Yep... "MONDAY" - Since Tuesday was Halloween and I will be out of town, the group decided to play Monday... Dave wore his costume, he came as a dick.
Well, they finally shamed me into going over last night.... I was persuaded that I wasn't going to show up over there for a couple of weeks and about 6:30 or so I receive this whiney instant message with something like.... "I'll see you in 40 minutes" so as soon as I got dinner and a little family time done, I went. There were only a couple of decent hands that I played the entire time that I was there.... once, when Dean left, I was going to move and J-rod had already started dealing so I had to wait and picket up 4, 7, 7, 8 and the flop was 5, 6, 7. It could have been better, but that was pretty good... so I bet about 12 and there were a couple of callers and the turn was a 6 so I be about 50 and everyone folded.
The next interesting hand came shortly after I moved with Elvie... I flopped a set of Jacks with a Q, K on the flop as well.... E bet 59 all-in and I called. The river paired the board and away went his straight. Other than that, nothing really exciting...
The new felt is much better! So, let's get back to it!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Counting on all you bloggers!
I am going to be out of town for the rest of the week PROBABLY not playing poker till next week so I am counting on you guys to blog your arses off while I am gone!
Come on .... you can do it! You can do it .... all .... night .... long!
Come on .... you can do it! You can do it .... all .... night .... long!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Saturday PKR Tourney - Oct 28
There were several interesting hands that played out during the tournament..... as always, where, for some reason, I don't know why, the best hand at PKR only seems to hold up about 15% of the time.....
I was able to get in the money today, but barely.... when we were four handed, I had about 9,000 in chips and Joe Bob was on life-support.... I offered to chop in fourth position, but no one else was interested other than Joe Bob of course. Well, he gets knocked out and the next hand, I'm the big blind with 10, 4os and Rick limps in. The flop is 10, 10, 2.... Rick leads out with a 2,000 bet into the 4,000 pot and I am not going to mess around with this one... so I push all-in with another 5000 or so and he calls. He doesn't show, but mumbles something about he should have raised pre-flop..... so now I've got about 17,000 or 18,000. The blinds are 1,000/2,000 and I'm in the big blind. Jason and Rick both limp and I find Ah, Kh and push all-in for another 15,000. I am the short stack and Jason thinks about it for a minute or two and then calls. Rick folds and Jason turns over Ad, 7d.... and of course the diamonds pour out of the deck. By the turn, I'm drawing dead. Races.... not good at PKR. Jason was the chip leader and had plenty of chips so it wasn't a bad call and it actually turned out to be the right call. I just am tired of getting sucked out on. Jason said that he thought that I might be pushing that way with any ace, but just so you know. I laid down 3 pocket pairs in early position and Ace/smaller than a 10 at least 7-8 times. I might play them in late position or from the blinds, but I don't raise with them. There are those at PKR who do and I know who they are..... LOL.
Oh well, tomorrow is the 60/25/25 tourney and it'll probably be the last poker that I get to play before I head out for our company's annual sales meeting. Hope to see you at PKR and maybe someone other than me gets sucked out on. LOL.
I was able to get in the money today, but barely.... when we were four handed, I had about 9,000 in chips and Joe Bob was on life-support.... I offered to chop in fourth position, but no one else was interested other than Joe Bob of course. Well, he gets knocked out and the next hand, I'm the big blind with 10, 4os and Rick limps in. The flop is 10, 10, 2.... Rick leads out with a 2,000 bet into the 4,000 pot and I am not going to mess around with this one... so I push all-in with another 5000 or so and he calls. He doesn't show, but mumbles something about he should have raised pre-flop..... so now I've got about 17,000 or 18,000. The blinds are 1,000/2,000 and I'm in the big blind. Jason and Rick both limp and I find Ah, Kh and push all-in for another 15,000. I am the short stack and Jason thinks about it for a minute or two and then calls. Rick folds and Jason turns over Ad, 7d.... and of course the diamonds pour out of the deck. By the turn, I'm drawing dead. Races.... not good at PKR. Jason was the chip leader and had plenty of chips so it wasn't a bad call and it actually turned out to be the right call. I just am tired of getting sucked out on. Jason said that he thought that I might be pushing that way with any ace, but just so you know. I laid down 3 pocket pairs in early position and Ace/smaller than a 10 at least 7-8 times. I might play them in late position or from the blinds, but I don't raise with them. There are those at PKR who do and I know who they are..... LOL.
Oh well, tomorrow is the 60/25/25 tourney and it'll probably be the last poker that I get to play before I head out for our company's annual sales meeting. Hope to see you at PKR and maybe someone other than me gets sucked out on. LOL.
The BIG GAME
I just got my email from my favorite dealer J-Rod. I will be there with the usuall goal, to make Charles happy! I just got the new felt and the new chips seemed to work out well for Rick and I the other night. Don't get too comfortalble with a stack of chips like the one in the photo because they, as you know will be only there for a short time before I take them from you like the bullies used to take your lunch money!! For those of you who plan to attend the game we will start at 7:30pm sharp. I hope that my friend Charles has blown off all his steam and gets his head right for a battle of the Chip Commander Position!!! Jarod was right about all he had written but did leave out a very important bit of info, we will have gay porn for Nate!!
The Juice!!!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Pack Up
Dave came home from a poker game late one night and found his wife, Jamie, waiting for him with a rolling pin.
"And just where the hell have you been?" she asked.
"You'll have to pack all your things, dear. I've just lost you in a card game."
"How did you manage to do that?"
"It wasn't easy, I had to fold a royal flush!"
"And just where the hell have you been?" she asked.
"You'll have to pack all your things, dear. I've just lost you in a card game."
"How did you manage to do that?"
"It wasn't easy, I had to fold a royal flush!"
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
the negativity tonight was GREAT!!!
Once again, for those who don't know him by his real name "CHARLES I complain about everything sore loser RICHARDS" highlighted the early morning with another "I'll never come back to your game again." Several of the players tonight heard some great quotes from Mr. Positive, including "Boy I wish I was a donkey" and "I'm not going to advertise for you with the new chips." I guess some guys just weren't cut out for the ups and downs of the poker world. One of my favorite hands of the evening was when I rivered the nuts and Mr. Positive mistakenly called an all in on what he thought was a boat and in some ways, it was!...a sinking boat! I look forward to playing with Charles because I can always count on his cheerful attitude at both the beginning and end of the game. Thanks for another great night of laughter, both with you and at you. The Juice is loose and ready for all comers!!!
The Juice
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Open Door
Ned was down on his luck in Las Vegas. He had gambled away all his money and had to borrow a dime from another gambler just to use the men's room. The stall happened to be open, so he used the dime in a slot machine and hit the jackpot. He took his winnings and went to the blackjack table and soon turned his small winnings into ten million dollars.
Wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, Ned went on the lecture circuit, where he told his incredible story. He told his audiences that he was eternally grateful to his benefactor, and if he ever found the man he would split his fortune with him. After months of lectures, a man in the audience jumped up and said, "I'm that man. I was the one who gave you the dime!"
"You're not the one I'm looking for, Ned said. I'm looking for the guy who left the door open!"
Wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, Ned went on the lecture circuit, where he told his incredible story. He told his audiences that he was eternally grateful to his benefactor, and if he ever found the man he would split his fortune with him. After months of lectures, a man in the audience jumped up and said, "I'm that man. I was the one who gave you the dime!"
"You're not the one I'm looking for, Ned said. I'm looking for the guy who left the door open!"
Viva Las Vegas
So we went Thursday PM to the LV... mostly to see the Saturday Buffett show, but of course I heard the tables calling my name.
I decide on the Bellagio. Why not. I fully expect to be sitting down to a 2/5 NLHE table, but am pleasantly surprised to see that there's an Omaha game going. 7-handed Max $5/$10 PL O-high. Interesting. That's a little on the big side for my piddley bankroll, but after some hemming and hawing, I sit it.
I quickly learn that everyone at the table but me and one other guy are Swedish. One even has a WSOP bracelet. All of them are obviously loaded, judging by the way they're dressed. All of them are obviously poker pros. All of them have about $3K in front of them in a couple stacks of $10 chips, more stacks of $25 and $100 chips, and a pile of green $100-bills. All of them are straddling pot, and then a pot sized restraddle. So except for a couple of hands where me and the one guy beside me are blinds, we're pretty much playing $5/$120
I sit with $600. And I immediately decide this could be to my advantage. I folded alot. On the occasional time there was no straddling, and I get into the pot late position, these guys tended to check to me, and would fold to my pure-bluff pot bets. Obviously this guy (me) was only playing the nuts, so we have to fold. I also picked up a couple hands when calling the $120 bet preflop. Missed a few too. But these guys were nuts. They would pot and repot with 2K pots, and 2 pair would beat A-high at showdown (with the re-potter on the river having A-high).
It was a time-rake, so everyone owed $7 every half hour. But this table had an agreement where the first pot after the time call would be raked $7*7 = $49. So the first FOUR times after I sat down and there was a time call, I won the pot. How's that for bye-bye $200. One pot was $55, so I actually LOST money by winning a pot.
But after it was all said and done, I beat the game pretty easily, up about $1000 before the Swedes all got up to go out drinking...
And so, for the next 24 hours or so, I played a good deal of $1/2 NL HE, and managed to lose back my $1000 plus another $1500 to boot. There were suckouts that *I* still don't believe I saw. And stupid $250 1:1 calls with a flush draw that hits. A few donkey plays by me, but mostly just a bad run of crap cards. I'm convinced of 3 things. 1) Hold Em is a boring ass stupid game that I'm probably going to avoid like the plague 2) I suck at HE 3) Omaha rules.
I decide on the Bellagio. Why not. I fully expect to be sitting down to a 2/5 NLHE table, but am pleasantly surprised to see that there's an Omaha game going. 7-handed Max $5/$10 PL O-high. Interesting. That's a little on the big side for my piddley bankroll, but after some hemming and hawing, I sit it.
I quickly learn that everyone at the table but me and one other guy are Swedish. One even has a WSOP bracelet. All of them are obviously loaded, judging by the way they're dressed. All of them are obviously poker pros. All of them have about $3K in front of them in a couple stacks of $10 chips, more stacks of $25 and $100 chips, and a pile of green $100-bills. All of them are straddling pot, and then a pot sized restraddle. So except for a couple of hands where me and the one guy beside me are blinds, we're pretty much playing $5/$120
I sit with $600. And I immediately decide this could be to my advantage. I folded alot. On the occasional time there was no straddling, and I get into the pot late position, these guys tended to check to me, and would fold to my pure-bluff pot bets. Obviously this guy (me) was only playing the nuts, so we have to fold. I also picked up a couple hands when calling the $120 bet preflop. Missed a few too. But these guys were nuts. They would pot and repot with 2K pots, and 2 pair would beat A-high at showdown (with the re-potter on the river having A-high).
It was a time-rake, so everyone owed $7 every half hour. But this table had an agreement where the first pot after the time call would be raked $7*7 = $49. So the first FOUR times after I sat down and there was a time call, I won the pot. How's that for bye-bye $200. One pot was $55, so I actually LOST money by winning a pot.
But after it was all said and done, I beat the game pretty easily, up about $1000 before the Swedes all got up to go out drinking...
And so, for the next 24 hours or so, I played a good deal of $1/2 NL HE, and managed to lose back my $1000 plus another $1500 to boot. There were suckouts that *I* still don't believe I saw. And stupid $250 1:1 calls with a flush draw that hits. A few donkey plays by me, but mostly just a bad run of crap cards. I'm convinced of 3 things. 1) Hold Em is a boring ass stupid game that I'm probably going to avoid like the plague 2) I suck at HE 3) Omaha rules.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Another PKR Weekend...
Well, it was another weekend at Donkeyville (us farm animals have to stick together). I’ve been on a nice little run lately in the Saturday tourneys, finishing in the top two 5 out of the last 6 weeks. This week most of my good hands actually held up, and I somehow managed to tiptoe unscathed through the minefield of major suckouts. That is, until the last hand.
Joe Bob and I have just been dealt our second heads-up hand, and I have him barely outchipped - about $75K to $70K. Since we were close to even in chips, I was just about to offer a 50/50 chop. The cards were in front of us, however, so I figured I’d play the hand out and make the offer afterwards, assuming there’s no big swing.
Blinds are $3K/6K. I’m on the button, and look down at Jd-9d. I limp, Joe Bob checks, and the flops comes J-7-4 rainbow. JB checks, and I bet $20K, figuring I’d take it down right there, then we can chop and go home. JB calls, however. Hmmm… The turn brings a 3x, and JB pushes all-in for his last $45K or so! Double hmmm…
I take a few moments to try and figure if there is any hand he could have that’s both better than mine, and that he would bet this way. Try as I might, I couldn’t think of any, so I called. He turns over 7-5, for second pair and a gutshot. Of course, in typical PKR fashion, the river brings a 5 to give him two-pair, crippling me in the process. I’m all-in in the big blind next hand, where JB’s K-K somehow holds up against my K-3. That’s what I get for waiting to offer the chop! LOL
Now Sunday was another day altogether – a true all-in, suckout-laden donkeyfest. I had A-A once, K-K three times, and Q-Q once, and I won exactly one time with these five hands. That one time was a doozey, however. We’re maybe six-handed, with blinds at $300/600 when I get K-K in the big blind. It folds to the button, who calls. Small blind calls, and I make a healthy raise to $3K. They both call (remember, we’re at PKR), and the flop comes 10-8-7 rainbow.
