Last night was one of my top ten tournaments that the participants are playing for a $250 casino buy-in. Chips were given based on points that were accumulated over a 12 week period. Regular blind schedule was used. It was an interesting final table with a wide variety of poker styles. Mostly it was played very tight as the players didn't want to lose. Here are a few highlights or lowlights, depends on your prospective.
Chip leader had a little under 10,000 in chips. 10th had 4700.
I am not sure about the preflop action of the hand, but in the end the chip leader called an all in and showed 7-2 for I think two pair or trips not sure. The other player turned over Q-8 and was drawing very slim and hit a flush or straight on the river to win the hand. My first question is what is the chip leader doing playing 7-2 in middle position? The play by Q-8 is understandable as that is how he plays and I wouldn't expect anything different from him. Chip leader went on tilt after the hand and never really recovered from the play. If you chose to play 7-2 from out of position don't be upset if you lose! The bad play was by you for playing the hand in the first place not the other player for sucking out on the river.
Once the table was down to 4 players, the play got extremely tight. Chips were very evenly distributed. No one took the initiative to become aggressive to try and win. They all just waited for big hands. Remember people, poker is as much about playing the other players and position then it is about the cards. The player that ended fourth went on tilt because he couldn't get a big hand to push all in with. He would look at his cards and complain how bad they were. Any bet was going to get him to fold. Yet, just about anyone of the hands he could have pushed all in and taken down the blinds and try and stay alive. Worst case he gets a call and at least has a chance to win. Instead he folded until he was all in on his small blind and was beaten by 2-3 off in the big blind because he had to call for less.
In the end a very tight solid player ended up winning basically because he got the best hands on the final table. It is a strategy that rarely gets you the win, but worked in last nights game. Nice playing! Good luck at the Casino!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Poker Streaks
It is interesting how you go in streaks in poker. Some are good and some are really bad. I am currently in one of the bad kind. Over the last week I have played in 3 tournaments and have decent runs being on two final tables. I have had KK in all three tournaments at critical times when I need to chip up. They have been cracked all three times. Once by A-4 suited catching runner runner to get a flush. Once with a runner runner four card straight and the last time it was a call by 6-2 in the big blind because it was only 3 times the blind with one caller and he had a big chip stack. He hit a third 6 on the river. Now I know that you don't win every time with a Big hand like KK, but it would be nice to lose early in a tournament when all or most of my chips aren't at risk. It makes you wonder do I need to play them different. The answer, of course, is no. Late in a tournament you have to make the best of those few big hands that get and accept the fact that you may lose. I may be able to lay them down if I am close to the money bubble at a cash tournament, but I like think that I am always playing to win. Hopefully, when I play tomorrow when I get the big hand at that critical time, I will make the right play and win this time.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Bad Beats
As a person that runs lots of bar poker games, I have seen more then my share of bad beats. In fact, I have been on both ends of them many times myself. Today I am going to talk about dealing with bad beats. You play poker, it's going to happen to you.
Now remember if you are playing bar poker that not all players may take it as serious as you may. Some people play solely as a form of socialization. To them it is about the people and the evening more then it is about poker. Other, face it, are just not smart enough to know any better. Then there are players like me that take the game very serious and use each poker game as a learning experience. Yes, we do suck out sometimes, but it is usually because of being all in or by pot odded into calling.
Now taking this all into account, how should you handle a bad beat? My suggestion is to say "Nice Hand" or "Nice Hand Sir". Walk away and take a second to catch your breath before you say something you might later regret. Always remember that you have done about the same thing to another player at some time in your poker endeavors. I am person that always tries to teach players to improve their game. Later, I may ask the player what he was thinking when making a call. It is nice to understand what other players are thinking for future reference. I will usually explain why that what did, even though they won, might not have been the best option at the time. Getting mad at player does you and the person no good. It accomplishes nothing except maybe making the player want to try and bad beat you again to get the same reaction next time.
Rules for being Bad Beat!
1. Remain calm
2. Say Nice hand or Nice Hand Sir
3. Walk away and catch your breath
4. Remain calm
5. Spend next 24 hrs telling your bad beats story! LOL!
6. Let it go before you play again!
If all else fails start a blog like me!
Now remember if you are playing bar poker that not all players may take it as serious as you may. Some people play solely as a form of socialization. To them it is about the people and the evening more then it is about poker. Other, face it, are just not smart enough to know any better. Then there are players like me that take the game very serious and use each poker game as a learning experience. Yes, we do suck out sometimes, but it is usually because of being all in or by pot odded into calling.
