PPL Aftermath

Had a great time at the Premier Poker Lounge last night in Hartland. It was great to see some of the faces attached to the names from Nik's Poker Palace league.

I played well. Mostly tight. Actually got lucky on a couple of hands (for example, AJo UTG, raise 3xBB, flop Jxx - A on the turn and my opponent probably had 2 pair as well, but I pushed and he folded. Took 3000 chips there). On another occasion I had AK against AQ with an A on board and took anothe 5000 chips. Needless to say I was happy that the card gods were smiling on me.

But then --- OMG!! I was moved to another table and was doing just fine until I got AA. I should have known. But when the flop was 272 I was SURE that my opponent, who had limped before the flop had Ax where x was NOT a 2. Why did I think that? Well, because there were two of them on board!! Duh (me).

Betting went, Opp: 1K, Me 3K. Flop. Opp: Check, Me: 4K, Opp: Call, Turn a nothing card. Opp: All in. I really paused and commented that I really didn't like the pair on board and said something like if I can't call here then I'm not a real poker player. (Later I thought, if I were a real poker player I would have folded). Then I thought that Opp had pair and justified my call (which put me all in at 20K chips). Opp showed A2o. Holy smokes!!! What a great lucky flop!

I hope my opponent went on to win with my major campaign contribution. I went home.

Next time I should trust my gut and fold (even Aces). twss (every time).

Work Sleep Play

Not much play lately. Mostly work then work then sleep then start all over again. I promised myself I would post a blog and play at Niks this week and mission accomplished. All together very sweet as I came in 2nd, my best finish in that group yet. There were 20+. Oddly, I had not been playing much because of this project I'm working on for a client. Maybe pulling back and coming in fresh will do great things to your game. I did notice that I was a lot more patient tonight. I waited for the cards to come to me. I threw away some good hands, too. I don't really like to do that but position is 1/3 of this game. Good hand bad position and you need lots of chips to make up the difference. I'm one of those players that usually isn't the chip leader mid way into a tournament, so I usually need position to make up for hands like TJo or 77 or A8. Stuff like that. Well it worked tonight. I'll sleep good.

Nuts!

Every now and then you run across a particularly memorable hand. Yesterday was a whopper. A group of us gathered at a friend's house for his retirement party. We had scheduled a small tournament for mid-day and later, a deep stack main event. The little tourney was fun and I was fortunate to come in second, just recovering my entry fee. Then for the main event things got started around 8:00 with 13 participants and 20,000 chips each. This is hand we will never forget: I was on the button with TJo. A couple of players limped in and I joined the hand. Then the flop: 7-8-9 rainbow. I had flopped the nuts! Unless a pair or two more suited cards showed up showed up, there was no flush and no full house. So I decided to play it slow. Much to my pleasure, player 1 raised a min raise and player 2 called. I called. The turn was inconsequential. Again, player 1 raises again but this time about 2/3 the pot. Player 2 calls and I call as well. The river was a big nothing again and player 1 goes all in with player 2 following suit and I as well. Unbelievably we ALL flip over TJo. I couldn't believe it!!! Chop Chop Chop.

Boo Hoo

It's hard to talk about poker when you seem to consistently get in the fray with the best hand and then get beat! But that's poker and it really toughens the skin. Last night it was ATs against A9o and a 9 hit on the flop. Go figure! The ONLY consolation was that I really DID have the best hand and if I keep doing what I'm doing then I will win (the hand, the tournament, whatever). There's only two more weeks in the quarter in Nik's Tournament Championship and to win the 3rd quarter seat for the finals I would have to win one outright and then place fairly high in the other. We'll see what the poker gods have in store for me.

More for the List

TT is just about as bad as 99 -- maybe worse.

Today's Tip

Second pair isn't good enough.

Knowing

Isn't there a movie by that name?

My currently favorite online tournament is one called the Daily Dollar. About 10,000 people enter it every day. Top prize is around $1500 and whoever is the winner usually claims the prize well after midnight eastern time. It pays to 1080 places and there is a guaranteed prize pool of $10,000.

I think it's fun. In fact it's rather relaxing at the beginning because you get a double stack of $3000 chips and you can take a few shots at the small pots when you are in position and you won't get killed if it doesn't work out. Occasionally you can actually hit a real sleeper and cash big. I like to be patient and wait for a real hand. This tournament allows you to do that.

