: K2 suited (in hearts). Nice. Flop brings a deuce, turn a fourth heart, and the river shows... a BRICK! What the fuck? The best hand held up?
Unprecedented.
So now I get to have a shot at some real money. Likely I'll go down in flames far short of the cash, but it'll be good to be in the running, at the least. Bit of a pain having to get up at 8.30am on Sunday morning to play (we don't have the luxury of mid-afternoon starts in my part of the world), but I guess I'll live.
Either way, you'll hear how it turns out.
The first four levels were a desert. Not a single playable hand. My best starting hand was 77(seriously). I made a couple of steal attempts and a couple of bluffs, but even these were largely unsuccessful and by the 25/50 level I had around 300 checks left. So when the action was folded to me and I am dealt QT in the cutoff, I figure it to be as good as it gets, and push. Both blinds call. Board reads (KT3) (6) (2). My opponents show 98 and 73 (nice); I breathe again and triple up (I'm not going to comment on what I was called with here - after betting 6 times the Big Blind - we are talking about Party Poker. No further explanation required).
Then I proceed to go on a rush, building my stack up to about 4200 by the end of the level. I took some big pots down without showing a hand, but the key hand was getting all my chips in with QQ vs AK pre-flop. My hand held up (no, this is not a coinflip: I was a 57 - 43 favourite. It bothers me that people insist on calling this a coinflip. It isn't. I'll take the ladies any day of the week against big slick).
At the 150/300 level I jumped from 6000 to 1800: I had AA twice (I think in three hands), and won without having to show it down. I did get lucky when I busted a short stack with J6 vs AJ (flop was J high, I bet and he min-raised me. Which is just dumb. He priced me into the hand, and as far as I'm concerned it's his own damn fault the 6 hit the turn).
Then I went in two hands in a row in quick succssion against the same guy, who called my all-in re-raises with KJ and AT respectively. On each occassion I had AK. It stood up (what the fuck? AK stood up TWICE? Now that is a blogable occurence), and he went to the rail having put pretty much all his chips on the line with KJ. Again, no sympathy there.
Anyway, things progressed pretty steadily to the final table. With 139 entrants, 4 would win a seat, and the next three got a bit of cash. Bugger all for 8th and above.
So there I was at the bubble, and after pontificating on the correct way to play this stage at some length in my last post, I’m pretty sure I didn’t take my own advice. The first three people were knocked out pretty quick, and with 5 – 7 people left I oscillated between 23 000 and 11 000. I’d win a decent pot, the following hand I’d be dealt a good hand, raise, either be outplayed or outflopped, and be back down again. I was easily the most active player at the table. The chip leader (sitting on about 60 - 70 000 immediately to my left) kept calling my raises and then coming over the top of me on the flop. I was almost convinced he was outplaying me until I watched him play a few hands against other players – where he would either bet if he had it or check it down if he didn’t. Anyway, it’s hard to build a stack when the chip leader keeps hitting hands against you (or, like I said, is outplaying you).
With 6 of us left I took a wicked beat when short stack pushed from the button and I call with 77 on the SB. He shows 67 suited (in hearts)… and makes a straight on the river. Not sure why, but even when I saw his hand, I knew the beat was coming.
(digression) Why is this? Why is it that just sometimes you know, when the chips are all in and before the cards are dealt, you just know where it's going. You can feel the dark cloud of that bad beat creeping up, and even to the turn, even when you only have two outs against you, that terrible sinking feeling in the pit of your guts only intensifies and spreads. And you already feel dead, even before that two outer hits, you're numb (digression ends).
I managed to recover slightly from about 8000 to 13000 (not sure how). And soon, with five people left and the blinds at 500/1000, I was well and truly on the bubble. Two stacks are huge – 80 000 or more; myself and the other two players were around the 10 000 – 13000 mark. I find KT on the button and raise to 3000 – both blinds call (SB is the chip leader and the BB has about 8000 behind, while I have about 10 500 behind). Flop comes down K92 with two hearts. I bet 6000 (which was a mistake, I should have pushed then and there) into a 9000 pot to drive out the draws. Chip leader folds, short stack cold calls with 2000 behind (?). Turn is an offsuit 7, SB pushes, I have to call. He show 67 of hearts (oh how this hand is stalking me) for a pair and a flush draw, rivers a heart, and the motherfucker beats me.
I have about 2300 left and am inconsolable (“how could he make that fucking call?”) and am promptly dealt KT again. Of course I push, and of course my 67s friend (the second 67 guy, not the first one) calls with K8, and of course the flop contains and 8, and just as I pick up my chair to hurl at the monitor, the river brings a T: a beautiful, uplifting, sanity preserving TEN. Thankyou ten, thank you.
