Tulalip $1/$3
First off, kudos to Tulalip casino for upping the buy in to $200, and though they changed the big blind to $3 so you don't quite have 100 bb's, it's still a much, much, much better game!
I just lost a decent chunk of my stack to the player on my right with a sick river card. I went from about $250 down to $60. Don't remember the betting details, but I know the dude called my turn push with a flush draw and an over card, and the river spade killed my set.
I topped off back up to $200 before the next hand, when I'm dealt 4s 6s. I love these hands, especially in position, and I'd decided as a bit of randomness that this session, I would raise/re-raise black suited gappers and connectors, and just call/limp with red suited gappers/connectors. SO, in late position I raised this up to $10. I get called by the dude to my left who just rivered the flush; others fold.
Pot: $22
FLOP: 6d Qd 4c
BB checks, and I fire out $20; I thought about betting much more than pot to chase out the flush-draw, but I decided to gamble a bit and just play carefully if the flush came.
Pot: $62
TURN: [6c Qd 4d] 6d
The flush got there and I got my boat. I could fire out to represent the flush, but I decided to trap a little, and hope my opponent was on the flush draw (I was almost certain he was, and if he wasn't he wouldn't be able to call my bet anyway). I checked, and he bets out $30. I take my time, cut out my chips, stack them back up again, look at my opponent -- I'm trying my best to sell some disappointment, but trying not to ham it up too much. I kind of "reluctantly" call.
Pot: $122
River: [6c Qd 4d 6d] As
I need to lead out here, but I want it to look weak. I have $140 left, so I bet out $30 as a "blocking" bet. My opponent min-raises to $60. When I push all-in, it's only another $50 anyway, so he calls and turns over his king-high flush. I show the full house, and he says, "Oh my god. You raised with that crap?"
I love it!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Tulalip buy ins went up!
So the $1/2 game I play was typically a $50 min / $100 max buy-in. That's so shallow.
FINALLY, they've upped the buy-ins. While it's now a $1/$3, it's now a $100-$200 buy-in. It's doubtful the game will play any differently due to the $1 bigger big blind, but being able to start with $200 will make this game MUCH more entertaining!
Especially late at night. Last weekend I was crushing the game (was up to $600 on one buy), when we were down to 5 handed. Thing is, 1 guy had like $75, and the others were under that. 2 new guys sat at the table, but bought in for $50 and reloaded up to $50 after busting. Just not a lot of money on the table like that.
With the $200 max, you no longer start as a short-stack! And $100 min will get more money onto the tables right away! Woo-hoo-hoo!!!!!
FINALLY, they've upped the buy-ins. While it's now a $1/$3, it's now a $100-$200 buy-in. It's doubtful the game will play any differently due to the $1 bigger big blind, but being able to start with $200 will make this game MUCH more entertaining!
Especially late at night. Last weekend I was crushing the game (was up to $600 on one buy), when we were down to 5 handed. Thing is, 1 guy had like $75, and the others were under that. 2 new guys sat at the table, but bought in for $50 and reloaded up to $50 after busting. Just not a lot of money on the table like that.
With the $200 max, you no longer start as a short-stack! And $100 min will get more money onto the tables right away! Woo-hoo-hoo!!!!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Thanks, FTP
This, mind you, got all in preflop.
As soon as I saw the jack on the turn I opened up the "get chips" window. Thanks for the screw-job, FTP, now my ass hurts.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Playing big pots
I'm addicted to Live at the Bike, a webcast of cash games at the Bicycle Casino (they don't webcast anymore, but you can subscribe and watch the archives here), and just yesterday I was watching a show with Barry Greenstein doing commentary.
He was talking about the fact that his aim when playing no limit, is to play for big pots. "Duh" I guess you could say, but it helped me plug a little leak. I realized I was trying to win too many of the smaller pots, which meant I was at times losing too many chips with marginal hands. Don't get me wrong, I'm still playing some of the smaller pots, and I'll take stabs at pots when I don't think anyone's connected. But this last session, instead of 2 or 3 barrelling, I'd give up once I'm called if I don't improve.