The flop’s a bit too coordinated for me to get excited about, but Scott in the small blind checks to me, and I make a bet of $5,500. The button calls, and Scott goes over the top for his last $3K or so. Crap. Even though I suspect he’s got me beat, it’s not much more to me, so it’s an easy call. The problem here is the button, however. He obviously has something, since he just called a large bet on the flop. I’ve never played with this guy before, but he didn’t get involved in too many pots, and seemed pretty solid. He didn’t raise, so my best guess is he has some kind of hand with a draw (J-10, 10-9, 9-8, etc.). Both he and I have large chip stacks, so after debating for a few seconds, I decide to push all-in to attempt to isolate Scott. The button immediately calls and turns over J-9os - the nuts!
Oops.
We are at PKR, remember, so you know what’s coming. The turn pairs the board with a 7, and river brings a sweet little K, boating me up. I scoop a huge pot and knock out two opponents in the process. The nice thing about hitting your card on the river is that you can’t get sucked out on! By the way, Scott had 10-8 and flopped top two-pair, so I was in third after the flop. If you ask me, they both got what they deserved for calling my pre-flop raise with those rags… LOL
Sadly, the additional chips are not enough to keep me afloat once I get outdrawn several times with large pocket pairs (yes, the luck really does even out, regardless of what we might think), and I end up in third place. At least I made a little money, although I’m not sure it was worth the roller-coaster ride. The Sunday tournament is definitely not for the faint of heart!
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Joe Bob and I have just been dealt our second heads-up hand, and I have him barely outchipped - about $75K to $70K. Since we were close to even in chips, I was just about to offer a 50/50 chop. The cards were in front of us, however, so I figured I’d play the hand out and make the offer afterwards, assuming there’s no big swing.
Blinds are $3K/6K. I’m on the button, and look down at Jd-9d. I limp, Joe Bob checks, and the flops comes J-7-4 rainbow. JB checks, and I bet $20K, figuring I’d take it down right there, then we can chop and go home. JB calls, however. Hmmm… The turn brings a 3x, and JB pushes all-in for his last $45K or so! Double hmmm…
I take a few moments to try and figure if there is any hand he could have that’s both better than mine, and that he would bet this way. Try as I might, I couldn’t think of any, so I called. He turns over 7-5, for second pair and a gutshot. Of course, in typical PKR fashion, the river brings a 5 to give him two-pair, crippling me in the process. I’m all-in in the big blind next hand, where JB’s K-K somehow holds up against my K-3. That’s what I get for waiting to offer the chop! LOL
Now Sunday was another day altogether – a true all-in, suckout-laden donkeyfest. I had A-A once, K-K three times, and Q-Q once, and I won exactly one time with these five hands. That one time was a doozey, however. We’re maybe six-handed, with blinds at $300/600 when I get K-K in the big blind. It folds to the button, who calls. Small blind calls, and I make a healthy raise to $3K. They both call (remember, we’re at PKR), and the flop comes 10-8-7 rainbow.
The flop’s a bit too coordinated for me to get excited about, but Scott in the small blind checks to me, and I make a bet of $5,500. The button calls, and Scott goes over the top for his last $3K or so. Crap. Even though I suspect he’s got me beat, it’s not much more to me, so it’s an easy call. The problem here is the button, however. He obviously has something, since he just called a large bet on the flop. I’ve never played with this guy before, but he didn’t get involved in too many pots, and seemed pretty solid. He didn’t raise, so my best guess is he has some kind of hand with a draw (J-10, 10-9, 9-8, etc.). Both he and I have large chip stacks, so after debating for a few seconds, I decide to push all-in to attempt to isolate Scott. The button immediately calls and turns over J-9os - the nuts!
Oops.
We are at PKR, remember, so you know what’s coming. The turn pairs the board with a 7, and river brings a sweet little K, boating me up. I scoop a huge pot and knock out two opponents in the process. The nice thing about hitting your card on the river is that you can’t get sucked out on! By the way, Scott had 10-8 and flopped top two-pair, so I was in third after the flop. If you ask me, they both got what they deserved for calling my pre-flop raise with those rags… LOL
Sadly, the additional chips are not enough to keep me afloat once I get outdrawn several times with large pocket pairs (yes, the luck really does even out, regardless of what we might think), and I end up in third place. At least I made a little money, although I’m not sure it was worth the roller-coaster ride. The Sunday tournament is definitely not for the faint of heart!
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Saturday, October 21, 2006
PKR Saturday Poker Tourney
From the very beginning I thought that I was going to win this one.... oops! I played very tight and limped in only a couple of times with something other than a strong Ace.... once with Ad, 8d and flopped 8, 8, x and ended up winning that pot. I was the bb with As, Js and limped with a couple of callers and flopped J, J, 7 and slow played till Scott caught an 8 on the river to match his pocket 8's to make a boat.
And for the past two weeks, I've been knocked out with pocket Jacks... last week I had 8's against them and this week, I busted out with pocket Jacks to Rick's pocket Queens!
It was a good tournament though, I just got unlucky in a couple of hands and I misplayed the hand that Scott won with his pocket 8's.
Oh well... next time! And maybe tomorrow... we're trying a little different format to entice more players. We're dropping the buy-in from $120 to $60 with $25 re-buys! Come on down!
And for the past two weeks, I've been knocked out with pocket Jacks... last week I had 8's against them and this week, I busted out with pocket Jacks to Rick's pocket Queens!
It was a good tournament though, I just got unlucky in a couple of hands and I misplayed the hand that Scott won with his pocket 8's.
Oh well... next time! And maybe tomorrow... we're trying a little different format to entice more players. We're dropping the buy-in from $120 to $60 with $25 re-buys! Come on down!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
I Love It When a Plan Comes Together!
Well, another Tuesday night at Dave’s went according to plan. Normally I go into the session with a simple two-fold plan: 1) Wait until Dave gathers chips from everyone else at the table, then 2) Take them from him. This plan has proven to be a successful, albeit somewhat boring, way of filling my home with the latest toys.
The poker books, however, say that a good player should change it up now and then. Since I like to think of myself as a good player, I decided to shake things up and go into Tuesday night with a different strategy: WWDD (What Would Dave Do?). My two-fold strategy for this night was: 1) Bleed all my chips out to others, then 2) Rebuy, and bleed them all out again. I must say that I was quite proud of the way it played out.
Like a cagy veteran, I called several large bets with drawing hands, and none of them got there. I didn’t really have many playable hands throughout the night, yet I threw in the pre-flop call like a dutiful beast of burden. Ignoring my gut instincts, I called down opponents to the river with second pair. On those rare occasions when I did have the best hand on the flop, I played passively enough to allow someone else to catch up and take the pot away. In short, in a room full of donkeys, I was the King!
Strangely, at the end of the night I had far less money than when we started. This was a result I obviously hadn’t anticipated, but it’s now clear to me where this new strategy will lead. I’ll need to start having yard sales in order to pay for the cable bill. To get lunch money, I’ll have to set up a corner lemonade stand on sunny days. I’d need to get a second job repairing VCRs or toasters to pay for gas for my car, except that I’d probably just end up having to sell that too.
Dave, on the other hand, apparently employed a new strategy of his own, because he cashed out for more than he bought in for! The last time this happened, Reagan was president and Duran Duran was at the top of the charts (a sad time by all accounts…).
While I have a newfound appreciation for donkeydom after walking a mile in Dave’s shoes, I think I've decided to go back to Plan A. I’m guessing that this will be better for my financial situation in the long run. Dave, I trust your will also abandon your little experiment, return to your own Plan A, and continue to support me in the lifestyle to which I’ve become accustomed. Heck, in some states I’d already be entitled to half your assets. Besides, I make terrible lemonade.
See ya at the tables…
Rick
The poker books, however, say that a good player should change it up now and then. Since I like to think of myself as a good player, I decided to shake things up and go into Tuesday night with a different strategy: WWDD (What Would Dave Do?). My two-fold strategy for this night was: 1) Bleed all my chips out to others, then 2) Rebuy, and bleed them all out again. I must say that I was quite proud of the way it played out.
Like a cagy veteran, I called several large bets with drawing hands, and none of them got there. I didn’t really have many playable hands throughout the night, yet I threw in the pre-flop call like a dutiful beast of burden. Ignoring my gut instincts, I called down opponents to the river with second pair. On those rare occasions when I did have the best hand on the flop, I played passively enough to allow someone else to catch up and take the pot away. In short, in a room full of donkeys, I was the King!
Strangely, at the end of the night I had far less money than when we started. This was a result I obviously hadn’t anticipated, but it’s now clear to me where this new strategy will lead. I’ll need to start having yard sales in order to pay for the cable bill. To get lunch money, I’ll have to set up a corner lemonade stand on sunny days. I’d need to get a second job repairing VCRs or toasters to pay for gas for my car, except that I’d probably just end up having to sell that too.
Dave, on the other hand, apparently employed a new strategy of his own, because he cashed out for more than he bought in for! The last time this happened, Reagan was president and Duran Duran was at the top of the charts (a sad time by all accounts…).
While I have a newfound appreciation for donkeydom after walking a mile in Dave’s shoes, I think I've decided to go back to Plan A. I’m guessing that this will be better for my financial situation in the long run. Dave, I trust your will also abandon your little experiment, return to your own Plan A, and continue to support me in the lifestyle to which I’ve become accustomed. Heck, in some states I’d already be entitled to half your assets. Besides, I make terrible lemonade.
See ya at the tables…
Rick
US Poker Law Update
Reprinted from PokerLetter.org Email Distribution
*********************************************
From: PokerLetter.org [mailto:help@pokerletter.org]
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006
Subject: USA Poker Law Update
*************************************************
PokerLetter.org: Your Online Poker Strategy Guide
*************************************************
Dear Charles,
=====================================================
THIS WEEK IN POKER:
* Where can I play Online Poker now?
* Is the Money I have in Poker Sites safe?
* Can I still play online Poker?
* What are the Existing Online Gambling Laws?
* The Next Step
=====================================================
* Where can I Play Online Poker now?
-----------------------------------------
Sites Accepting US & Non-US Players
- Bodog - http://www.pokerletter.org/bodog.php
- Mansion Poker - http://www.pokerletter.org/mansion.php
Sites Accepting Only Non-US Players
- Titan Poker - http://www.pokerletter.org/titan.php
- Party Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/party1.php
- Pacific Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/pacific.php
- Noble Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/noble.php
- Poker Room - http://www.pokerletter.org/pokerroom.php
- Full Tilt Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/fulltilt.php
* Is the Money I have in Poker Sites safe?
-----------------------------------------
Nothing is going to happen for the next 270 days - that's 9 months - because the board of governors and Federal Reserve System have to design an enforcement policy that will regulate the behavior of banks and credit cards, which we can surely tell you is going to be a nightmare. So, that means you'll be able to transfer your money like before within the next 9 months.
Since we're on the topic of your money, realize that the new bill now asks the banks to police a social issue which is certainly something the American Bankers Association does not want. Second, if the Federal Reserve wants to regulate banks, then they will have to include regulating hand written checks. Imagine the amount of manual labor it will take to physically inspect millions of checks to make sure they're not going to online gambling sites. Based on this fact alone, we probably will see players be able to mail a check to make deposits into their accounts.
The point is that these off-shore Gaming companies will always be able to legally circumvent US laws because the United States have so many laws that circumvent themselves.
* Can I still Play Online Poker?
-----------------------------------------
Of course you can still play online poker. The current law passed by the United States government does not make online gaming illegal. The new bill makes it more difficult to get money into a site by making it illegal for financial institutions located within the United States to fund any type of online gambling site.
Simply put, the bill is called the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act." The main word here is "enforcement. This bill's purpose is to enforce laws which are already in place. Therefore, the language of the statute confirms that the new law does not change any of the existing gaming law.
* What are the Existing Online Gambling Laws?
-----------------------------------------
The main law that gets thrown around when discussing the legality of online poker is the Wire Act of 1961, which was created specifically for sports betting. Being that online poker is a totally different game from sports betting, some politicians have been trying to use the Wire Act of 1961 to claim that online poker is illegal. Since online poker has been around for 10 years and there has never been a case brought up by the Attorney General, it just reinforces the fact that the Wire Act of 1961 is not enough to make online poker illegal. The only thing the US goverment can do is to create another law similar to the Wire Act that targets online poker specifically.
Another key point is the topic of jurisdiction, which is the main reason the United States government cannot stop online poker. The United States has no jurisdiction to control companies based in other countries, so gaming sites operating offshore are not subject to any US Laws. In the legal world, a law that tries to control an offshore company is considered a law with no teeth.
Companies such as NetTeller and BoDog have been able to survive this recent bill because they understand the jurisdiction laws.
Here's a list of sites that have weighed their options and decided what to
do:
-----------------------------------------
Sites Accepting US & Non-US Players
- Bodog - http://www.pokerletter.org/bodog.php
- Mansion Poker - http://www.pokerletter.org/mansion.php
Sites Accepting Only Non-US Players
- Titan Poker - http://www.pokerletter.org/titan.php
- Party Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/party1.php
- Pacific Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/pacific.php
- Noble Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/noble.php
- Poker Room - http://www.pokerletter.org/pokerroom.php
- Full Tilt Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/fulltilt.php
We hope this email has been of some help for you and that you will continue playing one of the truly great games in the world with people from around the world.
Sincerely,
PokerLetter.org
=====================================================
ARE YOU A BLACKJACK PLAYER?
