Greg suggested we play one more time before I head off to Vegas. So I set up a last minute game here at the house. We used the new table and it worked so great. In its small and round stage, the card playing was so much easier.
Most could not come, but Charlie from
Troy showed up with presents, a fine large rain jacket that was an Orleans tournament prize and a POV book that has not been used. I can put both to good use and circulate the POV back to Mudgriff Dan and Lucky Pete for their trip in June.
Greg and I played head to head for a while. I was fresh from a nap and it seemed that I had a fine sense of the game, was reading Greg well, and playing at my best. I got great cards too, but beyond just luck I felt like I had the game figured out. This was very satisfying because this head to head game with Greg has been one of the toughest games to learn to beat. I gave up once in order to keep my bankroll safe for Vegas. It seemed Greg won no matter what I did. Things are different now. In the first session I cleaned him of $89.
Then Charlie came and the game changed for me. I had great trouble switching up. By then I had gotten pretty tired too. So I lost back all my winnings and was just about even with Greg holding most of the chips. Then two hands before the end of the game, the board flopped A-A-K when I had a good king, the turn came A and Greg called my all in with his pocket queens. My Aces over kings took back all the money in one hand. Greg lost his few leftover chips to Charley in the next hand, and that was that.
So I ended $90 ahead with both Greg and Charley down.
Charley however had an amazing streak of wins. He did not bring much money to play with and was down to just 4 chips. then it seemed he could not be beat and he built his chip stack up very high before losing a bit of it back. So rarely does someone who is so short stacked manage to climb back, but as they say, "a chip and a chair."
Here are the things I learned:
I need to watch playing poker when I am tired. Whatever subconscious dance is going on in my brain slows way down when I get tired. I can play the 2-4 no thinking game and perhaps being tired gives me a bit of extra patience, but I can't play an games where there is bluffing or reading opponents. The other week this happened at Greg's and I lost.
I may be ready to play a little no limit. I know that these games are not anything like a Vegas table with 9-10 players, but still I seem to get some of the plays. I am not up to where I saw Slink was playing here at home last time, but I might be at entry level. At least I hope I am. Perhaps I'll try to apply some of the sense of the game here to the game in Vegas and find that I am outclassed in every game.
I like small games here and at Greg's better than the 8 person games. This game did not require the preparation or cleanup as when we take over the entire house. Nothing needed to be moved. I enjoyed not having to drive home tired too.
Banking takes away my concentration on the game. I am slow to bank and there is pressure from players to speed up the game rather than help in watching my counting and money management. In Vegas I will enjoy not having to think much about that in Vegas. I also will enjoy not having to constantly monitor the game for mistakes in dealing, reading, betting. Nice to just sit and sip rum and think only about the poker.
I have learned a good bit more that I won't post here. Greg tries hard to avoid reading my posts and e-mails, but I am not going to reveal the few things I have learned to do against him just the same. It is enough to have a few of his larger bills to buy into my first poker game, probably at Sam's town.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
whining opponents
The following is a poker piece I wrote that seems to have been very well received on this board:
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35491
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Doctor Al wrote
***********************
Sometimes whiner guy is a fairly good player who wants to make us explain what we were thinking or wants to force us into being more predictable. Really bad fishing play on the part of his opponents is only good for him in the long run and not so good if whiner guy bluffs as part of his pattern of play.
Predictable players if they are rigid about it are easier to beat than loose fishing players. In fact, a very difficult table can be one filled with 4 or 5 loose players. Certainly over time they will lose money. But so will we.
If whiner guy can make us cautious about playing questionable hands, he can have more confidence when he plays loose as a bluff or semi bluff and put more money in the pot when he feels very strong. And if he can do that in a really intimidating way, he can get the message across to other loose players who don't want to be embarrassed, especially the ones who say, " I had to call" to explain their ridiculous play.
Sometimes it is a good thing to tighten up the play.
However, most of the time, it is as Al suggests. Whiner guy is mad at randomness when he feels he is smart enough to have almost attained the position of Poker God. He feels you have some obligation to play by rules that give you the best odds. Then he can feel confident in second best hands where you show no strength and in bluffing, and he does not have to worry so much about the river. Some of these guys cannot even count outs or figure pot odds. Just as the whiners at the blackjack table are often unable to count cards or notice dealer tells or understand that other players have no effect on the randomness of their play.
Only in poker unlike blackkjack, good players not only have permission to play long shots, but actually should mix their play up with such hands when they can be played cheaply and then shown loudly to everyone. Especially in limit where no single hand will ever be your entire bankroll.
Nothing is worse than to sit and play almost nothing except free flopped blinds for a hour or two and then get a winning hand, only to find everyone folding out of respect.
But often the whiner will get under the skin of a fairly good player and that player will begin to explain his reasoning, giving too much information, or even worse may embarrass whiner guy by pointing out bad play and so inhibit whiner guy from making his poor bets/calls.
To challenge Whiner guy at the table in my opinion is a wrong move.
I'd rather convince him that I am an idiot or at least that it is an addiction for me.
Sometimes I say:
"Some people can't stop playing bad cards, but I seem to like them best."
Here are some moves I like better than arguing with whiner guy.
First, to just get a sense of where whiner guy and the rest of the table are, I say as I rake in the nice big pot and smile, "When I can't play well, I try to play lucky." Look up to see who laughs. Confident players will get the joke. Whiner guy and his other pattern player buds will snort and think you are a lucky idiot. Both will be just a bit more careful pushing hard with second best. And other fishing players will feel justified in their own fishing.
Sometimes the players who just listen but are new or loose are affected by whiner guy and his issues. Just having an argument about good play between two players will encourage the poorest players at the table to reinspect their games. They might not mind losing money, but they hate losing face. You may win the argument, but lose chips.
