Whooosh…
That’s the sound of me missing the mark with that last post. I meant to contrast reactions to getting caught in the rain and parallel them with reactions to a bad beat, but I got lost somewhere along the way based on some of the comments.
****
Anyway, look here for an update soon with a few pictures. I’m trying to design a custom poker chip and any of you who want to provide some feedback will have a chance.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Ignorance is Bliss
Sometimes I feel I’m continually balancing my nature to be completely honest on the blog versus my self-perception that I’m a whiny little bizznatch. Usually the honest part wins out and you get posts like yesterday’s. But then I think how frikkin’ pissy I must sound and get second thoughts about making those types of posts ever again. See? There I go again, more whining about whining.
****
I was walking from my car to my office today and it was raining. Hard. By the time I arrived at my desk, my coat was saturated and my pants were soaked, sticking to my thighs as I walked.
On my way up to the 3rd floor, I rode the elevator with another guy who got caught in the rain. I had a baseball cap to wear which kept me somewhat dry, but this guy was flat out drenched. His hair was dripping water onto his face and it was collecting on the tip of his nose and falling to the floor.
And he was laughing with his friends about it.
Meanwhile, I’m annoyed as all hell.
****
Basically, we both had a bad beat with the weather. How did I react? I lamented my recent move to the new building where I work that requires a much longer trek across the parking lot. The other guy? Laughter.
So who’s the idiot? Is it me for not being able to shrug off the variance that is South Carolina weather? Or is it the other guy who doesn’t realize that his clothes have just been ruined and his work day will be just a tad more miserable than it need be?
****
I often tell my friends that intelligence is a curse. When you’re smart, you realize just how often you’re getting screwed in life. The mentally challenged don’t know that life is fucking them hard, so they smile and live life happy.
And that’s how poker is too.
Edit: Can't y'all just let me wallow in misery without reminding me that I'm a moron with no umbrella??? Sheeesh.
****
I was walking from my car to my office today and it was raining. Hard. By the time I arrived at my desk, my coat was saturated and my pants were soaked, sticking to my thighs as I walked.
On my way up to the 3rd floor, I rode the elevator with another guy who got caught in the rain. I had a baseball cap to wear which kept me somewhat dry, but this guy was flat out drenched. His hair was dripping water onto his face and it was collecting on the tip of his nose and falling to the floor.
And he was laughing with his friends about it.
Meanwhile, I’m annoyed as all hell.
****
Basically, we both had a bad beat with the weather. How did I react? I lamented my recent move to the new building where I work that requires a much longer trek across the parking lot. The other guy? Laughter.
So who’s the idiot? Is it me for not being able to shrug off the variance that is South Carolina weather? Or is it the other guy who doesn’t realize that his clothes have just been ruined and his work day will be just a tad more miserable than it need be?
****
I often tell my friends that intelligence is a curse. When you’re smart, you realize just how often you’re getting screwed in life. The mentally challenged don’t know that life is fucking them hard, so they smile and live life happy.
And that’s how poker is too.
Edit: Can't y'all just let me wallow in misery without reminding me that I'm a moron with no umbrella??? Sheeesh.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Recovery Plan
I’ve hit a small snag in the road.
A year ago, the road ahead was filled with uncertainty. I had finished the 2004 poker year ahead and figured I could at least keep up the pace in 2005. When all the beans were counted, 2005 was twice the year 2004 was, even after you stir in the Great Vegas Equalizer.
With the arrival of 2006, plans were made, and a recipe for success was created. Well, one thing’s for sure, I can’t cook.
I have an agreement with myself that prevents me from blogging about bad beats and losses, because seriously, who wants to read that? Not even me. Rather than bemoan my latest streak in the red, I’ll write about what I think has been the recurring theme for my descent through bankroll decimation hell.
****
If you’re going to go skydiving and your main chute fails, there is always the backup chute to save you. It’s not the fall, as they say, it’s the sudden stop that kills. If you’re in the IT field and your hard drive crashes, you hopefully can revert to some recently created backups and restore your business to a working state. It’s pretty much common sense. Backup and recovery.
****
In any one given poker session, I have no backup and recovery plan. And it’s obvious I need one.
If a session goes right for me, from beginning to end, there’s no problem. But those types of sessions are few and far between. Of late, sessions have been derailed because of some obscene beat. I thought I could handle them, but alas, it appears that I still have trouble.
