High On Poker

Expect a big Dancing with the Stars Live blog post preview this upcoming weekend, followed by a live blog of the show and sometime next week a post show wrap up post. Or maybe not.

I am god here!

-Jobe Smith, Lawnmower Man

After spending a year about even in online poker, I really started to doubt myself. I felt that playing solely live might actually cause me to face a cold truth. If my live “hot streak” turned cold, what would that mean for my game? Am I actually a player who can make serious money at this game, or will I forever be a small fish?

And sometimes, you feel the exact opposite. This is me today. I kick ass.

Two in a row, people. It was just a week ago when I chopped 1st and 2nd place with 23Skidoo at Salami. If you don’t count the $20 SNG at Roose’s home game weeks ago, I am actually on a five win streak in live tournaments, having won every tournament I have played this year (while sober…another qualifying comment that removes Roose’s game from my win/loss consideration). I had been feeling a bit bad about not playing this week, so I decided that come hell or high water, I was playing tonight. When I want a game on tap, there is only one place to go: the Salami Club for their $50+10 7:30pm tournament.

I came home after work and changed into my poker gear. Let’s play fill in the blank: I wore my ____________ t-shirt, along with my optional (but preferred) cargo pants. I was using the cargo pants to replace my usual poker backpack, that I carry with me everywhere. That meant that I had to find a place for my ___________ and case (right ankle pocket), two identical ____________ (left ankle pocket), and bandanna (coat pocket). I stopped at Peanut Butter & Co. and ordered my usual lunch box special. I took it to go and I rushed to the game while listening to my ______. I even had my special poker wallet (right diagonal thigh pocket) with $360 of my bankroll, $60 for the tournament and $300 for the 1/2 cash game.

The British chick at the last tournament I played was actually dealing at my starting table, and I had a moment when I feared she would work the deck to make sure I got crap cards. From our last confrontation, it was clear she didn’t hold me in high esteem. This gut feeling is really not justified, but this game is one that is played for money, so I still kept an eye on her hands to make sure she wasn’t a mechanic (a term for someone who knows how to work the deck). I didn’t see anything that concerned me.

I felt like GCox to start off the tournament. I was entirely card dead, and didn’t feel the need to push the action at the very loose aggressive table. I folded for the first 15 minute level and most of the second 15 minute level. I finally was dealt my first semi-playable hand, KQo in SB, and a loose player that resembled PokerWolf (in looks, but not play) raised from 100 to 400. A player called in MP/LP and I decided to see a flop. As soon as I called, the BB, another loose player named Pat re-raised. FauxWolf called, and MP/LP folded. I thought for a moment and then mucked. The flop was AJx, so I was glad I folded. One of the players bet out strong and I would’ve folded on the flop. However, I also felt that my preflop call was just stupid.

In the very next hand, I am on the button with T3o. Anyone paying attention would peg me for a tight player. There were about three or four limpers when it got to me, and the blinds had just gone up to 100/200. I had about 1,200-1,400 left from my starting stack of 2k, because I had been folding so consistently and I decided to push all in. Here is my reasoning: At this loose table, the loose players are raising with good cards; the tight players are raising too to get value from the loose players. This meant that no one had hands they were willing to go to war with. I had less than 10x the BB, so I was in limp or fold mode. By pushing, the worst case scenario is that TT-AA would call, but I already eliminated those hands. Any unpaired cards, like AJo were not that far ahead of me, and I could probably make smaller pairs fold. Hell, if I was watching me, I would put me on AA-QQ, so I felt confident when I pushed all-in. All players folded and I showed my T3o. As soon as I did it, I felt like I may have made a mistake. However, I always feel that when you show, you control your opponents’ perceptions. I had been card dead, and I figured that if I hit a monster hand soon, I’d get paid off. For the more advanced players, I’d play it the opposite way, pushing with more trash, because to them, the thought would be, “He showed crap cards, so he’s trying to set me up for a monster hand.”

Later, a good player (and employee of the room) told me that I was steaming when I pushed with T3o. I laughed it off and told him that I don’t tilt. He said, No, you were steaming though. I left it at that, because I didn’t have to convince him. However, my play was made because the conditions are right. All that said, his comments taught me that (a) he was an observant player and (b) I had to beware of the image of steaming when I’m making these opportunistic plays. Always be learning.

A little while later, there was an all-in confrontation and the shortstack won. When they were working out the chips, the loser had less than 200 left. I also noticed, however, that the chips given were wrong. The loser should have had 50 more than he had. I quietly pointed it out to the Brit chick dealer, and it took me three times to explain the problem. I kinda felt like a jerk because I wasn’t in the hand, but the dealer made a mistake and I was able to show her the error. After I did it, though, I wondered if it was worth it. I gained nothing from the correction and outed myself as a player who was paying attention.

Somewhere in there, I pushed a couple of more times since I couldn’t get my stack above 10x the BB. I pushed with AQs and everyone folded. I later pushed with 34s. In situations like this, I’ll easily fold A6s and play 34s, because 34s is much less likely to be dominated. After all, A6s is dominated by any Ax from A7 to AK. 34s can still be dominated by a pocket pair (55 and above), but most other times, I would face two unpaired cards for a weighted coin toss. Of course, in all of these situations, its all about timing. I made sure that the loose players were out of the hand already and I had position. I also had a sizeable stack, closer to 10x the BB than 5x the BB, so I had leverage to force players to fold marginal hands.

