Episode 128.1

This isn’t a proper podcast episode, but it’s better than nothing! Andrew goes solo, with no co-host, no editor, and no bumper music (or, perhaps, worse than no bumper music). He talks about his World Series of Poker so far and discusses some hands related to donk betting.

The 2015 Nitcast Las Vegas Meetup will take place on July 6th, which is Day 1b of the WSOP Main Event. Don’t worry, though! The meetup will start at 10AM, so even if you’re playing that day, you can start off on the right foot by stopping in to say hello. We’ll meet at the Gold Coast bowling alley and will be there until at least Noon, possibly later. If you’re in town, please stop in and see us!

Strategy

I opened 2.5x from the CO with As Tc, a good player in the small blind called, and the big blind folded. Flop came 7s 9h Js. Villan donked about half pot, I raised 3.5x, he folded.

Blinds 100/200 button opened to 450 SB called and I called Ks Ts in the BB. Flop Qs 9d 8d SB checked I bet 900 button folded SB called. Turn 5, SB checks, I bet 1800 with 4500 behind, he folded. Plan was to jam most rivers if he called.

I opened 44 UTG, Button made a small 3bet, I called. Flop K94r I bet 4500 into 6700 he called. Turn was an T, I checked, he jammed his last 15K, I called and beat his KQ.

I open to $30 with Kd Jd in EP. Two players in EP call, and the BB calls.

Flop ($120 in pot) Td 3s 2s BB bets $40, everyone calls

Turn ($280 in pot) 9c BB bets $60, I call, one more call

River ($460 in pot) 6h BB checks, I bet $300, both fold

14 thoughts on “Episode 128.1”

  1. Have only heard the first ten or seconds but had to say that that is simultaneously the best and worst start to the podcast so far. I love it, without wanting to hear it again (ever)!

  2. I disagree Tracy, if that intro is not used for all future episodes, I may have to boycott.

    I do agree it is the nut low and the nut high for a scooped pot.

    • It was quite the intro, it should be used again I think – I may have to keep it handy for special occasions. Maybe on all future perfect square episode numbers? I’m just trying to channel my inner Nate Meyvis.

      I don’t do Twitter but I really like the idea of an #innerNateMeyvis campaign.

      • I think you may need a ‘Not suitable for all audiences’ warning before using that one again. 😉

  3. I enjoyed a lot of this. There were some really interesting things that came up. One off the top of my head is the comment about variance of poker tournaments. I totally agree that, for the professional, variance should be a bad thing. However a lot of pros were up in arms about the flattening out of one of the recent big WSOP events, leaving less for first place than they might have expected. The rationale for complaining about something that reduces their variance was the idea that a steeper structure actually increases their EV because the recreational players might have the capacity to cash but lack the capacity to go deep. Weighing up the trade off between EV and variance is non trivial I think. One way of thinking about poker pros is that they are being paid to weather variance (or to take the pain Andrw referred to).

    (incidentally, with respect to the Razz tournament, 1 player drawing dead per table doesn’t exactly make for a decent ROI on its own. At least of the sorts of ROIs that pros talk about achieving in tournaments are anything to go by)

    Also, the assymetry of win/loss pain is a well established concept in stock market investing, as well.

  4. Ha, nice job on the bumper music, resourceful! But where were the other homespun singing bits to break up the content? Next time please.

    Thanks for the insights into the WSOP tournament vs cash profitability stuff, I like the idea of expecting to make money in cash where you have an edge, but adjusting expectations lower for tournament variance. The notion of running deep / cashing well in MTTs being quite a different thrill compared to a cash session win seems correctly proportionate to the less likely chance of it happening at all.

    Donk chat was helpful too. Sing on…

  5. Not sure why you apologised for the podcast at the end. The material on donk betting was excellent. Thank you very much.

  6. That was fantastic (except the intro).

    This is a much better way to organize strategy content. Setting out concepts then using several examples from real play to back them up. Much better than just whatever hands got played that week.

    I’m a pretty difficult listener to monetize but if you put together some premium podcasts organized like this around different topics then I snap call.

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