Report on the live game on my gutshot blog:
http://www.gutshot.com/bforum/blog_post.php?do=editblog&b=110
It was really odd meeting many of the people whom I previously knew only by their screen-names. For the most part, they were all a lot older than they seemed from their online persona !
Monday 28 July 2008
Sunday 27 July 2008
Live and Kicking
Tonight .... the live forum game.
This is a live-running of the Monday Forum league game. An intriguing prospect. I have never met (nor do I know the real identity) of most of the players.
I actually have a good record in the league - 5 wins (tied 1st on that measure).
Should be good fun !
This is a live-running of the Monday Forum league game. An intriguing prospect. I have never met (nor do I know the real identity) of most of the players.
I actually have a good record in the league - 5 wins (tied 1st on that measure).
Should be good fun !
Saturday 26 July 2008
Losing Sleep Over Poker
Not in the way you might imagine (or, maybe exactly in the way you might expect/imagine).
On Wednesday, I decided to go in to the club and play the regular £75 Freezeout. This used to be one of my most regular games; ironically, when I was working flat-out, I used to make it maybe 2 out of 3 weeks. Of course I was staying in London most nights then, so it was actually easier than now when I need to think about travel and accommodation etc.
This would be my first live game since Vegas and, having been away in Spain for a week, I hadn't played any poker at all for a couple of weeks (that's a long time !)
I made some other appointments in London for the day, and after checking into my hotel, duly made it down at 7:59pm.
In the tournament itself, I made it about half-way. It was a pretty inconspicuous game - perhaps it would have turned out differently if I had not lost a big post with QQ early on (some discussion here).
At that point, I was tempted to join the PLO game that was just starting. These are the circumstances for which the phrase "Why, Oh Why?" was coined.
The answers have to do with the fading of bad memories, and weak-willedness.
It was an expensive re-acquaintance and - duly on tilt - I also lost a not-insignificant amount playing Hold'Em later on (note to self: AK-suited for 250BB is not the nuts in a cash game even when you hit Top Pair/Top Kicker). Looking for silver linings, I guess the good news is that I won't be tempted again for a long, long time.
So, very much poorer, I headed back to my hotel about 3am. Now, in fact, I would not have actually stayed overnight except that I had been invited to a private game on Thursday night. I used Thursday to catch up with some ex-colleagues for lunch, then met up with my host at a London restaurant in the evening.
This game (a £50 rebuy tournament with about 20 players) has been running once-a-month for several years I understand. I've been invited countless times before, but never been able to make it previously for various reasons.
This time, I thought it would be good karma. The host was a broker whom I have known for many, many years and who keeps in touch even now I have left the finance industry (according to him, not for very long).
It was particularly relevant since the first time I played poker was at The Gutshot as his guest in a £50 rebuy that his firm organised for clients. In that event, I came 2nd / 119 and was hooked ! Furthermore, the person who beat me (I still remember the hand) would be playing - revenge time !
The game got underway a little about 7:30 (running late). I'm used to playing poker in casinos and card-rooms so the layout (2 "tables" all around one long dining table with baize laid over) looked a bit odd to me. The whole set-up was less professional than I'm accustomed to. Not in a bad way, I must add, and of course I am very familiar with tournaments where the social aspect is more important than the poker.
Still, I really wanted to win. Even more, I did not want to LOSE.
It was obvious to me after a short while that I was the best player there by some margin. If you read my blog etc then you know I rarely claim to be all that good, and if I play in a Gutshot tournament, say, then I think I may be a little above average at best.
But in this case, it was really apparent that some of the other players were short on experience, and none of them was a really strong player. It was clear that I should have a big edge in theory.
Now we all know that the luck-vs-skill debate allows for a huge difference in outcomes no matter how the players rank on relative skill/experience.
Some people I know - good, experienced players - maintain that they prefer not to play against beginners. I understand why they say this but I profoundly disagree. They make so many mistakes and put you under so little pressure. This extra edge more than makes up for the main problem, which is that they don't know what they are doing, so you can't work out what they are doing and act accordingly !
The single biggest mistake, imo, that they all make is being far too passive. So much limping and minimum-raising. Another common mistake is calling too much although this particular fault was less in evidence.
I mentally ran through the "rules" in my head "Don't bluff, don't be too clever, play strong hands strongly, see draws cheaply. Don't go bust".
On to the game. I had been told it was a £100 rebuy which could have become rather expensive. At £50 rebuy it still wasn't cheap but I was surprised - given the make-up of the players - how relatively timid they were in the rebuy period. I was hoping to see a lot of money go in but for the whole of the first level, no one was all in at my table (apart from me, obviously).
So cautious was it, that I had to resort to raising blind pre-deal to get some action going. That did the trick, but I couldn't win a hand it seemed. I felt I really needed some chips to ensure I could dictate the freezeout action so I was pushing any reasonable had to the max, but running into big cards: flopped Top Pair, another guy flopped the nut flush. Top Pair (Queens) again, up against pocket Kings !
I managed to double up with the mighty J8o, and then thought my moment had come: raised AJ and got 2 callers. Flop A62. I check-called trying to get the maximum value. I check-raised the turn (another deuce) so all three players were all-in now (one was all in on the flop in fact).
The cards are tabled: I am up against A6 and A2 !! Owned !
At the end of the rebuy, I topped up and had 4,700 chips - just a fraction below average. Playable, and needing a good start in the freezeout. Essentially I needed to pick my spots, and be prepared to go with the hand.
The first such key moment came when it was folded to me on the button with A9. I pushed (blinds 200/400 already) and was called by 77. He covered me comfortably so I doubled up when a 9 hit.
I waited for another spot which came shortly after the final table formed (this did not take long - with the average stacks being <5k and blinds 200/400 then 300/600 and 400/800, it took less than an hour to knock out 11 of the 21 players). It should not have taken that long, really, but the pace of the play was snail-like.
Second hand at the final table, I have Jd8d on the big-blind. There is one call, then a min-raise. The button calls. The play is so passive that I have to think I can see the flop for only 800 more, with a likely pot when the early limper also calls (chances of him limp-raising all-in - an obvious play - zero !)
So, I do that and I see a 6,400 pot for 800. Flop 5d3d2h. If there is any more obvious move than the insta-push here, I would like to know about it. I move in for 8,200 and no one defends. Up to nearly 15k, and able to wait for further good opportunities.
I was pretty happy with my play in this event. With the blinds the way they were, you either need a big hand that plays itself, or you need to play in the correct situations. In any event you need some luck.
A good example of situation + luck came up a round or two later. I have 15,100 and the blinds are now a terrifying 1k/2k. We are 7-handed I think. UTG+1 limps. I am next. I know this player will not call off his chips without a big hand. His limp says he doesn't have one. I have KdTd and push to pick up the 5k chips on offer. I am pretty confident this move will work.
Now, the player ("invincible Vince") on my left acts. He has had about 2 bottles of malt whiskey, I reckon. Very nice chap, but not following the action too closely (went on to finish 3rd by the way !). How much is it? He asks. "About 15" is the reply.
Call, he says, and puts in 1,500 chips.
No. 15 THOUSAND.
Obviously, in any normal game, his verbal "call" has to stand and the dealer would put in the chips for him. Here, it was not really clear whether he was being allowed to pull back his chips, leave the 1,500 in and fold, being forced to call, or what. I said nothing - I don't want any callers, although it is obvious he does not have a big hand.
Eventually he puts in another 1,500 - total of 3,000. This could take a while.
Eventually, part 2, he shrugs his shoulders and puts in 15,100. He has at least the same left behind.
The original limper folds KJ face-up. I know I am right that he would fold that just against me as well.
OK. What am I up against ? A-2 suited. Could be worse, although with one King folded and useful straight cards also gone, I need some help.
Flop 8-7-3. Turn 9.
River, 6. My opponent does not see my T-high straight, but I make sure the dealer has spotted it and scoop up a nice pot for the chip lead.
I feel in control, to be honest, but the blinds are enormous and it is still really hard to read the other players' actions. For example, there was a pot at 2k/4k 5-handed where I felt I had to call on the SB with King-high (2k to see a 12k pot - hard to turn down).
It was checked on flop and river and I was first to act on the river when an Ace fell. 9-7-7-5-A board with two hearts on the flop. I really think King-high could be good but I decide to try to see a showdown. Checked to the button who now bets 5k into 12k, with about 25k behind.
I think I am winning. In any case, the other player would be all-in to call 5k so I can't be re-bluffed. I call, looking forward to the plaudits when I win with King high.
The other player calls all-in and flips up 6-8 for the straight on the turn. The river-bettor has Ace-Ten !!
In hindsight, I should realise that passive players do not bet out on the river, even last to act after 3 rounds of checking, without at least a pair.
Hmm. I was now down to 28k chips or so which was 2nd biggest, but only 7 big blinds!
Key hand next: I pick up A-7 suited under the gun and push all-in. One fold, then one all in for about 11k. The big blind was nearly all-in (<1k left after posting) so he calls.
I am up against pocket Tens (the all-in player) and KJ (big blind). Could have been a lot better !
No Aces come, but two spades on the flop and instant service on the turn knocks out two players and means that we're in the money.
It's not too long before short-stacked Vince is out (with the blinds so big, I keep putting him all-in).
Heads-up with Dario. I offer a deal (I am 2nd in chips but am prepared to settle for an even money split). Up till this point, I had swiftly put down any discussion of deals. Dario does what I would do ... "play on".
Poker is a game of skill, and luck. Poker is also a game where experience counts. With the blinds now raised to 4k/8k and with only about 100k chips in play, there is a huge crapshoot element. Nonetheless, I felt I was about 75% to win. I am by no-means a heads-up expert but having been in this position a few dozen times is rather better than being a heads-up novice !
Essentially, Dario was way too passive. He let me see far too many flops and did not stand up to be counted. I moved into a 4-1 lead and at that point decided it was time to be all-in every hand. When the next hand was dealt, I moved-in blind.
Dario checked, liked what he saw, and called.
I turned up my cards - Ac7c - nice !
Dario - pocket Jacks ! OK then.
Flop... JACK ... !! The rest of it came out King-Four. Only one club.
Turn Queen of clubs.
River - not a club. But it was a Ten, giving me the straight and the £1,950. Dario was gracious in 2nd place (£970).
I gave him one of my H-bomb cards which cheered him up (ah ... beaten by a professional ... I feel better now, he said. LOL)
A good night - it's nice to win something for a change ! Thanks to Hardy, Pat and Gio for hosting.
Not something to lose sleep over, you would think. Well, the game had gone on way past my bedtime - I was told to expect an 11pm finish. The last train was at 1:18 - quite a margin. It was now well past 12:30, and Dario and I shared a cab to London Bridge where I discover the last train had been cancelled.
Nothing for it .... off to The Gutshot to play through till the first train. It turned out to cost me a little more than a cab back to Bedford, but was probably more fun.
Who needs sleep anyway.
On Wednesday, I decided to go in to the club and play the regular £75 Freezeout. This used to be one of my most regular games; ironically, when I was working flat-out, I used to make it maybe 2 out of 3 weeks. Of course I was staying in London most nights then, so it was actually easier than now when I need to think about travel and accommodation etc.
This would be my first live game since Vegas and, having been away in Spain for a week, I hadn't played any poker at all for a couple of weeks (that's a long time !)
I made some other appointments in London for the day, and after checking into my hotel, duly made it down at 7:59pm.
In the tournament itself, I made it about half-way. It was a pretty inconspicuous game - perhaps it would have turned out differently if I had not lost a big post with QQ early on (some discussion here).
At that point, I was tempted to join the PLO game that was just starting. These are the circumstances for which the phrase "Why, Oh Why?" was coined.
The answers have to do with the fading of bad memories, and weak-willedness.
It was an expensive re-acquaintance and - duly on tilt - I also lost a not-insignificant amount playing Hold'Em later on (note to self: AK-suited for 250BB is not the nuts in a cash game even when you hit Top Pair/Top Kicker). Looking for silver linings, I guess the good news is that I won't be tempted again for a long, long time.
So, very much poorer, I headed back to my hotel about 3am. Now, in fact, I would not have actually stayed overnight except that I had been invited to a private game on Thursday night. I used Thursday to catch up with some ex-colleagues for lunch, then met up with my host at a London restaurant in the evening.
This game (a £50 rebuy tournament with about 20 players) has been running once-a-month for several years I understand. I've been invited countless times before, but never been able to make it previously for various reasons.
This time, I thought it would be good karma. The host was a broker whom I have known for many, many years and who keeps in touch even now I have left the finance industry (according to him, not for very long).
It was particularly relevant since the first time I played poker was at The Gutshot as his guest in a £50 rebuy that his firm organised for clients. In that event, I came 2nd / 119 and was hooked ! Furthermore, the person who beat me (I still remember the hand) would be playing - revenge time !
The game got underway a little about 7:30 (running late). I'm used to playing poker in casinos and card-rooms so the layout (2 "tables" all around one long dining table with baize laid over) looked a bit odd to me. The whole set-up was less professional than I'm accustomed to. Not in a bad way, I must add, and of course I am very familiar with tournaments where the social aspect is more important than the poker.