I should probably add that in the entire tournament, I never received AA, KK, QQ, or JJ. I received 99 once, and TT once, but no other pocket pairs. I only received AK once, AQ once, but no other Ax above A6. Yet I was still able to win.

My table broke and I was sent to a new table at 200/400/25 blinds/antes, with a measly 1300-1400. I folded until I could get a feel for the table. A big black guy that looked like a Britney Spears bodyguard sat behind a wall of chips. Other players were stacked as well. I watched as those two players played way too aggressively. I folded until I had to make a move due to escalating blinds and the toll the antes were taking. I finally made my move with J7s, but the bodyguard called with K7o. I was dominated but fairly calm and willing to lose if that was the way it was going. The flop had two spades and I said, “There’s two. One more.” The turn was another spade and I said matter-of-factly, “There it is.” After that, I had some room to breath, but not much. I pushed all-in a couple of times in strategic situations, but otherwise, kept out of the way.

We get down to the final table and I have about 6-7k in chips. The blinds are fairly high at 300/600/50 and then 400/800/75, so I am still sort of desperate for chips. I am about 6th or 7th in chips out of the 9 players left, but there was a huge gap between this hand and top 5 stacks. The payouts were (from 5th to 1st), $115, $155, $365, $440 and $1225 (or thereabouts).

In one of the first hands at the table, I’m faced with a situation I faced fairly recently at the Lawyers’ Game. I am dealt TT in the LP, my best hand of the night. There was a smart looking aggressive player at the table wearing a Red Shirt that kinda reminded me of a bespectacled Alan Cunningham. So, Red Shirt raises from 600 to 1800 in EP. I’m thinking about pushing, but the guy on my right beats me to it for over 10k in chips. I feared JJ to AA, but I also considered AQ and AK as a definite possibility.

My initial reaction was to fold. After all, I am facing an all-in from a player with enough chips that he doesn’t have to go all-in, and Red Shirt is still waiting to act after I make my move (and he raised from EP). If the Pusher doesn’t have me beat, Red might. TT is a good hand, but shrinks pretty quickly at the prospect of facing JJ to AA.

With all this in mind, I decided to take my time. I turned to the Pusher and said, “What should I do?” My expression was pained and I meant it too. He didn’t respond, but honestly, I wasn’t reading him for a tell. I was more curious about Red, for some reason. I played the hand through my mind and my first impression (JJ-AA) changed. AK was screaming at me in my head. I take some more time, but ulitmately, I only have 6500, and with all the money in the pot (1800 from MP, 400 from antes, 1200 from the blinds, and then another 6500 to match my stack from the all-in guy), TT is pretty good. The more I think of it, the more I think Pusher might have AK or AQ. I put myself in his shoes and come up with this logic: We will probably fold to his over aggressive all-in; if he is facing a caller, the possibility of AA or KK is remote compared to under Aces, or under pairs, so he’s probably at a coin toss at worst. I also considered that if I doubled up, I’d be in great shape, so now might be the time to make my move. With this in mind, I finally called. Red Shirt folded.

The Pusher showed AQo and I tabled my TT. By the river, I hit quads, and I finally had a sizeable stack over 15k. I knew I could fold into the money. I stayed tight, hoping that my opposition would take each other out. I made one move, raising with a mediocre hand, but Red Shirt came over the top and I decided to specifically keep away from him. I took some more chips by calling a super short stack’s all-in from the BB along with four other players. We checked it down and my Q9d won when I paired my 9 (there was a Jack and King on the board as well).

Other players busted and we entered the money. Fifth place was taken out after he pushed all-in with a tiny stack and the last remaining Chick at the table and I checked it down. The Chick was a decent, fairly tight bettor, but loose called when she was in the blinds. In one hand, she called down Red Shirt when she paired the 6 of her 67o on a ragged flop. Red Shirt checked it down with her from there, and showed pocket 4s. This is all in the way of background. I can’t recall her betting out, but I’m sure she did at some point.

We were down to 4 players and the Chick was in the SB against my K7s BB. The other players folded, and the Chick called the 1000 BB (500/1000/100). I raised to 3k, expecting her to fold. She called.

The flop was Q86, with two spades. She bet 1000, so I call the small bet. I have probably 15k right now. The turn is a 3s, and I’ve hit my flush. I’m in great shape. She bets 1000, and I look like I am going to call, but reach back to my chips and coyly raise to 2000. I’m overacting for sure, but there was a sizable audience so I felt like making it a spectacle. I also knew that I couldn’t repeat how I was acting since the audience would be wise to it (as would the other players). So I guess I hammed it up, looking like I was perplexed as I raised. The river was a blank and she bets 2k, never looking at me. I never really thought about what she had in the hand, honestly. I was playing my cards, and once I hit, I was trying to extract as much as possible. I didn’t put her on a big hand because of her weak bets, but in hindsight, she never bet so she probably had something. I also thought that she felt like I was full of shit. I started the tournament quiet, but as my stack grew, so did my mouth, so people tend to think I’m a bullshitter, especially certain females. I stared quizzically at the 2k and then I slowly say, 4k on top. I put out the money trying to make it look big and scary. She calls with apathy. I show my hand and she shows 66 for a set. I guess I kinda got lucky, but really, she priced me in, and then I extracted a good amount of chips. She definitely didn’t have me on the flush.