Second, occasionally playing poor cards and showing them, especially after a long stretch of throwing away, is the best strategy. To draw attention to your bad play try to get whiner guy to make a comment. Then have some comeback that admits the bad play, but gives some emotional or superstitious reason or quotes some poker expert. How many times have you seen 10-2 played and justified? Plenty.
The bad hand I like to play is 6-9. I like it because I can say, "My buddy Howard told me that this one was just as good as Big Slick. I heard someone call it Big Lick."
I like it because it sets up doubt in the minds of people fishing for those middle straights.
Again, watch for the people who sneer.
I follow up with, "This is my favorite hand. I always play it. I find it is a good all- in hand in no limit too."
Whiner guy will believe you.
So now when 6-9 comes on the flop, and you have other playable cards, the semi bluff is more powerful. If you have raised 7-8 suited preflop (again more of a limit move at a passive table) on the button, why you are golden when the straight hits for you and whiner guy has trips. He puts you on 6-9.
And if you raised on pocket aces, they now look like two pair, 6's and 9's, so facing your represented full house draw, out go the straight fishermen .
If you can get everyone at the table to believe you, you may be able to push the rest out early, especially if you say something (not much) about full house draw. In cases where you just represented 6-9, don't show, but after the cards are mucked, just note out loud that "See, my favorite hands wins again." and keep whiner guy on the line. Sometimes you can pretend to play those cards all afternoon and send whiner guy away telling his buddies about the crazy guy who always played 6-9 and sure enough that is what came up on the flop.
If you keep it for a free flop from the blind, be certain to show it if it wins even if they all fold. Whiner guy will forget it was free after the betting in between and shake his head that you played it again and caught your cards. And remember not to correct his misperception by reminding him it was a "big blind special" almost as an apology for your poor play.
Here on the discussion board poor play might allow for apology. In a live game, poor play needs to be celebrated.
Celebrating a fake "favorite hand" is a great system.
Remembering that you are playing poker and that untimately your self respect will come from raking up chips and not from what anyone says. This is hard, especially for men, but important.
Abandon testosterone's temptation for poker's disingenuous dance.
My favorite example was when I was playing at the El Cortez one night with a smarty mouthed kid on my right and a loose-Mike on his right. I caught cards that night and had the respect of most players so when Mike bet and kid did his regular raise, I could reraise good pairs and push everyone else out. Mike and the kid bet on anything, so I had good odds. But it was pretty much a flop game as they would bet and raise their nothing again. I had to hit the flop. Then I would get paid. I was lucky to hit it often.
When I was first to act and actually had high pairs, I could wait to see where the table was before betting. If a good player bet into Mike and Kid, then I had to revaluate. Otherwise my reraise would be enough to limit most play after me.
Well, I kept hitting. Kid stopped being friendly and then got abusive. He referred to me in ways that were intended to be disrespectful. I stopped talking. Other people at the table tried to change his behavior as they were offended for me. The brush came twice to evict him, but I waved him off and just said, "no problem." Finally, no one could take it anymore and they tossed him out.
And then the table started to console me for the abuse. What lectures of how I deserved better, that I should not have had to take that verbal abuse, of respect for my age, that the kid was way out of line. What empathy, what friendliness.
It was amazing to me that I could be the top chip leader and take my three trays from the table and leave the people I beat feeling sorry for me and wishing me better times.
"Well, at least I was lucky", I remarked, "I just played all my favorite cards and they hit. Especially my favorite 6-9 hand"
Who knows, I might play with those folks again sometime. Might as well leave them with a good 6-9 myth top remember me by even if in that particular game, I never once played 6-9.
Three trays might not seem like much to no limit players, but that El Cortez game is started with one single dollar blind and the bets must be less than $3 until the river.
Tight, good play at the El Cortez over an evening might get $30 profit on average with respectful players. One fellow I know there plays everyday and is very good. He says that $30 is his daily average over the year.
I go mostly for the unlimited Myers Rum, the characters and their banter. For me it was like someone offering to pay me $5 - $30 dollars everytime he called me a**hole. I guess I would not take that straight up payment from anyone if poker was not involved, but Kid did not know that was the arrangement. He thought my reraises were just lucky bets.
So kid hit the road with an almost empty wallet while I took my money and had a fine graveyard breakfast.
We always want Whiner Guy to hit the road broke and so ticked off he can hardly eat a meal.
And we want to leave with all his chips.
If we can keep him whining, we have a much better chance at doing that. And if we can enable him to teach the rest of the players that we are not very good, but just lucky, well......that, at least in low limit, is even better than knowing outs and pot odds.
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35491
***************
Doctor Al wrote
"To the whiner: Why would you berate somebody who made a low percentage play? Do you really want your opponent to play smarter? Not only is it whining, it doesn't even make sense. And half these guys aren't the best judge of "dumb calls" anyway."
***********************
Sometimes whiner guy is a fairly good player who wants to make us explain what we were thinking or wants to force us into being more predictable. Really bad fishing play on the part of his opponents is only good for him in the long run and not so good if whiner guy bluffs as part of his pattern of play.
Predictable players if they are rigid about it are easier to beat than loose fishing players. In fact, a very difficult table can be one filled with 4 or 5 loose players. Certainly over time they will lose money. But so will we.
If whiner guy can make us cautious about playing questionable hands, he can have more confidence when he plays loose as a bluff or semi bluff and put more money in the pot when he feels very strong. And if he can do that in a really intimidating way, he can get the message across to other loose players who don't want to be embarrassed, especially the ones who say, " I had to call" to explain their ridiculous play.
Sometimes it is a good thing to tighten up the play.
However, most of the time, it is as Al suggests. Whiner guy is mad at randomness when he feels he is smart enough to have almost attained the position of Poker God. He feels you have some obligation to play by rules that give you the best odds. Then he can feel confident in second best hands where you show no strength and in bluffing, and he does not have to worry so much about the river. Some of these guys cannot even count outs or figure pot odds. Just as the whiners at the blackjack table are often unable to count cards or notice dealer tells or understand that other players have no effect on the randomness of their play.