Learn How to Cheat at Online Blackjack:
http://www.pokerletter.org/bjl.php
=====================================================
PokerLetter.org supplies online poker information for entertainment purposes only. This information is not to be used to violate any federal, state, or local laws. Advertisements by Off-shore Poker Sites in this email are void in local jurisdictions, counties, states or countries where prohibited by law. Please patron their services only if you can legally engage in foreign regulated gambling within the parameters of your own local, county, state and/or federal jurisdiction.
PokerLetter.org
#1 Professional Poker Newsletter
606 Portman Square
London, UK W1H 6HN
*********************************************
From: PokerLetter.org [mailto:help@pokerletter.org]
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006
Subject: USA Poker Law Update
*************************************************
PokerLetter.org: Your Online Poker Strategy Guide
*************************************************
Dear Charles,
=====================================================
THIS WEEK IN POKER:
* Where can I play Online Poker now?
* Is the Money I have in Poker Sites safe?
* Can I still play online Poker?
* What are the Existing Online Gambling Laws?
* The Next Step
=====================================================
* Where can I Play Online Poker now?
-----------------------------------------
Sites Accepting US & Non-US Players
- Bodog - http://www.pokerletter.org/bodog.php
- Mansion Poker - http://www.pokerletter.org/mansion.php
Sites Accepting Only Non-US Players
- Titan Poker - http://www.pokerletter.org/titan.php
- Party Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/party1.php
- Pacific Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/pacific.php
- Noble Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/noble.php
- Poker Room - http://www.pokerletter.org/pokerroom.php
- Full Tilt Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/fulltilt.php
* Is the Money I have in Poker Sites safe?
-----------------------------------------
Nothing is going to happen for the next 270 days - that's 9 months - because the board of governors and Federal Reserve System have to design an enforcement policy that will regulate the behavior of banks and credit cards, which we can surely tell you is going to be a nightmare. So, that means you'll be able to transfer your money like before within the next 9 months.
Since we're on the topic of your money, realize that the new bill now asks the banks to police a social issue which is certainly something the American Bankers Association does not want. Second, if the Federal Reserve wants to regulate banks, then they will have to include regulating hand written checks. Imagine the amount of manual labor it will take to physically inspect millions of checks to make sure they're not going to online gambling sites. Based on this fact alone, we probably will see players be able to mail a check to make deposits into their accounts.
The point is that these off-shore Gaming companies will always be able to legally circumvent US laws because the United States have so many laws that circumvent themselves.
* Can I still Play Online Poker?
-----------------------------------------
Of course you can still play online poker. The current law passed by the United States government does not make online gaming illegal. The new bill makes it more difficult to get money into a site by making it illegal for financial institutions located within the United States to fund any type of online gambling site.
Simply put, the bill is called the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act." The main word here is "enforcement. This bill's purpose is to enforce laws which are already in place. Therefore, the language of the statute confirms that the new law does not change any of the existing gaming law.
* What are the Existing Online Gambling Laws?
-----------------------------------------
The main law that gets thrown around when discussing the legality of online poker is the Wire Act of 1961, which was created specifically for sports betting. Being that online poker is a totally different game from sports betting, some politicians have been trying to use the Wire Act of 1961 to claim that online poker is illegal. Since online poker has been around for 10 years and there has never been a case brought up by the Attorney General, it just reinforces the fact that the Wire Act of 1961 is not enough to make online poker illegal. The only thing the US goverment can do is to create another law similar to the Wire Act that targets online poker specifically.
Another key point is the topic of jurisdiction, which is the main reason the United States government cannot stop online poker. The United States has no jurisdiction to control companies based in other countries, so gaming sites operating offshore are not subject to any US Laws. In the legal world, a law that tries to control an offshore company is considered a law with no teeth.
Companies such as NetTeller and BoDog have been able to survive this recent bill because they understand the jurisdiction laws.
Here's a list of sites that have weighed their options and decided what to
do:
-----------------------------------------
Sites Accepting US & Non-US Players
- Bodog - http://www.pokerletter.org/bodog.php
- Mansion Poker - http://www.pokerletter.org/mansion.php
Sites Accepting Only Non-US Players
- Titan Poker - http://www.pokerletter.org/titan.php
- Party Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/party1.php
- Pacific Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/pacific.php
- Noble Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/noble.php
- Poker Room - http://www.pokerletter.org/pokerroom.php
- Full Tilt Poker - http://www.casinoletter.org/fulltilt.php
We hope this email has been of some help for you and that you will continue playing one of the truly great games in the world with people from around the world.
Sincerely,
PokerLetter.org
=====================================================
ARE YOU A BLACKJACK PLAYER?
Learn How to Cheat at Online Blackjack:
http://www.pokerletter.org/bjl.php
=====================================================
PokerLetter.org supplies online poker information for entertainment purposes only. This information is not to be used to violate any federal, state, or local laws. Advertisements by Off-shore Poker Sites in this email are void in local jurisdictions, counties, states or countries where prohibited by law. Please patron their services only if you can legally engage in foreign regulated gambling within the parameters of your own local, county, state and/or federal jurisdiction.
PokerLetter.org
#1 Professional Poker Newsletter
606 Portman Square
London, UK W1H 6HN
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Do you really wear a skirt???
The Juice has had a real tough time understanding the players mentality at his local game. Their are a few of us who come to play hard while enjoying the game and then there is Charles. The old bald man has been able to find fault in every thing from the Prime Rib dinners to the Porn that freely flows like the top shelf liquor. The table felt is bad, the chips are no good, the room is too hot, the seats are uncomfortable, the players are under educated, the TVs are not clear enough, the game starts too late, the game doesn't move fast enough, the antes need to be different, the cards are dirty, Bill can't make a move without being reminded, Rick should check it down when it's just him & Charles, The Juice and the crazy chinaman need to get a room, and finally we shuffle up and deal and starting times should be earlier of course!! See you at the game Tuesday Charles,
your buddy the JUICE
your buddy the JUICE
Definitions
Slow-roll (v.)
Pronunciation: slo'-rol
Etymology: Middle English rolle ye slow, Anglo-French roule slowez pour favor, Latin slowa e rolla, Ebonics slow your roll biatch; all of which share meaning akin to wheel, as in the wheels on the bus go round and round, and as in I will literally drive my wheels over you if you do that again.
1. To reveal your cards in such a manner as to create mass confusion, hysteria, and ill-will toward the person revealing their cards, generally followed by swearing, chest thumping, and threats on the life or the unborn children of the person revealing their cards in this manner. There are three methods of slow-rolling: a) revealing your cards one at a time such that the card or cards which puts a nail in the coffin of your opponent is revealed last, or b) waiting until the pot is on it's way to your opponent to throw your cards on the table with gusto, pronouncing "my two pair of Kings-up DOES beat your two pair", or c) to stare at your hand long enough in disgust that 67o beat your KK, only to find that it actually does beat 67o, followed by a well timed and executed muck-bluff, and then quietly turning them over, proclaiming yourself the champion slowroller. There are two acceptable times in which such a manuever will delight and amaze the table and not offend your opponent or other players at the table: i) When the opponent is the Juice, or ii) When the opponent is the Juice.
2. To spend the rest of the evening after being slow-rolled delaying the showdown of losing cards in a futile attempt to convince the rest of the table that they aren't complete and utter rubbish.
Variations: slow-rolled, slow-rolling. That bastard slow-rolled me. Stop slow-rolling or I'll throw a beatdown on you.
Slowplay (v.)
Pronunciation: slo'-pla
Etymology: Spanish Humberto, which means, well, everything that delusional Costa Retardian wants it to mean
1. To play slow.
2. See Bill.
Pronunciation: slo'-rol
Etymology: Middle English rolle ye slow, Anglo-French roule slowez pour favor, Latin slowa e rolla, Ebonics slow your roll biatch; all of which share meaning akin to wheel, as in the wheels on the bus go round and round, and as in I will literally drive my wheels over you if you do that again.
1. To reveal your cards in such a manner as to create mass confusion, hysteria, and ill-will toward the person revealing their cards, generally followed by swearing, chest thumping, and threats on the life or the unborn children of the person revealing their cards in this manner. There are three methods of slow-rolling: a) revealing your cards one at a time such that the card or cards which puts a nail in the coffin of your opponent is revealed last, or b) waiting until the pot is on it's way to your opponent to throw your cards on the table with gusto, pronouncing "my two pair of Kings-up DOES beat your two pair", or c) to stare at your hand long enough in disgust that 67o beat your KK, only to find that it actually does beat 67o, followed by a well timed and executed muck-bluff, and then quietly turning them over, proclaiming yourself the champion slowroller. There are two acceptable times in which such a manuever will delight and amaze the table and not offend your opponent or other players at the table: i) When the opponent is the Juice, or ii) When the opponent is the Juice.
2. To spend the rest of the evening after being slow-rolled delaying the showdown of losing cards in a futile attempt to convince the rest of the table that they aren't complete and utter rubbish.
Variations: slow-rolled, slow-rolling. That bastard slow-rolled me. Stop slow-rolling or I'll throw a beatdown on you.
Slowplay (v.)
Pronunciation: slo'-pla
Etymology: Spanish Humberto, which means, well, everything that delusional Costa Retardian wants it to mean
1. To play slow.
2. See Bill.
Monday, October 16, 2006
The Worst Poker that I've ever seen....
I know, who am I to be critiquing someone's play who is not only ON TV PLAYING, but actually WINNING an event or a bracelet! So I'll do so without actually calling any names or events, but oh... my... god... if you're watching poker on TV at all, you've got to have seen some absolutely ridiculous plays recently and in some cases.... the donkey won the tournament.
Ok... that's enough....
Ok... that's enough....
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Sunday @ PKR
It is apparent that we don't have the right mix for the tournament on Sunday yet. So we'll discussing it with Joe this week to see what needs to happen there. I'm ok with about anything, but we need to get a tournament and buy-in that at least a couple of tables will support.
If you've got comments or thoughts on how to make it better, please feel free to post. I really like the facility, the structure and the players.... when we get them to play in the tournaments.
Your thoughts are appreciated!
If you've got comments or thoughts on how to make it better, please feel free to post. I really like the facility, the structure and the players.... when we get them to play in the tournaments.
Your thoughts are appreciated!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Saturday Tournament @ PKR
Well, if you are a good player, you'll probably learn something in every tournament that you play in.... what I learned from the Saturday PKR tournament is that you shouldn't play if you don't feel well. I had a small health problem Friday night that spilled over into Saturday and I just didn't want to be anywhere but in bed. I played very patiently for the first couple of hours, but once we busted down to one table, frustration began to set in.
I had been at the tables for about 2.5 hours and probably only played 3-4 hands. I think that only a couple of times I played anything other than a decent pair, but I did steal the blinds those couple of times that I played without a big pair because I had been playing so tight. At any rate, when we raced off the chips, I got a little frustrated because I thought the way that it was handled, I put the most chips in and didn't get any back, but Akash picked up one that I believe should have been mine. At any rate, no big deal normally, BUT when you don't feel well, you've only played 3-4 hands over 2.5 hours and THEN you lose a chips to the race off because you feel of someone elses error..... all add-up to hasty decision coming.... So I'm the small blind and one of the big stacks is to my immediate right, Akash.... there's a couple of limpers and when it gets to Akash, he pushes all-in and has all the limpers covered. As soon as he did it, I thought Jacks or Queens, because it was apparent that he didn't want any callers, but the wierd thing about that move is that unless someone else has Queens, Kings or Aces -OR- someone gets froggy with Big Slick.... everyone folds. So normally, the only one that calls you, has you beat. LOL. At any rate, I've got pocket 8's and was just tired and frustrated and ready to go or -GROW.... so I call and everyone else folds. He's got Jacks and they hold up.
Well, we'll be back!
I had been at the tables for about 2.5 hours and probably only played 3-4 hands. I think that only a couple of times I played anything other than a decent pair, but I did steal the blinds those couple of times that I played without a big pair because I had been playing so tight. At any rate, when we raced off the chips, I got a little frustrated because I thought the way that it was handled, I put the most chips in and didn't get any back, but Akash picked up one that I believe should have been mine. At any rate, no big deal normally, BUT when you don't feel well, you've only played 3-4 hands over 2.5 hours and THEN you lose a chips to the race off because you feel of someone elses error..... all add-up to hasty decision coming.... So I'm the small blind and one of the big stacks is to my immediate right, Akash.... there's a couple of limpers and when it gets to Akash, he pushes all-in and has all the limpers covered. As soon as he did it, I thought Jacks or Queens, because it was apparent that he didn't want any callers, but the wierd thing about that move is that unless someone else has Queens, Kings or Aces -OR- someone gets froggy with Big Slick.... everyone folds. So normally, the only one that calls you, has you beat. LOL. At any rate, I've got pocket 8's and was just tired and frustrated and ready to go or -GROW.... so I call and everyone else folds. He's got Jacks and they hold up.
Well, we'll be back!
Poker Tips
Top signs that you are tilting.....
5) Every time your opponent bets, you think he's bluffing
4) You are way down and are playing hands that you would not normally play trying to "catch a flop"
3) You want to raise the stakes, more high-action!
2) You feel very impatient, you MUST make something happen
And the # 1 sign that you're tilting......
1) You raised pre-flop to $400 with pocket Aces and the juice beat you with Qc, 3s by hitting a straight on the river using JUST his 3!
5) Every time your opponent bets, you think he's bluffing
4) You are way down and are playing hands that you would not normally play trying to "catch a flop"
3) You want to raise the stakes, more high-action!
2) You feel very impatient, you MUST make something happen
And the # 1 sign that you're tilting......
1) You raised pre-flop to $400 with pocket Aces and the juice beat you with Qc, 3s by hitting a straight on the river using JUST his 3!