From there, I sat back. We got down to three after the short stack pushed and the Chick and I called from the blinds. We checked it down and her pocket 9s took down the pot.

Three-handed, I counted out that I had about 23k, a decent stack, but not even a third of the 92k in play. And then Red Shirt screwed himself. It is the first three-way hand, and I post the SB. The chick folds and as soon as she does, Red starts asking how much money is left in the prize pool for the first 3 places. It’s $2030 and he says, “$700 or so apiece. Do you wanna chop?” At this point an employee on the sidelines suggests that we finish the hand in play and then we can discuss a chop. My cards are crap, and he is offering me a great deal. “Hold on one second. We can work this out.” I turn to the chick, “Is an even chop cool with you?” She turns with her usual apathy, “Yeah. I guess.” “Done,” I announce. I stand up. “We all agree. Congratulations.” (Keep them happy and reinforce their “smart” move.) We move to get the money and the game ended. The deal squeezed me some extra dough and I was glad for the result. Shweet. The final amount was $620 each, the rest of which we donated to the dealers as a tip, approximately $56 per person. I was glad to tip them, because I was feeling high on poker. I didn’t consider the cash game for a minute. I was heading home winner.

I am proud. I played extremely well and won enough money to pad my bankroll a sizable amount. I made 10x my buy-in in about 3.5 hours.

I am a machine. And I am high on poker. I have a new reinforced confidence, and I hope that I can keep this going for as long as possible.

Until next time, make mine poker!

I didn’t play any live poker this week, and I can only blame myself for that. Monday saw the I Had Outs homegame, a $20 max, .25/.25 NLHE game, but I decided to skip it because of the annoying location of the game, coupled with the fun, yet hampering stakes. I have apparently grown an avulsion to $20 max games, especially if they incorporate any travel. I mean no offense to the IHO game, of course, because I really enjoy the company there and the game has an appropriate crackhouse feel to meet the stakes, but the cost of cabbing it home is at least and entire buy-in, so if I were to go, it would be -EV in money and time (travel time vs. playing time).

On Tuesday, I planned on playing at Salami. I just couldn’t get my ass in gear, especially after wifey Kim told me that her plans fell through. I wasn’t feeling well either, so ultimately, I needed an easy night. That turned into an easy day, as I took off from work on Wednesday to try to recuperate from my cough and cold. I returned to work on Thursday because they needed me to cover some things, but by last night, I was ready to pass out at 7:30 pm, and I called Matty Ebs to cancel on him and the Lawyers’ Game. I knew that the game would ideally last until midnight plus and I just didn’t have it in me.

And now, I am facing the need for action. The plan is to go to Salami tonight. I have my supplies with me along with $360; $60 for the $50+10 tournament at 7:30 and $300 for the 1/2 cash game, if I decide to stick around. Whatever the case, by Sunday, I’ll be in AC enjoying Dancing with the Stars Live with wifey Kim before sneaking away for some live action. I took off Monday, and thank god I did. Work has been driving me pretty hard lately.

That’s all you are getting in the way of a catch-up post today. I have barely any money online until the 15th, and I don’t much care either. All that said, I have poker on the brain and hopefully I’ll be fattening my wallet a bit more tonight.

Until next time, make mine poker!

Man, I am so annoyed with GLAAD for claiming that the Snickers Super Bowl commercial is homophobic. It is getting so you can’t make a joke without having to retract it later because it offends one group or another.

The offending commercial involves two guys working under the hood of a car. One unwraps a Snickers and is holding it in his mouth as he works. The other sees the Snickers and bites onto the other end. They end up kissing ala Lady and the Tramp.

When they realize that they’ve kissed, the men challenge themselves to do something manly. They then rip out a chunk of their own chest hair.

First off, what the hell is homophobic about this commercial? The only possible answer is that the two men are so repulsed by kissing another man that they resort to self-inflicted physical violence. If you agree that the commercial is offensive for this reason, please proceed to the nearest tail pipe and suck hard, because you, sir, are a humorless prag.

Any two straight men who accidentally kiss are going to feel weird about it. There is nothing anti-gay in that scenario. It is not as if they call each other ‘fag’ and then proceed to gay-bash each other. If anything, the commercial pokes fun at their fear of appearing gay. It’s an anti-homophobic commercial.

I hate people.

Until next time, make mine homophobic commercials!

There are some days when everything works out well. You wake up a minute before you alarm bell, the shower is warm and comforting, the subway pulls into the station 10 seconds after you get to the platform, and Judges act with clarity and good sense.

Then there is today.