Still, I really wanted to win. Even more, I did not want to LOSE.
It was obvious to me after a short while that I was the best player there by some margin. If you read my blog etc then you know I rarely claim to be all that good, and if I play in a Gutshot tournament, say, then I think I may be a little above average at best.
But in this case, it was really apparent that some of the other players were short on experience, and none of them was a really strong player. It was clear that I should have a big edge in theory.
Now we all know that the luck-vs-skill debate allows for a huge difference in outcomes no matter how the players rank on relative skill/experience.
Some people I know - good, experienced players - maintain that they prefer not to play against beginners. I understand why they say this but I profoundly disagree. They make so many mistakes and put you under so little pressure. This extra edge more than makes up for the main problem, which is that they don't know what they are doing, so you can't work out what they are doing and act accordingly !
The single biggest mistake, imo, that they all make is being far too passive. So much limping and minimum-raising. Another common mistake is calling too much although this particular fault was less in evidence.
I mentally ran through the "rules" in my head "Don't bluff, don't be too clever, play strong hands strongly, see draws cheaply. Don't go bust".
On to the game. I had been told it was a £100 rebuy which could have become rather expensive. At £50 rebuy it still wasn't cheap but I was surprised - given the make-up of the players - how relatively timid they were in the rebuy period. I was hoping to see a lot of money go in but for the whole of the first level, no one was all in at my table (apart from me, obviously).
So cautious was it, that I had to resort to raising blind pre-deal to get some action going. That did the trick, but I couldn't win a hand it seemed. I felt I really needed some chips to ensure I could dictate the freezeout action so I was pushing any reasonable had to the max, but running into big cards: flopped Top Pair, another guy flopped the nut flush. Top Pair (Queens) again, up against pocket Kings !
I managed to double up with the mighty J8o, and then thought my moment had come: raised AJ and got 2 callers. Flop A62. I check-called trying to get the maximum value. I check-raised the turn (another deuce) so all three players were all-in now (one was all in on the flop in fact).
The cards are tabled: I am up against A6 and A2 !! Owned !
At the end of the rebuy, I topped up and had 4,700 chips - just a fraction below average. Playable, and needing a good start in the freezeout. Essentially I needed to pick my spots, and be prepared to go with the hand.
The first such key moment came when it was folded to me on the button with A9. I pushed (blinds 200/400 already) and was called by 77. He covered me comfortably so I doubled up when a 9 hit.
I waited for another spot which came shortly after the final table formed (this did not take long - with the average stacks being <5k and blinds 200/400 then 300/600 and 400/800, it took less than an hour to knock out 11 of the 21 players). It should not have taken that long, really, but the pace of the play was snail-like.
Second hand at the final table, I have Jd8d on the big-blind. There is one call, then a min-raise. The button calls. The play is so passive that I have to think I can see the flop for only 800 more, with a likely pot when the early limper also calls (chances of him limp-raising all-in - an obvious play - zero !)
So, I do that and I see a 6,400 pot for 800. Flop 5d3d2h. If there is any more obvious move than the insta-push here, I would like to know about it. I move in for 8,200 and no one defends. Up to nearly 15k, and able to wait for further good opportunities.
I was pretty happy with my play in this event. With the blinds the way they were, you either need a big hand that plays itself, or you need to play in the correct situations. In any event you need some luck.
A good example of situation + luck came up a round or two later. I have 15,100 and the blinds are now a terrifying 1k/2k. We are 7-handed I think. UTG+1 limps. I am next. I know this player will not call off his chips without a big hand. His limp says he doesn't have one. I have KdTd and push to pick up the 5k chips on offer. I am pretty confident this move will work.
Now, the player ("invincible Vince") on my left acts. He has had about 2 bottles of malt whiskey, I reckon. Very nice chap, but not following the action too closely (went on to finish 3rd by the way !). How much is it? He asks. "About 15" is the reply.
Call, he says, and puts in 1,500 chips.
No. 15 THOUSAND.
Obviously, in any normal game, his verbal "call" has to stand and the dealer would put in the chips for him. Here, it was not really clear whether he was being allowed to pull back his chips, leave the 1,500 in and fold, being forced to call, or what. I said nothing - I don't want any callers, although it is obvious he does not have a big hand.
Eventually he puts in another 1,500 - total of 3,000. This could take a while.
Eventually, part 2, he shrugs his shoulders and puts in 15,100. He has at least the same left behind.
The original limper folds KJ face-up. I know I am right that he would fold that just against me as well.
OK. What am I up against ? A-2 suited. Could be worse, although with one King folded and useful straight cards also gone, I need some help.
Flop 8-7-3. Turn 9.
River, 6. My opponent does not see my T-high straight, but I make sure the dealer has spotted it and scoop up a nice pot for the chip lead.
I feel in control, to be honest, but the blinds are enormous and it is still really hard to read the other players' actions. For example, there was a pot at 2k/4k 5-handed where I felt I had to call on the SB with King-high (2k to see a 12k pot - hard to turn down).
It was checked on flop and river and I was first to act on the river when an Ace fell. 9-7-7-5-A board with two hearts on the flop. I really think King-high could be good but I decide to try to see a showdown. Checked to the button who now bets 5k into 12k, with about 25k behind.
I think I am winning. In any case, the other player would be all-in to call 5k so I can't be re-bluffed. I call, looking forward to the plaudits when I win with King high.
The other player calls all-in and flips up 6-8 for the straight on the turn. The river-bettor has Ace-Ten !!
In hindsight, I should realise that passive players do not bet out on the river, even last to act after 3 rounds of checking, without at least a pair.
Hmm. I was now down to 28k chips or so which was 2nd biggest, but only 7 big blinds!
Key hand next: I pick up A-7 suited under the gun and push all-in. One fold, then one all in for about 11k. The big blind was nearly all-in (<1k left after posting) so he calls.
I am up against pocket Tens (the all-in player) and KJ (big blind). Could have been a lot better !
No Aces come, but two spades on the flop and instant service on the turn knocks out two players and means that we're in the money.
It's not too long before short-stacked Vince is out (with the blinds so big, I keep putting him all-in).
Heads-up with Dario. I offer a deal (I am 2nd in chips but am prepared to settle for an even money split). Up till this point, I had swiftly put down any discussion of deals. Dario does what I would do ... "play on".
Poker is a game of skill, and luck. Poker is also a game where experience counts. With the blinds now raised to 4k/8k and with only about 100k chips in play, there is a huge crapshoot element. Nonetheless, I felt I was about 75% to win. I am by no-means a heads-up expert but having been in this position a few dozen times is rather better than being a heads-up novice !
Essentially, Dario was way too passive. He let me see far too many flops and did not stand up to be counted. I moved into a 4-1 lead and at that point decided it was time to be all-in every hand. When the next hand was dealt, I moved-in blind.
Dario checked, liked what he saw, and called.
I turned up my cards - Ac7c - nice !
Dario - pocket Jacks ! OK then.
Flop... JACK ... !! The rest of it came out King-Four. Only one club.
Turn Queen of clubs.
River - not a club. But it was a Ten, giving me the straight and the £1,950. Dario was gracious in 2nd place (£970).
I gave him one of my H-bomb cards which cheered him up (ah ... beaten by a professional ... I feel better now, he said. LOL)
A good night - it's nice to win something for a change ! Thanks to Hardy, Pat and Gio for hosting.
Not something to lose sleep over, you would think. Well, the game had gone on way past my bedtime - I was told to expect an 11pm finish. The last train was at 1:18 - quite a margin. It was now well past 12:30, and Dario and I shared a cab to London Bridge where I discover the last train had been cancelled.
Nothing for it .... off to The Gutshot to play through till the first train. It turned out to cost me a little more than a cab back to Bedford, but was probably more fun.
Who needs sleep anyway.
Monday 14 July 2008
From Vegas to Vagus and Back Again ?
I returned last Monday after 9 days in the capital of poker. That’s easily the longest trip I have made there, but it still seemed to end all too quickly.
After the disappointment of a relatively early exit from the Main Event, I was in a bit of a daze for 24 hours or so but eventually found myself able to return to the baize – I played the $180 8pm at The Venetian for a third and final time. This time I played much better and went on to virtually bubble – out 21st with 18 paying.
However, I did not feel upset as I was very happy with my game and at that stage almost everyone was short-stacked relative to the blinds. Mind you, it still ran on for another 3 hours, at least. The first payout rungs were hardly more than your money back but 1st place paid an impressive $6,500 or so. No doubt that kept the game interesting.
Afterwards, I decided to continue with my plan to play through the night – this seems to work well as an antidote to the long flight ahead.
I considered venturing into $5/10 – it was still the holiday weekend so I got the impression there were plenty of weak players around – but instead settled on another spin at the $2/5.
This time, I stuck to the water & diet coke – and later to chocolate milk (someone else ordered it and I liked the sound of it !)
As expected, it was a pretty soft game and although I was probably tired by the end of a 10hour session, I was well ahead and had never felt in much trouble. Towards the end I was of course playing pretty deep so I stayed out of trouble – laying down Kings on the flop for example when my raise to $200 was re-raised to $500 (he had flopped 9s and 7s).
Also letting go my three 9s with an Ace kicker when the board also paired the Ten on the turn and there was strong 3-way action (T-6 had made Tens full by then).
So, a good ending to a good week.
I am unclear even in my own mind whether I achieved my objective of cashing in a tournament. Clearly the answer to this depends on whether the super-sat win counts as a cash. I think it does, on the whole.
I believe I would have had a winning cash week had it not been for the free drinks. As it was, with the strong finish, I was about level (poker-player-speak for somewhat down). In tournaments, I obviously laid out a lot for returns that can only be measured in experience and further education as a player.
As usual, LV felt somewhat like home with so many familiar faces, and many unfamiliar but friendly ones. I handed out probably 2 dozen of my new “H-bomb” cards – who knows where the legend of the H-bomber may spread as a result.
The flight back was not a conspicuous success – well, I successfully returned home without incident of the insurable kind, but I wasn’t best pleased when Virgin said I had the wrong kind of ticket to upgrade (if they had said there were no upgrades, that would have been OK, but the implication was that there WERE upgrades but that my Gold Card and zillion miles were no match for the words of wisdom written on a scruffy piece of A-4).
The flight itself was somewhat delayed, and accompanied throughout by 100-decibel screaming from the young passenger in the seat behind. Still, I think the all-nighter did help to some degree and I grabbed a few hours sleep and dreamt of Aces & outdraws & all the other good stuff.
I awoke to hiccups (mine, not the 3-year-old’s) which stayed with me for 72hours, before eventually disappearing as quickly as they came. Karen printed some stuff of the internet about this and I learned that irritation of the Vagus Nerve is sometimes the cause.
Vegas also has its irritations, but I’ll be glad to return there just as soon as I can to be exasperated and entertained all over again.
After the disappointment of a relatively early exit from the Main Event, I was in a bit of a daze for 24 hours or so but eventually found myself able to return to the baize – I played the $180 8pm at The Venetian for a third and final time. This time I played much better and went on to virtually bubble – out 21st with 18 paying.
However, I did not feel upset as I was very happy with my game and at that stage almost everyone was short-stacked relative to the blinds. Mind you, it still ran on for another 3 hours, at least. The first payout rungs were hardly more than your money back but 1st place paid an impressive $6,500 or so. No doubt that kept the game interesting.
Afterwards, I decided to continue with my plan to play through the night – this seems to work well as an antidote to the long flight ahead.
I considered venturing into $5/10 – it was still the holiday weekend so I got the impression there were plenty of weak players around – but instead settled on another spin at the $2/5.
This time, I stuck to the water & diet coke – and later to chocolate milk (someone else ordered it and I liked the sound of it !)
As expected, it was a pretty soft game and although I was probably tired by the end of a 10hour session, I was well ahead and had never felt in much trouble. Towards the end I was of course playing pretty deep so I stayed out of trouble – laying down Kings on the flop for example when my raise to $200 was re-raised to $500 (he had flopped 9s and 7s).
Also letting go my three 9s with an Ace kicker when the board also paired the Ten on the turn and there was strong 3-way action (T-6 had made Tens full by then).
So, a good ending to a good week.
I am unclear even in my own mind whether I achieved my objective of cashing in a tournament. Clearly the answer to this depends on whether the super-sat win counts as a cash. I think it does, on the whole.
I believe I would have had a winning cash week had it not been for the free drinks. As it was, with the strong finish, I was about level (poker-player-speak for somewhat down). In tournaments, I obviously laid out a lot for returns that can only be measured in experience and further education as a player.
As usual, LV felt somewhat like home with so many familiar faces, and many unfamiliar but friendly ones. I handed out probably 2 dozen of my new “H-bomb” cards – who knows where the legend of the H-bomber may spread as a result.
