High On Poker

I don’t have much of a post for you today. I continued my minimalist theory of poker last night, playing in a $5 HORSE SNG at Full Tilt with SLB, Tripjax and GCox, but went out in 6th or so. The blinds go up really fast in those HORSE games, and my big loss came after my low was counterfeited on the river in Omaha. Que sera’. At that point, SLB had already busted, and I disappeared from the room. I hope Trip and/or G were able to make some magic happen.

I also played about 30 minutes of 1/2 HORSE ring at Stars. I really enjoy their HORSE game because of the wide array of skill level amongst the players and games and the variety that is inherent to HORSE. Simply put, it’s hard to get bored when the game changes every 8 or so hands. I left there up $12.10, and decided that it was enough.

I played the Mookie, but Xanthius proved to be the death of me. I made a good read early when I called his preflop min raise with him in the SB and me in the BB with Q6. The flop was 236 and I called his bets down to the river, wholly ignoring the menacing Ace river. He held 55, and I took the hand. Not much later, I had JJ and was called by Xanthius after my preflop raise. He hit his Ace, but played it in a very peculiar fashion, betting 69 on the flop and the turned Ace, so I put him on second pair or perhaps and under pair. I was wrong on both accounts. He had AT. I then went out when I played 66 fast and loose against Xanthius again. He called me preflop with K2, only to hit the JJK flop. So it was.

I signed off and was content watching the season (or is it series) finale to Deadwood. I’m more than a bit disappointed. Call me old fashioned, but I like my stories with an ending. It pissed me off when Oz did it, and it pissed me off when Deadwood did it again. Don’t end a series without an ending, damnit! The same can be said for literature and shortstories. But I guess I’m just structured that way. Hmmph.

I do have one question for you all. I would really like your input, so please keep the comments coming. Aside from Hold’em (of the limit and no-limit variety), what is your favority poker game. I’ll allow HORSE, but I’d prefer if you chose a specific game, like Razz or Stud H/L rather than the catch-all HORSE.

For me, it is probably Pot Limit Omaha Eight of Better. There is a lot of strategy involved, and hand/board reading is much more complicated than in Hold’em. The pot limit aspect makes selective aggression extremely important, but does not allow push-monkeys to control the table with all-in bets without first establishing a pot preflop and beyond. The high-low aspect also provides for more strategizing (and perils), and, of course, encourages action. So PLO8 is my choice, but there are a lot of other good options.

Pop me a comment. Until then, make mine poker.

Update:

In case you didn’t see it over at TripJax’s blog, take a look at the new DADI blog. And keep an eye out for DADI 9, coming soon!

While you are at it, if you are interested in doing something good for the world, buy into the Gavin Smith Charity Satellite for the charity event at the Boathouse. The buy-in is $25, and the winner gets to play at the bash against notables like Mr. Smith. Here’s the deal. If you are not going, you get to choose the player, so anyone who is interested can play, and if you win, I’ll pay you $100 for the spot. The one catch, I want you to accept this lovely offer in advance, so I don’t have to worry about any issues with other bidders. Truth be told, I really just want to play live against some great players. So, you’ll be donating $25 to charity, AND you have a chance to win actualy cash! Is this sleazy?! I don’t mean for it to be. But if so, at least I’m being sleazy for charity.

I only played one SNG last night. It was a $10+1 single table on Full Tilt with SLB159 and Iakaris. I bubbled in 4th when I decided to push with my 1,500 on the button with A7o and 120/240 blinds (at least). The big blind was a loose opportunistic prick, and I was having fun whooping his ass left and right. Unfortunately, he announced, “you either have an Ace-high or a pocket pair” before calling with KJ…and hitting a straight. SLB, who was actually on poker hiatus, ended up moneying, but I was burning so bad from that loss (I don’t mind the play, necessarily, although caution may have been in order as we were on the bubble), and shut down the tournament immediately. Moments before Iak went out in 5th.

This was the second time I’ve played with Iak away from the blogger tournaments. Playing with him and SLB has been a boon for me. It reminded me of days long gone when GCox, TripJax, DNasty13, SteelerJosh, Kipper, Wonka (the first), and whoever else was on would meet for a single table SNG. During the game, we chat back and forth, discussing hands that just passed and broad strategy. We don’t collude, but we do benefit from this interaction. For me, at least, the “distraction” of chatting actually causes me to pay more attention to the game. I could literally feel myself playing better as the SNG went on. In the end, I think I may have fallen back in love with poker. I just need to keep my goals in mind, adjust some things, and maybe revert back to a single-table SNG focus, especially when I can rope in the occassional fellow blogger. If you are looking to play, you can always find me on yahoo im under HighOnPokr. Leave off the last E for +EV.

So, thank you Iak and SLB for that. And thank you poker, for reminding me that even when I love you, you’ll still bubble me.

I was chatting lightly with wifey Kim yesterday, when Rosh Hashanah came up. For you non-tribe members, Rosh (with a hard o) is one of the two most holy holidays to Jews. It’s also on the same weekend of the Bash. I booked my room for the Bash before I did the math, and afterword had to figure out how to swing it. I decided that I would attend Rosh dinner Friday night in LI, drop wifey Kim in NYC, and head to Philly on Saturday morning. I know this is a drinking event moreso than a poker event, but I need to play some poker on this trip. So, I don’t care whats going down; sometime, somewhere, I’m playing poker, even if it is a three way tourney with TripJax and PokerWolf in our hotel room at 5am on Sunday morning (whether or not they want to play, damnit!).

