Tuesday, April 29, 2008
April
I'm taking tomorrow off, so I guess I just played my last hand for April. I put in about 20K hands over 50 hours this month. That's about half of my monthly goal, but this was a particularly busy month for the Boston Debate League (just under 100 hours): I was in Chicago for a few days for the UDL Nationals, then we had our City Championships as well.
The month got off to a rough start, but I recovered reasonable well. I ran at nearly 2 BB/100, but because my win rate was best at smaller stakes, I was actually in the red for the month, though not by a lot.
I played a touch of PLO and Stud/8, but not enough to be worth talking about. I will say though that I need to realize that those games require a lot more focus, both because I have a lot less experience in them and because there are fewer automatic decisions than in NLHE. Playing three tables of Stud/8 and talking on the phone is not going to work, even though that's no sweat at almost any stakes in NLHE (unless I'm playing HU).
Most importantly, I accomplished one of my New Year's Resolutions by getting affiliated with Poker Savvy Plus. My first three videos, which comprised a series on Flop Fundamentals, was well received, and it looks like I'll be doing some more.
April Graph:
Aren't I supposed to be winning money? Here's to a better May....
Stumble It!
The month got off to a rough start, but I recovered reasonable well. I ran at nearly 2 BB/100, but because my win rate was best at smaller stakes, I was actually in the red for the month, though not by a lot.
I played a touch of PLO and Stud/8, but not enough to be worth talking about. I will say though that I need to realize that those games require a lot more focus, both because I have a lot less experience in them and because there are fewer automatic decisions than in NLHE. Playing three tables of Stud/8 and talking on the phone is not going to work, even though that's no sweat at almost any stakes in NLHE (unless I'm playing HU).
Most importantly, I accomplished one of my New Year's Resolutions by getting affiliated with Poker Savvy Plus. My first three videos, which comprised a series on Flop Fundamentals, was well received, and it looks like I'll be doing some more.
April Graph:
Aren't I supposed to be winning money? Here's to a better May.... Stumble It!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Top Ten Tools to Learn No Limit Hold 'Em Tournament Poker
If you're looking to get started in poker, whether live or online, no limit hold 'em tournaments are a great diving off point. They are exciting, easier to learn than many other forms of poker, and less demanding of skill. For just a few dollars, you can potentially play for several hours and even be in a position to win many times your initial investment!
I got my start in tournament poker, and though I mostly play cash games these days, I still have a soft spot (some might say self-destructive addition) to tournament play. I've collected these tools to help you on your way to the final table:
1. 2+2 Forums
The Small-Stakes and High-Stakes multi-table tournament forums sponsored by 2+2 Publishing are nothing short of amazing. Where else can you find winners of WSOP, WPT, and EPT events offering free poker advice to aspiring pros currently playing $5 and $10 tournaments? The best players you've never heard of, and some you have, are all posting on 2+2. These forums have made me literally tens of thousands of dollars, and there's no better way to learn than to read and post hands there.
Runner Up: None. There are plenty of other forums, but none comes close enough to the quality of 2+2 to be considered a runner up. Accept no substitutions.
2. Attacking and Defending Dead Money in Tournament Poker
I've written a lot of articles about tournament strategy for 2+2 Internet Magazine, but this one offers my best introduction to the game.
Runner Up: My Other Poker Articles- Once you understand the fundamentals, a lot of my other articles will help you to improve particular aspects of your games. You might also want to look at my blog posts about tournament play.
3. Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments
This three-volume series revolutionized tournament play and introduced novice players to what were then advanced techniques like the continuation bet and the squeeze play. Though they aren't without their critics, they are widely considered among the best tournament books on the market. I haven't written reviews of these myself yet, but at the very least they are worth reading to know what will be in your opponents' playbooks.
4. Poker Stove
This free utility calculates your equity against either specific hands or a range of hands that you assign to one or more opponents. It is particularly useful for tournaments because of how often you'll be considering making or calling an all in bet. One of the best ways of to master late-game tournament situations is to play around with this handy gadget and see how your different hands fare against various ranges. The results may surprise you!
5. The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition
This excellent anthology discusses tournament play in the context of a great many poker games, but the emphasis is on NLHE. It includes an extensive discussion of NLHE topics not found elsewhere in print, including Howard Lederer on leverage and Chris Ferguson on post-flop play. Check out my reviews of select chapters!
6. Poker Tracker
The only reason Poker Tracker isn't ranked higher than this is that it is somewhat more useful for ring game than for tournament play. Tournament hands are harder to analyze in the aggregate, since so much depends on factors like stack sizes and stage of the tournament that Poker Tracker doesn't capture. Still, it is a fantastic and inexpensive way to track your results, record and replay hands for future study, and begin to analyze your play.
Runner Up: Tourney Trax- Truthfully, I haven't had a chance to check this out yet, but it's created by well-known tournament pro Justin "Jurollo" Rollo, so I'm assuming it's good. It's a tool for tracking tournament results specifically.
7. Poker Ace HUD
HUD stands for "heads up display". I'm not sure why it's called that, but this handy tool overlays the statistics that Poker Tracker has collected about an opponent directly onto your screen. You have to be careful during tournament play, however, since so many decisions are situational. A player who is tight with a 15 BB stack may be very loose and aggressive with a 40 BB stack, but his stats won't reflect this distinction. Still, it's helpful to know how often your opponents attempt to steal blinds, defend their own blinds, etc.
Runner Up: Poker Tracker Version 3- It's still in Beta at the moment, but eventually the much anticipated new version of Poker Tracker will include an integrated HUD. As a result of PT3's much superior data collection capacity, crucial stats like 3-bet frequency will be available as an overlay. Look for this to replace Poker Ace as the HUD of choice when it goes live.
8. Card Runners
Although I'm a guest pro at Poker Savvy Plus, I must admit that Card Runners offers a better selection of tournament videos. With top-notch pros like JSchnett, Adanthar, ActionJeff, and RandallFlowers, you'll be able to watch a variety of strong players with different styles tackle tournament play at all stakes.
Runner Up: Poker Savvy Plus- Poker Savvy Plus is a great poker training site in general and is rapidly improving its tournament offerings. Although he mostly makes (excellent) cash game videos, Ansky does have a strong tournament background. Justin Rollo is the main tournament guy, but ShaunDeeb and Tony "Bond18" Dunst are prominent guests. I may even be working on a little something tournament-related myself.... Plus it's currently free to sign up AND you get a 7-day free trial, so there's really nothing to lose by checking it out.
9. Tournament Poker for Advanced Players: Expanded Edition
The expanded edition makes David Sklansky's canonical tournament book much more useful to the NLHE player. It includes new material on to play, and defend against, a short stack, how to adjust the payout structure and aggressive play in modern tournaments, and more! It's a much more theoretical book than the Harrington and FTP books, which makes it somewhat less useful for those who are just learning. But if you're an experienced player looking to improve, it's a great resource.
10. Professional No Limit Hold'Em
Though not explicitly a tournament book, PNL is a great introduction to NLHE play in general, and its emphasis on playing stacks of various sizes makes it more applicable to tournaments than many cash game books. Authors Matt Flynn, Sunny Mehta, and Ed Miller do an admirable job of breaking complex NLHE situations into discrete elements that beginners can digest and use.
Runner Up: No Limit Hold 'Em Theory and Practice- Theory and Practice is ultimately a better book than Professional No Limit, but it's less useful for those starting out in NLHE tournament poker. For one thing, it's a more advanced and theoretical book, and for another, there's less focus on how stack sizes affect decision making. It's still an excellent book, required reading for any serious NLHE player.
Stumble It!
I got my start in tournament poker, and though I mostly play cash games these days, I still have a soft spot (some might say self-destructive addition) to tournament play. I've collected these tools to help you on your way to the final table:
1. 2+2 ForumsThe Small-Stakes and High-Stakes multi-table tournament forums sponsored by 2+2 Publishing are nothing short of amazing. Where else can you find winners of WSOP, WPT, and EPT events offering free poker advice to aspiring pros currently playing $5 and $10 tournaments? The best players you've never heard of, and some you have, are all posting on 2+2. These forums have made me literally tens of thousands of dollars, and there's no better way to learn than to read and post hands there.
Runner Up: None. There are plenty of other forums, but none comes close enough to the quality of 2+2 to be considered a runner up. Accept no substitutions.
2. Attacking and Defending Dead Money in Tournament Poker
I've written a lot of articles about tournament strategy for 2+2 Internet Magazine, but this one offers my best introduction to the game.
Runner Up: My Other Poker Articles- Once you understand the fundamentals, a lot of my other articles will help you to improve particular aspects of your games. You might also want to look at my blog posts about tournament play.
3. Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit TournamentsThis three-volume series revolutionized tournament play and introduced novice players to what were then advanced techniques like the continuation bet and the squeeze play. Though they aren't without their critics, they are widely considered among the best tournament books on the market. I haven't written reviews of these myself yet, but at the very least they are worth reading to know what will be in your opponents' playbooks.
4. Poker Stove
This free utility calculates your equity against either specific hands or a range of hands that you assign to one or more opponents. It is particularly useful for tournaments because of how often you'll be considering making or calling an all in bet. One of the best ways of to master late-game tournament situations is to play around with this handy gadget and see how your different hands fare against various ranges. The results may surprise you!
