Well it was my third tourney of the Summer Meetup season and I finished #10 out of 29. I was pretty happy with my play except for a couple hands. At least I busted out going in with the best hand, in fact I all hands I was involved in I had the best of it. I only semi-bluffed a few times pre-flop to get rid of players with marginal hands. I took a couple of pots with continuation bets.
I was riding the rush until I went all in right before Rebuy cut off with A-Q suited. All fold except for BB (R-he ended up winning the tourney) who had Cowboys...They held up as I only caught a queen on the flop and no ace or running heart came up...oh well I did re-buy and hung in there until just before final table.
Hand #1:
Only 3 hands into tourney I get pocket jacks. I raise 2 1/2 times BB and I get 2 callers (Y and Z) Flop comes 8-J-A, (I know they both have an ace and I have them domiated)...I am UTG so I check it 1st player (Y) bets 1500 and 2nd player (Zac) calls..I re-raise to 3000 and the Y folds, Z takes about 2 minutes to decide...I tell him your 2 pair is no good, but you can gamble....he folds and I promise to show...I do and I win big pot.
From this point on all my raises are treated with much respect.
Hand #2:
I'm the short stack and have K-8 in the BB and everyone folds but the SB(big stack). Flop comes 10-8-A, SB and I check it. Another Ace comes on turn...SB goes all in. I fold and SB shows 6-2 off...I couldn't call. Guess I needed to be more aggressive after the flop. He may have called but at least I would've made him think about it. That's been one of my weaknesses lately...not being aggressive enough at the right time. I guess I could've played that hand better but that's the way it goes.
Final Hand:
I have 2,800 left UTG. I have A-6 off suit so I push all in. All fold except for button (J) he says "The book says I should call" and he does with 10-3 off. I am good until a 3 shows up on the flop no ace and no 6 I bust out.
I wanted to play for more practice and to accumulate points towards free roll in September. I am currently tied for 9th place with 71 points. I hope to up my total again next Tuesday and possibly even finish in the money for once. It's been awhile.
I recouped my buy-in and re-buy in a cash game after I busted out. I ran into a few good hands and got rivered on one big one...I had to lay down a hand because I limped with my pocket tens...that's poker baby.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Rocco's Tourney 7/22 (Pin the tail on the...ah me)
Well I started out doing really well. I had the cards and was aggressive enough to take a few pots. I had my, at one time, favorite hand, A-Q suited and ran into aces to "donk" off a bunch off chips to "The Prodge" Brandon. A few hands later I had top pair (aces) with great kicker... so went all in on the turn,...unfortunately for me the odds were good for Sam to call my all in and he caught a straight on the river...this was how my day in the tourney would go. Rather than blame anyone else or bitch and moan about bad calls or donkey moves bay bad players, I will state the truth. ...I was out-played and when I made the right moves the odds were right for my opponent to call.
Again, I played cash game after the tourney so I recouped about half of my buy-in and re-buys for the tourney...I wish I had more time to play but it was getting late. All in all I am not completely unhappy with how I played but I think I need to re-evaluate s few things before I play my next tourney.
The key hand:
With blinds at 100-200, I hold Jh-8h in the BB and Steve under the gun raises 4x BB everyone folds and I put him on pocket nines or tens...I call. Flop comes J-3-8 rainbow. I check, Steve bets $1,500 I go over the top for about $3,500...he quickly calls and shows pocket Aces. I am ahead with 2 pair...Ace comes on turn so I am dead to river. I seriously didn't put him on pocket Aces...I didn't expect him to bet that much with all the other players behind him...I would've expected him to min raise or 3x to get more people in... In hindsight I should just folded my hand but I was still "tilty" from being out drawn on previous hands and I probably would made the same bet if I held pocket rockets. More to think about.
That's all for now...and man does this tail itch.
Again, I played cash game after the tourney so I recouped about half of my buy-in and re-buys for the tourney...I wish I had more time to play but it was getting late. All in all I am not completely unhappy with how I played but I think I need to re-evaluate s few things before I play my next tourney.