The flight back was not a conspicuous success – well, I successfully returned home without incident of the insurable kind, but I wasn’t best pleased when Virgin said I had the wrong kind of ticket to upgrade (if they had said there were no upgrades, that would have been OK, but the implication was that there WERE upgrades but that my Gold Card and zillion miles were no match for the words of wisdom written on a scruffy piece of A-4).
The flight itself was somewhat delayed, and accompanied throughout by 100-decibel screaming from the young passenger in the seat behind. Still, I think the all-nighter did help to some degree and I grabbed a few hours sleep and dreamt of Aces & outdraws & all the other good stuff.
I awoke to hiccups (mine, not the 3-year-old’s) which stayed with me for 72hours, before eventually disappearing as quickly as they came. Karen printed some stuff of the internet about this and I learned that irritation of the Vagus Nerve is sometimes the cause.
Vegas also has its irritations, but I’ll be glad to return there just as soon as I can to be exasperated and entertained all over again.
Double Trouble
Pokerstars have a "2x" promotion on at the moment. I haven't studied all the details but it seems everything is twice as big. I think there are double FPP points for example.
Also, all the gurantee tournaments have double the guarantee right now - so the Sunday Million was the Sunday 2-Million.
I gave that a go last night along with the Sunday Hundred Grand (200k yesterday) and the $11 rebuy - those two are on at roughly the same time.
These tournaments indeed attracted huge fields - the Hundred Grand maxed out at 25,000 runners and the "million" had a record 14,000+.
I actually got off to a cracking start in the big one - up to about 18k chips early on (flopping a straight with T8 on a J97 flop was a big help!) and then advanced to about 24k before taking a couple of knocks (bluffing on the river - must be careful with that) before taking a genuine bad beat - Aces in the big blind. The Small Blind raised to 3,200 (400/800 blinds with a 50ante). I just called as we were already heads-up.
He pushed all-in immediately on the T64-board which had 2 diamonds. Of course I insta-called and he showed pocket 9s. Unfortunately, diamonds on the turn and river completed his back-door flush and I was down to 2,500.
I managed to bring this back up to 12k within 3 hands - shoving with AJ and being called by A2 and then with KQ, called by QJ (??) and in due course moved on to 30k before eventually succumbing after about 3 hours play in 3,309th place. Actually not too bad out of 14,181 but I probably should have done better - the field was pretty soft I think.
Similarly in the others I made some progress but fell short (1,961/4,500 in the rebuy and 4,609/25,000 in the "hundred"). Actually I could easily have made the money in that one because it paid 3,581 places and players were falling at the rate of 3 or 4 per second. Still, there is little point finishing in the lower ranks of the money. On the other hand, the final table prizes were very significant indeed.
The Million was still running this morning when we returned from dropping Matt off at his friend's house - he is flying to Slovakia for a 10day holiday.
Harry & I watched the last throes of it - the winner was due to bank $297k. Not bad for 12hours of work. Actually, a deal was done 3-handed but it still was about $250k - 1,000x return.
Next poker for me will probably be a live version of the forum poker league - scheduled for Sunday 27th July and then I will try to make it to the club for the Wednesday tournament next week (23rd).
I'm also going to look at the tournament calendars to see if I can make one of the GPT or GUKPT events - in lieu of cashing at the WSOP I would like to finally go deep in one of these multi-day games.
Meawhile, I will probably play the $25 rebuy on gutshot from time to time - finished 38th (bubble+1) and 25th (in the money) at the last 2 attempts. This remains a very soft tournament.
Also, all the gurantee tournaments have double the guarantee right now - so the Sunday Million was the Sunday 2-Million.
I gave that a go last night along with the Sunday Hundred Grand (200k yesterday) and the $11 rebuy - those two are on at roughly the same time.
These tournaments indeed attracted huge fields - the Hundred Grand maxed out at 25,000 runners and the "million" had a record 14,000+.
I actually got off to a cracking start in the big one - up to about 18k chips early on (flopping a straight with T8 on a J97 flop was a big help!) and then advanced to about 24k before taking a couple of knocks (bluffing on the river - must be careful with that) before taking a genuine bad beat - Aces in the big blind. The Small Blind raised to 3,200 (400/800 blinds with a 50ante). I just called as we were already heads-up.
He pushed all-in immediately on the T64-board which had 2 diamonds. Of course I insta-called and he showed pocket 9s. Unfortunately, diamonds on the turn and river completed his back-door flush and I was down to 2,500.
I managed to bring this back up to 12k within 3 hands - shoving with AJ and being called by A2 and then with KQ, called by QJ (??) and in due course moved on to 30k before eventually succumbing after about 3 hours play in 3,309th place. Actually not too bad out of 14,181 but I probably should have done better - the field was pretty soft I think.
Similarly in the others I made some progress but fell short (1,961/4,500 in the rebuy and 4,609/25,000 in the "hundred"). Actually I could easily have made the money in that one because it paid 3,581 places and players were falling at the rate of 3 or 4 per second. Still, there is little point finishing in the lower ranks of the money. On the other hand, the final table prizes were very significant indeed.
The Million was still running this morning when we returned from dropping Matt off at his friend's house - he is flying to Slovakia for a 10day holiday.
Harry & I watched the last throes of it - the winner was due to bank $297k. Not bad for 12hours of work. Actually, a deal was done 3-handed but it still was about $250k - 1,000x return.
Next poker for me will probably be a live version of the forum poker league - scheduled for Sunday 27th July and then I will try to make it to the club for the Wednesday tournament next week (23rd).
I'm also going to look at the tournament calendars to see if I can make one of the GPT or GUKPT events - in lieu of cashing at the WSOP I would like to finally go deep in one of these multi-day games.
Meawhile, I will probably play the $25 rebuy on gutshot from time to time - finished 38th (bubble+1) and 25th (in the money) at the last 2 attempts. This remains a very soft tournament.
Sunday 6 July 2008
The Main Thing Is ...
Friday, 4th July 2008.
The night before, at the Team Gutshot dinner, I drank diet Coke. Such was the extraordinary lengths I was going to in order to put in a good performance at the WSOP Main Event!
I met up with Barry for breakfast and chatted about the keys to success. I distilled the advice into “Code RED”. Read the table, Enjoy the experience, Don’t go broke.
I have played 3 or 4 of the smaller bracelet events previously– this year and in previous years – so the sights and sounds of thousands of players in the cavernous Amazon room was not over-awing in itself. However, I would still say I was nervous.
In this case, the anxiety was about putting in a good performance.
I arrived just in time – I had been concerned about Independence Day traffic but my cabbie seemed to find some sneaky route. I have him a $20 bill for the $9 ride – covering all the bases for good karma. I was also in possession of a good luck wishes from my wife and sons – variously by phone, SMS and MSN. Lastly, the lucky $1 Rio chip that Barry threw me at the mega-sat was safely lodged in my bag.
I’d give Harrah’s a solid 7 or 8 out of 10 for the “opening ceremonies”. We had the Stars & Stripes sung by someone I am probably supposed to have heard of, and a “thank you America” from 2007 champ Jerry Yang and a shout-out for US servicemen & women. Also, a multi-national flag wave. I don’t mind a bit of sentimentality myself, so I thought it was all OK.
We lastly received the famous “shuffle up and deal” and off we go. I promised Barry that if I picked up the Powerhouse on the first hand, I would push all in. Luckily I didn’t have to break my word and we proceeded to hand #2 without much incident.
I had a good safe draw, it seemed. Two to my right was a Norwegian high-stakes online NLH cash player – “Mr Chill” is his moniker apparently and if he’s playing 50/100 professionally then I guess he knows how to play. I was glad to have position on him. The player immediately on my right had cashed both of the $1500 NLH bracelet events, so was evidently solid. However, no one seemed too tricky and a couple were clearly less than solid.
I made steady, cautious progress. I advanced to around 24k chips in the first couple of 1 hour levels.
Marc Convey, reporting for Poker News now, came by and made sure they got the H-Bomb’s chip count. In fact I was one of the first names they put up so at one point early in the first orbit, I saw I was marked up as lying 4th in the Main Event !
As a few of the media people came and checked up on me, I was asked by my neighbour “they all seem to know you – are you some big-shot poker professional ?”
Perhaps, in hindsight, with such a straightforward table I should have tried to be more aggressive about building a stack. However, I was following the line that the priority was to stay in the tournament. We all know that the double-up can come up at any time.
Our table eventually was broken, and I was now moved to “Blue 50”. I didn’t like the look of it. It was all sunglasses and logos.
Very early there I picked up Aces, and re-raised an early raiser, taking down a small pot. But that was about the high point for me at this new location.
I did come to realise that the two players on my immediate left were not too problematic, but when one of those was replaced by JP Kelly, and with Thomas Fougeron on my right it was a differente proposition than my starting table.
When JP Kelly took out the player on my left and Thomas Fougeron took out another short stack on his right, they were replaced by aggressive big-stack players.
Things were tough and I was feeling distinctly out-matched.
It is often said the Main Event field is not of a high standard – which I find plausible based on my experiences in the other WSOP events – but it’s not uniformly bad of course.
I have a feeling in hindsight that I should have realised I was in a tough spot and really locked down and waited for very good spots, or a table move !
As it was, I lost a big pot out of position to a sponsored pokerstars player (not a qualifier) and although I picked up some chips from the weaker players before they bust out, I now found a tough spot against Thomas Fougeron.
With blinds 150/300, he raised to 800 in early position. I re-raised to 2,200 with pocket Queens. He called. The flop was not great – KT9. The only legitimate hands I am now beating are JJ and AQ.
He checks (as he would with almost anything) and I decide to check as well. He now bets 2,600 on the turn (a blank 3). What I often found was that playing against the big-stack strong players, it did not matter whether I had position or not ! Out of position, it was horrible. With position, they always seemed to have me under pressure.
Here, I have a hunch I may be winning but of course if he called pre-flop with a genuine hand, he is well ahead. Still, I have outs on the river. I decide to call.
On the river (another 3) he bets 2/3rds of my stack. I can’t call and am knocked back to about 12k.
I am between 10 and 13k until the dinner break.
During dinner I bump into some of the players I have met in the past week – some of whom I have given my H-Bomb cards to and we greet each other like old friends. It’s a friendly game, I find, off the table anyway and it’s funny how people remember you.
I know that on 40 big blinds, I have plenty of oxygen left. One problem is that I am short-stacked on my table but not actually a short-stack in big-blinds. This is not a situation I am very familiar with and I probably did not adjust well to it.
JP Kelly continues to be a tremendous problem. He opens nearly every pot from any position and seems to call freely at all stages of the hand. His chip mountain grows. He has called every single pre-flop raise I made, bar one.
On the plus side, if I can get him in a pot where I have a really strong hand, then I can get paid off.
Easier said than done, however, as I have position on him only twice per round, with Thomas Fougeron also opening a lot.
Looking back, I tend to think I should have been more patient but when I found 87o on the button and it was folded to me, I made a standard raise to 850 (150/300 with a 25 ante). Of course JP called.
The flop was Js6s2c and when he checked, I checked behind. The turn brought a 5 giving me 8 outs to the nut straight. JP Kelly bet 1,200 (I think he bets 100% of the time here).
I elect to raise to 3,500 and he calls. In hindsight, I guess I know he will call with any piece of this and I perhaps should have waited for a better chance. Or, perhaps I should push all in here ?
The river is a Jack. When he checks, I think he does not have much. Again, I perhaps should have teh heart to move all in with my 8,500 chips. Instead I bet 3,000 which I hope can look like a value bet (1/3rd of the pot) but with all his chips, Kelly calls with pocket 3s. Pffff. How does he know I don’t have pocket 7s, say ?
Now I am genuinely short-stacked. The good news is that it will make my decision making quite easy. I need to wait for a spot. It needs to be a spot with a decent hand, also, because the stacks at the table are not worrying about calling 5,000 chips.
The occasion arrives pretty soon, in fact. An aggressive player two to my right opens for 1,200. I have AQo. I push.
I expect to be called.
I want to be called.
I get called.
He flips AQ-suited. As we know, this is a split pot 9 times out of 10. This was not one of those times. 2 clubs on the flop and one on the river, mean the end of the road for me.
It’s always disappointing exiting a tournament – whatever the circumstances. I probably did not play to the highest possible standard today, but I tried my best. I was aware of being significantly outplayed at the second table. It also could have worked out differently if I caught a few breaks.
It was one of those days where I folded the wrong flops. For example, shortly before the 78 vs JP’s pocket 3s, I folded K8-suited pre-flop having limped on the button and folded to a raise. The board came K83. Two players who had pocket 6s and 97-suited put over 10,000 chips into this pot before the 6s won it.
It’s taking me quite a while to get over this one. I really feel I could have and should have done better – although I did turn $5 into a 9hour run in the main event. I could have done worse.
I think I will eventually recover enough to give it another try next year – that’s the main thing.
The night before, at the Team Gutshot dinner, I drank diet Coke. Such was the extraordinary lengths I was going to in order to put in a good performance at the WSOP Main Event!
