MLG, Poker...and stuff

What's Beyond Luckbox?

2006-07-10T18:35:00.000-04:00

Picking up where we left off.

I got up to a high water mark of about 45k about a level and a half before dinner break...and then the wheels slowly began to come off. I raised with JT, and got called by Karina Jett in position. The flop was J high, and I check called a bet. I checked a blank turn and made a pretty bad call of another bet by Karina. The river checked through and I lost to QJ. A little while later a big stack raised the button, and I defended my BB with J9o. As the flop was dealt Sirio (David Cossio, a good player and friend) stopped by the table to tell me about a hand another friend of mine, Rizen, played at the final table. The flop was AK6 rainbow, and I checked and my opponent made a standard continuation bet. I thought that a check-raise by me here would be pretty believable since I was talking to a friend, and most people pretty much just play there cards when they are distracted. The button promptly reraised me. Oops. Usually I dont stall when I know im folding, but there are some times when I don't want my opponents to know im capable of making a pure bluff. So I spent about 30 seconds pondering whether or not I would call the 3-bet with A6, decided I probably wouldnt, and then folded my complete air. Then, thankfully, dinner came at exactly the right time.

After dinner, I had decided to buckle down, and not get out of line, since my image was off the charts bad. The cards decided not to let me though. I raised TT, and once again Karina called right behind me. The flop was KK4, and I check called. The turn was low and it went check check. The river was a J and we went check check again, and I lost to QJo. Then I raised the button with KJ, and David Mathew (of WPT Championship fame) moved all-in for like 6 million BBs. I folded. Next orbit I raised the button again, this time with AK, and he called. I missed and decided to try and check it down, and either catch a card or win at showdown. He rivered a J though, and won with KJ. Eventually I was whittled all the way down to about 11k when we made the money. By that time Dave Mathew had managed to blow off a huge stack by getting all-in with a massive overbet against a preflop raiser with A8 on a 877 board. The raiser had A7. Needless to say I don't think Dave Mathew plays particularly well.

Well, with 9k in the money, good things started to happen. With the blinds at 400/800 the same big stacked button (BSB) raised and I jammed from the BB with AA. He went into the tank, and I did everything I could to vibe weakness at him. It worked and he called with JTo and I doubled up. I chipped up to 24k and the blinds went to 600/1200/a200, when the BSB once again raised my BB from the button. I had 89o and figured he'd fold a lot. He probably would, but this time he had KK. The flop came J7x and provided a glimmer of hope. When a 9 turned, I was pretty sure I was going to win the hand. And sure enough I nailed a T on the river to fill my gutshot. That put me at around 50k and left the former BSB at 35k or so. After the hand, there was much discussion. Rafi Amit inquired as to wheter or not I looked at my cards. I said yes, and he immediately said, "why?" It was quite funny. I also achieved another poker mile stone when Mike Matusow called me an internet donkey from the next table. I respectfully pointed out that while I might be an internet donkey, I was also a lifetime winner on the internet, unlike him. He shutup.

That same orbit the former BSB limped UTG. I raised to 4k in mp with KK and he called. We saw a Q83 two diamond flop, and the FBSB now check-raised me all-in. I called fairly quickly, but was in bad shape against his set of 3s. Well, I was briefly in bad shape, but then a K rivered...and the pour FBSB instead of having a monster stack was out, and I had over 90k. I proceeded to bust a british pro with A9 against his J9, and Rafi Amit with 99 v A6 and I ended a quite crazy first day with 115k in chips...good for 4th out of the remaining 39 players.

No, Really...Im A Luckbox

2006-07-06T18:51:00.000-04:00

Its tourney report time...or at least the beginning of tournament report time.

From the first hand of the 2500 Short Handed event I was playing well, and running well. First hand, im in the BB with A9o, and call a raise from the SB. Flop comes A9x and I end up winning 1200 chips or so from AK. I really could do no wrong in the first couple of levels. I raised with Qd9c and got called in the SB. He was 21 years old, and mentioned that he recognized me from the pokerdb. Flop comes A high all diamonds, and he check calls. The turn is a 9, and he check raises. I call. I get there on the river and he check folds and mutters good naturedly about not playing big pots out of position. Another hand I raised with Ad7d and got called in one spot behind me. Flop was 884 with two diamonds, and I bet and got called. Turn blanked and I checked, and the guy insta-checked behind me. I was pretty sure he was calling a river bet with whatever he was trying to get to showdown with so it was a good thing that I got there, and like clockwork I bet and he called. Right at the end of the 2nd level my table broke. At my new table I played about one hand before dinner and it was at least mildly interesting. A big stack raises (positions are much less relevant six handed) to 150 at 25/50 and I made it 600 on the button with KJo. He looked like he was about to fold, and then called. The flop was JTx and he now led for 800. I couldnt think of a good reason to fold or raise, so I called. Turn was a blank, and he led again...this time for 2500. I really thought he was overvalueing 1 pair, like AJ or something so I folded after a little think and filed it away in the memory banks. I entered the first break with about 6500.

I drifted down a little while during the beginning of the next level. However, I played 3 big pots. I raised with 87 of hearts and got called in one spot behind me and the SB. The flop was J34 with 1 heart and it checks around. I mentally call for the 5h, and bam there it is on the turn. SB checks, I take a stab, and get called by the guy behind me. River is my gin card, an offsuit 6. Turns out it really really was my gin card, because the turn caller had 67, and I busted him. A little later I defended my blind with 4c5c against a raise. Flop came 2d3d6d. Nothing in life is ever easy. I led for 350 and got raised to 850. I called planning to lead a blank turn. Unfortunately he folded. The last hand was pretty simple. The same player raised to 300 in EP, the button called and I made it 1000 from the SB with KK. I think it helped that I had squeezed in the same manner a couple of orbits before...because the raiser decided to go with his JJ and I won a big pot to get up to about 12k.