The last time I felt this truly miserable, I tried to get out of the Lawyers’ Game tournament that I got invited to through Matty Ebs. I chopped 1st and 2nd in that tournament and it helped wash away the misery of the day that preceded it.

Today, after my miserable (and ongoing) day, I make my return to the Lawyers’ Game. I only hope that my misery will result in another cash and a few more hundred dollars for the ole roll.

As for anyone who had picked me for the AlCantHang Blogger Busto pool, congratulations. I have essentially gone busto for the first time in 2+ years (when I was still playing $20/month at the penny tables). I give myself partial credit, and give the rest to Neteller.

Also, from here on out, I am officially not counting online poker in my poker spreadsheet UNLESS I am withdrawing from online poker (which will be credited as a win) or depositing to online poker (considered an instantaneous loss). Fortunately, having less than $5 online split between two sites means that online poker wouldn’t have been on my spreadsheet anyway.

Now go to hell.

• Until next time, make mine poker!

Just out of curiosity, this one goes out to all of you US online poker players:

What is the point of playing poker online if there is no way to withdraw the money?

Discuss. Please. I really have no clue what the answer is.

“I’m sdick.” It’s my usual refrain when complaining of a cold, a bit of an exaggeration on the natural nasal-stuffed lisp that colds bring about. Of course, the fact that is sounds like dick (tee hee) is fun too.

This weekend, wifey Kim and I joined her friend Jessica, her husband and another couple to an off-Broadway (or was it on Broadway?) show for Jessica’s birthday. The show, The 25th Annual Spelling Bee (or something similar) was surprisingly funny. The freezing cold air outside, not so funny.

After the show, we made out way over to Serendipity III, a famous restaurant/dessert place (it was the inspiration and much of the setting for the John Cusack romantic comedy, Serendipity) only to discover the short waiting time of 1 and 1/2 hours. Serendipity III is fairly close to my office, so I led our walk to one of the many oases (plural of oasis, folks) of the city, Starbucks. The first one was too packed. The second one, around the corner from the first, was too small. The third one, a short block from the second, was just right. Or right enough at least.

Generally, I am not a coffee guy, and my Starbucks drink of choice is the shaken iced green tea, unsweetened. Seeing as I was suffering from hypothermia, I decided to go for the hot chocolate, while wifey Kim had a vanilla latte (I have no idea what a “latte” is, but from my estimation, it seems like hot milk). The hot chocolate was actually fantastic. The freezing walk back to Serendipity, not so fantastic.

We were seated relatively quickly when we returned to Serendipity and squeezed 8 bodies (friends Suzanne and Chris joined us by this time) into a table made for 6. I ended up in the outside chair at the round table, and suffered my usual fate of people bumping into the back of my chair as though I had the audacity to sit where it was placed. No, “excuse mes” or “sorrys” (that is the incorrect plural of sorry) needed, but it would have been nice…especially from the wait staff. This is just the way things are some times, so I rolled with the punches (and elbows and hips and jackets) and enjoyed my meal. The dessert, we shared a frozen peanut butter hot chocolate, was outrageously delicisious. The arctic blasts coming from the door every time someone entered or left the busy restaurant, not so outrageously delicious.

The next day, wifey Kim and I had my good college buddy Jefe and his girlfriend over for the Super Bowl. I could already feel the inklings of a cold, but it was a day to celebrate with copious amounts of beer and food, so I put my bitchy sniffles aside. All in all, it was a great time. Running through my tissues, not such a great time.

Yesterday, I bustled into work, bundled up. At lunch, I gathered my cold gear and got ready to venture out. I couldn’t find my snow hat, which I had definitely worn to work. With a head like mine, that is, lacking what the French call, le hair, you always remember to bring your hat. Somewhere between the building’s lobby and my office, though, my hat absconded. I waited for the elevators, hoping that the one that opened would be the one I took up and would have my hat waiting patiently. No go.

I scurried with my chilled scalp to the nearest Gap, a block and a half from my office. They had stopped selling hats in the 12 degree weather, but I could gladly buy board shorts, if I wished. I didn’t wish. I scurried next door to Express (for Men…I’m not that desperate yet), but they had gotten rid of their winter merchandise as well. I eventually made my way to H&M and scored the ugliest, worst-fitting snow hat I have ever owned. For $6, though, the price was right and I continued about my day.

Last night, I said to wifey Kim that I might take a sick day today. This morning I knew I would be heading into work. I just don’t like taking time off. I am regretting it as I type. My head feels loopy, my nose is sore from blowing, one nostril is runny and the other is stopped up, my eyes are droopy and my throat aches.

I’m sdick. But I want to play poker. Yep, I got to poker, folks, because that is where my head is at right now. I had planned on playing the Salami tournament again today, after chopping 1st and 2nd with 23Skidoo last week. But alas, I have to consider if being sick will make me play poorly. I also feel a need to play the game, if only because I want to keep in practice and online poker is not even on the radar at all anymore. I played a $10+1 PLO8 SNG last night and lost, bringing my online bankroll to about $20, and I’m happy enough with that.

So, what’s the move? Play poker when I feel held down by a heavy cold, or just skip it and wallow in self pity. It’s a tough call, but right now self-pity wins out. At least I won’t feel like such a dousche when I call in sick tomorrow.