It’s the beats combined with their rapid succession combined with the people perpetrating them. Add it all up and my play level takes a steep dive. With each additional losing day, the threshold at which my play deteriorates gets lower and lower. Before you know it, I’ve regressed into playing hands I know I shouldn’t and mis-playing hands where I snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
****
Sometimes, it’s not even the cards that get to me. Last night, I played in a cash game after a tournament and wondered what the dealer was doing when he was taking dollars out of the pot each hand.
A rake? Are you kidding me? A home game with a rake? Nevermind that the game was $1/$2 NL with a $50-max buy-in. Craps with cards. Nice. Not.
G-Rob had the sense to get up and leave nearly immediately. I, on the other hand, waited to lose my stack to a 5-outer before I left the table.
I still wanted to play, but that environment was just absurd. Let me clarify: I still wanted to play well. So even though I got home at midnight, I resolved to play 100 hands online.
Well, it wasn’t too long before I lost my stack again, thanks to the runner-runner variety of beats. I was done. And down. Again.
****
I am looking for a winning session, which hasn’t happened in over a week. That elusive needle in a haystack. I know they’ll come back eventually, but in the meantime I need a backup strategy. I need something, anything, that will allow me to withstand the inevitable X-outer and continue to keep my play level consistently high. I’m not sure what it is yet.
Perhaps it’s a small walk, perhaps it’s a 5-minute break with a brewsky. Whatever it is, I’ll find it and eliminate YAH (yet another hole) in my game.
A year ago, the road ahead was filled with uncertainty. I had finished the 2004 poker year ahead and figured I could at least keep up the pace in 2005. When all the beans were counted, 2005 was twice the year 2004 was, even after you stir in the Great Vegas Equalizer.
With the arrival of 2006, plans were made, and a recipe for success was created. Well, one thing’s for sure, I can’t cook.
I have an agreement with myself that prevents me from blogging about bad beats and losses, because seriously, who wants to read that? Not even me. Rather than bemoan my latest streak in the red, I’ll write about what I think has been the recurring theme for my descent through bankroll decimation hell.
****
If you’re going to go skydiving and your main chute fails, there is always the backup chute to save you. It’s not the fall, as they say, it’s the sudden stop that kills. If you’re in the IT field and your hard drive crashes, you hopefully can revert to some recently created backups and restore your business to a working state. It’s pretty much common sense. Backup and recovery.
****
In any one given poker session, I have no backup and recovery plan. And it’s obvious I need one.
If a session goes right for me, from beginning to end, there’s no problem. But those types of sessions are few and far between. Of late, sessions have been derailed because of some obscene beat. I thought I could handle them, but alas, it appears that I still have trouble.
It’s the beats combined with their rapid succession combined with the people perpetrating them. Add it all up and my play level takes a steep dive. With each additional losing day, the threshold at which my play deteriorates gets lower and lower. Before you know it, I’ve regressed into playing hands I know I shouldn’t and mis-playing hands where I snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
****
Sometimes, it’s not even the cards that get to me. Last night, I played in a cash game after a tournament and wondered what the dealer was doing when he was taking dollars out of the pot each hand.
A rake? Are you kidding me? A home game with a rake? Nevermind that the game was $1/$2 NL with a $50-max buy-in. Craps with cards. Nice. Not.
G-Rob had the sense to get up and leave nearly immediately. I, on the other hand, waited to lose my stack to a 5-outer before I left the table.
I still wanted to play, but that environment was just absurd. Let me clarify: I still wanted to play well. So even though I got home at midnight, I resolved to play 100 hands online.
Well, it wasn’t too long before I lost my stack again, thanks to the runner-runner variety of beats. I was done. And down. Again.
****
I am looking for a winning session, which hasn’t happened in over a week. That elusive needle in a haystack. I know they’ll come back eventually, but in the meantime I need a backup strategy. I need something, anything, that will allow me to withstand the inevitable X-outer and continue to keep my play level consistently high. I’m not sure what it is yet.
Perhaps it’s a small walk, perhaps it’s a 5-minute break with a brewsky. Whatever it is, I’ll find it and eliminate YAH (yet another hole) in my game.
Monday, January 9, 2006
1000 Words
For the new year, I'd like to hit the target more often. That way, I can avoid hearing this line over and over again in my head.
"Still, 'old friend.' You've managed to kill everyone else but like a poor marksman, you keep....missing...the target."