The key hand:
With blinds at 100-200, I hold Jh-8h in the BB and Steve under the gun raises 4x BB everyone folds and I put him on pocket nines or tens...I call. Flop comes J-3-8 rainbow. I check, Steve bets $1,500 I go over the top for about $3,500...he quickly calls and shows pocket Aces. I am ahead with 2 pair...Ace comes on turn so I am dead to river. I seriously didn't put him on pocket Aces...I didn't expect him to bet that much with all the other players behind him...I would've expected him to min raise or 3x to get more people in... In hindsight I should just folded my hand but I was still "tilty" from being out drawn on previous hands and I probably would made the same bet if I held pocket rockets. More to think about.
That's all for now...and man does this tail itch.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Latest news...
I've played pretty well the last few sessions but I am by no means ready to give up my day job. I have been using the last few games to try some "experiments" and other things to see if they'd work for me. Some did and some did not. I've come to realize that the most profitable and successful style of play has been LAG with the occasional switching of gears to TAG and small ball poker. Small ball seems to be more effective on the intermediate to experienced players that I've sat at tables with. The donks will continually call and pair their A-x...oh well it's the long haul I care about. In the end, solid play will prevail.
The SF Bay Area Poker Meetup group has a few really good players who actually know the game and try to read what other players are holding. There are others who simply play their cards (donks) to the end and disregard what others may have...this tends to be frustrating, but in the end they will go home with nothing.
Some players wear their tells like a bright red hockey shirt, ear buds, sunglasses and baseball hat...they have the poker "look" down. Just goes to show you that "looking" like a player and actually being a player are very different.
I was called a "donkey" by someone because I called a 3x BB bet with a K-Q off-suit in a cash game. Well,...cash games are not tournaments and even in a tournament calling a 3x BB bet with face connectors is not "fishy". I happened to pair my King and my Queen and his Jacks were dead after he went all in on the turn. I had a perfect read on his hole cards by his reaction when he looked at them I put him on pocket nines tens,...his Jacks were actually better than what I thought he had.... I will keep what that exact tell was to myself as I would rather not give up that information to anyone who might read this. That would be unethical...see unwritten rule #1 below.
This brings me to a few key points...becoming a better player means constant learning and tweaking of you game depending on the players, your position, and table image.
- Know your opponent(s): If you don't yet... keep track of how your opponents bet, act and respond. Use this information for future sessions with these players. Many players will bet a certain amount based on the quality of hole cards they have. It makes it extremely clear if they have high pair, low pair, A-x or A-face. They "telegraph" their hands.
- Online poker is NOT live poker: Take note of your physical and mental reactions to your pocket cards and each card dropped on the board. Even the slightest "harumph" or eye twitch is a tell to your opponents.
- Remember the information you have picked up: Whether it be blogging, journaling, note cards whatever...make a note of everything you and others do during a session. It will enlighten you to many positives and negatives to your game and the people you usually play against.
Also a few notes on some other things...
Some unwritten rules:
1) Don't announce to a full room of other players (mid-tournament) how another player plays his/her given hands. It gives the whole room of people a read on how that other player plays or doesn't play. And it's just damn rude. Making friendly jokes about players is one thing but telling the whole tourney how another player plays a specific hand warrants a pummeling out back by the dumpsters.
2) Quit your bitchin' and moanin' you fucking douchebag...if you are an experienced player, you will understand that there are bad beats and questionable calls that may felt you. If you get knocked out by a bad beat...that's honorable, if you get beat because you are on tilt and making stupid plays..that's your own damn fault. Become a better player.
3) We don't care how your pocket Aces were cracked...really we don't!!! Keep your bad beat stories to yourself...unless you are asked. See # 2.
4) What's with taking so friggin' long to act?!?!? I don't mean Charles or Alan egg-timer long, but even longer with all the acting and speeches...I don't see any television cameras. It's a $20 buy-in you ASSHAT!!! Take a look at your cards and make a decision...by now you should have learned (there's that word again) to make decisions on your hand based on what you know about more than just your cards...they will stay the same no matter how may times you look at them!!!
