High On Poker

Lately, when I think about the world of poker, I can’t help but look at things in a much darker light than when online poker was legal. It’s almost as though the recent crackdown of US sites has caused the illusion to dissipate, and I am able to see the poker world for what it really is. Sites like FullTilt were opportunistic monsters, and not the vanguard of poker that we all expected it to be. The big online poker players are now all ex-patriots, playing online poker from Canada, Mexico and Europe, leaving the dregs of the US online poker community behind. Live games have been more popular, but that only causes us to face, in person, a reflection of ourselves that can sometimes appear desperate, lonely, broke and sad.

Of course, that’s not all I see. I can still appreciate the game for what it is. To me, poker is the perfect blend of mind game and strategy. Sure, it attracts some dregs, but that is only because it is associated with gambling, which has been widely regarded as a vice. And with those dregs come cheats and scoundrels, but that will happen in any area where things are largely unregulated (I’m looking at you, Wall Street.). The game itself CAN remain pure, but to do so, we require places to play that are safe and regulated. I don’t see online poker returning to the US for another 3 years at least (2015 is my best guess). But in the meanwhile, we can still play in casinos and home games, and at times underground games, when desperate.

I’m not quite there, but I can definitely appreciate those who left the US to go to a foreign country. It’s not just about getting to play poker. It’s about reclaiming our freedom. The end of FT was necessary. It was a company that was increasingly turning into a sham. It didn’t start that way, but it sure as shit ended that way.

On the other hand, a sites like Pokerstars.net actually offered what they advertised, a safe place to play online poker. At least there, you could play solid poker, win some cash, and know that your money actually existed somewhere in the world, ready to be withdrawn when you are ready.  At least they were able to stay afloat through their European and worldwide player base.  Plus, their continued success is encouraging to the US market. If Italia Poker players can safely play poker on Pokerstars.it, there should, presumably, be an adequate model for the US to take.

In the meanwhile, I will continue to play in the live games with degenerates, gamblers, bums, scam artists, and do-nothings. And I will use those dregs as a reminder that, as amazing as the game is, it is a game, and its up to me to make sure that I’m playing the game and the game isn’t playing me.

Until next time, make mine poker!

Its official. Even in the face of flack from the boss, and self-imposed guilt about another trip to Vegas without my beloved, it’s booked. I’m going to Las Vegas for the WPBT Winter Classic. I’ll be traveling with my good bud Dave Roose. We fly in early Friday morning, and fly out early Monday morning. Let the good times roll.

Until next time, make mine poker!

This week, I have to drive up to Binghamton for a court appearance. I haven’t done the math yet, but if all goes according to my “plan”, I will stop off at one of the Pennsylvania casinos on my way back.

As I read some of the few poker blogs that still update, I began to think about my game, and how to ensure that I am playing profitable poker. The solution, nearest I can tell, is to simply revert to my old style of play.

Poker is a funny thing. It’s like the tide, in a way, or maybe the shore, more accurately. Even though the basics are there (betting, bluffing, etc. vs. sand, water, waves, etc.), its’ a constantly evolving thing. Just like the tide, poker play and styles seem to ebb and flow over time. Just like the shore, the change is often permanent, and in order to navigate without self-destruction, one has to constantly reassess the state of the shore/poker.

I cannot say with certainty, but everything I see suggests that the correct strategy, particularly for me, is to revert to a tight playing style. When I first started playing seriously, I limited myself to premium hands to get a feel for the game. Back then, you could win consistently just by playing tight, since your starting hands were always so superior to your competition. Take GCox as an example. GCox’s poker style was uber tight, and I admired him for it. He was a consistent winner, and at one point, I even told him that if I could have his game over mine, I would take it.

Over time though, the mass of players started to learn more, and the profitability of uber tight play seemed to wane. Around this same time, GCox may’ve hit the poker wall; he no longer blogs or plays regularly. He was still successful, but not as successful, and eventually, it seems he fell out of love with the game. It happens (but I miss him nonetheless). Regardless, at the time, I was working on widening my game to see more hands and play better post-flop play. I became more profitable because my opponents were no longer donkeys; they had learned some basic skills like how to read and play against a super tight player, so the optimal play was, at least for me, to play more hands, but control pot sizes.

