Sorry, I couldn't resist it....
Friday, February 23, 2007
The Horror Show
There is nothing like the feeling of sitting down at a poker table and having a good time. I am not just talking about winning and losing. I am talking about the environment, the banter, the stories being told, the disagreements and inevitably the play. It seems like everyone, for the most part, can sit down and enjoy each others company and have reasonable debates on rules and protocol and if nothing else learning something new, or possibly teach someone something. If nothing else, we can agree to disagree and move forward.
Last night was no different. Last nights topic du jour was table talk regarding hands. It went so far as to Dave making a phone call to the Bellagio poker room and getting a ruling, which still did little to get an agreement as to what was acceptable behavior. This is probably one of the biggest "problems" when it comes to home games. As long you understand the environment and what is agreed upon acceptable behavior at that game then you know what you are getting yourself into when you walk through the doors.
Last night was a night of what could have been for me. I won a little but could have won a lot. You remember the feeling as a kid or maybe even as an adult when you go see a horror movie and at the end when you think it is all over and you let your guard down and then they get you one more time? Remember that feeling? That is kind of what I felt like last night. I flop the nut boat and of course slow play it (flop KK5 i believe and I have a K and a 5 in Omaha), lots of people in the hand so I figure someone will bet at it. No one does which is not the end of the world as a 9 peels off on the turn. John bets $100 and everyone folds to me, I make it $250 and, John calls which puts him all in knowing he is behind (I had no problem with the call, he was committed to that hand once he bet the $100 and I could have just had a K). We turn over our hand and here is where it gets bone chillingly horrorific for me at least. Dave starts yelling to John that you are drawing dead. Well I like the sound of that as I figure Dave folded a 9 and the river is meaningless. In my head I start counting the chips and mentally dragging the pot, a nice sized one at that. I believe it was around $700 or so. Just like in the horror movie when you think it is over and then something fucked up happens and makes your balls jump back inside your stomach the case 9 hits the river for the monkey for John. I just stare in utter disbelief as I thought John was drawing dead. Thanks Dave! lol-never a dull moment.
I was far from mad. Shit happens. I think that was probably the worst beat I had ever taken or at least that I could remember. A 1 outter that I thought did not exist. It was still a fun night and I was able to cash out a winner even after that kick to the balls. If I am going to ship my chips to anyone it may as well be John. ....Maybe he will consider that a down payment on a new bedroom set for my wife.
Last night was no different. Last nights topic du jour was table talk regarding hands. It went so far as to Dave making a phone call to the Bellagio poker room and getting a ruling, which still did little to get an agreement as to what was acceptable behavior. This is probably one of the biggest "problems" when it comes to home games. As long you understand the environment and what is agreed upon acceptable behavior at that game then you know what you are getting yourself into when you walk through the doors.
Last night was a night of what could have been for me. I won a little but could have won a lot. You remember the feeling as a kid or maybe even as an adult when you go see a horror movie and at the end when you think it is all over and you let your guard down and then they get you one more time? Remember that feeling? That is kind of what I felt like last night. I flop the nut boat and of course slow play it (flop KK5 i believe and I have a K and a 5 in Omaha), lots of people in the hand so I figure someone will bet at it. No one does which is not the end of the world as a 9 peels off on the turn. John bets $100 and everyone folds to me, I make it $250 and, John calls which puts him all in knowing he is behind (I had no problem with the call, he was committed to that hand once he bet the $100 and I could have just had a K). We turn over our hand and here is where it gets bone chillingly horrorific for me at least. Dave starts yelling to John that you are drawing dead. Well I like the sound of that as I figure Dave folded a 9 and the river is meaningless. In my head I start counting the chips and mentally dragging the pot, a nice sized one at that. I believe it was around $700 or so. Just like in the horror movie when you think it is over and then something fucked up happens and makes your balls jump back inside your stomach the case 9 hits the river for the monkey for John. I just stare in utter disbelief as I thought John was drawing dead. Thanks Dave! lol-never a dull moment.
I was far from mad. Shit happens. I think that was probably the worst beat I had ever taken or at least that I could remember. A 1 outter that I thought did not exist. It was still a fun night and I was able to cash out a winner even after that kick to the balls. If I am going to ship my chips to anyone it may as well be John. ....Maybe he will consider that a down payment on a new bedroom set for my wife.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Brian Townsend aka Aba20/Shrugby on High Stakes Poker
Like many players I love good poker TV. I mean serious poker with well known pros like Ivey, Negraneu, and Doyle. What I don't really care for besides celebrity poker is watching unknown players or up and comers players on some of the WPT events or shows like Poker Dome. There are however exceptions. One of those exceptions is an online player named Brian Townsend. If you watch High Stakes Poker on the GSN Monday evenings at 9PM, he has been on the last couple episodes and will be featured in several more episodes.
There are a number of reasons you may not have heard of Brian. He plays mostly on the internet on Full Tilt and PokerStars under the screen names Aba20 and Shrugby. He also hasn't been playing very long. There is one big reason you will hear a lot more about him in the future though. He is one of the the best current cash game no-limit poker players today. He plays daily and beats the highest stakes no-limit games online. I don't just mean he beats them. I mean he crushes them! He is quickly becoming a terror at the high stakes Pot Limit Omaha games online as well. Brian regularly plays against and beats big name pros like Phil Ivey and David Beyamine. Not many "well known pros" play high stakes online. These two are exceptions and Brian plays against them regularly not to mention many other terrific online players in pots that are commonly in the $100-$150K range.