I'm still getting in there with hands that can hit hard, and, quite honestly, hope to get lucky. Cases in point:
Hand 1:
After a couple limpers, I limp on the button with Ac 6c. With this hand, I'm not looking to hit top pair; I want something like 2 pair or, obviously, flushes or flush draws. The BB, a young woman I've played with a number of times, raises it up to $8. The cut off calls, and they both have enough money behind for me to take a chance with this hand, so I call too.
FLOP: Ad 6h 2h
BB bets $15. CO calls. I've got top 2 pair, so I raise it to $50, and both call. I can put one of them on a decent ace, and the other one on a likely heart flush draw.
TURN: [Ad 6h 2h] 6d
Well, I don't care if the flush gets there now, and it's likely the BB is happy with her 2 pair with a good kicker, so it's time to bet. The pot is almost $150, and I've got about $100 left, so when they check it to me, I just stick it all in there and hope they've got something they can go with.
BB calls, and the CO calls!
BB shows AJo, CO calls Ah 9h, so both are drawing dead. I don't remember the river, and I collect a pot over $350.
Hand 2:
Very early in the session, and I've been gambooling it up a bit to try to build my stack. I've gone up to $150 and now down to about $85.
I limp in with 7d8d UTG. There were a couple limpers, then the button bumps it up to $10. It's $8 more for me to call; it's a close-call whether it's worth taking a long-shot here (I'd like to have a little more in my stack for this to be over-all profitable, but it's early in the night and I'm willing to take some more chances to try to build a stack to play with). I call, hoping for a straight draw or flush draw.
FLOP: 7s 7c 2c
One of the few times I will check raise is right here. If I was holding two 7's, and flopped a set, I'd lead out. One in hand and 2 on the board I'm more apt to check-raise OOP. [edit: if stacks were deeper, I'd lead out, but this game is rarely very deep stacked so the check-raise is my favorite move here]
I check. Button bets out $35 (gross overbet to chase out a flush draw). I go all in for an additional $50. He takes some time, asks if I'm on a club draw, then calls with TT. Turn and river blank out, and I double through, while hearing from him how horrible my preflop call was.
I'm convinced I got the call here because I've gone all-in on draws, one that hit, and one that didn't get called but I showed. I want my opponents to think I'll put them to the test for their stack whenever they're in a pot with me (and I don't always have to have a hand to do it). My range is really wide, too, so there's a ton of flops that will connect with me big time.
Hand 3:
UTG raises to $6. Folds to button who raises to $16. I'm in the SB with AsQs; I'd rather not see a flop so decide to try to take it down here, and re-raise to $35. UTG folds, button calls.
His call and no raise here, I believe, means he's got AK or AQ. I could get into trouble here, but with no queen on the flop I'll have to bet to win.
FLOP: Js Jc 2d
If he's got AA/KK/QQ I'm screwed. I HIGHLY doubt he called the reraise with AJ/KJ. I'm sticking with my original read that he's on AK. Rainbow flop means no flush draw.
I go all in (approx $100). Button hems and haws a bunch, then folds AcKc face up. "Good fold," I said, "I definitely did not want to see an ace or a king." He asked what I had and I told him queens, but mucked my hand. The entire table seemed to believe me (I don't know why!).
This was one of the few times playing out of position can earn you the pot: if you go with your read, and you know the guy can't call an all-in here, you stick the chips in and win the pot.
He was talking about the fact that his aim when playing no limit, is to play for big pots. "Duh" I guess you could say, but it helped me plug a little leak. I realized I was trying to win too many of the smaller pots, which meant I was at times losing too many chips with marginal hands. Don't get me wrong, I'm still playing some of the smaller pots, and I'll take stabs at pots when I don't think anyone's connected. But this last session, instead of 2 or 3 barrelling, I'd give up once I'm called if I don't improve.
I'm still getting in there with hands that can hit hard, and, quite honestly, hope to get lucky. Cases in point:
Hand 1:
After a couple limpers, I limp on the button with Ac 6c. With this hand, I'm not looking to hit top pair; I want something like 2 pair or, obviously, flushes or flush draws. The BB, a young woman I've played with a number of times, raises it up to $8. The cut off calls, and they both have enough money behind for me to take a chance with this hand, so I call too.
FLOP: Ad 6h 2h
BB bets $15. CO calls. I've got top 2 pair, so I raise it to $50, and both call. I can put one of them on a decent ace, and the other one on a likely heart flush draw.