5. The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition
This excellent anthology discusses tournament play in the context of a great many poker games, but the emphasis is on NLHE. It includes an extensive discussion of NLHE topics not found elsewhere in print, including Howard Lederer on leverage and Chris Ferguson on post-flop play. Check out my reviews of select chapters!
6. Poker Tracker
The only reason Poker Tracker isn't ranked higher than this is that it is somewhat more useful for ring game than for tournament play. Tournament hands are harder to analyze in the aggregate, since so much depends on factors like stack sizes and stage of the tournament that Poker Tracker doesn't capture. Still, it is a fantastic and inexpensive way to track your results, record and replay hands for future study, and begin to analyze your play.
Runner Up: Tourney Trax- Truthfully, I haven't had a chance to check this out yet, but it's created by well-known tournament pro Justin "Jurollo" Rollo, so I'm assuming it's good. It's a tool for tracking tournament results specifically.
7. Poker Ace HUD
HUD stands for "heads up display". I'm not sure why it's called that, but this handy tool overlays the statistics that Poker Tracker has collected about an opponent directly onto your screen. You have to be careful during tournament play, however, since so many decisions are situational. A player who is tight with a 15 BB stack may be very loose and aggressive with a 40 BB stack, but his stats won't reflect this distinction. Still, it's helpful to know how often your opponents attempt to steal blinds, defend their own blinds, etc.
Runner Up: Poker Tracker Version 3- It's still in Beta at the moment, but eventually the much anticipated new version of Poker Tracker will include an integrated HUD. As a result of PT3's much superior data collection capacity, crucial stats like 3-bet frequency will be available as an overlay. Look for this to replace Poker Ace as the HUD of choice when it goes live.
8. Card Runners
Although I'm a guest pro at Poker Savvy Plus, I must admit that Card Runners offers a better selection of tournament videos. With top-notch pros like JSchnett, Adanthar, ActionJeff, and RandallFlowers, you'll be able to watch a variety of strong players with different styles tackle tournament play at all stakes.
Runner Up: Poker Savvy Plus- Poker Savvy Plus is a great poker training site in general and is rapidly improving its tournament offerings. Although he mostly makes (excellent) cash game videos, Ansky does have a strong tournament background. Justin Rollo is the main tournament guy, but ShaunDeeb and Tony "Bond18" Dunst are prominent guests. I may even be working on a little something tournament-related myself.... Plus it's currently free to sign up AND you get a 7-day free trial, so there's really nothing to lose by checking it out.
9. Tournament Poker for Advanced Players: Expanded Edition
The expanded edition makes David Sklansky's canonical tournament book much more useful to the NLHE player. It includes new material on to play, and defend against, a short stack, how to adjust the payout structure and aggressive play in modern tournaments, and more! It's a much more theoretical book than the Harrington and FTP books, which makes it somewhat less useful for those who are just learning. But if you're an experienced player looking to improve, it's a great resource.
10. Professional No Limit Hold'Em
Though not explicitly a tournament book, PNL is a great introduction to NLHE play in general, and its emphasis on playing stacks of various sizes makes it more applicable to tournaments than many cash game books. Authors Matt Flynn, Sunny Mehta, and Ed Miller do an admirable job of breaking complex NLHE situations into discrete elements that beginners can digest and use.
Runner Up: No Limit Hold 'Em Theory and Practice- Theory and Practice is ultimately a better book than Professional No Limit, but it's less useful for those starting out in NLHE tournament poker. For one thing, it's a more advanced and theoretical book, and for another, there's less focus on how stack sizes affect decision making. It's still an excellent book, required reading for any serious NLHE player.
Labels: NLHE, poker, poker strategy, site review, tournament
Stumble It!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
$500 Stars Million Review
I had a decent run in the monthly $500 on Stars today, though it ultimately ended in tragedy. As you'll see, I had some lucky cooler situations early on, but there was usually at least an element of my opponent making a questionable slowplay and the money going in after I had sucked out. Meanwhile I lost multiple critical "flips". Some hands:
Check... Raise! Check... Raise!
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 25/50 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
Hero (MP2): 10,000
CO: 9,650
BTN: 10,325
SB: 10,025
BB: 10,000
UTG: 10,000
UTG+1: 10,000
UTG+2: 10,000
MP1: 10,000
Pre-Flop: (75) K
J
dealt to Hero (MP2)
4 folds, Hero raises to 150, 2 folds, SB calls 125, BB folds
Flop: (350) J
3 9 (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets 250, SB raises to 500, Hero calls 250
Turn: (1,350) 7 (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets 850, SB raises to 2,400, Hero folds
Results: 3,050 Pot
SB mucked and WON 3,050 (+1,550 NET)
I think I should bet smaller on the turn but that this is otherwise fine.
Revenge
Same guy as above:
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 50/100 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
Hero (SB): 8,250
BB: 8,415
UTG: 10,800
UTG+1: 7,040
UTG+2: 11,320
MP1: 10,400
MP2: 13,875
CO: 10,725
BTN: 9,175
Pre-Flop: (150) A
5 dealt to Hero (SB)
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls 100, UTG+2 calls 100, 4 folds, Hero calls 50, BB checks
Flop: (400) 5 A 7 (4 Players)
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets 200, UTG+2 folds, Hero raises to 650, BB folds, UTG+1 raises to 6,940 and is All-In, Hero calls 6,290
Turn: (14,280) K (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (14,280) A (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 14,280 Pot
Hero showed A 5 (a full house, Aces full of Fives) and WON 14,280 (+7,240 NET)
UTG+1 showed T Q (a pair of Aces) and LOST (-7,040 NET)
Squeeeeeeeeeze It
These calls pre-flop should be really strong, based on the percentages of their stacks these guys are putting in, but I was pretty sure they were just fish. On the flop, I think the first caller is often folding, though I'm obviously folding to his shove. I put the second guy on a pocket pair smaller than J, and I didn't know if he would fold it or not, but he's so short that it doesn't really matter. Of course...
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 100/200 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
Hero (SB): 18,600
BB: 6,880
UTG: 8,900
UTG+1: 8,310
UTG+2: 10,320
MP1: 14,050
MP2: 24,290
CO: 11,375
BTN: 4,825
Pre-Flop: (300) K Q dealt to Hero (SB)
4 folds, MP2 raises to 400, CO calls 400, BTN calls 400, Hero raises to 2,000, 2 folds, CO calls 1,600, BTN calls 1,600
Flop: (6,600) 7 J 4 (3 Players)
Hero bets 2,600, CO folds, BTN raises to 2,825 and is All-In, Hero calls 225
Turn: (12,250) A (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (12,250) 9 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 12,250 Pot
Hero showed K Q (high card Ace) and LOST (-4,825 NET)
BTN showed 4 4 (three of a kind, Fours) and WON 12,250 (+7,425 NET)
Bink
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 150/300 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
BTN: 23,300
SB: 16,200
BB: 16,850
Hero (UTG): 13,775
UTG+1: 3,750
UTG+2: 9,525
MP1: 29,950
MP2: 12,850
CO: 2,900
Pre-Flop: (450) T T dealt to Hero (UTG)
Hero raises to 825, 7 folds, BB calls 525
Flop: (1,800) 8 6 8 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets 1,200, BB calls 1,200
Turn: (4,200) Q (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero checks
River: (4,200) T (2 Players)
BB bets 4,800, Hero raises to 11,750 and is All-In, BB calls 6,950
Results: 27,700 Pot
BB showed 6 8 (a full house, Eights full of Sixes) and LOST (-13,775 NET)
Hero showed T T (a full house, Tens full of Eights) and WON 27,700 (+13,925 NET)
Bink
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 150/300 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
SB: 26,600
BB: 16,200
UTG: 2,175
Hero (UTG+1): 28,000
UTG+2: 5,725
MP1: 13,425
MP2: 29,500
CO: 14,950
BTN: 950
Pre-Flop: (450) 7 7 dealt to Hero (UTG+1)
UTG folds, Hero raises to 800, 5 folds, SB calls 650, BB folds
Flop: (1,900) 5 T 3 (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets 1,200, SB calls 1,200
Turn: (4,300) 7 (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets 3,000, SB raises to 9,000, Hero raises to 26,000 and is All-In, SB calls 15,600 and is All-In
River: (53,500) 3 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 53,500 Pot
SB showed K K (two pair, Kings and Threes) and LOST (-26,600 NET)
Hero showed 7 7 (a full house, Sevens full of Threes) and WON 53,500 (+26,900 NET)
At this point, I was in 5th place overall with more than 2000 remaining. It wasn't going to last long, though.