So I have about 6800 and push about three times in fairly quick succession (each time I had a little something) and chip up to about 10 000. By now, the other short stack has about 6 000 and was clearly trying fold his way into fourth, and now found himself close to being blinded out. I figure that – if worse comes to worst – I’ll let the fucker get blinded out and gently ease myself past the bubble.
Unfortunately I’m not in the habit of taking my own advice, and when shortstack min-raises UTG (blinds are now 750/1500) and I find 77 on the button, I push. The big stacks get out of the way and leave it to the two desperados to slug it out. Shortstack calls and shows: K2 suited (in hearts). Nice. Flop brings a deuce, turn a fourth heart, and the river shows... a BRICK! What the fuck? The best hand held up?
Unprecedented.
So now I get to have a shot at some real money. Likely I'll go down in flames far short of the cash, but it'll be good to be in the running, at the least. Bit of a pain having to get up at 8.30am on Sunday morning to play (we don't have the luxury of mid-afternoon starts in my part of the world), but I guess I'll live.
Either way, you'll hear how it turns out.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Losing with Quads
Now in my last post I said that there was a particular type of player in the poker world destined to lose with quads, and, on the other side, the sort of guy who beats the poor fucker holding four-of-a-kind. I claimed to be in the 'beaten with quads' category.
Thought that was an exaggeration? Well, the poker gods were listening: check this out.
Just after I finish writing the 'quads' blog, I fire up a P/L HE cash game. First hand I am dealt 22 and check my option. Flop comes 722. I check and it is checked to the button who bets. I call, rest of the table folds. Turn a 7. I am delighted as I’m pretty sure this guy has the other 7. I check, button bets, I go to check-raise and… I am disconnected.
I scream a scream of primeval rage.
I swear. I slam the desk with my fist. And yet I remain disconnected. Long enough anyway that by the time I’m back the table is commiserating me on being disconnected with Quads. Apparently my opponent went all-in after I check-raised – he did have the other 7.
So as I’m reeling from this I am dealt AA. I raise and get two callers. The flop is K high. Someone bets, I raise… and am disconnected again.
I throw my head back and howl - the world is spinning; the neighbour’s dogs start baying in response to the cacophony of fury and torment emanating from my house.
I am reconnected. Unfortunately, I used my last ‘disconnect-protect’ in the last hand and didn’t have time to re-set it. I lose not only the money my opponent would have bet (he went all-in with a pair of Kings) but all the money in the middle as well.
One of the other players at the table types the following: ‘Dude, just get up from the table, and go and watch TV’.
I take his advice.
Thought that was an exaggeration? Well, the poker gods were listening: check this out.
Just after I finish writing the 'quads' blog, I fire up a P/L HE cash game. First hand I am dealt 22 and check my option. Flop comes 722. I check and it is checked to the button who bets. I call, rest of the table folds. Turn a 7. I am delighted as I’m pretty sure this guy has the other 7. I check, button bets, I go to check-raise and… I am disconnected.
I scream a scream of primeval rage.
I swear. I slam the desk with my fist. And yet I remain disconnected. Long enough anyway that by the time I’m back the table is commiserating me on being disconnected with Quads. Apparently my opponent went all-in after I check-raised – he did have the other 7.
So as I’m reeling from this I am dealt AA. I raise and get two callers. The flop is K high. Someone bets, I raise… and am disconnected again.
I throw my head back and howl - the world is spinning; the neighbour’s dogs start baying in response to the cacophony of fury and torment emanating from my house.
I am reconnected. Unfortunately, I used my last ‘disconnect-protect’ in the last hand and didn’t have time to re-set it. I lose not only the money my opponent would have bet (he went all-in with a pair of Kings) but all the money in the middle as well.
One of the other players at the table types the following: ‘Dude, just get up from the table, and go and watch TV’.
I take his advice.
Friday, January 13, 2006
The Bubble Dance
So the deal is this – I’ve been reviewing my online tournament results in recent times (I hand-write all my results in a journal I keep next to the computer: key hands, chip-count at the end of each level, and so on and so forth – I know I should get poker tracker, I know this is a far superior way to record your results, and I guess I will eventually. But for now I’m a traditionalist – so bugger off). It seems that I am consistently getting deep into each tournament I play – but not deep enough. I seem to regularly get knocked out with about 10% – 20% of the entrants remaining (in anything from 100 to 2000-player tourneys). Of course, the standard tournament pays approximately the top 10% of entrants, so I’m regularly out on the bubble.
So riddle me this: what the fuck am I doing wrong? And what is a good strategy for playing the bubble in tournaments with a low buy-in ($5 - $50)?