My table broke again and I was moved to a table with another big stack two to my right. This is when miracle hand number 1 happened. I was at about 10k when big stack raised to 600 (blinds at 100/200). I called in position with QsJs. The flop came Ts9h8c. The preflop raiser led into me for 1000. I made it 2500, and he though for a few seconds, and then jammed. Obviously I insta-called with the nuts. Time then began to get very very slow. He said something like "uhoh" and I expected him to have something like JT or AA. Instead he turned over the very live 8h8d. To be honest, I was already slightly dissapointed by how little I was ahead, and crushed when the 9s turned. I got up to leave, already composing the title to be very dissapointed blog post in my head. Vaguely I heard my opponent say..."you have outs." And then, sure enough, on the river the magical, unbelievable, incredible 8s giving me a straight flush, and my poor opponent quads. After that my stack soared. A player raised to 600 with almost exactly 6000 behind. I made it 2000 from the SB with JTo intending to fold to a push. However, my opponent surprised me and after almost folding...he flat called for 1/3 of his stack. The flop came QdJx2d. I didnt know what to do, but figured there was no way betting could be better than checking. So I checked. My opponent pushed, and after thinking briefly, and looking into his soul, I called, and managed to stay ahead of his 8d9d. This got me close to 40k, and about 1.5 hours later I hit my high water mark for the day 45k. Then the wheels began to come off (for the first time). That ladies and gentleman is what we call "forshadowing."

Final Table

2006-07-02T13:42:00.000-04:00

2nd in Chips going in. Lets try and win this bad boy.

Im Alive!!

2006-07-01T05:13:00.000-04:00

114k going into day 2 of the 6max event. Two monster suck outs got me the chips. I'll post a full trip report after I bust.

Varience 2; MLG 0

2006-06-30T03:34:00.000-04:00

My table draw for the 1500 PL event was quite unfortunate. Alex Balandin, Perry Friedman, Chris Bell and Keith Sexton. I went on a heater right at the beginning of the event, and got up to 2500 pretty quickly. I hovered there throughout the first two levels...and while I wasn't accumulating a ton of chips, I was quite enjoying myself. Perry Friedman was fun and engaging to have on my right. Unfortunately he busted right before the first break, giving his 4k in chips to the very aggressive, but very bad player directly to my left. My high water mark was about 5k when I busted a shortstacked Chris Bell, when my A7 outflopped his Queens. Then it was all downhill. Eventually I got my last 3k in with Q5o on a 234 two heart board. My opponent had 9h7h and an Ah turned.

2500 6 handed NL tomorrow.

0 for 1

2006-06-28T02:21:00.000-04:00

Today was quite frusterating. I executed my plan to perfection in the first couple of levels, and gambled in a couple of close spots in big pots...and won them to get up to 8k after the first two levels. Thats a HUGE stack considering you start with 1500. Then I was out by level 5 without playing a single big pot. Seriously frusterating. I got up to 7k playing this hand which was fairly interesting.

With the blinds at 25/50 the CO who has a lot of chips, but is quite bad makes it 125. I call on the button with KT of hearts, and then BB, who is very good, and very controlled calls as well. 400 in the pot. Flop is Q8x with two hearts. BB checks, and the CO bets 250. I make it 600, and the BB now jams for 1900 more (2500 total). So the pot is laying me 3750:1900 or jusssssst short of 2:1. I figure that my K is an out at least sometimes...and I still have 800 or so if I lose...and I firmly believe gambling in the first few levels is important. So I call. The BB has AQ, but the turn and river come J9 giving me a back door straight and a HUGE pot.

It didnt matter though as I had a couple of minor bad beats (although if I was playing my A+ game I would have lost slightly less on them I think) and one bad bluff...then one pretty bad beat, and I was on fumes. Eventually my 88 couldnt outflop JJ and I went home.

1500 PL tomorrow...I'll be there table 142, seat 4.

It Begins

2006-06-27T00:52:00.000-04:00

Table 113, Seat 1.

Last year I didnt play well at the wsop, I was kind of intimidated by the whole atmosphere I think. With a year's more experience under my belt I have much much higher expectations....which is also a problem since 8 tournaments (the amount im planning on playing) is a rediculously small sample size. Be that as it may, I'll be pretty bummed if I don't put at least one good run together.

Congrats

2006-05-30T17:05:00.000-04:00

Peter "Nordberg" Feldman won the WSOPC event in New Orleans over the weekend. Let me be the latest of the host of poker bloggers to offer my congratulations. Nordberg plays great and certainly deserves all the success that comes to him (and generally speaking I don't give out poker complements lightly).

As for me, poker has been good, although I haven't been playing as much as I should. Surprise Surprise. I came close to putting a run together on sunday, but lost two hands, both of which I made good decisions on. Once calling a preflop overbet with 88 and losing to A2, and again calling a preflop push with AT in the SB only to have the BB wake up with AK and bust me and the original pusher who had 89o. Oh well. Life recently hasnt left me much time for tournaments so im mixing in the cash games more and more, and having a good deal of success at it (although over 10k hands a lot of that can be attributed to running well). I sort of want to post some interesting hands ive played, but I can't find any. Oh well. Hopefully there will be more interesting things coming soon.

Alas poor Mirage I hardly knew ye.

2006-05-15T14:52:00.000-04:00

I lasted about 3.5 levels in the Mirage event. I got up to a high water mark of about 37k by sucking out on Brad "Yukon" Booth with the nut flush draw against trips. I then lost about 7k, with the nut flush draw against something that made me fold on the river. The only hand I regret looking back is blowing off 10k to Jeff Shulman with AA postflop. He had reraised me preflop and I just called. He flopped 2-pair but I put in way more chips than I had to.

My bustout hands is one of the weirdest experiences of my poker playing career. I have roughly 17k with the blinds at 200/400 a25. I raise to 1k in MP with QsJs. Patrick Antonius who is a very very good, very tricky player calls in the BB. The flop is 972 with two spades. He checks, I bet 2k, he calls. The turn brings an offsuit low card and now Antonius leads for 4500. I think the hand through, and believe that he is fairly weak here and I move all-in for 14300 total (9800 more). He thinks for a very long time and finally calls. I still dont understand how he makes the call with K2o, but he does, and I miss my 14 outs on the river and have another dissapointing first day exit.