Wrong Side of a Flip
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 200/400 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
CO: 24,271
BTN: 12,410
SB: 42,549
Hero (BB): 60,450
UTG: 11,600
UTG+1: 10,575
UTG+2: 32,850
MP1: 12,740
MP2: 44,105
Pre-Flop: (600) Q Q dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to 1,200, 6 folds, Hero raises to 60,450 and is All-In, UTG+1 calls 9,375 and is All-In
Flop: (21,350) 3 K 4 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (21,350) 9 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (21,350) 7 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 21,350 Pot
Hero showed Q Q (a pair of Queens) and LOST (-10,575 NET)
UTG+1 showed K A (a pair of Kings) and WON 21,350 (+10,775 NET)
No One Ever Believes Me
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 400/800 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
CO: 15,471
BTN: 11,220
SB: 41,974
Hero (BB): 50,695
UTG: 18,855
UTG+1: 41,910
UTG+2: 17,255
MP1: 8,540
MP2: 45,630
Pre-Flop: (1,200) A A dealt to Hero (BB)
2 folds, UTG+2 raises to 2,400, MP1 calls 2,400, 4 folds, Hero raises to 50,695 and is All-In, UTG+2 calls 14,855 and is All-In, MP1 folds
Flop: (37,310) 6 2 8 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (37,310) J (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (37,310) 3 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 37,310 Pot
Hero showed A A (a pair of Aces) and WON 37,310 (+20,055 NET)
UTG+2 showed 9 9 (a pair of Nines) and LOST (-17,255 NET)
Honestly, What?!
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 400/800 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP1: 15,421
MP2: 11,170
CO: 43,124
Hero (BTN): 70,300
SB: 18,005
BB: 41,860
UTG: 21,761
UTG+1: 6,090
UTG+2: 45,580
Pre-Flop: (1,650) T A dealt to Hero (BTN)
6 folds, Hero raises to 2,250, SB raises to 4,000, BB folds, Hero raises to 70,250 and is All-In, SB calls 13,955 and is All-In
Flop: (37,160) 4 A 9 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (37,160) 6 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (37,160) 5 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 37,160 Pot
Hero showed T A (a pair of Aces) and LOST (-18,005 NET)
SB showed 4 A (two pair, Aces and Fours) and WON 37,160 (+19,155 NET)
Gets There
Same clown from above. He SNAP called pre-flop, too, I'm sure he had like AT or some crap, not a good Ace.
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 400/800 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
CO: 13,471
BTN: 11,670
SB: 45,644
Hero (BB): 53,200
UTG: 36,860
UTG+1: 38,290
UTG+2: 25,606
MP1: 4,540
MP2: 44,030
Pre-Flop: (1,650) Q Q dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG raises to 2,400, 7 folds, Hero raises to 7,150, UTG calls 4,750
Flop: (15,150) 6 4 A (2 Players)
Hero checks, UTG bets 4,000, Hero calls 4,000
Turn: (23,150) T (2 Players)
Hero checks, UTG bets 25,660 and is All-In, Hero folds
Results: 23,150 Pot
UTG mucked and WON 23,150 (+11,950 NET)
A Rare, Successful Continuation Bet
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 400/800 Blinds, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP1: 13,371
MP2: 11,570
CO: 51,234
Hero (BTN): 41,550
SB: 47,960
BB: 38,190
UTG: 25,506
UTG+1: 43,930
Pre-Flop: (1,600) A K dealt to Hero (BTN)
5 folds, Hero raises to 2,250, SB calls 1,850, BB calls 1,450
Flop: (7,150) 8 3 2 (3 Players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets 3,250, 2 folds
Results: 7,150 Pot
Hero mucked A K and WON 7,150 (+4,850 NET)
Gutterball
This was against a decent player, too. If he had check-raised the flop, I wouldn't mind his play, but I really doubt he's going to show a profit floating me from out of position. But see my recent post about good players finding complex excuses to play like fish.
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 500/1,000 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP1: 7,771
MP2: 45,641
CO: 65,399
Hero (BTN): 34,875
SB: 49,065
BB: 41,790
UTG: 28,056
UTG+1: 15,450
UTG+2: 41,730
Pre-Flop: (2,175) A 3 dealt to Hero (BTN)
6 folds, Hero raises to 2,550, SB folds, BB calls 1,550
Flop: (6,275) 9 J 5 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets 3,250, BB calls 3,250
Turn: (12,775) Q (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero checks
River: (12,775) A (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero checks
Results: 12,775 Pot
Hero mucked A 3 and LOST (-5,875 NET)
BB showed K T (a straight, Ten to Ace) and WON 12,775 (+6,900 NET)
I definitely think he should check-raise the flop if he's going to continue. The major disadvantage to this play is getting knocked off of his "draw" if I 3-bet, but his equity is so poor in that situation anyway that it's not a big loss.
I kind of think he ought to lead the turn, because it's not a good card for me to double barrel. I'll check for pot control with my draws and weaker one pair hands, and I'm going to shove over a lead with anything strong enough to bet again for value anyway.
The river check is good, though, because leading when an Ace comes shows a lot of strength (I was folding), and it's a card I'll often bet for value and as a bluff. But I'm too smart for that! Annoying, but at least I played it perfectly.
Revenge
Finally held against the same guy who beat me with A4s way back when:
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 750/1,500 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP2: 58,566
CO: 42,713
BTN: 57,495
Hero (SB): 34,300
BB: 48,010
UTG: 88,928
UTG+1: 43,426
UTG+2: 27,450
MP1: 47,230
Pre-Flop: (3,600) Q Q dealt to Hero (SB)
7 folds, Hero raises to 4,500, BB raises to 47,860 and is All-In, Hero calls 29,650 and is All-In
Flop: (69,650) 2 4 5 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (69,650) T (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (69,650) 7 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 69,650 Pot
Hero showed Q Q (a pair of Queens) and WON 69,650 (+35,350 NET)
BB showed A 5 (a pair of Fives) and LOST (-34,300 NET)
Every @#$%ing Time
My stack is slightly above average. There are 489 players left, 486 are going to get paid, and I have the second best hand in poker, so what's coming next?
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 1,000/2,000 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
UTG+2: 47,816
MP1: 42,313
MP2: 60,595
Hero (CO): 69,000
BTN: 49,412
SB: 111,188
BB: 46,826
UTG: 21,900
UTG+1: 38,480
Pre-Flop: (4,800) K K dealt to Hero (CO)
4 folds, MP2 raises to 5,252, Hero raises to 13,000, 3 folds, MP2 raises to 60,395 and is All-In, Hero calls 47,395
Flop: (125,590) A 7 J (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: (125,590) 3 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: (125,590) 7 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: 125,590 Pot
MP2 showed A K (two pair, Aces and Sevens) and WON 125,590 (+64,995 NET)
Hero showed K K (two pair, Kings and Sevens) and LOST (-60,595 NET)
Stumble It!
Check... Raise! Check... Raise!
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 25/50 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
Hero (MP2): 10,000
CO: 9,650
BTN: 10,325
SB: 10,025
BB: 10,000
UTG: 10,000
UTG+1: 10,000
UTG+2: 10,000
MP1: 10,000
Pre-Flop: (75) K
J dealt to Hero (MP2)4 folds, Hero raises to 150, 2 folds, SB calls 125, BB folds
Flop: (350) J
3 9 (2 Players)SB checks, Hero bets 250, SB raises to 500, Hero calls 250
Turn: (1,350) 7
(2 Players)SB checks, Hero bets 850, SB raises to 2,400, Hero folds
Results: 3,050 Pot
SB mucked and WON 3,050 (+1,550 NET)
I think I should bet smaller on the turn but that this is otherwise fine.
Revenge
Same guy as above:
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 50/100 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
Hero (SB): 8,250
BB: 8,415
UTG: 10,800
UTG+1: 7,040
UTG+2: 11,320
MP1: 10,400
MP2: 13,875
CO: 10,725
BTN: 9,175
Pre-Flop: (150) A
5 dealt to Hero (SB)UTG folds, UTG+1 calls 100, UTG+2 calls 100, 4 folds, Hero calls 50, BB checks
Flop: (400) 5
A 7 (4 Players)Hero checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets 200, UTG+2 folds, Hero raises to 650, BB folds, UTG+1 raises to 6,940 and is All-In, Hero calls 6,290
Turn: (14,280) K
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)River: (14,280) A
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)Results: 14,280 Pot
Hero showed A
5 (a full house, Aces full of Fives) and WON 14,280 (+7,240 NET)UTG+1 showed T
Q (a pair of Aces) and LOST (-7,040 NET)Squeeeeeeeeeze It
These calls pre-flop should be really strong, based on the percentages of their stacks these guys are putting in, but I was pretty sure they were just fish. On the flop, I think the first caller is often folding, though I'm obviously folding to his shove. I put the second guy on a pocket pair smaller than J, and I didn't know if he would fold it or not, but he's so short that it doesn't really matter. Of course...
