Weird couple of poker days. Cashed in the Midnight Madness tourney in 69th place out of 1300 (sounds much better than it was as I only profited $18) and then proceeded to run into every conceivable way you can suck out on a person, some in my favor (A-3 vs. A-K, J-8 vs. J-J was my fav. though) and some against (Q-10 vs. A-A, 4-4 vs. 8-8, K-K vs. 9-8 pissed me off slightly). Whatever, that's the nature of poker. Only one cash tonight, but overall I think it was a down $20 night. I'll take it with all those ridiculous beats.
The reason I'm writing tonight is to actually post something pretty funny. Check out this interview with Daniel Negreanu.
Some people think it's staged, I say it's believeable but I wouldn't be surprised if it was staged... I dunno. But, if I ever got into the world of journalism, I would try to keep myself out of the story... although Daniel did jab him by saying, "Since you're not a player..."
Lemme know...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Shoot Me in the Face
Just a bad poker night. Just horrific.
Heads-up $50+$5 I flop top pair, river two pair and lose to trips in a very well-played match otherwise.
Played awful in the $23,000 guarantee, finishing in the middle of the pack after some idiot calls my raise (makes it worse I was playing premium cards and up) with 9-5 off, spikes two more on the flop and my dumbass pays him off on the river because, well, I hit an ace and I guess I just couldn't put him on a five.
Then, I cash in a $100+$9 sit n'go, which is okay except my computer froze and I got blinded out with $3,000 in chips, one double-up away from being chip leader.
Then in this dumb fucking $50+$5 sit n' go I was the chip leader with six left, dude min. raises, two callers I say fuck it and call with 5-3 off in the BB. I flopped a two piece and led out, initial raiser calls. I check raise the queen all-in on the turn and he calls with J-10, so of course he catches his higher two piece on the river. Two hands later I get knocked out with 8s against A-6.
"Yeah, it's just ten times the blind, I'll call with a bad ace."
I swear to God, aside from the guarantee, I played really well, got my chips in good for the most part, but there's some lucky motherfuckers out there.
I will not let this dumb session deter me, however. I just had to let all that out because if I don't I'm just gonna think about it all night and there's nothing productive about that.
One more time, though: like, seriously, why the fuck would someone risk all their chips with a mediocre ten? Who calls a raise for half their chips pre-flop with A-6 off? Whether a tight player raised or not, who the fuck would call with 9-5 off OUT OF POSITION???? Like... ugh, it's pointless. I'm not saying I've never sucked out before, but come on. Those are three brutal suck-outs!
Makes me want to punch someone in the fucking kidney!
BULLSHIT!!!!
Heads-up $50+$5 I flop top pair, river two pair and lose to trips in a very well-played match otherwise.
Played awful in the $23,000 guarantee, finishing in the middle of the pack after some idiot calls my raise (makes it worse I was playing premium cards and up) with 9-5 off, spikes two more on the flop and my dumbass pays him off on the river because, well, I hit an ace and I guess I just couldn't put him on a five.
Then, I cash in a $100+$9 sit n'go, which is okay except my computer froze and I got blinded out with $3,000 in chips, one double-up away from being chip leader.
Then in this dumb fucking $50+$5 sit n' go I was the chip leader with six left, dude min. raises, two callers I say fuck it and call with 5-3 off in the BB. I flopped a two piece and led out, initial raiser calls. I check raise the queen all-in on the turn and he calls with J-10, so of course he catches his higher two piece on the river. Two hands later I get knocked out with 8s against A-6.
"Yeah, it's just ten times the blind, I'll call with a bad ace."
I swear to God, aside from the guarantee, I played really well, got my chips in good for the most part, but there's some lucky motherfuckers out there.
I will not let this dumb session deter me, however. I just had to let all that out because if I don't I'm just gonna think about it all night and there's nothing productive about that.
One more time, though: like, seriously, why the fuck would someone risk all their chips with a mediocre ten? Who calls a raise for half their chips pre-flop with A-6 off? Whether a tight player raised or not, who the fuck would call with 9-5 off OUT OF POSITION???? Like... ugh, it's pointless. I'm not saying I've never sucked out before, but come on. Those are three brutal suck-outs!
Makes me want to punch someone in the fucking kidney!
BULLSHIT!!!!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Phil Laak
Phil Laak and I have the same problem.
We're both "pay-off wizards".
On a positive note, I have cashed or won four out of five sit n gos for a total profit of $350. Me likey.
In my latest 3rd place finish I ran into aces in two out of three hands against two different opponents (the first time I flopped a two piece only to get counterfeited), dropping me from chip leader to outtie. Me no likey but anytime I cash is good I guess.
I'm aiming at building enough roll to play in the FTOPS Event #1, which has a $200K guarantee. Will I? Maybe, either that or I'll over-extend myself to play in it. I'd say odds of me playing are at 2-1.
More later.
We're both "pay-off wizards".
On a positive note, I have cashed or won four out of five sit n gos for a total profit of $350. Me likey.
In my latest 3rd place finish I ran into aces in two out of three hands against two different opponents (the first time I flopped a two piece only to get counterfeited), dropping me from chip leader to outtie. Me no likey but anytime I cash is good I guess.