Return of Blog Monster

2006-05-14T02:53:00.000-04:00

I'm playing the Mirage WPT event tomorrow so I will return to blogging faithfully. The tourney has a decent but not fantastic structure with 20k in starting chips and 90 min levels. It would be better if they started with a 25/50 level but starting with 20k in chips at 50/100 is still ok.

Foxwoods Post Mortem

2006-04-08T20:39:00.000-04:00

I played the 3k event. Played well, got a big stack and then crashed and burned. In the Main Event I ran the nuts into the 2nd nuts twice in the first hour...came all the way back, and then ran a good bluff that just didn't quite work. I am really really happy with how I played though even though I was only there for 3.5 levels.

I still consider myself to be running good though, since i won my WSOP seat today finishing in the top 2 of a 320 buy-in tournament with 96 runners. Nice to get that out of the way relatively early.

Also, if you read my blog and aren't super conversant in poker lingo, post questions, Im going to put together some sort of poker glossary in the near future.

Sunday Sunday Sunday

2006-04-03T15:47:00.000-04:00

Sunday started with me driving up to Foxwoods to play a 2k event. The structure was pretty good, 6k in starting chips, hour levels. We started with 25/50 blinds, and by 3/4 of the way through the second level I had doubled my stack to 12k without a showdown (If I had gone to showdown I would have had much more than 12k). I picked up KQo on the button and made it 300 to go. The BB thought and then made it 1300. Now this player had already slowplayed big pairs twice, so I was pretty sure he didnt have AA/KK. Also I had been extremely active in LP (surprise surprise) so it was possible he was getting fed up, and trying to put an end to my bullying. He had 6.6k left after his raise, and I decided to jam. He thought forever before calling with JJ. I didnt win the race and was down to about 4.5k. I lost another pot and then got the rest in with AK v KK. Oh well.

The good news was I busted out early enough to drive home and play the big sunday tournanments. I ended up in the Paradise 200r for 1k, but built up a nice little stack with 18k and the blinds at 100/200. The structure for the Paradise Masters events is quite good and allows a lot of play. Anyway, I went pretty card dead for a while, and then lost 10k when my Q high flush lost to a straight flush. Then I put in my last 10k with AK on a blank turn after a KTx 3 diamond flop (I had no diamonds) and lost to TT. Oh well again.

Stars and Party were quite funny. I built up a nice stack on party by zigging and zagging at the right times, while stars was a constant struggle of, get short and double up. wash rinse repeat. Then I lost AK to KQ on a K high board on party, at almost the exact same moment I won AT v AK on Stars. 30 mins later I lost my last 10k on Party with TP against a flush draw at almost the same moment I beat AJ w J9 all-in preflop on Stars. So now, Im out of Party, where I never got my money in bad, and have a nice stack on Stars where I havent gotten my money in good. I ended up coming in 65th on stars, busting when my AQ couldnt stand up against KTs.

Oh well, cant FT a sunday table every week.

A Briefer History of Tourney Part 2.

2006-03-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

With under 100 left I played very very few interesting hands. I doubled up with QQ against a guy who called my preflop raise and then raised my flop bet on a 644 flop. I pushed and he folded getting close to 10:1 on my last few chips. Then with about 275k in the BB I called an open raise from the SB (who had me covered) with AQ. Often I reraise there, this time I didnt. I flopped top pair on a Q93 two club board. The SB check callled my bet, and the turn was a 3rd small club. The SB check-raised all-in and I called and beat his K9o with no club. I drifted from 550k all the way back down to around 250k by having to fold to raises and doubling up short stacks. Then I called a shortstack's push when I had AA. Busted a shortstack's push when I had 87o and he had AA. and I was pack up to 500k and we were down to around 30 people. With under 20 people left, I reraised an open raiser all-in with AA and he called with QQ. Then I picked up AA again and won another nice pot, and that put me in the top 3 in chips at 800k.

I played very aggressively after that, often reraising LP raises from players who quite clearly wanted to make the final table, and not risking losing with 11-15 players left. It was really smooth sailing and I built my stack up to 2 million with only 1 player showing any desire to fight back and reraise me. With 5 players left I had roughly 1.9mil-2mil the button who was short stacked pushed all-in for 600k (blinds were 50k/100k). I called with A8s but lost to his A4. So, now down to 1.3mil I was on the BB next orbit with AJo, and once again called a push from an LP player. This time I had AJ, and he had KT. The flop was the terrifying xK...........A. Phew. Another player busted and I was the shortest stack 3 handed. The first hand the button raise to 300k, the SB called for 300k, and I pushed my 2 mil stack all-in from the BB with K9o. They both folded giving me a nice increase to my stack. Apparently though, my all-in opened the flood gates. My two opponens began reraising all-in (both with stacks of over 30BBs) on the vast majority of hands. Correspondingly, I tightened up hoping one would knock the other out, or I would pick up a big hand and double-up. The second stack got all-in with 66 against the big stacks AJ...but the 66 held, so now the guyh with 66 had 6.6mil, the guy who had AJ was down to 2.8 mil, and I had bled down to 2 mil again. On my last hand I opened for 300k from the button with QQ. As expected the player with 2.8mil reraised all-in. Now the BB (with 6.6 mil) began thinking and after a relatively long think he called the 2.8 mil. I was obviously thrilled and called with my QQ. SB had the reasonable AJ, and BB had KQ!? The flop was all low cards, but the turn came with an A to end my day in 3rd.

All in all, the ending sucked but it was still a super nice payday.

A Brief History of Tourney

2006-03-27T15:18:00.000-05:00

As with any tournament where you make the final table, I ran really well for most of the tournament. I'll give a brief overview. In the first hour, I doubled from 4500 when I limped and called a raise with 44. The flop came A4x and I doubled through against AK. I won a bunch of smaller pots (including calling a river bet on a KT643 with A6 and beating A3). I was around 13k when I ran my first semi-bluff. I raised preflop with QT of diamonds to 1500 (blinds 300/600) and got called by a stack that had me covered. The flop was A high and I bet out 2k. He calls putting about 9k in the pot. The turn was a 2nd diamond and I pushed...he folded.

