Blog Archives

wsc $600 nlh $250k gtd day 1B

27/2/2018

Feeling uncharacteristically good after my little speech earlier. I guess it needed to be said.

Sit down with a couple of friendly faces, one familiar one, and a beard with shades, lots of tattooes, and a massage girl stuck to his back. Looks like a fun day.

I get busy early on with the right mindset, and my 20K is down to 18,500, then quickly back up to 22,500.

Level 2 and up to 24,500. The cowboy on my left has reraised me twice and I've folded. I've told him we'll likely play a big pot together soon. So far based on what he's shown he likes to play top pair like it was a straight, so we'll try to snag him later.

My neighbour Mike asks my opinion on a hand, what I would do with 99 on a K85 board when a short stack bets out for 1500. I politely (and truthfully) tell him I'm simply not the guy who discusses the play of poker hands at the table. I leave all that to the experts out there who love to pick everything to death. Most of the time they spout the same thing and just show how little they actually know about poker. He seems surprised and maybe mildly miffed that I don't want to talk about the hnd, but I'm just being honest. I'm not being a dick or anything. People who know me will tell you I talk about everything BUT poker at the table, and not poker itself. If you want to tell me about a hand, or a bad beat, if it makes you feel better I can pretend to be interested, but trust me, I'm not. Ever.If truth be told, the years he's seen me playing here I'm amazed he's never noticed that. Ho hum.

A beard with a baseball cap and headphones just sat down. I've played him before and to me he falls into the category of ABC online player, predictable and unremarkable. That's not a bad thing to be up against.

I lose one with 99 when I call a reraise preflop with 99 3 way and miss. I had the chips with which to speculate. Back to 20K again.

Baby pair misses another and drop to 18,500. Still feeling wonderful.

The cowboy next to me just bet 4K with Q 10 on the river n a Queen high board versus another player who called. The cowboy was winning. Christ I love this table.

Level 3, and still 18,500. 183/189 remain currently.

A guy down the end in a big hat has shown a tenancy to call any raise, and then overbet the flop most times to try to pick up the pot. I raise with Kh Qh and he once again calls the raise. Flop comes out K J 9 with one heart, and he fires 3500 straight out as previously.

The Kevin of old might have just been cautious and taken off a card, but you know what? Screw that. All - in. How do you like them apples?

He squirms around then mucks whatever bag of shit he was betting with. Good stuff.

Up to 38K by virtue of the same guy. I look down at Kc Ks. A bunch of limpers for 200 so I decide to make it 1500 to go to thin out the field.

Only 3 of them decide to call, including the cat in the hat.

Flop is 6 8 10 rainbow. The hat immediately moves in for 12K. Second player folds and I decide he's true to form and I rejam. If someone has a set or 97 then congratulations. We end up heads up, and he shows 98 for a pair and a gutter. 2 bricks and we're in business and send him to the poor house.

Shortly after I call a raise with 23 offsuit versus a button steal and add another 1500 when I make bottom pair and call the river and he shows air.

First break and I'm on a comfortable 38K. I find a quiet spot for 15 minutes to avoid all the poker babble.

Surreal. The guy who busted me yesterday just walked up to me like we're pals, and apologised for knocking me out. He then told me how he ended up busting also and about the outdraws, but I must say I was shocked he came up and spoke to me, let alone said sorry. I guess some perceptions can be wrong, even mine.

Back from break and I lose one in a 3 way pot with the old cowboy. I have AQ and he shoves his last on a 377 flop. We fold and he grumbles he had trip sevens. OK, so you called the 2800 preflop with 7....what???

And it all comes tumbling down. In ugly fashion.

Raise with Ad 5d, 2 callers. Flop A53. Big flop bet and A6 gets there with a club flush. I'd like to throw up, but I'll just keep going. down to 17K.

Up to 20K again when I get busy with Jc 10c and flop a Jack.

Back to grinding for a while. That's pretty easy as I'm looking down at 83, 62, and Q4 offsuit mostly now. 216/273 remaining.

The cowboy on my left seems determined to go home early, his chips are up and down and all over the place. However he's still clinging on stubbornly.

I play AQ cute and win a small pot with one pair. Up to 22K.

I look down at QQ and there's a raise to 800. I make it 3000 in the cutoff. Three people call, including the cowboy. I have still yet to find the amount that works to get anyone out preflop and just take a pot down. Go figure.

Flop is AA2. First to speak bets out for 5500, and another player calls. I muck, (in disgust but not visibly. The bettor wins the pot by firing again on the turn, and proudly shows his A2 suited for a flopped boat. I'm on 16,500.

Level 5, and the cowboy on my left just showed me how to play 64 suited and busted me.

I'm in the small blind with As 9h. It's folded round to Mike, the guy on the button who knows me and is a reg in the Venetian and Wynn events. He makes a standard raise to 900. I smell a rat and make it 2900. The cowboy on my left has put in 400 for the big blind, so can't see a reason not to put another 2500 in as well. Mike also calls.

Flop comes 9s 8s 5s. Top pair and nut spades for me, and 11K or so in the middle, and me with 13K left. I'm first to speak and check. I want one of these guys to bet. I'm only drawing dead to a flopped straight flush, so let's get it in and see who has something.

Cowboy leads out for 3500, and Mike shuffles around then folds. I ship. This guy normally calls if he has one pair, so I want the action. Just not when he calls and turns over 6s 4s for a flopped flush.

Now the 7s is dead for me as it would make him a straight flush. Great.

No other spades materialise, and that's the end of that.

Without labouring the point of the post earlier, I bust but feel fine about the way it played. Two big hands today, and both times I was the one making the action rather than responding to it. First time the opponent has a flush draw and calls and then hits, second time I have the nut flush draw, I shove, and miss. Most players don't know the difference between these two scenarios, but it's huge. Welcome to poker. Both times I gave myself an extra way to win by betting, and put the decision to the other player. The cowboy (and I get no pleasure in saying this) will be out sooner or later. He's just too robotic, predictable, and has no awareness that he might maybe not be in good shape. Not the hand with me, fine, he flopped a flush and I have no issue with that at all. But if you're going to keep calling 3K raises with 64 out of position, trust me, your days in most tournaments are numbered. I wish him luck anyway.

0 Comments

enough, already

27/2/2018

6 Comments

I should preface this by making a few things clear:

I'm a big believer that turning up to play a tournament with a "set" gameplan, i.e: "I'm going to play loose today" etc, is largely flawed logic. Until you assess the people with whom you're sitting, deciding how you are going to proceed in the event is a bit like getting behind the wheel, engaging first gear, and then setting off with your eyes shut. By this I mean you have to be flexible in what you're going to do, and not just be the guy who is always loose, always tight, always bluffing, whatever. This should be obvious to most, but I'll say it anyway. poker is a game of people, and most people are predictable. That is one of their biggest faults.

Secondly, in terms of a lean run, bad series, outdraws etc, to me, the last few weeks aren't great, but are a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things. Not expecting any medals to be handed out of course, but what I'm saying is that how you cope when things are going great and the money is flowing your way should be a no brainer. It's easy to play champagne Charlie and be happiness personified when the wins come easily. It's how you cope and what you do going forward when things are not going great and you're getting the shaft that actually determine what kind of poker player, and maybe even what kind of person you really are. Adversity is a great barometer for people. As I already said, this isn't a great run, at all, but in the past I can remember 18 months solid when it just wouldn't happen for me, whatever I did. I'm very hardy when it comes to things like this, and that just comes from experience and temperament. People who have shares will know that despite the jokes, it's my money on the line too, and I have way more of it out there in action on these trips than anyone else. I wouldn't have it any other way.