Only in poker unlike blackkjack, good players not only have permission to play long shots, but actually should mix their play up with such hands when they can be played cheaply and then shown loudly to everyone. Especially in limit where no single hand will ever be your entire bankroll.
Nothing is worse than to sit and play almost nothing except free flopped blinds for a hour or two and then get a winning hand, only to find everyone folding out of respect.
But often the whiner will get under the skin of a fairly good player and that player will begin to explain his reasoning, giving too much information, or even worse may embarrass whiner guy by pointing out bad play and so inhibit whiner guy from making his poor bets/calls.
To challenge Whiner guy at the table in my opinion is a wrong move.
I'd rather convince him that I am an idiot or at least that it is an addiction for me.
Sometimes I say:
"Some people can't stop playing bad cards, but I seem to like them best."
Here are some moves I like better than arguing with whiner guy.
First, to just get a sense of where whiner guy and the rest of the table are, I say as I rake in the nice big pot and smile, "When I can't play well, I try to play lucky." Look up to see who laughs. Confident players will get the joke. Whiner guy and his other pattern player buds will snort and think you are a lucky idiot. Both will be just a bit more careful pushing hard with second best. And other fishing players will feel justified in their own fishing.
Sometimes the players who just listen but are new or loose are affected by whiner guy and his issues. Just having an argument about good play between two players will encourage the poorest players at the table to reinspect their games. They might not mind losing money, but they hate losing face. You may win the argument, but lose chips.
Second, occasionally playing poor cards and showing them, especially after a long stretch of throwing away, is the best strategy. To draw attention to your bad play try to get whiner guy to make a comment. Then have some comeback that admits the bad play, but gives some emotional or superstitious reason or quotes some poker expert. How many times have you seen 10-2 played and justified? Plenty.
The bad hand I like to play is 6-9. I like it because I can say, "My buddy Howard told me that this one was just as good as Big Slick. I heard someone call it Big Lick."
I like it because it sets up doubt in the minds of people fishing for those middle straights.
Again, watch for the people who sneer.
I follow up with, "This is my favorite hand. I always play it. I find it is a good all- in hand in no limit too."
Whiner guy will believe you.
So now when 6-9 comes on the flop, and you have other playable cards, the semi bluff is more powerful. If you have raised 7-8 suited preflop (again more of a limit move at a passive table) on the button, why you are golden when the straight hits for you and whiner guy has trips. He puts you on 6-9.
And if you raised on pocket aces, they now look like two pair, 6's and 9's, so facing your represented full house draw, out go the straight fishermen .
If you can get everyone at the table to believe you, you may be able to push the rest out early, especially if you say something (not much) about full house draw. In cases where you just represented 6-9, don't show, but after the cards are mucked, just note out loud that "See, my favorite hands wins again." and keep whiner guy on the line. Sometimes you can pretend to play those cards all afternoon and send whiner guy away telling his buddies about the crazy guy who always played 6-9 and sure enough that is what came up on the flop.
If you keep it for a free flop from the blind, be certain to show it if it wins even if they all fold. Whiner guy will forget it was free after the betting in between and shake his head that you played it again and caught your cards. And remember not to correct his misperception by reminding him it was a "big blind special" almost as an apology for your poor play.
Here on the discussion board poor play might allow for apology. In a live game, poor play needs to be celebrated.
Celebrating a fake "favorite hand" is a great system.
Remembering that you are playing poker and that untimately your self respect will come from raking up chips and not from what anyone says. This is hard, especially for men, but important.
Abandon testosterone's temptation for poker's disingenuous dance.
My favorite example was when I was playing at the El Cortez one night with a smarty mouthed kid on my right and a loose-Mike on his right. I caught cards that night and had the respect of most players so when Mike bet and kid did his regular raise, I could reraise good pairs and push everyone else out. Mike and the kid bet on anything, so I had good odds. But it was pretty much a flop game as they would bet and raise their nothing again. I had to hit the flop. Then I would get paid. I was lucky to hit it often.
When I was first to act and actually had high pairs, I could wait to see where the table was before betting. If a good player bet into Mike and Kid, then I had to revaluate. Otherwise my reraise would be enough to limit most play after me.
Well, I kept hitting. Kid stopped being friendly and then got abusive. He referred to me in ways that were intended to be disrespectful. I stopped talking. Other people at the table tried to change his behavior as they were offended for me. The brush came twice to evict him, but I waved him off and just said, "no problem." Finally, no one could take it anymore and they tossed him out.
And then the table started to console me for the abuse. What lectures of how I deserved better, that I should not have had to take that verbal abuse, of respect for my age, that the kid was way out of line. What empathy, what friendliness.
It was amazing to me that I could be the top chip leader and take my three trays from the table and leave the people I beat feeling sorry for me and wishing me better times.
"Well, at least I was lucky", I remarked, "I just played all my favorite cards and they hit. Especially my favorite 6-9 hand"
Who knows, I might play with those folks again sometime. Might as well leave them with a good 6-9 myth top remember me by even if in that particular game, I never once played 6-9.
Three trays might not seem like much to no limit players, but that El Cortez game is started with one single dollar blind and the bets must be less than $3 until the river.
Tight, good play at the El Cortez over an evening might get $30 profit on average with respectful players. One fellow I know there plays everyday and is very good. He says that $30 is his daily average over the year.
I go mostly for the unlimited Myers Rum, the characters and their banter. For me it was like someone offering to pay me $5 - $30 dollars everytime he called me a**hole. I guess I would not take that straight up payment from anyone if poker was not involved, but Kid did not know that was the arrangement. He thought my reraises were just lucky bets.
So kid hit the road with an almost empty wallet while I took my money and had a fine graveyard breakfast.
We always want Whiner Guy to hit the road broke and so ticked off he can hardly eat a meal.