I met up with Barry for breakfast and chatted about the keys to success. I distilled the advice into “Code RED”. Read the table, Enjoy the experience, Don’t go broke.
I have played 3 or 4 of the smaller bracelet events previously– this year and in previous years – so the sights and sounds of thousands of players in the cavernous Amazon room was not over-awing in itself. However, I would still say I was nervous.
In this case, the anxiety was about putting in a good performance.
I arrived just in time – I had been concerned about Independence Day traffic but my cabbie seemed to find some sneaky route. I have him a $20 bill for the $9 ride – covering all the bases for good karma. I was also in possession of a good luck wishes from my wife and sons – variously by phone, SMS and MSN. Lastly, the lucky $1 Rio chip that Barry threw me at the mega-sat was safely lodged in my bag.
I’d give Harrah’s a solid 7 or 8 out of 10 for the “opening ceremonies”. We had the Stars & Stripes sung by someone I am probably supposed to have heard of, and a “thank you America” from 2007 champ Jerry Yang and a shout-out for US servicemen & women. Also, a multi-national flag wave. I don’t mind a bit of sentimentality myself, so I thought it was all OK.
We lastly received the famous “shuffle up and deal” and off we go. I promised Barry that if I picked up the Powerhouse on the first hand, I would push all in. Luckily I didn’t have to break my word and we proceeded to hand #2 without much incident.
I had a good safe draw, it seemed. Two to my right was a Norwegian high-stakes online NLH cash player – “Mr Chill” is his moniker apparently and if he’s playing 50/100 professionally then I guess he knows how to play. I was glad to have position on him. The player immediately on my right had cashed both of the $1500 NLH bracelet events, so was evidently solid. However, no one seemed too tricky and a couple were clearly less than solid.
I made steady, cautious progress. I advanced to around 24k chips in the first couple of 1 hour levels.
Marc Convey, reporting for Poker News now, came by and made sure they got the H-Bomb’s chip count. In fact I was one of the first names they put up so at one point early in the first orbit, I saw I was marked up as lying 4th in the Main Event !
As a few of the media people came and checked up on me, I was asked by my neighbour “they all seem to know you – are you some big-shot poker professional ?”
Perhaps, in hindsight, with such a straightforward table I should have tried to be more aggressive about building a stack. However, I was following the line that the priority was to stay in the tournament. We all know that the double-up can come up at any time.
Our table eventually was broken, and I was now moved to “Blue 50”. I didn’t like the look of it. It was all sunglasses and logos.
Very early there I picked up Aces, and re-raised an early raiser, taking down a small pot. But that was about the high point for me at this new location.
I did come to realise that the two players on my immediate left were not too problematic, but when one of those was replaced by JP Kelly, and with Thomas Fougeron on my right it was a differente proposition than my starting table.
When JP Kelly took out the player on my left and Thomas Fougeron took out another short stack on his right, they were replaced by aggressive big-stack players.
Things were tough and I was feeling distinctly out-matched.
It is often said the Main Event field is not of a high standard – which I find plausible based on my experiences in the other WSOP events – but it’s not uniformly bad of course.
I have a feeling in hindsight that I should have realised I was in a tough spot and really locked down and waited for very good spots, or a table move !
As it was, I lost a big pot out of position to a sponsored pokerstars player (not a qualifier) and although I picked up some chips from the weaker players before they bust out, I now found a tough spot against Thomas Fougeron.
With blinds 150/300, he raised to 800 in early position. I re-raised to 2,200 with pocket Queens. He called. The flop was not great – KT9. The only legitimate hands I am now beating are JJ and AQ.
He checks (as he would with almost anything) and I decide to check as well. He now bets 2,600 on the turn (a blank 3). What I often found was that playing against the big-stack strong players, it did not matter whether I had position or not ! Out of position, it was horrible. With position, they always seemed to have me under pressure.
Here, I have a hunch I may be winning but of course if he called pre-flop with a genuine hand, he is well ahead. Still, I have outs on the river. I decide to call.
On the river (another 3) he bets 2/3rds of my stack. I can’t call and am knocked back to about 12k.
I am between 10 and 13k until the dinner break.
During dinner I bump into some of the players I have met in the past week – some of whom I have given my H-Bomb cards to and we greet each other like old friends. It’s a friendly game, I find, off the table anyway and it’s funny how people remember you.
I know that on 40 big blinds, I have plenty of oxygen left. One problem is that I am short-stacked on my table but not actually a short-stack in big-blinds. This is not a situation I am very familiar with and I probably did not adjust well to it.
JP Kelly continues to be a tremendous problem. He opens nearly every pot from any position and seems to call freely at all stages of the hand. His chip mountain grows. He has called every single pre-flop raise I made, bar one.
On the plus side, if I can get him in a pot where I have a really strong hand, then I can get paid off.
Easier said than done, however, as I have position on him only twice per round, with Thomas Fougeron also opening a lot.
Looking back, I tend to think I should have been more patient but when I found 87o on the button and it was folded to me, I made a standard raise to 850 (150/300 with a 25 ante). Of course JP called.
The flop was Js6s2c and when he checked, I checked behind. The turn brought a 5 giving me 8 outs to the nut straight. JP Kelly bet 1,200 (I think he bets 100% of the time here).
I elect to raise to 3,500 and he calls. In hindsight, I guess I know he will call with any piece of this and I perhaps should have waited for a better chance. Or, perhaps I should push all in here ?
The river is a Jack. When he checks, I think he does not have much. Again, I perhaps should have teh heart to move all in with my 8,500 chips. Instead I bet 3,000 which I hope can look like a value bet (1/3rd of the pot) but with all his chips, Kelly calls with pocket 3s. Pffff. How does he know I don’t have pocket 7s, say ?
Now I am genuinely short-stacked. The good news is that it will make my decision making quite easy. I need to wait for a spot. It needs to be a spot with a decent hand, also, because the stacks at the table are not worrying about calling 5,000 chips.
The occasion arrives pretty soon, in fact. An aggressive player two to my right opens for 1,200. I have AQo. I push.
I expect to be called.
I want to be called.
I get called.
He flips AQ-suited. As we know, this is a split pot 9 times out of 10. This was not one of those times. 2 clubs on the flop and one on the river, mean the end of the road for me.
It’s always disappointing exiting a tournament – whatever the circumstances. I probably did not play to the highest possible standard today, but I tried my best. I was aware of being significantly outplayed at the second table. It also could have worked out differently if I caught a few breaks.
It was one of those days where I folded the wrong flops. For example, shortly before the 78 vs JP’s pocket 3s, I folded K8-suited pre-flop having limped on the button and folded to a raise. The board came K83. Two players who had pocket 6s and 97-suited put over 10,000 chips into this pot before the 6s won it.
It’s taking me quite a while to get over this one. I really feel I could have and should have done better – although I did turn $5 into a 9hour run in the main event. I could have done worse.
I think I will eventually recover enough to give it another try next year – that’s the main thing.
Friday 4 July 2008
Standing Joke
So, last post before I sit down in the Main Event later today. As you know, this came about from my mega-satellite survival on Wednesday. That tournament will stay with me for a long time.
Actually it is my biggest tournament win to date - of course most likely it will turn out to be worth $0 in the end, but inasmuch as I could have sold the seat, it was a $10k win. The satellite it self took nearly 10 hours to play - but THEN we had well over an hour of "paperwork" and this is an incredibly painful process.
It's only bearable at all insofar because you're only going through it as a result of winning something. Americans, in general, are not reknowned for their queuing skills or their tolerance of bad service, so actually it is relatively impressive how acquiscent they are to the appalling slowness of the whole thing. You stand in line and get taken from one "station" to the next where they take ID, copy it, out you in the computer, fill forms, etc etc. Worse, for me, they would not accept my UK photo driving license as ID for the payout even though it WAS acceptable ID to register and so on.
So, I had to come back the next day with my passport which I had left at The Venetian for safety’s sake (I did lose my passport in Spain once, years ago, and I don’t want to go through that again).
Well the good thing was that there weren’t 45 other people trying to cash out at the same time. But it STILL took over an HOUR to get my payout including at least 40minutes standing in line at the cashier’s counter with only 2 people in front of me ! What they were doing, I have little idea.
The guy in the front of the line has just finished 2nd in the $10k PLO so he was making a big cash – perhaps this was the reason for the delay.
He was being pretty patient – probably used to it by now. I assume they don’t make Phil Hellmuth stand in line like this. The staff are pretty friendly, on the upside, but they are jobsworths of the first degree (rules is rules, and some of the rules just make you want to cry) and some of them are absolutely clueless which is a worry. The one thing that is worse than a bad ruling is an unclear ruling.
And then to make it TRULY ridiculous – remember that to get your cash you have been through 4 or 5 rounds of intense form-filling and release-signing and what not – they hand over his cash (must have been a LOT for that 2nd place) and it seems like he wants some help handling it – so the cashier looks around and fishes out 2 or 3 of those re-usable internal mail envelopes you get in offices and gives those to the fella who just stuffs the bricks of cash in there plus a few in his front and back jeans’ pocket and walks off with his armsful of the stuff.
Anyway, 10hours to win the seat, about 3 hours all told to actually cash in and register for my ME seat. What a lesson in how not to organize things. I sure hope I have to go through it all again in a few days !
Actually it is my biggest tournament win to date - of course most likely it will turn out to be worth $0 in the end, but inasmuch as I could have sold the seat, it was a $10k win. The satellite it self took nearly 10 hours to play - but THEN we had well over an hour of "paperwork" and this is an incredibly painful process.
It's only bearable at all insofar because you're only going through it as a result of winning something. Americans, in general, are not reknowned for their queuing skills or their tolerance of bad service, so actually it is relatively impressive how acquiscent they are to the appalling slowness of the whole thing. You stand in line and get taken from one "station" to the next where they take ID, copy it, out you in the computer, fill forms, etc etc. Worse, for me, they would not accept my UK photo driving license as ID for the payout even though it WAS acceptable ID to register and so on.
So, I had to come back the next day with my passport which I had left at The Venetian for safety’s sake (I did lose my passport in Spain once, years ago, and I don’t want to go through that again).
Well the good thing was that there weren’t 45 other people trying to cash out at the same time. But it STILL took over an HOUR to get my payout including at least 40minutes standing in line at the cashier’s counter with only 2 people in front of me ! What they were doing, I have little idea.
The guy in the front of the line has just finished 2nd in the $10k PLO so he was making a big cash – perhaps this was the reason for the delay.
He was being pretty patient – probably used to it by now. I assume they don’t make Phil Hellmuth stand in line like this. The staff are pretty friendly, on the upside, but they are jobsworths of the first degree (rules is rules, and some of the rules just make you want to cry) and some of them are absolutely clueless which is a worry. The one thing that is worse than a bad ruling is an unclear ruling.
And then to make it TRULY ridiculous – remember that to get your cash you have been through 4 or 5 rounds of intense form-filling and release-signing and what not – they hand over his cash (must have been a LOT for that 2nd place) and it seems like he wants some help handling it – so the cashier looks around and fishes out 2 or 3 of those re-usable internal mail envelopes you get in offices and gives those to the fella who just stuffs the bricks of cash in there plus a few in his front and back jeans’ pocket and walks off with his armsful of the stuff.
Anyway, 10hours to win the seat, about 3 hours all told to actually cash in and register for my ME seat. What a lesson in how not to organize things. I sure hope I have to go through it all again in a few days !
Thursday 3 July 2008
$5 goes a long way these days
It’s 11:30am Wednesday 2nd July 2008.
We’re gathered outside the tournament registration area at The Rio, Las Vegas. “We” means the “official” members of Team Gutshot 2008, plus Barry “The Bully” Martin – WSOP veteran – and another dozen or more other Gutshot stalwarts.
All of us are captured by Barry’s digital camera – see his blog for the shots (nice work if he says so himself) – and most of us are playing the $1,060 mega-satellite for this year’s main event.
For me, it is an honour to represent the team. I do not expect to qualify, but I am going to give it everything I have. Also playing are several outstanding gutshot players – let’s pick out Andy Achillea, Jimi Somiteim and Brian Hallows just to name a few.
I have no experience of playing satellites, so eagerly take on board some advice from Barry, Jimmy and the others – in any case it is great to be here amongst so many poker friends.
My route here started in January – I had played a $5 rebuy on gutshot.com (with no rebuys) and won a seat in the 40-runner monthy online final, which I won – I was the first qualifier for this year, in fact, although a total of 12 qualified in due course online and at the club. The package included this mega-satellite seat.
How much further would $5 run ? Read on ... it’s quite a ride.
The H-Rock ?
Many people reading this have played with me online or live. I am betting that “solid” or “tight” is not the one word you would use to describe my play.
However, Barry’s advice is “you don’t have to win it, just be in it” – standard satellite strategy. Easier said than done, but he says “so long as you have 10 big blinds at all times, you’re in”.
This satellite ran for nearly 10 hours in the end, and with 6,000 chips, a half-hour clock and blinds starting at 25-50 you would not exactly call it a crap-shoot but I can tell you it can feel like a turbo and the balance between patience and aggression is exquisitely painful at times.
