Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Stud/8 Hand Reading
I was playing a little HORSE yesterday and made a read/laydown that might be standard/uninteresting for serious Stud/8 players but that made me happy. The villain, Berry Johnston, won the 1986 WSOP main event, and actually he and I played together live at Day 1 of the 2006 WSOP, though I'm sure he doesn't know that.
Frankly, he's pretty loose in Razz and Stud/8, so I didn't make too much of the fact that he called two bets cold on 3rd street. His 3-bet out of nowhere on 4th street threw up some red flags, though. At first I was concerned he might have rolled-up 3's, but obviously 5th street eliminated that possibility. However, his next most likely hand was a buried pair bigger than Q's.
Even with the pot as big as it was, I wasn't getting anywhere near the right odds to chase after two pair. For one thing, if my read was correct, Queens up would be no good anyway. And there was only one Queen left in the deck, so my odds of drawing to trips were pretty slim.
FullTiltPoker Game #7320121581: Table Hill (6 max) - $10/$20 Ante $1.50 - Limit Stud H/L - 20:19:34 ET - 2008/07/21
Seat 1: FanProphet ($521)
Seat 2: spadez67 ($89.10)
Seat 3: Berry Johnston ($300.25)
Seat 4: Pink DuffleBag ($2,307)
Seat 6: Foucault ($573.25)
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to Foucault [Ks Qs] [Qh]
Dealt to FanProphet [Qc]
Dealt to spadez67 [Td]
Dealt to Berry Johnston [3c]
Dealt to Pink DuffleBag [5c]
Berry Johnston is low with [3c]
Berry Johnston brings in for $3
Pink DuffleBag completes it to $10
Foucault raises to $20
FanProphet folds
spadez67 folds
Berry Johnston calls $17
Pink DuffleBag calls $10
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to Foucault [Ks Qs Qh] [4c]
Dealt to Berry Johnston [3c] [Qd]
Dealt to Pink DuffleBag [5c] [7d]
Foucault checks
Berry Johnston checks
Pink DuffleBag bets $10
Foucault raises to $20
Berry Johnston raises to $30
Pink DuffleBag calls $20
Foucault calls $10
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to Foucault [Ks Qs Qh 4c] [3s]
Dealt to Berry Johnston [3c Qd] [3d]
Dealt to Pink DuffleBag [5c 7d] [2h]
Berry Johnston bets $20
Pink DuffleBag calls $20
Foucault has 15 seconds left to act
Foucault folds
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to Berry Johnston [3c Qd 3d] [Th]
Dealt to Pink DuffleBag [5c 7d 2h] [4s]
Berry Johnston checks
Pink DuffleBag bets $20
Berry Johnston calls $20
*** 7TH STREET ***
Berry Johnston checks
Pink DuffleBag bets $20
Berry Johnston calls $20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Pink DuffleBag shows [Ac Kh 5c 7d 2h 4s Ts] Ace King high, for high and 7,5,4,2,A, for low
Berry Johnston shows [Ah Ad 3c Qd 3d Th 8c] two pair, Aces and Threes, for high
Berry Johnston wins the high pot ($137.25) with two pair, Aces and Threes
Pink DuffleBag wins the low pot ($137.25) with 7,5,4,2,A
For what it's worth, Pink's play here is pretty awful on 3rd and 4th streets. AK5 is garbage for a starting hand, especially from first position with several babies left to act behind you.
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Frankly, he's pretty loose in Razz and Stud/8, so I didn't make too much of the fact that he called two bets cold on 3rd street. His 3-bet out of nowhere on 4th street threw up some red flags, though. At first I was concerned he might have rolled-up 3's, but obviously 5th street eliminated that possibility. However, his next most likely hand was a buried pair bigger than Q's.
Even with the pot as big as it was, I wasn't getting anywhere near the right odds to chase after two pair. For one thing, if my read was correct, Queens up would be no good anyway. And there was only one Queen left in the deck, so my odds of drawing to trips were pretty slim.