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 100/200 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
Hero (SB): 18,600
BB: 6,880
UTG: 8,900
UTG+1: 8,310
UTG+2: 10,320
MP1: 14,050
MP2: 24,290
CO: 11,375
BTN: 4,825
Pre-Flop: (300) K
Q dealt to Hero (SB)4 folds, MP2 raises to 400, CO calls 400, BTN calls 400, Hero raises to 2,000, 2 folds, CO calls 1,600, BTN calls 1,600
Flop: (6,600) 7
J 4 (3 Players)Hero bets 2,600, CO folds, BTN raises to 2,825 and is All-In, Hero calls 225
Turn: (12,250) A
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)River: (12,250) 9
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)Results: 12,250 Pot
Hero showed K
Q (high card Ace) and LOST (-4,825 NET)BTN showed 4
4 (three of a kind, Fours) and WON 12,250 (+7,425 NET)Bink
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 150/300 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
BTN: 23,300
SB: 16,200
BB: 16,850
Hero (UTG): 13,775
UTG+1: 3,750
UTG+2: 9,525
MP1: 29,950
MP2: 12,850
CO: 2,900
Pre-Flop: (450) T
T dealt to Hero (UTG)Hero raises to 825, 7 folds, BB calls 525
Flop: (1,800) 8
6 8 (2 Players)BB checks, Hero bets 1,200, BB calls 1,200
Turn: (4,200) Q
(2 Players)BB checks, Hero checks
River: (4,200) T
(2 Players)BB bets 4,800, Hero raises to 11,750 and is All-In, BB calls 6,950
Results: 27,700 Pot
BB showed 6
8 (a full house, Eights full of Sixes) and LOST (-13,775 NET)Hero showed T
T (a full house, Tens full of Eights) and WON 27,700 (+13,925 NET)Bink
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 150/300 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
SB: 26,600
BB: 16,200
UTG: 2,175
Hero (UTG+1): 28,000
UTG+2: 5,725
MP1: 13,425
MP2: 29,500
CO: 14,950
BTN: 950
Pre-Flop: (450) 7
7 dealt to Hero (UTG+1)UTG folds, Hero raises to 800, 5 folds, SB calls 650, BB folds
Flop: (1,900) 5
T 3 (2 Players)SB checks, Hero bets 1,200, SB calls 1,200
Turn: (4,300) 7
(2 Players)SB checks, Hero bets 3,000, SB raises to 9,000, Hero raises to 26,000 and is All-In, SB calls 15,600 and is All-In
River: (53,500) 3
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)Results: 53,500 Pot
SB showed K
K (two pair, Kings and Threes) and LOST (-26,600 NET)Hero showed 7
7 (a full house, Sevens full of Threes) and WON 53,500 (+26,900 NET)At this point, I was in 5th place overall with more than 2000 remaining. It wasn't going to last long, though.
Wrong Side of a Flip
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 200/400 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
CO: 24,271
BTN: 12,410
SB: 42,549
Hero (BB): 60,450
UTG: 11,600
UTG+1: 10,575
UTG+2: 32,850
MP1: 12,740
MP2: 44,105
Pre-Flop: (600) Q
Q dealt to Hero (BB)UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to 1,200, 6 folds, Hero raises to 60,450 and is All-In, UTG+1 calls 9,375 and is All-In
Flop: (21,350) 3
K 4 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)Turn: (21,350) 9
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)River: (21,350) 7
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)Results: 21,350 Pot
Hero showed Q
Q (a pair of Queens) and LOST (-10,575 NET)UTG+1 showed K
A (a pair of Kings) and WON 21,350 (+10,775 NET)No One Ever Believes Me
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 400/800 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
CO: 15,471
BTN: 11,220
SB: 41,974
Hero (BB): 50,695
UTG: 18,855
UTG+1: 41,910
UTG+2: 17,255
MP1: 8,540
MP2: 45,630
Pre-Flop: (1,200) A
A dealt to Hero (BB)2 folds, UTG+2 raises to 2,400, MP1 calls 2,400, 4 folds, Hero raises to 50,695 and is All-In, UTG+2 calls 14,855 and is All-In, MP1 folds
Flop: (37,310) 6
2 8 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)Turn: (37,310) J
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)River: (37,310) 3
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)Results: 37,310 Pot
Hero showed A
A (a pair of Aces) and WON 37,310 (+20,055 NET)UTG+2 showed 9
9 (a pair of Nines) and LOST (-17,255 NET)Honestly, What?!
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 400/800 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP1: 15,421
MP2: 11,170
CO: 43,124
Hero (BTN): 70,300
SB: 18,005
BB: 41,860
UTG: 21,761
UTG+1: 6,090
UTG+2: 45,580
Pre-Flop: (1,650) T
A dealt to Hero (BTN)6 folds, Hero raises to 2,250, SB raises to 4,000, BB folds, Hero raises to 70,250 and is All-In, SB calls 13,955 and is All-In
Flop: (37,160) 4
A 9 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)Turn: (37,160) 6
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)River: (37,160) 5
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)Results: 37,160 Pot
Hero showed T
A (a pair of Aces) and LOST (-18,005 NET)SB showed 4
A (two pair, Aces and Fours) and WON 37,160 (+19,155 NET)Gets There
Same clown from above. He SNAP called pre-flop, too, I'm sure he had like AT or some crap, not a good Ace.
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 400/800 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
CO: 13,471
BTN: 11,670
SB: 45,644
Hero (BB): 53,200
UTG: 36,860
UTG+1: 38,290
UTG+2: 25,606
MP1: 4,540
MP2: 44,030
Pre-Flop: (1,650) Q
Q dealt to Hero (BB)UTG raises to 2,400, 7 folds, Hero raises to 7,150, UTG calls 4,750
Flop: (15,150) 6
4 A (2 Players)Hero checks, UTG bets 4,000, Hero calls 4,000
Turn: (23,150) T
(2 Players)Hero checks, UTG bets 25,660 and is All-In, Hero folds
Results: 23,150 Pot
UTG mucked and WON 23,150 (+11,950 NET)
A Rare, Successful Continuation Bet
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 400/800 Blinds, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP1: 13,371
MP2: 11,570
CO: 51,234
Hero (BTN): 41,550
SB: 47,960
BB: 38,190
UTG: 25,506
UTG+1: 43,930
Pre-Flop: (1,600) A
K dealt to Hero (BTN)5 folds, Hero raises to 2,250, SB calls 1,850, BB calls 1,450
Flop: (7,150) 8
3 2 (3 Players)SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets 3,250, 2 folds
Results: 7,150 Pot
Hero mucked A
K and WON 7,150 (+4,850 NET)Gutterball
This was against a decent player, too. If he had check-raised the flop, I wouldn't mind his play, but I really doubt he's going to show a profit floating me from out of position. But see my recent post about good players finding complex excuses to play like fish.
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 500/1,000 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP1: 7,771
MP2: 45,641
CO: 65,399
Hero (BTN): 34,875
SB: 49,065
BB: 41,790
UTG: 28,056
UTG+1: 15,450
UTG+2: 41,730
Pre-Flop: (2,175) A
3 dealt to Hero (BTN)6 folds, Hero raises to 2,550, SB folds, BB calls 1,550
Flop: (6,275) 9
J 5 (2 Players)BB checks, Hero bets 3,250, BB calls 3,250
Turn: (12,775) Q
(2 Players)BB checks, Hero checks
River: (12,775) A
(2 Players)BB checks, Hero checks
Results: 12,775 Pot
Hero mucked A
3 and LOST (-5,875 NET)BB showed K
T (a straight, Ten to Ace) and WON 12,775 (+6,900 NET)I definitely think he should check-raise the flop if he's going to continue. The major disadvantage to this play is getting knocked off of his "draw" if I 3-bet, but his equity is so poor in that situation anyway that it's not a big loss.
I kind of think he ought to lead the turn, because it's not a good card for me to double barrel. I'll check for pot control with my draws and weaker one pair hands, and I'm going to shove over a lead with anything strong enough to bet again for value anyway.
The river check is good, though, because leading when an Ace comes shows a lot of strength (I was folding), and it's a card I'll often bet for value and as a bluff. But I'm too smart for that! Annoying, but at least I played it perfectly.
Revenge
Finally held against the same guy who beat me with A4s way back when:
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 750/1,500 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
MP2: 58,566
CO: 42,713
BTN: 57,495
Hero (SB): 34,300
BB: 48,010
UTG: 88,928
UTG+1: 43,426
UTG+2: 27,450
MP1: 47,230
Pre-Flop: (3,600) Q
Q dealt to Hero (SB)7 folds, Hero raises to 4,500, BB raises to 47,860 and is All-In, Hero calls 29,650 and is All-In
Flop: (69,650) 2
4 5 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)Turn: (69,650) T
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)River: (69,650) 7
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)Results: 69,650 Pot
Hero showed Q
Q (a pair of Queens) and WON 69,650 (+35,350 NET)BB showed A
5 (a pair of Fives) and LOST (-34,300 NET)Every @#$%ing Time
My stack is slightly above average. There are 489 players left, 486 are going to get paid, and I have the second best hand in poker, so what's coming next?
Poker Stars, $500 + $30 NL Hold'em Tournament, 1,000/2,000 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
UTG+2: 47,816
MP1: 42,313
MP2: 60,595
Hero (CO): 69,000
BTN: 49,412
SB: 111,188
BB: 46,826
UTG: 21,900
UTG+1: 38,480
Pre-Flop: (4,800) K
K dealt to Hero (CO)4 folds, MP2 raises to 5,252, Hero raises to 13,000, 3 folds, MP2 raises to 60,395 and is All-In, Hero calls 47,395
Flop: (125,590) A
7 J (2 Players - 1 is All-In)Turn: (125,590) 3
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)River: (125,590) 7
(2 Players - 1 is All-In)Results: 125,590 Pot
MP2 showed A
K (two pair, Aces and Sevens) and WON 125,590 (+64,995 NET)Hero showed K
K (two pair, Kings and Sevens) and LOST (-60,595 NET)Labels: NLHE, poker, poker strategy, session review, tournament
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Saturday, April 26, 2008
Sopranos Anti-Finale
This week I watched the second-to-last Sopranos, which I'd never seen, and re-watched the final episode. I recall going to considerable length to see the finale and being thoroughly disappointed, not just by the final seconds, but by the entire thing. Basically the whole season 6 (the part after the break, anyway) was boring. It constantly followed plots I didn't care about it and created new subplots (Tony's gambling) when I wanted them to be building to something.