To say I really wanted to win a seat would be an understatement. More than that, I wanted to play my A-game. Well, somebody else’s A-game really – somebody much better than me !
So, how tight was I playing ? Let me give you some idea. It is Level 3 – 100/200 with no ante. I am on the big blind with QQ. UTG limps – this player will play any pair, any suited connectors and any high near-connectors in early position, or of course he could be limp-raising. A new player to the table is in UTG+2 with a bunch of chips. He looks like he could be pretty aggressive but with my new patient hat on I am going to respect his raise.
Normally, I would say “the UTG player has almost ATC, the new player looks like a gambler, I have the third best hand in Hold’Em, I re-raise. Instead, I say “I am out of position facing an unknown player who has me covered. I may even face a re-raise from the UTG player”. I even consider folding – obviously I am NOT folding, but I at least evaluate it.
I check-fold the Ace-high flop even though, again, I might normally lead out, or even check-raise.
Later, to be honest, I saw that aggressive player raise UTG and call a push with KJ so I think my Queens may have been good. But, the way I played it was consistent with the survival-is-key objective.
This was the last hand before the end-Level 3 break and as we filed out, I was able to check the fortunes of the other gutshot players – most still in although we had lost 2 or 3. We learned that there were 44 seats and a 45th place of nearly a full seat in cash. 472 runners, of which 409 remained at that stage. Long, long way to go. After my fold with the Queens I had 6,375 chips – 20 big blinds and approximately average.
Up till now, I have not shown down a single hand. In fact, the only hand I showed at our first table was early in Level 4. A player exactly half-way round the table from me had just done 80% of his chips in a race against an aggressive Italian fella – controversial pot where the losing player had thought he had called a raise but threw in too many chips – you know how this goes. His bet had to go as a min-raise, the Italian put him all in and was called with top pair against a draw which came on the river.
So, when he now pushed in his last 900, my calling range in the big blind had to be fairly wide. My AQ-suited was enough vs. his K8o and I moved to 7,150 chips and now was moved to Table 27 to the immediate left of a monster stack.
I played again very tight and very respectful of position and had not shown any hands at all, and was on 9,375 chips, when we came to the end of Level 7 (400/800 with a running 100). The dealer said “OK we’re on a 15minute break” but someone at the table pointed out there were 37 seconds on the clock. “Surely we have another hand?”
The Dealer checked with the floor who said to deal one more (obviously). “This could be the hand to double up with”, I say, and everyone laughs.
I am in UTG+2 and the first two pretty much auto-fold as they get up to leave. I look down at my cards, and need to double check. You guessed right ? Oh yes, pocket Aces.
I raise to 2,500. Folded round to the button who has just sat down with over 30,000 chips. He looks like a man who knows the R-word. “Raise to 7,000”.
I check my cards again to make sure they’re not A4 (!). “All in”. Of course it is an auto-call for him anyway for 2,375 more. He tables pocket 9s. Fair enough.
Let’s see a flop. My world ends.
Flop 9-7-4.
I pick up my gutshot jacket. At least I did nothing wrong. The dealer continues with the board, as he must. The turn gives the button a full house with a second 7.
It was good whilst it lasted. I have 2 outs with one card to come.
BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!
The river is an Ace. SHIP. IT.
For the first time I have chips. 20,300 in fact. 25 big blinds, although immediately that becomes only about 15 blinds as we re-start at 600/1,200/100. I told you it was like a turbo.
Will the Real H-bomber please stand up ?
OK. Remember, I have shown down two hands in 3.5 hours. Pocket Aces, and AQ-suited where I called a short-stack tilt-push on the big-blind for only 10% of my stack. I have not limped a single hand in the tournament. I have not even made up the small blind.
So, I have to think my image is strong when in Level 8 I am to the left of UTG with JTo. The
UTG was that mega-stack who I now know is not a strong player. He is not a donk but he clearly is not a mover-and-shaker.
We are 600/1,200 with 100. The UTG limps. I raise to 4,500. I am not raising with my hand values but with my image and for the blinds, antes and the limp chips.
This raise has to look enormously strong. If I am raised I can insta-fold. If I am called I will have position on the UTG player and a hand with some value, and if any other player calls then I probably know where I am.
If the UTG players pushes I can fold obviously, although that would be a less happy fold than if another player raises.
He calls. Maybe he has Aces. If so, nice play sir.
The flop comes AKQ, two hearts.
The player thinks, feigns as if to check then pushes all in and is insta-called by yours truly.
I have to sweat two cards as he shows A3-hearts (what on Earth is he doing calling preflop ?) but I’m good and move on to 35k and am soon moved to table 43.
At this table, and with the blinds and antes now getting rather big there is a lot of open-shoving but I add to my stack when I raise early to 5,500 (1000/2000/400) with Kings and get shoved on my the player on my left for 9,000 more. Call. She has AJo and my hand holds up.
My high-point is around 55k chips but as the blinds climb to 2000/4000 and a 500 running ante, and when I get re-raised all-in a couple of times (my calling range is pretty much AA,KK,AK) I am down to 28k when I get Aces again. Raise to 11k again. All fold, but it brings me up to 41k before I am due to be the big blind. I get moved (nice, but get moved into the big blind. Boo).
Sixth Sense
OK. Here follows the penultimate hand that I played. Usually, as you all know, I go out of tournaments in two hands.
Here it is. I am moved to this new table. I get seated in the big blind. We’re still at 2,000/4,000 and a 500 ante. I am in seat 1. The player in Seat4 who is obviously acting UTG+2 has 80k chips. He makes a raise to 12k.
Now, I am going to say that imo his range is quite big. Yes he is UTG+2 but he looks like the kind of player who knows that 12k is going to make 11k most times and he has the heart to open raise with a range of hands.
Now, I know that for the previous 7 hours I have pretty much followed a rule that says if I have not actually seen the player in action then I am going to respect the position and not assume. I am also aware of my long-term history of crashing out after a table move or a break or a new-player move etc.
So, all that is running through my mind as I look at my cards. By the way, I have been scrupulous about not looking at my cards until my turn. I hope to see 94o or something.
I find pocket Tens.
In my opinion, this is way ahead of his range. I also believe that for another 28k he can fold without his top hands. Barry vehemently disagrees. Let’s discuss it another time.
Let’s agree that I had a hunch. I move in.
The player counts out the call. I think he is doing it like he is going to think and fold. Good.
He calls. OMG.
On their backs. Barry on the rail sees my pocket Tens and visibly whitens.
Seat 4 flips up .... pocket 7s !
I’m out of my seat. C’mon .... The flop, turn and river come all safe.
I’m on 85k. There are 54 people left in the satellite. I can almost touch it !
Acting in Turn
Barry has a word. “Do me a favour he says, SLOW DOWN”. He’s not talking about the push with Tens which he maintains is the worst play since time began. He’s talking about satellite dynamics.
“Really” say I ? I am not familiar with these considerations but I agree to give it a go. By now I am the last Gutshotter left – Jimi, Brian and I were the last three but first Jimi then Brian were felled.
I feel a huge amount of pressure to bring it in for the team. Discussing with Barry and Kim Callow on the rail the consensus is that with 85k I can fold to a seat. Well, let’s see.
We’ve been playing about 7 hours. There are only 9 people to knock out. But let me tell you, this will take a LONG time.
One of my strengths in my career in finance is that I was a quick learner. On the other hand, speech and drama is not my favourite subject. Nonetheless, I think Barry will agree I warmed to the task at hand.
“How much is the raise? Are you sure ?”,
“How many chips do you have back”,
“Oh, has seat 10 folded already?”,
“Dealer, are we short an ante ?”,
“Floor, can I check – is there $200 cash with the seat. Let me see the sheet. Here, do you want to take a look as well?”
“Are we playing the new level even though the floor hasn’t called it ? Oh, they did call it. Sorry, it’s real loud in here”.
The string-fold, my new move. Did I make it too obvious ?
The move from 54 to 51 to 48 was painful. I have not played a single hand since the Tens. Not that I didn’t have any hands – pocket 9s, AQ-suited, AJ. Having said that, there weren’t many hands being played. With 3 left to the bubble the floor sensibly decided to go hand for hand.
47...
46....
Now at this point, some of the plays by the big stacks on our table were close to moronic imo.
The button pushes for 18k on the absolute bubble. Blinds are 6,000/12,000/2,000. The small blind with 75k passes and only the BB calls (with 96-suited). The button holds with 99 when the SB folded an Ace which paired the board. Aaarggh ! That would have been it right there.
It could also have ended with I was in the SB and the BB was all in for 9,000 (less than the 12k blind). He gave it the old “It would be nice if you let me live”. I explained that it was not fair to the other players and I called for 3,000 more with K9. His tournament may be over on the absolute bubble. He squeezes one card – a 3. He squeezes again. ACE!
Every card is a pain for him but he lives !
This player had survived two mighty close escapes. First, he had his hand declared dead on his BB for overt deal-brokering that the floor disapproved of. They wanted to give him a 10 minute penalty as well but relented. At that time he had only 28k chips and lost 8k on the BB. Then, when it was him and one other microstack on the SB and BB and me on the button, it was folded to me with Q4.
It was close, but I folded, and the SB pushed with J9-suited. The BB has to call 6k more and does so with Q3o.
He sees the flop come JQ and goes through a flip-flop of emotion. Yes ! He does not see the third card is a 9. Now he is in agony again. The turn is the case Queen! The river is a 3 !!
He kisses the floor. I mean literally.
The karma was with him that day.
The effective bubble burst when a player was all in for the big blind with AJ on another table.
The SB came with him. A7. Flop AJ9 (!!!). Turn 7. River 7.
Well, that’s poker. I have done it !
Or rather, I would like to say, Team Gutshot has done it. I certainly felt I was playing for the team, and I must thank the rail for all the long hours of support and (sometimes contradictory) advice. I’d also like to thanks pocket Tens and pocket 7s.
We had to play on for the difference between 44th (a full seat) and 45th ($9,040).
I had three hands now till I would be all in for the big blind. The consensus was I would be fine and anyway I have no further decisions to make.
Three players had less than one big blind or even less than one ante.
However, it turned out that we still had 45 left when I was all in for slightly less than one full BB with three other players also all in.
The mega-stack in Seat 6 with 150k chips pushed all in blind for the umpteenth hand (why? Because he could.) I flip T4o. He has 95o. I pair the 4 (irrelevant) but a 9 hits the river.
I am out. But so is someone else who started with less chips. In any case, I effectively won the last seat but the actual ruling is a story for another day.
I can hardly believe it. We can argue about the Tens, but I do not think I have ever played a more focussed game of poker. It’s not even close to be honest.
Now, shall I play the main event. What do you think ?
We’re gathered outside the tournament registration area at The Rio, Las Vegas. “We” means the “official” members of Team Gutshot 2008, plus Barry “The Bully” Martin – WSOP veteran – and another dozen or more other Gutshot stalwarts.
All of us are captured by Barry’s digital camera – see his blog for the shots (nice work if he says so himself) – and most of us are playing the $1,060 mega-satellite for this year’s main event.
For me, it is an honour to represent the team. I do not expect to qualify, but I am going to give it everything I have. Also playing are several outstanding gutshot players – let’s pick out Andy Achillea, Jimi Somiteim and Brian Hallows just to name a few.
I have no experience of playing satellites, so eagerly take on board some advice from Barry, Jimmy and the others – in any case it is great to be here amongst so many poker friends.
My route here started in January – I had played a $5 rebuy on gutshot.com (with no rebuys) and won a seat in the 40-runner monthy online final, which I won – I was the first qualifier for this year, in fact, although a total of 12 qualified in due course online and at the club. The package included this mega-satellite seat.
How much further would $5 run ? Read on ... it’s quite a ride.
The H-Rock ?
Many people reading this have played with me online or live. I am betting that “solid” or “tight” is not the one word you would use to describe my play.
However, Barry’s advice is “you don’t have to win it, just be in it” – standard satellite strategy. Easier said than done, but he says “so long as you have 10 big blinds at all times, you’re in”.
This satellite ran for nearly 10 hours in the end, and with 6,000 chips, a half-hour clock and blinds starting at 25-50 you would not exactly call it a crap-shoot but I can tell you it can feel like a turbo and the balance between patience and aggression is exquisitely painful at times.
To say I really wanted to win a seat would be an understatement. More than that, I wanted to play my A-game. Well, somebody else’s A-game really – somebody much better than me !
So, how tight was I playing ? Let me give you some idea. It is Level 3 – 100/200 with no ante. I am on the big blind with QQ. UTG limps – this player will play any pair, any suited connectors and any high near-connectors in early position, or of course he could be limp-raising. A new player to the table is in UTG+2 with a bunch of chips. He looks like he could be pretty aggressive but with my new patient hat on I am going to respect his raise.
Normally, I would say “the UTG player has almost ATC, the new player looks like a gambler, I have the third best hand in Hold’Em, I re-raise. Instead, I say “I am out of position facing an unknown player who has me covered. I may even face a re-raise from the UTG player”. I even consider folding – obviously I am NOT folding, but I at least evaluate it.