I was around 20k for a while...untill I raised a couple of limpers with 77. The SB called, and both limpers called. The flop was AQ7 and the SB bet out for almost the size of the pot. I pushed and doubled up against AT. So I'm now at 40k, and a big stack. Unfortunately I was moved to a table with 3 other big stacks as the bubble approached. I didnt have any opportunity to bully on the bubble, but after we hit the money I took a stand. I defended my BB from an LP raise with 64s. Blinds were 600/1200 and LP big stack raised to 3500, I checked the Q63 flop and he bet 5k, I made it 15k and he folded. After that I went on a huge run, and got all the way up to 130k without really breaking a sweat...then i lost a 40k pot with AA against KK.

I hovered between 70k-100k when my 2nd semi-bluff hand happened. With the blinds at 2k/4k I had about 75k and raised to 10k in EP with 78 of clubs. The player right behind me, with about 100k called and we saw a Q97 flop. I bet 15k and he called putting 50k in the pot and 50k in my stack. The turn was a 5 giving me a gutshot straight draw along with my pair, and I pushed. He thought for a long time before folding what he said was JJ. At this point there were about 100 people left, but I'll leave that for another post.

What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate

2006-03-27T01:18:00.000-05:00

Well, actually I have a failure to communicate. Thats because poker sucked for a while.

I just took 3rd in the Pary Poker 750k Guarenteed prize pool. Poker no longer sucks. I am back to sucking out a lot and winning money. I rule. More to come when i havent just played 8 straight hours.

Looooord I Was Born.....

2006-03-14T03:40:00.000-05:00

I am so excited for Aaron Sorkin's new show. Set behind the scenes of an SNL type show I can't see how it would not be good. The only thing that worries me is casting Mathew Perry. I think he will be good (he was quite good on West Wing) but his presence will turn some people who would be fans off I think.

Shouldnt the play-in game for the NCAA tournament be between the last 2 at-large teams? The whole reward for little schools making the tournament is their shot at a big time school. It seems unfair to punish them by taking away that chance.

I admit it. I'm completely addicted to sportstalk radio. Its shameful and embarassing, and I probably need an intervention, but I just can't help myself.

I don't particularly like NASCAR, I don't particularly like racing video games, but I seriously cannot make myself stop playing NASCAR 06: Total Team Contol.

As my attention span has gotten shorter Ive moved from being a movie buff to a TV buff.

After having not played live poker for like 3 weeks now, I really miss it. Online is fun enough, but man, it doesnt hold a candle to live poker.

.....just trying to make a living and doing the best I can. And when its time for leaving I hope you'll undersand that I was born a ramblin man.

Who has some Cheese?

2006-03-11T14:44:00.000-05:00

in the last 20 HUs Ive played Ive lost in the following ways

AK v A9 preflop.
A9 v KQ on a 9 high flop.
Q5 v KK on a Q52 flop.
76 v QQ on a 89T flop.
A8 v 56 on a 5679 board.
35 v AA on an A249 board
62 v K9 on a K62 board

This is in addition to the normal assortment of HU losses...like running 104 of clubs in J5 of clubs on a 3 club board. or top 2 in an OESD or getting all-in with QQ v KK. Yeah, so poker sucks the last few days but is my blog and I'll whine if i want to.

HU Play

2006-03-09T03:30:00.000-05:00

The last couple of weeks ive been playing a lot of the Stars $200 HUs. They are fantastic as there are many many braindead opponents. For example, there's the one who will push whenever he has 2 broadway cards (even if he has 75 BBs). Or the ever popular I just rivered the nuts why don't I bet twice the pot and hope he calls bet. Another opponent will minraise every hnad, and minbet every street regardless of what he has. This is at a $200 level buy-in folks. Poker is good.

Playing HU though will make you think about the luck factor of poker a lot differently. For example, today I was playing a pretty decent opponent, and it seemed like everytime the money went in I'd have the worst of it and suck out. to some degree or another. While playing him though, I still felt in my gut that I was running bad....while it would seem that I obviously wasnt. Looking back over the games though, my gut was right. I flopped very few real hands. This isnt a huge problem against certain bad opponents because they don't apply enough pressure to make waiting difficult. However, this player was applying pressure well, and had a good aggression level. Not making very many hands with legitimate showdown value left me bluffing, semi-bluffing and bluff catching the majority of the time. So, the majority of the time I was folding and getting ground down and then being forced to make a stand and sucking out. So while I did get lucky in some big pots, (often when I'd pick up a big hand and he'd pick up a bigger one) that can be misleading.

HU is fun, if I run good at it next week I may take some selective shots at the 500.

The Jolly Fat Baseball Player

2006-03-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

It is undeniable that baseball is about stats. More than any other sport, thanks to Sabermetrics, and groups like Baseball Prospectus we all understand exactly what skills make baseball players tick. However, there are players that just break the mold. Kirbey Pucket's stats weren't that amazing. In fact, when you compare them to other borderline Hall of Famers, he doesn't even seem to be a lock to be there. His career stats are roughly on par with Don Mattingly and probably behind Jim Rice...but there was never any doubt that Pucket was a HOFer, nor should there have been. Kirbey was one of those rare players that transended stats.

I'm 22 so I was just developing baseball consciousness was Kirbey was in his prime. I feel particularly robbed of the end of his career when I would have been old enough to remember his career more fully. However, I think it speaks to Pucket's universalism that even I as a 9 year old remember the leaping catch against the plexi-glass and the game winning home run later that night. I mean, I was freaking 9, I don't even remember 75% of the Yankees from 1991 (well looking back I kind of do, but I dont have any memory of watching them play) but for whatever reason I remember that game. While he played, Kirbey was a character beyond comparison. I've tried to come up with a comparison so that people younger than me, who have absolutely no memory of his career might get some sense, but I think the biggest complement I can give him is that there is currently nobody like him.

