I was in the mood for some heads up poker yesterday, but when I started my own table, everyone who sat down kept buying in for less than half the maximum. This isn’t really a problem, because these guys tend … Read more…
Yesterday was a great day. My routine these days is usually to play for an hour or two most afternoons, and then if the games are good and I’m in a good mindset, I’ll keep playing for as long as … Read more…
I finished 38th out of more than 3700 in the weekly $215 on Full Tilt, which was good but not good enough. I was 11th with 77 to go, then I raised 33 on the button, called a shove from … Read more…
I made a nice run in the FTP $322 6-max yesterday only to have my dreams crushed on the bubble. With 25 players left, I was in 5th place. Everyone at my table was shorter than I and had been … Read more…
Very sorry for the current, hideous appearance of the blog. I’m not sure how it happened but I’m trying to fix it.
Also from the $200 6-max second chance. Here’s tool number one: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com MP (t21030)Hero (t11484)Button (Tool 1) (t3693)SB (Tool 2) (t4305)BB (t3862)UTG (t12388) Preflop: Hero … Read more…
I just heard that Nat Arem is producing an online documentary about four college-aged internet poker players who call themselves Team Domeski. I couldn’t get Blogger to upload the video properly, but you can click here to see the trailer. … Read more…
I need to learn to fold flushes. The games are less aggressive, so people are showing up with stronger hands when all the money goes in. Two examples: Full Tilt Poker – No Limit Hold’em Cash Game – $5/$10 Blinds … Read more…
Can I make “The Executioner” my new nickname?
My friend Logan happened to look in on me yesterday while I was playing and sent me this e-mail: “I have a note on xxxx at your 5-10 table. Heads up he will min check raise as a bluff or … Read more…
Full Tilt Poker – No Limit Hold’em Cash Game – $5/$10 Blinds – 3 Players – (LegoPoker Hand History Converter) SB: $1,223.00BB: $1,220.50Hero (BTN): $995.00 Preflop: Hero is dealt 9 T (3 Players)Hero raises to $35.00, SB calls $30.00, BB … Read more…
Full Tilt Poker – No Limit Hold’em Cash Game – $5/$10 Blinds – 6 Players – (LegoPoker Hand History Converter) SB: $1,686.00BB: $1,400.75UTG: $132.00MP: $1,274.00Hero (CO): $1,058.25BTN: $884.00 Preflop: Hero is dealt J Q (6 Players)2 folds, Hero raises to … Read more…
Full Tilt Poker – No Limit Hold’em Cash Game – $3/$6 Blinds – 5 Players – (LegoPoker Hand History Converter) SB: $603.00BB: $630.00UTG: $685.00CO: $887.00Hero (BTN): $600.00 Preflop: Hero is dealt Q Q (5 Players)2 folds, Hero raises to $21.00, … Read more…
This is from a $100 freezeout on Poker Stars. Villain in this hand is Lilholdem, one of the most successful tournament players around. From what I’ve seen, he’s loose and aggressive, sometimes to a fault. PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big … Read more…
Sorry things have been slow recently, but I haven’t played much, with Boston’s summer institute last week, and now I’m headed out to Chicago to volunteer for a week at their institute. I won’t be playing much if any poker, … Read more…
Not that we’re in agreement politically, but I’ve got a lot of respect for McCain, more than I have for pretty much any other politician. He seems genuine, humble, funny, intelligent, thoughtful, etc. Nothing like a few years in a … Read more…
Came across this strange but quite well done poker video today:
The last hand that I posted involved me shoving pocket Tens on a KQxx board against a guy who had reraised me pre-flop and then bet the flop and turn. Part of my reasoning was that when the K turned, … Read more…
Full Tilt PokerNo Limit Holdem Ring gameBlinds: $5/$106 playersConverter Stack sizes:UTG: $1000Foucault: $1711CO: $1514Button: $551SB: $1850.75BB: $1163 Pre-flop: (6 players) Foucault is UTG+1 with :th :tdUTG folds, Foucault raises to $35, CO calls, 2 folds, BB raises to $145, Foucault … Read more…
PLO has long been my worst game, but it’s also the second most popular form of poker after NLHE, especially for higher stakes games, so I’d really like to learn it. I’ve been playing 1/2 from time to time, just … Read more…
I’d never played the $1000 FTP Money Monday until last night, but at the time, it just felt right. I’m an early-to-bed, early-to-rise kind of guy, and I often start getting tired around 9PM. Last night, however, I felt awake … Read more…
Ugh, yesterday was not a good day. I spent most of the day playing 6-8 tables of big Sunday tournaments and 5-10 NL. I wasn’t playing particularly well in either, and combined with some moderately bad luck, this led to … Read more…
This isn’t a move I make often, but here the stars were aligned correctly. My opponent was very aggressive at several tables and seemed to be targeting me specifically (not a bad approach, since I was playing more weak hands … Read more…
Came across a good story recently on the blog of 2+2 poster Degen about being arrested for playing poker in Thailand. I couldn’t figure out how to link to just that post, but it’s currently the top item on his … Read more…
Sorry for the lack of updates recently, I didn’t realize how long it had been because I actually posted something two days ago, but then Blogger ate it and I was too despondent to retype it all. But I still … Read more…
OK this is pretty much just a brag post, but whatever, I had a huge day today, thanks in no small part to this first guy. Here’s some masterful play by him that angers the universe: Full Tilt Poker No-Limit … Read more…
The 5/10 NL FTP game is very aggressive, much more so than the 3/6 game. That’s given me opportunities to make some big calls, which is always fun. Here’s a few from last night: Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold’em, $10 … Read more…
I made a squeeze play with rags and ended up sucking out on some terrible player. He told me how awful I was to re-raise with J7 etc etc so I challenge him to 10/20 NL heads up and he … Read more…
Poker received brief but favorable mention on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times this week. The piece, Texas Hold ‘Em Seizes Gotham, focuses on a character nicknamed “Old Man”. Old Mas is portrayed positively as a responsible recreational … Read more…
That blogger from the Balitmore Sun whom I mentioned a few days ago just posted another little blurb about me. His conclusion? “…super smart and level-headed don’t always necessarily go together. It’s refreshing to see when it does.” I’m blushing.