TURN: [Ad 6h 2h] 6d
Well, I don't care if the flush gets there now, and it's likely the BB is happy with her 2 pair with a good kicker, so it's time to bet. The pot is almost $150, and I've got about $100 left, so when they check it to me, I just stick it all in there and hope they've got something they can go with.
BB calls, and the CO calls!
BB shows AJo, CO calls Ah 9h, so both are drawing dead. I don't remember the river, and I collect a pot over $350.
Hand 2:
Very early in the session, and I've been gambooling it up a bit to try to build my stack. I've gone up to $150 and now down to about $85.
I limp in with 7d8d UTG. There were a couple limpers, then the button bumps it up to $10. It's $8 more for me to call; it's a close-call whether it's worth taking a long-shot here (I'd like to have a little more in my stack for this to be over-all profitable, but it's early in the night and I'm willing to take some more chances to try to build a stack to play with). I call, hoping for a straight draw or flush draw.
FLOP: 7s 7c 2c
One of the few times I will check raise is right here. If I was holding two 7's, and flopped a set, I'd lead out. One in hand and 2 on the board I'm more apt to check-raise OOP. [edit: if stacks were deeper, I'd lead out, but this game is rarely very deep stacked so the check-raise is my favorite move here]
I check. Button bets out $35 (gross overbet to chase out a flush draw). I go all in for an additional $50. He takes some time, asks if I'm on a club draw, then calls with TT. Turn and river blank out, and I double through, while hearing from him how horrible my preflop call was.
I'm convinced I got the call here because I've gone all-in on draws, one that hit, and one that didn't get called but I showed. I want my opponents to think I'll put them to the test for their stack whenever they're in a pot with me (and I don't always have to have a hand to do it). My range is really wide, too, so there's a ton of flops that will connect with me big time.
Hand 3:
UTG raises to $6. Folds to button who raises to $16. I'm in the SB with AsQs; I'd rather not see a flop so decide to try to take it down here, and re-raise to $35. UTG folds, button calls.
His call and no raise here, I believe, means he's got AK or AQ. I could get into trouble here, but with no queen on the flop I'll have to bet to win.
FLOP: Js Jc 2d
If he's got AA/KK/QQ I'm screwed. I HIGHLY doubt he called the reraise with AJ/KJ. I'm sticking with my original read that he's on AK. Rainbow flop means no flush draw.
I go all in (approx $100). Button hems and haws a bunch, then folds AcKc face up. "Good fold," I said, "I definitely did not want to see an ace or a king." He asked what I had and I told him queens, but mucked my hand. The entire table seemed to believe me (I don't know why!).
This was one of the few times playing out of position can earn you the pot: if you go with your read, and you know the guy can't call an all-in here, you stick the chips in and win the pot.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
you know you want one!
One of the funniest web page / product adverts I've read in a long time.
http://www.weaselballs.com/
Be sure to read the whole thing!
http://www.weaselballs.com/
Be sure to read the whole thing!
Monday, July 14, 2008
2 4 > JJ
Tulalip $1/2 session was uneventful: had some big hands, delivered some sick river beats, sucked out on the river a couple times. Ended a 10 hour session when the last $1/2 table broke with a $5 profit. Yipee. Incredibly, I was at the first $1/2 table started 10 hours prior. I like marathon sessions.
...which is why, on the way home, I stopped off for a $2-40 spread game that's usually super-soft at these hours. I quickly (20 minutes) am up to $300 (bought in for $200), and within a couple hours I'm up over $400.
Yea, it's that soft.
One player who is likely the best player at the table (big-time gamboooler too) raises to $8 UTG. 3 callers to me on the button with 2 4 offsuit. Imagining him with AA and a flop of A35, I decide to see a flop (bottom-feeding as others likely have broadway-type cards).
Boy, what a flop:
FLOP: 2 4 7 rainbow (woo-hoo!!!)
UTG bets $20. I raise $to $55, UTG calls.
TURN: [2 4 6 ] 9
UTG checks. I bet $40, UTG calls.
RIVER: [2 4 6 9] 5
UTG checks. I bet $40 UTG calls.
I announce 2 pair and show the duece four. UTG shows 2 jacks and practically cuts the felt he threw it down so hard. He walks away from the table to take a breather, and I hear him saying to no one in particular "I can't believe he calls with two f*@k'n four."