What is probably the most amazing is that Brian has been playing no-limit holdem for only a short time. He began playing no-limit at the beginning of 2006 starting at the lowest limits and rapidly rising in less than a year to playing the highest stakes games available online. Brian has risen so rapidly because of his exceptional skill and also because he has played countless thousands of hands while being very aggressive in taking shots and moving up in limits very quickly. He has hit rough spots along the way and had to occasionally move down in limits for awhile before succeeding at the next level. In being willing to take a step down when necessary before moving up again though he has shown the characteristics of outstanding bankroll management that many aspiring poker players could benefit from. Brian often plays as many hands a week at 200/400NL and up as many of the "well known pros" play live in the "Big Game" in the course of a year.
Like I said, fortunately we will be seeing a lot more of Brian in the near future on High Stakes Poker which is in my opinion the best poker show on TV followed closely by Poker After Dark on NBC which I believe is the second best show on right now and the best tournament show on TV. Brian has been so successful online that he will be sitting at the HSP table with three quarters of a million dollars. In some of the upcoming episodes of HSP Brian will be playing at a table featuring Daniel Negraneu, David Benyamine, Phil Ivey, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, John D' Agostino, Brad Booth, and Patrik Antonious. This could definitely without exaggeration be the toughest no-limit cash game holdem table ever assembled. Honestly, as good of a player as Daniel Negraneu is, he is probably the fish at this table. That's how good the others are. If Brian does lose some pots though or doesn't look like the world class player he is realize that even though these shows last for hours on TV they are actually playing very few hands like 20 hands or less an hour live. They are constantly having to stop and restart due to TV production requirements that go into filming a show like this. When you are playing so few hands at these limits the variance can be extremely high. Also Brian is not used to play at a full 8 or 9 handed table at this level. The highest stakes games online are never played as full ring games. They are usually shorthanded between 2-6 players. This is where Brian's expertise is and where he will shine the most right now. Pros like him can adjust to the differences in these games but he is still most experienced short-handed. Trust me. You will see much more of Brian in the years to come.
If you can't get enough of Brian on HSP right now you may also want to check him out through another medium. He has recently signed on as a producer and part owner of the online poker video instructional site www.cardrunners.com. He will be making new videos of his play along with his excellent commentary at a variety of limits including those significantly lower than the limits he currently plays at. For those not familiar with CardRunners it is an excellent site with hundreds of videos by successful professional online players. Whether you are a relatively new $1/2 NL player or a more experienced player you will benefit greatly from this site. The site is primarily no-limit oriented and there are videos for tournament as well as cash game play. If you play $1/2 - $10/20 NL holdem or online tournaments with typical buy-ins from $20 - $200 this is the perfect site to learn from and take your play to the next level. Hope to see you soon at the tables----Ben.
There are a number of reasons you may not have heard of Brian. He plays mostly on the internet on Full Tilt and PokerStars under the screen names Aba20 and Shrugby. He also hasn't been playing very long. There is one big reason you will hear a lot more about him in the future though. He is one of the the best current cash game no-limit poker players today. He plays daily and beats the highest stakes no-limit games online. I don't just mean he beats them. I mean he crushes them! He is quickly becoming a terror at the high stakes Pot Limit Omaha games online as well. Brian regularly plays against and beats big name pros like Phil Ivey and David Beyamine. Not many "well known pros" play high stakes online. These two are exceptions and Brian plays against them regularly not to mention many other terrific online players in pots that are commonly in the $100-$150K range.
What is probably the most amazing is that Brian has been playing no-limit holdem for only a short time. He began playing no-limit at the beginning of 2006 starting at the lowest limits and rapidly rising in less than a year to playing the highest stakes games available online. Brian has risen so rapidly because of his exceptional skill and also because he has played countless thousands of hands while being very aggressive in taking shots and moving up in limits very quickly. He has hit rough spots along the way and had to occasionally move down in limits for awhile before succeeding at the next level. In being willing to take a step down when necessary before moving up again though he has shown the characteristics of outstanding bankroll management that many aspiring poker players could benefit from. Brian often plays as many hands a week at 200/400NL and up as many of the "well known pros" play live in the "Big Game" in the course of a year.
Like I said, fortunately we will be seeing a lot more of Brian in the near future on High Stakes Poker which is in my opinion the best poker show on TV followed closely by Poker After Dark on NBC which I believe is the second best show on right now and the best tournament show on TV. Brian has been so successful online that he will be sitting at the HSP table with three quarters of a million dollars. In some of the upcoming episodes of HSP Brian will be playing at a table featuring Daniel Negraneu, David Benyamine, Phil Ivey, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, John D' Agostino, Brad Booth, and Patrik Antonious. This could definitely without exaggeration be the toughest no-limit cash game holdem table ever assembled. Honestly, as good of a player as Daniel Negraneu is, he is probably the fish at this table. That's how good the others are. If Brian does lose some pots though or doesn't look like the world class player he is realize that even though these shows last for hours on TV they are actually playing very few hands like 20 hands or less an hour live. They are constantly having to stop and restart due to TV production requirements that go into filming a show like this. When you are playing so few hands at these limits the variance can be extremely high. Also Brian is not used to play at a full 8 or 9 handed table at this level. The highest stakes games online are never played as full ring games. They are usually shorthanded between 2-6 players. This is where Brian's expertise is and where he will shine the most right now. Pros like him can adjust to the differences in these games but he is still most experienced short-handed. Trust me. You will see much more of Brian in the years to come.