I also have to figure out how I’m going to explain the trip to my large extended family. “Gee, I won’t be celebrating the second night of Rosh Hashanah with you because I’m meeting a bunch of my Internet friends in Philadelphia to drink a lot of alcohol.” Somehow, that doesn’t cut it. The line at the office is that I am visiting a friend in Philly who is holding a charity event. Sounds like I’m a nice guy that way. But my family knows about my degeneracy, so I might just tell them I’m going to Philly to play in a poker event I was invited to through my blog. That’ll make the blog and me sound legitimate without having to mention my ‘Internet friends.’ Man, blogging is gay!

Whatever the case, I’m hella excited for the Bash, and I’m equally excited for my as-yet unplanned November vacation. Wifey Kim will be in Miami for five days soaking up sun under the guise of attending a speech pathology conference with her gaggle of female coworkers. I’m glad she gets some time to enjoy herself, as I will be going to Vegas in May with Roose for his bachelor party. But during her time away, I may as well find something to do. Right now, it’ll probably be AC. I almost want to go alone and just live the life of a grinder for a couple of days. Wake up at 2pm, play poker until 6am, go to sleep, do it again. More likely, I’ll find some compadres to join in the festivities. You all, of course, are invited too. Unless I go for trip possibility numero dos, Buffalo, NY. It was my college alma matter, and there is now a US casino (used to be only a Canadian one) with a poker room! Buffalo wings, beer with the current incarnation of my fraternity, and poker? That’ll be hard to pass up.

Whatever the case, I’m a rambling man, so whereever I ramble will be a-ok. Until then, make mine poker!

Oh, yes. Most definitely.

I made my return to the Genoa Card Club in New York City last night. After a long day spent driving around NY, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island for work, I was actually looking forward to spending some relaxing time with wifey Kim and the idiot box. However, Roose kindly reminded me of the random call I made to him late last week. At the time, I was jonesing for a live game, and asked him if he’s be interested in playing on Monday. He agreed. Thankfully, he also remembered. I, on the other hand, had let it slip.

I rolled up to Genoa in my sweet Chevy Malibu rental car (no Compact for me, bitch!) and found a parking spot that didn’t look too dangerous. When Roose and I walked into the Club it was 7:15. The tournament start time was 7:30 and there were more staff than players (maybe 5 players, total), but we knew that by 7:45, the place would be packed.

Genoa is an interesting place. Its small, with only three tables, and while some of the players know me by face, I don’t think anyone knows me by name. The staff seem to be all players who eventually went broke or decided that they might as well make their daily bread in the same way that they would be spending it later…by playing poker. They are also all courteous enough. I was sat in the 2 seat, next to an elderly woman (the only woman playing) and some guy on my right that I have totally blocked out mentally. Roose was originally at our table, but when we broke the two-table threshhold, was moved before the tournament started.

One of the odd rules at Genoa is that anyone can buy into the tournament for the first two rounds (15 minute rounds, 30 minutes total). Apparently, the rule was changed, so that any busting player can also rebuy in that period. However, if there are no seats open and there is a waiting player, the busted player must give up his seat and be placed on the alternate list. It’s a terrible rule. Players who arrive on time should have priority OR it should be one buy-in per person. Instead you have people pushing all-in on the last rebuy hand, only to discover that they can’t rebuy because some shmuch showed up at 8:14 for a 7:30 tournament that started at 7:45. But I digress.

My first big hand saw me in the SB with 9Ts. A player in MP/LP decided to raise from 100 to 300 and I called the 250. I had decided to play tight, but I saw an opportunity. With 9Ts, if I hit a flush, straight or two pair, I could cripple a player with a high pocket pair. As it turned out, the flop was QT9, and I checked quietly. The BB had called too, and he checked. The original bettor was the spitting image of The Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy, save the wit and self-confidence. He looked like he was spooked out of his head. Out of nowhere, he bet 1000. I had about 1400 behind and pushed all-in. The BB folded. The MP/LP called. He was priced in. Before he flipped, I announced, AQ? He showed AQ. The turn and river were blanks, but from my vantage, they seemed to fill his runner runner flush. I sat down dejected, until I saw how upset he was. I squinted and saw the truth. My hand held up. Shweet!

Later, a solid player named Justin bet from 100 to 400 in EP. When it got to me in the SB, I saw two red Kings. I raised from 400 to 1400. He folded. I still liked the play. I was there to accumulate chips with minimal exposure. He was either going to fold or push back. I was ready for either.

A goofy looking bastard sat down at the table, a late edition to the festivities. He was a frat-looking white boy, with a cap on, t-shirt and jeans. He had a look of perpetual shock and bewilderment, and bushy eyebrows that constantly raised while his mouth stood agape. He also pushed all-in on his first hand and then showed his stone-cold bluff.

This was enough to scare the table, and he accumulated chips with all-ins after all-ins. He did this at least twice with a flush draw. He also raised preflop like it was going out of style, one time showing J8o. In one instance, he bluffed all-in and then mucked. He claimed he was on the flush draw again, but I saw the mucked card, and it was an offsuit 4. He probably had LESS than a flush draw. All these things told me one thing: I was going to make money off of this guy.

