Most of the time, I make a decision in isolation on a street when I could be anticipating what might transpire on future streets.
Hopefully this video can inspire me to think a few streets ahead ...
1 year ago
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Jade Bubble
I needed to pick my daughter up from an 18th party in the City at midnight so decided to stay in town for a quick cash game. I've discovered that to get around legislation, the Jade Tavern runs a SnG format very similar to our home game. The key is that it goes for exactly 90 mins with unlimited rebuys and then you get paid out prorata. They call it a ChipChop. Effectively a cash game just inside the NSW law. Good on them, I say. It could be bette rrun as there were a couple of incidents that shouldn't have been allowed to happen, but I'm not rocking any boats here.
The first cash game was soft and a $100 tourney was starting so I though it'd fill the time nicely. I chipped up with TAG play into the final table from 33 runners and I was 5th. Picked up a couple of hands, one very big pre with AQ vs AJ, I'd raised in SB, BB re-raised, so I shoved on button. He reluctantly called. I'd like to think that I didn't give him any reason to fold.
With $1500, $1000, $500 in prizemoney, I was 3rd with 5 left. Two big stacks and two smaller ones. One of the smalls started stealing blinds and built up level with me.One of the bigs attacked the bubble and riled the other big stack to where he tilted of his stack, so we had a monster, 2 medium and a healthy female TAG shorty.
The lady played very well and patient, push/shove. Doubled up a couple of times and suddently I'm shorty with an M of 6 4-handed. My BB, limp, limp so I go AI with KJs and needless to say SB pocket 55 held up. Good experience and I played relatively well but shut down way too early - an old online habit of mine that I need to fix up live.
The first cash game was soft and a $100 tourney was starting so I though it'd fill the time nicely. I chipped up with TAG play into the final table from 33 runners and I was 5th. Picked up a couple of hands, one very big pre with AQ vs AJ, I'd raised in SB, BB re-raised, so I shoved on button. He reluctantly called. I'd like to think that I didn't give him any reason to fold.
With $1500, $1000, $500 in prizemoney, I was 3rd with 5 left. Two big stacks and two smaller ones. One of the smalls started stealing blinds and built up level with me.One of the bigs attacked the bubble and riled the other big stack to where he tilted of his stack, so we had a monster, 2 medium and a healthy female TAG shorty.
The lady played very well and patient, push/shove. Doubled up a couple of times and suddently I'm shorty with an M of 6 4-handed. My BB, limp, limp so I go AI with KJs and needless to say SB pocket 55 held up. Good experience and I played relatively well but shut down way too early - an old online habit of mine that I need to fix up live.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Another word for Passive ...
Jeff Hwang's book has paid for itself already 10 times over and I've only read 20 pages. If you have been following my PLO posts, you'll see that my solitary attempts at playing style analysis of winners over a much too small sample size threw up a surprisingly high number of passive players. Totally different to the 6-max aggression of NLHE. I've now discovered the correct term for it - Floating - thanks Jeff.
Winning players float and steal, float and steal at an alarming regularity. It's akin to Brunson stealing the blinds relentlessly when he wrote SuperSystem. Sure the games will change in the not too distant future, but for now an understanding of the game and that play is probably enough for you to stand a good chance of winning. Thankfully very few people visit my blog or the secret would be out.
Winning players float and steal, float and steal at an alarming regularity. It's akin to Brunson stealing the blinds relentlessly when he wrote SuperSystem. Sure the games will change in the not too distant future, but for now an understanding of the game and that play is probably enough for you to stand a good chance of winning. Thankfully very few people visit my blog or the secret would be out.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Running good helps ... a lot.
Just cashed in a random $100 Turbo NLHE Tourney. When the cat is away, the mouse decided to fire up a single MTT and concentrate for a change. I'd like to say that it was pure talent, but I've never, ever run so good. Got my 2-outer on the river when my JJ came up against KK on the final table AI preflop. I usually got my money in slightly ahead and won almost every coinflip - except the last obviously when my 55 lost to AJo (winning that would have made me chip leader). Can't compain though with 3rd and my biggest ever cash, just over $3000.
Who said blogging isn't profitable, rumour has it one of us may even run deep in the Main Event. Good luck!
Who said blogging isn't profitable, rumour has it one of us may even run deep in the Main Event. Good luck!
Walkabout meanderings
It's been a while and there has been a lot to report but I've just never seemed to have the time to get it down on paper. Blogging is probably a habit and I just got out of it for a while. As this will be a brief snapshot from memory I realise that a whole lot of memorable things will be lost. Luckily there are many more memorable moments ahead.
Last night's was definitely my first live Royal Flush, unfortunately I dug a deeper, deeper hole for myself and was on the wrong side of it. It was a home game at my place $.50/$$1 relatively deepstacked with about $350 facing $450, 1am. Villain who we call Double Barrels is the ultimate LAG. Flop came AsQs4h, 2 spades. I bet, he called. Js on Turn and the board looked mighty scary, rather than slow down this was my chance to fire a second barrel at a juicy pot with air - call, bugga. Ts to make the Royal Flush Draw. Now if he doesn't have the Ks he can't call a big bet and even if he has trips we tie with Top straight. Great theory - rest is history as the mobiles captured the smiling Geoff stacking almost all my chips.