If you can't get enough of Brian on HSP right now you may also want to check him out through another medium. He has recently signed on as a producer and part owner of the online poker video instructional site www.cardrunners.com. He will be making new videos of his play along with his excellent commentary at a variety of limits including those significantly lower than the limits he currently plays at. For those not familiar with CardRunners it is an excellent site with hundreds of videos by successful professional online players. Whether you are a relatively new $1/2 NL player or a more experienced player you will benefit greatly from this site. The site is primarily no-limit oriented and there are videos for tournament as well as cash game play. If you play $1/2 - $10/20 NL holdem or online tournaments with typical buy-ins from $20 - $200 this is the perfect site to learn from and take your play to the next level. Hope to see you soon at the tables----Ben.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Juice Tuesday
Another night with a limited supply of Juice.... I know that his wife has probably said that many times, but that's the way it is. It is a completely different game when the Juice is not in attendance. The pot sizes change from a juice-less $150 to a juice-included $1,000 to $1,500. I remember one hand last week where he wasn't even in the hand, just at the table, and it was the first really large pot of the night. I know there are some times when he can't control having to leave due to family, or crack-head employees or other emergencies, but we do miss him when he isn't there....
The night also had a different feel because Rick was noticeably absent. I understand that he isn't coming back until they make some pretty serious rule changes around there.... LOL. Yeah, that'll happen. They could pass a rule that he had to be beaten with razor-laced whip and dipped in alcohol and he would show up early and be right in line for "Scout" to assist with the accumulation of chips.... LOL.
There were only a couple of big hands for me last night. The first came against Elly when I turned the nut club flush and the 3rd nut low.... which earned me a scoop. The second against Mike M.... I was in the big blind and Elly raised the $2/$5 blinds to $20 (which became "pretty-much" the standard cost to see the flop last night). Mike raised it to $70 and when it got back to me in the hold'em hand, I had pocket kings. I raised to $200 and everyone folded! Now see, if the Juice were at the table, he would have re-raised me to $500. I would have pushed all-in and he would have scooped the pot when the "3" of his 7c, 3c made the wheel. Nice!
In another hand, I laid down a good hand to John S when he raised O8 pre-flop to $20 and when everyone called, he pushed all-in on the flop when the board came Jd, 8d, 4c. Everyone folded to me and after much verbal abuse from John laid down my bottom set, which I knew was ahead to his low draw and nut flush draw. Jarod ran it and I would have scooped the pot when the flush nor the low got there. He had gotten paid early on when he raised pre-flop with A, A, and 2 low cards when he hit the nut flush and the nut low.
The monkey did come out last night. The Juice came in a little late and sat down and turned a Jc, 7c straight flush..... Nice! I flopped quad-3's against Elly and Nate and bet the entire way and scooped a nice pot when the low didn't get there. All-in-all, a nice night and a good group of players, but we've got to keep the Juice at the table!
Back to the felt!
The night also had a different feel because Rick was noticeably absent. I understand that he isn't coming back until they make some pretty serious rule changes around there.... LOL. Yeah, that'll happen. They could pass a rule that he had to be beaten with razor-laced whip and dipped in alcohol and he would show up early and be right in line for "Scout" to assist with the accumulation of chips.... LOL.
There were only a couple of big hands for me last night. The first came against Elly when I turned the nut club flush and the 3rd nut low.... which earned me a scoop. The second against Mike M.... I was in the big blind and Elly raised the $2/$5 blinds to $20 (which became "pretty-much" the standard cost to see the flop last night). Mike raised it to $70 and when it got back to me in the hold'em hand, I had pocket kings. I raised to $200 and everyone folded! Now see, if the Juice were at the table, he would have re-raised me to $500. I would have pushed all-in and he would have scooped the pot when the "3" of his 7c, 3c made the wheel. Nice!
In another hand, I laid down a good hand to John S when he raised O8 pre-flop to $20 and when everyone called, he pushed all-in on the flop when the board came Jd, 8d, 4c. Everyone folded to me and after much verbal abuse from John laid down my bottom set, which I knew was ahead to his low draw and nut flush draw. Jarod ran it and I would have scooped the pot when the flush nor the low got there. He had gotten paid early on when he raised pre-flop with A, A, and 2 low cards when he hit the nut flush and the nut low.
The monkey did come out last night. The Juice came in a little late and sat down and turned a Jc, 7c straight flush..... Nice! I flopped quad-3's against Elly and Nate and bet the entire way and scooped a nice pot when the low didn't get there. All-in-all, a nice night and a good group of players, but we've got to keep the Juice at the table!
Back to the felt!
PokerTek Expands Agreement with Carnival Cruises
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
PokerTek Expands Agreement with Carnival Cruises
Charlotte Business Journal - 2:46 PM EST Friday, February 16, 2007
PokerTek Inc. has completed a trial of its PokerPro tables on Carnival Corp. & plc's Princess Cruises, and the cruise line will expand its use of the electronic poker tables.
With PokerPro tables already installed on three of its ships, Princess Cruises will have 22 tables installed by the end of the year.
"We continue to be impressed with how quickly the Princess guests learn to play PokerPro and how reliable the product has proven itself," says Rodney Dofort, vice president of casino operations.
Financial terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.
Matthews NC-based PokerTek (NASDAQ:PTEK) is a software-development company that markets tables at which up to 10 people can play Texas Hold 'Em.
The company's PokerPro electronic system deals cards, displays them on private screens to the players and displays general information on a large screen in the center of the table. It also enables customers to set up accounts for betting and keeps statistical information on the games.
The system is designed to increase casino revenue by increasing hands per hour and reducing labor costs within poker rooms.
Carnival, based in Florida and the United Kingdom, is a global cruise company.
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
PokerTek Expands Agreement with Carnival Cruises
Charlotte Business Journal - 2:46 PM EST Friday, February 16, 2007
PokerTek Inc. has completed a trial of its PokerPro tables on Carnival Corp. & plc's Princess Cruises, and the cruise line will expand its use of the electronic poker tables.
With PokerPro tables already installed on three of its ships, Princess Cruises will have 22 tables installed by the end of the year.
"We continue to be impressed with how quickly the Princess guests learn to play PokerPro and how reliable the product has proven itself," says Rodney Dofort, vice president of casino operations.
Financial terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.