I was dealt A9 in the BB, and it folded to the Tool. He bet from 100 to 450, and after the elderly lady called in the SB, I called as well. The flop was Q93 with two diamonds, and the lady checked. I reached for my chips and realized that Tool had me (and everyone else) covered. Fuck him. “I’m all-in.” I mirrored his all-in movement, separating my stacks and moving them around my cards on both sides. He pretended to think for a while and then folded. The lady folded too. “I learned it from watching you, kid.” Someone else asked, “You had the flush draw?” I didn’t respond. I was focused on the Tool. “I had a Three, but I couldn’t call,” he told me. “I had you beat,” I responded. “I know,” he said, looking smug. I love it when people say stupid shit like that. “I knew, too,” I grinned wide. I knew it was a matter of time before I got more of his stack.

Unfortunately, a few hands later, the lady beat me to it. Tool bets preflop, and she raises. At that point, I folded my 66, mostly because of the lady. I would’ve called him in no time. She had bet out 1500 on top, a sizeable sum. He asked her how much she had left, and she said 3k or so. He announced, “I’ll put you all-in,” throwing six purples into the pot. She called. That’s when I looked at his stack. I chimed in, “She has you covered, buddy.” He was annoyed, “No, I threw in three purples for her 3,000.” “Purples are worth 500. You are all-in…with 22!” By then he flipped his cards. She had 88 and rivered her full house. I was glad I had the hand read correctly. I would’ve re-raised him in an instant, but I knew better once the lady came in.

The blinds get high quick at Genoa, and my tight play caused me to start hemmoraging due to antes and blinds. When I was down to 2800 with 200/400 blinds, I announced that I was pretty much all-in or folding. I then got 23s on the button. I would’ve pushed here, but there were 4 limpers, and I didn’t think I could push them all off. Instead, I call, immediately getting a reaction from a hotshot that was not in the hand. “It’s the one exception to the rule.” The flop came down, K22. A player UTG pushed all-in. It folded to me and I called all-in, after saying, “Do you have the K or the 2?” After I called, some other guy said, “You have the two.” I realized it was my question that gave me away. I will remember that for next time. Whatever the case, UTG had slowplayed AA into oblivion.

The blinds being as high as they were, I needed to make moves, especially once we hit 400/800/75. I had about 5k. I bet 2400 on the button with T2o. I had won two pots under similar conditions earlier, and since it was folded to me, I just needed to get around the two blinds. The SB moved all-in. He was a quiet guy, and he was also the chipleader. I knew I was behind, put on a show, and folded. One guy said, “You must’ve had nothing, since you were pot-committed.” He was right, but I still threw this at him, “Pot odds didn’t make a difference. I had him read. He had TT or higher. I was on a two-outter. I had to fold.” In truth, I DID put him on TT or higher. It was all in his demeanor. But fuck, folding was tough.

I went out the next hand. I had 67s and knew that if I was called by AQ or the like, at least I still had two live cards (as opposed to pushing with A2, in which case, AT or higher is going to call you and you will be crushed. Well, 99 called, and I was crushed. I went out 7th out of 27.

When I got home, I wanted to play in the Hoy. However, I wanted to spend some time with wifey Kim even more. That was it for my live poker trip. I felt like I played well. I made moves when necessary. I killed myself with the ill-timed T20 bluff, but in that spot, I still think it was a valid play. I don’t even mind my laydown, although I am interested in people’s opinoins. Whatever the case, I love Genoa, and I’m already anxious for the next time. Until then, make mine poker!

Hey all. I was hanging in Casa del High when I got a call from prodigal poker player Dave Roose. As it goes, Roose is getting married sometime in the next year (wifey Kim is in charge of making sure I go, since I have no ability to remember such dates). Even more importantly, Roose is planning his bachelor party, in none other than Las Vegas! His question to me was where should we stay. I, frankly, have no idea. I’ve only been to Vegas once, and I stayed in the Flamingo. It wasn’t a bad hotel, but it didn’t amaze either. The poker room was a bit weak, but at least the crowd was youthful.

So, I ask you: Where should we stay, where should we go, and what should we do at Roose’s bachelor party?

I anxiously await your response.

I received a comment from Raveen, a player whose stats, comments, and blog tell me that he is someone to be respected. The comment had some great things to say, and I’ll repost them here for your pleasure:

You know jordan you seem to know the exact things on how to play limit poker profitably and it surprises me that your not crushing the limit games. I started at limit as well until i got bored of them. Seems like you know exactly what to do and have the necessary facets to do it but are just missing a little something….keep working im sure you will get there

First off, I love praise, so heap it on, buddy. Second, I’d like to address why I’m not crushing it at the tables. I do believe that I have a lot of what it takes to be a quality player. I’m naturally intelligent, with an IQ of 149 after I last checked. I understand games and gaming, and have performed well on logic puzzle-type tests, enjoy any sort of video or board game, and enjoy mental puzzles. I’m also competitive, although the usual route of competition, i.e. sports, have never been my strong point. At the core, I think I understand human nature and actions as well, but I have no reference point for that statement. Essentially, I honestly think I have some of the elements necessary to truly excel at the game. Here is why I’m not:

1. Sobriety. I have to admit that I spend an awefully large amount of my time playing poker while I am less than sober. Poker is a fun game, and I play it both compulsively and impulsively. This causes me to play less-than-optimally often enough to mess with my game and roll. In truth, I think this is one of my biggest leaks, and I will do my best to address it in the coming weeks and months.