OK, what was the point of all that waffle then?

The point was this.

Reading updates where you grind like a Trojan for 9 hours then get murdered might be entertaining. They might be informative. They might even make you think a bit, and thinking is rarely a bad thing. People should do more of it. However, grinding for 9 hours, or busting in the first 5 minutes still produces the same result financially, that is to say, a net loss on the day. I think a part of me, though I like to write and find bits to say, is always mindful of the audience, and even though I don't post "well I thought he could lay down 10 10 so I shoved" during the first 5 minutes, I most certainly have that gear in me. I just don't use it as I don't ever want people to think of money invested as money simply wasted.

The last few events, yesterday in particular have me thinking a bit in terms of if I had reshoved a few hands (even where say, the nut flush draw missed in the end), there's a good chance I might have just won the hand there and then. I don't like being a calling station in poker, it's just not the right way to play the game. I'd always rather die trying than just fizzle out, and I think sometimes (table dependent, as per the first paragraph) just getting on and gambling a bit rather than trying to make the nuts and then get paid with it is a better strategy in these things. Poker with 50K when the average stack is 23K is always better, and conversely, playing catchup and ending up looking for a spot is most definitely not. I have plenty to do with my days here if not playing poker. Golf, Yoga, hiking, friends, cooking, movies, and lots more. Even God forbid the occasional odd (sometimes very odd) girl who wants to spend time with me. So I don't need to fill my days with making the buy-in last as long as I possibly can, just to bust out on level 10 anyway. The end result is the same as if you jammed with the nut flush draw, got called, and missed it in level one. However, the latter course gives you a chance of a bigger stack early, and also the chance of some knucklehead actually folding because now the decision is for his tournament, and not for yours. If that makes sense. It should, as most people reading this are fairly astute.

Take from this what you will. I suppose what I'm saying is the scheduled trip is nearing it's conclusion in terms of events, and I'm a bit fed up with taking crap from people and just meekly letting hands go. Maybe it's about time I started dishing some crap out instead. In the right circumstances of course.

Wynn $600 day 1B later today. We shall see.

6 Comments

wsc $600 nlh $250k gtd day 1a

26/2/2018

1 Comment

First table has a few known suspects, and is largely silent apart from me. 20K starting stack goes to 19K when I see the first hand with 55 and 3 paint cards instantly appear.

So far on this I've got one serial tournament regular who loves scabby outdraws, one known absolute lowlife from the Venetian, and another old fossil who couldn't fold 99 preflop if you made it a million to play.

And me, of course. Looks like a fun ensemble.

I miss several flops, and the early betting at 100/100/100 seems rather large. I find myself on 14K quite quickly without doing much wrong, and then see a flop with 7d 6d versus a raise which comes 5c 8h 3d. I miss he turn and also the river, but the three pairs and I decide I'm not letting the other guy make all the betting. I fire 2500 with air, and he looks upset and finally mucks. Back up to 21K again.

It looks like nobody on this table brought a sense of humour with them today. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything.

Lose a lumpy pot to the old robot on my left when I raise with Ah Qh, flop two overs and nut hearts, and manage to miss everything. These old coffin-dodgers like to massively overvalue big pairs, and I'd have actually felt better getting the lot in on the flop even if it missed. Down to an early 14K as we hit level 2.

Another top pair and nut flush draw gets shredded and I drop to 10K. Hard not to be a little pissed off when I miss every nut draw, and the aforementioned fella to my left just spazzed off 7500 to KQ who rivered two pair. Feels repeatedly like I play it well with nut draws and miss, they play it terribly with 7th nut draws and get paid.

Minor laptop failure and I'm still around 10K as I raise to 700 with 99 after 3 people limp.

One now makes it 3500 and another calls. It's too much money, ship or fold. I fold. QQ wins the pot.

It's annoying. I feel I'm playing OK. Sometimes tournaments are a bit like two card PLO, in the sense that early on it's OK to speculate, but when you flop a draw of some kind, making sure it's a draw to nuts it of paramount importance. 65 on a K34 flop is totally different to 65 on a 7 8 10 flop, when you can make your hand and still lose. I just called with 88 and it came 9 J 10. Literally the worst flop for my hand. The Queen hit the river, and K10 won the pot, but I got away from the final bet.

Win a small pot with AJ on a Jack high flop, but still feels like everybody else is getting paid. 9500.

This table has been a bit weird. 20K starting chips is plenty, yet most of the bets are way oversized considering we are going from level 2 to level 3. Just have to go with it I guess.

Or not. I'm hardened to losing at poker, you have to be as it will happen a lot. What is never nice is when you lose to an extremely undesirable character, of course of which in poker there are no shortage. I'm trying to grind and play correctly, but every prospective draw is bricking out today, so it's looking like desperate measures are going to be needed soon.

This comes up on a Q35 flop when I have 5h 3h. One heart on board. It's bet for 500 and then questioned, and called by, let's just say someone who isn't a very nice person in poker in just about every encounter I've ever had with him. I try hard not to slag people off, but some people just exemplify the very worst in the unsavoury side of poker, and to me this guy is that in a nutshell in the way he acts towards others, the way he plays, wins and loses. I've seen it over a number of years, and I think to say he doesn't like me and I don't like him is pretty safe. Actually I'm not sure if he likes anybody, but that's not my concern. It's just not who I ever want to be. He initially looked like he wanted to muck his cards for the 500, and then called it, setting off bells. However, I am low with two pair, so there it is.

I throw out a bet of 2700, and it's folded back to this guy. He shuffles around and then asks how much the bet is, even though it's clearly visible what the bet is. Got to love the way people act in poker. Fine he has a big hand of some kind but with my stack and two pair on this flop I'm never folding. He shuffles around and finally calls.

I'm really not sure what all the play acting is for. Anyone with a brain will see my bet and stack and see I'm not folding here. The only card that would stop me here is a Queen on the turn as it would effectively kill my two pair. The turn is a 9, which is a blank.

He now pisses around and twiddles his stack for a while. I have 6700 or so, and he finally puts out 5K. As I said, we're not folding this spot, so we get the rest in. He asks how much it is, slowly calls, waits for me to turn over two pair, and then tables...QQ for top set. Well done mate, you should be really proud.

Drawing dead and out. I get up and wish most of the table the best of luck and leave. A pretty horrible morning, and little more to say on it. Just do what I always do, put it aside and move on.

1 Comment

DSE $340 Nlh $100k gtd day 2

25/2/2018

0 Comments

Welcome to day 2, and a micro stack mastercless...

After pissing about on the phone with the idiots at Virgin Atlantic for over 49 minutes this morning trying to amend flights, I got here with 5 minutes to spare, as I of course can't afford to miss a single hand with this stack.

Third hand of the day...I look down at...AA. Lovely. I make it 15K to go with blinds at 500/2500/5000...and everybody folds. Even the guys with 200-300K. That just about says it all really doesn't it.

63 get paid and 80 remain. I like a challenge.

The giant housefly from 2 days ago somehow has a lot of chips. He makes a call to an all-in on the turn with 33 on an 8539 board, and 46 rivers a seven for a straight. What fun poker can be.

