Another Tuesday Night

Once again the poker play at the Clearwater Legion continues to amaze me. Several of the better players have started coming regularly  and it has improved the whole game. More quality players mean more players to take out the weaker ones. Several hands stand out as the really moments of the night. The first was a good player in the big blind with 2-3 off. It is limped to him and he checks. The flop is 2-3-?. BB makes a big bet to try and take the hand down, but gets one caller. Turn is a 3. He moves all in for the rest of his chips and other guy calls and turns over QQ. No preflop raise and just calls all the way to be drawing to a two outer. You already know that the river was a queen otherwise why would I be blogging about it. The next hand happened late in the tournament. I was the small blind and don't even remember what I had. Several players limp in, so I call for half price. BB checks. Flop is K-K-J. BB makes a huge bet. It is very uncharacteristic of him, so I assume he has a king. Everyone folds to him and he shows pocket aces. So in both cases they have played their hands as badly as possible and end up winning the hand to reinforce that in their heads they have played the hands correct. The funny thing is that if they play their hands that way and lose then they are mad because you sucked out on them. Slow play means slow and painful death so why risk it.When you get that big hand which you don't often, why risk it even more by decreasing your odds. More player means more chances to lose.

Player Style #13 The Telephone!

I know you all probably thought I was done with the styles of bar poker players, but this one has come up just lately and I found it so amusing that it needed to be blogged about. This is of course very similar to any two player but this style has been so perfected by one local player that he now has the nick name of Telephone. This style calls with any two cards and continues in the hand on any draw even if it may require runner runner. This player almost never makes it to second break and really rarely makes it to first and has been know to be the first player out on more then one occasion. This player will not fold even if they have only a couple of outs and even if the possibility that they are drawing dead exists. Should they happen to win a few hands early, it just doesn't seem to matter as the continual calling will lead to lose of their chips. All the bar can hope for from this player is that they buy something before they get knocked out! There are no good points to this style except for the fact that you can be home early.

CMPPA Event #2

Yesterday was the second event of the CMPPA 2010 season. I have not been off to the best of starts to the 2011 season, so I wanted to make a good showing. It started strong for me as I got on a table with several strong players and a couple of players that I knew would giving chips away. There were several interesting hands before first break. I did manage to win a few small pots. One hand I rivered a 4 card flush calling bets all the way by a player that I had put on a weak hand and I was correct. He was angry that I had called all the way on the flush draw, but what he didn't realize was that the 4 card flush actually scared me so I checked and then called his bet. If the 4 card flush hadn't of hit, I would have made a big bet on the river that he would have been unable to call with the cards that he was playing. A little bit later I look down to see A-K off suit and raise 6 times the blind to 600 because there were two limpers behind me. It gets to BB and he raises 2000 more. It's a big bet and I decide to let my big slick go as I have him on a big pair. It was a difficult fold but with one behind me I am ok with it. Then the last player to act moves all in for a lot of chips. Now I am really glad that I have folded. The reraiser thinks a long time and then folds his JJ face up. The all in laughs and turns over JJ also. Now I am not sure if I made a good laydown or not. I did manage to get AA 5 times before the second break but really only managed to pick up small pots. As seems to happen to me I went card dead and went out in 12th place. It was a well played event and the final table was fun to watch. Congrats to the winner Tom Wesloch who has put strong hold on player of the year by finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in 3 of the first 5 events.

Weekend

Haven't had a lot to blog about as I have not played much poker lately. I had a nice weekend vacation to Lutsen to do a little skiing and remembered that I am just not as young as I used to be. Had a relaxing time even though I managed to wipe out for the first time in several years. Also the weather didn't cooperate the best as it rained all day on Sunday. I did stop at the Black Bear Casino for the first time since they have redone it and it was quite impressive. Tried their buffet and it was one of the best in MN as far as casinos go. Had decided to play a little cash poker and walked over to the room to check it out and found them to have one 2-10 spread game going with 2 on waiting list so figured I didn't have enough time to wait. I went and played blackjack instead and not more then 10 minutes in a roar comes from the poker room as the bad beat goes out with aces full of queens losing to quad queens. $28,000 to the loser, 14,000 to winner and almost 2000 for the table share. Guess I should have gotten there sooner and played poker! It was a wasted trip as I won $100 on blackjack and left the casino a winner. An hour later, I was at the casino in Hinkley and once again wanted to play poker, but not a person in their room, so off to the slots to donate my winnings!