Matthews NC-based PokerTek (NASDAQ:PTEK) is a software-development company that markets tables at which up to 10 people can play Texas Hold 'Em.
The company's PokerPro electronic system deals cards, displays them on private screens to the players and displays general information on a large screen in the center of the table. It also enables customers to set up accounts for betting and keeps statistical information on the games.
The system is designed to increase casino revenue by increasing hands per hour and reducing labor costs within poker rooms.
Carnival, based in Florida and the United Kingdom, is a global cruise company.
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Monday, February 19, 2007
PKR Saturday Tourny
I finally figured out how to cash in the tournaments...............stop bluffing all my chips away! Who knew it was that easy, besides Rick and Charles, who seem to cash every week. Although, I havn't seen Rick in the final few the last couple weeks. He must be putting all his chips at risk with the best hand. He should know by now that you can't do that at PKR. So anyway, I have managed to cash the last three tournaments I have played at PKR. A first and two seconds. I also managed to win my way into the bonus tournament with just two good weeks. I have been playing pretty damn well if I may say so, but I have also had some good fortune, or luck as some of you like to call it. Like when my KK sucked out on AA this week. LOVE IT! So, I'll see you guys this Saturday in the bonus tourny. Good fortune!
WSOP
Ok, I need some help from those of you who eat, sleep, breath, and, oh yes, play poker. I'm heading to Vegas May 11th and I want to play in a couple satellites for the WSOP main event. What is the best way to find out where I can go to do so? I've been trying on-line with just a little success. Anybody have the answers? Thanks in advance. Matt
Saturday PKR Tournament
The Saturday tournament proved to be as unlucky as Friday was lucky. Just as well – given the choice I’d rather catch cards during the cash games, where I can make more in one pot than I can by outlasting 20 other guys and winning some goofy $40 buy-in tournament. I was all-in three times Saturday, and to say I got my money good would be a tremendous understatement. My opponents had a total of eight outs in the three hands combined. Needless to say, I was lucky to win one of them, and I busted out early…
One hand was when I have 10-10, make a standard raise, and Charles calls. The flop comes K-10-X – sweet! I’m hoping he has a king, of course, and lead out with a bet of a little more than half the pot. He calls, so the trap is now set. A brick comes on the turn, and I check, hoping he reads that as me making a continuation flop bet with something like A-Q or an underpair. Sure enough, he makes a good-sized bet of about half his stack. I figure he’s pretty much committed and go ahead and push in. He calls and turns over A-A. I guess we were slow-playing each other! Turns out the action wouldn’t have mattered too much. He would’ve had to make a fairly big re-raise to get me off the hand pre-flop. He didn’t get one of the two remaining aces, and I pretty much double-up.
Then the rains came...
As the rebuy period is winding to a close, I get involved with a hand with Rene, who is short-stacked. I have Ac-Qc, and make a standard raise, which he calls. The flop comes Ax-4x-4x, and I go ahead and push him in. He calls and turns over A-8, and, of course, an 8 peels off on the turn.
The final suckout came against, who else, Charles. He gets squirrelly and pushes in with Ah-7h (hey, it’s suited, right?), and I call with As-Ks. He has me covered, and I’m fairly sure I’m about drawing dead as I say “here come the sevens.” Sadly, I’m right again (I hate being right so often…) and I’m out the door before he can finish scooping my chips.
Next Saturday will be the freeroll tournament, so hopefully the luck will even out then. If the best hand holds up every time, then I like my chances. If not, then at least I’ll have more blogging material. :-)
See ya at the tables…
Rick
One hand was when I have 10-10, make a standard raise, and Charles calls. The flop comes K-10-X – sweet! I’m hoping he has a king, of course, and lead out with a bet of a little more than half the pot. He calls, so the trap is now set. A brick comes on the turn, and I check, hoping he reads that as me making a continuation flop bet with something like A-Q or an underpair. Sure enough, he makes a good-sized bet of about half his stack. I figure he’s pretty much committed and go ahead and push in. He calls and turns over A-A. I guess we were slow-playing each other! Turns out the action wouldn’t have mattered too much. He would’ve had to make a fairly big re-raise to get me off the hand pre-flop. He didn’t get one of the two remaining aces, and I pretty much double-up.
Then the rains came...
As the rebuy period is winding to a close, I get involved with a hand with Rene, who is short-stacked. I have Ac-Qc, and make a standard raise, which he calls. The flop comes Ax-4x-4x, and I go ahead and push him in. He calls and turns over A-8, and, of course, an 8 peels off on the turn.
The final suckout came against, who else, Charles. He gets squirrelly and pushes in with Ah-7h (hey, it’s suited, right?), and I call with As-Ks. He has me covered, and I’m fairly sure I’m about drawing dead as I say “here come the sevens.” Sadly, I’m right again (I hate being right so often…) and I’m out the door before he can finish scooping my chips.
Next Saturday will be the freeroll tournament, so hopefully the luck will even out then. If the best hand holds up every time, then I like my chances. If not, then at least I’ll have more blogging material. :-)
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Friday Omaha at PKR
Friday brought another exciting game of Omaha 8 (high/low) at PKR. It’s actually dealer’s choice between high and high/low, but it’s the usually the latter 99% of the hands. We play $2/5 pot limit, and depending on who’s there on any particular night, it can range from an action game to downright crazy. This past Friday a few “action” regulars such as Akash and Elvie were noticeably absent, but it turned out to be a pretty active game nonetheless. We had a couple newcomers to the game in Stone and Matt M, who both played relatively tight
I’m usually a pretty active player, so there were a couple hands where I had scoopers on the turn but ended up with only half the pot. I also made a couple big calls with good three-way draws, only to miss everything. That having been said, I had a fairly lucky night overall. I hit a couple draws in large pots, and had the best hand hold up (always a pleasant surprise!) a few times as well.