I’ve been thinking on this the past couple of weeks and come up with some incomplete and likely flawed guidelines on how to play the bubble:
#1) Contrary to popular advice – people don’t ‘tighten up’ on the bubble
While they may do in live tournaments (I’ve certainly seen this), your average Party Poker player just doesn’t tighten up their play near the bubble in low buy-in events. Sure, some short short stacks (2 times the BB and less), try to stall and fold their way into the money, but as for the rest, I just don’t think they make a tactical adjustment to their play. The problem is that I’ve been reading too many strategy columns that argue for ramping up the aggression near the bubble (as with everyone tightening up you should – in theory – be able to win pots uncontested). So I go and do this (not with trash – I’ll always have a little something to back myself up) and get called called called into oblivion by the poker geniuses populating low buy-in PP tournaments.
#2) ‘Folding equity’ doesn’t apply to calling stations
So anyway, I figure – why not just tighten up? If I have a decent stack, and am not getting premium hands – why try steals and aggressive raises when my opponents simply can’t be steamrolled? For much of the online poker world, the only raise that gets any respect is the all-in (the one that is enough to put your opponent all-in). But this seems like a high risk strategy when your opponents are little inclined obey the mathematical laws of folding equity. And so, if folding equity has less relevance in this context, then starting hand selection proportionally grows in importance.
So this is all fine if you can score a couple of monster hands – if you play them right you can accumulate big chip stack. But what if you don’t? Isn’t the beauty of No Limit that it is the only game where you can consistently win pots without a hand? Well, not all is lost – as there are always stacks (often the medium stacks) you can find at a table who aren’t willing to put up much of a fight for their blinds (and this is true whether they are near the bubble or not). Then there are also the stacks that will always call a pre-flop raise on their blind, and then fold to a continuation bet if they miss the flop. These stacks are tougher to play against, as firstly, you need the stones to fire that second shot, and secondly, you need to trust your judgment enough to believe you’ll make the right decision after the flop. The real problem here is the blind structure – in PP tournaments, you’ll often only have two shots to fire before you are short stacked or busted. Obviously therefore, being able to pick the right spot is absolutely crucial.
Again, the play of your opponents here has little to do with the bubble – these players play the same game whatever the stage of the tournament.
#3) Unfamiliar Players
Towards the end of these tournaments, as players are cut down and table re-organisation becomes more frequent, you will find yourself occasionally being moved to a new table, occasionally at a table that is broken up, and fairly regularly in a situation where new players are moved to your table. This has been said elsewhere, but I think it best to give these people credit. Until you have evidence to the contrary, I usually take the bets these people are making at face value.
#4) If you are a big stack, avoid confrontations with stacks that can hurt you
Like the last one, this is obvious and oft repeated. But seriously, make sure you have a damn good reason before entering a pot – on the bubble – with another stack that can do you damage.
#5) Get Lucky
I'm serious. Win some coinflips, badbeat someone at least once, have your good hands stand up.
I must confess some hypocrisy here. I almost never lay out a bad beat. I rarely win when I'm behind.
Every now and again you'll here a story about someone losing with quads to a straight flush or something equally improbable. In the poker universe, there are the people who have the straight flush and there are the people who have the quads. I'm on the side with the quads. I know probability says that things these even out over time - that you will be equal parts the straight flush man and the dude with quads. Maybe that's right. But there's a part of me, deep down, that knows, just as there is a part of you, dear reader, that understands at some primordial level - that some people DO just get lucky in this world, and some people at the other end of the spectrum DO just get fucked on. It's just the way the universe works.
Don't get me wrong - I would never suggest an individual's results over the long term are luck-dependant (if I did, I wouldn't be playing this damn game), I'm just saying that probability doesn't account for everything.
But anyway, I digressed - the point I was making is this: get lucky every now and again.
In conclusion…
Now, the above advice may appear to be overly cautious – but don’t worry - you still get to carry a big stick. When it’s time to shove all your chips in the middle, it’s time.
But, as I’ve said in earlier posts, patience is a much undervalued poker trait. It only takes a couple of hands to build a monster stack. And if it means folding for a whole level before you hit a hand, then so be it. In the poker world, there seems to be some sort of shame attached to prudence; to a willingness to back down once in a while. Sure, I love to steal, I love to re-raise on a bluff and I love putting people to the test – but with few exceptions, any success I’ve had in online or live tournaments has been balancing these thing with some patience: changing gears, slowing down, and waiting for the right moment. As a general rule, it hasn’t been the great plays that have won me the money: it’s been the great folds.