Friday, October 13, 2006
PokerStars says U.S. gaming ban does not cover poker
Reprinted from yahoo.....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061012/wr_nm/leisure_pokerstars_poker_dc_2
PokerStars says U.S. gaming ban does not cover poker
By Pete Harrison Thu Oct 12, 10:48 AM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - PokerStars, the world's second-biggest Internet poker firm, said on Thursday that a looming U.S. ban on online gaming would not apply to poker, as it is a game of skill, and its business would continue as usual.
The gambling industry was left reeling this month after the U.S. Congress unexpectedly approved a bill that would make it illegal for companies to accept Internet wagers or for banks to process payments to online gaming companies.
The bill defines gambling as the act of staking something of value on "a sporting event or a game subject to chance" and is expected to be signed into law by
President George W. Bush on Friday.
"These provisions do not alter the U.S. legal situation with respect to online poker," privately-owned PokerStars said in a statement.
"Our business continues as before, open to players worldwide including the U.S.," it added. "You may play on our site as you did prior to the act."
The stance contrasts with that taken by rival PartyGaming the owner of the biggest online poker site PartyPoker, which last week said the act made it "practically impossible" to provide poker for money to U.S. players.
PokerStars said: "It is important to emphasize that the act does not in any way prohibit you from playing online poker. PokerStars believes that poker is a game of skill."
PokerStars, said by media reports to be owned by the Israeli Scheinberg family, was considering a $3 billion flotation earlier this year, before prosecution of gaming companies in The United States sparked share price falls across the sector.
About $6 billion was wiped off online gaming shares after the arrest of BETonSPORTS former Chief Executive David Carruthers in July on gambling charges, signaling the start of a crackdown.
And a further $7 billion was lost last week after the U.S. Congress approved the anti-gambling legislation early on September 30.
But while many London-listed companies are pulling out of the United States, analysts say most privately-owned companies will be able to continue.
PokerStars is registered in Costa Rica and processes payments through subsidiaries in the Isle of Man and Cyprus.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061012/wr_nm/leisure_pokerstars_poker_dc_2
PokerStars says U.S. gaming ban does not cover poker
By Pete Harrison Thu Oct 12, 10:48 AM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - PokerStars, the world's second-biggest Internet poker firm, said on Thursday that a looming U.S. ban on online gaming would not apply to poker, as it is a game of skill, and its business would continue as usual.
The gambling industry was left reeling this month after the U.S. Congress unexpectedly approved a bill that would make it illegal for companies to accept Internet wagers or for banks to process payments to online gaming companies.
The bill defines gambling as the act of staking something of value on "a sporting event or a game subject to chance" and is expected to be signed into law by
President George W. Bush on Friday.
"These provisions do not alter the U.S. legal situation with respect to online poker," privately-owned PokerStars said in a statement.
"Our business continues as before, open to players worldwide including the U.S.," it added. "You may play on our site as you did prior to the act."
The stance contrasts with that taken by rival PartyGaming the owner of the biggest online poker site PartyPoker, which last week said the act made it "practically impossible" to provide poker for money to U.S. players.
PokerStars said: "It is important to emphasize that the act does not in any way prohibit you from playing online poker. PokerStars believes that poker is a game of skill."
PokerStars, said by media reports to be owned by the Israeli Scheinberg family, was considering a $3 billion flotation earlier this year, before prosecution of gaming companies in The United States sparked share price falls across the sector.
About $6 billion was wiped off online gaming shares after the arrest of BETonSPORTS former Chief Executive David Carruthers in July on gambling charges, signaling the start of a crackdown.
And a further $7 billion was lost last week after the U.S. Congress approved the anti-gambling legislation early on September 30.
But while many London-listed companies are pulling out of the United States, analysts say most privately-owned companies will be able to continue.
PokerStars is registered in Costa Rica and processes payments through subsidiaries in the Isle of Man and Cyprus.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Triangle Poker Journal - Charles Richards of Bad Beats and Great Hands - Google Video
Here is the interview from Triangle Poker Journal and our friend, George Smart!
Thanks again George....
Triangle Poker Journal - Charles Richards of Bad Beats and Great Hands - Google Video
Thanks again George....
Triangle Poker Journal - Charles Richards of Bad Beats and Great Hands - Google Video
Famous Poker Quotes...
"When a man with money meets a man with experience, the man with experience leaves with money and the man with money leaves with experience."
-------------------Anonymous
-------------------Anonymous
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
WHO IS THE ONE WITH THE BRAINS?
Last night I had one of the most incredible nights of poker in my life. It wasn't the winnings or the LOSINGS that I am talking about, its the descisions that I was making that made me think about tossing in the towel after my first bad move. I folded the nuts to a raise from Bill and showed Elvie that I think I might be beat.? I then made a move that I am sure will go down as one of the biggest assface moves in poker at the JUICE'S of all times, I had Ace, with 666 and I show Jim and he said to me that "he has won what would be an obvious fold - a monster with that hand." My mind goes blank, the flop comes 2, 3, 5 - I bet $100, Rick calls, the turn comes 6, Rick bets $200, I call with a snicker of the monkey is coming, please make a big move - the river comes blank and Rick moves all in. I jump out of my seat and call the $774 all in only to find that my quads were quickly reduced to reality of a set of 6s with no low. Rick savors the moment by looking at me with a blank stare and a slight grin. At this point, I realize that something is definitely wrong with me. I try to evaluate through the course of the next hour exactly what it is and the only thing I can think of is that I am a glutton for punishment with the brain the size of a chestnut. After evaluating my spider bite and my outbreak at the table last night, I decided to blame my play on sickness and in a way, sickness is exactly what it is. Rick and Charles - even though you two love my action and my aggressive style of play, I will bury both of you in the long run like a two dollar whore who just wanted to spit but I made her swallow. I like to call it force feeding. Get ready for the buffet!
The Juice
The Juice
If It's Tuesday...
…This must be Dave’s. Well, it was another interesting night with The Jizz. Club straight flushes were hot; I think there were four of them! Monkeys flying everywhere…
Anyway, it was another weird night for me. Started pretty slow, as Davey showed up late. We played probably 80% Omaha 8, and I’ll bet I had no more then four or five playable hands all night. Funny how the cards come – some nights you’ll get a hand like A-A-2-4 a half-dozen times, and some nights (like last night) every hand seems to be Q-9-6-2. Oh well, that’s poker. I mostly folded pre-flop, and I won or split maybe four hands in the first couple hours.
After slowly bleeding off around half of the initial $400 buy-in, I reloaded for another $200. Still no excitement, but I did manage to build my stack a bit when I flopped to a couple so-so hands, and was able to bet someone off the other half of the pot. There were a few hands that stand out, however. Strangely, they were all against Dave – go figure!
In O8 I look down at Kc-Kh-Qh-10d, limp in along with half of Raleigh, and the flop come Ks-7c-6c. Top set, of course, but I’m not terribly excited about the hand, since there’s two to a flush, straight, and low. If I do get any action I’ll probably need to either pair the board or get some pretty specific high cards to scoop the pot, so I’ll be happy to take it down right now. I make a pot-sized bet of $30, and Dave calls. Well, the Kd comes on the turn, and all of a sudden I am terribly excited about my hand. Dang, that card was almost too good, now I won’t get any action. Oh wait, Dave’s in the hand with me…
I honestly don’t remember the exact betting sequence on the turn, but I do know that he immediately called my $365 all-in bet when the 8c comes on the river, proclaiming something about a monkey. I, of course, turn over my monkey (Latin: mestackimus yourchipsus), and Dave turns over sixes full, or some other very unmonkeylike hand. He has no low, so it’s a scooper.
After another couple hours of seemingly folding every hand in sight, I pick up a speculative little O8 hand, something like a double-suited 2-4-5-8. Flop comes something like 3-6-7, giving me nut high and a decent low (looking for the magic ace…). The betting sequence is unimportant, but the turn and river bring 9-Q or something like that. Davey Boy checks the river, I bet $75 or so, and he goes all-in for far more money than he knows what to do with. Hmmm, did he just get lucky and hit the big straight on me? I figure he must have the nut low, and call pretty quickly. He has no low, but proudly turns over his quad sixes, again yelling something about a monkey. Um, just uno problemo there, Jose. Yes, you guessed it, he had three sixes in his hand, giving him the “Jizz Monkey” (Latin: dumbshiteus ignoramus).
God bless you, Dave.
Finally, while playing NLHE three-handed ($5/10 blinds) after all the non-players left, I look down at Ah-Ad. I’m on the button and min-raise to $20. Dave, in the small blind, raises another $50. John folds, and I raise to $250 (yes, I know he would have called an all-in, but sometimes you want to play with your fish for a few minutes before landing him). He calls, and the flop comes something like Kd-8d-3d, giving me the nut flush draw as well. Dave checks and I push in. He immediately calls and is drawing very thin with the 10s-10d. I guess he was hoping for the flush to come, and Jarod kindly granted him his wish.
That did it for Dave, and for me as well. I would’ve stayed and taken more of his money, but I didn’t have any more room in my trunk, and the local U-Haul™ office wasn’t open yet. Of course, he blamed his lousy play on, get this, a spider bite. I can’t wait to hear what Thursday’s excuse is: Hantavirus? Bird Flu? Bubonic Plague? Paper Cut…?
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Anyway, it was another weird night for me. Started pretty slow, as Davey showed up late. We played probably 80% Omaha 8, and I’ll bet I had no more then four or five playable hands all night. Funny how the cards come – some nights you’ll get a hand like A-A-2-4 a half-dozen times, and some nights (like last night) every hand seems to be Q-9-6-2. Oh well, that’s poker. I mostly folded pre-flop, and I won or split maybe four hands in the first couple hours.
After slowly bleeding off around half of the initial $400 buy-in, I reloaded for another $200. Still no excitement, but I did manage to build my stack a bit when I flopped to a couple so-so hands, and was able to bet someone off the other half of the pot. There were a few hands that stand out, however. Strangely, they were all against Dave – go figure!
In O8 I look down at Kc-Kh-Qh-10d, limp in along with half of Raleigh, and the flop come Ks-7c-6c. Top set, of course, but I’m not terribly excited about the hand, since there’s two to a flush, straight, and low. If I do get any action I’ll probably need to either pair the board or get some pretty specific high cards to scoop the pot, so I’ll be happy to take it down right now. I make a pot-sized bet of $30, and Dave calls. Well, the Kd comes on the turn, and all of a sudden I am terribly excited about my hand. Dang, that card was almost too good, now I won’t get any action. Oh wait, Dave’s in the hand with me…
I honestly don’t remember the exact betting sequence on the turn, but I do know that he immediately called my $365 all-in bet when the 8c comes on the river, proclaiming something about a monkey. I, of course, turn over my monkey (Latin: mestackimus yourchipsus), and Dave turns over sixes full, or some other very unmonkeylike hand. He has no low, so it’s a scooper.
After another couple hours of seemingly folding every hand in sight, I pick up a speculative little O8 hand, something like a double-suited 2-4-5-8. Flop comes something like 3-6-7, giving me nut high and a decent low (looking for the magic ace…). The betting sequence is unimportant, but the turn and river bring 9-Q or something like that. Davey Boy checks the river, I bet $75 or so, and he goes all-in for far more money than he knows what to do with. Hmmm, did he just get lucky and hit the big straight on me? I figure he must have the nut low, and call pretty quickly. He has no low, but proudly turns over his quad sixes, again yelling something about a monkey. Um, just uno problemo there, Jose. Yes, you guessed it, he had three sixes in his hand, giving him the “Jizz Monkey” (Latin: dumbshiteus ignoramus).
God bless you, Dave.
Finally, while playing NLHE three-handed ($5/10 blinds) after all the non-players left, I look down at Ah-Ad. I’m on the button and min-raise to $20. Dave, in the small blind, raises another $50. John folds, and I raise to $250 (yes, I know he would have called an all-in, but sometimes you want to play with your fish for a few minutes before landing him). He calls, and the flop comes something like Kd-8d-3d, giving me the nut flush draw as well. Dave checks and I push in. He immediately calls and is drawing very thin with the 10s-10d. I guess he was hoping for the flush to come, and Jarod kindly granted him his wish.
That did it for Dave, and for me as well. I would’ve stayed and taken more of his money, but I didn’t have any more room in my trunk, and the local U-Haul™ office wasn’t open yet. Of course, he blamed his lousy play on, get this, a spider bite. I can’t wait to hear what Thursday’s excuse is: Hantavirus? Bird Flu? Bubonic Plague? Paper Cut…?
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Tuesday night with the JUICE!
Nice crowd last night.... a full table almost all night, I was the first one to leave! So we begin rolling in around 8PM and there's .... NO DAVE! Dang! From the house's perspective, that's like trying to fish without bait! From my perspective, he's definitely the action guy and will always try to make something happen, so for at least the first 1-2 hours without Dave, there were a lot of cheap flops and practically anytime it was raised, everyone folded..... Where's Dave? Before he arrived, John S went on a little "Dave-Like" stretch where he was raising Omaha 8 NL pre-flop and as Rick had blogged earlier, there would be 7-8 callers and of course, someone would hit the jackpot. I believe out of 5-6 times that John raised pre-flop, he only got part of one of the pots. Sweet! At any rate, probably the most significant thing that happened prior to Dave's arrival was Jim L coming in late and sitting in the hot seat. There was one stretch where he must have won like 9 out of 10 hands played.
