Archive for November, 2009

As “The Poker Philosopher”, and in honor of one of my favorite non-poker blogs, I occasionally consider the ethical dimensions of a high-profile controversy in the poker community. In September, I discussed Joe Sebok’s decision to join Team Ultimate Bet. This month, I examine a $50,000 deal gone wrong (or right, depending on which party you ask).

The Situation: Until recently, Poker Stars used two alternate currencies for players who won satellites but either chose not to play the event or won multiple seats for the same event. $T could be used to buy in to any tournament on the site, and $W could be used only for special events like the WCOOP, the SCOOP, and satellites to land-based events. Neither could be used in cash games or cashed out directly.

Although Poker Stars did not itself purchase $W or $T from players, it did facilitate such transfers between players directly through its client. Thus, several businesses emerged to process such transactions, buying $W and $T in large quantities at less than face value and then reselling them at slightly higher but still lower than face value prices.  Read the complete post...

I feel like it’s been happening a lot recently (though sometimes it’s ended well.)

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (6 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
CO ($2000)
Button ($1189.50)
SB ($2014)
Hero (BB) ($2030)
UTG ($2429.50)
MP ($5521.95)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, A
1 fold, MP bets $60, 1 fold, Button raises to $185, SB raises to $440, Hero raises to $2030 (All-In), 1 fold, Button calls $1004.50 (All-In), SB calls $1574 (All-In)

Flop: ($5277.50) 10, 2, 4 (3 players, 3 all-in)

Turn: ($5277.50) K (3 players, 3 all-in)

River: ($5277.50) 3 (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $5277.50 | Rake: $3

Results:
Button had K, A (one pair, Kings).
SB had K, K (three of a kind, Kings).
Hero had A, A (one pair, Aces).
Outcome: SB won $5274.50

The thing is, I honestly believe the guy with KK can fold it pre-flop. Button was a loose passive fish, so that 3-bet is no joke. I put him on AK,JJ+. When SB 4-bets, I put him on AK,QQ+. That means I’m shoving KK+ and folding everything else, including AK and QQ. Even being generous with Button’s range, KK is a fold:

Text results appended to pokerstove.txt

1,908,089,568  games     2.713 secs   703,313,515  games/sec  Read the complete post...

This time on FTP, and there were only 110 runners. I busted in 7th on a kinda dumb shove:

Full Tilt Pot-Limit Omaha Tournament, 800/1600 Blinds (7 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB (t145518)
UTG (t15658)
MP1 (t38832)
MP2 (t32782)
CO (t31976)
Hero (Button) (t31765)
SB (t33469)

Hero’s M: 13.24

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, 3, K, 9
4 folds, Hero bets t3200, SB raises to t11200, 1 fold, Hero raises to t31765 (All-In), SB calls t20565

Flop: (t65130) Q, 7, 6 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: (t65130) J (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t65130) Q (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: t65130

Results:
Hero had A, 3, K, 9 (one pair, Queens).
SB had J, 2, K, A (two pair, Queens and Jacks).
Outcome: SB won t65130

I dunno, I didn’t end up in horrible shape, but this is almost a best case scenario. He can definitely have me in pretty bad shape:  Read the complete post...

There’s a $600 cap at this table, which is why there’s not betting after the flop.

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($1591)
SB ($1561)
BB ($3733)
UTG ($5231.95)
Hero (MP) ($4163)

Preflop: Hero is MP with K, A
1 fold, Hero bets $40, 1 fold, SB calls $30, BB calls $20

Flop: ($120) 4, 10, Q (3 players)
SB checks, BB bets $80, Hero raises to $188, SB calls $188, BB raises to $560, Hero calls $372, SB calls $372

Turn: ($1800) Q (3 players)

River: ($1800) 7 (3 players)

Total pot: $1800 | Rake: $3

Results:
SB had 7, 5 (flush, Queen high).
BB had J, K (one pair, Queens).
Hero had K, A (flush, Ace high).
Outcome: Hero won $1797

I played a pretty long session at 40/80 over the weekend, definitely one of the longest I’ve played at such high stakes. It was a surprisingly tight game, with one guy who was not a fish but was noticeably weaker than the rest of us. But there really wasn’t a lot of light 3-betting, floating, etc. like there often is in such games, and I think that’s part of the reason I felt comfortable staying for as long as I did.

For a while, there was one very good player on my left, but he didn’t seem to be gunning for me or anything. I did end up losing one big pot to him:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $80.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($12774.60)
SB ($58139.50)
BB ($34182.50)
Hero (UTG) ($18345)
MP ($16831)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8, 8
Hero bets $280, 1 fold, Button calls $280, 2 folds

Flop: ($680) 8, A, K (2 players)
Hero bets $456, Button calls $456

Turn: ($1592) 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $1234, Button calls $1234

River: ($4060) 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $2875, Button raises to $6880, Hero folds

Total pot: $9810 | Rake: $3

Results:
Button didn’t show
Outcome: Button won $9807  Read the complete post...

Edit: Fixed the title. Was thinking this was 3/6, not 4/8.

First, the appetizer:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $8.00 BB (2 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($780)
Hero (BB) ($2215.50)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 10, 9
SB bets $24, Hero calls $16

Flop: ($48) 9, 7, 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, SB checks

Turn: ($48) A (2 players)
Hero checks, SB bets $28, Hero calls $28

River: ($104) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, SB bets $75, Hero calls $75

Total pot: $254 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
SB had 3, 4 (high card, Ace).
Hero had 10, 9 (one pair, nines).
Outcome: Hero won $253.50

And now, the main course:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $8.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG ($1338.90)
MP ($2520)
Button ($471.40)
Hero (SB) ($3060.10)
BB ($800)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, K
UTG calls $8, MP bets $36, 1 fold, Hero raises to $136, 2 folds, MP calls $100

Flop: ($288) 8, 3, 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $199, MP raises to $468, Hero calls $269

Turn: ($1224) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $625, Hero calls $625

River: ($2474) 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $1291 (All-In), Hero calls $1291

Total pot: $5056 | Rake: $3  Read the complete post...

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (3 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (Button) ($1082)
SB ($1982.50)
BB ($1084.25)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 7, 7
Hero bets $25, SB raises to $90, 1 fold, Hero calls $65

Flop: ($190) K, Q, 9 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $77, 1 fold

Total pot: $190 | Rake: $1

Results:
Hero didn’t show 7, 7 (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $189

Granted I have like 0% equity when called, but it’s better than checking and letting the guy hit some random overcard or pick up a draw or just bet me off of the best hand. Also I get check-raise bluffed like never, except maybe by draws that are actually in pretty good shape against me anyway. And I’m probably making the same bet with, say, 99 as well, for a lot of the same reasons actually (minus the bluff-stopping, of course).

So I kind of have a second blog, though so far it’s mostly been my girlfriend posting to it so I haven’t really been promoting it as much as I should have. It’s nothing to do with poker but about our road trip/nomadic existence we’ve been living since August. Anyway, if you want the story behind this evil-looking equine, check it out!