2. Bankroll Size. I think that if I had a larger bankroll, these minor successes would be major ones. I’m up $1200 for the year so far (down from a high of $2400), but with a larger bankroll, those stakes would be higher and I confidentally believe that my results would be, for the most part, similar percentage wise, and larger $-wise.

3. Luck. I play well and I boost the roll, but then I go through a month or two of horrible beats or card dead bad luck. It happens to all of us. However, this is a loooooooooong term game, so in the short term it CAN happen to someone more than others. I’m not saying that I’m the most unlucky guy in the world. I will, however, say that in my short career, I’ve had at least two episodes where I could not win for a couple of months. That has been enough to keep me down, to a certain extent. My play may have also deteriorated during those tough times. I won’t blame luck solely, and I point to 1 and 2, and 4 for that matter, for all those who say that I shouldn’t blame luck. I don’t blame luck, but I do acknowledge its presence.

4. Concentration. The bottom line is this: if you aren’t giving 100% concentration to the game you are playing and someone else is, that someone else will have a step up on you. Plain and simple. I try to play with the TV off, my iPod on, and nothing to distract me. I try. But I don’t always succeed.

So, that is why I am not kicking more ass. I’m sure my game could also use some refinement, but more than a few of you can attest that when I’m playing my A-game, I can do some serious damage. Unfortunately, the A stands for Apathy (because I believe in the environment, that joke was 100% recycled from a statement I made in the recent Mookie event; remember to recycle!).

Thanks for the kind words, Raveen. I still have confidence in myself and my abilities. Now I just have to fix a couple of holes and keep plugging away. Until then, make mine poker.

Hey, girlfriend! I was just watching Logo when I thought I’d bring some advice to all you testosterone fueled men out there. Ok, um, enough of that.

I was lying in bed last night trying to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, but inevitably failing due to the many thoughts swirling around my head. I was down $140 or so on the night, due to a loss of $150+ at PLO8 on Royal Vegas. I was failing to hit anything, and when I tried to defend my strong hands, like top set or (actually this part is just plain stupid) top two pair, I would get called by players with draws, and they hit, hit hit. The error was on my part, mostly because two pair isn’t worth defending. But I entered a 180 person SNG at Stars ($20+2) and a 2/4 Limit table at Royal Vegas in order to turn things around.

The 180 didn’t go well. I was not playing my best (two-tabling is a handicap for me), and eventually got all-in with AKc v. KK. By that point, the $76 that I brought to the 2/4 Limit table had dwindled to $32 or so, after my turned straight lost to a higher rivered straight by a guy betting the whole way with Ace-high, 9 kicker. That and a couple of other discouraging hands really had me in the doldrums. I told SLB that it was my last orbit when I ended up winning a hand at the 2/4, and then another, and then got AA and won a huge pot. Five hands later, I was dealt AA again and got great value. Rejuvenated, I took some of my reclaimed profit and waited for the Mookie to start. I didn’t play too well either there, but I did take an early lead, dropped due to a tough hand, and then lost it all to Smokkee who had a strong stack of over 3k at the time, compared to my 1500. I held 96o in the SB when it folded to me. I popped it from 100 to 300 and Smokkee asked if I wanted to go bust this hand. I didn’t respond. He called. The flop was Ah9x6h, so I was in great shape. Smokkee asked if I hit the flop and then told me to push all-in. Frankly, his banter and the pretty flop told me I was ahead. Instead of pushing 1200 into the 600 pot, I decided to bet 600. This would keep hopefully induce an all-in re-raise from an Ace, and possibly even an all-in bluff, since my pot bet looked weak, given my stack. Smokkee obliged and re-raised me all-in. I called, and he showed 9h7h, for middle pair, flush draw…and then turned the 7.

Whatever!

So, I was lying in bed stewing over all of this, when I thought back about a conversation I had with SLB while I was playing Limit and was losing and frustrated. SLB remarked, “Limit sucks.” It’s a statement that I agree with, generally, but my response at that moment was, “Limit is poker, and I am a poker player.” I know, it is a bit pious, but what I meant was that to me, it is important to master all of the games.

Upon more bed-induced thoughts, I determined that many a no limit player would benefit from spending some time in the limit trenches. How, do you ask? That’s just what I was getting to. Since I love lists (as do we all), I will list the three things a No Limit player can learn from playing Limit Hold’em.

1. Hand Selection- In No Limit Hold’em, you can make that QdTd into a winner if you have position, balls, and a table that knows how to fold. Even with all of those things, you might be screwed in a Limit game. Above anything, Limit hold’em reinforces that hand selection is a key element of the game, and tighter hand selection is generally right.

2. One Long Session- In No Limit Hold’em, it’s easy to get wrapped up in short term results. In Limit Hold’em, I’ve found that even though I am down to $32, I can still work it back up over $100 when the cards hit. It’s all about the fact that those cards WILL hit. You will get dealt Aces eventually, so you want to be there to get paid off. It might not even be the exact session you are in, but it will occur. If you are still in the game (i.e., not broke), then you can capitalize and make back those hours of losses with a handful of well played hands.