I check-fold the Ace-high flop even though, again, I might normally lead out, or even check-raise.
Later, to be honest, I saw that aggressive player raise UTG and call a push with KJ so I think my Queens may have been good. But, the way I played it was consistent with the survival-is-key objective.
This was the last hand before the end-Level 3 break and as we filed out, I was able to check the fortunes of the other gutshot players – most still in although we had lost 2 or 3. We learned that there were 44 seats and a 45th place of nearly a full seat in cash. 472 runners, of which 409 remained at that stage. Long, long way to go. After my fold with the Queens I had 6,375 chips – 20 big blinds and approximately average.
Up till now, I have not shown down a single hand. In fact, the only hand I showed at our first table was early in Level 4. A player exactly half-way round the table from me had just done 80% of his chips in a race against an aggressive Italian fella – controversial pot where the losing player had thought he had called a raise but threw in too many chips – you know how this goes. His bet had to go as a min-raise, the Italian put him all in and was called with top pair against a draw which came on the river.
So, when he now pushed in his last 900, my calling range in the big blind had to be fairly wide. My AQ-suited was enough vs. his K8o and I moved to 7,150 chips and now was moved to Table 27 to the immediate left of a monster stack.
I played again very tight and very respectful of position and had not shown any hands at all, and was on 9,375 chips, when we came to the end of Level 7 (400/800 with a running 100). The dealer said “OK we’re on a 15minute break” but someone at the table pointed out there were 37 seconds on the clock. “Surely we have another hand?”
The Dealer checked with the floor who said to deal one more (obviously). “This could be the hand to double up with”, I say, and everyone laughs.
I am in UTG+2 and the first two pretty much auto-fold as they get up to leave. I look down at my cards, and need to double check. You guessed right ? Oh yes, pocket Aces.
I raise to 2,500. Folded round to the button who has just sat down with over 30,000 chips. He looks like a man who knows the R-word. “Raise to 7,000”.
I check my cards again to make sure they’re not A4 (!). “All in”. Of course it is an auto-call for him anyway for 2,375 more. He tables pocket 9s. Fair enough.
Let’s see a flop. My world ends.
Flop 9-7-4.
I pick up my gutshot jacket. At least I did nothing wrong. The dealer continues with the board, as he must. The turn gives the button a full house with a second 7.
It was good whilst it lasted. I have 2 outs with one card to come.
BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!
The river is an Ace. SHIP. IT.
For the first time I have chips. 20,300 in fact. 25 big blinds, although immediately that becomes only about 15 blinds as we re-start at 600/1,200/100. I told you it was like a turbo.
Will the Real H-bomber please stand up ?
OK. Remember, I have shown down two hands in 3.5 hours. Pocket Aces, and AQ-suited where I called a short-stack tilt-push on the big-blind for only 10% of my stack. I have not limped a single hand in the tournament. I have not even made up the small blind.
So, I have to think my image is strong when in Level 8 I am to the left of UTG with JTo. The
UTG was that mega-stack who I now know is not a strong player. He is not a donk but he clearly is not a mover-and-shaker.
We are 600/1,200 with 100. The UTG limps. I raise to 4,500. I am not raising with my hand values but with my image and for the blinds, antes and the limp chips.
This raise has to look enormously strong. If I am raised I can insta-fold. If I am called I will have position on the UTG player and a hand with some value, and if any other player calls then I probably know where I am.
If the UTG players pushes I can fold obviously, although that would be a less happy fold than if another player raises.
He calls. Maybe he has Aces. If so, nice play sir.
The flop comes AKQ, two hearts.
The player thinks, feigns as if to check then pushes all in and is insta-called by yours truly.
I have to sweat two cards as he shows A3-hearts (what on Earth is he doing calling preflop ?) but I’m good and move on to 35k and am soon moved to table 43.
At this table, and with the blinds and antes now getting rather big there is a lot of open-shoving but I add to my stack when I raise early to 5,500 (1000/2000/400) with Kings and get shoved on my the player on my left for 9,000 more. Call. She has AJo and my hand holds up.
My high-point is around 55k chips but as the blinds climb to 2000/4000 and a 500 running ante, and when I get re-raised all-in a couple of times (my calling range is pretty much AA,KK,AK) I am down to 28k when I get Aces again. Raise to 11k again. All fold, but it brings me up to 41k before I am due to be the big blind. I get moved (nice, but get moved into the big blind. Boo).
Sixth Sense
OK. Here follows the penultimate hand that I played. Usually, as you all know, I go out of tournaments in two hands.
Here it is. I am moved to this new table. I get seated in the big blind. We’re still at 2,000/4,000 and a 500 ante. I am in seat 1. The player in Seat4 who is obviously acting UTG+2 has 80k chips. He makes a raise to 12k.
Now, I am going to say that imo his range is quite big. Yes he is UTG+2 but he looks like the kind of player who knows that 12k is going to make 11k most times and he has the heart to open raise with a range of hands.
Now, I know that for the previous 7 hours I have pretty much followed a rule that says if I have not actually seen the player in action then I am going to respect the position and not assume. I am also aware of my long-term history of crashing out after a table move or a break or a new-player move etc.
So, all that is running through my mind as I look at my cards. By the way, I have been scrupulous about not looking at my cards until my turn. I hope to see 94o or something.
I find pocket Tens.
In my opinion, this is way ahead of his range. I also believe that for another 28k he can fold without his top hands. Barry vehemently disagrees. Let’s discuss it another time.
Let’s agree that I had a hunch. I move in.
The player counts out the call. I think he is doing it like he is going to think and fold. Good.
He calls. OMG.
On their backs. Barry on the rail sees my pocket Tens and visibly whitens.
Seat 4 flips up .... pocket 7s !
I’m out of my seat. C’mon .... The flop, turn and river come all safe.
I’m on 85k. There are 54 people left in the satellite. I can almost touch it !
Acting in Turn
Barry has a word. “Do me a favour he says, SLOW DOWN”. He’s not talking about the push with Tens which he maintains is the worst play since time began. He’s talking about satellite dynamics.
“Really” say I ? I am not familiar with these considerations but I agree to give it a go. By now I am the last Gutshotter left – Jimi, Brian and I were the last three but first Jimi then Brian were felled.
I feel a huge amount of pressure to bring it in for the team. Discussing with Barry and Kim Callow on the rail the consensus is that with 85k I can fold to a seat. Well, let’s see.
We’ve been playing about 7 hours. There are only 9 people to knock out. But let me tell you, this will take a LONG time.
One of my strengths in my career in finance is that I was a quick learner. On the other hand, speech and drama is not my favourite subject. Nonetheless, I think Barry will agree I warmed to the task at hand.
“How much is the raise? Are you sure ?”,
“How many chips do you have back”,
“Oh, has seat 10 folded already?”,
“Dealer, are we short an ante ?”,
“Floor, can I check – is there $200 cash with the seat. Let me see the sheet. Here, do you want to take a look as well?”
“Are we playing the new level even though the floor hasn’t called it ? Oh, they did call it. Sorry, it’s real loud in here”.
The string-fold, my new move. Did I make it too obvious ?
The move from 54 to 51 to 48 was painful. I have not played a single hand since the Tens. Not that I didn’t have any hands – pocket 9s, AQ-suited, AJ. Having said that, there weren’t many hands being played. With 3 left to the bubble the floor sensibly decided to go hand for hand.
47...
46....
Now at this point, some of the plays by the big stacks on our table were close to moronic imo.
The button pushes for 18k on the absolute bubble. Blinds are 6,000/12,000/2,000. The small blind with 75k passes and only the BB calls (with 96-suited). The button holds with 99 when the SB folded an Ace which paired the board. Aaarggh ! That would have been it right there.
It could also have ended with I was in the SB and the BB was all in for 9,000 (less than the 12k blind). He gave it the old “It would be nice if you let me live”. I explained that it was not fair to the other players and I called for 3,000 more with K9. His tournament may be over on the absolute bubble. He squeezes one card – a 3. He squeezes again. ACE!
Every card is a pain for him but he lives !
This player had survived two mighty close escapes. First, he had his hand declared dead on his BB for overt deal-brokering that the floor disapproved of. They wanted to give him a 10 minute penalty as well but relented. At that time he had only 28k chips and lost 8k on the BB. Then, when it was him and one other microstack on the SB and BB and me on the button, it was folded to me with Q4.
It was close, but I folded, and the SB pushed with J9-suited. The BB has to call 6k more and does so with Q3o.
He sees the flop come JQ and goes through a flip-flop of emotion. Yes ! He does not see the third card is a 9. Now he is in agony again. The turn is the case Queen! The river is a 3 !!
He kisses the floor. I mean literally.
The karma was with him that day.
The effective bubble burst when a player was all in for the big blind with AJ on another table.
The SB came with him. A7. Flop AJ9 (!!!). Turn 7. River 7.
Well, that’s poker. I have done it !
Or rather, I would like to say, Team Gutshot has done it. I certainly felt I was playing for the team, and I must thank the rail for all the long hours of support and (sometimes contradictory) advice. I’d also like to thanks pocket Tens and pocket 7s.
We had to play on for the difference between 44th (a full seat) and 45th ($9,040).
I had three hands now till I would be all in for the big blind. The consensus was I would be fine and anyway I have no further decisions to make.
Three players had less than one big blind or even less than one ante.
However, it turned out that we still had 45 left when I was all in for slightly less than one full BB with three other players also all in.
The mega-stack in Seat 6 with 150k chips pushed all in blind for the umpteenth hand (why? Because he could.) I flip T4o. He has 95o. I pair the 4 (irrelevant) but a 9 hits the river.
I am out. But so is someone else who started with less chips. In any case, I effectively won the last seat but the actual ruling is a story for another day.
I can hardly believe it. We can argue about the Tens, but I do not think I have ever played a more focussed game of poker. It’s not even close to be honest.
Now, shall I play the main event. What do you think ?
Team Gutshot pics
From Barry's blog on Gutshot:
http://www.gutshot.com/bforum/blog.php?b=82
Report from the Mega-satellite soon
http://www.gutshot.com/bforum/blog.php?b=82
Report from the Mega-satellite soon
Wednesday 2 July 2008
Teaming with Players
OK.
I always enjoy being in Las Vegas playing poker. It's hard not to, although it is true that it is twice the fun when you are winning. I have been losing for 48 hours straight now. Yesterday playing $1/2 NLH at The Venetian I lost $1,200 in just a couple of hours and decided to call it a night early on. Also crashed out of the 8pm tourney there.
So, I need some good news. Poker is a bit like golf in that one good shot/hand can make you feel good about the game again.
It would be appropriate if that came today.
Today is Team Gutshot day. About a dozen of the "official" Team flew in yesterday and I would guess there are upwards of 30 Gutshotters here now (I mean real core regulars - the number of people who are gutshot members here is obviously much higher - hundreds at least).
We'll be meeting up the Rio later this morning and then at least the official Team will be playing in the mega-satellite to win seats in the Main Event which starts tomorrow.
Ideally, it goes like this:
Back in January, I paid $5 to play in a qualifier that led to a monthly final, which I won which gave me a package of to play in this super-sat. Now I win a seat in the Main Event (1 in 10 will) and play a blinder to find myself still in the event at day2 (something I have never done before in a WSOP or indeed any multi day MTT). On day2 it all goes well and by mid-way through day3 (having extended my trip) I am in the money. Wa-hay !
In the two WSOP events so far I played quite well, but still not well enough ( definitely culpable in both exits). I played OK in one of the Caesar's comp but rather badly in one other and in the Venetian comps so far I played a shocker !
So, what I hope for first of all is that I play my best game. If I do, I have a chance of making it. I am certain of that. I have almost no experience of satellite play, which is a concern. Hope to pick up some tips from the rest of the team.
So, Good Luck to all of the Team playing today. Especially me !
I always enjoy being in Las Vegas playing poker. It's hard not to, although it is true that it is twice the fun when you are winning. I have been losing for 48 hours straight now. Yesterday playing $1/2 NLH at The Venetian I lost $1,200 in just a couple of hours and decided to call it a night early on. Also crashed out of the 8pm tourney there.
So, I need some good news. Poker is a bit like golf in that one good shot/hand can make you feel good about the game again.
It would be appropriate if that came today.
Today is Team Gutshot day. About a dozen of the "official" Team flew in yesterday and I would guess there are upwards of 30 Gutshotters here now (I mean real core regulars - the number of people who are gutshot members here is obviously much higher - hundreds at least).
We'll be meeting up the Rio later this morning and then at least the official Team will be playing in the mega-satellite to win seats in the Main Event which starts tomorrow.
Ideally, it goes like this:
Back in January, I paid $5 to play in a qualifier that led to a monthly final, which I won which gave me a package of to play in this super-sat. Now I win a seat in the Main Event (1 in 10 will) and play a blinder to find myself still in the event at day2 (something I have never done before in a WSOP or indeed any multi day MTT). On day2 it all goes well and by mid-way through day3 (having extended my trip) I am in the money. Wa-hay !