Now taking this all into account, how should you handle a bad beat? My suggestion is to say "Nice Hand" or "Nice Hand Sir". Walk away and take a second to catch your breath before you say something you might later regret. Always remember that you have done about the same thing to another player at some time in your poker endeavors. I am person that always tries to teach players to improve their game. Later, I may ask the player what he was thinking when making a call. It is nice to understand what other players are thinking for future reference. I will usually explain why that what did, even though they won, might not have been the best option at the time. Getting mad at player does you and the person no good. It accomplishes nothing except maybe making the player want to try and bad beat you again to get the same reaction next time.
Rules for being Bad Beat!
1. Remain calm
2. Say Nice hand or Nice Hand Sir
3. Walk away and catch your breath
4. Remain calm
5. Spend next 24 hrs telling your bad beats story! LOL!
6. Let it go before you play again!
If all else fails start a blog like me!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Grand Series of Poker
Went to Milacs to play the 3rd event of the Grand series of Poker. It is part of the Minnesota State Poker Tour. http://www.minnesotastatepokertour.com/ It was a $60 event with 70 players. I have never had a night that my cards ran so hot and I still managed to lose. Here are my first three hands.
Hand #1 small blind A-Q suited. Lots of limpers. I raise to 250, everyone folds.
Hand #2 button A-K unsuited. Lots of limpers. I raise to 250. Two callers. Flop is J-8-3 rainbow. I bet 600, everyone folds.
hand #3 Pocket kings, Lots of limpers, I raise to 250. I am expecting lots of callers this time, but everyone folds.
Later I hand pocket jacks twice. First time raise 5 times blind and get one caller. Flop is Q-10-4 two hearts. I bet 800. He reraises 3000. I fold.
Next time with JJ. under the gun raises 4 times blind. two players later moves all in for more. What to do. I believe I have first player beat. Put him on a pocket pair. The other has overs to me I think. It's all or fold. it is going to cost me over 3/4 of my chips to call. I fold.
Much later, blinds are getting high and I need to make a move. I look down to KK. Under the gun raises. Another player moves in for a little more. I move all in. Under the gun looks at other guy and says I got you beat but can't beat him. LOL!
He fgolds. Guy has A-4 hearts and goes runner runner to flush me on the river. Out a few hands later.
I did manage to win $100 on the 3-6 kill games so it wasn't a wasted trip.
My friend Dustin also rode a long. He made final table as a mid stack. They were paying 6 places. After a player is knocked out Dustin looks down to pocket kings. Guy under the gun raises to 6000. Dustin moves in with 19,000. Guy thinks a while and calls the extra 13,000 and leaving himself with 8000. He turns over J-10. Flop is K-Q and you know whats coming! River is an ace and Dustins out in 9th. Now my question is! How do you raise under the gun with J-10 and then call an all in for 80 percent of your chips! Wow! Sorry Dustin. It just shows that not all donks play free poker!
Working on a new article. Hope to have it done this weekend, so keep checking back.
Hand #1 small blind A-Q suited. Lots of limpers. I raise to 250, everyone folds.
Hand #2 button A-K unsuited. Lots of limpers. I raise to 250. Two callers. Flop is J-8-3 rainbow. I bet 600, everyone folds.
hand #3 Pocket kings, Lots of limpers, I raise to 250. I am expecting lots of callers this time, but everyone folds.
Later I hand pocket jacks twice. First time raise 5 times blind and get one caller. Flop is Q-10-4 two hearts. I bet 800. He reraises 3000. I fold.
Next time with JJ. under the gun raises 4 times blind. two players later moves all in for more. What to do. I believe I have first player beat. Put him on a pocket pair. The other has overs to me I think. It's all or fold. it is going to cost me over 3/4 of my chips to call. I fold.
Much later, blinds are getting high and I need to make a move. I look down to KK. Under the gun raises. Another player moves in for a little more. I move all in. Under the gun looks at other guy and says I got you beat but can't beat him. LOL!
He fgolds. Guy has A-4 hearts and goes runner runner to flush me on the river. Out a few hands later.
I did manage to win $100 on the 3-6 kill games so it wasn't a wasted trip.
My friend Dustin also rode a long. He made final table as a mid stack. They were paying 6 places. After a player is knocked out Dustin looks down to pocket kings. Guy under the gun raises to 6000. Dustin moves in with 19,000. Guy thinks a while and calls the extra 13,000 and leaving himself with 8000. He turns over J-10. Flop is K-Q and you know whats coming! River is an ace and Dustins out in 9th. Now my question is! How do you raise under the gun with J-10 and then call an all in for 80 percent of your chips! Wow! Sorry Dustin. It just shows that not all donks play free poker!