But on the other hand, I’m a low limit grinder, a part time player, and down deep inside I have abiding admiration for Roxette – so why listen to me?
*****
Oh, and if you don’t know who Roxette is – give yourself an uppercut and then talk to Google
So riddle me this: what the fuck am I doing wrong? And what is a good strategy for playing the bubble in tournaments with a low buy-in ($5 - $50)?
I’ve been thinking on this the past couple of weeks and come up with some incomplete and likely flawed guidelines on how to play the bubble:
#1) Contrary to popular advice – people don’t ‘tighten up’ on the bubble
While they may do in live tournaments (I’ve certainly seen this), your average Party Poker player just doesn’t tighten up their play near the bubble in low buy-in events. Sure, some short short stacks (2 times the BB and less), try to stall and fold their way into the money, but as for the rest, I just don’t think they make a tactical adjustment to their play. The problem is that I’ve been reading too many strategy columns that argue for ramping up the aggression near the bubble (as with everyone tightening up you should – in theory – be able to win pots uncontested). So I go and do this (not with trash – I’ll always have a little something to back myself up) and get called called called into oblivion by the poker geniuses populating low buy-in PP tournaments.
#2) ‘Folding equity’ doesn’t apply to calling stations
So anyway, I figure – why not just tighten up? If I have a decent stack, and am not getting premium hands – why try steals and aggressive raises when my opponents simply can’t be steamrolled? For much of the online poker world, the only raise that gets any respect is the all-in (the one that is enough to put your opponent all-in). But this seems like a high risk strategy when your opponents are little inclined obey the mathematical laws of folding equity. And so, if folding equity has less relevance in this context, then starting hand selection proportionally grows in importance.
So this is all fine if you can score a couple of monster hands – if you play them right you can accumulate big chip stack. But what if you don’t? Isn’t the beauty of No Limit that it is the only game where you can consistently win pots without a hand? Well, not all is lost – as there are always stacks (often the medium stacks) you can find at a table who aren’t willing to put up much of a fight for their blinds (and this is true whether they are near the bubble or not). Then there are also the stacks that will always call a pre-flop raise on their blind, and then fold to a continuation bet if they miss the flop. These stacks are tougher to play against, as firstly, you need the stones to fire that second shot, and secondly, you need to trust your judgment enough to believe you’ll make the right decision after the flop. The real problem here is the blind structure – in PP tournaments, you’ll often only have two shots to fire before you are short stacked or busted. Obviously therefore, being able to pick the right spot is absolutely crucial.
Again, the play of your opponents here has little to do with the bubble – these players play the same game whatever the stage of the tournament.
#3) Unfamiliar Players
Towards the end of these tournaments, as players are cut down and table re-organisation becomes more frequent, you will find yourself occasionally being moved to a new table, occasionally at a table that is broken up, and fairly regularly in a situation where new players are moved to your table. This has been said elsewhere, but I think it best to give these people credit. Until you have evidence to the contrary, I usually take the bets these people are making at face value.
#4) If you are a big stack, avoid confrontations with stacks that can hurt you
Like the last one, this is obvious and oft repeated. But seriously, make sure you have a damn good reason before entering a pot – on the bubble – with another stack that can do you damage.
#5) Get Lucky
I'm serious. Win some coinflips, badbeat someone at least once, have your good hands stand up.
I must confess some hypocrisy here. I almost never lay out a bad beat. I rarely win when I'm behind.
Every now and again you'll here a story about someone losing with quads to a straight flush or something equally improbable. In the poker universe, there are the people who have the straight flush and there are the people who have the quads. I'm on the side with the quads. I know probability says that things these even out over time - that you will be equal parts the straight flush man and the dude with quads. Maybe that's right. But there's a part of me, deep down, that knows, just as there is a part of you, dear reader, that understands at some primordial level - that some people DO just get lucky in this world, and some people at the other end of the spectrum DO just get fucked on. It's just the way the universe works.
Don't get me wrong - I would never suggest an individual's results over the long term are luck-dependant (if I did, I wouldn't be playing this damn game), I'm just saying that probability doesn't account for everything.
But anyway, I digressed - the point I was making is this: get lucky every now and again.
In conclusion…
Now, the above advice may appear to be overly cautious – but don’t worry - you still get to carry a big stick. When it’s time to shove all your chips in the middle, it’s time.
But, as I’ve said in earlier posts, patience is a much undervalued poker trait. It only takes a couple of hands to build a monster stack. And if it means folding for a whole level before you hit a hand, then so be it. In the poker world, there seems to be some sort of shame attached to prudence; to a willingness to back down once in a while. Sure, I love to steal, I love to re-raise on a bluff and I love putting people to the test – but with few exceptions, any success I’ve had in online or live tournaments has been balancing these thing with some patience: changing gears, slowing down, and waiting for the right moment. As a general rule, it hasn’t been the great plays that have won me the money: it’s been the great folds.