FullTiltPoker Game #7320121581: Table Hill (6 max) - $10/$20 Ante $1.50 - Limit Stud H/L - 20:19:34 ET - 2008/07/21
Seat 1: FanProphet ($521)
Seat 2: spadez67 ($89.10)
Seat 3: Berry Johnston ($300.25)
Seat 4: Pink DuffleBag ($2,307)
Seat 6: Foucault ($573.25)
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to Foucault [Ks Qs] [Qh]
Dealt to FanProphet [Qc]
Dealt to spadez67 [Td]
Dealt to Berry Johnston [3c]
Dealt to Pink DuffleBag [5c]
Berry Johnston is low with [3c]
Berry Johnston brings in for $3
Pink DuffleBag completes it to $10
Foucault raises to $20
FanProphet folds
spadez67 folds
Berry Johnston calls $17
Pink DuffleBag calls $10
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to Foucault [Ks Qs Qh] [4c]
Dealt to Berry Johnston [3c] [Qd]
Dealt to Pink DuffleBag [5c] [7d]
Foucault checks
Berry Johnston checks
Pink DuffleBag bets $10
Foucault raises to $20
Berry Johnston raises to $30
Pink DuffleBag calls $20
Foucault calls $10
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to Foucault [Ks Qs Qh 4c] [3s]
Dealt to Berry Johnston [3c Qd] [3d]
Dealt to Pink DuffleBag [5c 7d] [2h]
Berry Johnston bets $20
Pink DuffleBag calls $20
Foucault has 15 seconds left to act
Foucault folds
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to Berry Johnston [3c Qd 3d] [Th]
Dealt to Pink DuffleBag [5c 7d 2h] [4s]
Berry Johnston checks
Pink DuffleBag bets $20
Berry Johnston calls $20
*** 7TH STREET ***
Berry Johnston checks
Pink DuffleBag bets $20
Berry Johnston calls $20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Pink DuffleBag shows [Ac Kh 5c 7d 2h 4s Ts] Ace King high, for high and 7,5,4,2,A, for low
Berry Johnston shows [Ah Ad 3c Qd 3d Th 8c] two pair, Aces and Threes, for high
Berry Johnston wins the high pot ($137.25) with two pair, Aces and Threes
Pink DuffleBag wins the low pot ($137.25) with 7,5,4,2,A
For what it's worth, Pink's play here is pretty awful on 3rd and 4th streets. AK5 is garbage for a starting hand, especially from first position with several babies left to act behind you.
Labels: HORSE, poker, poker strategy, Stud/8
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WSOP 2008 Trip Report
Thanks to everyone who's asked about these, and especially to Nick from London who prompted me to make this post I've been meaning to make. I'm really flattered that you all are so eager to read a trip report from the WSOP. I'm going to be publishing the trip report, probably in three parts, in lieu of my usual strategy articles for 2+2 Internet Magazine. Of course there will still be strategy content, but I hope also to maintain some of the "flavor" of my reporting from earlier WSOPs. The first installment, covering days 1 and 2, should be appearing August 1st- I'll post the link when it's published. If you haven't already, may I suggest reading my reports from the 2006 WSOP and 2007 WSOP in the meantime?
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Labels: personal, poker, trip report, wsop
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Sunday, July 20, 2008
Funny Search Terms
I was looking through my Stat Counter log today for a glimpse of how people were finding my blog, what links and search terms they were using, etc. I came across two funny ones. Well, the first is really more disturbing than funny. One person googled "How to kill everyone with your mind" and found my review of Kill Everyone. I tried it, and I am in fact on the first page of search results for that phrase on Google.
A lot of poker players google their own screen names to see what others are writing about them. I think that's a pretty normal curiosity and not excessively egotistical or anything. But someone, presumably FU_15, searched for "FU_15 keep dominating online poker". That's kind of presumptuous.
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A lot of poker players google their own screen names to see what others are writing about them. I think that's a pretty normal curiosity and not excessively egotistical or anything. But someone, presumably FU_15, searched for "FU_15 keep dominating online poker". That's kind of presumptuous.
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Saturday, July 19, 2008
Big Laydown
Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
Hero (BTN): $2,517
SB: $1,000
BB: $1,888.75
UTG: $5,702.90
CO: $1,017
Pre-Flop: A
T dealt to Hero (BTN)
3 folds, Hero raises to $30, SB raises to $90, Hero calls $60
Flop: ($180) K A
K
(2 Players)
SB bets $180, Hero calls $180
Turn: ($540) K (2 Players)
SB bets $540, Hero folds
Results: $540 Pot ($3 Rake)
SB mucked and WON $537 (+$267 NET)
I knew nothing about this player, but I don't really ever expect a random to be bluffing here. So basically I'm either chopping or losing to quads/Aces full, and a chop isn't that much more likely.