Things kept changing, and admittedly, maybe I did not. I cannot say for sure what the current state of the live poker world is, and lord knows that it changes from region to region. The play in Vegas is going to be different from the play in Pennsylvania. But overall, it seems that we are now at the point where tight play may be right, at least for me.

I consider two major factors. First, there is a new influx of live players who used to be online poker players. Those players are often too loose aggressive, and usually fearless if they are young enough. Getting into a pissing contest will do me no good against these guys. Instead, I need to wait for an advantage, like a superior starting hand, and exploit their aggression and my tight image. Second, with irregular play, I am not as confident in my focus or reads. Tight play will help me avoid those sticky situations, where top pair is no good or hitting the flop will create more questions than answers.

I guess we’ll see later this week. My fingers are crossed.

Until next time, make mine poker!

Last night, as I added yesterday’s session to my spreadsheet, I noticed that the last time I played poker was exactly one month ago, September 18, 2011. That is the state of my poker. It is a sad, sad time for Jordan’s poker career.

Sadder still, my last winning session was all the way back in July. Admittedly, this may’ve been as big of a reason for my month-long hiatus as the other reasons, i.e., my new cat and my job. Wifey Kim and I adopted the new cat after she found the stray at a park near her job. Long-story-short, we named him Deuce (as in Deuces are wild, and not as in Drop a Deuce) and he has been a welcome addition to the family. Combine that with my busy job, and most days, I am happy to go straight home, rather than head to the local underground poker club scene.

But eventually, the urge returned, so I made my way to the BatCave yesterday to play the usual $130 tournament. The tournament suffered from a lack of players, but all-in-all, we were able to get a one-table tournament going, with several players re-registering to build a decent prize pool.

I went to the game with a definite strategy in mind. In the past, when I was eager to play or hadn’t played in a while, I would 0ften make the mistake of forcing the action. That’s a very easy thing to do in an underground club, where the players are willing to make plays with a wide range and there is no shortage of action. It also can be fatal, since variance is a bitch and sometimes, those jabronis actually have cards.

So, the name of the game was to play tight, and tight I did. I had felt in prior games that I had established a fairly loose image, and that was working against me, so it seemed logical to change up my usual routine.

Fold, fold, fold. It isn’t the most exciting strategy, but it can be the most profitable.

When I had hands, I bet preflop, but avoided my usual pattern of continuation betting a bit too often. I won several pots and built up a stack, usually without a showdown. I hadn’t lost any significant pots except one where I called flop and turn bets from a preflop raiser. I had AK and the flop was A56. By the river, the board was A5648, and we both checked. I thought I was being a bit too passive, and I was initially considering a raise on the river, but once the straight card came, I decided against it. It was a good thing too, since my opponent had opted to raise preflop with A5, good for two-pair.

I later laid down AK when the same player raised. I attempted to call, but I was out of turn. When my call was pulled back, the opponent on my right pushed all-in. The guy was friendly and playing well. I took my time considering my options. I didn’t love the idea of risking my entire stack in this situation, and a few hands earlier, the same player faced a similar situation. A player tried to go all-in out of turn and when that bet was pulled back, the guy to my right pushed all-in. He got a call from another player, and showed AA. For this reason, I smelled another high pocket pair. I decided with no money invested, I would be better off folding my suited AK. I did so, and then the original bettor called. The original bettor had AK as well; the guy on my right had JJ. The JJ flopped a set and held up. Works for me!

In another interesting series of hands, I held KJo, and decided to use my tight image (if one existed) to steal some blinds. I raised three times the big blind, from 400 to 1,200, and a player to my left decided to push all-in for approximately 1,500 more. It was an easy call, and all players saw my KJ. I was facing AT, and neither of us hit the board, so he took down the pot.

The very next hand, I had AK, and decided to raise 1,200 again. I wanted to create the impression that I had KJ or was maybe a bit tilty. Another player, Guy, decided to re-raise. When it folded back around to me, I decided to shove all-in. Unlike the AK v. AK v. JJ situation, I was comfortable getting all-in with AK here because I knew that Guy saw me as a loose player (from prior play) and he was willing to resteal. When I pushed all-in, Guy called, since it was not for much more, and then showed 9Ts. I flopped a King and he didn’t catch up, and I doubled up, giving me a healthy stack.