But on the other hand, I’m a low limit grinder, a part time player, and down deep inside I have abiding admiration for Roxette – so why listen to me?
*****
Oh, and if you don’t know who Roxette is – give yourself an uppercut and then talk to Google
Monday, January 09, 2006
Royal Sampler Play of the Month Award
I travelled to Canada for a month with my partner (who is Canadian) to spend Christmas with her family and to catch up with some old friends (I also went to university for some time in Canada) and thus was deprived of a poker fix for four long weeks. Certainly, I played a couple of ‘friendly’ home games for zero buy-in against people who had never played poker before – and although the standard of play was higher than Party Poker, it just didn’t feel like the real thing. No, I really need to lose money via bad beats from donkeys who think they know what they are doing before I really feel like I’ve played some cards.
(Digression): Canadians, while being generally just too damn polite, are an immensely likable bunch. I mean that - I always have a good time when I go there and I’ve made some great friends. They’re politically aware, generally open minded, articulate, appreciative of a good beer, and usually knowledgeable about the rest of the world (or at least the Western Hemisphere). So kudos to you, Canada, you receive the Royal Sampler seal of approval. Now, the US, on the other hand… hmm, perhaps i'll leave that one for later (Digression ends).
So I got back a few days ago and promptly logged on to Donkey Poker and had a shot at a few tournaments. Two success stories: the Shoot-Out I mentioned in the previous blog and a 20 + 2 buy-in tournament (348 runners) where I placed 7th for US268. I got done on the final table basically by being over-aggressive with 99 on the big blind when the button raised and I thought he was on a steal (how many people get toasted making this same mistake – imagining that someone is making a move in this situation when, as it happens, the button is raising – funnily enough - because he or she has a good hand). Anyway, I was short-stacked after that encounter, but managed to sustain my meagre sprinkling of chips until another three people had been busted. Still, it was satisfying to get to the final table through a reasonably large field.
Key hand: this one gave me enough chips to find my way to the final 10:
***** Hand History for Game 3329907877 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:18974193 Level:12 Blinds (500/1000) - Saturday, January 07, 12:27:11 EDT 2006
Table Multi-Table(562636) Table #1 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 7
Seat 1: Kynde111 ( $11576 )
Seat 6: Ching0Ching ( $11522 )
Seat 10: fijnedarter ( $55052 )
Seat 2: flyboys3 ( $37242 )
Seat 5: captrrrrrrrr ( $10644 )
Seat 3: aniello72 ( $9216 )
Seat 7: lrtravelbabe ( $25374 )
Trny:18974193 Level:12
Blinds (500/1000)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Ching0Ching [ Ah Tc ]
fijnedarter folds.
Kynde111 folds.
flyboys3 folds.
aniello72 raises [2000].
captrrrrrrrr folds.
Ching0Ching calls [1500].
lrtravelbabe calls [1000].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 9c, 3s, As ]
Ching0Ching bets [7400].
lrtravelbabe calls [7400].
aniello72 is all-In [7216]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 7h ]
Ching0Ching is all-In [2122]
lrtravelbabe calls [2122].
** Dealing River ** [ 8c ]
Ching0Ching shows [ Ah, Tc ] a pair of aces.
lrtravelbabe shows [ Qs, 9s ] a pair of nines.
aniello72 shows [ Ad, 5c ] a pair of aces.
Ching0Ching wins 4612 chips from side pot #1 with a pair of aces with ten kicker.
Ching0Ching wins 27648 chips from the main pot with a pair of aces with ten kicker.
There will be a break in 1 minute(s)
Player aniello72 finished in 14 place and received $60.01
aniello72 has left the table.
Of course, AT is not the best hand in the world to make a stand with, but I figured it to be best here and bet accordingly. Perhaps I could have pushed pre-flop - possibly this was the best move - but I figured i'd take a flop and see how I felt about the hand from there.
(Warning - Bad Beat Section - avoid at your own discretion)
Other than that, I was much shat upon for the rest of the weekend by the flock of galahs stinking up the tournament tables at PP. I got two wicked beats (in consecutive hands) in a satellite for the Million Dollar tourney – AA v KK (flop all undercards, K on the turn) then AK v KJ (K on the flop, J on the river). Nice. And I bubbled in a 7-card tournament when a gibbering gonad called my bets all the way down to the river with no pair and no draw save a gutshot. Guess what he hit on the river? I’d made the wheel on fifth street - which I thought was gold against this player (who had proven himself to be a consummate calling station all tournament – he’d have A high and still call you on the river). Well, his straight was higher and my stack was crippled. The same guy knocked me out when my trips Kings (on fourth street) got done by his three Aces (received on 6th street and the river, of course). Fucker.