My day just ended when UTG raises to 12500, another player calls, I squeeze out 10 10 and shove for 38K. The old grunter two to my left now starts shaking like a shitting dog, and then announces all-in as well for 85K or so. The original raiser with a big stack calls. Well, this is my pot to get back into it then.

Original raiser: AK
Me: 10 10
Shitting dog: JJ

Well that sucks. If I had the JJ covered I wouldn't mind, but of course some people can't see past their own two cards. The initial raiser was obviously calling and had it been me I might have thrown JJ away as it would be 3 way and I'd have invested 500 chips and not 85,000.

However, not everyone thinks like me. We've seen that already.

The board runs out blanks and the JJ wins. gg,gl etc etc. Out in 75th or so.

Wynn $600 $250K guaranteed event next. Never say die then.

0 Comments

WSC $550 nlh $100K gtd (one day event)

24/2/2018

0 Comments

As you likely saw, I made day 2 of the DSE $340, albeit with next to no chips. That restarts tomorrow, so for today I decided on the Encore $550 one day event.

First table is affable enough. I miss a few flops and 20K looks more like 16K now.

The structure is a little fast and furious...it feels that way anyway. After all, it is only a one dayer. Level 4 already and it's 100/300/300 (big blind ante). 129/151 players right now.

First break, and in the run up, I've repopped once with QQ, and lost with 99. Still on 15K or so, which is OK.

Back from break and one guy has busted with KQ vs AQ on a Queen high flop. He was nice enough initially, but after he busted he criticised the AQ for playing his hand so badly. Always amusing.

Dodged a bullet with Q 10 on a K 10 3 flop when K 10 played it crafty but I failed to bite. Grinding mode at the moment. 14K.

Right now it seems to be win one hand every orbit or so. My Qc Jc just beat 99 to get me back to 16K. An unsmiling European kid just shipped Qd Jd and got called by 2 people who both had AK. Not sure why the second AK was in there for so much money, but I've given up trying to understand the workings of these guys minds.

Now 131/197 left. Blinds about to go to 600/300/600.

For some reason my internet decided to die for a while, apologies.

Lost a few players, and one kid who has sat lost one pot to me, then got AA and got paid, and then KK and flopped a set, and his opponent decided to reshove bluff the river with Ace high, which of course didn't go so well.

I found JJ on a 10 high flop and shoved and the same kid gave me a full double up with J 10. I got to over 23K but have dipped back a bit.

107/214 left and we're at 800/400/800. Prize pool is up and it's almost 29K up top right now. Which would help a bit. I've run it up to 40K now, partly by having 10 10 vs 77.

108/227 left, so a ways to go yet.

Internet is still playing up so updates are sadly a bit sporadic.

I raise with JJ and a guy who has around 40K now shoves. There are tons of players left and I'm not some internet dweeb living in his parent's basement, so to me it's not an auto call. In fact with my chips it's actually an easy fold, so I muck. He shows 10 10. Lovely.

A while later a very ABC player raises my blind. I call with Ah 3h, and the flop comes 339. Fantastic. I check to him, and he C-bets 3500. I make it 13500 and give him the speech about him bulling. He tanks for a while, and then shoves allin with...AK! Wonderful. I hit 72K and leave him wondering what just hit him.

88 players left, blinds now 1200/600/1200.

Some poker people are hilarious. This structure is OK, but some guys are still jamming 20K or 30K allin preflop with A 10 or similar. I find it funny, but that's just me perhaps. I am doing fine chip wise and over the average, all we need now is just a decent run to bring home the money. Still a long way to go.

71 remain. I've been moved to a new table with my pal Tammy, and a bunch of over-aggressive internet dweebs who don't like folding anything and who like scabby min raises. Hate is a strong word, but I guess if I had to qualify, these are the players I hate. They're like a virus in poker. They all basically play the same way, and have virtually no personality of flair. Never mind.

Up to level 12 now, and 64 players remain. Has been a lean last level and I'm back to 60K after winning very little. Average is 72K, so time to get moving again as we are now at 2K/1K/2K.

Annnnddd..

yet again we get to see how fair poker can be when you play well and do everything right.

I look down at JJ. An aggressive guy makes it 6K to play. An equally aggressive big stack now makes it 13K and I shove for 55K, knowing 100% I'm winning. First one folds, second one dwells and then asks for a count, then calls and then tables 10 10. He immediately flops a 10 for a set in a 125K pot, lets out a large unruly cheer just to compound the pain, and that's the end of my tournament after nearly seven hours. Bust in around 60th when that pot almost certainly gets me to the money, and likely to the final as well. That would be no fun would it? Over and out. All I can do is play well and get it in good, the rest is down to variance, which of course can be brutally cruel when it feels like it.

0 Comments

dse $340 Nlh $100k gtd day 1a

23/2/2018

0 Comments

Yesterday was a "me" day following my exit from the Venetian main. I guess I wanted as little as possible to do with poker, poker rooms, poker people, and poker in general for a bit, so I did 2 yoga classes, slept a lot, relaxed, and treated myself to a nice meal. All standard stuff and perfectly fine. You've already gathered that whilst I'm here poker doesn't rule my life 24/7. To me that's just unhealthy.

There was a choice between the Venetian and the Wynn today. The Wynn buy in was a little bigger, and is only a one day event. The Venetian also give you slightly more starting chips, so I decided better the devil you know. I come in as we start level 2 with 25K, which I quickly turn into 30K by virtue of a boat versus a flush and some snappy wordplay to induce a call.

AQ into QQ with a Queen on the board bumps me straight back to 26K again. Ho hum.

Back to 30K again. A flurry of pocket pairs. I'm playing a lot of pots and chatting a lot. Unusually we have a very receptive table, which is good news.

Old Asian guy called my AQ raise with 9 10 offsuit and caught a ten to beat me. Shortly after he again calls, this time with 10 7 offsuit to again catch a 10 and shred my AQ. I can see we're going to have fun today.

level 3. 32K.

I drop to 28K, then raise with 75 and get one caller from the blinds who has shown himself to be hyper aggressive so far. Flop comes 779. Lovely. He leads out for 600, and I make it 1600 to go, he calls.

Turn is a 4. He bets 2000. I call.

River is a 6. He now goes all in for 30K!!!

This is a tough spot. What he's shown down so far could mean he's full of shit and just flexing his muscles. He might also have just two pair, or if I'm unlucky, maybe 7x. I think this over for 5 minutes. I'm not big on the buy in dictating your decisions, but it's a smaller buy in event, and I eventually make the call.

He turns over 85 offsuit for a straight. Nice hand Sir.

I decide I'm re-entering. I'm really not big on firing multiple bullets, but based on the play I've seen so far then being aggressive and amassing a big stack early in this seems to be the way to go. If needed I'll scrub playing the second flight.

My theory seems to be borne out when at my new table I am seated (thankfully) to the left of a guy who already has well over 100K! He plays two hands uber aggressively, the second one being where he moves all the chips in preflop with Ad Kd, and is called by AA. He flops two diamonds, but misses the outdraw and gives a little back to the table.

I raise one on my new table first hand back from the break on level 4. I have 33 and get 2 callers. The board runs out K Q 9 K J. I win. OK...

25K becomes 46K, when my 53 comes up agains 26 on a 345 flop. A cheap turn card gives me a third five and the second nuts, and the 26 leads out for 3K with his straight. I make it 8K to go and he tanks and shoves. I'm losing to one hand so in we go and seeing him drawing dead is a pleasant surprise.