On the Road Again

2006-03-02T20:41:00.000-05:00

I'm off on another trip, this time to D.C. No poker involved this trip, just visiting college friends. This is one of those things that nobody reading the blog could possibly care about but I get to write anyway because its my blog. So there.

Cheaters Only Prosper Briefly

2006-02-26T19:11:00.000-05:00

I suppose I should say a word about cheating, since the online poker community (of which I like to think I'm a relatively well known member--as far as internet cred goes) is in an uproar. In case anybody doesnt know, in the last two weeks two players that the publilc knows about have had their funds taken and their accounts closed as punishment for entering and playing more than one account in the same tournament. I also have it on goo authority that more accounts have undergone the same treatment, although those names are not publicly known yet.

On the on hand, it is unquestionably a good thing that these players, who are cheating, are being caught. And there is no question in my mind that it is cheating. However, the reactionary manner in which the policing is being done is cause for some degree of alarm. Why has the punishment started now? That's easy, its because there was an outcry on the poker message boards when the information leaked out that a winner of a tournament had entered another account (his primary account) that busted out in 2000th place. But, if its that easy to detect (and given the subsequent punitive measures it certainly seems to be that easy, at least in some cases) why hasn't anythin been done before? And, why is it that Party Poker, generally the least responsive site with respect to customer service leading the way, while Pokerstars is only investigating (at least apparently) those players who have already been banned by Party. The practice of multi-accounting is both illegal and common place, in that instance I don't think its unreasonable for me to expect my online pokerrooms to be pro-active in their policing, as opposed to reactionary. What they are doing is certainly better than nothing, but it has the potential to cause a witchhunt and it seems to me that while seizing funds from big wins makes a splash, all it does is highlight the security deficiencies up to that point.

Anyway, at least we're moving in the right direction where integrity is concerned. Cheatin will never be completely stopped in poker, that's just the way it is, but when I play at a site I'm putting my faith in them that they are doing their best to prevent it. This shows that they haven't in the past, but that perhaps they will in the future.

Through the Looking Glass

2006-02-22T03:22:00.000-05:00

These poker weeks, are quite the experience. I love going and playing poker, and hanging out with poker friends from across the country, but it really is like entering another world. For 5 days I dove head first into poker and didnt come up for air. While it was a ton of fun, I don't think I could do it if I didnt have another life to come back to. Having a great girlfriend to come back to who's not into poker really helps maintain a sense of balance. The same gos for all my non-poker friends. Im not sure how somebody who doesnt have these things can maintain the right kind of focus on the road when they do go and play. Anyway, different people need different things I guess. So, now Im back in New York, without another poker trip planned for a month or so.

LA Bust Out

2006-02-19T02:11:00.000-05:00

The first level of day 2, I have 37k with the blinds at 300/600 a75. A player who I think is pretty tight raises UTG+1 to 1800. I call in MP with 34 of clubs. This call is pretty marginal at best and a preflop fold is probably better. The raiser would either have to be very tight, or we would both need to be deeper for this call to be good. Generally though I have success playing nonconventional hands, so I can get carried away. Anyway, I call and a player in LP calls, both blinds fold. The flop comes KT8 with the T8 of clubs, giving me a small flush draw. The original raiser leads for about 6k, although from the way he was acting I didnt think he liked his hand. I have 35k and decide to raise (among other reasons it was because the villain in this hand only had me covered by about 10k, so playing a big pot with me will cripple him). I make it 15k, leaving myself with 20k behind. The LP player folds, and the original bettor immediately moves all-in. My hand is obviously no good at this point, but Im way priced-in to try and hit my flush. I call expecting to see AA/KK/AK from my opponent, but lo and behold he flips over K6 of hearts.

How he puts that many chips in with that hand there I have no idea. That may seem like sour grapes, because after all he has the best hand, but in fact even though he got the money in with the best of it, he clearly made a bad play here. When he decides to reraise me, and put me all-in he doesn't know what i have. Even if its possible I have a flush draw (which obviously it is) the other hands I might have are crushing K6s, specifically AK/TT/88, all of which I would play in the exact same manner. So, against my range of possible hands he is way behind, even though he got lucky here in that the hand in that range I have is the flush draw, and I don't hit. Oh well, gg me I suppose.

Live from LA

2006-02-17T15:58:00.000-05:00

I have 40k going into day 2. I'm fairly happy with that given that I had 10k going into the last level last night. More updates to come, but I just got my internet set up in the hotel room.

Beaten About the Head and Shoulders

2006-02-12T18:24:00.000-05:00

Big day of sunday tournaments will officially be renamed day that Michael is glad he doesnt have a high pain threshold so he cannot actually stick his head through a wall.

Party-AQs runs into AA on a Q high flop, no biggy.

Stars-First orbit, 1 limper, and LP makes it 80. I call in the BB with AKo, limper calls. Flop is K77 rainbow, and I check, limper checks and LP bets 120 into the 250 pot. Im probably ahead, and if so the two other players cannot have more than 5 outs combined so I call, and the limper calls. Turn is a 4(or something). I check, and it checks around. River is a 2, and I bet 450 into the pot. Limper minraises, I pay off his set of 2s. I can sometimes fold that river, but this time, meh. I hang around untill the 100/200 level where ive fought my way back to 2100. I'm in the BB with AJo. Two limpers, SB completes and I push. First limper who started with 1100, calls the rest of his 900, with A5o, and flops a 5. Sweet. So now I have 850, and mr. A5o limps UTG. I push from MP with K10o, folds to him, and he calls with....drum roll please.....J4s. Flops two pair and turns a boat. gg me.

Full Tilt-Get it in with AA on the turn against a flush draw (Q8s, which he had limped in EP, and called my raise out of the BB with) from a player who was incredibly bad. Him having a flush draw and 8 outs, is a minor bad beat in itself. He could easily have no hand no draw there. Of course he hits.