And we want to leave with all his chips.
If we can keep him whining, we have a much better chance at doing that. And if we can enable him to teach the rest of the players that we are not very good, but just lucky, well......that, at least in low limit, is even better than knowing outs and pot odds.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Winning Day at Turning Stone
The ride to Turning Stone is just enough shorter than the one to Foxwoods to keep the comfort level high. I board at Albany (to board at Renns adds 45 minutes to the trip at each end) They had a movie each way that took up the entire time.
The bus was $21 (since I called at the last minute.) For that I got $25 "free play", but it can only be used now as slot play and it is really the casino staking the player and then taking the stake back from any winners. I played around and won nothing, but in the future I can see that it is only good to play games that would give a large enough win so that after winning I'd be willing to give the casino back the initial stake. Playing cheap grind out nickel games is a sure loser.
I played the keno and the pull tabs that had coupon promotionals. $8 bet. I won $6 on the keno.
With the promotion, the buffet cost $7 and was worth it. I enjoyed a Mexican blackbean and corn dish with nacho cheese on top and some fine large green beans. I also loved the lamb stew which was all lamb and no potatoes. The prime rib was great.
I drank whiskey mixed drinks all day using my flask and cheap whiskey. I asked for ginger ale with a lemon and a cherry and made a fine high ball, then used the left over ice for my on the rocks second drink. That works very well for me.
At the poker table, many of the players were chasing hands. I was one of a very few people who folded much preflop and no one seemed to remember that when I bet either. There was one good regular, and he roped some betters in with slow playing a full house. Luckily, I was too far behind to stay and folded on the turn bet. Other than that people just paid me when I had cards. I did not try to push anyone out nor did I worry about building pots with raises. Everyone stayed. So to win there I just needed to avoid losing. Every win paid me.
I won $79 in the morning and was never behind. I hit on my second hand and then went up or down. I quit when the game seemed to have attracted good players.
In the afternoon I was up and down. I had a very good streak of cards just before leaving and so I quit up $200. with my $2 loss at keno/pulltabs I was ahead $278 for the day, a well above average win.
Here are a few memorable hands:
I did very little bluffing, but after a long time folding hands I decided to play my K-Q as overcards on a J-x-x flop. A fellow in early position bet $2 and was called by two. I was acting last. I raised. My hand did not develop, but did not cost me any more money, and I won with K high.
I played 8-9 of spades by raising on the button. No spades came, but on the turn I hit two pair. People called me I suppose because they thought I must have one high pair. The two pair won. Putting me on high cards since I raised preflop meant my 8-9 was a real surprise.
My favorite hand was A-Q of hearts. I flopped the heart flush, slow played. On the turn I called a bet before me and the guy to my right with X-X small hearts raised. The guy to his right had K-9 of hearts and called as did others, one with trips. When It got to me, I reraised. The heart guys called me as did two other players. On the river it was just me and the other hearts calling. I had the nut hand. this was a very profitable hand my favorite of the day. It is the kind you dream about having.
For about thirty minutes at one point I got bored or tired or off focus and played looser than I should have played. I never got lucky in that loose play, so that cost me maybe $40. The rest of the day my game seemed to be one that won. The other players noticed my chips piling up, but they did not do much folding. It did not seem to stop them from hoping that they might catch. Once again I raised pocket pairs on the button. This confused guys. None of those pocket pair hit, so no one could see that pattern.
When I would raise and then check and then fold, they would get very confused, perhaps frustrated because they could not understand what I was doing. I simply wanted to get the other $18 for my two dollar bet so that if trips came, I'd have a good pot to play for. And I liked having my trips disquised. There is not much power in an after flop bet if it is just follwing a preflop raise as it is expected. The raiser is expected to keep face.
The players are a bit dull and very quiet. It is not Vegas. There is not instant party. A couple guys talked a bit and all were friendly enough, but mostly I just sipped my whiskey and played cards.
The bus was $21 (since I called at the last minute.) For that I got $25 "free play", but it can only be used now as slot play and it is really the casino staking the player and then taking the stake back from any winners. I played around and won nothing, but in the future I can see that it is only good to play games that would give a large enough win so that after winning I'd be willing to give the casino back the initial stake. Playing cheap grind out nickel games is a sure loser.
I played the keno and the pull tabs that had coupon promotionals. $8 bet. I won $6 on the keno.
With the promotion, the buffet cost $7 and was worth it. I enjoyed a Mexican blackbean and corn dish with nacho cheese on top and some fine large green beans. I also loved the lamb stew which was all lamb and no potatoes. The prime rib was great.
I drank whiskey mixed drinks all day using my flask and cheap whiskey. I asked for ginger ale with a lemon and a cherry and made a fine high ball, then used the left over ice for my on the rocks second drink. That works very well for me.
At the poker table, many of the players were chasing hands. I was one of a very few people who folded much preflop and no one seemed to remember that when I bet either. There was one good regular, and he roped some betters in with slow playing a full house. Luckily, I was too far behind to stay and folded on the turn bet. Other than that people just paid me when I had cards. I did not try to push anyone out nor did I worry about building pots with raises. Everyone stayed. So to win there I just needed to avoid losing. Every win paid me.
I won $79 in the morning and was never behind. I hit on my second hand and then went up or down. I quit when the game seemed to have attracted good players.
In the afternoon I was up and down. I had a very good streak of cards just before leaving and so I quit up $200. with my $2 loss at keno/pulltabs I was ahead $278 for the day, a well above average win.
Here are a few memorable hands:
I did very little bluffing, but after a long time folding hands I decided to play my K-Q as overcards on a J-x-x flop. A fellow in early position bet $2 and was called by two. I was acting last. I raised. My hand did not develop, but did not cost me any more money, and I won with K high.
I played 8-9 of spades by raising on the button. No spades came, but on the turn I hit two pair. People called me I suppose because they thought I must have one high pair. The two pair won. Putting me on high cards since I raised preflop meant my 8-9 was a real surprise.