"Creative call," one of the players say to me.
I love what this does to my table image.
...which is why, on the way home, I stopped off for a $2-40 spread game that's usually super-soft at these hours. I quickly (20 minutes) am up to $300 (bought in for $200), and within a couple hours I'm up over $400.
Yea, it's that soft.
One player who is likely the best player at the table (big-time gamboooler too) raises to $8 UTG. 3 callers to me on the button with 2 4 offsuit. Imagining him with AA and a flop of A35, I decide to see a flop (bottom-feeding as others likely have broadway-type cards).
Boy, what a flop:
FLOP: 2 4 7 rainbow (woo-hoo!!!)
UTG bets $20. I raise $to $55, UTG calls.
TURN: [2 4 6 ] 9
UTG checks. I bet $40, UTG calls.
RIVER: [2 4 6 9] 5
UTG checks. I bet $40 UTG calls.
I announce 2 pair and show the duece four. UTG shows 2 jacks and practically cuts the felt he threw it down so hard. He walks away from the table to take a breather, and I hear him saying to no one in particular "I can't believe he calls with two f*@k'n four."
"Creative call," one of the players say to me.
I love what this does to my table image.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Grandpa update, preview of NL action this weekend
First off, Grandpa's prognosis was not very good: the doctor, who would not have bothered with the surgery if he didn't think he could do anything, ended up not being able to do much at all. The tumor is cancerous, and there was too much of it to be able to do anything surgically. What he did will allow Grandpa to not get jaundiced and be able to eat comfortably for a little while.
Next up is a visit with the oncologist, and a likely recommendation of a combination chemo/radiation treatment. The surgeon said this is most likely, and will in most case allow grandpa a few more years of fine, comfortable living.
He's still recouping, and was able to get up and walk around a bit yesterday. Likely will go home Monday or Tuesday, and begin chemo / radiation in about a month, once he's healed up a little from surgery.
Not the greatest news, that's for sure. Being that he's 82, though, the ability to likely get a few more comfortable years is not a bad thing.
I'm looking forward to some more NL fun Saturday. I want to take a shot at $3/5 soon, but I don't think this weekend is it. Maybe, we'll see - I'll make that call Saturday.
My goals this session are (besides great decision making): pot control, and value betting. I've been missing some value bets with winning hands, and I'd like to be able to get more out of them.
And I've gotten better about keeping pot sizes reasonable when holding good, but not great hands. This one is tough for me, though, because some of the typical Tulalip play is so bad I want to get as much as I can out of the hands; OTOH sometimes it's not necessary to bloat the pot with vulnerable holdings.
Next up is a visit with the oncologist, and a likely recommendation of a combination chemo/radiation treatment. The surgeon said this is most likely, and will in most case allow grandpa a few more years of fine, comfortable living.
He's still recouping, and was able to get up and walk around a bit yesterday. Likely will go home Monday or Tuesday, and begin chemo / radiation in about a month, once he's healed up a little from surgery.
Not the greatest news, that's for sure. Being that he's 82, though, the ability to likely get a few more comfortable years is not a bad thing.
I'm looking forward to some more NL fun Saturday. I want to take a shot at $3/5 soon, but I don't think this weekend is it. Maybe, we'll see - I'll make that call Saturday.
My goals this session are (besides great decision making): pot control, and value betting. I've been missing some value bets with winning hands, and I'd like to be able to get more out of them.
And I've gotten better about keeping pot sizes reasonable when holding good, but not great hands. This one is tough for me, though, because some of the typical Tulalip play is so bad I want to get as much as I can out of the hands; OTOH sometimes it's not necessary to bloat the pot with vulnerable holdings.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Roller Coaster
I've finally come to the understanding that my particular style of play is going to result in sometimes large swings, even within a session. I play a lot of speculative hands. I splash around in a lot of pots. I take stabs at a lot of pots. I give a lot of action. And, in return, I get a lot of action. When the big pots come around, though, I'm typically the one holding the goods.
Case in point:
Saturday night, Tulalip Casino. I'm on my 3rd $100 buy in due to pushing some big draws and bricking out. Standard.
I limp in on the button with 3h5h. 6 of us see the flop:
924, rainbow.