As the game progressed, we were eventually down to five players, and I had a good feel for everyone’s play. I had reverted to a very tight style, although I gathered by then that my image was locked in as a gambler. Still, my cards weren’t great and I saw players getting a bit loose, so I wanted to see them punch each other out before I went in for the kill.

Finally, I had my chance. I was dealt 88 in the BB, and the action folded to the button, a bald guy named Vic. Vic looked at his cards and then decided to raise from the 1,200 to 3,600 (blinds of 600/1200). It folded to me and I decided to push. I had watched Vic and while he started off playing tight, he had loosened up as we had fewer and fewer players. I had assumed based on his action that he wanted to steal the pot. I figured if I pushed, he would likely fold, and if he didn’t, my 88 was probably ahead. I pushed. He called. And then he tabled A6h.

I was ecstatic on the inside, but on the outside, I remained calm and collected. The flop was Ace-high, though, and no 8 came to save the day. I was out, after playing well for three hours. I got up, made a half-hearted joke and then left the table. I made my way over to W, a friend who was at the game but not playing.

“W, will you be my poker psychologist for a moment?,” I asked. I was still calm and cool on the outside, one of the things that I pride myself on when losing, but on the inside, I was a cauldron of bubbling emotion.

“Sure,” she answered, “but I’m crazy too.”

“Okay, here it is,” I explained my losing hand. “That’s typical. There is no reason why that should phase me. But for some reason, it’s really bothering me.”

Yes, I was that guy. I was the guy who played poker, lost to a 3-outter and couldn’t get over it. W consoled me with a story about how she chased the dragon one day in an AC re-entry tournament. She offered that it may be that I simply felt like I was not done with poker for the night, but my game was ended abruptly.

There was some truth to W’s statement. I was suffering, at least in part, because my play has been so infrequent. Finally, I had an opportunity to play my best, and I did play my best, but it was not good enough for a win. To make matters worse, there was no online poker to kill the pain and let me work through some of my poker frustration. That was it. I was done for poker for the day, and likely for the week.

Playing infrequently is its own trap. Individual games can suddenly take on new importance, whether real or fabricated. The long run gets even longer, and the variance of the short run even more painful. But this is the poker world we live in, and I have two options: adapt or leave.

So, it is with great sadness that I announce my retirement from poker. It started when online poker was killed, and was finished when I realized that live poker is just not accessible for a New Yorker with a day job.

Who am I kidding! That last paragraph was a complete joke, literally. I’m not leaving poker! What the fuck would I do otherwise? Take up bridge?! Puh-lease! Nope. All I can do is recommit myself to the game and adapt to the realities that face me. That may mean playing higher stakes so I can play more games in NYC. It definitely means making a commitment to play these weekly tournaments at least once a week. And for the purposes of this blog, it means writing when it feels right and worthwhile.

Until next time, make mine poker!

Hey folks. I haven’t been writing much because I am still utterly disgusted about the end of online poker and what it means for poker players in general. I don’t even want to get into it, because there is nothing to be done but sit back and wait for our government to legalize the game and find new ways to screw it up.

Regardless, I write to you seeking advice. Can anyone recommend a website that sells good custom poker chip sets, including a case? There are a lot of options out there, but after a while, its all a bunch of noise.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Until next time, make mine live poker!

In a way, HighOnPoker has truly come full circle. This blog started as a hobby, where I could write about poker and analyze my own play, without any expectation of readership. Over time, readership came, but as any loyal poker blog reader can attest, since the Events of 4/15 (hat tip to WCP), the world of poker blogging has dried up. After all, its a lot easier to write about poker when we are playing nightly online, but once the poker is gone, there is only so much navel gazing that a blogger can do.

Alas, here at HighOnPoker, I’ve done my best to roll with the punches, and part of that meant changing my blogging schedule, so I would only write when I had something worthwhile. Fortunately, it now feels that this site went semi-dormant enough so that I can shake off the self-imposed shackles of readership and simply revert back to the core of why I wrote about poker: to chronicle my experiences and hopefully learn a thing or two.