Up to around 50K, when I try to catch the big stack with QQ. It comes 10 high in a three way pot, and then pairs the turn and puts a King out also on the river, however my QQ is still good. The 100K stack on my right now looks more like 28K after he's played too many pots too aggressively.

56K as we near the end of level 6.137/173 remain.

I tried bluffing at one versus a short stack and he wasn't folding 99 on a 77JQ3 board, so I gave some back. Now on 50K or so as I've stolen a few small ones.

Second break and my stack is about the same. I'm playing a good percentage of pots and now have a handle on who's tight and who's just stubborn. When we get back it'll be 75/250/500 so the pots will be juicier. Presently the screen says 134/177 players and an average stack of 33K, so I am doing just fine.

Back to 45K or so, after going pretty card dead and just folding mostly. A few guys on this table have shown themselves to be pretty stubborn when they have one pair, even just bottom pair, sometimes calling down the whole way with it. I'm hoping to capitalise on it later on.

Just flopped a straight draw and flush draw, however neither were the nuts so I didn't go crazy. They both missed and i drop to 37K.

After missing a few more flops, I finally wake up with QQ in the big blind and it's folded round to the small blind, the aggressive guy who earlier had 100K. He now has 14K and just throws it all in. I obviously call expecting to be way ahead.

He turns over KK of all things, and I drop down to 20K after losing. Great.

18K as we hit level 8 and 75/300/600. I think I lost every pot I have played in the last level. Frustrating but am still zoned in.

Back up to 40K again when my As 10s gets there on a 7s 8s Jh flop and makes me the nut flush. I got lucky with the check-raise, because he'd actually flopped the straight, just proving that it's better to be lucky than good in this stupid game. Thank goodness. I was starting to believe in curses once more.

A short stack goes allin preflop for 7500 and is called by my aggressive neighbour who had the KK, and also one other. Flop is 6 8 10. Mr KK now ships it allin and is called by player 3. They go over and Mr KK and the short stack both have A9, the other guy has...44, which ends up busting them both. gamble gamble indeed.

122/194 left as we approach level 9.

Back up to 50K again, but I'd have been closer to 85K were it not for one bonehead who decided to interfere.

I raised with 10 9 offsuit, happy to steal the blinds. In true fashion for this line up, I get 3 callers. Fine. Flop comes 99K. That'll do our boy. I lead out for 4K and get one caller, turn is a Queen. Fine, he might have a straight, but I'm not going to keep inventing hands to be scared of. I bet 9K and again he calls. I don't put him on a Nine, rather more AK most likely.

River is another Queen. I have the underfull, 999QQ, and instead of any dramatics, I announce all-in. He doesn't snap call, and I know now I'm good. He tanks, and we exchange some dialogue. A few minutes go buy. Now one dummy who has a ton of chips decides to call the clock on him. My feelings on this have been made very clear before. I've never called a clock on anyone in my life, and am not about to start now. The guy also clearly has a huge decision and is not just showboating. The floor is called and they give him 30 seconds. With ten seconds left he asks "who called the clock?", as the final moments tick by. The count reaches zero and the floor announces his hand is dead. He now wants to call me and the floor won't let him! In my mind I am begging for the call as our discussion tells me he actually has AK. However they kill his hand and push me a reduced pot. I guess I shouldn't complain, but I feel a bit short changed...literally.

57K at 100/400/800. Nearing the 30 minute (!!!) dinner break.

I'm beating up on the same guy who had the clock put on him. I just hit 80K with average at 45K. Go Kevin.

Dinner break, back in 30. 112/209 left.

No dinner for me, not enough time to eat in a measure of comfort and relaxation. That's fine.

We come back and I dip to 75K after losing a couple of smallish pots, then, what I consider to be bad news...my table breaks. New faces all around.

85/214 remain.

66K after losing with 555 to a flush. Was ugly but could have been worse. Now on level 12 at 200/800/1600.

People on my new table seem more than happy to get the lot in the centre with any old shit, so I've rocked right up. Some spotty kid just raised with K9 suited and a girl with JJ shipped. He looked like it was the easiest call in the world and slid in about 25% of his chips. Of course he catches the King and knocks her out. I feel a bit like some of these guys have no clue, but also no fear, which is a dangerous combination. I'm on 58K and haven't seen or won a hand for a good hour.

Argh. Last hand of the level, I have to stab at a pot on the river as I definitely won't win it by checking. I can't get my opponent to put down a shitty Ace. back down to 50K again. We take a break and restart at 300/1000/2000 with 63 players left from 214 starters.

Back from break and I go up to 59K again when I snap off an airball river bluff with third pair. This guy is capable enough based on experience so I don't get too out of line when I just call on the end.

I'm not upset to see our table now break. My new line up is totally silent and peppered with sunglasses and unsmiling faces. As I sit down, one guy shoves for 40K+ with 98 offsuit, he gets reshoved and heads up with AQ offsuit. Three eights win. Clearly this is a table where some of these guys aren't going to win, but could easily ruin my chance of winning, so a bit of caution is in order.

Down to 45K when my 10 10 loses to a scabby raise from KJ when he catches a Jack. Feels like a downswing, but I'm still sharp and focused.

I'm never openly going to be disparaging about the play of others, but so far based on what I've seen, there's no higher level thinking going on here. One guy who looks a lot like a giant housefly with his big mirrored shades just shoved 45K on a K A A 9 6 board. He had AQ and 10 10 decided to call him.

I just fold 44 preflop as it's 11K to go and way too much of my 45K stack. Of course I flop a set and would have won. Isn't poker fun?

Nearing level 14, and 57/214 remain. I am still comprehensively card dead. Except when I should have made a horrible preflop call with the 44 that is.

Up to 400/1200/2400 and I'm still seeing nothing. The housefly has raised quite a few pots and won uncontested. I'm pretty unconvinced some of these guys are good enough to fold anything at all to a reraise, but with my stack now being eroded to under 40K, I will likely be jamming it right up one of them if the hand comes along.

As advertised, I squeeze out an Ace, and someone presses my big blind. I make him play for all of it and he folds. Back to 49K again.

72K when I get aggressive with a flush draw that gets there. Average chips is now 100K but this is a very workable stack.

My table breaks yet again, and I get to 80K with As 3s when it runs out QQA3Q and I'm good. Shortly after I get JJ and play it cute, it comes K22 and two guys go crazy so I get away for the minimum.

43 left now. Approaching level 15.

Now on break. With the blinds and antes so lumpy I'm back to 73K again, but am doing fine.

A couple of expensive orbits of seeing nothing and I'm back to 50K again. Each pot is worth a minimum of 9500 so it's likely time to get moving once more and try to get up around the 100K mark. 40 players left.

Just seen a 270K pot where QQ got it in preflop vs of all hands....AJ. The AJ 4-bet shoved which was a strong move, but the QQ wasn't folding, and ended up being good.

Down to 45K when I raise with Ac Qc, and flop a gutshot draw. I fire again in a 3 way pot and both call. The turn blanks and now one wants to bet big and the other calls. Only a King on the river can save me so I fold. They are heads up and the Kh falls. Great. One bets 15K and the other calls, and 4h 5h wins with a flush, so I actually dodged a bullet as I know the flush draw and he wouldn't have folded had I raised him on the turn, but am now down to 45K on the last level of the day. This feels eerily familiar.

35 players now left, and down to 40K. It's 500/2000/4000. You guys do the maths. Not fun when you're catching nothing at all.