We did make one functional change this week.... we went from 2/4 games to 2/5 games. Not a big switch, but it sure gets alot of the single 1 chips off the table. I think it made the game go a little faster except when it was Bill's turn... hurry up, would you?
Dave finally showed up around 9:30 or 10, I don't remember the exact time, but I do remember what happens after that.... everything back to normal. Dave sets up John S and gets all his chips in and John was almost drawing dead.... John S leaves (for about 5 minutes... maybe) and he's back! Then Dave and I hook up in a big hand. Omaha 8 NL and I've got Ac, Jc, 10d, 8d - Dave raised pre-flop another 18 and of course, everyone calls. I am in late position and the flop is something like Kc, 9c, 4s.... it checks around to me (including Dave) and I opt just to see what hits. There it is.... another club. Check, check, check, check & Dave.... he bets 135 and push all in for another 381 on top.... everyone folds to Dave and he calls. I flip the nuts and the river is a brick....
There was a hand that I missed while farting around with the iPod where Dave flopped a straight flush and Mike M flopped the Ace high flush... as usual, they fondle each other then lay down and piss on themselves.... yep, they checked it down! That's when you know where you stand with somebody there.... if that had been me in that hand with the Ace high flush, Dave would still be trying to bet and re-raise.... LOL.
One other interesting hand happened between Mike M and me.... I've the Ac, 2d, 9d, Js.... the flop brings a couple of clubs and one to the low.... including the 9c. I'm in late position and Mike makes a bets about 16 and I think everyone called. The turn was the 4c..... now there's a flush and two to the low.... Mike bets 30 and there are a couple of callers..... The river brings in my nut low and it checks around to me so I'm thinking ..... I've got the nut low AND although I don't have a flush, I do have the Ac and might be able to get someone to lay down a crappy flush and worst case scenario is that I bet and just build the pot a little.... so I bet 35. Jim L calls and Mike M raises 100 on top. Rick folds and I call and Jim L folds. Mike turns over the A, 2 with a paired 8 on the board. I've got the A, 2 with a paired 9 and Mikie gets quartered! LOL. I didn't see that coming......
Well, hopefully.... the game will stay high on everyone's list.... we had a good turn-out last night. We'll see what happens Thursday and hopefully we'll have a good turnout at PKR this week as well....
Back to the felt!
We did make one functional change this week.... we went from 2/4 games to 2/5 games. Not a big switch, but it sure gets alot of the single 1 chips off the table. I think it made the game go a little faster except when it was Bill's turn... hurry up, would you?
Dave finally showed up around 9:30 or 10, I don't remember the exact time, but I do remember what happens after that.... everything back to normal. Dave sets up John S and gets all his chips in and John was almost drawing dead.... John S leaves (for about 5 minutes... maybe) and he's back! Then Dave and I hook up in a big hand. Omaha 8 NL and I've got Ac, Jc, 10d, 8d - Dave raised pre-flop another 18 and of course, everyone calls. I am in late position and the flop is something like Kc, 9c, 4s.... it checks around to me (including Dave) and I opt just to see what hits. There it is.... another club. Check, check, check, check & Dave.... he bets 135 and push all in for another 381 on top.... everyone folds to Dave and he calls. I flip the nuts and the river is a brick....
There was a hand that I missed while farting around with the iPod where Dave flopped a straight flush and Mike M flopped the Ace high flush... as usual, they fondle each other then lay down and piss on themselves.... yep, they checked it down! That's when you know where you stand with somebody there.... if that had been me in that hand with the Ace high flush, Dave would still be trying to bet and re-raise.... LOL.
One other interesting hand happened between Mike M and me.... I've the Ac, 2d, 9d, Js.... the flop brings a couple of clubs and one to the low.... including the 9c. I'm in late position and Mike makes a bets about 16 and I think everyone called. The turn was the 4c..... now there's a flush and two to the low.... Mike bets 30 and there are a couple of callers..... The river brings in my nut low and it checks around to me so I'm thinking ..... I've got the nut low AND although I don't have a flush, I do have the Ac and might be able to get someone to lay down a crappy flush and worst case scenario is that I bet and just build the pot a little.... so I bet 35. Jim L calls and Mike M raises 100 on top. Rick folds and I call and Jim L folds. Mike turns over the A, 2 with a paired 8 on the board. I've got the A, 2 with a paired 9 and Mikie gets quartered! LOL. I didn't see that coming......
Well, hopefully.... the game will stay high on everyone's list.... we had a good turn-out last night. We'll see what happens Thursday and hopefully we'll have a good turnout at PKR this week as well....
Back to the felt!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Famous Poker Quotes...
"Try to decide how good your hand is at a given moment. Nothing else matters. Nothing!"
------------------------------ Doyle Bunson
------------------------------ Doyle Bunson
Monday, October 09, 2006
Omaha Explained
After playing at several different Omaha games throughout Raleigh, it’s clear there is a lot of confusion about how to play the game properly. Being the good Samaritan that I am, I thought I would take the time to give a quick overview of the game, to clear up any misconceptions many of you seem to have.
What you do is get four cards. Doesn't much matter what they are because nobody really looks at them anyway. Just throw in the amount of the big blind (basically an ante). Every now and then some idiot will actually raise before the flop, which simply means that the ante is higher for this particular hand. Somebody will win the pot, but it will almost never be the person who raised pre-flop. After all, aces will probably get cracked by someone at a full Hold ‘Em table, but they will definitely be cracked at a full Omaha table.
Next, the dealer puts three cards on the board (the flop). It doesn't matter what they are because nobody really pays any attention to the flop either. Some brave soul might bet at this point, at which point everyone will call. Then the dealer puts one more card out for the turn. At this point, another idiot will invariably throw out a humongous bet, and everyone will call (except the pre-flop raiser, who’s now drawing dead).
Finally, the dealer turns up the river card. Same betting scenario as before. Doesn't really matter much what the card is, except to a few of the players that may have "cheated" by looking at their hole cards. These players may now fold if they have absolutely no outs (they’re mostly bad sports).
Now comes the showdown. Everybody turns over their cards and helps the dealer figure out who has the best hand. You MUST play two cards out of your hand so this usually takes a while. The winning hand is usually found out after a little bit of searching by all of the drunk, tired players and a thoroughly confused dealer. If playing high/low, this is the time when all the players “help” the dealer by loudly explaining (all at once) the best way to split the pot. The dealer now pushes the pot to the wrong player, then everybody yells at him and he smiles stupidly and says, "Oh yeah, sorry" and then sends it in the right direction. Then, after all of the excitement dies down, everybody lets out a collective sigh of relief and gets ready to wind up and do it all over again.
There, I hope that answers any questions you may have about Omaha. Now get out there and put your newfound knowledge to use!
See ya at the tables…
Rick
What you do is get four cards. Doesn't much matter what they are because nobody really looks at them anyway. Just throw in the amount of the big blind (basically an ante). Every now and then some idiot will actually raise before the flop, which simply means that the ante is higher for this particular hand. Somebody will win the pot, but it will almost never be the person who raised pre-flop. After all, aces will probably get cracked by someone at a full Hold ‘Em table, but they will definitely be cracked at a full Omaha table.
Next, the dealer puts three cards on the board (the flop). It doesn't matter what they are because nobody really pays any attention to the flop either. Some brave soul might bet at this point, at which point everyone will call. Then the dealer puts one more card out for the turn. At this point, another idiot will invariably throw out a humongous bet, and everyone will call (except the pre-flop raiser, who’s now drawing dead).
Finally, the dealer turns up the river card. Same betting scenario as before. Doesn't really matter much what the card is, except to a few of the players that may have "cheated" by looking at their hole cards. These players may now fold if they have absolutely no outs (they’re mostly bad sports).
Now comes the showdown. Everybody turns over their cards and helps the dealer figure out who has the best hand. You MUST play two cards out of your hand so this usually takes a while. The winning hand is usually found out after a little bit of searching by all of the drunk, tired players and a thoroughly confused dealer. If playing high/low, this is the time when all the players “help” the dealer by loudly explaining (all at once) the best way to split the pot. The dealer now pushes the pot to the wrong player, then everybody yells at him and he smiles stupidly and says, "Oh yeah, sorry" and then sends it in the right direction. Then, after all of the excitement dies down, everybody lets out a collective sigh of relief and gets ready to wind up and do it all over again.
There, I hope that answers any questions you may have about Omaha. Now get out there and put your newfound knowledge to use!
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Sunday Tournament - Let's Play!
Okay people, here’s your chance to give your input. We’ve tried to get a Sunday tourney going again at PKR, with mixed results. We had hoped a higher buy-in ($110) would attract a different crowd, but it’s kind of died out as well. After talking with many players, everyone seems to have a different opinion of what kind of format it would take for them to play on a regular basis.
So give us your opinion! What kind of Sunday tourney would you play in on a regular basis? Hold ‘em, Omaha High, Omaha High/Low? If Omaha, limit or pot limit? Buy-in amount? Rebuys? If so, how many and what amount? Add-on? You get the picture.
As for me, while I may have my personal preference, I just want to play, but I’m not going to waste time driving out there if we’re not going to have a least one full table. It sounds like many of us are in the same boat - it’s a chicken and egg kind of thing. The consensus seems to be “I’ll play if we have enough,” but nobody wants to commit until others do. Obviously, if nobody commits then we’ll never have enough.
I think JC is flexible about the game and format, so long at the tourney is over in a reasonable amount of time, and of course, the house gets enough to make it worthwhile.
So let’s try again. Tell us what you want, and then do your part and SHOW UP. Bring a friend as well. Once the momentum gets rolling, then others will want to play also. It’s a good group of guys and it’s a fun place to play, but you tell me, what will it take for you to show up on Sundays? Don’t say “a fluffer” – it takes a week for Charles’ jaw to heal from Tuesdays…
See ya at the tables…
Rick
So give us your opinion! What kind of Sunday tourney would you play in on a regular basis? Hold ‘em, Omaha High, Omaha High/Low? If Omaha, limit or pot limit? Buy-in amount? Rebuys? If so, how many and what amount? Add-on? You get the picture.
As for me, while I may have my personal preference, I just want to play, but I’m not going to waste time driving out there if we’re not going to have a least one full table. It sounds like many of us are in the same boat - it’s a chicken and egg kind of thing. The consensus seems to be “I’ll play if we have enough,” but nobody wants to commit until others do. Obviously, if nobody commits then we’ll never have enough.
I think JC is flexible about the game and format, so long at the tourney is over in a reasonable amount of time, and of course, the house gets enough to make it worthwhile.
So let’s try again. Tell us what you want, and then do your part and SHOW UP. Bring a friend as well. Once the momentum gets rolling, then others will want to play also. It’s a good group of guys and it’s a fun place to play, but you tell me, what will it take for you to show up on Sundays? Don’t say “a fluffer” – it takes a week for Charles’ jaw to heal from Tuesdays…
See ya at the tables…
Rick
PKR Schedule
Monday 7:00 1/2 NL
Wednesday 1:00 1/2 NL
Thursday 7:00 1/2 NL
Friday 7:00 1/3 Omaha Hi/Omaha Hi Lo POT LIMIT
Saturday 2:00 40/40/40 Tourney
Sunday 2:00 120/110/110 Tourney
Sunday 7:00 1/2 NL
Wednesday 1:00 1/2 NL
Thursday 7:00 1/2 NL
Friday 7:00 1/3 Omaha Hi/Omaha Hi Lo POT LIMIT
Saturday 2:00 40/40/40 Tourney
Sunday 2:00 120/110/110 Tourney
Sunday 7:00 1/2 NL
Saturday, October 07, 2006
What to do?
Well, I can't seem to make them lay down.... I'm under the gun with pocket 10's... PKR Tourney 40/40/40.... blinds are up to 200/400 and I raise to 1900 straight. Sai, to my immediate left, raises to 5600.... and it folds around to me. I know he's on big slick or something close.... unfortunately, I've only got about 3,000 above his raise so if I re-raise now, he calls. My only shot TO WIN the pot is to call the bet and hope for either a 10 on the flop or a bad flop and then push. If he truly is on big slick, he'll only have 6 outs twice and maybe, maybe.... he'll go away. I didn't get the best flop, but it was 3 under cards so I push all-in. He thinks about it, oh, for about a second and then calls. In my opinion, a horrible call.... first of all, he didn't have that much more than me so if he calls and loses, he's crippled - AND he may be drawing dead if I flopped a set. Best case scenario, he has 6 outs twice to try to hit his over cards that may very well be dominated as I could easily have pocket kings, probably not aces as I took a little while contemplating his original raise. The only possible justification is that there is so much in the pot, but even then, it's basically all his chips on a draw that he doesn't even know if it hits whether it'll be good or not. He turns over his unsuited A, K. So, he tries to give me his chips..... and there on the river, an ace.
Oh well.... next time!
Oh well.... next time!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Tournament Cheating?
I have been debating whether or not to bring this up.... While we were at the USPC, there was quite a bit of buzz surrounding the success of Men Nguyen and his "posse".... First of all, let me go on record as to say that I have no idea as to the validity of the rumours. The rumours reference several instances where Men and his entourage have appeared to be illegally "dumping" chips to one another so that the person with the most likely chance of achieving victory gets assistance from other members on the team. Just this past week at the USPC, Men and his brother, UT finished 1st and 2nd in the $300+$30 event pocketing a combined $49K. I also saw them doing well in a couple other tourneys as well. I am pretty certain that I knocked UT out of the $500 event on Tuesday, the 26th of September.