With that windup, I should also admit that before my most recent day trip to Atlantic City, I really faced a crisis of conscience. Part of me felt like I just didn’t feel like going, and that it was more of a chore than a day of fun. I had seen this before in other settings. For instance, the Wall Street Poker game was awesome in its day. Host Jamie ran a tight ship, filled with fun, laid back players, quality supplies, and a great location. But after a while, the game dried up. People eventually get burnt out, even on a good thing. Before I left for AC, I really worried myself that I had lost that spark. I even considered jumping up in stakes to force myself to concentrate. In the end, though, it was that feeling of responsibility and loyalty, to ASG actually, that got me to go.

ASG had emailed me, or maybe I emailed him. Whatever the case, I knew I had Saturday free and I wanted to see if he was available for some underground poker in the city or, barring that, a trip to AC. After some emails, we decided on AC,with a plan to meet at the Port Authority Bus Terminal for the 9am bus. Once the plans were locked it, I was not going to flake. I had done that recently to ASG (and Matty Ebs) for an underground game in the city due to work commitments, and I didn’t want to do it again.

So, admittedly, feeling some duty, I forced myself to get up early and travel to the Port Authority early Saturday morning. I arrived earlier than necessary and ordered myself a breakfast sandwich from a generic deli. I then bought my ticket and waited by the proper gate.

At about 8:40, I saw the bus loading up, so I hopped on line, assuming that I would be set for the 9:10 bus. As it turned out, I read the schedule wrong, and the buses weer 8:30 and 9:00, so the 8:40 bus was actually the 9am bus, which had arrived early. Alas, by the time ASG had joined me, we were about 6 people from the front of the line, and the 9am was full. Thankfully, we had a last minute life suckout, when seven people left the 9am bus. The 7 complained that they could not get seats next to each other. Before they could reconsider their complaint, I had volunteered to take some of the newly opened seats. I ended up next to a smartly dressed hipster, who read Elle Decor the entire way. I can safely assume he was gay. ASG ended up several rows back, so I popped in my ear buds and watched different programs on my iPod during the almost 3-hour drive (due to Jersey Shore traffic).

The bus left us off at Trump Plaza, which worked out well, since I forgot all of my players’ cards. With the Academy Bus service, you get the roundtrip ride plus a casino freeplay of $25 for a total price of $36. Most casinos require you to have a players’ card, but Trump Plaza’s system is a bit different, so I got my $25 freeplay without having to first get a card. I ran through the $25 in a $1 slot, while ASG won $7 with his $25 freeplay at a video slot machine. To be clear, he actually lost $18 of the $25, but since he could withdraw the $7 (after playthrough) he ended up with $7 more than me.

After running through out freeplays, it was time to play some poker. We first headed to Bally’s so that ASG could cash in another freeplay. As it turned out, he didn’t actually have any more freeplays, but we were close enough to the Bally’s poker room that it seemed like a logical option.

Sadly, the Bally’s poker room seemed dead. There was only one 1/3 NLHE game spread, and I was unwilling to play their 1/1, $100-cap buy-in game. ASG wasn’t willing to wait either, so we walked to the next hotel on the strip, Caesars.

I really don’t love Caesars. Their table games are overpriced and their food selection lacks the type of easy takeout places a discerning poker player needs. But it was nearby, and I didn’t think there were many better options, so off we went.

When we arrived, two seats were open on the same table, so ASG and I locked them up and we went to the cage for cash. I tried something I hadn’t done in a while, and bought $400 in chips, two stacks of reds and two $100 chips. I stuck the $100 chips in my wallet for reserve, and hoped that I would not need to top off my stack during play.

Looking back, I think I bought the extra $100 chips because I hate waiting for the dealer to make change between hands. On another level, when one does that, I think it signals to the other players that you are losing (which you obviously are, if you are rebuying). Losing begets losing, largely because your opponents can taste the blood in the water and will go after you harder; meanwhile, the person losing is often susceptible to tilt or other forms of leaks.

I grabbed the 4 seat and ASG took the 7 seat, eventually moving to the 6 seat when it opened up. On my immediate right was an older gentleman, with a slight frame and a gray mustache. He was very friendly, and also very bad at poker. He limped with any Ace and called down hands light. My position was perfect. On my immediate left was an Asian guy, probably in his mid-20s, who was from the Buffalo area. He was friendly as well, and I respected him instantly as a player because of the way he conducted himself, but as the session wore on, it became clear that he had his leaks as well.