UB-Im skipping it to keep my head from exploding. I'm usually pretty sanguine about this stuff, even when im running bad like I have been online this year. This makes over 30 tournies in a row which I haven't moneyed in. But, like I always say, 1 good evening destroys 6 months of bad luck.

Fear and Loathing and a Bookstore

2006-02-10T17:27:00.000-05:00

It is simply impossible to explain Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to anybody who hasn't read it. I enjoyed it, despite finding it completely incomprehensible at points (not in that astounding depth incomprehensible way, but rather in that these words in this order dont normally appear in the english language way). Anyway, if have you havent read it, your missing out on a pretty culturally important (for some reason or other) work, that is if nothing else bizzarely entertaining.

Next up on the list are some things I picked up at the bookstore today. I went to the bookstore without a plan, which is always dangerous for me, because generally I end up with stuff I don't really want, or Sci-Fi/Fantasy crap which is exactly like most of the other Sci-Fi/Fantasy crap ive already read. Today was successful, however. I picked up Satanic Verses and Tales of an Economic Hit Man, both of which I've sort of been meaning to read. Also, I got The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene. Greene wrote The Elegant Universe, which I read about 5 years ago and really enjoyed. He's kind of Stephen Hawking-esque in his ability to break down interesting scientific ideas for the masses. Finally a got a book called The End of Faith, which deals with reason and religion. Im affirmatively excited by all of them.

Mr. Tony

2006-02-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

ESPN announced today that Tony Kornheiser will be the color man on their Monday Night Football broadcasts. Finally MNF gets a broadcasting decision right (even if its too late already). There's no doubt that MNF doesnt matter at all anymore, its basically become the sunday night football program that ESPN lost to NBC, and NBC's sunday night football will have the premier primetime games (because they well be able to select the games it wants as the season progresses). Regardless though, for the first time since Howard Cosell there is a broadcaster who is a reason to tune into the game. Cosell is one of the few public figures that I really wish I was alive to experience. A complete one of a kind character. He was funny and acerbic, but garnered such national respect that ABC had him announce John Lennin's assassination on MNF instead of cutting away to a news anchor. That kind of gravitas is unheard of from today's sports casters. While Cosell was arguably the play by play guy, he was clearly the main entertainment attraction in the booth.

Tony Kornheiser is no Howard Cosell, nor would he want to be. He is, however, a wildly successful sports personality in his own right. He's most well known for PTI, a show which legitimately changed the landscape of sports television. Pardon the Interuption spawned a buch of tv clones which featured sports writers yapping at each other, None of them are as successful, because they don't have Kornheiser, and cohost Michael Wilbon, who manage to be dynamic and engaging (even to non sports fans) while all they are doing is sitting and yelling with a timer in the background. Kornheiser brings a comedic element to the football broadcast, which is sorely needed in those late season bouts between two 5-7 teams that nobody could care less about. Unlike the previous experement with comedy, Dennis Miller, Kornheiser's humor comes in a package with serious sports chops. His mere presence will make me tune in, and if other people agree then ESPN has done its job and done it well.

Super Bowl Sucked

2006-02-07T02:11:00.000-05:00

Thats all. Is it too much to expect good teams to play their A game in the championship. Really. Oh, well. Time to get into College Basketball.

Super Bowl

2006-02-05T01:07:00.000-05:00

I'm taking Seattle. One of the Sports Guy's gambling rules is buck the popular opinion. I haven't heard one expert pick Seattle yet. Ofcourse there's good reason for that. The AFC has been stronger all year, the Seahawks have gotten to the Super Bowl without having been tested, and in a lot of ways Pittsburg is a team of destiny. Here's the thing though, none of that means that Seattle isn't as good as they seem. We just don't know yet. I'm betting (theoretically since I don't actually have moeny on the game) that they are.

For those of you waiting for the conclusion to my Borgata trip report...all the big hands I played were covered on Pokerwire/Cardplayer. To sum up, I made hands at the right time on day 2 to end the day at 375k. I rocketed to 750k on day 3 by beating the Grinder in 3 pots, two where he folded the best hand, one where he called with the worst. Then I doubled Amnon Filipi up in a weird hand with K5o against 43s, and finally Erick Lindgren owned me. JJ v 88, on a TT7 flop, where he called my hand out before calling my bet.

Freakonomics.

2006-02-04T15:10:00.000-05:00

I quite enjoyed this read. The book reminded me about what I really enjoyed about economics in college. The idea that you can create models to figure out how the world works, using nothing more than math and statistics. That said, the book really isnt about economics. It is more about taking the statistical analysis that is important to economics and applying it to topics that generally come under the perview of sociology. Generally I hate sociology, but thats because I view it as the "mushy parts" of all the other social sciences. Traditionally it relies heavily on observation and anecdote....and excercises like interviews. That's all fine and good, but it creates lots of inherently biased situations, and makes it impossible to draw any definitive conclusions. Freakonomics takes the math of economic analysis and it applies it to situations that have up to this point resisted statistical economic studies, which makes it ground breaking in its own way. Of course, what really makes the book great is that it does all this in a fun breezy easy to read manner. I highly reccomend it.

A Non-Poker Interlude

2006-02-03T02:01:00.000-05:00

I used to be a really cultured person. Most people who knew me would call me a movie buff. My Sr. year of High School I ended up running a film series for my friends. I compiled a list of movies I hadnt seen, but felt I should, and started watching them. Field of Dreams wasn't on the list, but if I watched it, they would come. Roughly once a week my friends would join me in whatever I was watching. I spent summers reading books that I felt I should have read at some point in me HS but didnt. I loved broadway, and saw lots of shows (both musicals and dramas). I'm still fairly cultured. I can have an intelligent conversation about this year's Oscar nominations, but I havent seen the vast majority of them. I haven't read a book that wasn't crap in 3 months (Sex Drugs and Coacoa Puffs being the last one, and it was fantastic), although I have several lining my shelves.