(FYI: That dotted line is variance. And my tilt-directional arrow represents me playing well, but losing. Then my play level drops as a result and I continue to lose. For whatever reason, I rarely get into that luck-box area. CJ has monopolized it and won't even let me come visit.)
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Two Hands From The Big Game
The G-Vegas Big Game began where it left off. During only 4 sessions there in 2005, I managed a small profit. I’m sure my table image was rock-ish, at least to those who were paying attention. I was hoping to play more during the forthcoming year, so I made a point to get there on its first installment in aught six.
The first interesting hand for me came during a NLO8 hand. Yes, that’s “N,” not “P.” G-Vegas likes its gambool and pot-limit apparently doesn’t cut it. Regardless, I’m dealt A28K rainbow and see the flop for $5. When the flop comes 467, my first thoughts are “jackpot.” An EP limper bets $15 into the pot and I’m all too happy to call. G-Rob, in LP, raises $30 to $45 and a warning flag in my head is raised ever so slightly. That same flag begins waiving frantically when the initial EP bettor goes over the top all-in for about $80 more.
I have the nut low, but no high draw. So here’s my thinking: Right now I could very well be playing for only a quarter of the pot. In fact, it may be 1/6th the pot based on the action. I have no high hand draw AND my nut low is subject to counterfeiting, albeit the chances are small. So I fold. Yes, that’s right, I folded the nut low on the flop. Even though there were four players in the pot and only G-Rob had a stack that covered me, I still folded. Good thing too, since G-Rob came over the top all-in too. He indeed had A2, but with the nut flush draw. He hit and scooped. My fold easily saved me $100+.
Hand number two was really interesting too. I’m dealt A3 of hearts and raise to 3xBB to $15. G-Rob on the button calls as does one other player. The flop is a scary, coordinated A23. Of spades. I flopped top two-pair on a scary board, but still had to represent my hand. I bet out $30 and only G-Rob smooth called. The turn was a 9. Of spades. Things just got even more interesting.
Here’s a peek inside my thought process for how I was going to play this hand. Remember that G-Rob just scooped an enormous NLO8 hand. He probably had $600 in front of him at the time and it was easy to see him regain his comfort level at the table. He’s ran bad at TheRick’s in the past, but with 3x his buy-in in front of him, I felt that he felt he could play his normally aggressive game, especially during a NL hold ‘em hand.
I bet $30 on the turn, which screamed “I do not have a flush.” Why would I bet this amount? Because I was confident G-Rob would see this as an opportunity. Not especially confident, but just a little bit. He raised me to $80. Before I called, I put him on a big Ace. He smoothed called my pre-flop raise, so I know he has a hand. I call at this point thinking that there’s a decent chance his other card is not a spade. The river is an offsuit Jack. I’m not too pleased, because that card could just as easily given G-Rob a higher two-pair than mine.
I check the river to see what G-Rob will bet. He easily has me covered and I most certainly could not call an all-in bet from him. He bets $70 into a $250+ pot. I still feel I have to call because I’m confident he’s holding an Ace, I’m confident he’s willing to bluff at the flush and there’s a decent chance his other card is neither a spade nor matching a card on the board for a higher two-pair. I call.
G-Rob shows AQ. Q of clubs. My read was correct and I pulled in a decent pot. Many of the players couldn’t believe I called the hand. I certainly was not 100% sure my read was right, but I was going with it, especially on the river given the pot odds at the time.
Even though he lost that pot to me, G-Rob and I cashed out a collective $800+ in profit for the night, both playing decent poker. I’ll happily book my $450 win in hopes that it’s a sign of better things to come for 2006.
The first interesting hand for me came during a NLO8 hand. Yes, that’s “N,” not “P.” G-Vegas likes its gambool and pot-limit apparently doesn’t cut it. Regardless, I’m dealt A28K rainbow and see the flop for $5. When the flop comes 467, my first thoughts are “jackpot.” An EP limper bets $15 into the pot and I’m all too happy to call. G-Rob, in LP, raises $30 to $45 and a warning flag in my head is raised ever so slightly. That same flag begins waiving frantically when the initial EP bettor goes over the top all-in for about $80 more.
I have the nut low, but no high draw. So here’s my thinking: Right now I could very well be playing for only a quarter of the pot. In fact, it may be 1/6th the pot based on the action. I have no high hand draw AND my nut low is subject to counterfeiting, albeit the chances are small. So I fold. Yes, that’s right, I folded the nut low on the flop. Even though there were four players in the pot and only G-Rob had a stack that covered me, I still folded. Good thing too, since G-Rob came over the top all-in too. He indeed had A2, but with the nut flush draw. He hit and scooped. My fold easily saved me $100+.