My favorite hand was A-Q of hearts. I flopped the heart flush, slow played. On the turn I called a bet before me and the guy to my right with X-X small hearts raised. The guy to his right had K-9 of hearts and called as did others, one with trips. When It got to me, I reraised. The heart guys called me as did two other players. On the river it was just me and the other hearts calling. I had the nut hand. this was a very profitable hand my favorite of the day. It is the kind you dream about having.
For about thirty minutes at one point I got bored or tired or off focus and played looser than I should have played. I never got lucky in that loose play, so that cost me maybe $40. The rest of the day my game seemed to be one that won. The other players noticed my chips piling up, but they did not do much folding. It did not seem to stop them from hoping that they might catch. Once again I raised pocket pairs on the button. This confused guys. None of those pocket pair hit, so no one could see that pattern.
When I would raise and then check and then fold, they would get very confused, perhaps frustrated because they could not understand what I was doing. I simply wanted to get the other $18 for my two dollar bet so that if trips came, I'd have a good pot to play for. And I liked having my trips disquised. There is not much power in an after flop bet if it is just follwing a preflop raise as it is expected. The raiser is expected to keep face.
The players are a bit dull and very quiet. It is not Vegas. There is not instant party. A couple guys talked a bit and all were friendly enough, but mostly I just sipped my whiskey and played cards.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Greg's March 12
I played a terrible game today. I just wanted to bet. I was on tilt from the moment I started and it cost me plenty. At one point I was down $70. I quit up $39, but only because I chased a flush because I had the Ace. It was a bad bet because I knew that my opponent Scott had the flush by the way he bet. So that meant there were only 7 spades left in the deck. Odds 7/43. It was a 16% chance I would win. Since Scott threw most of the money in the deck after the turn made his flush, I would not get that much pot odds by calling his all in bet. I just got lucky.
In addition, I was not careful and flashed my cards to Ken who played next to me. I am not used to having anyone right next to me in these home games. I will have to watch at Turning Stone and Vegas to see I am not giving away information there too.
Peter played well. He also seemed to get cards.
Bruce actually left with money. I tried again to convince him that throwing away free draws by folding rather than checking is a big mistake, but there is no telling him anything. Today he even started throwing away his blind rather than seeing a free flop. But he loses most of his money by chasing any chance for a win right to the river in spite of strong bets by opponents. He just can't give up hope even on an inside straight draw.
Greg played very tight for Greg. I think he is getting the idea that bluffing 7 players is very hard. Someone is going to have something.
I called his all in bet when all I had was pocket Aces and there was a possible straight on the board. Both he and Bruce had the small straight. It was a stupid call on my part as I had little chance to win because with two people ahead of me betting or calling a Greg's 50 chip bet, someone most likely had the straight. I was just so sure that my 20 chip bet would push them out that I was stupid.
We had 8 players total, but only seven at any one time. It was crowded in Greg's kitchen that day, but we all managed to fit. I enjoyed having some Saranac and ppop corn.
Peter has provided quite a few players and boosted the game. I was worried it might bring in some players that we could not trust. But the players who came were fairly new to the game and made plenty of mistakes too. Of the three, only Ken walked with some profit after some lucky cards.
It will be two weeks before Greg hosts again. I am going to turning Stone on Tuesday. Soon my tow day game will be on. That should be fun.
In addition, I was not careful and flashed my cards to Ken who played next to me. I am not used to having anyone right next to me in these home games. I will have to watch at Turning Stone and Vegas to see I am not giving away information there too.
Peter played well. He also seemed to get cards.
Bruce actually left with money. I tried again to convince him that throwing away free draws by folding rather than checking is a big mistake, but there is no telling him anything. Today he even started throwing away his blind rather than seeing a free flop. But he loses most of his money by chasing any chance for a win right to the river in spite of strong bets by opponents. He just can't give up hope even on an inside straight draw.
Greg played very tight for Greg. I think he is getting the idea that bluffing 7 players is very hard. Someone is going to have something.
I called his all in bet when all I had was pocket Aces and there was a possible straight on the board. Both he and Bruce had the small straight. It was a stupid call on my part as I had little chance to win because with two people ahead of me betting or calling a Greg's 50 chip bet, someone most likely had the straight. I was just so sure that my 20 chip bet would push them out that I was stupid.
We had 8 players total, but only seven at any one time. It was crowded in Greg's kitchen that day, but we all managed to fit. I enjoyed having some Saranac and ppop corn.
Peter has provided quite a few players and boosted the game. I was worried it might bring in some players that we could not trust. But the players who came were fairly new to the game and made plenty of mistakes too. Of the three, only Ken walked with some profit after some lucky cards.
It will be two weeks before Greg hosts again. I am going to turning Stone on Tuesday. Soon my tow day game will be on. That should be fun.
TURNING STONE - MARCH 10
I started great. Third hand I raised my pocket jacks, was reraised 2 guys to my right, capped to push out the fishers, was unsuccessful, and yet took down a huge pot when my jacks held up all by themselves. But after that things went sour. At one point I was down $40.
Still it was a great table. I got in when it opened. Some people did not know how to play the game at all and had not been told that rather than play each hand, they should fold 80% of the time or that their K-9 should not call on the river with the hope of winning with K high.
The fellow explained his call,
"I had to try."
Most were just loose. None were aggressive. It is the loose, aggressive players that kill me. Put me on a table where when I raise preflop, everyone calls and groans but no one gets mad and reraises, and then I am happy.
So I was up and down. I started raising on pocket pairs when I was on the button. I like unusual button raises as they set up in everyone's mind that I have high cards, so they call my bets on low cards. I raised a pair of sevens, was reraised by a player two seats to my right, so I capped, hoping that it would push out some people. They called the capped preflop bet and I flopped a set. I checked and called. On the turn came the fourth seven. I checked and raised my one opponent, then bet the river and he raised two more all in.