Working on a new article. Hope to have it done this weekend, so keep checking back.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
It's been a while!
Yes, it has been a while. I have been very busy between working and running poker games. I have bow added another night Thursdays to make it 5 games a week. Thanks to my helper Dustin or I might go a bit crazy. First a little talk about bowling, then on to a little poker.
I have bowled most of my life having grown up in bowling centers. I haven't bowled much over the last two years, but decided to take it up again this year and bowl a few tournaments with my kids. It has been a fun year doing tournaments with them, but I have come to the realization that it is time to quit bowling league each week. It is a big commitment of my time and money. Between weekly fees and new bowling equipment it is just getting to be too much. I am going to finish the bowling season that I have started but this is going to be the end. It is time to hang up my bowling shoes and spend the time spent bowling with my wife. Maybe again another time.
On to poker. It has been as interesting few weeks. I have been on kind of a bad streak playing. I am making the right moves but not catching any cards. Last night was better so maybe it is starting to turn around for me. We will see. Here's a few interesting hands from recent.
Player A raises under the gun. Player B & C call. Player D moves all in for a little more. It was enough for a reraise. Player A moves all in for a couple of thousand more. Player B moves all in for 100 more then B. Player D call for less then A & B but more then D. I am watching thinking there must be aces and at least kings going to be turned up. LOL! Player A turns AK suited, B has pocket 99, C has A-K unsuited, D has A-K unsuited. All right now I see the all in by D and A, but I don't really get the calls by B & C. C is a very poor player so I get it. He couldn't throw away his monster! What I don't get is Player is C. He has a mid pair with two all ins and only a couple of hundred invested with one more likely to call. The flop is 9-2-2. He flops a full house and takes all the players out. I just hate plays like that. It was a terrible all in by B and he ends up winning a huge pot. He did end up with the best case that he could have had with only 3 overs and all sharing the ace. If I make that same move they would all turn over pocket pairs bigger then mine. I asked him how do you make that move with a mid pair. He says I figured they all had an ace. Yea right. He did as soon as the cards were turned over. It does show that what comes around goes around. A little later a player to his left raises and he goers into his little show that he does when he has a monster hand and moves all in over the top. Guy calls for all his chips which he has a big stack with pocket 9's. Monster has KK. Flop is a 9, turn is the other 9 for quads. I guess that is why I don't win poker tournaments that often. I would have folded the pocket 9's in both cases.
Last night I made a huge mistake at the table by not paying attention. I don't usually play on Friday nights but I looked at table 1 and the quality of players was high so I decided to play. It was fun. I was catching cards and the company and conversation was good. I built up a decent size stack and was rolling along when it happened. I looked down at 4-6 off and decided to limp in with who was small and big blind. I figured I could take the pot down after the flop or get away if I didn't like the flop. Then it happened. I wasn't paying attention and when it came to my turn I said call and though in my 800 chips. A player had moved in for 6000 and I didn't see it. On top of that he is a tight player that would only move all in with a monster. Being the good tournament director that I am I put my call in which was over half of my chips at the time. Another tight player also calls for less so now I am even more screwed. 1st all in has jacks and other guy has A-Q. He flops an aces and I loss most of my stack. Moral of the story always know what is going on around you before you verbalize your act! At least I hadn't paid a buy in to play.
I have bowled most of my life having grown up in bowling centers. I haven't bowled much over the last two years, but decided to take it up again this year and bowl a few tournaments with my kids. It has been a fun year doing tournaments with them, but I have come to the realization that it is time to quit bowling league each week. It is a big commitment of my time and money. Between weekly fees and new bowling equipment it is just getting to be too much. I am going to finish the bowling season that I have started but this is going to be the end. It is time to hang up my bowling shoes and spend the time spent bowling with my wife. Maybe again another time.
On to poker. It has been as interesting few weeks. I have been on kind of a bad streak playing. I am making the right moves but not catching any cards. Last night was better so maybe it is starting to turn around for me. We will see. Here's a few interesting hands from recent.