As I said, I hadn't seen the second-to-last episode, and man did I love it. But there was so much good stuff rushed into one episode- it could have been expanded into a whole season.
The season should have opened with the Italians being flown in and killing the wrong guy. Then one or two episodes later, New York goes after Sylvio and Bobby. The whole season is full of feuding with Phil Leotardo. Tony kills Chris in a more climactic way. Throw an AJ episode in there somewhere, maybe one dedicated to Melfi "dumping" him, then in the second-to-last episode they learn Phil's location and have the meeting to flip his guy. Final episode opens with Phil's execution, then most of it is dedicated to Carlo going missing and the FBI getting grand jury testimony.
I've taken him this far. Now David Chase just needs to go back to the drawing board AND WRITE ME A FUCKING ENDING! No, I can't come up with anything better. That doesn't mean he shouldn't. I'm not the series creator- it's not my job.
I liked the rest of that episode better this time around. I really like what happened to AJ, I just wish they hadn't crammed it all into the last episode. The scene with Tony and Janice is one of the only scenes of hers that don't make me grit my teeth. It's the first and only time I understood the connection between the two of them and why Tony keeps supporting her.
The encounter with Junior was good, too. And Paulie with the cat was hysterical. "Those things are like snakes with fur."
But I'm still not happy with the ending. I just think his pretentious "commentary" on television went on for too long. He didn't need a precious little device to do that: the whole season was anti-climactic, highlighted by the treatment of Christopher's death. The gag ending was just a cheap shot, as far I'm concerned.
Go ahead, someone leave me a comment saying I didn't understand it. Tell me your deep thoughts about how "we got to feel how he has to live the rest of his in paranoia". Please.
Stumble It!
As I said, I hadn't seen the second-to-last episode, and man did I love it. But there was so much good stuff rushed into one episode- it could have been expanded into a whole season.
The season should have opened with the Italians being flown in and killing the wrong guy. Then one or two episodes later, New York goes after Sylvio and Bobby. The whole season is full of feuding with Phil Leotardo. Tony kills Chris in a more climactic way. Throw an AJ episode in there somewhere, maybe one dedicated to Melfi "dumping" him, then in the second-to-last episode they learn Phil's location and have the meeting to flip his guy. Final episode opens with Phil's execution, then most of it is dedicated to Carlo going missing and the FBI getting grand jury testimony.
I've taken him this far. Now David Chase just needs to go back to the drawing board AND WRITE ME A FUCKING ENDING! No, I can't come up with anything better. That doesn't mean he shouldn't. I'm not the series creator- it's not my job.
I liked the rest of that episode better this time around. I really like what happened to AJ, I just wish they hadn't crammed it all into the last episode. The scene with Tony and Janice is one of the only scenes of hers that don't make me grit my teeth. It's the first and only time I understood the connection between the two of them and why Tony keeps supporting her.
The encounter with Junior was good, too. And Paulie with the cat was hysterical. "Those things are like snakes with fur."
But I'm still not happy with the ending. I just think his pretentious "commentary" on television went on for too long. He didn't need a precious little device to do that: the whole season was anti-climactic, highlighted by the treatment of Christopher's death. The gag ending was just a cheap shot, as far I'm concerned.
Go ahead, someone leave me a comment saying I didn't understand it. Tell me your deep thoughts about how "we got to feel how he has to live the rest of his in paranoia". Please.
Labels: personal
Stumble It!
KT
There's not much similarity to these hands aside from the fact that they both involve playing KT in the Stars $300. This one might seem like kind of a crazy fold:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t250 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
UTG+1 (t6077)
MP1 (t4047)
MP2 (t1260)
MP3 (t9009)
CO (t3574)
Button (t13840)
SB (t3944)
Hero (t14100)
UTG (t3550)
Preflop: Hero is BB with Kc, Th.
4 folds, MP3 raises to t500, 3 folds, Hero calls t250.
Flop: (t1475) 3d, Kh, 6c (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 checks.
Turn: (t1475) 9d (2 players)
Hero bets t825, MP3 raises to t2000, Hero calls t1175.
River: (t5475) 5s (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 bets t1750, Hero folds.
Final Pot: t6700
Really though it doesn't much matter that I have OMGTOPPAIR. His line is either a bluff or a much better hand than KT. I don't beat anything he's value betting, and I'm pretty sure that river bet is not a value bet.
This one is more interesting:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
MP3 (t4815)
CO (t8469)
Button (t11025)
SB (t9384)
BB (t9701)
UTG (t13496)
UTG+1 (t8611)
Hero (t11125)
MP2 (t2737)
Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Tc, Kc.
2 folds, Hero raises to t800, 3 folds, Button calls t800, 2 folds.
Flop: (t2450) Th, 9c, 3c (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t1200, Hero calls t1200.
Turn: (t4850) 6s (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t1500, Hero calls t1500.
River: (t7200) 3s (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.
Final Pot: t7200
I ended up losing to his pair of Jacks, but that's not the interesting part. He was kind of fishy, but his pre-flop call is showing a fair bit of strength nonetheless given the stack sizes. This isn't a board I'm going to be betting at if I have something like AQ. And even if I check and call one bet with a hand like 98, I'm going to be checking and folding almost any turn.
At the same time, because there are a lot of draws out and I think he often has a hand, I'm usually going to lead out when I think I'm good. So I'd really like to supplement my ranges with a hand that can check and call down. Top pair good kicker with a flush draw is pretty much the perfect candidate for this, because I never fold out better hands with a bet, but there are also very few turn cards I fear seeing. Even some of the worst, such as a J or a Q, give me a gutshot to go along with my flush draw.
Stumble It!
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t250 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
UTG+1 (t6077)
MP1 (t4047)
MP2 (t1260)
MP3 (t9009)
CO (t3574)
Button (t13840)
SB (t3944)
Hero (t14100)
UTG (t3550)
Preflop: Hero is BB with Kc, Th.
4 folds, MP3 raises to t500, 3 folds, Hero calls t250.
Flop: (t1475) 3d, Kh, 6c (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 checks.
Turn: (t1475) 9d (2 players)
Hero bets t825, MP3 raises to t2000, Hero calls t1175.
River: (t5475) 5s (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 bets t1750, Hero folds.
Final Pot: t6700
Really though it doesn't much matter that I have OMGTOPPAIR. His line is either a bluff or a much better hand than KT. I don't beat anything he's value betting, and I'm pretty sure that river bet is not a value bet.
This one is more interesting:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
MP3 (t4815)
CO (t8469)
Button (t11025)
SB (t9384)
BB (t9701)
UTG (t13496)
UTG+1 (t8611)
Hero (t11125)
MP2 (t2737)
Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Tc, Kc.
2 folds, Hero raises to t800, 3 folds, Button calls t800, 2 folds.
Flop: (t2450) Th, 9c, 3c (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t1200, Hero calls t1200.
Turn: (t4850) 6s (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t1500, Hero calls t1500.
River: (t7200) 3s (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.
Final Pot: t7200
I ended up losing to his pair of Jacks, but that's not the interesting part. He was kind of fishy, but his pre-flop call is showing a fair bit of strength nonetheless given the stack sizes. This isn't a board I'm going to be betting at if I have something like AQ. And even if I check and call one bet with a hand like 98, I'm going to be checking and folding almost any turn.
At the same time, because there are a lot of draws out and I think he often has a hand, I'm usually going to lead out when I think I'm good. So I'd really like to supplement my ranges with a hand that can check and call down. Top pair good kicker with a flush draw is pretty much the perfect candidate for this, because I never fold out better hands with a bet, but there are also very few turn cards I fear seeing. Even some of the worst, such as a J or a Q, give me a gutshot to go along with my flush draw.
Labels: NLHE, poker, poker strategy, session review, tournament
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Great Jman Interview
Cardplayer recently posted a very interesting and informative interview with Phil Galfond, who posts as JMan on the 2+2 Forums and plays as OMGClayAiken in the biggest NLHE games. There were a few points I found particularly noteworthy:
1. Phil was a student of the great Tommy Angelo, and it shows. When the interviewer, Shawn Green, asks about aspects of his game that need improvement, Phil doesn't talk about bluffing too much or playing too many Kxs hands from out-of-position. Instead, he says that he only plays his A Game about 60% of the time, and that he would make a lot more money if he could achieve better focus.
2. Phil repeatedly took shots at big games for which he was not properly rolled, lost big, and had to move down and rebuild. Yet he managed and is now one of the best players in the world at any limit. I was fortunate enough to run hot after moving into some big games with an adequate bankroll and am still down in the dumps about the subsequent downswing. It's very helpful to see players who have more than recovered from much worse.
3. Phil discusses a great eye-opening moment where he was discussing a hand with H@llingol and Durr. H@l had top pair with a weak kicker and was facing a big bet on the river. Phil thought it was a very close decision between calling and folding. "I would shove," Durr suggested. A great player is always considering every option, not just the obvious ones.