Checks to me, I just check (OESD? Sure, I'll take a free card, esp. with BB's propensity to check-raise).
Turn: [924] A
Boy, I'm hoping somebody's got an ace, maybe even an ace-rag 2 pair. Checks to me again, I bet $10. Both blinds call, others fold.
River: [924A] 6
Well, my straight just got bigger. I've got the nuts. Checks to me, I put in a bet of $30 ($40 in the pot). SB grudgingly calls. Then the BB min-raises to $60. I've got about $250 left; there is about $160 in the pot. He likes his hand, and I know he'll call a raise, only question is how much.
Though it's a little risky, I go in for the kill and OBFV: all in, baby!
SB, as expected, folds. BB, who is a very good player, one who I mostly tried to avoid at the table, thinks. And thinks. And thinks. He tanks for a long time. I'm tempted to call clock, but I don't want to scare him into folding. He's stared at the board long enough that he should see the possible straight, but isn't talking about that: he's worried about a slow-played set. Which of course means he hit two pair on the turn.
Eventually, he calls. I say "the nuts" and show, he flashes me A2 for top and bottom pair.
Total win from this trip: $659. I had almost $1K in chips at the table. The last $1/$2 game broke up around 7am. I was tempted to keep playing, and sit in the $3/$5 game, but after 15 hours at the table, I didn't think my decision-making abilities would be top-notch, so I decided not to try that.
I will be taking a shot at $3/5 sometime in the coming months. I've played 3/5 before, and was comfortable playing there. I'm just trying to be more prudent about my bankroll, because in all honesty I wasn't bankrolled to play 3/5. And even my 1/2 bankroll is slightly short because I keep using it to pay for things like tuition and school books and stuff (yes, I'm paying my way for my chemical dependency professional certification with poker winnings... some may call that slightly ironic). But once I hit a certain mark I'm going to take $600 and sit at the 3/5 table (that'd be 2 max buy-ins), and see how it goes.
On a side note, Grandpa goes in for surgery Tuesday at 2:30 EST. Think good thoughts.
Case in point:
Saturday night, Tulalip Casino. I'm on my 3rd $100 buy in due to pushing some big draws and bricking out. Standard.
I limp in on the button with 3h5h. 6 of us see the flop:
924, rainbow.
Checks to me, I just check (OESD? Sure, I'll take a free card, esp. with BB's propensity to check-raise).
Turn: [924] A
Boy, I'm hoping somebody's got an ace, maybe even an ace-rag 2 pair. Checks to me again, I bet $10. Both blinds call, others fold.
River: [924A] 6
Well, my straight just got bigger. I've got the nuts. Checks to me, I put in a bet of $30 ($40 in the pot). SB grudgingly calls. Then the BB min-raises to $60. I've got about $250 left; there is about $160 in the pot. He likes his hand, and I know he'll call a raise, only question is how much.
Though it's a little risky, I go in for the kill and OBFV: all in, baby!
SB, as expected, folds. BB, who is a very good player, one who I mostly tried to avoid at the table, thinks. And thinks. And thinks. He tanks for a long time. I'm tempted to call clock, but I don't want to scare him into folding. He's stared at the board long enough that he should see the possible straight, but isn't talking about that: he's worried about a slow-played set. Which of course means he hit two pair on the turn.
Eventually, he calls. I say "the nuts" and show, he flashes me A2 for top and bottom pair.
Total win from this trip: $659. I had almost $1K in chips at the table. The last $1/$2 game broke up around 7am. I was tempted to keep playing, and sit in the $3/$5 game, but after 15 hours at the table, I didn't think my decision-making abilities would be top-notch, so I decided not to try that.
I will be taking a shot at $3/5 sometime in the coming months. I've played 3/5 before, and was comfortable playing there. I'm just trying to be more prudent about my bankroll, because in all honesty I wasn't bankrolled to play 3/5. And even my 1/2 bankroll is slightly short because I keep using it to pay for things like tuition and school books and stuff (yes, I'm paying my way for my chemical dependency professional certification with poker winnings... some may call that slightly ironic). But once I hit a certain mark I'm going to take $600 and sit at the 3/5 table (that'd be 2 max buy-ins), and see how it goes.
On a side note, Grandpa goes in for surgery Tuesday at 2:30 EST. Think good thoughts.
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