My biggest suckout of the night came against Matt. I have Ad-2d-2h-6d UTG, and the flop comes Kx-5d-2x, giving me bottom set, a decent low draw, and backdoor straight and flush draws. Not an incredible hand by any means, but one that will be good most of the time. I lead out with a pot-sized bet, hoping to take it down right there, but I don’t mind a call from a low draw. Nate is on my immediate right, and makes the call. I don’t remember, but I think there’s one other caller before it gets around to Matt, who raises all-in for around $300 more. He’s playing fairly tight, so I’m reasonably sure he has the top set of kings. With my low draw and other backdoor draws, and me getting more than 2:1 on my money, it feels like a pretty easy call if we were heads-up. My only concern here is Nate, who doesn’t have a lot of chips left (maybe $200+?). With him smooth-calling my flop bet, he could easily have nut low draw and/or some kind of a small wrap. If he had a large stack, I would probably raise and try and isolate Matt. In the end, I decide to make the call and hope I’m not stuck in the middle. Nate is now getting a great price, and insta-calls with the nut low draw. Crap. Luckily, two diamonds peel off the deck to give me the nut flush and half the pot.
This hand is a good example of the nature of Omaha, in that it’s a drawing game. In Hold ‘em, Matt would be in a golden position on the flop, even against several opponents seeing the flop, and might even slow-play. In Omaha, however, I believe that flopping top set of kings with a 2-5 on the flop will probably cost you money in the long run if you play it fast on the flop. With two cards to come, and your opponents most likely holding a bunch of smaller cards, it’s just too easy to get drawn out on. Any low card means that you’ll probably only win half the pot, and many low cards make both a low and a straight, leaving you with nothing. It’s almost like you have to “get lucky” by pairing the board, and even then some idiot might make quad deuces! :-) For me, in this situation I usually prefer to play top set a bit slower on the flop, then bet big on the turn if a good card (Q through 9, for example) comes. It’s a lot easier for your opponents to fold a drawing hand on the turn than on the flop.
Another nice hand comes when I have X-X-3c-4c, and the flop comes Ac-5c-6x. I’m first to act, make a pot-sized bet and get several callers. Of course, I’m thinking “2c…2c…” and BOOM! Here comes that little beauty on the turn, giving me the steel wheel – get the monkey! I lead out with a smallish bet just praying someone with the nut flush will raise me. No such luck, but I do get a couple callers, including Nate. The river brings a 4x, and I again make a smallish bet ($100 maybe?) in relation to the pot size. Nate looks a bit suspicious, but makes the call, as does the other guy. Nate shows the queen-high flush, and the other guy shows 3-4 for the nut low, giving me ¾ of the pot. In retrospect, I think the $100 river bet was just about the right amount. The other guy didn’t have a lot of chips left, and Nate wouldn’t have paid off too much more than that with the third-nut high.
I continued to steadily build my stack the rest of the night, and when the game broke I was able to cash out for almost $3,200. For those wannabe Omaha players out there, you should come on out and play! The game is rapidly growing in popularity, thanks primarily to its action nature. Almost everyone flops some kind of hand or draw, so you normally get several players seeing a turn card. If you haven’t yet tried Omaha, you’re really missing out on a fun game. By comparison, playing Hold ‘em is like watching paint dry. Go out and get yourself a book or two, then jump in and get your feet wet!
See ya at the tables…
Rick
I’m usually a pretty active player, so there were a couple hands where I had scoopers on the turn but ended up with only half the pot. I also made a couple big calls with good three-way draws, only to miss everything. That having been said, I had a fairly lucky night overall. I hit a couple draws in large pots, and had the best hand hold up (always a pleasant surprise!) a few times as well.
My biggest suckout of the night came against Matt. I have Ad-2d-2h-6d UTG, and the flop comes Kx-5d-2x, giving me bottom set, a decent low draw, and backdoor straight and flush draws. Not an incredible hand by any means, but one that will be good most of the time. I lead out with a pot-sized bet, hoping to take it down right there, but I don’t mind a call from a low draw. Nate is on my immediate right, and makes the call. I don’t remember, but I think there’s one other caller before it gets around to Matt, who raises all-in for around $300 more. He’s playing fairly tight, so I’m reasonably sure he has the top set of kings. With my low draw and other backdoor draws, and me getting more than 2:1 on my money, it feels like a pretty easy call if we were heads-up. My only concern here is Nate, who doesn’t have a lot of chips left (maybe $200+?). With him smooth-calling my flop bet, he could easily have nut low draw and/or some kind of a small wrap. If he had a large stack, I would probably raise and try and isolate Matt. In the end, I decide to make the call and hope I’m not stuck in the middle. Nate is now getting a great price, and insta-calls with the nut low draw. Crap. Luckily, two diamonds peel off the deck to give me the nut flush and half the pot.
This hand is a good example of the nature of Omaha, in that it’s a drawing game. In Hold ‘em, Matt would be in a golden position on the flop, even against several opponents seeing the flop, and might even slow-play. In Omaha, however, I believe that flopping top set of kings with a 2-5 on the flop will probably cost you money in the long run if you play it fast on the flop. With two cards to come, and your opponents most likely holding a bunch of smaller cards, it’s just too easy to get drawn out on. Any low card means that you’ll probably only win half the pot, and many low cards make both a low and a straight, leaving you with nothing. It’s almost like you have to “get lucky” by pairing the board, and even then some idiot might make quad deuces! :-) For me, in this situation I usually prefer to play top set a bit slower on the flop, then bet big on the turn if a good card (Q through 9, for example) comes. It’s a lot easier for your opponents to fold a drawing hand on the turn than on the flop.