Stumble It!
1. Phil was a student of the great Tommy Angelo, and it shows. When the interviewer, Shawn Green, asks about aspects of his game that need improvement, Phil doesn't talk about bluffing too much or playing too many Kxs hands from out-of-position. Instead, he says that he only plays his A Game about 60% of the time, and that he would make a lot more money if he could achieve better focus.
2. Phil repeatedly took shots at big games for which he was not properly rolled, lost big, and had to move down and rebuild. Yet he managed and is now one of the best players in the world at any limit. I was fortunate enough to run hot after moving into some big games with an adequate bankroll and am still down in the dumps about the subsequent downswing. It's very helpful to see players who have more than recovered from much worse.
3. Phil discusses a great eye-opening moment where he was discussing a hand with H@llingol and Durr. H@l had top pair with a weak kicker and was facing a big bet on the river. Phil thought it was a very close decision between calling and folding. "I would shove," Durr suggested. A great player is always considering every option, not just the obvious ones.
Labels: NLHE, poker, poker strategy
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Bryan Clark Owns
I don't know how he did it, but Bryan Clark (AKA Dynasty, the editor of 2+2 Magazine) managed to defuse Mason Malmuth's temper. In both our public and private communications, he gave no ground whatsoever and continued to insist that I deliberately misrepresented the Harrington on Cash series in my reviews. (For those who need the backstory on this, see my post from two days ago).
He was demanding a retraction, which I was obviously not going to do, and I was ready to give him a piece of my mind. I'm sure whatever I said would have closed the door on my ever writing for the magazine again, but that seemed like a fait accompli at that point anyway. However, Bryan convinced me to hold my tongue until he spoke with Mason again. I wasn't optimistic, but I let him do his thing, and boy did he ever come through. Apparently, though he still insists that my reviews misrepresent the contents of the books, Mason no longer believes that this was deliberate on my part and he is OK with my continuing to write for the magazine.
In his defense, Mason apparently did not know that Foucault the 2+2 poster was Andrew Brokos the magazine author. This makes it somewhat more reasonable for him to reach the conclusion that I had malicious intent in reviewing the books. Though I still don't think it's an appropriate conclusion for him to jump to, it's more understandable and I am no longer particularly insulted. I mostly just want the whole thing to blow over at this point, which seems to be his preference as well.
Except that he wants me to meet with him, Bryan, Dan Harrington, and Bill Robertie this summer when I'm in Vegas for the WSOP. Under different circumstances, that would be very cool, but since they all have good reason to be feeling antagonistic towards me, I'm pretty sure it's going to be uncomfortable.
But whatever, I wouldn't have put it in writing if I wasn't willing to defend it to the authors' faces. I do regret that the tone of the reviews was so hostile, but so far I haven't been convinced that any of my actual arguments are wrong. And I certainly owe it to Bryan to attend, assuming the meeting ever actually happens, because I get the sense that he stuck his neck out a bit to keep me on the magazine.
Though I asked him not to, I'm glad that he did. It's -EV, but I've enjoyed writing for the magazine anyway. Looks like I'll have an article in the May issue after all. Thanks Bryan.
Oh and I appreciate the support that you all have shown in the comments here and in the 2+2 thread, but please don't post in it now. Like I said, I want this to blow over. Thanks.
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He was demanding a retraction, which I was obviously not going to do, and I was ready to give him a piece of my mind. I'm sure whatever I said would have closed the door on my ever writing for the magazine again, but that seemed like a fait accompli at that point anyway. However, Bryan convinced me to hold my tongue until he spoke with Mason again. I wasn't optimistic, but I let him do his thing, and boy did he ever come through. Apparently, though he still insists that my reviews misrepresent the contents of the books, Mason no longer believes that this was deliberate on my part and he is OK with my continuing to write for the magazine.
In his defense, Mason apparently did not know that Foucault the 2+2 poster was Andrew Brokos the magazine author. This makes it somewhat more reasonable for him to reach the conclusion that I had malicious intent in reviewing the books. Though I still don't think it's an appropriate conclusion for him to jump to, it's more understandable and I am no longer particularly insulted. I mostly just want the whole thing to blow over at this point, which seems to be his preference as well.
Except that he wants me to meet with him, Bryan, Dan Harrington, and Bill Robertie this summer when I'm in Vegas for the WSOP. Under different circumstances, that would be very cool, but since they all have good reason to be feeling antagonistic towards me, I'm pretty sure it's going to be uncomfortable.
But whatever, I wouldn't have put it in writing if I wasn't willing to defend it to the authors' faces. I do regret that the tone of the reviews was so hostile, but so far I haven't been convinced that any of my actual arguments are wrong. And I certainly owe it to Bryan to attend, assuming the meeting ever actually happens, because I get the sense that he stuck his neck out a bit to keep me on the magazine.
Though I asked him not to, I'm glad that he did. It's -EV, but I've enjoyed writing for the magazine anyway. Looks like I'll have an article in the May issue after all. Thanks Bryan.
Oh and I appreciate the support that you all have shown in the comments here and in the 2+2 thread, but please don't post in it now. Like I said, I want this to blow over. Thanks.
Labels: book review, personal, poker
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Well next time don't cally my reraise with T8s then
It's funny but not really surprising that even many good players succumb to a certain fishiness. Virtually anyone's natural inclination is against folding. You're guaranteed to lose- how much fun is that? The first big step that any player has to take to go from losing to winning is acquiring the discipline to fold as often is required.
But the urge to callcallcall never goes away, and eventually sophisticated players come up with sophisticated reasons to make fundamentally fishy calls. "Implied odds", "position", "meta-game", and "outplay him post-flop" are the most common. The bottom line is that people just don't fold to reraises as often as they should.
Granted the bigger 6-max games, and even the mid-stakes games, are full of light 3-betting these days. But calling more often is not the way to combat that. Light 4-betting has caught on, and that helps some, but really the best defense is to tighten up your open raises in spots where you're likely to get 3-bet (ie there's an aggressive player on the button). Raising 40% of your hands from the CO is an exploitive strategy that works against players who will let you get away with it. But it is definitely a deviation from optimal play, and when aggressive players behind you demonstrate a willingness to exploit it, your best and only defense is to stop raising so damn much.
The thing about calling light is that, at least with 100 BB stacks, you're going to be too shallow for implied odds, position, or even skill to play nearly large enough role. And you lose sooooooooo much equity when you 13 BBs pre-flop with two undercards to a pocket pair.
Here's an example of a hand againt a guy who likes to make tricky (read: bad) calls of reraises. I have him some tope to "outplay" me, and he took it:
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But the urge to callcallcall never goes away, and eventually sophisticated players come up with sophisticated reasons to make fundamentally fishy calls. "Implied odds", "position", "meta-game", and "outplay him post-flop" are the most common. The bottom line is that people just don't fold to reraises as often as they should.
Granted the bigger 6-max games, and even the mid-stakes games, are full of light 3-betting these days. But calling more often is not the way to combat that. Light 4-betting has caught on, and that helps some, but really the best defense is to tighten up your open raises in spots where you're likely to get 3-bet (ie there's an aggressive player on the button). Raising 40% of your hands from the CO is an exploitive strategy that works against players who will let you get away with it. But it is definitely a deviation from optimal play, and when aggressive players behind you demonstrate a willingness to exploit it, your best and only defense is to stop raising so damn much.
The thing about calling light is that, at least with 100 BB stacks, you're going to be too shallow for implied odds, position, or even skill to play nearly large enough role. And you lose sooooooooo much equity when you 13 BBs pre-flop with two undercards to a pocket pair.
Here's an example of a hand againt a guy who likes to make tricky (read: bad) calls of reraises. I have him some tope to "outplay" me, and he took it:
Labels: NLHE, poker, poker strategy, session review
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Monday, April 21, 2008
Mason is Upset
Mason Malmuth, the owner of Two Plus Two Publishing, was none too happy with the reviews of the Harrington on Cash Series that I posted on the 2+2 Forums. His responses were split roughly 50/50 between substantive rebuttals of particular critiques I made and personal attacks regarding my motivations. Though he was condescending and rude throughout, I found this passage particularly insulting:
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At dinner with Dan and Bill, we actually discussed these reviews a little bit. The main question they had was why would someone so completely mis-characterize what was in the books, and then explain why so much was wrong. My answer was that if you can be the one who shows how Dan Harrington (and Bill Robertie as well as Two Plus Two Publishing) got it all wrong, you will achieve instant credibility as a poker expert who should be listened to.Given how long I have been contributing to the 2+2 forums and writing for 2+2 Internet Magazine, not to mention favorably reviewing other 2+2 books, this is both absurd and insulting. Technically my article for the May issue of the magazine is due on Friday, but at this point I'm not sure if I want to continue writing for them, nor if my submission would be welcome. At the moment, Mason has said he isn't going to "bother" responding to my defense of the review, but I wouldn't be surprised if he changes his mind on that. Or just bans me. Guess I'll see what happens in the next day or two and then make a decision.
I gave myself as an example of someone who over a period of well over 20 years produced a body of work that was there for anyone to evaluate. But many of these new writers, due to the fact that the poker boom is now, don't have 20 years (or more) to establish themselves. So they take this other path.