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LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
Hero (BTN): $2,517
SB: $1,000
BB: $1,888.75
UTG: $5,702.90
CO: $1,017
Pre-Flop: A
T dealt to Hero (BTN)3 folds, Hero raises to $30, SB raises to $90, Hero calls $60
Flop: ($180) K
A K (2 Players)SB bets $180, Hero calls $180
Turn: ($540) K
(2 Players)SB bets $540, Hero folds
Results: $540 Pot ($3 Rake)
SB mucked and WON $537 (+$267 NET)
I knew nothing about this player, but I don't really ever expect a random to be bluffing here. So basically I'm either chopping or losing to quads/Aces full, and a chop isn't that much more likely.
Labels: 6-max, deep stacks, NLHE, poker, poker strategy, session review
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Mike "Sir Watts" Watson Wins Bellagio 15K
The $15K World Poker Tour Bellagio event always attracts a star-studded field of pros fresh off competing in the World Series of Poker. The six-handed final table this year was no exception:Seat 1: Ralph Perry - 1,635,000
Seat 2: Luke "IWearGoggles" Staudenmaier - 3,495,000
Seat 3: John "The Razor" Phan - 3,495,000
Seat 4: David Benyamine - 4,860,000
Seat 5: Gabe Thaler - 1,550,000
Seat 6: Mike "SirWatts" Watson - 5,060,000
Watson won over $1.6 million for his first place finish. Sigh, I still recall playing with him at one of my first big final tables, a $10 rebuy on Poker Stars. I've had the privilege of meeting him twice, most recently during the WSOP main event when we were both in good shape on Day 2B.
I love this photo of Watson with all the people from 2+2 who were there to see him win it. There's really an extraordinary collection of talent in this photo, including two other winners of earlier events in the Bellagio series: Tony "Bond18" Dunst, who won a $3K event, and Jimmy "Gobboboy" Fricke, who won a $5K event just weeks after turning 21. What a huge couple of weeks it's been for 2+2. I only wish I could have done my part by final tabling the main event.
Congratulations, Mike!
Labels: Bellagio, poker, tournament, WPT
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Friday, July 18, 2008
Back in the Saddle
I played my first online session in weeks tonight, and it went great. Mostly just running well, though I do think I chose my spots well. I also may not have gotten paid off on the river here if I hadn't gotten tricksy:
Poker Stars, $10/$20 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP: $2,187.50
Hero (CO): $2,327
BTN: $2,909
SB: $2,22
BB: $2,000
UTG: $380
Pre-Flop: 7 5 dealt to Hero (CO)
UTG folds, MP calls $20, Hero calls $20, BTN raises to $120, 2 folds, MP calls $100, Hero calls $100
Flop: ($390) 5 2 8
(3 Players)
MP checks, Hero checks, BTN bets $260, MP folds, Hero calls $260
Turn: ($910) 5 (2 Players)
Hero bets $444, BTN calls $444
River: ($1,798) 3 (2 Players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $400, Hero raises to $1,503 and is All-In, BTN calls $1,103
Results: $4,804 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero showed 7 5 (three of a kind, Fives) and WON $4,801 (+$2,474 NET)
BTN mucked T T and LOST (-$2,327 NET)
MP was a fish and I wanted to get into the pot with him. If this were heads up with the button, I'd have folded to the pre-flop raise. I led the turn because I expected BTN to check back damn near 100% of his range. I also thought it might look weak if I bet kind of small.
On the river, then, I expect him either to have a float or a pair. If he's got a float, he's obviously not calling a river shove, but he'll bluff at it if I check. If he's got a pair, he may or may not call a shove, but he'll almost certainly bet it for value if I check. This is why it's important to notice players who will make thin value bets. When playing live, I think you have to bet this on the river because plenty of people won't even value bet Kings here. So I felt like I'd get one bet in for sure on the river, and then he could either call me or not when I shoved.