I won my first significant pot from the Old Guy on my right. I held A6d and limped into the pot. The flop was KK6, and the Old Guy bet $5. I was the only caller, even though there were a lot of limpers. The turn was a blank and he bet $15. Something seemed fishy so I called. The river was another blank, and he pushed all-in for $14. I didn’t realize how short he was prior to the hand, which was my error. Now that I only had to call $14, I felt priced in and even announced, “Okay, I guess I’ll pay you off.” At showdown, he had A8o, for high-card Ace. I took down the pot with my two pair, Kings and Sixes.

Once I saw the type of player he was, I made some more cash with JK. I was in the SB, and he was in position on the button. The flop was Jack-high, and there were a decent amount of limpers. I bet out $8 into the $10 pot, and only the old guy called. I bet $15 on the turn and $21 on the river, bets designed to keep him in the hand. It worked. He called and at showdown, he showed middle pair. My top pair was good.

It was one of those days when you are faced with the reality that you do not have to be the best player in the world as long as you are better than the players around you.

I lost $100 or so when I was drawing for the nut flush draw with A9s against the Asian. I probably called too much when he re-raised me on the turn, but at least I got away from his all-in river bet.
My next big pot came when I held 66 and raised to $12 preflop. I was out of position and there were lots of limpers, so I hoped to thin the herd. It utterly failed, though, and most players stayed in the pot.

Fortunately, the flop was 623, giving me top set. I bet out (I do not recall the amount) and got action from the Asian and an old white guy in blue polo shirt who had been playing alternatively aggressively and tight. The turn was a 4 and I bet again. This time, the Asian raised allin, but not for much then I already had bet. To my surprise though, Blue Polo pushed all-in on top. After my earlier losses, I had taken out one of my $100 chips and placed it atop my stack of reds. I took my time trying to figure out whether Blue Polo had the straight, but I could not see any hands that made sense there, given the preflop and flop betting. Finally, I decided to call all-in for my last $175+, thinking that he maybe had a vulnerable hand and/or wanted to isolate against one player.

Sadly, Blue had 55, the only hand that made sense (somewhat) and could beat me. I say somewhat, because he called the flop bet, which was sizable, with nothing more than an inside straight draw and middle pair. Regardless, I saw that I was now woefully behind, and I began to think “2, 3, 4. 2, 3, 4,” hoping for the three cards that would help me make a full house. The river was a 3, and suddenly the huge pot was pushed in my direction. But first the dealer had to count out my all-in call. Blue Polo had me well covered.

After counting out my reds and placing my $100 chip in its own single-chip pile, the dealer announced the amount, something like $178. Blue Polo was surprised. “Wait, how much?” The dealer repeated himself and then pointed out my black chip. Blue Polo complained lightly, “That should have been visible. I didn’t see it.” Finally, I chimed in, “It was on top of my chips, and nothing was covering it. What else was I supposed to do. It was clearly visible. I wasn’t going to put it in its own stack. It’s just one chip.” Thankfully, an older gentleman in the 1 seat agreed with me and stated so, “It was out there on top. Plain to see.”

For what its worth, Blue Polo didn’t fight it much and accepted his fate and my explanation. But, it did highlight for me that there may be a benefit to packing your own backup chips. When you need to reload, not only do you avoid the announcement, “HEY I’M LOSING OVER HERE!” You also gain a hidden advantage, since people are not expecting your $100 chip in play. Ka ching!

I should also note that after winning the hand, I sheepishly offered, “I just got lucky.” I didn’t 100% mean it, but I like creating the impression that I am lucky and not good (ironically, if a blogger were to post that he/she thought I was lucky and not good, I would take offense; if a live poker opponent said that, I would nod and agree…pride is a weird thing). In response, Blue Polo made a very astute comment, “I had to get lucky first.” We both agreed, it didn’t matter who got lucky. All that mattered was who got lucky last.*

In my next big hand, I held QQ in the SB, with lots of limpers. I considered raising big to thin the herd, but I wanted some action, so I went with $12. That was too low, as it turned out, because I got a slew of callers to see the 985 flop with two spades.