3. Reading Players by Type- In any poker game, reading your players is useful. In Limit, it is simplified, because you see more showdowns and the decision making throughout a hand is generally limited. You don’t have to read what an all-in means. All you need to know is that when you re-raise player X on the flop and he re-raises you back, he has it; if he calls, he’s drawing or has middle pair; and if he folds, he’s bluffing. Reading players becomes much simpler and its easier to take advantage of this information.

If you are a NL player and despise Limit, then skip it. No one is going to force you. But it isn’t just NLHE poker that I love. It’s the gamesmanship of poker, and that includes playing games like PLO8, Limit, Stud, and even Razz. I just like games, and that’s all poker is, in its many forms.

That’s it for me today. I hope you all have a lovely evening. I’ll be at a VPP Freeroll at Mansion Poker along with an Online Poker Tour freeroll at Mansion as well. Maybe I’ll pull my patented “all-in on every hand until I’m busted or a dominating stack” technique. If so, look out freerollers. Until then, make mine poker.

I had another hot night yesterday. I’m the type of player who needs some direction. That is why PSO and VPP bonuses attract me so much. I have a goal (reach the bonus), so I play accordingly, choosing games that will get me there the fastest. I suppose it is the same mentality that makes me love videogames (which I’ve stopped playing about a year ago after, can you believe it, carpal tunnel problems) and school, with the immediate gratification of grades (it helps when you are able to coast along).

After I finished my most recent VPP bonus at Mansion Poker (easy bonus, pain-in-the-ass site) and the 45 SNG Challenge (just out of the money!), I was wandering the poker waters without a tangible goal. I’d play some of the new HORSE on Stars, then some Chinese Poker at Nine.com, but there would be times when I didn’t know what to play. I have money spread on probably at least a half-dozen sites (FullTilt, Party, Stars, Mansion, Poker.com, Nine.com, and More!), and I find myself wondering just what I want to play. After a recent event, I have found a new goal. Unfortunatley, it is one that I am loathe to follow.

I received some money from Royal Vegas because of referrals. It is not through an affiliate deal, but rather through people who had signed up for RV (generally through PSO or VPP) and used HighOnPoker as the person who first told them about the site. RV then bestowed upon me $50 per referral, which I had to play through to withdraw. The first two that I received were months (if not a year) ago. I busted quickly because of the mentality that it was free money. When I found out that I got two new bonuses, I went back to my old ways, starting with an impulsive $50 heads-up match that I destroyed. I decided to dedicate my time there to HU SNGs, which I will be getting to later, but once I reached over $100, I tried to withdraw the whole amount. I knew that RV wouldn’t let me remove the original $100 they gave me for the recent referrals, but I figured the remainder would go through. To my surprise, I received an email rejecting my entire withdrawal! The reason: I had $200 to play through, not $100. Apparently, RV’s memory is long, so they are counting all four of my referrals, even though the first two were long gone (both in time and in $$).

What’s a man to do? Earn it, I suppose. So, you’ll be seeing me at RV here and there, playing cash games and earning my way to my $200. As soon as I break $200 (we’ll get to that later also), I will withdraw the extra off of the top, so that I never lose back withdrawable profit.

With this in mind, I decided to see if RV had any non-Hold’em games going. To my surprise, they had two PLO8 tables going, but they were both 1/2 blinds, higher than I am used to. With nothing to lose (literally), I bought in for $100. I then went on a tear.

Part of the fun with PLO8 is the fact that there is so many ways to win. You can win the high, the low, or scoop. You can play draws hard, or play made hands hard, and both are correct!

For the uninitiated, I’ll explain my general strategy. I play any hand that has three cards from the wheel (A2345), because the real goal in PLO8 is to scoop high and low, and the wheel (being the nut low and a straight) is usually the way to do it. I also play any hand that is dominated by paint (AKQJ, and sometimes T). In both instances (wheel- and paint-heavy hands), I want an Ace. If its a royal flush-heavy hand, I want all four cards to be within the royal flush range, or I want an Ace, two other royal straight cards and a low card, so I can potentially scoop. Remember that if the paint-heavy hand hits, there may not be a low, so its a scoopable hand in and of itself. I always avoid the middle cards (7-T or even 6-J), and I loathe playing hands with three of a suit (unless it is a paint- or wheel-heavy hand). I also dislike two pair, because you can only hit so much (a set, and maybe a full house). AA in a hand helps, but its a hand you have to be ready to drop post-flop. KK might as well be crap. So, to review:

A258 rainbow – Playable, because you have a lot of the low covered, along with the three wheel cards. I’d try to limp in. If it’s double suited or the Ace is suited (remember, the rank of your flush matters a lot in Omaha), then I might go in for a raise. But in general, you want players in the hand, so your hand pays off if it hits. Also beware A2 lows, since anyone else with an A2 is probably playing, so splitting the low (i.e., only 1/4 of the pot) is often financially irresponsible.

Ax6x8c9c- Fold! Unless you are in a blind, you don’t want this hand. Your low will be beaten by a 56 low, so just move on.

KK66- Fold! Okay, I’ll allow a limp, but only to see if you make your set on a non-threatening board. But never to a raise. If it’s double-suited, then I’d encourage a limp, but still only a limp.