Hand number two was really interesting too. I’m dealt A3 of hearts and raise to 3xBB to $15. G-Rob on the button calls as does one other player. The flop is a scary, coordinated A23. Of spades. I flopped top two-pair on a scary board, but still had to represent my hand. I bet out $30 and only G-Rob smooth called. The turn was a 9. Of spades. Things just got even more interesting.
Here’s a peek inside my thought process for how I was going to play this hand. Remember that G-Rob just scooped an enormous NLO8 hand. He probably had $600 in front of him at the time and it was easy to see him regain his comfort level at the table. He’s ran bad at TheRick’s in the past, but with 3x his buy-in in front of him, I felt that he felt he could play his normally aggressive game, especially during a NL hold ‘em hand.
I bet $30 on the turn, which screamed “I do not have a flush.” Why would I bet this amount? Because I was confident G-Rob would see this as an opportunity. Not especially confident, but just a little bit. He raised me to $80. Before I called, I put him on a big Ace. He smoothed called my pre-flop raise, so I know he has a hand. I call at this point thinking that there’s a decent chance his other card is not a spade. The river is an offsuit Jack. I’m not too pleased, because that card could just as easily given G-Rob a higher two-pair than mine.
I check the river to see what G-Rob will bet. He easily has me covered and I most certainly could not call an all-in bet from him. He bets $70 into a $250+ pot. I still feel I have to call because I’m confident he’s holding an Ace, I’m confident he’s willing to bluff at the flush and there’s a decent chance his other card is neither a spade nor matching a card on the board for a higher two-pair. I call.
G-Rob shows AQ. Q of clubs. My read was correct and I pulled in a decent pot. Many of the players couldn’t believe I called the hand. I certainly was not 100% sure my read was right, but I was going with it, especially on the river given the pot odds at the time.
Even though he lost that pot to me, G-Rob and I cashed out a collective $800+ in profit for the night, both playing decent poker. I’ll happily book my $450 win in hopes that it’s a sign of better things to come for 2006.
New Year's Day Tourney - 2006
I’m somewhat of a control freak. Yeah, yeah, those of you that know me will just nod your head or smile inside in agreement. That’s one of the reasons why I like to host poker games at the house. I like to make sure things run correctly. From a weekly home game to larger tournaments, I like to think I run a tight ship.
But you know what? It can get tiring. Very tiring.
It would be one thing if I had a dedicated poker room isolated from the rest of the house. There would be no setup, no teardown, and there wouldn’t be any noise issues to affect the slumbering miniBloods. But I don’t have such a room, so setting up a poker game at the house takes some work.
Recently after a few home games, I was feeling down about hosting because things were getting out of hand. People were too loud and when hosting begins to seem more like babysitting, I can’t concentrate too well on playing decent poker.
So with some trepidation, I still set up a big New Year’s Day tournament that would kickoff the G-Vegas series of poker tournaments for the 2006 season. To the credit of all my friends, it couldn’t have gone any better.
****
The poker content of the tourney can be summarized thusly: suckout. With the LuckBox in attendance, you knew things would get interesting. I survived the first of the table consolidations with a slightly below average stack, but one that was above where I started. My demise came in the form of a flopped set of 7’s.
On a previous hand, I had pushed all-in on a flush draw and showed the table my semi-bluff. I was setting up things for a future hand and this was my opportunity. The flop was T74 rainbow and I checked my set. Teddy Ballgame came out firing in late position and I flat-called. The turn was a 9, putting a straight draw on board and I made my move. I checked the turn and Teddy bet out again. I check-raised all-in and Teddy called quickly with his JTo – top pair, medium kicker.
At first glance, I thought Teddy was drawing dead. But the LuckBox spoke up and said “He needs an 8.” The river card came oh so slowly, revealing one of the four outs Teddy needed to eliminate me. I was out in 15th place thinking that 2006 was going to be just like 2005.
****
We started a cash game in the kitchen, and CJ, err the LuckBox, helped out yet again with tournament organization duties. CJ had just eliminated TheMark when he called off all his chips on an OESD and hit. We kid CJ that poker must be easy when you know you’re going to hit all your draws. He’d later bust pocket K’s twice, once with T4s (fullhouse) and once with AQ (quad Aces). Bloggers who were there couldn’t believe their eyes.