Labels: book review, personal, poker
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Sunday, April 20, 2008
WPT-Players' Dispute Settled Out of Court
According to PokerNews, the WPT has settled its dispute with several prominent players (Duke, Bloch, Ferguson, Lederer, and Gordon) regarding the terms of the release that players must sign to play in World Poker Tour events.:
"In their original lawsuit, the players claimed that the terms of the WPTE player release would force them to violate other endorsement agreements and rights to images that the players and their sponsors had otherwise contracted for, and as a result, the players were forced to forego participating in WPT events. The action was framed in antitrust terms, alleging that WPTE and its partner casinos unlawfully conspired to eliminate competition and violated the intellectual property rights of these players. WPTE strictly denied that its standard player release was in any way "in violation of antitrust or other laws." The modified player release, while not detailed by WPTE, likely addresses related concerns."
Lacking the time, money, and inclination to play any WPT events, I never looked into the exact wording, but I trust that the players were on the right side of this one. Those are some pretty wise folks, and I would trust their judgment on an issue like this. Now that the release has been changed, I'm probably a bit more likely to play a WPT tournament in the next year. But first I need to remember how to be good at poker....
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"In their original lawsuit, the players claimed that the terms of the WPTE player release would force them to violate other endorsement agreements and rights to images that the players and their sponsors had otherwise contracted for, and as a result, the players were forced to forego participating in WPT events. The action was framed in antitrust terms, alleging that WPTE and its partner casinos unlawfully conspired to eliminate competition and violated the intellectual property rights of these players. WPTE strictly denied that its standard player release was in any way "in violation of antitrust or other laws." The modified player release, while not detailed by WPTE, likely addresses related concerns."
Lacking the time, money, and inclination to play any WPT events, I never looked into the exact wording, but I trust that the players were on the right side of this one. Those are some pretty wise folks, and I would trust their judgment on an issue like this. Now that the release has been changed, I'm probably a bit more likely to play a WPT tournament in the next year. But first I need to remember how to be good at poker....
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Overcalling KK
For some reason, FTP has a $54321 guaranteed tournament today where everyone started with 4321 chips. I played this hand about three hours in. I got an unlucky flop, but I thought this was kind of an interesting play:
Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold'em Tournament, 200/400 Blinds, 50 Ante, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
BB: 5,974
UTG: 25,181
UTG+1: 34,838
UTG+2: 9,486
MP1: 10,637
MP2: 11,590
CO: 27,549
Hero (BTN): 10,450
SB: 16,608
Pre-Flop: (1,050) K K dealt to Hero (BTN)
UTG raises to 1,250, 3 folds, MP2 calls 1,250, CO folds, Hero calls 1,250, 2 folds
Flop: (4,800) 9 A 7 (3 Players)
UTG checks, MP2 checks, Hero checks
Turn: (4,800) 3 (3 Players)
UTG bets 2,000, MP2 calls 2,000, Hero folds
River: (8,800) Q (2 Players)
UTG checks, MP2 bets 3,900, UTG folds
Results: 8,800 Pot
MP2 mucked and WON 8,800 (+5,500 NET)
I had two reasons for doing this. The first was that a reraise would show tremendous strength. It would commit 10,500 chips against an UTG raise of 1250 and probably would get action only from QQ, AK, and maybe JJ (and AA of course, but that's no good.) Hopefully I can trap a much wider range of hands post-flop, at the risk of occasionally seeing an A or getting trapped myself by a set or something.
The second reason was that the BB had a nice shoving stack. I was hoping to entice a squeeze play from him and maaaaaaaaaybe even get one of the others to isolate him with a wider range than they would have taken up against a squeeze from me.
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Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold'em Tournament, 200/400 Blinds, 50 Ante, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter
BB: 5,974
UTG: 25,181
UTG+1: 34,838
UTG+2: 9,486
MP1: 10,637
MP2: 11,590
CO: 27,549
Hero (BTN): 10,450
SB: 16,608
Pre-Flop: (1,050) K
K dealt to Hero (BTN)UTG raises to 1,250, 3 folds, MP2 calls 1,250, CO folds, Hero calls 1,250, 2 folds
Flop: (4,800) 9
A 7 (3 Players)UTG checks, MP2 checks, Hero checks
Turn: (4,800) 3
(3 Players)UTG bets 2,000, MP2 calls 2,000, Hero folds
River: (8,800) Q
(2 Players)UTG checks, MP2 bets 3,900, UTG folds
Results: 8,800 Pot
MP2 mucked and WON 8,800 (+5,500 NET)
I had two reasons for doing this. The first was that a reraise would show tremendous strength. It would commit 10,500 chips against an UTG raise of 1250 and probably would get action only from QQ, AK, and maybe JJ (and AA of course, but that's no good.) Hopefully I can trap a much wider range of hands post-flop, at the risk of occasionally seeing an A or getting trapped myself by a set or something.
The second reason was that the BB had a nice shoving stack. I was hoping to entice a squeeze play from him and maaaaaaaaaybe even get one of the others to isolate him with a wider range than they would have taken up against a squeeze from me.
Labels: NLHE, poker, poker strategy, session review, tournament
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
More Overly Thin PLO Value Betting
This is a pretty consistent problem for me:
Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter
Stack sizes:
UTG: $302.70
UTG+1: $361.75
CO: $338
Foucault: $400
SB: $76
BB: $304
Pre-flop: (6 players) Foucault is Button with
2 folds, CO raises to $12, Foucault calls, SB folds, BB calls.
Flop:
($38, 3 players)
BB checks, CO checks, Foucault bets $33, BB calls, CO folds.
Turn:
($104, 2 players)
BB checks, Foucault bets $80, BB calls.
River:
($264, 2 players)
BB checks, Foucault bets $261, BB calls all-in $179.
Uncalled bets: $82 returned to Foucault.
Results:
Final pot: $622
He won with [6h 7h 4d 2s] (a full house, Sixes full of Deuces). Granted he made a pretty implausible full house, but there really aren't second best hands for him to have here. Flopped two pairs either boated up or got counterfeited, draws missed (unless we are chopping), and the 6 has to be a scared card if he has a K. The 6 in my hand made me a bit more confident, and his failure to raise the flop or turn made me think he didn't have a set, so I was thinking he'd have to hold the case 6 to make a boat. But I wasn't thinking enough about which worse hands could call me.
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Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter
Stack sizes:
UTG: $302.70
UTG+1: $361.75
CO: $338
Foucault: $400
SB: $76
BB: $304
Pre-flop: (6 players) Foucault is Button with
2 folds, CO raises to $12, Foucault calls, SB folds, BB calls.
Flop:
($38, 3 players)BB checks, CO checks, Foucault bets $33, BB calls, CO folds.
Turn:
($104, 2 players)BB checks, Foucault bets $80, BB calls.
River:
($264, 2 players)BB checks, Foucault bets $261, BB calls all-in $179.
Uncalled bets: $82 returned to Foucault.
Results:
Final pot: $622
He won with [6h 7h 4d 2s] (a full house, Sixes full of Deuces). Granted he made a pretty implausible full house, but there really aren't second best hands for him to have here. Flopped two pairs either boated up or got counterfeited, draws missed (unless we are chopping), and the 6 has to be a scared card if he has a K. The 6 in my hand made me a bit more confident, and his failure to raise the flop or turn made me think he didn't have a set, so I was thinking he'd have to hold the case 6 to make a boat. But I wasn't thinking enough about which worse hands could call me.
Labels: PLO, poker, poker strategy, session review
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Daniel Negreanu Interview Blow-Up with SIKTILT.COM
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Thing About Tournaments
... is that they reward monkey bullshit. And that's the good and the bad thing about them. A skilled player has a smaller edge because the monkeys are rarely making that big of a mistake if they stick their whole stack in with anything pre-flop or with any kind of pair/draw on the flop. But, that's why so many more bad players play tournaments, and at least their popularity has fueled a resurgence of NLHE cash games.
In the Stars $300, UTG+1 opens to 300 at 50/100 and he has like 2000 behind. I'm in the BB with TT, and I'm thinking this is kind of a bad spot because I over-represent my hand by re-raising but there's a lot of bad flops if I just call. I decided just to shove, thinking it would look like AK and I might get coin flip hands like AJ, AQ, and KQ to fold and maybe even get worse pairs to call. Unfortunately, the clown snap-called me with AQ and hit. OK.
Meanwhile in the FTP $100 rebuy, we're still in the rebuy period, and a successful, well-known internet tournament pro raises his button to 90 at 15/30. The SB calls, and I make my third squeeze play of the hour with KQ, popping it to 450 or so. Button calls, SB folds. Flop Qs 9s 6d. I figure he's calling thinking I'm FOS and is going to jam a lot of flops, so I bet like 800 with 2800 behind, he jams, and I snap-call. Of course he's called my reraise with 4s 3s hoping to "outplay me" and I guess he does because the Js comes on the river.
The same dude gets up a big stack then loses a lot of it (didn't see how), then starts shoving every hand. Finally he gets called by 77 only to flip QQ and double up.
A little while later, at 60/120, the CO opens to 360, same tourney donk calls on the button, and the SB calls. I have about 3200 and 22 in the SB. I shove and then regret, figuring that one of the callers often has a pair and is never folding it. And even if not, I'm never better than 55% against a caller. Whoops, forgot about K2s, which is what tourney donk calls with. I hold to double up.