I'm aiming at building enough roll to play in the FTOPS Event #1, which has a $200K guarantee. Will I? Maybe, either that or I'll over-extend myself to play in it. I'd say odds of me playing are at 2-1.
More later.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Sick Calls: One the Good, One the Bad
During my foray back and forth between taking a break and not, I've been thinking a lot about my game and reasons why I've been as inconsistent as I've been. I'm sure there are a ton of reasons, but I think I've stumbled upon a major--and honestly, a should-be obvious--hole in my game.
During my blogging, I constantly mention how "well" I played a hand or how "sick" of a call I made. All well and good; as a matter of fact I have another "sick" one to tell you about in a minute.
But, look back and count how many times I write about "sick" laydowns. Go ahead, I'll wait...
Not very often, right?
When I'm in a marginal situation, for some reason I always take the more aggressive or creative course of action. Top pair with a potential flush or straight out there facing a big bet? More often than not I call. Trips on a paired board against a value bet? I probably call. In big situations more often than not I'm a calling station. When I'm right, I look like a genius. When I'm wrong, I'm an idiot.
Like this one (for some reason my Full Tilt isn't doing it's job and saving my hand histories so I must re-construct): I limp with Q-J off in a six-handed tourney in first position (I know, I know). Four see a flop, comes like Q-5-8, two spades. BB checks to me, I bet like 3/4 of the pot, fold, fold back to the BB. Well, Mr. BB min. raises me.
In hindsight, I definitely could have dipped right there. He could have had anything in the BB. If I had thought about what I was beating, I should have made the easy drop. But, no, I call, for some reason putting him on a draw. Well, a nine hits on the turn. He checks to me again, and I check back.
River is inconsequential. He bets 800 into a 1200 pot. I have about 1450. I had one more chance to get out of this hand with minimal damage, but again, I called. BB shows... pocket fives for a set. Felt like a dumbass.
Now, same tourney. Through some fortunate cards and some rock solid play (my avatar on Full Tilt is now a rock, to me remind me), I get heads-up. Blinds at 100-200 and I guess I have about 6500 to his 9,000. I see 4-6 of diamonds on the button and I limp. BB checks.
Flop comes 4-K-3, two spades. I lead out for 350. He calls. At this point a weak king, a draw or ace high come into my head.
Turn is a jack of spades. He checks to me. Well, if he was on a draw he might have made it. I didn't feel like getting check-raised and getting too much more money into the pot, so I check back.
River is a queen of hearts I believe, and he fires out 900. Wow.
What am I facing? Three overs, a spade draw and maybe a backdoor straight draw. So, to deducing the hand:
During my blogging, I constantly mention how "well" I played a hand or how "sick" of a call I made. All well and good; as a matter of fact I have another "sick" one to tell you about in a minute.
But, look back and count how many times I write about "sick" laydowns. Go ahead, I'll wait...
Not very often, right?
When I'm in a marginal situation, for some reason I always take the more aggressive or creative course of action. Top pair with a potential flush or straight out there facing a big bet? More often than not I call. Trips on a paired board against a value bet? I probably call. In big situations more often than not I'm a calling station. When I'm right, I look like a genius. When I'm wrong, I'm an idiot.
Like this one (for some reason my Full Tilt isn't doing it's job and saving my hand histories so I must re-construct): I limp with Q-J off in a six-handed tourney in first position (I know, I know). Four see a flop, comes like Q-5-8, two spades. BB checks to me, I bet like 3/4 of the pot, fold, fold back to the BB. Well, Mr. BB min. raises me.
In hindsight, I definitely could have dipped right there. He could have had anything in the BB. If I had thought about what I was beating, I should have made the easy drop. But, no, I call, for some reason putting him on a draw. Well, a nine hits on the turn. He checks to me again, and I check back.
River is inconsequential. He bets 800 into a 1200 pot. I have about 1450. I had one more chance to get out of this hand with minimal damage, but again, I called. BB shows... pocket fives for a set. Felt like a dumbass.
Now, same tourney. Through some fortunate cards and some rock solid play (my avatar on Full Tilt is now a rock, to me remind me), I get heads-up. Blinds at 100-200 and I guess I have about 6500 to his 9,000. I see 4-6 of diamonds on the button and I limp. BB checks.
Flop comes 4-K-3, two spades. I lead out for 350. He calls. At this point a weak king, a draw or ace high come into my head.
Turn is a jack of spades. He checks to me. Well, if he was on a draw he might have made it. I didn't feel like getting check-raised and getting too much more money into the pot, so I check back.
River is a queen of hearts I believe, and he fires out 900. Wow.
What am I facing? Three overs, a spade draw and maybe a backdoor straight draw. So, to deducing the hand:
- He called the flop. Something about that flop kept him interested.
- Checking the turn is standard, nothing really jumps out about that. Whether or not he hit the turn I expected a check.
- The river bet, however, is weird. If he does have the best hand, I'd figure he'd want value out of it. Granted, my check on the turn indicated weakness, but why put so much money out there?
The reason I made the call is because I kind of generalized him. Tons of online players have a habit of betting hard at a missed draw. That, plus the fact that I just wasn't convinced he caught a queen or a jack on the end, factored into my decision.
He showed 5-7 of hearts.
And, naturally at that point he was crippled. The match ended the next hand when my AK held up against A4.
Man, I gotta learn to make some laydowns...
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