Player A raises under the gun. Player B & C call. Player D moves all in for a little more. It was enough for a reraise. Player A moves all in for a couple of thousand more. Player B moves all in for 100 more then B. Player D call for less then A & B but more then D. I am watching thinking there must be aces and at least kings going to be turned up. LOL! Player A turns AK suited, B has pocket 99, C has A-K unsuited, D has A-K unsuited. All right now I see the all in by D and A, but I don't really get the calls by B & C. C is a very poor player so I get it. He couldn't throw away his monster! What I don't get is Player is C. He has a mid pair with two all ins and only a couple of hundred invested with one more likely to call. The flop is 9-2-2. He flops a full house and takes all the players out. I just hate plays like that. It was a terrible all in by B and he ends up winning a huge pot. He did end up with the best case that he could have had with only 3 overs and all sharing the ace. If I make that same move they would all turn over pocket pairs bigger then mine. I asked him how do you make that move with a mid pair. He says I figured they all had an ace. Yea right. He did as soon as the cards were turned over. It does show that what comes around goes around. A little later a player to his left raises and he goers into his little show that he does when he has a monster hand and moves all in over the top. Guy calls for all his chips which he has a big stack with pocket 9's. Monster has KK. Flop is a 9, turn is the other 9 for quads. I guess that is why I don't win poker tournaments that often. I would have folded the pocket 9's in both cases.
Last night I made a huge mistake at the table by not paying attention. I don't usually play on Friday nights but I looked at table 1 and the quality of players was high so I decided to play. It was fun. I was catching cards and the company and conversation was good. I built up a decent size stack and was rolling along when it happened. I looked down at 4-6 off and decided to limp in with who was small and big blind. I figured I could take the pot down after the flop or get away if I didn't like the flop. Then it happened. I wasn't paying attention and when it came to my turn I said call and though in my 800 chips. A player had moved in for 6000 and I didn't see it. On top of that he is a tight player that would only move all in with a monster. Being the good tournament director that I am I put my call in which was over half of my chips at the time. Another tight player also calls for less so now I am even more screwed. 1st all in has jacks and other guy has A-Q. He flops an aces and I loss most of my stack. Moral of the story always know what is going on around you before you verbalize your act! At least I hadn't paid a buy in to play.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Another Fun Night of Bar Poker
Why is it that in some tournaments it seems that the worst hand almost always seems to win? Last night was one of those nights. It seemed that the best hand could not win.
Last night was one of those classic bar poker nights, when chasing with bad cards was getting paid off. Time after time I watched bad players call raises and all ins with weak hands and end up the winner. Here are a few examples.
Player moves all in under the gun with A-2 offsuit. Gets called by A-K off. Q-Q moves all in. A-K calls. Flop brings a king. Board ends up with 4 suited cards and A-2 wins with a flush.
Player calls all in with A-8 suited. All in has A-K. River is an eight.
One player all in with two callers no side pot. Flop brings out a King. Both check flop. Turn brings two clubs on board. Player bets 3000. A big bet into a dry side pot. Other player insta calls. River an ace of clubs. Caller bets out 6000. Bettor calls. Player had called 3000 with a flush draw and hit.
There were many more. I actually lost 3 times to 3 outers. It was an interesting night.
Another what were you thinking moment from last night.
Someone raises 3 times the big blind pre flop and gets several callers. Flop is K-Q-10. Player makes a continuation bet. Two callers. Turn is a blank. Someone else makes a big bet. One call with initial bettor folding. River is an ace. Turn bettor makes a big bet. Other player calls. Bettor turns over J-5 suited for a straight. I am assuming it will be a chopped pot. Other player shows me their cards and mucks their hand. Called all the way with A-8 and couldn't fold to the obvious straight when hitting the ace on the river. Some people just never seem to learn. At least on most nights I end up winning their chips!
Last night was one of those classic bar poker nights, when chasing with bad cards was getting paid off. Time after time I watched bad players call raises and all ins with weak hands and end up the winner. Here are a few examples.
Player moves all in under the gun with A-2 offsuit. Gets called by A-K off. Q-Q moves all in. A-K calls. Flop brings a king. Board ends up with 4 suited cards and A-2 wins with a flush.
Player calls all in with A-8 suited. All in has A-K. River is an eight.
One player all in with two callers no side pot. Flop brings out a King. Both check flop. Turn brings two clubs on board. Player bets 3000. A big bet into a dry side pot. Other player insta calls. River an ace of clubs. Caller bets out 6000. Bettor calls. Player had called 3000 with a flush draw and hit.
There were many more. I actually lost 3 times to 3 outers. It was an interesting night.
Another what were you thinking moment from last night.
Someone raises 3 times the big blind pre flop and gets several callers. Flop is K-Q-10. Player makes a continuation bet. Two callers. Turn is a blank. Someone else makes a big bet. One call with initial bettor folding. River is an ace. Turn bettor makes a big bet. Other player calls. Bettor turns over J-5 suited for a straight. I am assuming it will be a chopped pot. Other player shows me their cards and mucks their hand. Called all the way with A-8 and couldn't fold to the obvious straight when hitting the ace on the river. Some people just never seem to learn. At least on most nights I end up winning their chips!
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