I wasn’t feeling real well today, so I only played three of the majors: the $200 million guarantee on Stars, the $500 million guarantee on FTP, and $200 200K guarantee on UB. I ended up cashing kinda well in all … Read more…
As I was driving to the Rio on July 4th, whatever radio station I was listening to at the time wished me a “Happy Fourth from the All-American Radio Station” and then started playing the song, “Fortunate Son” by Creedence … Read more…
This was only my third hand at the table, but I’d already established an aggressive image at the table by steal raising from late position on the first two hands, once checking and folding when my opponent caught better than … Read more…
I went out to the Rio last night to play the 7PM $1000 second chance tournament. For some reason, even though our table was apparently sold out, four players didn’t show up in the time I was there, which unfortunately … Read more…
For those who liked the first Rekrul story I linked a few days ago, here are some more: I Saved a Life TodayI Made a Friend TodayI Made an Enemy Today
2+2’s Matt “mlagoo” Lagoo has just won the largest top prize in the history of the Poker Stars Sunday Million, taking down 1st place money of $315K with no chop in the quarterly $1000 buy-in event. I’ve briefly met Matt … Read more…
Apparently I didn’t have Poker Stars set to record HH’s on this computer, so I don’t have the exact details, but this is from the $200 HORSE tournament. First, the history that set it up: I raised like A239 or … Read more…
This is one of the best poker stories I’ve read. Definitely check it out: Rekrul in Korea
My website is finally up! It’s still a little rough around the edges, but check out https://www.thinkingpoker.net. It’s not just for redirecting anymore! At the moment, there are just a few links to some of what I consider my best … Read more…
A few months ago, I was invited to a meeting at Harvard Law School where a group of academics, journalists, medical professionals, and poker players discussed whether and how to go about legitimizing the game of poker in the United … Read more…
On Friday I played some 5/10 NL at the Rio with Tom (LearnedFromTV on 2+2). He took a seat to my immediate left, but didn’t give me much trouble and provided a welcome relief from the boredom of live cash … Read more…
I won the afternoon $100 tournament on Ultimate Bet. It was a small field, just 99 players, but it was nice to win, since I final tabled yesterday only to go out on the first hand (TT
Thayer Rasmussen, UCFThay3r on Two Plus Two, has final tabled the $10,000 buy-in Mandalay Poker Showdown. Play begins today at Noon. Gogogogogogogogo! PS: Thayer already won $33,000 in a $1000 buy-in preliminary event at Mandalay. I’m not jealous.
Playing the afternoon $150 on FTP, I pick up KK UTG+1 and type in my bet amount. Click raise, nothing happens. kahfldhaglashgdsajhfdashfdaslf piece of [censored] router fklahgdhafkashgdsaf. After much swearing, my connection comes back in time for me to see … Read more…
In general, I’ve found that my opponents at mid-stakes no limit are quite passive: they don’t make a lot of big bluffs, and they aren’t very good at value betting thin. In a lot of ways, this makes them easy … Read more…
This is from today’s $300, 20-minute level Saturday tournament on Poker Stars. The Villain is a pretty solid regular, but I don’t have much of a read on him beyond that. Blinds are at 15/30, I have about 3600, a … Read more…
I came across an amazing post on 2+2 today. I can’t say that I’ve fully grasped its implications yet, but it’s the first time in a while that I’ve found myself moved to think about certain situations in a very … Read more…