(Bad Beat Section ends)
But the Royal Sampler Play of the Month Award was achieved during the following hand:
***** Hand History for Game 3333683663 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:18997448 Level:2 Blinds (10/20) - Sunday, January 08, 00:56:23 EDT 2006
Table ($10/1) Million Dollar Qualifier(562731) Table #6 (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 2: Mr_Eagle ( $1540 )
Seat 3: MIKEE35 ( $3390 )
Seat 4: Ching0Ching ( $660 )
Seat 5: bigdaddyjz ( $390 )
Seat 8: kirby8050 ( $1545 )
Seat 9: cp6263 ( $895 )
Seat 10: paddy_ryan ( $760 )
Seat 6: ssarkiss ( $1420 )
Seat 7: Laducerm ( $1740 )
Trny:18997448 Level:2
Blinds (10/20)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Ching0Ching [ Tc Td ]
ssarkiss calls [20].
Laducerm calls [20].
kirby8050 calls [20].
cp6263 folds.
paddy_ryan folds.
Mr_Eagle folds.
MIKEE35 folds.
Ching0Ching raises [165].
bigdaddyjz folds.
ssarkiss folds.
Laducerm folds.
kirby8050 calls [155].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 2c, 8h, 6c ]
Ching0Ching is all-In [485]
kirby8050 calls [485].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 7h ]
** Dealing River ** [ Kh ]
Ching0Ching shows [ Tc, Td ] a pair of tens.
kirby8050 shows [ 7d, 4c ] a pair of sevens.
Ching0Ching wins 1380 chips from the main pot with a pair of tens.
Yes, that’s right faithful readers: he called a pre-flop raise with 74o and an all-in bet after the flop with no pair and no draw (actually, i've just re-looked at the hand - he DID have a gutshot). Did I mention his call of my all-in bet was an insta-call? Anyway, kudos to you, kirkby8050, you’ve received the Royal Sampler Play of the Month Award.
(Let it be known that I came in a close second for the Play of the Month Award. I tried unsuccessfully bluffing from early position (I think I was the BB) into a field of three players with 95 on a flop of KQJ when it was clear they all had immense interest in the cards that had fallen (and two of these players I also knew to be calling stations). I’m claiming that I was at the end of a 20 hour session and so tired I couldn’t see straight when I made the move, but maybe I’m just a poker douche-bag. You be the judge.)
(Digression): Canadians, while being generally just too damn polite, are an immensely likable bunch. I mean that - I always have a good time when I go there and I’ve made some great friends. They’re politically aware, generally open minded, articulate, appreciative of a good beer, and usually knowledgeable about the rest of the world (or at least the Western Hemisphere). So kudos to you, Canada, you receive the Royal Sampler seal of approval. Now, the US, on the other hand… hmm, perhaps i'll leave that one for later (Digression ends).
So I got back a few days ago and promptly logged on to Donkey Poker and had a shot at a few tournaments. Two success stories: the Shoot-Out I mentioned in the previous blog and a 20 + 2 buy-in tournament (348 runners) where I placed 7th for US268. I got done on the final table basically by being over-aggressive with 99 on the big blind when the button raised and I thought he was on a steal (how many people get toasted making this same mistake – imagining that someone is making a move in this situation when, as it happens, the button is raising – funnily enough - because he or she has a good hand). Anyway, I was short-stacked after that encounter, but managed to sustain my meagre sprinkling of chips until another three people had been busted. Still, it was satisfying to get to the final table through a reasonably large field.
Key hand: this one gave me enough chips to find my way to the final 10:
***** Hand History for Game 3329907877 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:18974193 Level:12 Blinds (500/1000) - Saturday, January 07, 12:27:11 EDT 2006
Table Multi-Table(562636) Table #1 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 7
Seat 1: Kynde111 ( $11576 )
Seat 6: Ching0Ching ( $11522 )
Seat 10: fijnedarter ( $55052 )
Seat 2: flyboys3 ( $37242 )
Seat 5: captrrrrrrrr ( $10644 )
Seat 3: aniello72 ( $9216 )
Seat 7: lrtravelbabe ( $25374 )
Trny:18974193 Level:12
Blinds (500/1000)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Ching0Ching [ Ah Tc ]
fijnedarter folds.
Kynde111 folds.
flyboys3 folds.
aniello72 raises [2000].
captrrrrrrrr folds.