Another nice hand comes when I have X-X-3c-4c, and the flop comes Ac-5c-6x. I’m first to act, make a pot-sized bet and get several callers. Of course, I’m thinking “2c…2c…” and BOOM! Here comes that little beauty on the turn, giving me the steel wheel – get the monkey! I lead out with a smallish bet just praying someone with the nut flush will raise me. No such luck, but I do get a couple callers, including Nate. The river brings a 4x, and I again make a smallish bet ($100 maybe?) in relation to the pot size. Nate looks a bit suspicious, but makes the call, as does the other guy. Nate shows the queen-high flush, and the other guy shows 3-4 for the nut low, giving me ¾ of the pot. In retrospect, I think the $100 river bet was just about the right amount. The other guy didn’t have a lot of chips left, and Nate wouldn’t have paid off too much more than that with the third-nut high.
I continued to steadily build my stack the rest of the night, and when the game broke I was able to cash out for almost $3,200. For those wannabe Omaha players out there, you should come on out and play! The game is rapidly growing in popularity, thanks primarily to its action nature. Almost everyone flops some kind of hand or draw, so you normally get several players seeing a turn card. If you haven’t yet tried Omaha, you’re really missing out on a fun game. By comparison, playing Hold ‘em is like watching paint dry. Go out and get yourself a book or two, then jump in and get your feet wet!
See ya at the tables…
Rick
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
MGM Has New Old Plans for Atlantic City
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Triangle Poker Journal™ Covering Local News on America's Favorite Game
Subscribe free at http://www.trianglepokerjournal.com/
The site of MGM Mirage's proposed casino lies between Harrah's (buildings in foreground) and the Borgata (tower in background).
MGM Has New Old Plans for Atlantic City
By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
ATLANTIC CITY — Las Vegas gaming giant MGM Mirage, which has tantalized Atlantic City for a decade with plans for casinos that were never built, said Wednesday that it may develop a new megaresort on a 71-acre site in the Marina District.
The company's board of directors has approved $20 million to design a project that would rise next to Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, the upscale gaming hall co-owned by MGM with Boyd Gaming Corp.
Terry Lanni, MGM chairman and chief executive officer, said planning work and regulatory approvals will take about two years to complete, with construction expected to start sometime in 2009. It would take about 30 months to build.
“The focus in Atlantic City is on the 71 acres next to Borgata. That's our primary focus,” Lanni said while discussing the project during a conference call with gaming analysts. “We're going to develop that project on our own as a wholly owned entity, and we have been given approval by our board to move ahead with preliminary work.”
MGM executives stressed that the project is in the early stages of development, hardly an ironclad guarantee that the casino will actually be built. The size, scope and cost have not yet been determined, although MGM's $7 billion CityCenter project on the Las Vegas Strip will serve as an inspiration.
“We've got some exciting concepts for that property. We're currently discussing and analyzing those,” said Gordon Absher, MGM vice president of public affairs.
MGM's Atlantic City project isn't expected to match the scale or cost of the CityCenter development, but would include similar elements. Scheduled to open in late 2009, CityCenter will feature casino space, hotels, condominiums, retail shops, restaurants and entertainment all wrapped up in one huge project.
Luxury condos, high-end retail, a noncasino hotel and a large entertainment arena are among the attractions under consideration to complement the gaming space in Atlantic City.
“This is the world of possibilities,” Absher said. “We're looking at high density, mixed use and possibly applying that concept to that land.”
Final plans are expected to take about a year to prepare. MGM would next submit the project to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for a Coastal Area Facilities Review Act permit, a key regulation governing construction projects at the shore. Lanni estimated that the CAFRA review would take another year to complete.
MGM already owns the proposed development site next to Borgata. The same property was supposed to be the site of a billion-dollar casino that MGM had proposed several years ago but abandoned in 2002.
MGM has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Atlantic City for 10 years. It once planned to build a lavish gaming resort on a barren site in the South Inlet, only to kill that project to focus on the Marina District. Plans for the Marina then failed. Now MGM is resurrecting the Marina District site for its latest project.
“As we've said for some time, we're going to develop that site without a partner,” Absher said. “We're very enthusiastic about that parcel of land.”
MGM's Atlantic City holdings already include 50 percent ownership of Borgata, the Las Vegas-style megacasino operated by Boyd Gaming. Absher said MGM is happy with its partnership with Boyd for Borgata.
Larry Mullin, Borgata's president and chief operating officer, declined to comment on MGM's proposed casino. Mullin, though, characterized MGM as “a great partner” in Borgata's ownership.
At the same time it is looking to build its own new casino, MGM has been talking to the American Indian tribe that owns Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut about a possible casino project on another parcel it owns in Atlantic City's Marina District.
That site, comprised of 14 acres next to Trump Marina Hotel Casino, is part of an April 24, 2006, memorandum of agreement between MGM and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. The agreement is for potential joint ventures between MGM and the Pequots for projects in Connecticut, Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Triangle Poker Journal™ Covering Local News on America's Favorite Game
Subscribe free at http://www.trianglepokerjournal.com/
The site of MGM Mirage's proposed casino lies between Harrah's (buildings in foreground) and the Borgata (tower in background).
MGM Has New Old Plans for Atlantic City
By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
ATLANTIC CITY — Las Vegas gaming giant MGM Mirage, which has tantalized Atlantic City for a decade with plans for casinos that were never built, said Wednesday that it may develop a new megaresort on a 71-acre site in the Marina District.
The company's board of directors has approved $20 million to design a project that would rise next to Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, the upscale gaming hall co-owned by MGM with Boyd Gaming Corp.
Terry Lanni, MGM chairman and chief executive officer, said planning work and regulatory approvals will take about two years to complete, with construction expected to start sometime in 2009. It would take about 30 months to build.