Finally, poker is supposed to be fun. It can be taken very seriously and be fun at the same time. Complaining about the game, re-telling bad beat stories over and over, steaming about losing, bitchin' about the blind structure will not get you invited back.
I am by no means a great player, but I am trying to become one. I would love to be able to read players like Daniel Negreanu, play any two cards like Gus Hansen, have a table image like Phil Ivey, and a bankroll like Jaime Gold, but for now I just wanna play and have fun doing it. Until then, I continue to learn.
Key hands over the past week:
Hand #1 (Sat 7/14 cash game):
I have K-Q off and I am first to act. I limp. button raises 3x BB. All fold I call. I put raiser on pocket nines or pocket tens. Flop comes K-8-Q I bet the pot and the other player goes all-in. I call and my two pair hold up. Other player steams for like 20 minutes...yawn
Hand #2 (Sat 7/14 cash game):
I am in BB with A-6 off suit. I call SB min raise. everyone else folds. Flop comes 3-6-6. SB checks , I bet 1/2 the pot, he goes all-in for about $30 and I call. he shows Cowboys...I show trip sixes and they hold up. Yay I win!
Hand #1 (Sat 7/14 2nd Tourney)
I hold Q-4 for the 5th time in a row so I make a play at the pot with a Q-K-8 flop. I call a bet on the river and lose a big pot to player on my right. D'oh...Me thinks I am donk in this situation.
Hand #2 (Sat 7/14 2nd Tourney)
Very next hand I have Aces, I'm in BB and SB raises 4x. I wait a few beats and then say "all-in".
Player thinks for about a minute then calls with Kings. My aces hold and I win huge pot and cripple that player.
Hand #3 (Sat 7/14 2nd Tourney)
I have A-K...again so I raise the BB...he goes over the top All-in, I have him covered...I call...he shows me pocket eights..Flop brings an A as does the Turn. I bust player out.
Sick Hand of the night (Sat 7/14 2nd Tourney)
After losing a few pots I am low chip stack..so I move with pocket threes. All in and the button calls with pocket Aces...I am dead...Flop comes 3-8-3...I win...there will be no running aces.
More soon...
The SF Bay Area Poker Meetup group has a few really good players who actually know the game and try to read what other players are holding. There are others who simply play their cards (donks) to the end and disregard what others may have...this tends to be frustrating, but in the end they will go home with nothing.
Some players wear their tells like a bright red hockey shirt, ear buds, sunglasses and baseball hat...they have the poker "look" down. Just goes to show you that "looking" like a player and actually being a player are very different.
I was called a "donkey" by someone because I called a 3x BB bet with a K-Q off-suit in a cash game. Well,...cash games are not tournaments and even in a tournament calling a 3x BB bet with face connectors is not "fishy". I happened to pair my King and my Queen and his Jacks were dead after he went all in on the turn. I had a perfect read on his hole cards by his reaction when he looked at them I put him on pocket nines tens,...his Jacks were actually better than what I thought he had.... I will keep what that exact tell was to myself as I would rather not give up that information to anyone who might read this. That would be unethical...see unwritten rule #1 below.
This brings me to a few key points...becoming a better player means constant learning and tweaking of you game depending on the players, your position, and table image.
- Know your opponent(s): If you don't yet... keep track of how your opponents bet, act and respond. Use this information for future sessions with these players. Many players will bet a certain amount based on the quality of hole cards they have. It makes it extremely clear if they have high pair, low pair, A-x or A-face. They "telegraph" their hands.
- Online poker is NOT live poker: Take note of your physical and mental reactions to your pocket cards and each card dropped on the board. Even the slightest "harumph" or eye twitch is a tell to your opponents.
- Remember the information you have picked up: Whether it be blogging, journaling, note cards whatever...make a note of everything you and others do during a session. It will enlighten you to many positives and negatives to your game and the people you usually play against.
Also a few notes on some other things...
Some unwritten rules:
1) Don't announce to a full room of other players (mid-tournament) how another player plays his/her given hands. It gives the whole room of people a read on how that other player plays or doesn't play. And it's just damn rude. Making friendly jokes about players is one thing but telling the whole tourney how another player plays a specific hand warrants a pummeling out back by the dumpsters.