Christ. 42K and they've just called last 7 hands of the day. What a grisly spot for me. If I have roughly this stack I'd come back with 7 or 8 big blinds at the most, and I have a lot of big stacks around me. I guess we'll see what happens, but with 10K up for grabs each hand with no extra being put in, it's well worth shoving if it might get through, whatever cards I'm holding.

2 hands left, and I've seen squat. Down to 39K and I'll be in the big blind the next hand. What a great way to go....

Well, we made day 2, but I'm really not sure how pleased to be about it. 34,500 chips, after seeing nothing whatsoever for the entire last level. Coming back the blinds are 500/2500/5000 (giving me 6 big blinds) so it's full steam ahead right from the get go. It's far from ideal, but I've done my absolute best today,and I guess that's just about all we can ever hope for.

0 Comments

the ugly side of poker

22/2/2018

0 Comments

I originally started this piece before playing the DSE main, however after busting at the end of the day yesterday, maybe this is the time to finish it. This might all just be classed as filler, since the schedule has some gaps in it, but in my opinion, it's still worth saying.

I'll kick off by saying I'm not perfect. In poker, life, love, balance, or just about any other area. If you dig around I'm sure you'll find someone who can attest to this quite happily. And that's OK. I'm not preaching from up on high, I'm just writing stuff. Were it not for me selling action on my trips then this blog and my opinions wouldn't exist, since I generally believe that's it's better to say less, and let the blowhards spout off to their heart's content. Good luck to them.

This concerns three occurrences a couple of days ago. The specifics of the events themselves are actually secondary in my mind, to the fact that the people perpetrating the acts actually saw zero wrong in what they were doing. I do, hence me pointing it out. Draw your own conclusions.

My poker playing outside of my advertised schedule is pretty minimal. Occasionally I might play a super sat for a big event, using my own money, not the budget for the trip. Of course, we're playing the event anyway and have already allocated the buyin, however for say, the Venetian $1600, they were running $300 mega satellites. If you win one effectively that's $1300 profit, and if you sat in say, a $1/$2 cash game with $300, then it would generally be a pretty amazing session for you to win $1300. So by this rationale, playing a satellite is a good shot for some extra cash.

Anyway.

We're chugging along, and a new player arrives at the table from a broken table. She is about to be the big blind when she sits down. Jokingly, as she arrives, I say "you should just walk round the room for a minute until the button passes you". To be clear, I'm joking. I mess about at a poker table, but the rules are the rules.

She looks at the table, looks at me, and says "actually, yes, I do need to use the restroom". And then goes to walk away from the table!

The floorman is standing right behind her, and isn't having any of it. He instructs her very politely to sit her ass down and play. We all have a good chuckle.

The second incident is a more sordid variation of the first. Later in the satellite we get another player joining us from a broken table. He walks over with his rack, and looks at the position of the button in relation to where he will sit. He will be in the big blind next hand, and by now the blinds are getting quite big.

He walks away from the table before sitting down, taking his rack of chips and seat card, and makes a phone call for a minute or so, or at least goes through the motions of doing it. Shortly after, he comes back to the table to take his seat as if he's just come from his broken table 30 seconds ago.

As said, I can skirt around the letter of the law in poker. I'll occasionally say something in a hand, or will use minor theatrics to get a call, a fold, or just generate action, or conversation. However, I don't cheat, and however you dress it up, people who do cheat are scumbags. And this is cheating. I have mentioned this to the dealer when the guy first arrives and leaves, and another player at the table confirms that is what happened. The dealer asks me "well, do you want me to tell the floor?" This is just inexperience on the part of the dealer, which I can overlook because some of them are new. There isn't any debate. Dodging the blinds is cheating and you get a penalty for it. So I tell him, absolutely yes, call the floor. When the guy sits down after a few minutes, the dealer calls the floor, and what happened is explained. The guy looks indignant, like it's an innocent mistake, and says he just made a phone call etc, etc. I point out he knows exactly what he did, and if you really want to make a call, then you put your chips down, and pay your blinds whilst you walk away and make your call. Of course no one would ever do that. He gets a 5 hand penalty for dodging the blinds and looks decidedly pissed about it, and at me for pointing out what he did. However, I don't give a shit. Cheating is cheating.

Episode three is later still in the event. One player has a lot of chips, and is raising pretty much every hand. Fine, it's his money, he has chips and can do what he likes. This of course is a satellite, so you don't need to win the thing, just survive to get a seat. This is a fairly common mindset for satellite play, but occasionally people don't play ball.

A short stack goes all-in when this guy raises yet again, and another player also calls the raise. The unspoken (well, it's rarely unspoken but in my opinion it should be) rule here is that the other players will check the hand down unless one of them has a monster, simply to bust the all-in player and advance everyone towards a seat. The big stack decides he doesn't want to do this, and now bets the flop. The third player now folds and is visibly frustrated by the bet, even more so when the cards go over, the bettor has second pair, and the all-in triples up with top pair when he wins the hand.

I'd like to say the other player simply tuts and moves on, however, they decide less than quietly to say that the big stack is an idiot (they actually said that), and he doesn't know how to play satellites, etc etc. Now all this might be true, but vocalising it, and berating the other player is just wrong. There is no debate. You are just wrong for doing it. I basically say as much to the player who complains, but after two minutes, it's obvious we aren't going to agree. Her rationale was that she can criticise what he did because his actions don't benefit her or the rest of the table, i.e: busting the all-in player and moving us all closer to a seat. So let me get this straight... it's only OK if what another player at the table does as long as it's beneficial to you? Right. For the record, if you want to be pedantic, the guy did play the hand "wrong", in my opinion. However I'm not going to get upset about it, point it out, or call him names for it. I wrap it up with one of my favourite lines "well, I could agree with you about it, but then we'd both be wrong", since any further discussion is clearly pointless.

Well that was a load of old waffle wasn't it?

However, the point of the post is not to lay out what happened or to name names and sling mud. The point is that in all 3 instances, the other party at no point whatsoever considered the fact that what they were doing might in fact be in any way wrong, or immoral, or rude, or unethical, or anything else for that matter. They do or say what they like, and they are only wrong if either they get caught, or are presented with the facts to prove they are wrong. And even then, they still believe they are right, because, well, people.

This is why I make no secret that my opinion of most poker players is pretty low. I don't care how big a name you are, how much money you have, how much you spout your opinion. The way you act towards others, and in poker, the way you conduct yourself on and off the table says everything. I've always maintained that poker does funny things to people, and makes them both say and do things that in other walks of life they'd never even consider. There are some I know who would shoot any angle possible right up to and including stealing if they could get away with it. Fine, that's them, it's not me, and if they sleep OK at night then good luck to them. Sadly, part of the tapestry of poker is that it's a myriad of different people, goals, mindsets, ethics, opinions, and attitudes. As said, i'm not saying mine is always right. It isn't. I am saying that some are most definitely wrong.

0 Comments

dse $1600 main event $1m gtd day 1c

21/2/2018

4 Comments

Right. Time to start running well then.

There is another piece I'm in the middle of writing, but for now it'll have to wait. For today we were up bright and breezy, did a yoga class, blew away the cobwebs, and here we are at my first table ready to rock and roll. 30K starting chips and a one hour clock. let's crack on.

Screen is showing 142/155 so far and climbing. People are busting nice and early. there's plenty of scope for small ball poker here, which suits me fine. I go up to 32K and back to 29K during the first level.