“The focus in Atlantic City is on the 71 acres next to Borgata. That's our primary focus,” Lanni said while discussing the project during a conference call with gaming analysts. “We're going to develop that project on our own as a wholly owned entity, and we have been given approval by our board to move ahead with preliminary work.”
MGM executives stressed that the project is in the early stages of development, hardly an ironclad guarantee that the casino will actually be built. The size, scope and cost have not yet been determined, although MGM's $7 billion CityCenter project on the Las Vegas Strip will serve as an inspiration.
“We've got some exciting concepts for that property. We're currently discussing and analyzing those,” said Gordon Absher, MGM vice president of public affairs.
MGM's Atlantic City project isn't expected to match the scale or cost of the CityCenter development, but would include similar elements. Scheduled to open in late 2009, CityCenter will feature casino space, hotels, condominiums, retail shops, restaurants and entertainment all wrapped up in one huge project.
Luxury condos, high-end retail, a noncasino hotel and a large entertainment arena are among the attractions under consideration to complement the gaming space in Atlantic City.
“This is the world of possibilities,” Absher said. “We're looking at high density, mixed use and possibly applying that concept to that land.”
Final plans are expected to take about a year to prepare. MGM would next submit the project to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for a Coastal Area Facilities Review Act permit, a key regulation governing construction projects at the shore. Lanni estimated that the CAFRA review would take another year to complete.
MGM already owns the proposed development site next to Borgata. The same property was supposed to be the site of a billion-dollar casino that MGM had proposed several years ago but abandoned in 2002.
MGM has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Atlantic City for 10 years. It once planned to build a lavish gaming resort on a barren site in the South Inlet, only to kill that project to focus on the Marina District. Plans for the Marina then failed. Now MGM is resurrecting the Marina District site for its latest project.
“As we've said for some time, we're going to develop that site without a partner,” Absher said. “We're very enthusiastic about that parcel of land.”
MGM's Atlantic City holdings already include 50 percent ownership of Borgata, the Las Vegas-style megacasino operated by Boyd Gaming. Absher said MGM is happy with its partnership with Boyd for Borgata.
Larry Mullin, Borgata's president and chief operating officer, declined to comment on MGM's proposed casino. Mullin, though, characterized MGM as “a great partner” in Borgata's ownership.
At the same time it is looking to build its own new casino, MGM has been talking to the American Indian tribe that owns Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut about a possible casino project on another parcel it owns in Atlantic City's Marina District.
That site, comprised of 14 acres next to Trump Marina Hotel Casino, is part of an April 24, 2006, memorandum of agreement between MGM and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. The agreement is for potential joint ventures between MGM and the Pequots for projects in Connecticut, Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Copied from the Triangle Poker Journal
Friday, February 16, 2007
Juiceless Thursday
There seemed to be something missing. To go out on a limb, and risk sounding like that idiot guy at the poker table who quotes Rounders incessantly (we've all been guilty at one time or another, but this little character flaw marks you as more of a rookie than someone who string bets or can't do a single chip trick), the table was set, you've got your knife, fork, and plate, but there just wasn't any steak.
Okay, there was steak. Or rather pot roast. And some kind of chicken that was out of this world. But without the Juice, or with very little Juice to go around, the evening took on a completely different air.
I showed up about 9:30 or 10. No Juice. He showed his pearly browns later, getting up and down more than Anna Nicole's chemically enhanced mood. He didn't stay long either. Just long enough for him to call my $25 preflop raise in NLHE with Juice-Ten-Unsuited. I had AsQs, and the board was magic. I was already in 2 buy-ins thanks to some horrible short-handed Omaha8 play by me, and some horrible short-handed Omaha8 luck from JRod. The flop comes JTx-two spades. Juice bets. I go all in. Dean calls. Juice calls. Bingo-bongo, spade, spade, and I'm already up for the night.
In an even weirder series of events, Juice builds up quite a stack after this after a pretty nice run, including the following hand, and he cashes out with chips. One of his last hands, he made it $100+ to go preflop. I flopped a monster wrap, something like 9TKA after a something like a QJx flop (2 to a flush). He bets $500 on the flop, and having none to the flush, and no low, I just can't manage to call my big wrap. Of course, I hit. Or would have.
A few other hands stand out as we played 4 handed into the wee hours of the morning, but one in particular. It ought to spawn a new strain of blog... Famous Charles quotes.
Superplayer, myself and Charles each manage to catch a nut straight with 78 in our hand, and a low on board. Something like a 56K29 board. Small betting before the river. The river betting goes something like me: $30, Superplayer: call, Charles: $75 or $125. I call. Superplayer calls. We all show our 78 straights. Neither Superplayer nor I have a low.
Says Charles, "That's why I raised... I was pretty sure my 37 was good for low".
Okay, there was steak. Or rather pot roast. And some kind of chicken that was out of this world. But without the Juice, or with very little Juice to go around, the evening took on a completely different air.
I showed up about 9:30 or 10. No Juice. He showed his pearly browns later, getting up and down more than Anna Nicole's chemically enhanced mood. He didn't stay long either. Just long enough for him to call my $25 preflop raise in NLHE with Juice-Ten-Unsuited. I had AsQs, and the board was magic. I was already in 2 buy-ins thanks to some horrible short-handed Omaha8 play by me, and some horrible short-handed Omaha8 luck from JRod. The flop comes JTx-two spades. Juice bets. I go all in. Dean calls. Juice calls. Bingo-bongo, spade, spade, and I'm already up for the night.
In an even weirder series of events, Juice builds up quite a stack after this after a pretty nice run, including the following hand, and he cashes out with chips. One of his last hands, he made it $100+ to go preflop. I flopped a monster wrap, something like 9TKA after a something like a QJx flop (2 to a flush). He bets $500 on the flop, and having none to the flush, and no low, I just can't manage to call my big wrap. Of course, I hit. Or would have.