Milacs Finals

Early at the final table with 7 players left at Milcas finals on Sunday an interesting hand took place that myself and another player were probably the only ones to realize what happened. The hand started with a raise by a player that doesn't raise much. The next player a shorter stack moved all in for a little more. The weak player that finished second in the tournament just called and the original raiser calls. All the chips are raked in and both players check down. Cards are turned over and original bettor has A-Q, all in has a jack the highest card on the board, and the other player turns over KK and wins a big pot. Now I now how all these players play and I don't understand why the player with Kings who had the biggest stack wouldn't have pushed all in, because the player with A-Q would have called for sure and he would have won more chips and taken another player out. His mind doesn't think in that kind of terms. If he had played his kings as any other player would play it, he would have taken two players out in a tournament that was paying cash prizes. Effectively, he cost every player that finished after the bad play money. The player that should have been taken out in 7th finished in 3rd, so the play cost the player that did finish in 4th $200. That's not chicken scratch. When I talked to the player that got 3rd and told her what I thought about the hand. She had no idea about what I was talking about and the other players didn't even realize that the donk had cost them money. I know that it pisses me off when cost me money!

CMPPA Road to Milacs Finals

It was a day to remember at the 1st ever state finals for the CMPPA bar league at Grand Casino Milacs. 20 players playing for $2800 and the $1000 1st prize. For many of the players it was a first to be playing for this type of money. I had expected the play to be very tight at the beginning and was surprised that one table actually started off very aggressive with a couple of players taking big hits early. I knew that the would be dictated by a couple of weaker players and if they managed to get an early stack and that is what happened. They were able to chase and catch a few pots early to get big stacks which allows them to play more hands. More hands more chasing. It was not good for the better players. Many of my pre tournament favorites were knocked out early due to being all in with the best hand only to be beaten on the turn or river. There were more then a fair share of "How do you make that call" quotes! The winner Alicia LaFore got a big stack early and managed it well all day to take down the victory. I am very happy for her. Second was maybe the worst player in the field who had suck out after suck out all day aka Jamie Gold style. It reminds one that poker is as much about luck as it is about skill. It was a fun day and hopefully I will be playing in the next finals in the fall. Here the results. Congrats to all!

1. Alicia LaFore $1000


2. Cliff Jensen 600

3. Karla Stavos 400

4. Jeff Determan 200

5. John Herring Sr 150

6. James Morrighan 100

7. Jason Jurgens 75

8. Rick Antilla 75

9-12 50

Steve Kennedy

Amanda Broadbent

Carlos Neal

Jason Hanson

Stages of a poker tournament

There was so many things that happened in my Saturday bar game last night that I am not sure where to begin. So instead I am going to talk about how most bar players are unable to change their games as a poker tournament changes.

During any poker tournament there are many different stages of the game. There are early stages when the blinds are low and a person can play more hands without risking too much of their chip stack. There are bubble times such as getting into the points or prizes. There are times when tables are full of players and others when you may only have 6 or 7 players. All require a player to change what kind of starting cards to play. Early in a tournament I may play 5-6 suited when faced with a bubble I may fold the hand in the same position. So many bar players are incapable of adjusting to number of players at a table. A marginal hand like A-6 should be played completely different if you have 10 players on a table or 4 players. In a 10 player situation it is a very weak hand, but in a 4 player game it is a very strong starting hand. One requires a fold the other a raise. Do you know which? Last night was a prime example. We got to four handed and all the players were playing very conservative. There was very little raising and almost no calling if someone did raise. It became very clear that whom ever became more aggressive would win the tournament and that is exactly what happened. Blinds are very high at this point in a tournament and you should play more aggressive then you had at any point in the whole tournament. If you run into a big hand, you will almost always be heads up and have live cards. I would rather raise with 2-3 and get called by AK then to raise with A-6 and be called by AK. The 2-3 has better odds to win! So just remember to keep track of how many players are at your table and open your games up as the numbers dwindle. You will get paid in the long road.

Another Friday Night!

It was an interesting Friday night of poker for me. I passed out all the seat cards and went to place the chips and looked around the table and thought " what did I do to piss someone off"! It was possibly the worst table to be playing on. Every chaser and bad player was sitting somewhere on this table. I looked at the one good player and rolled my eyes and said WOW. He got a good laugh at this and off we went. My strategy was simple either win big or be out early. I played almost every hand the first hour preflop and called a few after flop bets. I was actually getting decent cards but nothing was working out for me. I was now getting low on chips maybe 3000 left of 5000 starting stack. Limped as I had been with J-5 off. Most of the table called and then big blind, a guy who thinks he can out play everyone makes a big raise. I call and so does half the other players. Flop is J-3-4. BB checks so I put out 1000. Everyone else folds and he moves all in. Now I know that I am way behind, but decide to call anyway because I have most of my stack already committed. I announce that I am going to call with the worst hand and turn over my J-5. He turns over K-J. The river comes a 5 and I suck out and win. Now I am up to close to 7000 in chips and we are past the break. A lot of the poor players have been knocked off my table and the replacements are much better players. I announce to table that I am now going to tighten up a bit and they all laugh. Then next two hands I have face cards and limp in and table says sure you are going to tighten up. Third hand I look down at KK. Now what I am going to do. I can hardly raise because the way I have been playing it would be a sure tell. So I make a speech about how I am tightening up and limp in again. I am hoping for a raise so I can reraise. Small blind moves all in and then BB calls. I move all in for the rest of my chips and BB calls and has me covered. Flop is K-?-? all diamonds and you know it I don't have a diamond! The other players have A-Q and JJ. Only the J is a diamond. The turn and river both come diamonds without pairing the board and I am out. In the end the limp didn't hurt me because of the other hands had I raised the A-Q would have moved all in and the JJ would have called or moved in, so same outcome. Me on the rail! Tonight is a new night and I am going to try the tight style tonight. I know it's kind of boring but I am ready for a change of pace.