Until next time, make mine poker!

The switch to predominantly live poker has been a boon for my wallet and a terror on my time. I try to limit myself, much like BadBlood, to two games per week. At times I make that quota, and on others I don’t. Whatever the case, I see my perception of the game changing before my eyes, although I must admit that I like the changes overall.

First, I have a renewed sense of confidence in my game. I chopped 1st and 2nd at Salami, chopped 1st through 3rd in a way that got me the most money (i.e., 1st) at the IHO game, and chopped 1st and 2nd at the Lawyers’ Game, making it three wins in a row, if you ignore the inebriated Roose game that was somewhere in between. I have made some great calls based on betting patterns and tells, and I’ve been right more often than not.

Second, I have been really thinking of the game in terms of a sport. More specifically, I have been trying to “keep in shape” by playing regularly. I think the day-in-day-out grind online was actually too much poker. At that time, I thought that if I missed a day, I’d get rusty. I’ve come to realize that it is far from true. If anything, a little break between sessions is a good thing, as it lets me live, well, my life, and recharges me for the next go.

Third and finally, I cannot help but look at poker as a money-making venture. Mostly, this is because I have been successful at it. When I bring it a couple of hundred per week (still a small sum compared to others, but not a small sum compared to me), I can see all sorts of possibilities into the future, including playing more large buy-in tournaments. All this makes for a very excited Jordan.

Now its time to look over this week’s poker itinerary. I should be going to the IHO game tonight to meet Gydyon, a fellow blogger, lawyer and comic book fan, but sadly I shall miss that even. The IHO tournament location is a bit difficult for me to get to, and if I go, I’d like to leave at around 10pm. Since the game is usually not in full swing until 8pm, the earliest (from what I can tell and remember), it just doesn’t make sense. Add in the fact that I have a terrible cold and the walk from the subway to Dawn’s apartment is fairly long in these 20 and under degrees, and the game will have to be a pass. I hate to say it, but you shoulda followed Skidoo‘s lead and join me for a Salami game.

On that note, wifey Kim is going out for dinner with a friend on Tuesday. What to do…I know, poker! I’ll be making my return to Salami on Tuesday, ready to take on their tournament once again. I don’t anticipate staying for the cash game, mostly because I am lazy and want to be home where it is comfortable and warm.

Wednesday is Lost day, but Thursday is Found Day as in Found money, cause I’m making my return to the Lawyer’s Game with Matty Ebs. Thanks again to Matty Ebs for the hook-up. This is a great game with friendly, skilled players, and its always a pleasure to play against different groups. Winning the first time didn’t hurt my opinion of the game either, even if I did need a two-outter at one point in the tournament.

Thursday through Saturday will be poker-lite, but Sunday, wifey Kim and I head to Atlantic City for Dancing with the Stars LIVE! Following the show, I anticipate some drinks and some unmentionables with the wifey, followed by sneaking out of the hotel room and grinding out enough to cover expenses in the 1/2 NL game at Showboat, the official Atlantic City hotel and poker room of HighOnPoker. The room was free, thankfully, so I expect to cover expenses and then-some. Or maybe not, but I’ll sure as hell give it the old college try.

All that poker sure looks fun. In the meanwhile, I’ll be at the office, grinding out the day job and trying to stay conscious in my cold-induced haze. Wifey Kim has me on AirBorne, which I vehemently opposed until she actually bought the stuff. How could this crap work? After all: (1) there are no cures for the common cold, (2) they advertise it on the radio, along with other great “inventions” like anti-hangover pills, hair regrowth formulas, and weight loss pills, and (3) the selling point is that it was made by a teacher! The logic, I suppose, is that teacher’s are always around kids, so they have experience in keeping healthy when germs are around. Call me a contrarian, though, but for my dollar, I’ll have my medicines created by, well, scientists, perhaps, or maybe even doctors. Hey, Teachers, Leave them Colds Alone. All in all its just a-, nother Sick in the Wall.

Aside from the fact that I am suffering from a cold that wants to put me into a coma, there are a lot of things out there that are just so god damn wonderful that I decided to spread a little bit of love. Let’s get this shit crackalackin’:

High On The Other Jordan
I mentioned him here before, but I have to send a little more attention over to the other Jordan of the poker blogging world and his blog, jl514′s Drawing Dead. I must admit, though, that what really piqued my interest were his recent posts on fights with his girlfriend. He has asked his readers to comment on who is wrong, and its made for some great voyeuristic reading and judgmental commenting, two of the things I do best! So go take a look and enjoy.

High On Super Bowl Box Pools
Two years ago, I entered a pool at the office and didn’t find out my numbers until the Monday after the game. After that, I decided to not enter any of the pools again unless it was at a Super Bowl party, since I didn’t trust the guys running the office pool and my numbers were atrocious (I remember 2s and 8s in every one, and at least one with both). This year, I am having one other couple over for the game, so a box pool would be impossible. However, a coworker has a pool and I trust him, so I bought 4 boxes. The numbers were picked and sent out this morning, and I’m looking good with the following numbers (Colts listed first): 7/0, 3/2, 4/3, 1/7. Wish me luck. My faith in boxes are restored.