So, starting now, I'm getting back on the culture (pop and otherwise) bandwagon. To begin with I'm knocking down a couple of books that I should have read already. First, Freakonomics. Honestly I don't think there could be a book more geared towards me. After that comes Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Movies may or may not follow. I have a feeling once I get the ball rolling it will be easy to keep it in motion. Anybody who wants to suggest books or movies feel free.

How It Started

2006-02-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

The Borgata structure is fantastic. They start you with 25k in chips which is a more than fair trade off for the shorter 1 hour 15 minute levels. I needed all those chips because by level 3 I was at 16k. I lost a pot with KK when KJ flopped a straight on a Q109 board. I paid off the river when I didnt have to. I then mande a monster call on an A7510 3 heart board with A10. It seems easy enough but given how the action played out all I could beat was a bluff, and thats exactly what he had with KK!?. I then flopped a couple of sets, to get to about 36k when my first table broke.

My 2nd table had Barry Greenstein at it which actually made it quite fun. Barry is unexpectedly pleasant to play with. It was also pleasant because I went on a HUGE rush, flopping sets left and right. A horrible player limps in EP, and an ok player makes the 400 blind 1200 to go. An LP player calls and I call from the SB with 44. The flop is 943 with two clubs. Sometimes I checkraise here, but this time I led for 3k. It folds to the preflop raiser who thinks and makes it 6k. I will often just reraise again big here, but this time I felt the bet was from a weakish overpair and was designed to let him fold if I made a big reraise, so I just called. The turn was a 5, and I led into the raiser for 5k, my plan was to make my hand look like a draw and have him raise me off it. Thats what he did, he pushed, and I busted his A9o.

I played some other interesting hands over the course of the day, but most of them actually involved me laying down hands. 3 times I layed down 2 pair, and once I layed down JJ on a 10 high board in a 3 way pot. I was wrong on the JJ hand but thats ok. I also layed down KK on the river on an A high board in a 3 way pot when it would have been best. I thought I had the player who bet the river beat, but there was a player left to act behind me who had called the turn. That player called with 1010 and won. All these lay downs are a new step for me, and I think a good development in my game. I finished the day with 75k, very very pleased with my play. I had played with Barry Greenstein, Kathy Leibert, Chad Brown, and Tex Barch and really never felt particularly outclassed. I had made a lot of hands to be sure, but I had played extremely well to get those hands paid off. I didnt play perfectly by any means, but the mistakes I made were productive to my game. So, I went into day 2 with a lot of confidence.

Not too Shabby

2006-02-01T01:09:00.000-05:00

In my first backed event I only managed to take 14th place. I think we can all live with that. A trip report may or may not follow. 3 days of poker is a lot to try and sum up. I will say it was a blast, and I got to spend a lot of time at the table with a lot of talented pros (and some not so talented pros) who I hadnt played with before. For the first time in a major event I feel like my confidence matched my ability which is nice. Also I didnt really suck out on anybody (at least not anybody who called).

Backing

2006-01-28T23:24:00.000-05:00

Its now official. I have a backing deal that will allow me to play Main Events, starting with the Borgata. Wish me luck!

Borgata 2500

2006-01-27T22:18:00.000-05:00

I got AA-88 AK/AQ exactly twice. Once I took the pot preflop when I raised two limpers from the BB with AKs. Then I got my case 4.5k chips in preflopwith JJ against A4s with the blinds at 75/150. A on the turn and I go home. I had one semi-bluff that didnt work, and two draws that I missed on the turn and then folded. That was it. Boring and crappy.

Table 2

2006-01-26T19:07:00.000-05:00

Table 2 was a complete roller coaster. I got up to 15k by flopping trips against Arnold Spee my first hand at the table. My second hand I got JJ and won the blinds. 3 hands lateer I limped UTG with AQs and called a push from the BB. He had QQ and I shipped 3500 over. That was it for good hands. I managed to get all the way down to 4500 without ever seeing a turn card. I don't really remember how. I got reraised small a couple of times, and had to call only to fold on the flop. I raised preflop, fired on the flop and got check-raised and forced to fold a couple of times too. Anyway, I sucked out on JJ with 77 to get back to 10k all in the space of one level. I spent the 100/200 level fluctuating between 8k and 11k without really playing an interesting hand. Well actually I guess this hand was kind of interesting. 3 limpers to me and I make it 1200 with KQo. Spee calls on the BB and all the limpers fold. Flop is 743 high 2 spades, Spee checks, I bet 2500 into the 3k pot, and Spee pushes. He has 3175 more. I start thinking about what hands Spee could call 1k with preflop when his stack was only about 7500. Certainly it wasnt anything that could fit this flip like 56 or 75 or somethinkg equally speculative. A set of 7s was possible, but unlikely. I thought his most like holdings were 88-JJ, which created an interesting situation. I did a quick estimation in my head. Against a middle PP I would win almost exactly 1/4 of the time or 25%. I had to call about 3k more which meant that if there was 9k in the pot I would have to make the call. I did the math, and there was 8700 and change in the pot, and I needed to call 3100. Thats not quite the 3:1 I needed, although if /i widened his range to include hands like J10 of spades I could certainly justify the call. Those hands just didnt feel right, and I decided to make a tight fold.

After another 15 min break I experienced what Im going to call the BL (Borgata Leap). The BL is going from 100/200 no ante to 200/400 a25. I quickly ran my stack to 15k busting Spee in the proccess. I raised to 1200 in EP with AQo. Spee called the 1200 with 2400 left behind. The flop was KQx with two diamonds. I checked, he checked. The turn wasw a blank, I checked and he pushed, I called fairly quickly gettind 2:1 and he turned over A10s. I hate his preflop call here. Then I defended my SB against an aggresive EP raise to 1400 with 78 of hearts. The flop was 1094 with two clubs. I led for 2k intending to push if he raised. He folded though. I dribbled back down to 11k when the blinds went up to 300/600 a50 without playing a meaningful hand. Then a very tight player limped UTG, a very loose but not bad player limped in LP after staring at the limp suspisciouly and I checked in the BB with A3 of hearts. The flop came A103 with two clubs. I checked intending to check raise, but both UTG and LP checked as well. This surprised me. The turn was an ugly K of clubs. I bet 1500 into the roughly 2k pot, and LP called. The river blanked, and I check called 2k. He flipped over QJo and for the second time in the day I was heart by a player making a gutshot broadway (of course this time he didn't play it badly). That left me with 6k and in push or fold mode. I pushed once with AJ and picked up the blinds. Then the next hand I picked up KQ and pushed over a big stack limp. He called with AQ and I went home.