Qualifing Tournament

Yesterday was the first qualifying tournament for the CMPPA. 47 people were eligible by placing in the top 10 over 12 weeks at some of the local bar games. I was very surprised that only 31 showed up with a chance to win $1000. I drew a what I thought to be a very good table. Overall very solid players. I played a bit tighter then my normal bar game really wanting to make the top 10 to advance. After the first hour was down about 2000 in chips but still in good position. It was an interesting hour as players were slow playing all their hands but were getting paid off for doing it. Limping aces or jacks usually is not a good play, but it was getting paid off.  During second hour, I look down to pocket 9's. Player right in front of me raises about 5 times the big blind. I call. Maybe should have reraised but in the end it wouldn't have mattered. Small stack on the table pushes in with just under 3000 more. Initial bettor calls. I think for a while and decide to call for about half my stack in the pot thinking I would probably get a check down. Flop is A-J-J. Not so good. The river is a 9. Bingo! I didn't see any reason to bet, so I check and turn over my full house. All in turns over AA and I was basically drawing dead after the flop.  I did manage a triple up later in tournament, but evey time I raised I seemed to have the second best hand. It was just one of those days. Knocked out around 20th. I took over running tournament and it was an interesting down to the wire drive to the final 10. One of the players had a huge stack with about 8 players to top 10. A friend of this player was spectating and I made a comment to him that the player should get up from table and just fold way to top 10. You get nothing for finishing with more chips in qualifying tournament! He agreed, but said you know that I can't say anything. This player continued to play the same way that I would guess got them the big stack. Called several all ins with what I would call marginal hands and was slowly leaking away chips until stack was one of the shorter ones on table. Then ended up raising a pot, that was then reraised all in by one player and then reraised all in by another player and called with A-Q. Turned over was A-Q, A-K and A-7. A queen comes on the flop and this player is saved by hitting a 3 outer and makes to final 10. After the tournament was over I asked why hadn't you just folded to get to the top 10 especially calling off most of your chips to a raise and a reraise. The answer was they felt that as the big stack it was their obligation to try and take the smaller stacks out. I agree with this to a point, but you have to protect yourself from not making the finals by playing too aggressive. They was nothing to gain in this tournament except to advance to the finals where all the money will be paid. As I will be on the rail watching as this player is playing, maybe I don't know what I am talking about! LOL!

Other Bar Games!

Over the past couple of weeks I have had the chance to go and play some of the other local bar games. It is interesting to see the differences between how people run tournaments. The first one is at a local Veterans Club. They get a big crowd each week as many members play and they give away more cash then most places do. I stopped by to see if the bar had any interest in joining the CMPPA road to Milacs promotion. I started talking to the guy in charge, an older member of the club, I am explaining what the CMPPA was and what it had to offer and he gets mad at me. He wants nothing to do with the organization as it runs tournaments at the same time as he runs a game. Fine I give up and am irritated because there was no reason for so much attitude. I sign up and ask what I do I need to do. Just go sit where ever you want to. Really! So, now I have to pick a table. I should go play with people that I don't know for practice, but decide to pick a table of some of my regular players. Before tournament starts they give this big speech about no swearing at the tables or you will get a 10 minute penalty. We begin and I soon realize that the no swearing rule is about the only one they follow. Rabbit hunting on most hands and wait for players as they are gone from table, but don't swear dammit! I didn't last long as interest waned with the way the game played. I basically played every hand until out and went home to play Twitter Poker Tour. I told someone the next day that we should get 6 players and go each week and give all our chips to one player and the rest go home and split the winnings. That's why you don't let people sit where they want to. Can you imagine how much collusion there would be at the Main Event if you could pick your our starting table!
Next I went to the only place that runs CMPPA games that are not run by me. It was their Free Poker League night and I got there just in time to play. Started with a short stack for being late, but doubled up on first hand with K-Q suited when I flopped 3 queens into pocket kings. Then the very next hand doubled again with AA. I then ran hot all night, making some great plays and some lucky ones to win the tournament. The only thing I saw there that I didn't agree with is when we went tyo final table we just filled into the empty spots and I was able to pick which side of better players I wanted to play on. I believe the only fair way is to redraw for all spots on final table equal to all. Interesting enough by winning I am know qualified for their tournament of champions for a chance at a big tournament entry. Play once and could possibly win the FPN top spot. It's an interesting concept but is it fair to the players that show up each week and spend money at the bar. I spent $6 and won $25 so a profit of $19. I will have to show up for the TOC night I guess!
Sometimes I think I run my games too tight as I follow all the rules of the TDA, but after seeing other places I think it is the only way to do it.