Happy Holidays to all my followers. I hoped you have enjoyed my stories as much as I have had writing them down. The end of the year brings to a close many things. The end of the first year of the CMPPA which had a very successful first year. The beginning of the CMPPA Bar League which I am sure will go through it's ups and downs as it grows. The end of the 1st year of my new business Central MN Poker. Thank god you can write off losses! The beginning of new including the New Years Eve marriage of my friends Ann & Steve, it's about time! Wish I could be there to help you celebrate. Year two of the CMPPA looking to be bigger and better then ever. My resolution for 2011 is to get a better paying job and to play more money poker tournaments. I think that the two may go hand in hand! Also to be nicer to all the players that suck out on me at my bar games. I know that you can't help it! LOL!
So to all I say,
Happy New Year, May all your hands hold up and your one outers hit true!
2011 looks to be a great year!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday Poker
It started as if was going to be a good night tonight. Flopped a straight with big slick and got paid off. I was up about 4000 in chips with 9-10 suited in the big blind. Flop comes 6-10-10. Player under the gun bets 1500 almost double the pot size. I call worrying I might be out kicked. Turn is a queen. He check and I do also. River is a 3. He bets 1500. I callnd turn over my ten. He says I have a pair of 6's. I start racking pot andthen realize he has two spades to give him a flush and the win. Ok so I am still at starting stack. I have K-Q on the button and raise to 500. I get 4 calers. Flop is 5-5-4. Player that flushed out on me bets 1500. This is the 4th time he has bet 1500 and had only shown second or third pair each time. I decide to call and see one more card. Turn is a Queen. He bets enough to put me all in. I call and he turns over A-5 to take me out. Lol! Figures! The one time all night he isn't bluffing I lose all my chips. Live and learn.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
One Player Per Hand Please!
TDA Rule #12
No Disclosure
No Advice
One Player to a Hand - Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Therefore, players, whether in the hand or not, may not:
1. Disclose contents of live or folded hands
2. Advise or criticize play before the action is complete
3. Read a hand that hasn’t been tabled
The one-player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced.
TDA Rule #7
Penalties and Disqualification - A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending, throws a card off the table, violates the one-player-to-a-hand rule, or similar incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of soft play, abuse, or disruptive behavior. Penalties available to the TD include verbal warnings and “missed hand” penalties. A missed hand penalty will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss one hand for every player, including the offender, who is at the table when the penalty is given multiplied by the number of rounds specified in the penalty; for the period of the penalty the offender shall remain away from the table. Tournament staff can assess one-, two-, three-, or four-round penalties or disqualification. A player who is disqualified shall have his or her chips removed from play. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties.
TDA Rule #31
Exposing Cards - A player who exposes his cards with action pending may incur a penalty, but will not have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand.
I am posting these rules to remind players that they must keep their hands and it's content undisclosed whether they are in the hand or not. There has been a rash of exposing cards at many of my bar games as of late and it has become my new personal mission to end this. Talking about hands and using your cards to try and get an advantage is going to end. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the winning hand is raking the pot before you tell everyone what you would have had. We all get hands that would have won. It happens almost every hand played in a tournament. Nothing wrong with discussing it after the fact just wait!
No Disclosure
No Advice
One Player to a Hand - Players are obligated to protect the other players in the tournament at all times. Therefore, players, whether in the hand or not, may not:
1. Disclose contents of live or folded hands
2. Advise or criticize play before the action is complete
3. Read a hand that hasn’t been tabled
The one-player-to-a-hand rule will be enforced.
TDA Rule #7
Penalties and Disqualification - A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending, throws a card off the table, violates the one-player-to-a-hand rule, or similar incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of soft play, abuse, or disruptive behavior. Penalties available to the TD include verbal warnings and “missed hand” penalties. A missed hand penalty will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss one hand for every player, including the offender, who is at the table when the penalty is given multiplied by the number of rounds specified in the penalty; for the period of the penalty the offender shall remain away from the table. Tournament staff can assess one-, two-, three-, or four-round penalties or disqualification. A player who is disqualified shall have his or her chips removed from play. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties.
TDA Rule #31
Exposing Cards - A player who exposes his cards with action pending may incur a penalty, but will not have a dead hand. The penalty will begin at the end of the hand.
I am posting these rules to remind players that they must keep their hands and it's content undisclosed whether they are in the hand or not. There has been a rash of exposing cards at many of my bar games as of late and it has become my new personal mission to end this. Talking about hands and using your cards to try and get an advantage is going to end. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the winning hand is raking the pot before you tell everyone what you would have had. We all get hands that would have won. It happens almost every hand played in a tournament. Nothing wrong with discussing it after the fact just wait!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Collusion
As a tournament directors you deal with many different issues that are as plentiful as there are people with different personalities. One of the hardest to spot and deal with is collusion at the table. It can be very obvious at times, but most of the time it can be undetectable. It can also sometimes be an unconscious thing that even the players don't realize is happening. Here are a few forms.
Dumping chips - This may be the easiest to spot. When one player plays a hand with another with a poor hand or mucks their hand without showing thus passing chips to that person to keep them going. In bar poker there are many times when a table has multiple players that are friends or relatives and you are relying on their honesty that they are playing the game to the best of their ability.