High On Craig
I know that a lot of bloggers have issues with Michael Craig after he wrote about the WPBT Winter Classic and some individual bloggers’ drunken incidents. Some felt that he wrote it in an exploitative way, but all of his blog posts seem to “exploit” (for lack of a better word) his subjects by giving a candid, if not judgmental, view on their activities, regardless if his subjects would find the content flattering. All that said, I don’t know much about the past issues (which seem to have blown over), but Craig’s first post over at his new Full Tilt Blog is golden, if nothing else than for the clear love he has developed for the game and his candid stories about the characters in the poker world. I hate to say it, but I really look forward to reading more from Mr. Craig.

Truth be told, I think those three are enough right now. I’m going to go back to vegging on the couch, fighting my cold with sheer force of will and laziness.

Until next time, make mine poker!

When I left Peanut Butter & Company, it was only 15 minutes until official game time. I was heading over to Salami Club having changed out of my suit at work and into my poker uniform. The fact that I still wear the Superman shirt (tonight, blue) almost every time I play has actually been bothering me. I wouldn’t call it so much as luck, but it is sort of a compulsion, one that I don’t even realize I am falling into until I’m already there.

I had my poker bag packed. I really do live like a boyscout nomad. I had all of my standards, ready to go: sunglasses in case with cleaning cloth, two, count em, two identical mini buddha statutes of different colors (red-and-gold and dark gold), some low brow reading material (comic books) and some high brow (Time), a baseball cap, a bandana, an iPod and an mini fm radio. Usually, I’ll have a bottle of water, but the club provides them free.

Wow, that’s a lot and I haven’t even left Peanut Butter & Co. On that note, PB&Co. is a counter restaurant that sells all things peanut butter, including some interesting combination sandwiches and dishes. I go with the standard fare. Its one of the perfect pre-poker meals. It’s hearty, but not heavy or oily. I happen to love peanut butter too, so I imagine there is a little psychological effect going on. Whatever the case, I always leave that place feeling primed for poker. I might have to be aware of that, though. I’ve got enough compulsions already.

It was cold outside, and I didn’t even know who would be at the game. 23Skidoo was in town from Hotlanta, but I hadn’t spoken to him directly, yet. I either got a voicemail or we’d swap emails. I was thinking that he might not be able to make it, something entirely understandable since he was in NYC for only about 30 hours. Mary said that she was coming, but I hadn’t heard from her, either.

My phone starts to vibrate as I walk the three blocks. I fumbled for it in the cold, Mary was on the line. She was already at the club, and I was two blocks away. One block later, my phone is vibrating again. I was at the corner near the place and it was 23Skidoo, across the street. And with that, we made our entrance.

I love Genoa! We started off with a full ten-person table in the $60 tournament. After the game started off, I heard the door open behind me. I looked back and there was Dawn from IHO. I really enjoy seeing Dawn because it makes me feel like that less of a degenerate. In truth, I am in awe of her sheer degeneracy, and, later in the evening, asked her to take me on as her degenerate apprentice. I thank the sensei for taking me on.

The table was full, so Dawn had to wait. Genoa has a weird rebuy rule. Essentially, during the first three levels, any newly arriving players can buy-in with a full stack. To even the playing feel and (probably) get more money, busted players can “reregister”, akin to rebuying but inclusive of the $10 fee (i.e., a rebuy in a $50+10 event is $50; a reregister is $60, with only $50 going into the prize pool).

As we played, I folded, folded and folded some more. I don’t remember the particular hand, but I got into it with a pink-haired girl who I had met at the club about a year before. She was worse for the wear. When I first met her, she was a blonde, slightly chubby British chick. I remember her semi-calling me out at the table by saying, “You talk a lot, don’t you?” At the time, that statement weirded me out, and I replied, “I guess so.” She followed, “I wonder if it is nerves or if you just talk a lot.”

I guess she remembered me, too, because she was very aggressive against me in particular. When you catch someone doing this, you have to adjust, and I did just that. After folding the hand in our first confrontation, I was left with 975 or so of the 2000 starting stack. Once there were more people on the waitlist with Dawn, the tournament was split up, with six (and eventually more) players at each table. Mary, who had chipped up already, joined me for the new table, as did Dawn (with her fresh stack) and the Brit. Skidoo was left behind at the other table, but he had been playing a quiet, confident game, having already won a few hands, so I knew he would be fine.

My table were the three girls and three other guys, eventually. I nursed my stack as much as possible. I pushed with crap cards like 44 because we were short-handed. I wasn’t getting premium cards, so I did what I could. Our table ignored the call for the blinds to raise from 25/50 to 50/100. I said something to the dealer (as shortstack, no less), but he waived me off and said I was wrong. I looked at the other table with their higher blinds, but I said my piece and was happy to bask in the dealer’s mistake.