In the two WSOP events so far I played quite well, but still not well enough ( definitely culpable in both exits). I played OK in one of the Caesar's comp but rather badly in one other and in the Venetian comps so far I played a shocker !
So, what I hope for first of all is that I play my best game. If I do, I have a chance of making it. I am certain of that. I have almost no experience of satellite play, which is a concern. Hope to pick up some tips from the rest of the team.
So, Good Luck to all of the Team playing today. Especially me !
$2/5 Venetian Cash Game - you couldn't Make it up
http://www.gutshot.com/bforum/blog.php?b=79
I said I would tell the story of the $2/5 game last night at The Venetian.
Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end. In the beginning, it was bad. I had come from the Rio, still a bit sick about my exit from the $1500.
Actually, I was nearly over it and was planning to play really solid in the $180 Venetian 8pm. But when I took my seat, Kieron from the club spotted me and agreed to hear my “bad beat”. Re-living it put me back off-balance for a bit and before I knew it I had check-raised ¾ of my chips with the middle pair and 2nd-nut flush draw into a guy who had Aces.
A few hands later, Good game.
So, back to the beginning.
I sit down on table #15 in the back corner of the room. It seems like it could be lively. Everyone is going by their place-name. So we have “Moscow”, “Lubbock Texas”, “Spain”, “London”, ”China”, “Sweden” and so on.
Now, “Lubbock Texas” is certainly steaming drunk and ready to give away all his money, of which there is a lot. Crazy Chinese guy in the next seat also has a tonne of bills and looks like he could splash them around.
In the case of Lubbock, you know he is going to get felted but in between times it can get rather exciting.
Let’s look at one hand. “Sweden” has not been in the game long but already we are calling him the Fake Swede as he seems to play only the nuts or better. He folded AK face-up on the button when I re-raised him pre with 63o. So, his image was pretty strong when he and Texas saw the flop.
Texas had not looked at his cards but the action was very heavy on the flop 7c5s4s with Texas betting, getting re-raised big and calling. The turn was 4h. Texas bet $300, still blind, and was raised all in for $350 more.
Now he has to look. He looks. Now we has a decision apparently. He thinks. He calls !
Obviously Sweden has 8-6 for the nuts on the flop. Texas has 7s6s and makes a straight flush when the river comes the 3s! $2,000 pot.
Of course it was only a matter of time before he lost the lot. We kept his seat open for a while but he never returned.
I took $600 off him when I insta-called his re-raise on the river. On the board Qd3s4sJdKd I had raised pre and been called. When he checked to me on the river I bet $100 and was re-raised to $300. I was pretty sure I would be winning with Ace-high tbh, but with the top pair it was an easy one.
I soon had around $1500 from the $500 buy-in (about 20mins playing) when the first bombshell hit.
I had KsQs and there has been the standard raise to $35 pre, called in 4 spots. The flop comes Kh9h5s and I check, looking to check-raise. Texas bets $50 and for some reason I now decide not to raise yet as I think China may try a raise so that I can come over the top again.
China makes it $200. I make it $500. He pushes. I am sure I am good. I call $900 more. He has Ad9s . Ace on the turn. $3000 pot lost to a 5-outer. Clearly, the money was there to be won back and I soon got my next $500 up to $1000 when this happened:
I have As6s and see a cheap flop (just called the straddle I think). Flop 6c9s5s. I have 2nd pair and the nut flush draw. I lead out for $40 and and limit-raised to $80 by a guy who has hardly played a hand. I call. Turn Js giving me the nuts. I check. $100 is bet. I check-raise to $300. Called.
The river is 9c.
Obviously I am concerned about the house but I don’t think he has it. I make a mistake now, although the result is the same. I check, looking to call a bet but of course I should bet in case he has a smaller flush or trips say. He pushes, and I call even though I am not happy. He has Jh9h!! 4-outer on the turn. Again, if I push on the turn I imagine I win but with the nuts, I thought the $300 raise was good.
I do my next $500 quickly to “real scandi” who has arrived. Overpair vs 93o on a 335 board.
OK. Last $500. Here comes the middle of our story:
I stack up my new chips and “dennis the menace” (China’s friend) open-raises to $45. I take a peek. 5h2d. There is not one scintilla of doubt that I must play. Fake Swede also calls.
Flop Ah3s4s. DtM leads for $145. I try to look a bit worried. Kinda-hoping Sweden has flatted with Aces pre. I look to see how much DtM has – only about the same as me. I call. Sweden reluctantly folds. DtM moves in blind on the turn.
SHIP !!
This karma-filled start is the beginning of the middle period in which the table continues in fantastic spirit – 10/10 for fun and I’m winning as well.
I think I am playing quite well. I even make some folds –Ac9c – I raise it preflop and get 4 callers. Ah9hJc flop. I lead for $100 and get called. Turn Ts. I check and China bets $200. I fold face-up and he can’t believe it. He has Qh8h.
By now I have realised that China is actually a very good, dangerous aggressive player. But, he is such a friendly guy that I am happy to play and I don’t feel intimidated even though I know I am outclassed.
Now I get Aces – the first time in a cash game this trip. I raise, and get 4 callers. Marvellous. Flop 7d7c5d. Not exactly what I hope for. China can be relied upon to take a stab at this flop so I check. China bets $80. True spirit of Scandinavia calls. He is the guy who took $500 off me with an offsuit 3 on a 33x board. I am a bit worried about him.
I make it $300 and China passes instantly. Scandinavia calls, apparently with some reluctance.
He checks the turn 9c and I bet $400 which he calls. He checks the river and I take the safe route of checking behind. He mucks but apparently had 88. China had folded 44 (phew !). This was a big pot but when we discussed the hand everyone (or most people) agreed I should bet the river. They correctly (I think) reasoned he cannot have a hand that beats me when he did not raise the flop or turn and checked on the river.
I agree with them in hindsight but I have so much to learn in cash games. I am value betting more, now, but still not enough most likely. This was pretty much the high point $-wise. I oscillated between $2000 and $2800 for a few hours now and the game continued to be pretty wild.
Let us move on towards the end-phase of our tale.The beginning of the end was when China proposed we play the 7-2 game. The agreed terms were $20 from each player to any player who won a pot with seven-deuce and everyone was to take a shot of Jagermeister. Leading a sheltered life entirely outside of nightclubs I have never heard of this and was a little reluctant (about the shots, not the $20 obv.) but in the spirit of the game, I acceded.
It’s very nice stuff I must say ! I am quite sure it does not improve poker-skills, however, and it was probably after about the 5th seven-deuce that I crossed the invisible line that led in due course to me having no chips left.
As it’s my blog, I am not going to focus on the hands where I lost $2000 but one was with Aces against China’s 73. Another was against Sweden’s Aces.
I must however give you some idea of the play with 7-2. Unfortunately I was never dealt it myself, but here are a few examples:
DtM makes it $35 to go. His range usually here is AT+ or 88+ say, so I re-raise to $100 with 99. China calls. His range here is ATC. I check-dark figuring I want to hit a set really.
It Comes T63 rainbow. China bets $300, DtM passes. Unfortunately I cannot rule out that China flat called with a higher pair (even Aces) so I pass. He flips up ... seven-deuce !!
And so it went - $2, $5, $10. Raise to $45, All-in, pass. 7-2 shown ! etc etc. Brasilia had the seven-deuce 4-times and had the heart to bet it strongly each time.
I must close with one final hand from the seven-deuce era. It’s very late now – actually early morning with the room at it’s quietest but some new players have flown in and are obviously less tired and emotional than us.
A new player – let’s call him Dallas – has been on a bit of a tear, turning his $500 into $1600 and he thinks he has the table figured out. He raises pre-flop. Sweden has 72-off and instead of the conventional re-raise, decides to flat call with the intention of check-raising any flop.
The flop come Q72 rainbow. OK ..... Sweden checks and re-raises Dallas from $40 to $160. Called. Turn is a 5 and puts 2 spades on board. Now Sweden leads out for $300 and is re-raised all in for $800 more. He pauses for a count of his own stack and composes himself.
Call.
River is a 3c – a true blank.
2-pair announces Sweden and it’s good. Real good in fact ! Safe to say, I think, that he wouldn’t have been raking in a $3k pot with 72 in most other games.
Dallas was outta there in a millisecond. He didn't reach into his pocket to give Sweden the extra $20.
I’d have to say that this was one of the best games I have ever played in. If I could have stopped my natural urge to self-destruct and come away up in the game, as I really should have, then it would have been even better. But even with the disappointment of that, it has to be the most fun game played in such tremendous spirit by all (or nearly all !) the players.
I have great admiration for what China was able to do – that’s actually quite a skill to play as aggressively as he did whilst making everyone at the table feel good about losing all their money to him, and he certainly had the heart to make every play in the book. So difficult to play against.
Pre-flop and on the flop his calling and raising ranges were literally unlimited.
Maybe some more things I can remember from the game, in which case I will post.If any of you from the game last night are reading this, thanks. Don't spend all my money at once.
To all the rest of you - you have to get out here. It's quite a game. You couldn't make it up.
Cocktails !
I said I would tell the story of the $2/5 game last night at The Venetian.
Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end. In the beginning, it was bad. I had come from the Rio, still a bit sick about my exit from the $1500.
Actually, I was nearly over it and was planning to play really solid in the $180 Venetian 8pm. But when I took my seat, Kieron from the club spotted me and agreed to hear my “bad beat”. Re-living it put me back off-balance for a bit and before I knew it I had check-raised ¾ of my chips with the middle pair and 2nd-nut flush draw into a guy who had Aces.
A few hands later, Good game.
So, back to the beginning.
I sit down on table #15 in the back corner of the room. It seems like it could be lively. Everyone is going by their place-name. So we have “Moscow”, “Lubbock Texas”, “Spain”, “London”, ”China”, “Sweden” and so on.
Now, “Lubbock Texas” is certainly steaming drunk and ready to give away all his money, of which there is a lot. Crazy Chinese guy in the next seat also has a tonne of bills and looks like he could splash them around.
In the case of Lubbock, you know he is going to get felted but in between times it can get rather exciting.
Let’s look at one hand. “Sweden” has not been in the game long but already we are calling him the Fake Swede as he seems to play only the nuts or better. He folded AK face-up on the button when I re-raised him pre with 63o. So, his image was pretty strong when he and Texas saw the flop.
Texas had not looked at his cards but the action was very heavy on the flop 7c5s4s with Texas betting, getting re-raised big and calling. The turn was 4h. Texas bet $300, still blind, and was raised all in for $350 more.
Now he has to look. He looks. Now we has a decision apparently. He thinks. He calls !
Obviously Sweden has 8-6 for the nuts on the flop. Texas has 7s6s and makes a straight flush when the river comes the 3s! $2,000 pot.
Of course it was only a matter of time before he lost the lot. We kept his seat open for a while but he never returned.
I took $600 off him when I insta-called his re-raise on the river. On the board Qd3s4sJdKd I had raised pre and been called. When he checked to me on the river I bet $100 and was re-raised to $300. I was pretty sure I would be winning with Ace-high tbh, but with the top pair it was an easy one.
I soon had around $1500 from the $500 buy-in (about 20mins playing) when the first bombshell hit.
I had KsQs and there has been the standard raise to $35 pre, called in 4 spots. The flop comes Kh9h5s and I check, looking to check-raise. Texas bets $50 and for some reason I now decide not to raise yet as I think China may try a raise so that I can come over the top again.
China makes it $200. I make it $500. He pushes. I am sure I am good. I call $900 more. He has Ad9s . Ace on the turn. $3000 pot lost to a 5-outer. Clearly, the money was there to be won back and I soon got my next $500 up to $1000 when this happened:
I have As6s and see a cheap flop (just called the straddle I think). Flop 6c9s5s. I have 2nd pair and the nut flush draw. I lead out for $40 and and limit-raised to $80 by a guy who has hardly played a hand. I call. Turn Js giving me the nuts. I check. $100 is bet. I check-raise to $300. Called.
The river is 9c.
Obviously I am concerned about the house but I don’t think he has it. I make a mistake now, although the result is the same. I check, looking to call a bet but of course I should bet in case he has a smaller flush or trips say. He pushes, and I call even though I am not happy. He has Jh9h!! 4-outer on the turn. Again, if I push on the turn I imagine I win but with the nuts, I thought the $300 raise was good.
I do my next $500 quickly to “real scandi” who has arrived. Overpair vs 93o on a 335 board.
OK. Last $500. Here comes the middle of our story:
I stack up my new chips and “dennis the menace” (China’s friend) open-raises to $45. I take a peek. 5h2d. There is not one scintilla of doubt that I must play. Fake Swede also calls.
Flop Ah3s4s. DtM leads for $145. I try to look a bit worried. Kinda-hoping Sweden has flatted with Aces pre. I look to see how much DtM has – only about the same as me. I call. Sweden reluctantly folds. DtM moves in blind on the turn.