Ching0Ching calls [1500].
lrtravelbabe calls [1000].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 9c, 3s, As ]
Ching0Ching bets [7400].
lrtravelbabe calls [7400].
aniello72 is all-In [7216]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 7h ]
Ching0Ching is all-In [2122]
lrtravelbabe calls [2122].
** Dealing River ** [ 8c ]
Ching0Ching shows [ Ah, Tc ] a pair of aces.
lrtravelbabe shows [ Qs, 9s ] a pair of nines.
aniello72 shows [ Ad, 5c ] a pair of aces.
Ching0Ching wins 4612 chips from side pot #1 with a pair of aces with ten kicker.
Ching0Ching wins 27648 chips from the main pot with a pair of aces with ten kicker.
There will be a break in 1 minute(s)
Player aniello72 finished in 14 place and received $60.01
aniello72 has left the table.
Of course, AT is not the best hand in the world to make a stand with, but I figured it to be best here and bet accordingly. Perhaps I could have pushed pre-flop - possibly this was the best move - but I figured i'd take a flop and see how I felt about the hand from there.
(Warning - Bad Beat Section - avoid at your own discretion)
Other than that, I was much shat upon for the rest of the weekend by the flock of galahs stinking up the tournament tables at PP. I got two wicked beats (in consecutive hands) in a satellite for the Million Dollar tourney – AA v KK (flop all undercards, K on the turn) then AK v KJ (K on the flop, J on the river). Nice. And I bubbled in a 7-card tournament when a gibbering gonad called my bets all the way down to the river with no pair and no draw save a gutshot. Guess what he hit on the river? I’d made the wheel on fifth street - which I thought was gold against this player (who had proven himself to be a consummate calling station all tournament – he’d have A high and still call you on the river). Well, his straight was higher and my stack was crippled. The same guy knocked me out when my trips Kings (on fourth street) got done by his three Aces (received on 6th street and the river, of course). Fucker.
(Bad Beat Section ends)
But the Royal Sampler Play of the Month Award was achieved during the following hand:
***** Hand History for Game 3333683663 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:18997448 Level:2 Blinds (10/20) - Sunday, January 08, 00:56:23 EDT 2006
Table ($10/1) Million Dollar Qualifier(562731) Table #6 (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 2: Mr_Eagle ( $1540 )
Seat 3: MIKEE35 ( $3390 )
Seat 4: Ching0Ching ( $660 )
Seat 5: bigdaddyjz ( $390 )
Seat 8: kirby8050 ( $1545 )
Seat 9: cp6263 ( $895 )
Seat 10: paddy_ryan ( $760 )
Seat 6: ssarkiss ( $1420 )
Seat 7: Laducerm ( $1740 )
Trny:18997448 Level:2
Blinds (10/20)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Ching0Ching [ Tc Td ]
ssarkiss calls [20].
Laducerm calls [20].
kirby8050 calls [20].
cp6263 folds.
paddy_ryan folds.
Mr_Eagle folds.
MIKEE35 folds.
Ching0Ching raises [165].
bigdaddyjz folds.
ssarkiss folds.
Laducerm folds.
kirby8050 calls [155].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 2c, 8h, 6c ]
Ching0Ching is all-In [485]
kirby8050 calls [485].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 7h ]
** Dealing River ** [ Kh ]
Ching0Ching shows [ Tc, Td ] a pair of tens.
kirby8050 shows [ 7d, 4c ] a pair of sevens.
Ching0Ching wins 1380 chips from the main pot with a pair of tens.
Yes, that’s right faithful readers: he called a pre-flop raise with 74o and an all-in bet after the flop with no pair and no draw (actually, i've just re-looked at the hand - he DID have a gutshot). Did I mention his call of my all-in bet was an insta-call? Anyway, kudos to you, kirkby8050, you’ve received the Royal Sampler Play of the Month Award.
(Let it be known that I came in a close second for the Play of the Month Award. I tried unsuccessfully bluffing from early position (I think I was the BB) into a field of three players with 95 on a flop of KQJ when it was clear they all had immense interest in the cards that had fallen (and two of these players I also knew to be calling stations). I’m claiming that I was at the end of a 20 hour session and so tired I couldn’t see straight when I made the move, but maybe I’m just a poker douche-bag. You be the judge.)
Saturday, January 07, 2006
New Years Resolution: Don't Bluff
Avid readers will know (I don't have avid readers yet, nor am I likely to in the future. Indead, I'm not sure I have any readers at all, let alone ones doing it with enthusiasm. Hmm, this digression is depressing me. Where was I going with this? OK, enough introspection - back to the sentence) that bluffing is a foolish endeavour in small buy-in tournaments, and that I've told myself repeatedly to stop doing it.