Probably the event which has fueled the majority of the rumours took place in Mashantucket, Connecticut, at the Foxwoods Casino. Men was there with all of his compadres for a tournament. As is their norm, they arrived with coolers full of steak, fish, rice and beer. (I'm certain that Dave would have had something to say about that....!) They shared a large suite and they set it up with hot plates, steamers and other appliances. One of the team members destroyed dinner, their room filled with smoke and the hotel fire alarms went off. Workers from the hotel rushed inside and asked Men and his guys to leave while they dealt with the situation. The fire was put out, but rumors spread that tournament chips were found in the room. If that is true, that’s a terrible infraction of all major poker-tournament rules. As most of you are probably aware, tournament chips are NOT permitted to leave the table except with direct supervision of tournament staff. It would mean that players on Men’s team had been pulling chips from the tournament as their likelihood of getting knocked out became more and more of a certainty, and they then would give those chips to the group’s winning players, who could then supplement their chip stacks with the illegally obtained chips.
Men, of course, denies this completely. He insists that he was thrown out of the hotel due to the fire, not for cheating. (Foxwoods has confirmed this, but, as one player puts it, “Of course, they would; the last thing they want anybody to think is that their tournaments can be corrupted.")
Like I said, I don't know, but I would think that for as much discussion that was going on at the USPC about the possibilities of this type of cheating, that someone would do some serious investigation. With the amount of dollars that are in play at today's tournaments, all appearances of cheating should be investigated and dealt with appropriately. It should be easy enough to track who is part of the group and put survelliance on them for the entirety of their participation in the tournament. Cheating, and even the appearance of cheating, should absolutely NOT be tolerated... and if it is suspected, tournament officials should investigate and either remove the culprits or completely do away with the rumors. I hope they are rumors. But it's food for thought.
At many of the top tournaments today, when the final table is finished, there are in many instances MORE chips than there should be based on the advertised number of entrants. This has happened the last two years at the WSOP Main Event.... Oh well!
So, keep your eyes open!
Probably the event which has fueled the majority of the rumours took place in Mashantucket, Connecticut, at the Foxwoods Casino. Men was there with all of his compadres for a tournament. As is their norm, they arrived with coolers full of steak, fish, rice and beer. (I'm certain that Dave would have had something to say about that....!) They shared a large suite and they set it up with hot plates, steamers and other appliances. One of the team members destroyed dinner, their room filled with smoke and the hotel fire alarms went off. Workers from the hotel rushed inside and asked Men and his guys to leave while they dealt with the situation. The fire was put out, but rumors spread that tournament chips were found in the room. If that is true, that’s a terrible infraction of all major poker-tournament rules. As most of you are probably aware, tournament chips are NOT permitted to leave the table except with direct supervision of tournament staff. It would mean that players on Men’s team had been pulling chips from the tournament as their likelihood of getting knocked out became more and more of a certainty, and they then would give those chips to the group’s winning players, who could then supplement their chip stacks with the illegally obtained chips.
Men, of course, denies this completely. He insists that he was thrown out of the hotel due to the fire, not for cheating. (Foxwoods has confirmed this, but, as one player puts it, “Of course, they would; the last thing they want anybody to think is that their tournaments can be corrupted.")
Like I said, I don't know, but I would think that for as much discussion that was going on at the USPC about the possibilities of this type of cheating, that someone would do some serious investigation. With the amount of dollars that are in play at today's tournaments, all appearances of cheating should be investigated and dealt with appropriately. It should be easy enough to track who is part of the group and put survelliance on them for the entirety of their participation in the tournament. Cheating, and even the appearance of cheating, should absolutely NOT be tolerated... and if it is suspected, tournament officials should investigate and either remove the culprits or completely do away with the rumors. I hope they are rumors. But it's food for thought.
At many of the top tournaments today, when the final table is finished, there are in many instances MORE chips than there should be based on the advertised number of entrants. This has happened the last two years at the WSOP Main Event.... Oh well!
So, keep your eyes open!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
AA Meeting
Okay, time for an AA meeting. No, I’m talking about pocket aces, not Alcoholics Anonymous (although I see far too many people play aces like they’ve had too much to drink, and that’s the purpose of this article).
I find it interesting that even mediocre players know to proceed with caution with hands like A-K or Q-Q, but deal an otherwise solid player aces, and they seem to think they have an automatic double or triple-up coming. Next to A-K, I believe A-A is the most misplayed hand in hold ‘em. It is, of course, the best possible hand pre-flop. Nothing more, nothing less. After the flop, you should proceed as carefully as if you had 8-8. I think that poker on TV has a lot to do with players getting starry-eyed upon being dealt aces. Listen to Mike or Vince’s obligatory “There they are: American Airlines, The Big Kahunas, Pocket Rockets, Weapons of Mass Destruction, blah, blah, blah…” and it’s easy to forget just how beatable they really are.
Tight players and loose players alike are susceptible to their charms. Hell, many loose players think their Kh-8h is a good hand (hey, it’s suited, right?), so when they get dealt two red aces, they’ll beat the other guy in the pot when he goes all-in on a flop of 9s-10s-Js, then complain to their buddies the rest of the night about the “bad beat” they took. Many tight players routinely throw away hands like A-10os, or Kc-Jc, biding their time waiting for ultra-premium hands. When they finally do get a hand like A-A, it’s tough for them to lay it down after the flop, even if they suspect it’s not the best hand anymore. Mentally, they’ve already decided they’re “going down” with it.
This brings us to the different types of “bullet-buster” hands:
• Suited Connectors – Four different ways to beat aces: trips, two pair, straight, flush. On a side note: I like to play these hands whenever I can get in relatively cheaply. Sometimes I’ll play them even if it’s a fairly large raise, if I put my opponent on a large pocket pair, and he’s the type of person that I think I can bust if I flop to it. I must admit to getting a special charge out of hearing the ensuing whining (“How can you call my raise with that s**t?!”), as they push their entire stack of chips my way. Do they really think I called because I thought my 6h-7h was good pre-flop?!
• Connectors – Three different ways to beat aces: trips, two pair, straight.
• Suited Cards – Three different ways to beat aces: trips, two pair, flush.
• Pocket Pair – Only two outs, of course, but if the set comes it’s probably getting paid.
• Random Cards – Two different ways to beat aces: trips, two pair.
Note that I did not include four-card straights or flushes in the possible hands.
Which brings us to the various ways to play aces:
1) Bet and raise pre-flop
Most pros will tell you that this straightforward method will make you the most money in the long run. A nice healthy opening bet or raise will get most of the speculative hands out. You’d like a little action, of course, but don’t be too disappointed if you just pick up the blinds. If you get a caller or two, the flop (along with knowledge of your opponents) will greatly dictate how the hand plays out.
2) Limp with the intent of re-raising pre-flop
This can be a nice strategy, but it comes with a few caveats. First, you need someone else to cooperate by raising behind you. If nobody raises, and instead you get several more limpers, proceed with extreme caution and be prepared to dump the hand! Second, this play tips off the strength of your hand. You’ll most likely pick up the pot then and there, and if someone calls and gives you action after the flop, there’s a good chance you’re beat (after all, they know what you probably have, but you don’t know what they have). Third, if you’re going to raise, then RAISE! Don’t throw out some silly min-raise to build a pot, because I promise you that people will be coming in from the street to call, and someone (but probably not you) will be raking in a nice pot. Lastly, this play should be used as part of a balanced arsenal. Don’t overuse this, or any other play. Predictability does not make for a good poker player.
3) Limp to get as many people in the pot as possible
Clearly an amateur move, and the worst way to play a strong hand. Aces are favored against any other hand, but are an underdog to almost any two hands combined. Ideally you want to get someone heads up. You may very well end up against two or more players, but you need to at least charge them for the privilege.
4) Smooth-call a pre-flop raise
This can be a great move in certain short-handed situations, but can be extremely dangerous at a full table. Again, you want to play aces against one player if possible, so I believe you're better off in the long run by putting in a raise to try and isolate, and dissuade other players behind you from calling. Smooth-calling in early or middle position just gives players in late position (as well as the blinds) good odds to call with their speculative hands. Do you really want to see a flop with aces in middle position, along with three, four, or more other players? I didn't think so.
Anyone that’s been around poker for a while has heard the saying: “Aces win the small pots and lose the big pots.” Good players, however, know that this does not need to be the case. Aces are simply another good starting hand. If you feel like they’re beat at some point during the hand, just throw them in the muck! Nobody needs to know you had aces. And yes, sometimes you’ll make a bad read and lay down the best hand. And no, it won’t be the end of the world if you do. You’ll see hundreds of hands during a long session, so resist the temptation to fall in love with any one or two of them.
Once you learn to treat A-A with the respect it deserves, I think you’ll see a noticeable improvement in your game.
See ya at the tables!
Rick
I find it interesting that even mediocre players know to proceed with caution with hands like A-K or Q-Q, but deal an otherwise solid player aces, and they seem to think they have an automatic double or triple-up coming. Next to A-K, I believe A-A is the most misplayed hand in hold ‘em. It is, of course, the best possible hand pre-flop. Nothing more, nothing less. After the flop, you should proceed as carefully as if you had 8-8. I think that poker on TV has a lot to do with players getting starry-eyed upon being dealt aces. Listen to Mike or Vince’s obligatory “There they are: American Airlines, The Big Kahunas, Pocket Rockets, Weapons of Mass Destruction, blah, blah, blah…” and it’s easy to forget just how beatable they really are.
Tight players and loose players alike are susceptible to their charms. Hell, many loose players think their Kh-8h is a good hand (hey, it’s suited, right?), so when they get dealt two red aces, they’ll beat the other guy in the pot when he goes all-in on a flop of 9s-10s-Js, then complain to their buddies the rest of the night about the “bad beat” they took. Many tight players routinely throw away hands like A-10os, or Kc-Jc, biding their time waiting for ultra-premium hands. When they finally do get a hand like A-A, it’s tough for them to lay it down after the flop, even if they suspect it’s not the best hand anymore. Mentally, they’ve already decided they’re “going down” with it.
This brings us to the different types of “bullet-buster” hands:
• Suited Connectors – Four different ways to beat aces: trips, two pair, straight, flush. On a side note: I like to play these hands whenever I can get in relatively cheaply. Sometimes I’ll play them even if it’s a fairly large raise, if I put my opponent on a large pocket pair, and he’s the type of person that I think I can bust if I flop to it. I must admit to getting a special charge out of hearing the ensuing whining (“How can you call my raise with that s**t?!”), as they push their entire stack of chips my way. Do they really think I called because I thought my 6h-7h was good pre-flop?!
• Connectors – Three different ways to beat aces: trips, two pair, straight.
• Suited Cards – Three different ways to beat aces: trips, two pair, flush.
• Pocket Pair – Only two outs, of course, but if the set comes it’s probably getting paid.
• Random Cards – Two different ways to beat aces: trips, two pair.
Note that I did not include four-card straights or flushes in the possible hands.
Which brings us to the various ways to play aces:
1) Bet and raise pre-flop
Most pros will tell you that this straightforward method will make you the most money in the long run. A nice healthy opening bet or raise will get most of the speculative hands out. You’d like a little action, of course, but don’t be too disappointed if you just pick up the blinds. If you get a caller or two, the flop (along with knowledge of your opponents) will greatly dictate how the hand plays out.
2) Limp with the intent of re-raising pre-flop
This can be a nice strategy, but it comes with a few caveats. First, you need someone else to cooperate by raising behind you. If nobody raises, and instead you get several more limpers, proceed with extreme caution and be prepared to dump the hand! Second, this play tips off the strength of your hand. You’ll most likely pick up the pot then and there, and if someone calls and gives you action after the flop, there’s a good chance you’re beat (after all, they know what you probably have, but you don’t know what they have). Third, if you’re going to raise, then RAISE! Don’t throw out some silly min-raise to build a pot, because I promise you that people will be coming in from the street to call, and someone (but probably not you) will be raking in a nice pot. Lastly, this play should be used as part of a balanced arsenal. Don’t overuse this, or any other play. Predictability does not make for a good poker player.
3) Limp to get as many people in the pot as possible
Clearly an amateur move, and the worst way to play a strong hand. Aces are favored against any other hand, but are an underdog to almost any two hands combined. Ideally you want to get someone heads up. You may very well end up against two or more players, but you need to at least charge them for the privilege.
4) Smooth-call a pre-flop raise
This can be a great move in certain short-handed situations, but can be extremely dangerous at a full table. Again, you want to play aces against one player if possible, so I believe you're better off in the long run by putting in a raise to try and isolate, and dissuade other players behind you from calling. Smooth-calling in early or middle position just gives players in late position (as well as the blinds) good odds to call with their speculative hands. Do you really want to see a flop with aces in middle position, along with three, four, or more other players? I didn't think so.
Anyone that’s been around poker for a while has heard the saying: “Aces win the small pots and lose the big pots.” Good players, however, know that this does not need to be the case. Aces are simply another good starting hand. If you feel like they’re beat at some point during the hand, just throw them in the muck! Nobody needs to know you had aces. And yes, sometimes you’ll make a bad read and lay down the best hand. And no, it won’t be the end of the world if you do. You’ll see hundreds of hands during a long session, so resist the temptation to fall in love with any one or two of them.
Once you learn to treat A-A with the respect it deserves, I think you’ll see a noticeable improvement in your game.
See ya at the tables!
Rick
Bad Beats & Great Hands AND the Triangle Poker Journal
Just a heads up, our good friend and local poker player and owner/manager of the Triangle Poker Journal, George Smart, interviewed me on Wednesday, October 3 with questions and information about this blogsite.... Bad Beats & Great Hands.