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Poker Stars, $10/$20 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP: $2,187.50
Hero (CO): $2,327
BTN: $2,909
SB: $2,22
BB: $2,000
UTG: $380
Pre-Flop: 7
5 dealt to Hero (CO)UTG folds, MP calls $20, Hero calls $20, BTN raises to $120, 2 folds, MP calls $100, Hero calls $100
Flop: ($390) 5
2 8 (3 Players)MP checks, Hero checks, BTN bets $260, MP folds, Hero calls $260
Turn: ($910) 5
(2 Players)Hero bets $444, BTN calls $444
River: ($1,798) 3
(2 Players)Hero checks, BTN bets $400, Hero raises to $1,503 and is All-In, BTN calls $1,103
Results: $4,804 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero showed 7
5 (three of a kind, Fives) and WON $4,801 (+$2,474 NET)BTN mucked T
T and LOST (-$2,327 NET)MP was a fish and I wanted to get into the pot with him. If this were heads up with the button, I'd have folded to the pre-flop raise. I led the turn because I expected BTN to check back damn near 100% of his range. I also thought it might look weak if I bet kind of small.
On the river, then, I expect him either to have a float or a pair. If he's got a float, he's obviously not calling a river shove, but he'll bluff at it if I check. If he's got a pair, he may or may not call a shove, but he'll almost certainly bet it for value if I check. This is why it's important to notice players who will make thin value bets. When playing live, I think you have to bet this on the river because plenty of people won't even value bet Kings here. So I felt like I'd get one bet in for sure on the river, and then he could either call me or not when I shoved.
Labels: 6-max, NLHE, poker, poker strategy, river check-raise
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Brags
I'll lead off with the big one. My girlfriend pointed out to me that although a few people posted it as a comment, I hadn't actually made a post that included my finish at the World Series of Poker. Out of 6,844 players, I finished 35th and won $193,000. How sexy is this?
The check is for $191,000 because I left a $2000 tip for the dealers. That might seem like a lot, but 1% is pretty standard, and remember that you only tip when you cash, so in some sense the 10% who make the money are tipping for the 90% who did not as well as for themselves. It's kind of a screwy system, but that's how it works.
The other big news, which would have been the lead item any other week, is that as of August 4th I will no longer be the director of the Boston Debate League. The League is getting larger, serving more students and schools, and partnering with the central administration of the Boston Public Schools. Running it is turning into a full time job for which I have neither the time nor the inclination.
We're very fortunate that the chairman of our Board is also the founder and managing partner of Isaacson, Miller, an international executive search firm for nonprofits. Ordinarily they work with big organizations like museums and universities, but one of their associates, who is also a Board member, helped us conduct a nationwide search for a director. We hired a great candidate who is frankly more qualified than I thought we were going to find. I'll still be working with the League, having a paid, full time employee is going to make a world of difference for us.
July's been an exciting month. I went from being way behind pace for hitting my yearly goal for poker income to being just a hair's breath away. I probably won't end up meeting my goal for hours played since I won't feel like forcing myself to put in hours when I don't feel like playing. On the plus side, I probably will play more non-hold 'em games, and I may even hire a PLO coach.
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The check is for $191,000 because I left a $2000 tip for the dealers. That might seem like a lot, but 1% is pretty standard, and remember that you only tip when you cash, so in some sense the 10% who make the money are tipping for the 90% who did not as well as for themselves. It's kind of a screwy system, but that's how it works.
The other big news, which would have been the lead item any other week, is that as of August 4th I will no longer be the director of the Boston Debate League. The League is getting larger, serving more students and schools, and partnering with the central administration of the Boston Public Schools. Running it is turning into a full time job for which I have neither the time nor the inclination.
We're very fortunate that the chairman of our Board is also the founder and managing partner of Isaacson, Miller, an international executive search firm for nonprofits. Ordinarily they work with big organizations like museums and universities, but one of their associates, who is also a Board member, helped us conduct a nationwide search for a director. We hired a great candidate who is frankly more qualified than I thought we were going to find. I'll still be working with the League, having a paid, full time employee is going to make a world of difference for us.
July's been an exciting month. I went from being way behind pace for hitting my yearly goal for poker income to being just a hair's breath away. I probably won't end up meeting my goal for hours played since I won't feel like forcing myself to put in hours when I don't feel like playing. On the plus side, I probably will play more non-hold 'em games, and I may even hire a PLO coach.
Labels: boston debate league, personal, poker, wsop
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