All agreed that my quads were very nice.
At the peak of the play I was up almost $150.
The poor players went broke and were replaced by good players so that for a while I was thinking of leaving and taking a walk, but then they left to play a tournament and poorer ones took their seats. The problem was that the table did not fill up completely. Finally, after I learned they had opened a new table when we had only five players, I quit, broke up the game, and was immediately given a seat at one of the other tables. Even the dealer was annoyed that they would start another new table when an existing table was not full.
But I did not do well. Players were experienced and better than calling stations, some raised, and I just did not get cards.
I remember two hands.
My 9-10 flopped 9-K straight and I bet and bet and no two others hung on. The river was an Ace, so I bet, and capped, and sure enough two other guys had stayed with tens that had been no good until the river.
So we split up all that money 3 ways.
My last hand I had A-X and with an inside straight draw and a fairly small pot, I decided I could force out my one, weak seeming opponent, so I bet but he called.
I caught the 4 for the wheel and was feeling lucky until he raised me and showed his 6-7. The four had made him a better inside straight. He had called my semi bluff on the turn with a small pot and one opponent when he had but an inside straight draw. Time to go home.
Final score --up $117. Not bad. Certainly it paid my expenses for the day and gave me a little profit to lose to Greg tomorrow at his home game.
Now when I leave a poker table to go home, I generally have one destination in mind. I should have gone the path through the computer that I knew best, but I decided that I could stop on my way out the door I always enter. Except that all the remodeling had me disoriented, and I did not have a GPS to find that door.
I got lost.
Passing three waterfalls and one fountain, twice, did not help my condition.
But finally I filled the last pot of the evening.
I was ready to exit and I just walked out the nearest door although that meant walking around a good bit of the casino outside.
The outside look of that new tower is ugly. It is hard to tell where the parking garage ends and the hotel rooms begin except that you know the hotel rooms must be in the tower which looks more like an office building than a casino. I suppose the architecture is supposed to be modern, but I think it only hints at something barely approaching the aesthetic. I hate that signature TS in the corner. I think it is fine thing if the car garage blends well with the rest of the structure, but I'd like the entire affect to be beautiful. This structure pretty much says "car garage."
Why is it that we can't put some art into our parking garages but must make these structures that are equivalent to cement dumpsters? No wonder there are so many murders in the detective shows in these places. They seem as dreary as death.
This new structure is so unlike the original little building with a fine circle and Turning Stone in big lights. It just seems to shout, "Just put up something and take their money!"
However, walking to the parking lot is very pleasant. You stroll down tree lined, winding walkways. The lighting is like the lighting in a park, only the trees are done in tiny lights too, almost like Christmas, only these lights are the most calming shade of blue. I liked it. There was more art in the random patterns of lights as they were arranged over the branches than in the entire tower monstrosity.
The drive home is tiring. Prairie Home tapes help but it is a long way to go with no conversation.
Come along with me next time.
Still it was a great table. I got in when it opened. Some people did not know how to play the game at all and had not been told that rather than play each hand, they should fold 80% of the time or that their K-9 should not call on the river with the hope of winning with K high.
The fellow explained his call,
"I had to try."
Most were just loose. None were aggressive. It is the loose, aggressive players that kill me. Put me on a table where when I raise preflop, everyone calls and groans but no one gets mad and reraises, and then I am happy.
So I was up and down. I started raising on pocket pairs when I was on the button. I like unusual button raises as they set up in everyone's mind that I have high cards, so they call my bets on low cards. I raised a pair of sevens, was reraised by a player two seats to my right, so I capped, hoping that it would push out some people. They called the capped preflop bet and I flopped a set. I checked and called. On the turn came the fourth seven. I checked and raised my one opponent, then bet the river and he raised two more all in.
All agreed that my quads were very nice.
At the peak of the play I was up almost $150.
The poor players went broke and were replaced by good players so that for a while I was thinking of leaving and taking a walk, but then they left to play a tournament and poorer ones took their seats. The problem was that the table did not fill up completely. Finally, after I learned they had opened a new table when we had only five players, I quit, broke up the game, and was immediately given a seat at one of the other tables. Even the dealer was annoyed that they would start another new table when an existing table was not full.
But I did not do well. Players were experienced and better than calling stations, some raised, and I just did not get cards.
I remember two hands.
My 9-10 flopped 9-K straight and I bet and bet and no two others hung on. The river was an Ace, so I bet, and capped, and sure enough two other guys had stayed with tens that had been no good until the river.
So we split up all that money 3 ways.
My last hand I had A-X and with an inside straight draw and a fairly small pot, I decided I could force out my one, weak seeming opponent, so I bet but he called.
I caught the 4 for the wheel and was feeling lucky until he raised me and showed his 6-7. The four had made him a better inside straight. He had called my semi bluff on the turn with a small pot and one opponent when he had but an inside straight draw. Time to go home.
Final score --up $117. Not bad. Certainly it paid my expenses for the day and gave me a little profit to lose to Greg tomorrow at his home game.
Now when I leave a poker table to go home, I generally have one destination in mind. I should have gone the path through the computer that I knew best, but I decided that I could stop on my way out the door I always enter. Except that all the remodeling had me disoriented, and I did not have a GPS to find that door.
I got lost.
Passing three waterfalls and one fountain, twice, did not help my condition.
But finally I filled the last pot of the evening.
I was ready to exit and I just walked out the nearest door although that meant walking around a good bit of the casino outside.
The outside look of that new tower is ugly. It is hard to tell where the parking garage ends and the hotel rooms begin except that you know the hotel rooms must be in the tower which looks more like an office building than a casino. I suppose the architecture is supposed to be modern, but I think it only hints at something barely approaching the aesthetic. I hate that signature TS in the corner. I think it is fine thing if the car garage blends well with the rest of the structure, but I'd like the entire affect to be beautiful. This structure pretty much says "car garage."