Playing every hand another player plays - This is a different kind of collusion that many might not consider it to be. This happens when my wife and I are at the same table. She will play every hand that I do because she wants to take me out. By doing this you may be passing chips to other player without even trying to, but because you wouldn't play the same hand against another player it is a form of collusion.
Signals - This maybe the hardest to catch if the players are smart enough. Players will signal the strength of their hand by a pre determined way to make sure the other doesn't lose too many chips or stays out of hand.
Checking down - If two players check a hand down with a hand that one of the two normally would bet with but don't because of who's in the hand also called soft play. This will happen many times over a night when two players that ride together are on the same table. The other form of check down collusion is when someone is all in and the player not to act first starts tapping the table in a check motion to try and get the other player to check down and even sometimes will verbalize it but saying " you know that the other player is all in".
Talking about hand when others are still in the hand - This one happens all the time. Two players will begin talking about the hand as people are still playing their hands. They may think that they are being quiet about it, but it can still affect how someone else may play their hand.
Card Flashing - Another big one in bar poker. When a player exposes their cards to others as they are folding, but doesn't show the whole table. You are giving one player information that the whole table is unable to get such as were you bluffing or did you have the best hand.
Language - When two players speak a different language then the rest of the table. They are able to talk about hands and what they have without anyone else knowing.
These are only a few that tournament directors have to deal with. Some are conscience and some are unintended. They are things to watch for on tables you play. If you notice something you think is not right just let the tournament director know and if they are any good at all they will deal with it, by talking to players, making announcements, moving players or if need be take the players out of the game.
Dumping chips - This may be the easiest to spot. When one player plays a hand with another with a poor hand or mucks their hand without showing thus passing chips to that person to keep them going. In bar poker there are many times when a table has multiple players that are friends or relatives and you are relying on their honesty that they are playing the game to the best of their ability.
Playing every hand another player plays - This is a different kind of collusion that many might not consider it to be. This happens when my wife and I are at the same table. She will play every hand that I do because she wants to take me out. By doing this you may be passing chips to other player without even trying to, but because you wouldn't play the same hand against another player it is a form of collusion.
Signals - This maybe the hardest to catch if the players are smart enough. Players will signal the strength of their hand by a pre determined way to make sure the other doesn't lose too many chips or stays out of hand.
Checking down - If two players check a hand down with a hand that one of the two normally would bet with but don't because of who's in the hand also called soft play. This will happen many times over a night when two players that ride together are on the same table. The other form of check down collusion is when someone is all in and the player not to act first starts tapping the table in a check motion to try and get the other player to check down and even sometimes will verbalize it but saying " you know that the other player is all in".
Talking about hand when others are still in the hand - This one happens all the time. Two players will begin talking about the hand as people are still playing their hands. They may think that they are being quiet about it, but it can still affect how someone else may play their hand.
Card Flashing - Another big one in bar poker. When a player exposes their cards to others as they are folding, but doesn't show the whole table. You are giving one player information that the whole table is unable to get such as were you bluffing or did you have the best hand.
Language - When two players speak a different language then the rest of the table. They are able to talk about hands and what they have without anyone else knowing.
These are only a few that tournament directors have to deal with. Some are conscience and some are unintended. They are things to watch for on tables you play. If you notice something you think is not right just let the tournament director know and if they are any good at all they will deal with it, by talking to players, making announcements, moving players or if need be take the players out of the game.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Bubble Boy
One of things that I have managed over my many years of poker was to avoid the bubble boy spot. This meaning the last spot before points. I have prize bubbled a couple of times, but when I make it close to the points I usually make it in until last night. I made it to final table last night as the short stack with only 4500 left with blinds at 500-1000. Nine players were to receive points. There were several new players at this table and I had drawn the button, so I figured someone would get knocked out before it got to me. It was an interesting final group as after two hands it became easy to see that most of these players were limping in even at the high blind levels to see a flop. Third hand in I look down at A-Q of hearts. It's an easy all in push, but then I have 3 people in front of me that have just called the 1000 plus the small and big blind. My all in of 3500 more is going to do nothing to change them from playing. When it gets to my I think a bit and decide to just call as I can get away and still try to make points if I don't hit. Flop comes jack high with two hearts. First player beats 2000. Everyone calls up to me. So, now do I push in on the draw, just call, or fold. I know that I can't fold, because there is too much in the pot. I hate to push in on a draw and decide to call and leave myself with an out if I don't hit the turn. Two more players call behind. Turn is a heart and thank god I have the nut flush. Checked to me. I push in my 1500 and surprisingly enough only get one caller. We flip up and he has 10-5 off for two pair. The river is of course a ten giving him a boat on a four outer and making me the bubble boy. I guess I should have pushed in preflop, as the 10-5 says he would have folded, but he was the small blind and I am not sure he could have folded with all the odds he would have gotten. One guy says, I thought you were going to push in when you thought about it. I tell him what I was thinking about was should I fold the big hand and try and wait out the points. The very next hand two players get knocked out, so who knows maybe I should have folded!
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