He stars tilt shoving again, and eventually I get AJ and call him for like 25 BB. He shows KQ and hits to bust me. Any game where a guy can shove every hand and not be a huge dog is a stupid game. There I said it.
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In the Stars $300, UTG+1 opens to 300 at 50/100 and he has like 2000 behind. I'm in the BB with TT, and I'm thinking this is kind of a bad spot because I over-represent my hand by re-raising but there's a lot of bad flops if I just call. I decided just to shove, thinking it would look like AK and I might get coin flip hands like AJ, AQ, and KQ to fold and maybe even get worse pairs to call. Unfortunately, the clown snap-called me with AQ and hit. OK.
Meanwhile in the FTP $100 rebuy, we're still in the rebuy period, and a successful, well-known internet tournament pro raises his button to 90 at 15/30. The SB calls, and I make my third squeeze play of the hour with KQ, popping it to 450 or so. Button calls, SB folds. Flop Qs 9s 6d. I figure he's calling thinking I'm FOS and is going to jam a lot of flops, so I bet like 800 with 2800 behind, he jams, and I snap-call. Of course he's called my reraise with 4s 3s hoping to "outplay me" and I guess he does because the Js comes on the river.
The same dude gets up a big stack then loses a lot of it (didn't see how), then starts shoving every hand. Finally he gets called by 77 only to flip QQ and double up.
A little while later, at 60/120, the CO opens to 360, same tourney donk calls on the button, and the SB calls. I have about 3200 and 22 in the SB. I shove and then regret, figuring that one of the callers often has a pair and is never folding it. And even if not, I'm never better than 55% against a caller. Whoops, forgot about K2s, which is what tourney donk calls with. I hold to double up.
He stars tilt shoving again, and eventually I get AJ and call him for like 25 BB. He shows KQ and hits to bust me. Any game where a guy can shove every hand and not be a huge dog is a stupid game. There I said it.
Labels: NLHE, poker, tournament
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Bill Vosti Responds
Been meaning to post this, it's Bill's response to my review of his e-book, How to Beat NLHE 6-Max Cash Games:
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Thanks for reviewing the book.
I won't comment on everything -- you have some valid points although I do feel a beginner can use this book. It's a little steep for a true beginner but with some work I think anyone can get it (my Mom's never played or read about poker but is now giving the micro's a go after reading my book :P)
My target audience was from beginners to 200 NL players FWIW. Things like the 600NL video to show what a game like that plays like.
Agreed the affiliate shilling is lame and will be removed in the next edition.
As for things like the games changing, I plan to update the book every 6 months or so to keep it fresh and up to date -- such as 3-bet %, which is available on Hold 'Em Manager and will be on PT3, will be very important stats to use in upcoming games.
I feel the book has more value than you do, although that's up to interpretations about my writing. From my experience with poker books, I've felt I've wrote concepts more clearly and plainly in a conversational tone so someone can really understand it and apply it.
Also, as for "you need more experience.." stuff. I can see it being considered a "cop out" though it's what I really feel. I think some things just can't be explained in a book.. I would need to be 1 on 1 with someone, know exactly how they play, etc etc before I could really give them advice on some deeper subjects.
Labels: book review, NLHE, poker, poker strategy
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
FoxwoodsFiend Quitting Poker
The well-known 2+2'er and high-stakes no-limit player FoxwoodsFiend announced yesterday that he is quitting poker:
Except that in his case, that's... trading for a hedge fund? I was really surprised by that, since I was otherwise digging his post. But a trader is basically a larger-scale poker player. Just because you wear a suit and have something people recognize as a "job" doesn't make you're work meaningful. Of course I know nothing about FF's interest in or qualifications for trading, and I don't doubt that he'll be good at it. I was just surprised to see that as the culmination of his very thought-provoking essay.
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The truth is I want to do something important with my life, and I don’t think poker’s that important or meaningful. Given that I eventually need to quit, now’s as good a time as any. And that’s why I’m quitting poker.A lot of his very long post on the subject (though not the bits about degenerate gambling or the six-figure scores) is quite reminiscent of my own thinking and background. We're both young, but not quite as young as many internet pros, and educated by elite universities (he's a Yale alum). I'm familiar with his sense that dedicating his life and skills to poker would be a waste. And I'm quite sympathetic his desire to do something "meaningful".
Except that in his case, that's... trading for a hedge fund? I was really surprised by that, since I was otherwise digging his post. But a trader is basically a larger-scale poker player. Just because you wear a suit and have something people recognize as a "job" doesn't make you're work meaningful. Of course I know nothing about FF's interest in or qualifications for trading, and I don't doubt that he'll be good at it. I was just surprised to see that as the culmination of his very thought-provoking essay.
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Sunday, April 13, 2008
Paul "UCLABruinz" Smith Wins Bellagio 2K
Paul Smith AKA UCLABruinz, shown here with his daughter (yes his head really is that huge), just took down a $2000 Bellagio prelim event for $203,495.I've known Paul for a while through the 2+2 forums, but I first met him in real life at the 2006 WSOP. I was really impressed with him as both a poker player and a person, and I can't imagine a nicer, more deserving guy to win a big score like this. Except for me of course. But Paul is a notable exception to what I was just saying about how I don't like spending my time in the company of poker players.
On a recent episode of the 2+2 Pokercast, Eric "Sheets" Haber spoke about the difficulties of running a staking empire: managing your money well, determining how good a potential horse actually is, dealing with the inherent risks of deception and tilt on the part of your horses, etc. Paul, who has just made Eric a good deal of money, strikes me as the rare sure thing. He's undoubtedly a strong player and very reliable to boot. I just wish I had a Sheets-sized bankroll so that I could afford to put great players like Paul into the largest buy-in tournaments.
Way to go Paul! Very happy for you. Hopefully we can meet up again this summer.
Labels: Las Vegas, personal, poker
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I'm In the Kansas City Star
Last weekend, I accompanied several of my debaters to an urban debate league national championship in Chicago. As the director of the Boston Debate League, I rarely have the time (or inclination) to judge debates myself. However, I did judge a few rounds while in Chicago. In particular, I had the pleasure of judging a young man from Kansas City named Sean Easterwood (pictured at left with his coach, Jane Rinehart, and administrators from the Kansas City Urban Debate League).Sean was one of the best speakers I've seen, and I've seen thousands. When Sean won top speaker at the tournament, I was not surprised. When a reporter from the Kansas City Star called me about an article he was writing on Sean, I was not surprised. (Well, I wasn't surprised that a reporter would do want to write an article about Sean. I was surprised that he had bothered to track down Sean's judges from the national championship).
I had trouble putting into words what exactly it was that I liked about Sean, which is rare for me, but the reporter did a nice job of turning my rambling into a coherent thought:
Judging Sean was also exciting for me because he debates for Kansas City Central, the debate team that was the subject of one of my favorite books, Cross-Ex. Even if I weren't deeply immersed in the world of urban debate leagues, I would have loved this white journalist's account of following, and eventually coaching, the largely black team as they "challenge[d] the debate community on race, power, and education."Thirty-four teams from 19 debate leagues across the nation battled it out in Chicago last weekend at the Chase Urban Debate National Championship. [Sean] earned a $2,500 scholarship for snaring the top individual award.
And he did it while attacking some of the hectic, rapid-fire tactics of debate even as he showed he could dominate that style, said judge Andrew Brokos.
“He was charismatic and principled,” Brokos said. “He had all the skills … to play within the game while getting the judges to acknowledge his criticism of the game.”
Jane Rinehart, who coaches at Central and was one of the "stars" of the book, has apparently taken Sean into her home as well and is now his legal guardian. The article is pretty vague regarding what happened, but it sounds like his family just up and took off on him while he was away at a debate tournament:
That’s how, at 17, you bear the weight of having walked up the steps to your home after returning from another out-of-town tournament and finding the window blinds gone, the furniture gone…
This is my favorite thing about the urban debate league scene, and what makes it so different from poker. Virtually everyone I meet, both students and coaches/administrators, are extraordinary and inspiring people who have done, are doing, or surely will do great things. It's incredibly uplifting to spend time in their company. Compare that to the usual lineup at a 2/5 NL table at Foxwoods, and you'll understand why I don't enjoy live poker.
Labels: personal, urban debate league
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
Book Review: How to Beat NLHE 6-Max Cash Games
My One Minute Recommendation: Smaller stakes players who want a big picture view of advanced concepts that they’ll need to understand to win at higher stakes will probably get their money’s worth. Beginners, however, should find another resource that’s written specifically for them and presented in a more tiered and structured fashion.Surprisingly, How to Beat NLHE 6-Max Cash Games is one of the only poker books on the market focusing on the short-handed games that are so popular online. Bill Vosti is a good author for such a book. Though he doesn’t have the winnings or reputation of an internet wunderkind like Phil Galfond or Brian Townsend, he’s been a solid winner in both tournament poker and cash games on the internet for several years.
What Vosti is not, however, is a teacher. While a lot of important fundamentals and advanced concepts can be found in his book, the presentation is often shallow and disorganized. The central problem is that the author seems not to have a clear audience in mind. The ad copy promoting his e-book appeals to complete newbs looking to get-rich-quick by playing poker online, and the book itself start