Brit chick was shooting me eye-daggers. She was really annoyed, probably because of my loose image and happy-go-lucky chatting. I joked around with Mary (1s) and Dawn (2s) from across the table (10s), and was probably a bit too loud and semi-offensive. But seeing that look of icy-cold hate from the Brit made it all well worth it. At one point, Dawn caught on to this and mouthed over to me something along the lines of, “She hates you.” I mouthed back, “I don’t blame her.”

The Brit chick raised from EP/MP to 300 (from 100) and when it got to me, I pushed in the rest of my stack, probably 900-1100 in total. She called with AKo against my T9c. I should mention that this was the second-to-last hand before the rebuy period ended, so I was willing to go for a semi-cointoss. The flop and turn were crap to both of us, but the river was a Ten and I doubled up. On the very next hand, I limp with 55 and Mary decides to push. I call and she shows two overcards, but she misses everything and I…well…actually, I don’t remember. I don’t think she rebought, so I guess she had me covered.

One guy, Al, was a very smart player. I picked up on this, and was trying to get into his head. In one hand, I limped or maybe made a 3x raise with A9o. He was the only caller, out of position. The flop was K98 and when he checked, I bet my middle pair-top kicker. He called the large bet. The turn was a 7 and we both checked. The river was aTen and we both checked. He showed KQ and took down the pot and I saved the information for later.

A little while later, Al bet in MP to 800+ into a 300 pot post-flop. I had limped into the pot with A7o and the AKT board sorta scared me, but I smelled some bullshit and re-raised him all-in for, what was at the time, 1600 or so more, with top pair, shitty kicker. His bet screamed that he was trying to take down the pot then and there, and I was glad that my read was right, because he eventually folded.

In this way, I was really controlling the table with incessant betting and limping, along with my usual table chat. I would really like to hear Dawn’s or Mary’s view of the situation, but I certainly felt in control. Truthfully, I guess that is all that matters, because when I feel in control, I tend to make better decisions. Whether the table feels I am in control is virtually irrelevant.

We were down to 10 players with 20 runners total to make up the prize pool. $100 to 3rd, $300 to 2nd, $600 to 1st. Me, Skidoo, Dawn (with a micro-stack) and Mary were still in it. We redrew for seats and I ended up in the 5s, to the direct left of Skidoo. Mary was in the 2s and I believe Dawn was in the 1s. She was gone after the first hand, though. Another player was gone the very next hand as well.

I had chipped up to 4k or so, and the blinds were escalating fast. I am forgetting individual hands right now, but I do remember what I think was the hand of the night.

We were maybe 7 handed at most at this point, and I was dealt 33 in late position. There were a few limpers, including Al in the 3s and I called as well. The flop was KQ4, so there was nothing for me. However, there was a 25 ante (at least an additional 300 in the pot), along with the 4 limpers (minimum). That made for a 1500 pot, and my chip stack, now a relatively healthy 6k, could still use that huge boost. It checked around on the flop, and the turn was a J. It checked to me and I bet out 1200. The blinds folded and Al called. The river was another 4, and I wondered what the hell Al was up to. He pushed right away for 2900, a sizeable portion of my now-4800 pot.

I considered folding, but I didn’t want to make a rash decision. I replayed the hand in my head. Preflop he limps, so no big pocket-pair, and no AK, AQ, or AJ, probably. He checked the flop, so he didn’t have top pair Kings. He check-called the turn. He did this earlier with his KQ on the K-high board, so at first I though perhaps he was just playing a solid hand slow because he was out of position. But then the river bet made no sense. In the KQ hand, he checked the river, but now he was pushing. Meanwhile, when he overbet the pot earlier, he folded to my raise because his overbet was a bluff. I couldn’t push him off of his hand now, because he was all-in, so if I made the call, I would HAVE to have him beat. It would be impossible to scare off middle-pair, so I had to have him on a bluff ONLY. I scanned the board again and saw the flop had 2 diamonds. Pushing with a busted flush draw is not that uncommon in semi-tricky players, and that would also explain his call on the turn. I finally decided to make the gutsy call with an underpair to the board. I announced it verbally with a quiet, “I call.” My headphones were stil on, but I removed them as Al looked at his cards and said good call. I waited for him to table them, A9o. He didn’t even have the flush draw. I tabled my 33 and was relieved. I waited for my testicles to re-descend as I saw Al walk off.

This made me a large stack and I proceeded to call Brit’s all-in for about 2k+. I had A9o again and she showed KJ. She hit her K and doubled up. A hand or two later, and I took out the 5th player, sitting to my left. I played with him before and he is just terrible. I had KQo in the SB as a huge stack and limp after it is folded to me. KQo is a strong hand in this situation and I wanted him to do the betting for me. He pushed all-in and I called. He tabled KJ and I won the hand.

Down to 4 players and the Brit asks about a deal. Having almost half of the chips, I immediately kiboshed the plan. Why give away money? Skidoo eventually busted her and it was just me, Skidoo and Mary. On the very first hand, Skidoo and I got into a raising war. He eventually hit the pressure point and I had to fold, losing probably 5k+ of my 19k stack (with only 40k in chips in play). Mary was the short stack and eventually, I got her all-in preflop against my AJ. I flopped an Ace and it was over for her.