KQJT- Bet out! Get rid of those low draws. If you are suited or double-suited even better. Ideally, you want to hit your straight, but two pair is often okay with a hand like this, too.

AA22- Raise it up! You could potentially scoop with nut highs and lows, or even just hit one, and know you are in good shape.

A234- Wheel-heavy?! Bump it up! Then play your low draw fast and strong if it comes. After all, the rest of the players will be fearing you.

[Note: I realize two things after writing these samples. The first is that most of my samples include an Ace. That is because Aces are very important in PLO8. Some say that if your hand doesn't hold an Ace, you should fold. I won't go that far though, since I'll gladly play KQJT or 2345 or even KKQJ suited. Second, I may play some PLO8 and simul-blog, so I can go over my hand selection, since I am having so much fun analyzing the playability of hands.]

The great thing about the game, at RV at least, is that a lot of players don’t give you credit for the nuts. I rivered an inside straight draw (2-6) and made a second nut low in one hand after the rivered 5. I had called middle-sized bets on the flop and turn, but when I hit the river and it checked to me, I potted it, for $105. And he called me! I assumed he had the nut-low, but no dice. Long story short, I ran rampant over the table, and after 20 minutes, turned my $100 into $270!

After that, I decided to see what else RV has to offer. That’s when I found Pot Limit Seven Card Stud. It’s a helluva game, since Stud is traditionally limit. The huge difference is the ability to protect your hands, as opposed to Stud, generally, when you start with QQX, but never improve, whereas your opponent with 662 calls you down only to river a 2 and take the hand. But don’t take any advice from me. After 40 minutes, I lost $65. It was an interesting game, but a bit too much for me.

HU at RV has always been good to me. The blinds go up based on the amount of hands played, so I’m able to manipulate the game more. I decided to try that out as well, and while I was at it, I also started a new spreadsheet. My goal is to play 50 HU matches and determine how profitable I am. Last night I played 3 games for $20+1.50. I won the first two, and had some difficulty in the third. I was down to 35 chips, but was able to get back up to the lead! Unfortunately, a suckout took my stack, and I decided to stop for the night. I think my general rule of thumb will be to play HU until I lose one game, and then stop.

So, my goals are to finish 50 HU matches, and to clear my RV bonus. It’s going to be slow goings, but at least I have a goal. Last night, I ended up over $200. It’s all I can ask for. I’m not saying I’m on a heater, but I’ve been playing well and I have been winning cointosses. Wish me luck, because I sense I’ll be back at the juicy 1/2 PLO8 soon enough. Until then, make mine poker.

Clap it up, everyone! I finally got my just-desserts.

I’ve been playing in the weekly blogger tourneys off-and-on for months. It occurred to me yesterday that it might be time to do a new list of the weekly tournaments, but I’ll just direct you to THIS POST, which gives you most, if not all, of the pertinent details. Just note that the time for the WWDN Not (Thursdays) has been changed from 11:30pm EDT to 10:30 to accomodate East Coasters.

Last night was Mondays at the Hoy, a tournament hosted by the hammer-player himself, Hoyazo. Hoy has become a well-deserved force in the blogosphere because of his impressive MTT success and his ability to explain his play with precision and copious amounts of illustrative screen shots. I’ve always been impressed with what he is able to do, and I would strive to be more like him as regarding post content, but realistically, we all are what we are. Whatever the case, he’s got the HoP seal of approval.

Before playing the Hoy, I enjoyed some of the ole’ Leak, playing Chinese Poker at Nine.com. I actually reloaded there after I withdrew most of my funds and busted the rest on that silly Asian card game, but I reloaded up to $20 just to play some more. I lost it all last night. The game is more Pai Gow Poker than Hold’em, so you are predominantly relying on luck and cards to carry you through. I had neither.

I joined SLB159 for some $25 max NL at Stars and won a couple of bucks there. It was then that I saw the clock (9:50 pm) and decided to enter the Hoy. One of the things that makes the Hoy stand out is the higher buy-in. Realistically, $20+2 is about the right amount for the blogging crew, but a history of $10+1 events has made $10+1 the norm. It also helps budding players with small bankrolls join the fray. The Donkeys Always Draw Invitational tournaments, for instance, will likely remain $10+1. But it’s refreshing to play in a tournament where the stakes matter a little more and the payout matters a whole lot.

Last night, there were 20 players. First place paid $200. I started out fairly loose. With 20 players and 9-seat tables, we were spread across three tables and my table, if memory serves correct, have 6 players. I also had caught some early cards, and was able to play position well. 6-person tables have a lot more in common with 9-person tables than they do with heads-up or three-way games. A good rule of thumb is to play the game like you are at a full table and the first three players folded ahead. In this way, UTG actually is MP, and you can make slightly more plays. But don’t fool yourself, because MP is no CO or Button, so you still have to play conservatively.