As the poker Gods would have it, QQ very next hand. Flop AQ7. Long story short I was pegged as tilting and more than doubled up. Very next hand, Kh4h and flop came AhQh7. Checked around. A big stack hits trips on Turn and bets big, I call. River blanks, he goes AI, I call and all of a sudden I'm almost back to where I was before the Royal Flush. Happy Days!
This was our second early morning home game in a row. Wife is off to UK and I was home alone (with my poker buddies, of course.) Previous night was same format cash game and I posted a modest win there too. We get T$100 chips for $50 and you can re-buy top-up at any time. Every 2 hours we vote on raising the binds / buy-in. When majority say yes, we double the stakes, blinds and buy-in. Sometimes we get to T$4/8, Friday we ended at T$2/$4 and last night T$1/$2. No-one gets hurt but the stakes seem meaningful to us so the play has relevance. I'd highly recommend the format. Other tip is to have multiple buy-ins prepared in advance in zip-lock sandwich bags.
I've had a lot of live poker since posting past and am well up I still buy in to the minimum tables and the rake is a killer so I'm pleased to beat break-even. I'm better at reading people and certainly classifying their styles broadly within a few hands. Patience and aggression are winning.
Omaha is restricted to online and I'm going OK there too. Up and down but modestly up overall. Have moved up from the micros to PLO50 again with the odd shot at PLO100. Jeff Hwangs new book arrived in the post from Amazon and I'm about 12 pages into it. Just reading the intro on floating has turned a profit already. I am still so naive in that game, yet breaking even; so logic tells me that the games are incredibly soft.
Lost my iPod about 2 months ago and the kids have given me one of their earlier ones so I'm catching up on multiple podcasts. PokerRoad Cash Plays and 2+2 PokerCast with Mike and Adam are truly incredible resources and very enjoyable.
I'm enjoying TV poker too which I've never had access to before gettilg cable TV. It is a shovefest, I know, but does provide an opportunity to dream. I must say that the spots that Freddie Deeb and others can put you in would be very very uncomfortable on a televised table. One day ...
Work has picked up in more ways than one. One of our Partners is aquiring the other and that is creating opportunities. I've also been travelling a lot (hence the live poker) and enjoying the challenge again. We have more work than people again which means that I can relax a bit more in these recessionary times.
Family are all well and life is all around good (apart from the Swans)! I'm now going to catch up with all of the blogs that I follow on this drizzly Sunday afternoon. Hopefully life is treating you all well!
Last night's was definitely my first live Royal Flush, unfortunately I dug a deeper, deeper hole for myself and was on the wrong side of it. It was a home game at my place $.50/$$1 relatively deepstacked with about $350 facing $450, 1am. Villain who we call Double Barrels is the ultimate LAG. Flop came AsQs4h, 2 spades. I bet, he called. Js on Turn and the board looked mighty scary, rather than slow down this was my chance to fire a second barrel at a juicy pot with air - call, bugga. Ts to make the Royal Flush Draw. Now if he doesn't have the Ks he can't call a big bet and even if he has trips we tie with Top straight. Great theory - rest is history as the mobiles captured the smiling Geoff stacking almost all my chips.
As the poker Gods would have it, QQ very next hand. Flop AQ7. Long story short I was pegged as tilting and more than doubled up. Very next hand, Kh4h and flop came AhQh7. Checked around. A big stack hits trips on Turn and bets big, I call. River blanks, he goes AI, I call and all of a sudden I'm almost back to where I was before the Royal Flush. Happy Days!
This was our second early morning home game in a row. Wife is off to UK and I was home alone (with my poker buddies, of course.) Previous night was same format cash game and I posted a modest win there too. We get T$100 chips for $50 and you can re-buy top-up at any time. Every 2 hours we vote on raising the binds / buy-in. When majority say yes, we double the stakes, blinds and buy-in. Sometimes we get to T$4/8, Friday we ended at T$2/$4 and last night T$1/$2. No-one gets hurt but the stakes seem meaningful to us so the play has relevance. I'd highly recommend the format. Other tip is to have multiple buy-ins prepared in advance in zip-lock sandwich bags.
I've had a lot of live poker since posting past and am well up I still buy in to the minimum tables and the rake is a killer so I'm pleased to beat break-even. I'm better at reading people and certainly classifying their styles broadly within a few hands. Patience and aggression are winning.
Omaha is restricted to online and I'm going OK there too. Up and down but modestly up overall. Have moved up from the micros to PLO50 again with the odd shot at PLO100. Jeff Hwangs new book arrived in the post from Amazon and I'm about 12 pages into it. Just reading the intro on floating has turned a profit already. I am still so naive in that game, yet breaking even; so logic tells me that the games are incredibly soft.
Lost my iPod about 2 months ago and the kids have given me one of their earlier ones so I'm catching up on multiple podcasts. PokerRoad Cash Plays and 2+2 PokerCast with Mike and Adam are truly incredible resources and very enjoyable.
I'm enjoying TV poker too which I've never had access to before gettilg cable TV. It is a shovefest, I know, but does provide an opportunity to dream. I must say that the spots that Freddie Deeb and others can put you in would be very very uncomfortable on a televised table. One day ...
Work has picked up in more ways than one. One of our Partners is aquiring the other and that is creating opportunities. I've also been travelling a lot (hence the live poker) and enjoying the challenge again. We have more work than people again which means that I can relax a bit more in these recessionary times.
Family are all well and life is all around good (apart from the Swans)! I'm now going to catch up with all of the blogs that I follow on this drizzly Sunday afternoon. Hopefully life is treating you all well!
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