The video may be found posted on the Triangle Poker Journal website at http://www.georgesmart.com/poker
Back to the felt!
The video may be found posted on the Triangle Poker Journal website at http://www.georgesmart.com/poker
Back to the felt!
Poker Movies....
One of my other hobbies is collecting movies on DVD. I am in the process of building a little poker library for fun and entertainment. Here's a list of movies with a POKER theme that I am aware of and I'll asterisk the ones that I've already collected. Let me know if you know of others that you would recommend.
*********************************************
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Rounders (1998)**
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)**
Luckytown (2000)
Big Hand for a Little Lady (1966)
Sunset Trail (1939)
Kaleidoscope (1966)
Queen High (1930)
Loaded Pistols (1948)
Maverick (1994)**
House of Games (1987)
Five Card Stud**
Rick's suggestions from his comment.....
The Big Blind (1999)
Un Monde Sans Pitie (1989)
Smart Money (1931)
The Sting (1973)
Shannon’s Deal (1989)
Poker (1986)
A Moment of Confusion (1998)
Du Shen (1989)
California Split (1974)
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) This isn't the Mike Ma story... is it?
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
The Gambler (1980)
Run (1990)
I'll be adding others that I have that are escaping my feeble memory when I have an opportunity and please provide any movies that you would like to add to the list as well.
Back to the felt!
*********************************************
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Rounders (1998)**
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)**
Luckytown (2000)
Big Hand for a Little Lady (1966)
Sunset Trail (1939)
Kaleidoscope (1966)
Queen High (1930)
Loaded Pistols (1948)
Maverick (1994)**
House of Games (1987)
Five Card Stud**
Rick's suggestions from his comment.....
The Big Blind (1999)
Un Monde Sans Pitie (1989)
Smart Money (1931)
The Sting (1973)
Shannon’s Deal (1989)
Poker (1986)
A Moment of Confusion (1998)
Du Shen (1989)
California Split (1974)
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) This isn't the Mike Ma story... is it?
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
The Gambler (1980)
Run (1990)
I'll be adding others that I have that are escaping my feeble memory when I have an opportunity and please provide any movies that you would like to add to the list as well.
Back to the felt!
Internet Gambling Ban
Please find below a letter re-printed in its entirety that was sent out by CardPlayerCruises.Com. It appears to cover the topic well and provides answers to some questions that may be of interest to you.
******************************************
From: Cruises@cardplayercruises.com [mailto:Cruises@cardplayercruises.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 6:18 PM
Subject: Internet Gambling Ban
To our Valued Customers and Friends,
As you may or may not know, legislation was recently passed (in the early hours of Saturday morning, September 30, 2006) concerning online gaming. The US Senate, or more appropriately, majority leader Bill Frist, attached the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006" to the main bill - The Safe Port Act - on which they were voting. Obviously, Internet gaming has nothing to do with making our ports safe but, unfortunately, that's politics at its worst. The bill was passed by a voice vote. This was the last piece of legislation acted upon before breaking until after the election. We have received many calls and emails asking how those who play Internet poker and specifically, on Party Poker will be affected. Below are some of the questions we've received and, in our opinions, their answers:
Q - Is my money safe with an Internet gaming site?
A - We can't speak for all sites, but we believe your money is safe at PartyPoker. CPC has been a supporter of Party from the beginning and, as most of you know, CPC hosts one of its cruises each year: the Party PokerMillion. Party is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange. They are required to segregate the funds that they hold in trust for their players. We absolutely believe that the money you have on deposit is safe. As for all of the other sites, we cannot offer an opinion.
Q - Should I continue to play online poker?
A - The bill has not been signed yet, so it isn't official at this time.
Once the bill is signed, Party Poker and some others will probably suspend US operations while looking for a solution. Even when the bill is signed by President Bush, many sites will continue to operate until the law becomes effective, which is estimated at 3-9 months. It is our understanding at this time that Party plans to stop accepting players from the United States on their real money sites (play money sites will probably continue). Should you continue to play? That is up to you, but there is likely to be very little attention paid to the individuals who are playing regardless. Currently there are 8 states that do not allow individuals to play poker on the Internet, Nevada being one of them, but there has never been any move by any governmental agency to enforce state law in this area. This new law is directed at the sites, not the individual players. It is important to note that, once signed, the n ew legislation will not criminalize individuals for playing poker online.
Q - What can I do to help make Internet poker legal, licensed and taxable in the US?
A - During the period between when the President signs the bill and the law goes into effect (3-9 months), it is very important that each of us make our voice heard. The Poker Players Alliance http://pokerplayersalliance.org/) is going to lead the fight to get a poker exclusion added to the current bill.
If this is unsuccessful, then the PPA will work toward getting an individual bill passed legalizing Internet poker. There is a lot of money behind this effort, but the most important item is to be able to tell Congress that we, as poker players, want the right to play poker on the Internet. In order to do this, the membership of PPA needs to grow from its current 125,000 to 1,000,000 (at a minimum) by the end of the year. To do this, we all need to join and get others to join as well. We encourage everyone to go to - http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org/ - and join the Poker Players Alliance.
If each of us asks five friends to join, and they in turn encourage five others to j oin, Congress will see that there is a large and powerful contingency that supports poker! Also, a petition will be sent to Congress that you can sign here via the Internet http://www.petitiononline.com/LOGNOW/petition.html
Q - What is the future of online poker?
A - While the long term effects are not yet known, we believe that the major poker sites, the PPA, and others are doing all they can to either get poker excluded from the legislation, or regulated. The future looks very bleak right now. We have lost the battle but we can still win the war! It is important for us all to remain calm and stay informed. We will continue to be a strong advocate for poker and do our best to keep everyone updated.
Thanks,
Card Player Cruises
Linda, Jan and Mark
You are currently subscribed to cardplayercruises as:
******************************************
From: Cruises@cardplayercruises.com [mailto:Cruises@cardplayercruises.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 6:18 PM
Subject: Internet Gambling Ban
To our Valued Customers and Friends,
As you may or may not know, legislation was recently passed (in the early hours of Saturday morning, September 30, 2006) concerning online gaming. The US Senate, or more appropriately, majority leader Bill Frist, attached the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006" to the main bill - The Safe Port Act - on which they were voting. Obviously, Internet gaming has nothing to do with making our ports safe but, unfortunately, that's politics at its worst. The bill was passed by a voice vote. This was the last piece of legislation acted upon before breaking until after the election. We have received many calls and emails asking how those who play Internet poker and specifically, on Party Poker will be affected. Below are some of the questions we've received and, in our opinions, their answers:
Q - Is my money safe with an Internet gaming site?
A - We can't speak for all sites, but we believe your money is safe at PartyPoker. CPC has been a supporter of Party from the beginning and, as most of you know, CPC hosts one of its cruises each year: the Party PokerMillion. Party is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange. They are required to segregate the funds that they hold in trust for their players. We absolutely believe that the money you have on deposit is safe. As for all of the other sites, we cannot offer an opinion.
Q - Should I continue to play online poker?
A - The bill has not been signed yet, so it isn't official at this time.
Once the bill is signed, Party Poker and some others will probably suspend US operations while looking for a solution. Even when the bill is signed by President Bush, many sites will continue to operate until the law becomes effective, which is estimated at 3-9 months. It is our understanding at this time that Party plans to stop accepting players from the United States on their real money sites (play money sites will probably continue). Should you continue to play? That is up to you, but there is likely to be very little attention paid to the individuals who are playing regardless. Currently there are 8 states that do not allow individuals to play poker on the Internet, Nevada being one of them, but there has never been any move by any governmental agency to enforce state law in this area. This new law is directed at the sites, not the individual players. It is important to note that, once signed, the n ew legislation will not criminalize individuals for playing poker online.
Q - What can I do to help make Internet poker legal, licensed and taxable in the US?
A - During the period between when the President signs the bill and the law goes into effect (3-9 months), it is very important that each of us make our voice heard. The Poker Players Alliance http://pokerplayersalliance.org/) is going to lead the fight to get a poker exclusion added to the current bill.
If this is unsuccessful, then the PPA will work toward getting an individual bill passed legalizing Internet poker. There is a lot of money behind this effort, but the most important item is to be able to tell Congress that we, as poker players, want the right to play poker on the Internet. In order to do this, the membership of PPA needs to grow from its current 125,000 to 1,000,000 (at a minimum) by the end of the year. To do this, we all need to join and get others to join as well. We encourage everyone to go to - http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org/ - and join the Poker Players Alliance.
If each of us asks five friends to join, and they in turn encourage five others to j oin, Congress will see that there is a large and powerful contingency that supports poker! Also, a petition will be sent to Congress that you can sign here via the Internet http://www.petitiononline.com/LOGNOW/petition.html
Q - What is the future of online poker?
A - While the long term effects are not yet known, we believe that the major poker sites, the PPA, and others are doing all they can to either get poker excluded from the legislation, or regulated. The future looks very bleak right now. We have lost the battle but we can still win the war! It is important for us all to remain calm and stay informed. We will continue to be a strong advocate for poker and do our best to keep everyone updated.
Thanks,
Card Player Cruises
Linda, Jan and Mark
You are currently subscribed to cardplayercruises as:
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home...
Well, after a losing week up north, it’s great to be back playing poker with The Jizz (AKA – The Human ATM). Although the night’s profits ended up being four-figures, it was really a fairly uneventful session. For the most part I managed to stay out of the large, crazy, make-or-break pots, but won a good percentage of the small to medium pots I was involved in.
The night started out nicely, when we started playing five-handed, and I look down at 7-7 in the BB after everyone limped. I figured my hand was probably only good until the flop, so I popped it up another $35(?) or so to take it down right there. I think there was one caller before Nate re-raised all-in. Hmmm… now I had just teased him about buying in for such a small amount, about $160 (most of us buy-in for $400). As it turned out, that small buy-in became his downfall. He doesn’t need too much more money for it to become a fairly easy fold for me. Here I was getting almost 2:1 on the call, but more importantly in this case, it was the first hand of the night and it simply just wasn’t that much more money. I call, Nate turns over 10-10, and I’m obviously way behind.
Enter Jarod, our intrepid dealer.
While I really like the 7 that he throws up on the flop, I like the case 7 on the turn even better. Quads to start the evening off – Get the Monkey! And as we say all too often: Jarod performs sexual intercourse on another one! Well, we say something like that…
As I said, I didn’t really drag any enormous pots, but I never took any big hits either. I made several big lay downs, and they all turned out to be correct decisions. No other big hands stand out, except for a couple moderate scoopers in Omaha 8. Not quite the roller coaster ride of most nights with The Jizz, but I went home with a pocketful of money nonetheless. Hey, whatever works. I don’t much care what road I take, so long as I end up safely at my destination…
See ya at the tables!
Rick
The night started out nicely, when we started playing five-handed, and I look down at 7-7 in the BB after everyone limped. I figured my hand was probably only good until the flop, so I popped it up another $35(?) or so to take it down right there. I think there was one caller before Nate re-raised all-in. Hmmm… now I had just teased him about buying in for such a small amount, about $160 (most of us buy-in for $400). As it turned out, that small buy-in became his downfall. He doesn’t need too much more money for it to become a fairly easy fold for me. Here I was getting almost 2:1 on the call, but more importantly in this case, it was the first hand of the night and it simply just wasn’t that much more money. I call, Nate turns over 10-10, and I’m obviously way behind.
Enter Jarod, our intrepid dealer.
While I really like the 7 that he throws up on the flop, I like the case 7 on the turn even better. Quads to start the evening off – Get the Monkey! And as we say all too often: Jarod performs sexual intercourse on another one! Well, we say something like that…
As I said, I didn’t really drag any enormous pots, but I never took any big hits either. I made several big lay downs, and they all turned out to be correct decisions. No other big hands stand out, except for a couple moderate scoopers in Omaha 8. Not quite the roller coaster ride of most nights with The Jizz, but I went home with a pocketful of money nonetheless. Hey, whatever works. I don’t much care what road I take, so long as I end up safely at my destination…
See ya at the tables!
Rick
Juice, are you reading this?
I know he just got back from vacation and all, but if he weren't a poser, he would've read this from the beach.
Nothing to blog other than JROD IS A QUAD-GIVING TOOL. Just wanted to make sure Juice was keeping up on his mandatory reading list.
Nothing to blog other than JROD IS A QUAD-GIVING TOOL. Just wanted to make sure Juice was keeping up on his mandatory reading list.
Tuesday night Juice!
Very good night... I had a couple of monster hands and made some really good lay downs (I think).... however, there was one I couldn't get away from.... again, it cost me a big stack of chips. 2/4 NLHE, Rick is sitting to my left. I limp and he raises to 24 straight. There are several callers and I call..... I am not going to tell you my hand. The flop is J, 10, brick.... I lead out with a 55 bet and Rick and John call and Dave folds like a little girl. I will tell you that I bet 55 here, expecting, hoping that Rick would re-raise. He didn't. That was my downfall.... the turn, a 9..... I bet 125 and Rick folds. John pushes all-in and he has me covered.... I've got 805 in front of me. Dave called the clock on me and I made a call that I shouldn't have..... although I had Rick in a bad situation, it would have been easy to put John on a hand that would beat me, but I was willing to pay to see it. He announces the nuts and turns over the K, Q.... and the river (very un-Jarod-like) is a brick and he scoops a monster! Nice hand sir.....
The other hand that was just an awesome flop for me..... 2/4 NL Omaha 8..... I've got 9, 9, 3, 4 and I thought how sweet would a 9, A, 2 flop be! and then there it was! Sweet.... The turn gave me the nut low and the nut straight and it held up.....