SHIP !!
This karma-filled start is the beginning of the middle period in which the table continues in fantastic spirit – 10/10 for fun and I’m winning as well.
I think I am playing quite well. I even make some folds –Ac9c – I raise it preflop and get 4 callers. Ah9hJc flop. I lead for $100 and get called. Turn Ts. I check and China bets $200. I fold face-up and he can’t believe it. He has Qh8h.
By now I have realised that China is actually a very good, dangerous aggressive player. But, he is such a friendly guy that I am happy to play and I don’t feel intimidated even though I know I am outclassed.
Now I get Aces – the first time in a cash game this trip. I raise, and get 4 callers. Marvellous. Flop 7d7c5d. Not exactly what I hope for. China can be relied upon to take a stab at this flop so I check. China bets $80. True spirit of Scandinavia calls. He is the guy who took $500 off me with an offsuit 3 on a 33x board. I am a bit worried about him.
I make it $300 and China passes instantly. Scandinavia calls, apparently with some reluctance.
He checks the turn 9c and I bet $400 which he calls. He checks the river and I take the safe route of checking behind. He mucks but apparently had 88. China had folded 44 (phew !). This was a big pot but when we discussed the hand everyone (or most people) agreed I should bet the river. They correctly (I think) reasoned he cannot have a hand that beats me when he did not raise the flop or turn and checked on the river.
I agree with them in hindsight but I have so much to learn in cash games. I am value betting more, now, but still not enough most likely. This was pretty much the high point $-wise. I oscillated between $2000 and $2800 for a few hours now and the game continued to be pretty wild.
Let us move on towards the end-phase of our tale.The beginning of the end was when China proposed we play the 7-2 game. The agreed terms were $20 from each player to any player who won a pot with seven-deuce and everyone was to take a shot of Jagermeister. Leading a sheltered life entirely outside of nightclubs I have never heard of this and was a little reluctant (about the shots, not the $20 obv.) but in the spirit of the game, I acceded.
It’s very nice stuff I must say ! I am quite sure it does not improve poker-skills, however, and it was probably after about the 5th seven-deuce that I crossed the invisible line that led in due course to me having no chips left.
As it’s my blog, I am not going to focus on the hands where I lost $2000 but one was with Aces against China’s 73. Another was against Sweden’s Aces.
I must however give you some idea of the play with 7-2. Unfortunately I was never dealt it myself, but here are a few examples:
DtM makes it $35 to go. His range usually here is AT+ or 88+ say, so I re-raise to $100 with 99. China calls. His range here is ATC. I check-dark figuring I want to hit a set really.
It Comes T63 rainbow. China bets $300, DtM passes. Unfortunately I cannot rule out that China flat called with a higher pair (even Aces) so I pass. He flips up ... seven-deuce !!
And so it went - $2, $5, $10. Raise to $45, All-in, pass. 7-2 shown ! etc etc. Brasilia had the seven-deuce 4-times and had the heart to bet it strongly each time.
I must close with one final hand from the seven-deuce era. It’s very late now – actually early morning with the room at it’s quietest but some new players have flown in and are obviously less tired and emotional than us.
A new player – let’s call him Dallas – has been on a bit of a tear, turning his $500 into $1600 and he thinks he has the table figured out. He raises pre-flop. Sweden has 72-off and instead of the conventional re-raise, decides to flat call with the intention of check-raising any flop.
The flop come Q72 rainbow. OK ..... Sweden checks and re-raises Dallas from $40 to $160. Called. Turn is a 5 and puts 2 spades on board. Now Sweden leads out for $300 and is re-raised all in for $800 more. He pauses for a count of his own stack and composes himself.
Call.
River is a 3c – a true blank.
2-pair announces Sweden and it’s good. Real good in fact ! Safe to say, I think, that he wouldn’t have been raking in a $3k pot with 72 in most other games.
Dallas was outta there in a millisecond. He didn't reach into his pocket to give Sweden the extra $20.
I’d have to say that this was one of the best games I have ever played in. If I could have stopped my natural urge to self-destruct and come away up in the game, as I really should have, then it would have been even better. But even with the disappointment of that, it has to be the most fun game played in such tremendous spirit by all (or nearly all !) the players.
I have great admiration for what China was able to do – that’s actually quite a skill to play as aggressively as he did whilst making everyone at the table feel good about losing all their money to him, and he certainly had the heart to make every play in the book. So difficult to play against.
Pre-flop and on the flop his calling and raising ranges were literally unlimited.
Maybe some more things I can remember from the game, in which case I will post.If any of you from the game last night are reading this, thanks. Don't spend all my money at once.
To all the rest of you - you have to get out here. It's quite a game. You couldn't make it up.
Cocktails !
Tuesday 1 July 2008
Coming Soon
The most incredible game of $2/5 cash at The Venetian ..... many stories .... I hope I can remember them to pass them along to you
A whole cast of characters ..... the crazy-Chinese-checker, Brasilia and the fake swede .... and more.
May need some sleep before I can post ....
A whole cast of characters ..... the crazy-Chinese-checker, Brasilia and the fake swede .... and more.
May need some sleep before I can post ....
Sick and Re-sick
OK, I am officially gutted.
I decide to play the second $1500 WSOP event. I was slightly undecided after a very bad day at Caesar’s yesterday – two tournaments for no result and a shocker in the $2/5 cash games.
However, I’m here for the series so I reckon it is the right thing to do. After leaving Barry at Caesar’s where he is deep in the $550 mega-stack and playing well, I head to the Rio and buy in.
Good decision as they are near to capacity and probably will sell out before I would get there in the morning.
Actually I am feeling good about my over/under on the main event runners now – got $100 with Barry and $50 with CharlieT – I’m on 7,500+.
Anyway, I get some sleep and set off a little behind schedule. As I get in the cab there is a shout from the taxi line “I need to get to the Rio for the World Series!” I signal “OK” and my fellow player hops in. She picks up the cab fare (I did offer), which is a nice save.
I think the LV taxis are fairly reasonable but since you have to take a cab everywhere, the fares don’t half add up!
Turns out she is on the table next to me. That’s coincidences for you.
Anyway, I am feeling good for this one and make steady progress. I have learned something from the prior tournaments this trip and play better positionally and also value bet my good non-nut hands much better. I am also careful not to put my whole tournament in jeopardy without a very good spot. I fold AQ at least twice to a re-raise. Once I did so having put 35% of my chips in already and I fight back from there till a key moment arrives.
A new player arrives and after observing for a couple of rounds I see he is making a lot of open raises in position. I pick up pocket 9s when he makes it 900 to play (150/300/25). I like my hand against his range and I push for 3,750 more. Folded back to him. I am totally at ease with my move whatever happens, so I just stare into space and wait. He dwells and calls with AQo(not a good call in my opinion). The flop comes 9 high and I am on nearly 10k. Happy days!
I am playing well, I feel. I have a good image at the table – the only hands I have shown are this pocket 9s hand and pocket Kings (bit of a sickener – lost to KTo who hit running cards to river a straight – he was a short stack fortunately).
The antes are now getting significant (200/400/50) and so I am making selective raises in position to sweep up the pre-flop money. I am making smaller raises than I used to – something I have learned works well.
I am 5th to act with Qd4d. I make it 1,100. Of course I am folding to any raise. It is folded to the Big Blind – a pretty solid player and definitely capable of moves. In fact, he moved on me earlier - he raised (he had been raising marginal hands like KJo) and I re-raised with AQo. He pushed and I folded - a tough fold for me at the time, but it had worked out for the best.
Back to this hand: He thinks for a bit before calling 700 more. Flop Jd8d3h. He checks. I conclude that I can continue to represent a big hand and I have the diamonds as back up. I bet 2,400. He looks uncomfortable, looks, thinks, asks how many I have left (about 7k) and announces “all in”.
Now, not 10 seconds later the young kid (did I say kid, I meant “git”) who is not involved says “can we call the clock”. Why, I have no idea. The table consensus (incorrectly) is that he cannot as he is not in the hand. I think they thought he was out of line as well.
Back to my decision. This player has absolutely shown he can move in like this on a semi-bluff and he probably puts me on a solid hand that I can let go here. I must admit I was afraid of a check raise when I saw the board but I thought since I have two relevant cards he is less likely to have a hand suitable for a semi-bluff check-raise.
I don’t think he makes the move without some kind of hand or draw but now I have a really interesting decision.
I really do not think he has a big hand like a set or AJ or an overpair. Of course he can have 2 pair or some kind of combination. Whatever he has, I must be live. One worry is the nut diamond draw because then I have very few outs and I am losing now. Best case would be two low diamonds.
I think most likely case is that my Queen and the diamond draw is live. I think I have the odds to call. I also can fold and try to fight back again. Now, meanwhile, the git has made 3 attempts to get a ruling on whether he can call the clock and the floor is called and agrees he can (now) call time and so it is.
I take this as a sort of sign, and make the call. “Good Call” he says looking a little chagrined.
He has Ad8h (second pair with an overcard and a blocker to the flush).
The turn is Kd.
“No more diamonds” say I.
River 3d.
The End.
I decide to play the second $1500 WSOP event. I was slightly undecided after a very bad day at Caesar’s yesterday – two tournaments for no result and a shocker in the $2/5 cash games.
However, I’m here for the series so I reckon it is the right thing to do. After leaving Barry at Caesar’s where he is deep in the $550 mega-stack and playing well, I head to the Rio and buy in.
Good decision as they are near to capacity and probably will sell out before I would get there in the morning.
Actually I am feeling good about my over/under on the main event runners now – got $100 with Barry and $50 with CharlieT – I’m on 7,500+.
Anyway, I get some sleep and set off a little behind schedule. As I get in the cab there is a shout from the taxi line “I need to get to the Rio for the World Series!” I signal “OK” and my fellow player hops in. She picks up the cab fare (I did offer), which is a nice save.
I think the LV taxis are fairly reasonable but since you have to take a cab everywhere, the fares don’t half add up!
Turns out she is on the table next to me. That’s coincidences for you.
Anyway, I am feeling good for this one and make steady progress. I have learned something from the prior tournaments this trip and play better positionally and also value bet my good non-nut hands much better. I am also careful not to put my whole tournament in jeopardy without a very good spot. I fold AQ at least twice to a re-raise. Once I did so having put 35% of my chips in already and I fight back from there till a key moment arrives.
A new player arrives and after observing for a couple of rounds I see he is making a lot of open raises in position. I pick up pocket 9s when he makes it 900 to play (150/300/25). I like my hand against his range and I push for 3,750 more. Folded back to him. I am totally at ease with my move whatever happens, so I just stare into space and wait. He dwells and calls with AQo(not a good call in my opinion). The flop comes 9 high and I am on nearly 10k. Happy days!
I am playing well, I feel. I have a good image at the table – the only hands I have shown are this pocket 9s hand and pocket Kings (bit of a sickener – lost to KTo who hit running cards to river a straight – he was a short stack fortunately).
The antes are now getting significant (200/400/50) and so I am making selective raises in position to sweep up the pre-flop money. I am making smaller raises than I used to – something I have learned works well.
I am 5th to act with Qd4d. I make it 1,100. Of course I am folding to any raise. It is folded to the Big Blind – a pretty solid player and definitely capable of moves. In fact, he moved on me earlier - he raised (he had been raising marginal hands like KJo) and I re-raised with AQo. He pushed and I folded - a tough fold for me at the time, but it had worked out for the best.
Back to this hand: He thinks for a bit before calling 700 more. Flop Jd8d3h. He checks. I conclude that I can continue to represent a big hand and I have the diamonds as back up. I bet 2,400. He looks uncomfortable, looks, thinks, asks how many I have left (about 7k) and announces “all in”.
Now, not 10 seconds later the young kid (did I say kid, I meant “git”) who is not involved says “can we call the clock”. Why, I have no idea. The table consensus (incorrectly) is that he cannot as he is not in the hand. I think they thought he was out of line as well.
Back to my decision. This player has absolutely shown he can move in like this on a semi-bluff and he probably puts me on a solid hand that I can let go here. I must admit I was afraid of a check raise when I saw the board but I thought since I have two relevant cards he is less likely to have a hand suitable for a semi-bluff check-raise.
I don’t think he makes the move without some kind of hand or draw but now I have a really interesting decision.
I really do not think he has a big hand like a set or AJ or an overpair. Of course he can have 2 pair or some kind of combination. Whatever he has, I must be live. One worry is the nut diamond draw because then I have very few outs and I am losing now. Best case would be two low diamonds.
I think most likely case is that my Queen and the diamond draw is live. I think I have the odds to call. I also can fold and try to fight back again. Now, meanwhile, the git has made 3 attempts to get a ruling on whether he can call the clock and the floor is called and agrees he can (now) call time and so it is.
I take this as a sort of sign, and make the call. “Good Call” he says looking a little chagrined.
He has Ad8h (second pair with an overcard and a blocker to the flush).
The turn is Kd.
“No more diamonds” say I.
River 3d.
The End.
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