What I have discovered is that when I listen to my instinct and it tells me "you're beat", it's usually right. So WHY DO I GO AHEAD AND CALL ANYWAY!!!! I KNOW I'm beat.

You've been there. You know you're beat and you make the call. Maybe you have the odds. Maybe you are pot committed. Maybe you're tired. Whatever the reason. You KNOW but you do it anyway.

I am certain this is what separates the donkeys from the dragons. I guess I'm still a donkey, or maybe just a small horse. But no dragon --- not yet. I vow to listen to my instinct tonight. I won't push unless I know I'm NOT BEAT! I might push because I'm the SS or I'm pot committed, but I vow NOT TO PUSH if my instinct says YOU'RE BEAT!

Fond Memories in Vegas

Even with my latest escapades with donkey calls (yes, I've been known to make one or two of them) and early exits (which usually leads to this), my spirits were lifted with this picture from William Mumpower (w.mumpower@yahoo.com) who snapped it at the Golden Nugget last June. This was early in the tournament but later I had a huge stack. My game was on point and ended up 30th out of 250. While I didn't cash in this particular tournament, I later went to the Orleans and ended up 5th for a nice return. Mr. Mumpower can be seen at many of the tournaments around LV snapping shots of the players. Feel free to send him a note in case he may have taken your picture when you were last in Vegas!

Vacation and Other Stuff

Nik's going to kill me for neglecting my blog. Sorry --- I was on vacation. Last week I missed the Tuesday tourn because I had promised that I would enter a charity celebrity tournament. Lot's of fun. Got to play with Denny McLain (famed and notorious Tiger pitcher). No cash this time. No guts with Q9 UTG with 10BB. Should have pushed. Didn't. Was out within one more round. Oh well. Just when am I going to make the courageous move? I guess I'm a scaredy cat. Watch out! I might get courage the next time I play.

I was so bummed out up north when I discovered that the local casino has removed most of the table games. All they have left is blackjack and some goofy Let It Ride game. No roulette. No craps. No poker! No fun!!! Except that I hit a mini jackpot on a penny machine and went home with more money than I started with.

What A Week!!

Good grief time flies. My computer business really takes me a ton of time. Too bad I have to work! What was really exciting was the Poker Stars Freeroll for the Poker Alliance on Saturday. Out of a huge field (I think it was 18000 or so) I came in 27th!!! Holy smokes, double digits. Unfortunately free rolls don't pay much so I only won 7.00. I earned about a buck an hour. Oh well. I'm still waiting for a really good picture of me playing poker but I'm posting this one from Annie Duke's 2008 WSOP seminar at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

The Zen of Tournament Poker

Did you ever notice how early in a tournament there are those few lucky ducks who shoot way ahead of everyone else because they caught the perfect river? Or maybe they flopped a boat? Yes, indeed, that happens in every big tourney. Sometimes it happens to you. Mostly though, there you are plugging away at marginal to good hands, building your chip stack over time and slogging thru the play. Not to worry --- let them keep those chips for now. Let them hold them for now. You can get them back later. It's the great player (Phil Hellmuth's Eagle) that when he gets lucky early that will keep them to the end. Your only hope to capture them is to outplay the eagle. Be thankful for the donkey that is carrying your chips early. I write this on the day after I came in 27th in the FTP Daily Dollar with 9988 players.

Last Night

Holy smokes! While I did play some pretty good poker last night, I have to admit that luck went my way at several key moments. Ended up 2nd at Nik's and put a few bucks back in my PokerStars account.

Coming Home

The only thing bad about going up north is that you have to come home. I'm looking forward to tonight's tourney.

Taking a Break

Well it must have worked because I came in 3rd and then 1st in the last two tournaments I playd. Whoo hoo --- have to go make another martini.

Up North

Sometimes it's best to step away to regroup. On my way north to the cottage....

Patience Revisited

I had every intention of being really really patient at the Wed nite league and winning the whole thing last night, but alas was really really card dead. When I finally made a move with A7o on the button, the BB called w/AK. Sigh. Another lesson. Don't wait too long.

Patience

"Patience is an high virtue." ...Geoffrey Chaucer

Let the cards come to you. Wait for position. Be dangerous.

Opening Night

Tonight's first tip is this: Don't go all in with bottom pair against the big stack after he has re-raised twice.