I counted out my chips and saw that I had 19,100+. Skidoo and I were extremely close in chips, so we decided to chop 1st and 2nd for $450 each, a $390 profit. I gave $30 to the dealers as a tip and the three of us decided to head our separate ways.

Before the game, as we met outside, I joked that the three of us would be the last ones standing. I waited unitl the Brit was gone before I pointed out how my prophecy came true. I was slightly wary of the appearance of collusion, as I always am. I don’t collude, but people get very sensitive about money, and I don’t even like the appearance of impropriety. Not even the suggestion.

With my wallet fat, I went home and enjoyed some time with wifey Kim before she went to bed. Live poker is the way for me. It is abundantly clear. For January, I lost less than $200 for the month, but if it weren’t for online poker, I would’ve been up over $600. I have won or chopped the last three (non-Roose homegame) live tournaments I have played, and each time has felt virtually effortless. At least I have live poker going for me. Meeting up with people like Skidoo, Mary and Dawn is also a pleasure, and I look forward to slinging live chips again soon. And with that…

Until next time, make mine poker!

Seeing the poker money dry up is a difficult process.

You may notice a few banners on the right of this blog. Yet what you won’t see are Review Me ads, mostly because I have come out as generally against such things. I don’t take anyone else to task for it because I think it is very much an individual decision. My decision was based on the belief that I would be “betraying” my readers by providing fake content, sort of like the bullshit articles in many a poker publication that is little more than an advertisement for an event.

That said, what if I were to take those ads and save the money to play in a live tournament. Ah, justification! Then I would be earning the money by whoring myself for something poker-related.

I dunno, maybe it is the same thing as just taking the money for personal uses, but I’m mulling over the idea. I can tell you this, if I do decide to take the ads, I’ll add some sort of symbol in the titles, like maybe an X at the beginning and end, like X Jordan Sells Soul for Cards.com X. Or I might scrape up what little self-respect and dignity I have left and skip the whole ad thing all together.

I really want to know what Spaceman said to get him suspended from reporting for Bluff magazine. I have little faith in poker publications, as you can probably tell from what I said above, but I have a ton of faith in fellow bloggers working in that industry. Being part of the media and part of the grassroots blogger movement seems to instill a bit more integrity in their posts. Maybe it is because they are as much in tune with the audience as they are with management (if not moreso). That said, I still haven’t gotten to hear what all the fuss is about. Maybe it is worth starting a rumor mill blog so that people like Pauly and Spaceman and spill it and not be held as accountable. Or maybe not. What the hell do I know. All I do know is that I like reading about what happens behind the scenes more than I like reading about chip counts, so bring on the dirt!

I’m supposed to meet with 23Skidoo in a few hours, along with Mary, a regular from the I Had Outs homegame. Matty Ebs might join as well, so it’ll be a random group. Random is good, though, as long as poker is involved. On that note, my live poker schedule is moving along. Beyond tonight, I will be returning to the Lawyer’s Game with Matty Ebs next Thursday, where I hope to win the tournament for the 2nd time (the first time, I chopped first and second place money with a little of the dough going to 3rd place). I also was invited to the IHO girls’ monthly tournament, which I also chopped up for 1st place money. Sadly, it doesn’t look like I can make this other tournament, due to some obligations. Obligations are my Kryptonite.

Speaking of Kryptonite, I’m toying with the idea of a comic book blog. I was thinking of my other interests, and sadly, comic books are pretty high up there, even though I keep them in the closet (literally and figuratively). But online, I’m virtually anonymous, pun not intended but thoroughly enjoyed, so I might as well write about one of my other hobbies. I won’t tell you the site link though, as I want to give myself some time before I decide whether or not to keep it. For the more clever of you out there, it isn’t that hard to figure out.

As for the AC Gathering, I really don’t know what is going on with everyone. Of course, people showed interest, but it was fairly far off at that time. We are now about 5 weeks away, so I highly recommend that you get off your keister and book, people. Then send me an email or a comment so I can get a handle on who to expect. Right now, it is just me and Roose for sure, and frankly, that is enough for me if more people don’t come/commit, but I want to uphold my duties as general organizer. I’m also fairly confident that the IHO girls will be there, if not intentionally, then accidentally. This is how I see it play out:

Dawn: Oooh weee! I can see AC already.
Karol: (tapping foot, semi-anxiously; smoking a cigarette…or is it) We still have 20 minutes to go. (tap-tap-tap)
Dawn: (driving faster) Look, see that twinkle in the distance? That’s the Hilton, I think.
Karol: No, I think it’s the Resorts.
Dawn: (driving even faster) It better not be.
Karol: I can’t wait to see everyone!
Dawn: (scratching her head) What do you mean? Oh yeah, it is the weekend of Jordan’s awesomely cool gathering in AC. I am so honored that he invited me. He is so dreamy. (swooning, and speeding up even faster)
Karol: Huh? Oh yeah. No, I meant I can’t wait to see everyone in AC. After all, most floor people know us by name.
Dawn: (speeding) Uh, that’s what I meant to. Jordan is gay. (sad panda face)

And then they start making out. At least that’s how it plays out in my head.

Until next time, make mine poker!