A few other hands stand out as we played 4 handed into the wee hours of the morning, but one in particular. It ought to spawn a new strain of blog... Famous Charles quotes.
Superplayer, myself and Charles each manage to catch a nut straight with 78 in our hand, and a low on board. Something like a 56K29 board. Small betting before the river. The river betting goes something like me: $30, Superplayer: call, Charles: $75 or $125. I call. Superplayer calls. We all show our 78 straights. Neither Superplayer nor I have a low.
Says Charles, "That's why I raised... I was pretty sure my 37 was good for low".
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Famous Poker Quotes...
“If he looks at him any longer, he’s going to have to ask him to dinner.”
-------------Norman Chad, when Dutch Boyd took an eternity before deciding whether to call a big bet from Chris Moneymaker
-------------Norman Chad, when Dutch Boyd took an eternity before deciding whether to call a big bet from Chris Moneymaker
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Tuesday with Juice....
Another wild and crazy shoot-em-up night of No Limit Omaha 8 and No Limit Hold'em! I know, that still doesn't sound right. There were several big hands last night, but unfortunately in most of the really big hands, I got quartered. For those of you who may not know what that means, in Omaha 8 if there are 3 cards 8 or below un-paired on the board, a person(s) with the best -LOW- hand will win half the pot and the person(s) with the best -HIGH- hand will win half the pot. In a couple of big hands, I was tied for the best high or low and received half of.... half the pot. In one instance, the first time that I've seen this in a live game, the low was chopped between 4 people. Nice! Yep, I was one of them. So, for every dollar I put in the pot, I'm getting back about .625 ----- that math will mess you up!
Last night, Bill T played some of the best poker that I've seen him play -AND- he was catching cards. That is a tough combination to beat. And..... no one did! He definitely was the big winner and made some great moves that got him paid several times by me et al.
I did hit a couple of monsters that really helped me get back even after I made some donkey calls early. In one hand, I believe it was against Rick and the Juice, I held Qx, 10x, Kx, Jx and the flop was Qx, 10x, 6x. I was first to act and led out with a small bet of about $40 or so. Rick and Dave both called. The turn was a Qx.... Nice! I checked, Rick checked, Dave bet and Rick and I both smooth called. The river.... the fourth Qx! I bet about $250 and everyone folded.
In another hand, not to long after that one, I have 7s, 8s, Jx, Jx and the flop was Ks, Js, 9s. I know... the sucker end of the straight flush. Only at the Juice's would I worry about that costing me..... if it hits. The Juice leads out with a $70 bet and I call and Rick calls..... The turn is the 10s! Dang! The Juice bets $110 and I raise to $250 and they both fold. I know, I played them too hard. I should have slowed down a little. I actually did that in a couple of hands last night. But keep in mind, I've been away from this game for 2 months. It takes some time to get back into the swing of this one....
The other big news last night was our discussion of "chopping" pots. You don't see this happen a lot in most casinos, but it was kind of getting out of hand in this game. And in my personal opinion, which of course, means nothing at this game, it borders on collusion especially when sometimes it would appear that isolation bets were made to get heads up so that the pot could be chopped. I don't believe that anyone at this game would knowingly, intentionally do it, but I do believe that several of us have been the unwilling victim of isolation bets where we would lay down the second or third nut in both directions to huge over bets and then watch the money get chopped up amongst other players. The excellent news about that is that the group discussed it and decided "as a group" ---- NOT TO CHOP! Yea! Now we're back to real poker.
All-in-all, a very good night.... I came back after being down early and a major issue was resolved! Thanks to all involved for doing the right thing!
Last night, Bill T played some of the best poker that I've seen him play -AND- he was catching cards. That is a tough combination to beat. And..... no one did! He definitely was the big winner and made some great moves that got him paid several times by me et al.
I did hit a couple of monsters that really helped me get back even after I made some donkey calls early. In one hand, I believe it was against Rick and the Juice, I held Qx, 10x, Kx, Jx and the flop was Qx, 10x, 6x. I was first to act and led out with a small bet of about $40 or so. Rick and Dave both called. The turn was a Qx.... Nice! I checked, Rick checked, Dave bet and Rick and I both smooth called. The river.... the fourth Qx! I bet about $250 and everyone folded.
In another hand, not to long after that one, I have 7s, 8s, Jx, Jx and the flop was Ks, Js, 9s. I know... the sucker end of the straight flush. Only at the Juice's would I worry about that costing me..... if it hits. The Juice leads out with a $70 bet and I call and Rick calls..... The turn is the 10s! Dang! The Juice bets $110 and I raise to $250 and they both fold. I know, I played them too hard. I should have slowed down a little. I actually did that in a couple of hands last night. But keep in mind, I've been away from this game for 2 months. It takes some time to get back into the swing of this one....
The other big news last night was our discussion of "chopping" pots. You don't see this happen a lot in most casinos, but it was kind of getting out of hand in this game. And in my personal opinion, which of course, means nothing at this game, it borders on collusion especially when sometimes it would appear that isolation bets were made to get heads up so that the pot could be chopped. I don't believe that anyone at this game would knowingly, intentionally do it, but I do believe that several of us have been the unwilling victim of isolation bets where we would lay down the second or third nut in both directions to huge over bets and then watch the money get chopped up amongst other players. The excellent news about that is that the group discussed it and decided "as a group" ---- NOT TO CHOP! Yea! Now we're back to real poker.
All-in-all, a very good night.... I came back after being down early and a major issue was resolved! Thanks to all involved for doing the right thing!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Famous Poker Quotes...
“There are nine Franciscan monks on an island somewhere saying, ‘OK, 100 bucks for the buy-in,’”
---------------Norman Chad
---------------Norman Chad
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