I have had problems in the past in blogger tournaments, mostly because of my impulse to make plays and bluffs. I did the opposite, raising almost too much when I had hands. 22 hands into the tournament, and I had already won 7, most without a showdown. I could tell that I was not making friends at the table, so I decided to play into it, making wiseass comments and acerbic statements wherever I could. I guess Buckhoya must have gotten annoyed (moreso by my play, I am sure, which was erratic), because he offered a last-longer bet a hand after I dropped from 2200 to 1500. I had the hammer in that hand and my opponent would not let go of his cards, so I had to fold on the river after bluffing pre and post-flop. Buck probably sensed weakness, so he asked, “high, last longer bet for $10?” It was a hand later when I noticed. I looked at his 980 stack and typed, “with you?” I couldn’t believe that he would be brazen enough to make a last longer bet when I had him outchipped. Before I could let him recant, I answered my own question, “done.” I was not certain if the bet was officially made, but as far as I was concerned, there was an offer and an acceptance. Buck didn’t respond, so I kept quiet about it, and went about playing some poker.

I dipped down to 1200, and Buck dipped to 650 or so. I tightened up, but just a tad, knowing that I could still utilize the short-handed format. This was one of the longest tournaments I have played, given the amount of players, and maybe one player (slb159) went out in the first hour. Wifey Kim was tired and decided to hit the sack. Like the good husband I am, I joined her to bed and we chatted for a bit. I thought about the game running in the other room and my dwindling stack. I also thought that it was a crappy move sitting out (at this point at or near 2k) when Buckhoya was likely trying to survive. However, family (and wifey Kim, especially) comes first, so I took my time.

When I strolled back to the living room, I was down to about 1750. Buck had about 1500, but in a short period of time, I was at 1600 to his 1800. I was one of the shortstacks at the table with 50/100 blinds, at least, but played smart. I stole where I could with less-than-optimal, but still respectable, hands. It was all about position. I believe I may’ve pushed on a hand on a stone cold bluff, sensing weakness, but that may just be a hazy imagined memory. I do recall that I was surprised when I checked the table lobby and found that Buck (who was at another table) had busted in 14th. Mentally, I thought I was freerolling. It was only now that I just realized that it was a $22 buyin and not $11. Whatever the case, I loosened up a bit and started getting into the groove. I also had a great time playing with Jules from Loving (& Loathing) Poker. I give her a lot of credit as a player, and I was fortunate to steal a couple of her position raises, but otherwise keep the hell out of her way.

I’m probably at my best when the blinds get high and the stacks are short. This is where I tend to get ultra-aggressive, largely because of the Rule of Ten. As a result, I began to chip up. From 2nd or 3rd shortest stack, I made my way into the middle of the pack. We were 1 hr and 45 minutes into the tournament and down to 7 or 8 players (from 20!). The players were all fairly evenly matched, both in chips and skills, due, I’m sure, to the fact that the same players show up week in/week out. Overall, though, the quality of player is impressive.

As more people dropped out, I found myself moving toward the chiplead. When we were down to 5, I was the leader, but 23skidoo was on my immediate right and was constantly nipping at my heels. I did my best to knock him down whenever I could, since I saw that he was going to be some of my hardest competition. Jecil (I’m not even going to try to remember all of the letters in that screenname) and TrophyHubby were the shorter stacks, located on my immediate left. I raised preflop with A6 only to have Trophy push all-in with TT or thereabouts. I called, since he was shortstacked, and dropped from 10k to about 6.5k, with a slight chip lead over skidoo. The very next hand, it is folded to me and I raise with J8o. This time Jecil decides to push, and rather than fold, I called him too. I believe he had about 2k in chips, and a loss would not cripple me. He had AQo and I turned an 8 to knock him out.

To the untrained eye, it looked as though I sucked out. Well, I did. But it isn’t as simple as that. I was willing to gamble it up because I felt fairly confident that Jecil did not have a pocket pair. I was chipleader, and could afford a weighted cointoss in this situation. I took my chance, and it paid off. After that hand, I was back to the chipleader, on the bubble.

I believe I next took a chunk from skidoo. Trophy was running on empty though and took fourth. Skidoo was next, and it was me v. LifesAGrind heads up. By this time, it was well past midnight, and my memory was in the crapper. I had a decent chip lead and was able to bully myself into a position of dominance. I believe that Grind may’ve worked back some and sucked out on one hand (or not??) but eventually, I took the Hoy and the $200 first place prize ($178 profit!). It was a much needed win, and a boost to my bankroll.

Now, I am aimless at the tables. I really need to move onto my next bonus, DreamPoker through PSO. I don’t have high expectations for the room, but the 6k in PSO points will afford me at least a $50 gift certificate to Absolute Poker, and maybe even a $100 gift certificate to Party, if I can muster up another 1k in PSO points via referrals. In the meanwhile, I find myself wandering the poker realm trying to decide just what to do. I guess for the time being, I can’t go wrong with the blogger tourneys. Until then, make mine poker!

I’ve been playing a slew of HU poker and have had some great success. Sunday was particularly great. I had started the day playing HORSE on Stars (1/2 Limit), but hit a period of dead cards and missed draws to find myself down $35 or so. I had won that amount twice-over the day before, but I just didn’t feel like the HORSE was working for me, so I decided to change it up.

Heads-up SNGs are a great thing if you are looking for a quick game with a beginning and an end. That was exactly what I was looking for, so I decided to fire up Royal Vegas, where I received some bonus dollars that I had to clear to withdraw. I have kept Royal solely for the HU SNGs, since I don’t feel like taking the effort to actually grind out the raked hands required to withdraw, but I knew I could withdraw any profit. With this in mind, I put it all on the line with a $50 HU SNG. It was a quick win, due to my expert play (I only joke a minor fraction). I was able to get my opponent to push all-in with middle pair to my top pair, and when I called, I knew I was good.