Two guys on my table have just got 30K each in preflop. One has AA, the other has...AQ offsuit. Surprisingly the AA gets an easy double up, and the AQ wanders off to re-enter like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Early progression up to 35K. I've played with half these guys before, and am playing plenty of small pots, but also taking the initiative and being more aggressive. Have hit one gutshot, and rivered the nut flush once. Fun times.

Nearing the end of level 2 and the first break. I just lost with a full house to quad 10's, however fortunately I had the underfull and exercised a bit of pot control. still on a healthy 34K.

Back from break. Now 173/218 on the screen for day 1C. A minor spat when a player complains they were "at" their seat when the last card was dealt and their hand was unjustly killed. I never see the point in berating a dealer, even if they make a mistake. It's bad manners and bad Karma, but some people haven't read the same memo I got.

Midway through level 3, and I've dropped to 21K after getting a succession of playable hands that all missed flops or got raised if I bet. Fine for now.

Playing a full 9 handed table finally. Maybe I'm being overly judgemental, but the guy who has just sat on my right is also watching televised poker on his phone whilst playing the tournament at the table. Not sure what this says about me, but I always find this hilarious. Go figure. Maybe it's because I don't watch televised poker.

Back to 30K starting stack again.

Down to 25K. So far in the last 3 levels, I've walked into Quads three times. In the last 5 minutes, two hands back to back. That's not fun, but I guess I'm grateful I'm exercising some pot control. On the last hand I had QQ and it was checked to me on the river when a 3rd seven fell. He had 78. I wasn't betting.

24K, and the guy who had the AA earlier just got his whole stack in with JJ vs another player's AA on a 3 7 10 two spade flop. If I have to be honest, I think postflop they both played it pretty abysmally, but people of course all play differently, and once you stump up the buy in, you can do whatever you like.

Of course the Jack immediately on the turn ruins the day for the Aces, and 60K+ gets shipped to the guy who played it worst of all.

Our hero hits 46K from a less than ideal 22K, when he decides on a gear change. And also inexplicably starts to talk about himself in the third person.

I raise with Ac Qc and it gets repopped to 2400 and called in another spot. i also call and we see a flop of 2c 5 c 9h. Two overs and the nut flush draw. I'm not always going to be in love with a hand like this, however it's a nut draw and I'm fed up with pissing around waiting for someone to pay me off. I lead out pretty big and get called, the third player raises and I jam. Big stacks get won or lost in these spots, and if I was closer to 30K I might not have done it but we can't sit and wait for the nuts. I the other player folds, and the original reraiser is allin and shows 55 for middle set. Not ideal but still live. Immediate club for the good guys and no pair up, and the nut flush ships me the pot. I bust the same player shortly after for the rest of his money. Now on second break and back in good shape.

Returning from the break and a few new faces have joined us. I just lose a pot to one who has a beard and apparently no sense of humour whatsoever. Meh.

During the break, I went to the restroom, and as i was leaving a guy was walking in carrying a china plate of spaghetti in garlic and cream sauce. Seriously. Food in a public crapper. What could possibly go wrong?

It looks like despite my positive attitude and self belief, life is still determined to keep throwing crap at me. So far today, I have walked into Quads three times, and now when I have the nut flush, he rivers a straight flush. I'd already done all the hard work, and when he checked to me on the river, I just checked behind and saw the bad news. Half the table can't believe I checked to him on the river. There's little point my explaining the finer points of poker, I just take the loss and am happy it's not a much bigger one. Back to 30K again. I'm not going to complain. It seems like others are getting a lot of love, and barring the nut flush vs the set earlier, I'm getting a healthy dose of pain, but I'm tuned in and playing fine, so I'll do what I always do, keep going.

32K as we near the end of level 5. I've seen some pretty ugly stuff so far today, not just the things that have happened to me. It's why terrible players sometimes amass huge stacks. They aren't playing on any sort of a higher level or anything. They simply don't know any better and often can't see past their own two cards. Of course there are some superb players out there, but there are many more who are just awful. Don't tap the glass.

As if to affirm what I just said, AK and AK just get 40K in the middle preflop at 50/150/300. You've gotta love it.

Level 6 and 213/319 remain.

Back to 35K after a bit of heroism. I raised with 44, and when the board ran out K3KK7, I feared I was walking into Quads a fourth time today. However, 44 was good.

Back up to 45K again. The guy two to my left likes to bully, and has put in a big reraise and c-bet quite a few times and is using his stack. I decide I'm fed up with it, and play back at him with 52 suited. We dance around on the flop and on the turn he fires again and I make it 15K to go. He grumbles and passes. That'll learn him.

I played a hand badly that I could have won had I shown more aggression. I had Kh Qh, and turned a flush and straight draw. I needed to fire the river when I missed and I didn't. 44 won the pot, which was my own fault.

The buddy of the guy two to my left turned up 40 minutes ago, and has stood there waffling away about cryptocurrencies non stop, oblivious to the fact we're trying to play a tournament. I don't bother saying anything, I just put on my headphones and Spotify, and let him blow himself out eventually.

211/319 left. Dinner break in 30 minutes.

40K at the dinner break. I'm just fine with that. Back in an hour.

Onward we go, and with a bit of jostling, I run it up to 47K, my new highpoint for the tournament. There's a fair bit of back and forth, but I'm tempering it with both caution and occasional aggression. A few of the players at this table (in my opinion) play pretty terribly, and by that what I mean is if they get a conventional premium hold-em hand like QQ or AK for example, their entire stack is on offer, as they almost go into panic mode and spazz out with a huge bet to try to drive the other players out. The trouble is, they often pot commit themselves, so if you get it in bad, you're going to need a minor miracle to actually win. I'm not complaining, it's how I want them to play.

My neighbour on my right just made Aces full of Kings against me when the board ran out AKAK7 and I had a Queen heads up. He checked to me hoping for a bet, but as I told him, I'm not that silly.

207/340 remain. Mid way through level 7 at 75/250/500.

Up to 54K when I flop trips with KQ versus a girl who raised preflop. The money card for her on the turn was an Ace and she had to pay off a 5K river bet to see the bad news.

62K. Sometimes fortune favours the brave. I raised with 7h 4h, flopped a gutshot draw and fired again, buying a free card on the river which made my hand. I tossed out 5K and the other player who has made a few hero calls and been right was not so lucky this time.

Average chips is 50K, so motoring nicely.

I'm informed I have a hot Las Vegas female fan base following the updates. So, to that one girl out there who isn't out with her pals drinking wine tonight, I thank you for your devotion x

Took a couple of hits and missed several flops. Back to 48K again.

Two more levels remain today. I'm treading water on 47K right now. My neighbours on both sides have busted out. On my right the Korean girl with whom I played the other day now sits down. She's OK, until things don't go her way, and then her filthy temper erupts.

That sucks. Just lost a pot vs an unsmiling robot last hand of the level before the break. Down to 38K. Sigh.

Level 9, and though I'm not turning into a rock, I'm certainly being a bit more conservative than I was earlier after taking the hit at the end of the last level. The odd stab from time to time, but laying off the 74's and 46's for a while.

I make a largish raise with Ad Kd, and both the blinds who have shown a tendancy to be unable to fold, decide to call. Flop is A22. They both check and I fire 6K. They both call. Jesus. Turn is a 9. Now the small blind bets 7500 and the other player calls. I fold shaking my head. One of them has to have a deuce.

No. They both do.

One has K2, and one has 42. I need to go back and read a manual.