But I just couldn't help myself:
***** Hand History for Game 3323403276 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:18941962 Level:2 Blinds (10/20) - Friday, January 06, 05:51:09 EDT 2006
Table Shootout(561698) Round(1) Table #7 (Real Money)
Seat 10 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: Dihxm ( $980 )
Seat 2: Ching0Ching ( $990 )
Seat 3: gAnGmEmBaJ ( $1040 )
Seat 4: dankjordan ( $800 )
Seat 5: Smile_1 ( $930 )
Seat 6: vish22 ( $1395 )
Seat 7: evser ( $980 )
Seat 8: mangosj ( $735 )
Seat 9: stutzy74 ( $1190 )
Seat 10: oldwombat ( $960 )
Trny:18941962 Level:2
Blinds (10/20)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Ching0Ching [ 3s 5c ]
gAnGmEmBaJ calls [20].
dankjordan folds.
Smile_1 folds.
vish22 folds.
evser folds.
mangosj calls [20].
stutzy74 calls [20].
oldwombat calls [20].
Dihxm calls [10].
Ching0Ching raises [130].
gAnGmEmBaJ calls [130].
mangosj calls [130].
stutzy74 folds.
oldwombat folds.
Dihxm folds.
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ks, 2s, 8h ]
Ching0Ching bets [400].
gAnGmEmBaJ calls [400].
mangosj folds.
** Dealing Turn ** [ Jd ]
Ching0Ching checks.
gAnGmEmBaJ checks.
** Dealing River ** [ Qd ]
Ching0Ching is all-In [440]
gAnGmEmBaJ folds.
Ching0Ching shows [ 3s, 5c ] high card king.
Ching0Ching wins 1750 chips from the main pot with high card king.
No, I'm not a maniac - the above is uncharacteristic for me - I was just bored and sick of 20 people limping into every pot.
As it happened, I managed to get to the final table in the above tournament. I came first at my table for the first three shoot-outs rounds on the way to being about 4th in chips at the final table. Once there, I ran into some big hands while on the steal, and with the blinds being so big, this cost me dearly. Anyway, I came in 6th and made about $50 on the tournament so it could have been worse (it was only a $5 buy-in, which means the standard is so appalling it is usually too psychologically painful to bother playing - but i just love shoot-outs).
But I just couldn't help myself:
***** Hand History for Game 3323403276 *****
NL Texas Hold'em Trny:18941962 Level:2 Blinds (10/20) - Friday, January 06, 05:51:09 EDT 2006
Table Shootout(561698) Round(1) Table #7 (Real Money)
Seat 10 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: Dihxm ( $980 )
Seat 2: Ching0Ching ( $990 )
Seat 3: gAnGmEmBaJ ( $1040 )
Seat 4: dankjordan ( $800 )
Seat 5: Smile_1 ( $930 )
Seat 6: vish22 ( $1395 )
Seat 7: evser ( $980 )
Seat 8: mangosj ( $735 )
Seat 9: stutzy74 ( $1190 )
Seat 10: oldwombat ( $960 )
Trny:18941962 Level:2
Blinds (10/20)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Ching0Ching [ 3s 5c ]
gAnGmEmBaJ calls [20].
dankjordan folds.
Smile_1 folds.
vish22 folds.
evser folds.
mangosj calls [20].
stutzy74 calls [20].
oldwombat calls [20].
Dihxm calls [10].
Ching0Ching raises [130].
gAnGmEmBaJ calls [130].
mangosj calls [130].
stutzy74 folds.
oldwombat folds.
Dihxm folds.
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ks, 2s, 8h ]
Ching0Ching bets [400].
gAnGmEmBaJ calls [400].
mangosj folds.
** Dealing Turn ** [ Jd ]
Ching0Ching checks.
gAnGmEmBaJ checks.
** Dealing River ** [ Qd ]
Ching0Ching is all-In [440]
gAnGmEmBaJ folds.
Ching0Ching shows [ 3s, 5c ] high card king.
Ching0Ching wins 1750 chips from the main pot with high card king.
No, I'm not a maniac - the above is uncharacteristic for me - I was just bored and sick of 20 people limping into every pot.
As it happened, I managed to get to the final table in the above tournament. I came first at my table for the first three shoot-outs rounds on the way to being about 4th in chips at the final table. Once there, I ran into some big hands while on the steal, and with the blinds being so big, this cost me dearly. Anyway, I came in 6th and made about $50 on the tournament so it could have been worse (it was only a $5 buy-in, which means the standard is so appalling it is usually too psychologically painful to bother playing - but i just love shoot-outs).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)