Then, of course, it wouldn't be a night at Dave's without him sucking out on me.... it's just a couple of hands after the monster pot above. I'm the big blind and flop the nut straight with a decent re-draw on top.... the flop was 6, 9, 10 rainbow. Dave bets out with a 20 and I re-raise to 60... he pushes all-in and I call with about 400 or so in front of me. Dave turns over his open-ended J, Q and spikes the King on the turn as requested.....
It wasn't long till everyone was wussying out crying about work, they're sick, their cat has diarrhea.... you name it.... these wimps can come up with some excuses!
At any rate, nice playing guys.....
The other hand that was just an awesome flop for me..... 2/4 NL Omaha 8..... I've got 9, 9, 3, 4 and I thought how sweet would a 9, A, 2 flop be! and then there it was! Sweet.... The turn gave me the nut low and the nut straight and it held up.....
Then, of course, it wouldn't be a night at Dave's without him sucking out on me.... it's just a couple of hands after the monster pot above. I'm the big blind and flop the nut straight with a decent re-draw on top.... the flop was 6, 9, 10 rainbow. Dave bets out with a 20 and I re-raise to 60... he pushes all-in and I call with about 400 or so in front of me. Dave turns over his open-ended J, Q and spikes the King on the turn as requested.....
It wasn't long till everyone was wussying out crying about work, they're sick, their cat has diarrhea.... you name it.... these wimps can come up with some excuses!
At any rate, nice playing guys.....
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Poker Tonight With the JUICE!
It's been two weeks since I've played poker with Dave.... here's hoping that the new poker chips are in. I've been playing with nice chips while in AC last week and don't really look forward to the cheap composite ones that are used so widely in NC. The new chips that Dave has ordered are VERY nice and will add a great deal to the game. Especially when I have about 4,000 worth of them... Whoo Hoo!
I'm almost tempted to PRE-BLOG, but Rick is really the only one that should do that.....
Until tomorrow then!
I'm almost tempted to PRE-BLOG, but Rick is really the only one that should do that.....
Until tomorrow then!
Monday, October 02, 2006
The Best Laid Plans...
…of mice and Rick, often go awry...
Well, work is crazy today, but I wanted to take a minute and post an overview of the past week in Atlantic City. To save time, I will just post a typical day, rather than the specifics of each day. The results are the same, only the hands and opponents vary slightly.
Early Morning
Feel good, feel confident. I’m ready to begin the tourney du jour and start scooping some chips!
Late Morning
The tourney has begun, and an hour or two into it, I’m actually the chip leader and captain at my table. My good hands have held up, and I’ve made a couple of nice power plays to take pots away from better hands. Every time I look up at the board, another dozen or so players have busted out. If things keep going well, I’ll make the money!
Early Afternoon
I have no chance to make the money. I’ve continued to get the chips in with the best hand, only to get sucked out on by players who called over-sized turn bets while getting horrible pot odds drawing to straights and flushes. In this respect AC is no different than Raleigh. I nurse a short stack for a while, but it’s just a matter of time before I’m off to the cash games…
Late Afternoon
I’m at the cash game table, mostly playing $2-5 NLHE, with a $500 buy-in. The table is a mixture of donkeys and good local players. I play fairly tight and slowly build my stack up to $700-800 or so before the suckout gods find me again. Rebuy.
Early Evening
Screw this, I’m getting hungry. We go and put a bad beat on the buffet.
Late Evening
I go and try my luck again, but sadly, it’s just more of the same. I can probably count four or five times I put any significant amount of chips into a pot when I was behind (and a couple were nut flush draws in multi-way pots where I obviously knew I was behind, but was getting a great price). I can also remember only four or five times when I went in ahead and actually won the hand. I give up, time to go to sleep and try again tomorrow.
I played so much poker that all the bad beats kind of ran together. One tournament hand sticks out, however. I was the big stack at my table in a $500 buy-in event, and I look down at J-J in middle position. I make a normal raise, and the button and big blind (second or third in chips) both call. Flop comes J-5-5. Oh, Baby! BB checks, and I check to the button, who has been fairly aggressive. He makes a bet of about ¾ of the pot, the BB raises (sweet!), and I pause for a minute and decide to smooth call, hoping the button pushes in. He doesn’t, and folds instead (he was clearly trying to buy the pot). Flop brings either a 2 or 3, I can’t remember which, and the BB leads out with a large bet. I make a min-raise, and he comes back over the top. He’s pretty much pot-committed at this point, so I go ahead and put him all-in. He calls and turns over 5d-6d, and his jaw drops as I turn over my jacks full. Of course, in keeping with the theme of the week, the one-outer 5 comes on the river, giving him quads and putting me on life support yet again. The entire table let out a collective moan when the five hit, but I just sat in silence, well-conditioned by years of similar beats.
Though I lost money overall, the trip itself was a great experience. Next time I’ll be playing cash games at Borgata, which is 100 times nicer than the dumpy Taj. The action seemed to be a lot better there as well, and half-naked cocktail waitresses add to the, um, ambiance. Most of them made me feel like I was wearing 3-D glasses.
I think the main thing I learned is to go ahead and push in on the turn when I know I have the best hand. Most of these donkeys clearly don’t understand the relatively simple math involved in calculating pot odds and implied odds. Even though in the long run, you’ll obviously come out ahead by giving them, say, 2.5:1 pot odds on their 4:1 draw, that gives you no consolation when it costs you your chance in the tournament when they connect. I’ll be content to win lots of smaller pots, and I’ll attempt to only get into confrontations with stacks much smaller than mine.
I'm looking forward to the next trip, hopefully for the Borgata Open in January. Until then, I'm back home where I can start rebuilding my bankroll through Dave. Yeah, I know, it's like shooting fish in a barrel, but it beats sitting at home and watching Love Boat reruns...
See ya at the tables!
Rick
Well, work is crazy today, but I wanted to take a minute and post an overview of the past week in Atlantic City. To save time, I will just post a typical day, rather than the specifics of each day. The results are the same, only the hands and opponents vary slightly.
Early Morning
Feel good, feel confident. I’m ready to begin the tourney du jour and start scooping some chips!
Late Morning
The tourney has begun, and an hour or two into it, I’m actually the chip leader and captain at my table. My good hands have held up, and I’ve made a couple of nice power plays to take pots away from better hands. Every time I look up at the board, another dozen or so players have busted out. If things keep going well, I’ll make the money!
Early Afternoon
I have no chance to make the money. I’ve continued to get the chips in with the best hand, only to get sucked out on by players who called over-sized turn bets while getting horrible pot odds drawing to straights and flushes. In this respect AC is no different than Raleigh. I nurse a short stack for a while, but it’s just a matter of time before I’m off to the cash games…
Late Afternoon
I’m at the cash game table, mostly playing $2-5 NLHE, with a $500 buy-in. The table is a mixture of donkeys and good local players. I play fairly tight and slowly build my stack up to $700-800 or so before the suckout gods find me again. Rebuy.
Early Evening
Screw this, I’m getting hungry. We go and put a bad beat on the buffet.
Late Evening
I go and try my luck again, but sadly, it’s just more of the same. I can probably count four or five times I put any significant amount of chips into a pot when I was behind (and a couple were nut flush draws in multi-way pots where I obviously knew I was behind, but was getting a great price). I can also remember only four or five times when I went in ahead and actually won the hand. I give up, time to go to sleep and try again tomorrow.
I played so much poker that all the bad beats kind of ran together. One tournament hand sticks out, however. I was the big stack at my table in a $500 buy-in event, and I look down at J-J in middle position. I make a normal raise, and the button and big blind (second or third in chips) both call. Flop comes J-5-5. Oh, Baby! BB checks, and I check to the button, who has been fairly aggressive. He makes a bet of about ¾ of the pot, the BB raises (sweet!), and I pause for a minute and decide to smooth call, hoping the button pushes in. He doesn’t, and folds instead (he was clearly trying to buy the pot). Flop brings either a 2 or 3, I can’t remember which, and the BB leads out with a large bet. I make a min-raise, and he comes back over the top. He’s pretty much pot-committed at this point, so I go ahead and put him all-in. He calls and turns over 5d-6d, and his jaw drops as I turn over my jacks full. Of course, in keeping with the theme of the week, the one-outer 5 comes on the river, giving him quads and putting me on life support yet again. The entire table let out a collective moan when the five hit, but I just sat in silence, well-conditioned by years of similar beats.
Though I lost money overall, the trip itself was a great experience. Next time I’ll be playing cash games at Borgata, which is 100 times nicer than the dumpy Taj. The action seemed to be a lot better there as well, and half-naked cocktail waitresses add to the, um, ambiance. Most of them made me feel like I was wearing 3-D glasses.
I think the main thing I learned is to go ahead and push in on the turn when I know I have the best hand. Most of these donkeys clearly don’t understand the relatively simple math involved in calculating pot odds and implied odds. Even though in the long run, you’ll obviously come out ahead by giving them, say, 2.5:1 pot odds on their 4:1 draw, that gives you no consolation when it costs you your chance in the tournament when they connect. I’ll be content to win lots of smaller pots, and I’ll attempt to only get into confrontations with stacks much smaller than mine.
I'm looking forward to the next trip, hopefully for the Borgata Open in January. Until then, I'm back home where I can start rebuilding my bankroll through Dave. Yeah, I know, it's like shooting fish in a barrel, but it beats sitting at home and watching Love Boat reruns...
See ya at the tables!
Rick
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Saturday PKR Tourney....
Rick and I made it to the PKR Tourney on Saturday.... I still haven't been to bed.... but somehow managed to finish 2nd.
I trippled up early and having a little reckless table image, I called a pre-flop raise to $400 with the 3c, 5c.... the flop was 1h, 2h, 4c.... that's pretty good flop for me.... I think! Lenny moves all-in and the new guy, Hari, calls so I call and turn over the nuts, they both turn over big aces and almost drawing dead.... the turn and the river doesn't change anything. Ship it!
I was making some comments all along about my willingness to play any "5"... there's a pre-flop riase to $150. I've got Jh, 10h and the flop comes 10, 10, 5.... so I lead out with a $500 bet and get one caller before Akash moves all-in. I call and he turns over the Ah, 5c.... wee!
As we got down to the final 2, me and the new guy, Hari... He probably has me out-chipped 3-1. He hits some big cards and goes all-in 4-5 times in a row and with the $3000/$6000 blinds, I can't take much more of this or I'll be out.... I'm the small blind and get K, J and move all-in. He turns over A, 10 and it holds up.....
Still, for not having been in a bed since Friday a.m., 2nd was OK with me.
Going back to PKR shortly for the Sunday event!
I trippled up early and having a little reckless table image, I called a pre-flop raise to $400 with the 3c, 5c.... the flop was 1h, 2h, 4c.... that's pretty good flop for me.... I think! Lenny moves all-in and the new guy, Hari, calls so I call and turn over the nuts, they both turn over big aces and almost drawing dead.... the turn and the river doesn't change anything. Ship it!
I was making some comments all along about my willingness to play any "5"... there's a pre-flop riase to $150. I've got Jh, 10h and the flop comes 10, 10, 5.... so I lead out with a $500 bet and get one caller before Akash moves all-in. I call and he turns over the Ah, 5c.... wee!
As we got down to the final 2, me and the new guy, Hari... He probably has me out-chipped 3-1. He hits some big cards and goes all-in 4-5 times in a row and with the $3000/$6000 blinds, I can't take much more of this or I'll be out.... I'm the small blind and get K, J and move all-in. He turns over A, 10 and it holds up.....
Still, for not having been in a bed since Friday a.m., 2nd was OK with me.
Going back to PKR shortly for the Sunday event!
Online Wagering Prohibition PASSED!
Copied from Triangle Poker Journal.....
Breaking News from PR Newswire: Online Wagering Prohibition Passed
Poker Players Alliance: Congress Ignores Public Sentiment, Approves Internet Poker ProhibitionSaturday September 30, 2:52 pm ET
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- In a Congressional back room deal, opponents of Internet gambling added language to port security legislation that would prohibit online wagering. The port security bill with the Internet gambling prohibition language included was approved by the U.S. House and Senate late on Friday evening and will be sent to the President to be signed into law. "This last minute deal reeks of political gamesmanship. The American people should be outraged that Congress has hi-jacked a vital security bill with a poker prohibition that nearly three fourths of the country opposes," said Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance, a grassroots advocacy organization of more than 110,000 poker enthusiasts. "Allowing this bill to become law would run contrary to public opinion and would damage an already fractured relationship between government and the electorate. The millions of Americans who enjoy playing this great game will have the last voice in this debate come Election Day."
Breaking News from PR Newswire: Online Wagering Prohibition Passed
Poker Players Alliance: Congress Ignores Public Sentiment, Approves Internet Poker ProhibitionSaturday September 30, 2:52 pm ET
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- In a Congressional back room deal, opponents of Internet gambling added language to port security legislation that would prohibit online wagering. The port security bill with the Internet gambling prohibition language included was approved by the U.S. House and Senate late on Friday evening and will be sent to the President to be signed into law. "This last minute deal reeks of political gamesmanship. The American people should be outraged that Congress has hi-jacked a vital security bill with a poker prohibition that nearly three fourths of the country opposes," said Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance, a grassroots advocacy organization of more than 110,000 poker enthusiasts. "Allowing this bill to become law would run contrary to public opinion and would damage an already fractured relationship between government and the electorate. The millions of Americans who enjoy playing this great game will have the last voice in this debate come Election Day."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