Just took another hit when a shitty button raise from J7 flopped 2 pair vs my pair and a straight draw. Vomit. Down to 26K. That's how easily your stack can get eroded. Just with basically one bad level, and a bunch of draws that miss or pairs that lose to scabby raises. Irrespective, I'm still playing sharp, but I won't be anteing down to a micro stack, I know that.

Little to say. My streak from earlier is over and now it's nuts and bolts for a while. 26K as we approach level 10. 180/374 remain.

Final level. 100/500/1000. 26K isn't great and I'd rather have the double up than try to chip away, but with this stack it'll likely be hand driven rather than anything else. Sometimes hand driven is easy to play. I just looked down at 92, 92, and 94 in succession.

The serial raiser two to my left just busted a player. He 3-bet with 9c 7c, and the other player smelt a rat and shoved 20K+ with AJ heads up. The 9c 7c called anyway and ran out a flush. pretty vile.

I look down at AK offsuit. Easily the best hand I've seen for ages. I prefer reraising with this hand, but it folds to me in the cutoff, so I have to simply raise. I could shove but with no money in the pot I sometimes feel this is horrible, mind you, half the table disagree with this strategy, as they seem to fall in love with AK for any amount of chips...3K, 40K, a million, whatever. They all have more chips so i guess they must be right.

I get two callers and it comes 986 missing me totally. One bets, the other raises, I fold, and when the dust clears, one flopped a nine after calling the raise with Q9 offsuit, the other had A8 offsuit and flopped an 8, both of them overtaking me. I should have just made the stupid play and jammed it all in then I guess.

Well, we're now at the fun part. Last six hands before bagging up for day 2. I've got a pretty sub standard stack now of under 20K with average chips at nearly 70K, and have had a totally card dead last level, but have just ground it out. I really don't subscribe to this "I don't want to come back for day 2 with no chips" mentality. All the time you have some chips you have a shot. However, if the spot comes up, where I can resteal while my stack is big enough to matter then so be it.

I raise with Ad 10d, and A player comes over the top for all my money. I think for a second and give up. I could shove happily with 54 offsuit if needed, but calling is just too bad a play in my mind, for all your money when you might be in terrible shape. I get shown AQ, so good fold.

Next hand and I'm in the big blind for 1k. That leaves me 16K or so behind. The woman who has earlier displayed a willingness to treak AK like 4 of a kind makes it 3500. It gets called in no less than three more spots and it's on me. I have 16K more, and the pot already has 15K in the middle. I look down at QJ. Normally to me a pretty horrible hand, however with my stack and the dynamic here I don't mind the shove if I'm not up against an overpair. Anything else is fine. AK gets overvalued, I'm flipping with a smaller pair, and AJ or AQ would have to seriously think about the call. Still, with what I've seen on this table, maybe not. I work out if I just fold and blind out the remaining hands, I will come back tomorrow with about 14,500 with blinds at 200/600/1200, so 3600 a round on a new table where I likely don't know the players. I make the decision to shove.

The woman now asks for a count, then announces all-in for around 80K with three people behind. I hate it but am pretty sure she's got AK again. The old 80BB shove....

The others fold, and one shows Ad 10d. I tell the woman she has AK, and she flips over precisely that. I can't say I like the 80BB shove, but understand she's trying to isolate, so off we go.

Flop is KQ9. Great.

Turn is an Ace. Even better. now I need a Queen or a Ten for the win.

I get a five.

So. 12 hours later with a crappy last 2 levels, I get the same result as if I'd busted first hand at Noon. I walked into Quads 3 times, and a straight flush once, but still fought my way up until a couple of ugly hands crippled me and then I was on the back foot. If I said I wasn't disappointed I'd be lying, as I think I'd played well all day until fate ruined me on the last 2 levels. There's a case for the exit hand just going into the bin, but if the shove goes through, I come back with 32K at least tomorrow, and am in perfectly good shape.

Obviously, that didn't happen. An exit 12 hours in and $1600 later is good for the character. Goodnight. I'm off to bed.

4 Comments

wsop circuit $340 NLH 250K gtd

18/2/2018

0 Comments

In one or two other contexts in life, this might be bearable, or maybe even fun, however, in poker it's no bloody fun whatsoever right now for our hero.

In a deviation from the beaten track( no pun intended), I heard that the WSOP Circuit is currently on over at the Rio, so after busting the Venetian yesterday after 6 or 7 very painful hours, I decided to go on over there and buy in for the noon (Sunday) flight of the $365 NLH event. It's only 10K chips but the structure is fine and it's good for at least one bullet. The guarantee makes it a good one to play, and a change of scenery can't hurt the way things have gone.

So, over to the Rio I go. I'm not exactly sure where they will be holding this tournament. During the WSOP of course the convention centre is a hive of poker activity, but when I drive over there, the Amazon, Brasilia rooms etc are all totally dead, which was kind of expected I guess. This is the WSOP circuit, not the WSOP. No big deal. I'll walk to the Rio poker room to see if it's in there. I arrive and see a few cash games and a small tournament running, and am told it's being held in the Masquerade court. Again, no huge deal. Another 5 minute walk, till I finally get there and now see a few tables of today's WSOPC flight still being played. I see a few floor guys I know, and say hi, and then walk over to the poker cage, to buy in for tomorrow.

"Sorry Sir", we're closed now, you can buy in tomorrow morning".

They closed about 5 minutes previously. And they aren't opening up again.

I have to just smile, and wish them goodnight. As with getting a beat in a tournament, there's little else to do.

So. Bright and breezy, I'll head over to the Rio this morning to try again. More to come.

Well, we've managed to get that bit done correctly at least.

Right off the bat and I flop a gutshot draw with Qc 10c. I turn a flush draw and double gutshot also and then, in a fun quirk of fate I manage to miss the world on the river, and decide to bet at it as I'm not going to win by checking. I get called by JJ on an 89K65 board. I love these little tests of character. I seem to pass them quite often, but it doesn't do much for my chip stack.

I fold A6 offsuit to a raise, as it's the right thing to do. The other three Aces dutifully appear on the board as two guys cook up a 3K pot whilst I sit and watch...

Level 2, and 10K is now 8K. I'm still in the amusing position of feeling quite good and confident about stuff, but am also managing to miss every single flop whilst I go about it. I like the WSOPC events. They are like the regular WSOP, just without the glamour, money or atmosphere. A couple of Las Vegas regs now on my table, sporting sunglasses. Don't even get me started on that one.

I'm actually racking my brains to see what other weird and unfortunate things can happen to me on this trip. Here's another.

I raise with KJ suited, and get one caller. The flop comes 10 J 3 and I fire again and get called. The turn pairs the 10, and I bet, and now get raised 3x. I dwell and fold and get shown trip tens for my trouble. Fine, everyone was doing the right thing, and I lose the pot but it's not terminal.

However...

The floor then arrive with another player, and it now transpires that the guy who had the trip 10's against me can't read his tournament receipt properly, and is actually sitting at totally the wrong table. The dealer of course is supposed to check the receipt, and she didn't. They now move this errant player to his actual seat on his actual (other) table, and we get a replacement.

So not only did I lose the pot, I manage to lose a pot to a guy who shouldn't even have been sitting there in the first place. And now, they've taken him and the chips away. Ho ho ho...

7K on level 3.

Drift to 4400 when all drawing hands brick out, then find KK and and an English guy with QQ. Luckily I don't get cute and we just get it in. The board comes with an Ace and two Tens, but I fade the pain and am back to 9K again as we hit level 4 and 100/200. I play my rush and steal one shortly after, and finally am back to the 10K starting stack again.