Borgata 1500 first table.

2006-01-25T20:09:00.000-05:00

We started the tourney with 7k stacks and 25/50 blinds. The first level was fairly uneventful for me. I got to roughly 8k by winning some small pots, and picking up QQ once. Then I flopped two big draws which missed (thankfully I played them conservatively) and drifted down to 5500. I won a blind v blind battle at the beginning of th 50/100 level. The SB raised and I defended with J5s. Flop came 235 rainbow, and I raised his continuation bet to take it down. Then came my first big hand. With roughly 6500 in chips I raised two limpers to 600 with K10o from the CO. The button who was pretty bad (ok very extremely bad) called my raise and the limpers folded. The flop was a very good but very dangerous K104 with two spades. I bet 1000 and the button called leaving himself 2500 behind. The turn was an offsuit J. I briefly considered checking, but there are so many hands that I'm ahead of that are drawing very live, plus a very good chance he still calls me with a worse made hand. I put him in and he ofcourse turned the nuts with AQ.

With 2k, I want into shortstack turtle mode and shelled up. I won a few small pots to get to 2500. Then I defended my BB with 109o against an MP raise. I flopped huge with JQK. I got it all-in against a set of Qs and held-up to get up to 5k. With me new found chips (which of course were still less than the starting stack ) I started attacking the blinds again at what was really quite a tight table. I opened to 250 with 35 of clubs in MP and got called by an extremely tight button. Flop was A26 with the 2 and 6 of clubs and I checked. I will often lead with the intention of pushing if I get raised, but I didnt here because i think the range of hand this button raises me with is quite tight, and I guessed he'd generally just call with many Aces. Anyway, the turn was the straight flush making 4 of clubs. I lead for 400 and get raised to 800. The raise feels weak to me, more trying to find out where he's at with a marginal made hand than anything else. I called the raise, and led the river for 2k, hoping he'd try and snap me off. He folded though. Than hand got me back to 7. I dribbled back towards 6k when I picked up 2 tens in MP. I again opened for 250 and got called in two spots. The flop came Q72 all diamonds. The SB checked and I led for 6 then looked at my cards to see if I had a diamond...I did. The LP caller folded, but the button quickly made it 1800 with about 4k behind. I thought about calling, then I thought about folding, then I ended up pushing. I think its a very interesting decision. After about a minute of staring me down he folded what he later said was QJo.

After a 15 minute break the blinds went to 75/150. Folds to me on the button and I limp Q10 of spades. The SB (bad player from before) makes it 600 more, but I get the feeling he's just attacking what he views as weakness. The BB calls as do I. The flop is the extraordinarily triky 1095 with two clubs. SB leads out for 1500 and BB folds. I thought about moving in here for 5k more. But I felt at the time that that makes him play perfectly so I just called. The turn is the K of clubs. SB asks me for a count and is acting extremely aggresively, classic bluffing posture, sitting up in his seat leaning forward more. When I tell him I have about 5k, he fires 2500 into the pot. I push after about 10 seconds thought. He agonizes with his nothing and then folds. After that the table breaks, and I head to a new table with 11k.

Kobe and 81

2006-01-23T14:25:00.000-05:00

The Comedian Eddie Izzard has a bit where he talks about killers. It goes, when you kill one person we lock you up in jail. If you kill 10, you get a small room with white padded walls and a nice little slit to look through. If you kill 100,000 though we're almost impressed. 100,000 people eh? You must have gotten up awfully early in the morning to accomplish that. That's how I feel about Kobe Bryant. I think he's selfish, he doesn't make his teammates better, and really he couldnt care less about winning as long as the world thinks he's great. I mean, MJ never scored 81 points in a game, and I promise its not because Kobe is better. Here's the thing though, Kobe is just so good, its impossible not to be impressed. I mean, 81 points is just mind boggling. Its incomprehensible. Reaslistically speaking, 50 is a heroic accomplishment, 30 is a very good game. He did both. Im on the East Coast, and didnt watch the game, and I cannot comprehend how he did it. Its like hitting 6 home runs in a game, or rushing for 350 yards. When you sit down to watch a sporting event its not even within the realm of possibility, not remotely. If you watch the Lakers, maybe you say, I'll put the game on to see if Kobe goes off for 45 tonight that would be incredible. Even though I think the Lakers would be better if Kobe averaged 5-10 less points because it would translate into 20 more points for his teammates (and maybe Lamar Odom wouldnt have to spend the whole season looking like Kobe just kicked his dog), how can you fault a guy when he can score that much. Its like Eddie Izzard said, it may be wrong, but you cant help it, you're in awe.

So, this is my second post today. The blog is a fun new toy for me, so I'm sure the posts will come fast and furious for a while. We'll see what happens when the new car smell wears off.

It Starts....

2006-01-23T13:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems that blogging (especially poker blogging) is all the rage now, so consider me on the bandwagon. Hopefully the blog will end up being a mix of poker, and other stuff that will amuse the non poker players among you enough to keep you coming back. We will see. Anyway, I'll close my opening post with this. Three times this month I have gotten my money in with over a 95% chance of winning and lost. Two of those have been extremely important pots late in tournaments. For those of you who don't play poker, suffice it to say that SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS, a lot. Poker in January has not been good to me on the whole (although I havent played as many tournies as I should have--thats probably going to be a running theme of the blog). Maybe my luck will change at the Borgata. I'll be there the 25th and the 27th playing the 1500 and 2500 events, and some satellites. So, this first post ended up being about poker, other ones will hopefully be more balanced, although really, who am I kidding.