I then withdrew my funds (I attempted to withdraw it all), and since Royal will take 2 days just to reject the original bonus withdrawal, found myself with no money to play HU. With that in mind, I moved over to Poker.com, where I have had some mixed HU SNG success in the past. One of the great things about Poker.com is that they actually have some traffic in their HU Omaha (Hi and Hi/Lo) tournaments. My general strategy was to peruse the rooms and find one with a player already waiting. Then I’d join, win and leave. In total, I won five or six of these SNGs in a row before losing one. Part of what made it interesting was that I would enter whichever tournament had another player waiting. So, I played two $10, one $5, and two $20 (one of which, I lost).

Across the board, I realized something. Both Poker.com and Royal Vegas raise the blinds after a certain amount of hands (it may have been 10 hands on Royal, 8 on Poker.com). Other sites, including PokerStars and (I believe) Full Tilt raise the blinds based on time. The difference between the two may seem minor, but in fact, it is a huge difference, especially if you are a student to the game, and are willing to use any edge available.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the Inverse Theory of Aggression in Heads-Up games. The basic concept (created by yours truly) held that you should be your most aggressive when you are even stacks. As you start to take the lead or start to become shortstacked, you should tighten up. As you near the end-game when one player is on the felt, you should return to ultra-aggressive poker.

Interestingly, if you are playing a HU tournament with timed blinds, I would hold true to the Inverse Theory of Aggression. However, if you are playing a tournament in which the blinds raise based on the amount of hands played, some adjustment is necessary.

In the early stages, when blinds are low, you can fold a lot easier. Some actually believe that folding is a very aggressive play, and I’m inclined to agree. By folding your small blind with less-than-optimal hands, you do three things: (a) you control the pace of the game INCLUDING the blinds, (b) you move the game along to when the blinds matter and stealing is more important, and (c) you build an image that you are weak and encourage your opponent to play loose at you in the later rounds.

Controlling the pace is actually quite useful. It allows you to set the rhythm of the game, since your opponent will be reacting to your constant folds. Your folds are not dependent on your opponent, because in the SB you have no information on your opponents cards/action, and in the BB, your opponent’s raising range can be anything in a HU tournament, from a pocket pair to JTo to Ax to even 34s. Meanwhile, your opponent will be eying your play and mentally preparing to act accordingly when the action heats up. More importantly, whereas he is paying attention to your play, you are forcing the game to move forward and are keeping an eye on the amount of hands until the next blind. You are entirely in control of the game (save the luck of the cards), and you will be ready when the blinds move from the innocuous to the deadly.

Moving the blinds are important, because in the early-goings, a general raise could be a minimum bet to about 3-4x the BB. You might be able to convince your opponent to call a siginficant raise preflop (think 10x the BB, which might actually matter when you compare the early BB to the starting stacks), but more likely than not, he will fold unless he is holding good cards. In later rounds, a minimum bet/call is enough to build a substantial (and steal-worthy!) pot. As a result, those first rounds are little more than a warm-up. It’s a chance to get to know your competitor, and for him to get to know you.

If you start folding with K5 in the SB, T8o, etc. your opponent will gain nothing. When he is in the SB, you, however, will see him complete, raise, or maybe even fold once he sees what you are doing. If you see him complete, then you don’t get much in the way of information immediately, but you will once you see the flop. If he raises, then you can get a feel for how often your opponent raises. He may be dealt pocket pairs for six out of the first eight hands, but its a lot more likely that he is a betting fool, and you will make him pay for that later. Finally, if he folds his small blind, beware. He is a smart player, and he sees that you are tightening up. He knows he can dump some small blinds without fear, either because he, too, realizes that the blinds are low, or, more likely, he feels that he gets your SB so he can fold his SB if he doesn’t like what he sees without incurring a net loss.

Perhaps I am making this too complicated. The point is, when you push the game forward, you can get yourself to a point where the blinds matter. Then you can start betting like a madman, exploiting your tight image (image actually DOES matter in online HU play, as opposed to some online ring games where players come and go or play while watching TV) and your read on your opponent. This is when your opponent starts to make plays with middle-pairs, trying to regain his fleeting dominance from earlier, cheaper rounds. In the meanwhile, you push your edges and push your decent hands even harder.

This simply does not work in timed-blind HU SNGs. Instead of 10 hands of 10/20, you face several minutes or so of that level. In any minute, heads up, you will play countless hands, especially if your strategy is to fold your SB at the slightest provocation. As a result, your folding gets you nowhere but shortstacked. There, you are better off playing your real game from the get-go, establishing dominance (or subservience) as you work your opponent into a rhythm that you hope to exploit in the later, higher-blind rounds.

I suppose it also serves to mention that HU SNGs where both players have 1000 starting chips (for example) is not a game of stealing 10/20 blinds or even 60 pots. It’s a game of $100-200 blind steals or earned pots. The rest is merely posturing, establishing dominance, and setting patterns.

I hope this is somewhat coherent. I never outline these things. I just let it out. Whatever the case, I’m now aching to go home and play HU poker. Maybe I’ll start my own HU challenge and play 50 or so. We shall see. Until then, make mine poker.