The money finishers were as follows: Uncle Ted in 5th with a $50 save, Teddy Ballgame in 4th with $115, BigPirate in 3rd with $190, CJ in 2nd with $400 and Falstaff in 1st as the BBSOP 2006 New Year’s Day Champion. Fittingly, CJ lost the tourney with the JackHammer; perhaps it’s magic has been lost.
His prizes were $445 in cash (reflects final table deal with CJ), an engraved money clip (BBSOP 2006) and a free entry into the G-Vegas tourney circuit Championships scheduled for the end of this year.
Pictures of the event can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69943340@N00/sets/1740761/
****
The tournament certainly couldn’t have been pulled off so smoothly without the help of a bunch of people. Thanks to:
Random101 for bringing his table and chairs.
TheMark and Mrs_All_In for bringing additional chairs.
Shep Tiltstein for providing sandwiches to the crew.
Frank the Tank for providing his table.
G-Rob for dealing while he was between work commitments.
CJ for helping run the tourney to its conclusion.
..and of course, Mrs_Blood who cooked, cleaned and handled the miniBloods all day.
Thanks to everyone who attended for making the hosting job much easier than I anticipated. Hope to see you all again soon.
But you know what? It can get tiring. Very tiring.
It would be one thing if I had a dedicated poker room isolated from the rest of the house. There would be no setup, no teardown, and there wouldn’t be any noise issues to affect the slumbering miniBloods. But I don’t have such a room, so setting up a poker game at the house takes some work.
Recently after a few home games, I was feeling down about hosting because things were getting out of hand. People were too loud and when hosting begins to seem more like babysitting, I can’t concentrate too well on playing decent poker.
So with some trepidation, I still set up a big New Year’s Day tournament that would kickoff the G-Vegas series of poker tournaments for the 2006 season. To the credit of all my friends, it couldn’t have gone any better.
****
The poker content of the tourney can be summarized thusly: suckout. With the LuckBox in attendance, you knew things would get interesting. I survived the first of the table consolidations with a slightly below average stack, but one that was above where I started. My demise came in the form of a flopped set of 7’s.
On a previous hand, I had pushed all-in on a flush draw and showed the table my semi-bluff. I was setting up things for a future hand and this was my opportunity. The flop was T74 rainbow and I checked my set. Teddy Ballgame came out firing in late position and I flat-called. The turn was a 9, putting a straight draw on board and I made my move. I checked the turn and Teddy bet out again. I check-raised all-in and Teddy called quickly with his JTo – top pair, medium kicker.
At first glance, I thought Teddy was drawing dead. But the LuckBox spoke up and said “He needs an 8.” The river card came oh so slowly, revealing one of the four outs Teddy needed to eliminate me. I was out in 15th place thinking that 2006 was going to be just like 2005.
****
We started a cash game in the kitchen, and CJ, err the LuckBox, helped out yet again with tournament organization duties. CJ had just eliminated TheMark when he called off all his chips on an OESD and hit. We kid CJ that poker must be easy when you know you’re going to hit all your draws. He’d later bust pocket K’s twice, once with T4s (fullhouse) and once with AQ (quad Aces). Bloggers who were there couldn’t believe their eyes.
The money finishers were as follows: Uncle Ted in 5th with a $50 save, Teddy Ballgame in 4th with $115, BigPirate in 3rd with $190, CJ in 2nd with $400 and Falstaff in 1st as the BBSOP 2006 New Year’s Day Champion. Fittingly, CJ lost the tourney with the JackHammer; perhaps it’s magic has been lost.
His prizes were $445 in cash (reflects final table deal with CJ), an engraved money clip (BBSOP 2006) and a free entry into the G-Vegas tourney circuit Championships scheduled for the end of this year.
Pictures of the event can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69943340@N00/sets/1740761/
****
The tournament certainly couldn’t have been pulled off so smoothly without the help of a bunch of people. Thanks to:
Random101 for bringing his table and chairs.
TheMark and Mrs_All_In for bringing additional chairs.
Shep Tiltstein for providing sandwiches to the crew.
Frank the Tank for providing his table.
G-Rob for dealing while he was between work commitments.
CJ for helping run the tourney to its conclusion.
..and of course, Mrs_Blood who cooked, cleaned and handled the miniBloods all day.
Thanks to everyone who attended for making the hosting job much easier than I anticipated. Hope to see you all again soon.
Sunday, January 1, 2006
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