It's short lived when I flop the nut flush draw and a pair, and check raise. One pair doesn't fold, I miss the lot, and we go back to 5K again. The guy who just won that pot against me immediately gives 3/4 of his stack away because he won't fold JJ with a Queen showing on the board. This table is a bit like the wild west. First break. What a hideous 4 levels.

Level 5 after a 15 minute break, and I win one uncontested when I repop with AQ out of the blinds and everyone folds.

Shortly after I find QQ in late position and make it 1500 to play. 2 callers, and after a flop bet and 2 calls, the board reads 2453, and a player now shoves for 7K. Marvellous, back to 3500.

I lose another with 99 vs AJ, and am looking at 2K. I feel like the guy in the cutoff is taking liberties on my blind a few hands later, and I shove with A 10 offsuit when he raises. He reshoves to get heads up though I still think I'm good, but another player now dwells, asks for a count of the biggest bet (which turns out to be 7K), and finally calls with... 22. Yep. What a superstar. The other guy has KQ. Off we go.

I flop an Ace, and no heartache, except for the guy with KQ, and I go back to around 6K again. See-saw stuff.

The Rio conveniently provides no power outlets, so when my laptop died, I worked from memory...for what it's worth.

Level up, and I flop a low straight with 45 suited. It's cautious stuff when a 9 hits the river, but luckily I'm still good, and am on around 8K.

I take on a short stack when I find 10 10 and he jams with KQ, he makes 2 pair but I can't bitch, it was standard stuff. Back to 3900 again.

Now I find I'm the one with the KQ, and am against KJ on a King high board. I go back to 5K as we near level end.

I make a biggish button steal with 33, and it gets through. I later Do the same with AQ off and a player ships on me. I decide to pass. I could take the flip but I'd rather be shoving than calling.

I lose a pot with KJ vs KQ when a King hits the turn. back to 2500 and wondering if the double up is ever going to arrive.

I shove the button with KQ offsuit, and the big blind calls with AQ. A queen flops so it was going in regardless. That's that for this event. There is another flight at 5pm today, but I think just prepping for the Venetian $1600 main is a better way to go.

0 Comments

$600 Nlh $250K gtd day 1c

17/2/2018

0 Comments

Let's see if we can try to break with tradition and accomplish something meaningful today.

First level produces little of interest, and on level 2 I pick off a few small stabs from button raises to go around 19K to 21K. We're only playing 6 or 7 handed right now so the blinds come round quite fast. i know a few of the players and for now it's all small ball stuff. One player busts with JJ on a 442 flop against 22, which he really had no need to do. I guess he didn't want to play small ball poker.

125/135 midway through level 2.

I get what seems like potential to get some chips, and runs out a nightmare in the end.

I put in a small raise with Kh Qh, and get two callers. Flop is 3h 3d 5h. Two overs and a flush draw. I missed but it's not bad. I c-bet and get one caller. OK...

Turn is the Qs. I miss the flush but now have Queens up. I fire again and get called.

The river is the Kc. I have 3 pair, no flush, and the other player now makes a small bet which I have to pay off. He turns over 36 offsuit for trip threes. Sigh. Back to 16K.

See a flop with 77 and it comes 9K2....see a flop with 99 and it comes QQ7. Wonderful.

My neighbour on my left just got a second double up, again from a player unable to fold JJ. This time his 96 off hit a 664 flop and that was that. Oh to run like that just for an hour. Still on 16K. John Morgan joins the table, a guy with whom I've played a fair bit this trip, along with Anthony Alonso, another Venetian regular. The line up is now a full table dotted with several familiar faces. No-one is likely to spew off a bunch of chips, so it's nuts and bolts, see cheap flops, steal occasionally, and just try to build.

Approaching the end of level 3, and I check-raise a pair and a draw, and am back to 20K again as we near the break. No dizzy heights, but not a disaster either. I'll take starting stack right now all day long thank you.

Level 6 and it's been a slow grind. I've flopped 3 flush draws that have all missed, and got away from AK on an A79 flop and got shown A9. I've drifted from 15K down to 12K. One player busted out to quad Kings when his flush draw got there.

Screen shows 152/219.

Just raised with 10 10 and got 2 callers in the blinds. I bet the flop and turn, they both call. It runs out 23346. One has A5 offsuit, and one has 45 offsuit. Last place for Kevin. 9K and wondering when on earth this is going to change.

Inwardly right now I'm quite frustrated. The guy on my left has been stealing with a bag of shit for about the last two hours, and either repeatedly gets there, or ends up with a high card being good. Nothing wrong with stealing and squeezing of course, but when I keep looking down at 10 3, 6 2, Q 4, and just getting blinded out it's enough to piss off even someone as patient as me. Still just gritting my teeth and waiting it out.

Next break. 9K. Maybe I should simply abridge these updates to "playing today, I'm out" or "playing today, I'm through to day 2". That might save all the painful filler in the middle. I'm basically just plugging on and doing what I know is the right things to be doing, but it's demoralising watching the other stacks going up and down, and not having neither the ammo or even a whiff of the cards with which to do something proactive. When we get back, it will be level 7, and this will be the level where I either force the issue, or die in the attempt.

10 minutes into level 8, and pretty much all of 7 was folding unplayable crap like before. No Ace, no suited connectors, nothing. A guy who made Quads earlier and was up to 40,000 just gave all of it away to 99 on a Q93 flop when he looked at AQ and decided it was unfoldable for any amount of chips. Meanwhile, I'm finding the first card I look at each time is a 2,3 or 4. Grinding like this is absolutely zero fun, even if I know it's the right thing to do.

A woman comes to the table as a new player, gets Aces first hand, and add 10K to her 20K stack. Poker has a twisted sense of irony at times. I just suck it up I guess.

Well, this has been about as demoralising a day of poker as I've ever had, and on this trip considering the way it's gone, believe me that's saying something. I've ground like a bastard, and finally as we hit level 8, I'm on just over 4K, and look down in the big blind at JJ. Maybe at last a chance to get it in good and get paid.

It's folded round to the button who makes it 1700 to play. The small blind has a history of 3-betting, but elects to call instead. They both have pretty big stacks.

This is an interesting spot, and I decide the way I'm going to play it pretty easily. If I simply jam, they will both call, and now they either check it down to knock me out, or one of them hits one of the five board cards and I bust. Neither of these is good unless I flop great.

Instead, I elect to call and play a stop and go. That is to say, I'm calling the raise, but I am going to shove on the flop irrespective of what comes. The upside of this is that if one or both of them misses, they can now fold. If one has nothing at all it's unlikely they still call the all-in, even though it's not huge. That's the theory anyway.

Flop comes 336 rainbow. Perfect for two red jacks. First player checks to me, and I jam for around 2K. As planned, the second player now folds, and I'm hopefully in a good spot heads up.

The other player calls, and turns over A5 offsuit. I table Jacks, and he says "wow, that's a lot better than I thought you had".

I know mate, that was the idea.

Turn card is an Ace. You couldn't script this stuff any more painfully if you tried.

No set on the river and I'm out on level 8. Nice pain. Apologies for how painful these updates are to read. If it helps, imagine if you had to both write them, and also experience the stuff that's happening as well whilst playing.

Thank you, and goodnight.

0 Comments

<<Previous

Archives

DSE FALL 2016