Why is it that we can't put some art into our parking garages but must make these structures that are equivalent to cement dumpsters? No wonder there are so many murders in the detective shows in these places. They seem as dreary as death.
This new structure is so unlike the original little building with a fine circle and Turning Stone in big lights. It just seems to shout, "Just put up something and take their money!"
However, walking to the parking lot is very pleasant. You stroll down tree lined, winding walkways. The lighting is like the lighting in a park, only the trees are done in tiny lights too, almost like Christmas, only these lights are the most calming shade of blue. I liked it. There was more art in the random patterns of lights as they were arranged over the branches than in the entire tower monstrosity.
The drive home is tiring. Prairie Home tapes help but it is a long way to go with no conversation.
Come along with me next time.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
greg's Home Game
I had mostly bad cards, but I waited them out and won enough to stay happy. One hand was particularly pleasing because I slow played four 6's until Gregg bet to put me all in on the river.
"Do you have the flush" he asked.
"No" I answered in a voice that disguised how good my cards were.
And even before Gregg had finished matching my chips in the pot, he decided he had won and started to reach for the pot.
"You better continue to match that pile," I warned. "You aren't taking any of this pot." And I flipped over the quads.
I had another nice hand with trip 6's and an ace against Bruce and bet that well enough so he went all in. He had two pair.
Peter lost a lot of close calls that cost him money. Bill got very annoyed that after he built a huge pile of chips over time with good play, he got caught by Gregg with so many lucky river draws.
As much fun as this game can be, it can also be very frustrating.
Frustrations included managing chips and the issue of banking this NL game. It is much different from a limit game. There is lots to do and think about and plenty that can be confused. Each hand is a challenge to monitor.
In limit any player can cash in chips or buy chips and it has no effect on the game. Only the banker needs to worry about selling and buying correctly, so as not to be stuck at the end.
In No Limit the size of a player's chip pile dramatically changes the nature of the game, so it is important that chip piles are clear and not confused.
Also in limit, the stakes stay the same throughout the afternoon. In NL, as the game progresses, money builds into some huge possible pots. So any errors make a huge difference.
One advantage Foxwoods and Vegas have over home games is that there is a fellow paid to pay attention to all the details and the players can relax and just pay attention to the cards, tells, betting patterns, etc. So while the competition may be tougher ( although I think Gregg is as hard a player to beat as anyone I ever played poker with) watching the game for every detail is unnecessary.
A lot of the players I read on line are mad about the coming tables where computers take over the job of the dealers, but I think it will reduce the need to monitor for error there too. On those new automated tables you can see the pot size and it is impossible to bet out of turn or check by mistake. Chips can't slip to the floor. Hands cannot be misread. Chips do not need to be collected in the middle, and side pots do not need to be humanly computed.
There are currently 12 tables like that at Mohegan Sun, and they are watching how those games are received while they build their new poker room. However, unlike the 5% rake tables I played on at Four Winds Michigan, the rake was still 10% at Mohegan Sun. You only saved the dealer tip.
Also Gregg's new chips did not work as well as we hoped. They seemed especially slippery. As play wore on I could see them wearing a bit, so perhaps with more play, they will be more manageable. Still, I felt a bit bad to have picked chips that perhaps weren't as practical as they might have been.
In the end Gregg won more than I did and that puts him ahead in our little side competition and leaves him as the reigning Poker King as I go off to Vegas and Florida
"Do you have the flush" he asked.
"No" I answered in a voice that disguised how good my cards were.
And even before Gregg had finished matching my chips in the pot, he decided he had won and started to reach for the pot.
"You better continue to match that pile," I warned. "You aren't taking any of this pot." And I flipped over the quads.
I had another nice hand with trip 6's and an ace against Bruce and bet that well enough so he went all in. He had two pair.
Peter lost a lot of close calls that cost him money. Bill got very annoyed that after he built a huge pile of chips over time with good play, he got caught by Gregg with so many lucky river draws.
As much fun as this game can be, it can also be very frustrating.
Frustrations included managing chips and the issue of banking this NL game. It is much different from a limit game. There is lots to do and think about and plenty that can be confused. Each hand is a challenge to monitor.
In limit any player can cash in chips or buy chips and it has no effect on the game. Only the banker needs to worry about selling and buying correctly, so as not to be stuck at the end.
In No Limit the size of a player's chip pile dramatically changes the nature of the game, so it is important that chip piles are clear and not confused.
Also in limit, the stakes stay the same throughout the afternoon. In NL, as the game progresses, money builds into some huge possible pots. So any errors make a huge difference.
One advantage Foxwoods and Vegas have over home games is that there is a fellow paid to pay attention to all the details and the players can relax and just pay attention to the cards, tells, betting patterns, etc. So while the competition may be tougher ( although I think Gregg is as hard a player to beat as anyone I ever played poker with) watching the game for every detail is unnecessary.
A lot of the players I read on line are mad about the coming tables where computers take over the job of the dealers, but I think it will reduce the need to monitor for error there too. On those new automated tables you can see the pot size and it is impossible to bet out of turn or check by mistake. Chips can't slip to the floor. Hands cannot be misread. Chips do not need to be collected in the middle, and side pots do not need to be humanly computed.
There are currently 12 tables like that at Mohegan Sun, and they are watching how those games are received while they build their new poker room. However, unlike the 5% rake tables I played on at Four Winds Michigan, the rake was still 10% at Mohegan Sun. You only saved the dealer tip.
Also Gregg's new chips did not work as well as we hoped. They seemed especially slippery. As play wore on I could see them wearing a bit, so perhaps with more play, they will be more manageable. Still, I felt a bit bad to have picked chips that perhaps weren't as practical as they might have been.