2) Quit your bitchin' and moanin' you fucking douchebag...if you are an experienced player, you will understand that there are bad beats and questionable calls that may felt you. If you get knocked out by a bad beat...that's honorable, if you get beat because you are on tilt and making stupid plays..that's your own damn fault. Become a better player.
3) We don't care how your pocket Aces were cracked...really we don't!!! Keep your bad beat stories to yourself...unless you are asked. See # 2.
4) What's with taking so friggin' long to act?!?!? I don't mean Charles or Alan egg-timer long, but even longer with all the acting and speeches...I don't see any television cameras. It's a $20 buy-in you ASSHAT!!! Take a look at your cards and make a decision...by now you should have learned (there's that word again) to make decisions on your hand based on what you know about more than just your cards...they will stay the same no matter how may times you look at them!!!
Finally, poker is supposed to be fun. It can be taken very seriously and be fun at the same time. Complaining about the game, re-telling bad beat stories over and over, steaming about losing, bitchin' about the blind structure will not get you invited back.
I am by no means a great player, but I am trying to become one. I would love to be able to read players like Daniel Negreanu, play any two cards like Gus Hansen, have a table image like Phil Ivey, and a bankroll like Jaime Gold, but for now I just wanna play and have fun doing it. Until then, I continue to learn.
Key hands over the past week:
Hand #1 (Sat 7/14 cash game):
I have K-Q off and I am first to act. I limp. button raises 3x BB. All fold I call. I put raiser on pocket nines or pocket tens. Flop comes K-8-Q I bet the pot and the other player goes all-in. I call and my two pair hold up. Other player steams for like 20 minutes...yawn
Hand #2 (Sat 7/14 cash game):
I am in BB with A-6 off suit. I call SB min raise. everyone else folds. Flop comes 3-6-6. SB checks , I bet 1/2 the pot, he goes all-in for about $30 and I call. he shows Cowboys...I show trip sixes and they hold up. Yay I win!
Hand #1 (Sat 7/14 2nd Tourney)
I hold Q-4 for the 5th time in a row so I make a play at the pot with a Q-K-8 flop. I call a bet on the river and lose a big pot to player on my right. D'oh...Me thinks I am donk in this situation.
Hand #2 (Sat 7/14 2nd Tourney)
Very next hand I have Aces, I'm in BB and SB raises 4x. I wait a few beats and then say "all-in".
Player thinks for about a minute then calls with Kings. My aces hold and I win huge pot and cripple that player.
Hand #3 (Sat 7/14 2nd Tourney)
I have A-K...again so I raise the BB...he goes over the top All-in, I have him covered...I call...he shows me pocket eights..Flop brings an A as does the Turn. I bust player out.
Sick Hand of the night (Sat 7/14 2nd Tourney)
After losing a few pots I am low chip stack..so I move with pocket threes. All in and the button calls with pocket Aces...I am dead...Flop comes 3-8-3...I win...there will be no running aces.
More soon...
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Reading etc...
I am currently reading Barry Greenstein's "Ace on the River" and Full Tilt Poker's Tournament Strategy Guide (on Steve P's recommendation)...both are very good but also very different. I like Barry's book for pleasure as much as information. There's no real poker strategy or poker lessons per se in Greenstein's book but the anecdotes and experiences are sure to enlighten the reader and if you're smart you will go away learning something.
The Full Tilt Tournament guide is filled with information on different strategies written by a who's who of premier poker players. I have just finished Chris Ferguson's chapter on pre-flop betting and now I am starting Howard Lederer's bit on "leverage".
I know books will never take the place of actual play, but I figure it can't hurt to see what the successful players have to say about playing.
Now I just need a book on Omaha and stud...as well as cash game strategy.
The Full Tilt Tournament guide is filled with information on different strategies written by a who's who of premier poker players. I have just finished Chris Ferguson's chapter on pre-flop betting and now I am starting Howard Lederer's bit on "leverage".
I know books will never take the place of actual play, but I figure it can't hurt to see what the successful players have to say about playing.
Now I just need a book on Omaha and stud...as well as cash game strategy.
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