In the end Gregg won more than I did and that puts him ahead in our little side competition and leaves him as the reigning Poker King as I go off to Vegas and Florida
Monday, November 19, 2007
Last Foxwoods Poker Trip
FINAL FOXWOODS TRIP
Yesterday (nov 18) I used my free voucher from Foxwoods that I bought in August. It was good to get it in just before expiration. So the trip was free, and the buffet was free, and the keno bets were free and they paid $10.
With Vegas coming and then Florida, it will be March before I get up to Foxwoods again.
Even without poker I was ahead.
I decided to play just 2-4 for the day and not risk losing too much just before Vegas.
Once again I started a new game. I usually like to do that so that all players learn each other at the same time, but this is twice that I got seated at a table of excellent players. Not one hesitant new guy and nothing near a fish.
So I changed tables again when a seat became available. The second table was a much better choice with average players and a few calling stations. Also I was lucky to be seated with two old rocks to my right, both players I recognize from other days, old grumpy guys who play there every day. I never paid them a chip.
For two hours I just stayed even picking up a few little pots. Then I started to get hands. Unlike the 4-8 where I would have to now play with a rock hard table imagine, most of these players did not care that I had played few hands. One fellow at the other table did say something to the woman next to him when I raised. So I pegged him as one willing to fold to my aggression. The rest were very hard to move.
So one poorly played hand was a blind stealing raise on a pair of 3's. It influenced no one. And this was nice because the set came on the flop and I checked, the table fish bet and I called to keep more players in. On the turn with just three of us left, I checked, let the fish bet, raised, and then I bet the river and was called by the fish for a good pot thanks to my raise.
I won another pot with pocket 3's when I raised on the river just to have the calling stations put in a lot more chips in case I flopped big.
But my best hand was 5-6 clubs. I got silly and reraised to see a free card when
2-4 gave me an inside straight possibility. It was one of those gregg inspired bets. It did solidify that I was getting no respect even after long rock hard play becuase it pushed no one out nor did it let me check the turn. On the river the 3 came and I had the nut hand. One loosey goosey player kept reraising me on his A-5 straight and another groaned but kept calling with two pair. The Loosey-goosey was really excited with his hand and wanted to raise again when the betting capped. Had we been head to head I have a feeling that he would have gone the distance. Of course, the earlier raise must have been confusing too. I suspect he put me on high pocket pairs. That was my best pot of the day.
By 3:30 the real fish was gone and I had consumed a few Myers Rum so I decided it was time to hit the buffet. After fine meal of cod fish, chili, and prime rib I went back to find the table changed a bit. Better players were there. I raised on an A-8 of diamonds based on something I read in one of the poker books. It built the pot. The Flop was 8-8-A and Loosey Goosey saw me all the way to the river, lost, packed up his chips and left the table.
I had a run of A-high card so I was playing hand after hand and to those who had not played with me earlier, I looked like a loose player and got called. Some hands did well. My worst missed hand was to have A-K two pair beat with trip jacks. But over all I did well and had a good time bantering with a guy across the table.
So it was a fine afternoon. A cute girl to banter with at the table. A fairly easy game. And no one giving me much respect.
Yesterday (nov 18) I used my free voucher from Foxwoods that I bought in August. It was good to get it in just before expiration. So the trip was free, and the buffet was free, and the keno bets were free and they paid $10.
With Vegas coming and then Florida, it will be March before I get up to Foxwoods again.
Even without poker I was ahead.
I decided to play just 2-4 for the day and not risk losing too much just before Vegas.
Once again I started a new game. I usually like to do that so that all players learn each other at the same time, but this is twice that I got seated at a table of excellent players. Not one hesitant new guy and nothing near a fish.
So I changed tables again when a seat became available. The second table was a much better choice with average players and a few calling stations. Also I was lucky to be seated with two old rocks to my right, both players I recognize from other days, old grumpy guys who play there every day. I never paid them a chip.
For two hours I just stayed even picking up a few little pots. Then I started to get hands. Unlike the 4-8 where I would have to now play with a rock hard table imagine, most of these players did not care that I had played few hands. One fellow at the other table did say something to the woman next to him when I raised. So I pegged him as one willing to fold to my aggression. The rest were very hard to move.
So one poorly played hand was a blind stealing raise on a pair of 3's. It influenced no one. And this was nice because the set came on the flop and I checked, the table fish bet and I called to keep more players in. On the turn with just three of us left, I checked, let the fish bet, raised, and then I bet the river and was called by the fish for a good pot thanks to my raise.
I won another pot with pocket 3's when I raised on the river just to have the calling stations put in a lot more chips in case I flopped big.
But my best hand was 5-6 clubs. I got silly and reraised to see a free card when
2-4 gave me an inside straight possibility. It was one of those gregg inspired bets. It did solidify that I was getting no respect even after long rock hard play becuase it pushed no one out nor did it let me check the turn. On the river the 3 came and I had the nut hand. One loosey goosey player kept reraising me on his A-5 straight and another groaned but kept calling with two pair. The Loosey-goosey was really excited with his hand and wanted to raise again when the betting capped. Had we been head to head I have a feeling that he would have gone the distance. Of course, the earlier raise must have been confusing too. I suspect he put me on high pocket pairs. That was my best pot of the day.
By 3:30 the real fish was gone and I had consumed a few Myers Rum so I decided it was time to hit the buffet. After fine meal of cod fish, chili, and prime rib I went back to find the table changed a bit. Better players were there. I raised on an A-8 of diamonds based on something I read in one of the poker books. It built the pot. The Flop was 8-8-A and Loosey Goosey saw me all the way to the river, lost, packed up his chips and left the table.
I had a run of A-high card so I was playing hand after hand and to those who had not played with me earlier, I looked like a loose player and got called. Some hands did well. My worst missed hand was to have A-K two pair beat with trip jacks. But over all I did well and had a good time bantering with a guy across the table.
So it was a fine afternoon. A cute girl to banter with at the table. A fairly easy game. And no one giving me much respect.
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