I am a bit worried about the flush draw, so I bet out $40. Amazingly, ASG of all people raises to $110, and it folds back to me. I tried to think things out, but nothing clear was coming to me. I figured he either got lucky with a set of some sort, or he had the draw. I could even see a draw like JTs, for a flush and straight draw on the 985 flop. I finally reluctantly called after goading him with, “Are you pulling this with a flush draw?” In hindsight, this was a stupid statement to make, because once the flush card river came, I had to fold to his bet. And what did he have? 98, for flopped two pair. Whoops! At least I was giving money to a friend.

At around 3:00, I was fairly hungry, since I had breakfast at 8:30. We finally racked up our chips and decided to grab some grub. I was up $153 on my session, after peaking at around $270+. Most of the lost profit went to ASG, who had a struggle at the table yet left nearly even.

The next question was where to eat. It turns out that Bally’s has a mini-food court with a Sack O’ Subs and a pizza place in it. We went there and I wolfed down a chicken parm hero while ASG leisurely ate his Sack O’ Subs special, which is essentially an Italian hero.
After lunch, we decided to check out the Bally’s poker room again. This time, there were more tables running, and once we added our names to the 1/3 list shortly before a new table was called. I once again loaded up $200 in red and another $200 in backup chips, this time 8 $25 chips, since the cage did not have $100s.

In my first hand, I was dealt J8o in the SB, and saw a J9x flop with five other players. I bet $10 and a tall, thin Punjabi on my left called. I wasn’t sure if he were Indian or Muslim, and I’ll admit that as a bit of added motivation, I thought of him as a dirty terrorist. I know that may seem odd and maybe even a tad racist, but I do find that sometimes I can get extra motivation from such things. I had to win his chips so that it wouldn’t go to Al Qaeda! In reality, he was definitely Indian, and was extremely Americanized, with two white Dudes accompanying him to the game. Even so, he acted like the big shit, like he was going to show everyone who was top dog. I picked up on that fairly early, and it fueled my hate for him as the day wore on.

The turn was a Jack and I check. He bet out $15 and I check-raised to $40 before he almost instantly pushes all-in for $200 more. He had me covered and I took my time. I had trips, but any better kicker had me  beat, and I could not see why he would push with a weak Jack. I finally decided to fold, and he flashed me the Jack. I replied, “Yeah, we all knew about that one. It was the other one I was curious about.” He mucked his cards and then said, “It was a Two.” I’m fairly sure he was lying, but maybe he was telling the truth. In any event, I replied, “In that case, you had me outkicked,” as sort of a snarky, wise-ass retort and a sign that his cards and chatter didn’t really bother me, since I said it in a flippant manner.

My next major hand was AJo. I called a raise to $10 preflop with many other players, and we saw a Jack-high flop. I bet out $40 and ASG called. It then folded to the guy on my right, who raised. I asked to see my neighbor’s stack and then decided to push all-in. My thinking was that he could not have an overpair because he did not raise pre-flop. I also figured that I looked weak after my fold to the Punjabi in the J8 hand. To my surprise, ASG and the guy on my right called, and we saw the turn and river. The river was a beautiful Ace, and when we reached showdown, it was revealed that ASG had the nut flush draw that missed (he hit his Ace, but that wasn’t enough) and the guy on my right had Queens. He was ahead until the river, when I sucked out. Lucky me! And just like that, my $200 stack was up to 450.

I had my vengeance from the Punjab when I held 44 and raise to $10 in EP. I got a shit ton of callers and we saw a 467 flop with two diamonds. I bet out $50, determined to push out the drawing hands, and Punjab raised to $125. One of his two Dude buddies were sitting at the table behind a bunch of chips. He wasn’t a particularly good player, but he was a gambler and had gotten lucky with shit cards before. The Dude folded and the action got back to me. I decided to push all-in, and the Punjab called me without counting my push. He then announced to the table, “He has an overpair,” gesturing to me. Clearly, this guy was SOOOOO good that he saw right through me.

Of course, I did not have an overpair, but rather the lowest possible set. But as my mind is thinking, I came to realize that based on his statement, he probably also has a set, since he can beat an overpair. Since I have the lowest possible set, I must be in trouble, right?

I ask, “So if you think I have an overpair, then you must have a set, right?” He nodded in agreement. I asked which one and he shut up.

I figured I was definitely the loser, especially after the turned 8 and rivered 2 of diamonds. However, when I showed my cards, the Punjab folded. As it turned out, he had top two pair on the flop, or so he claims. For what its worth, I believed him. I also delighted in his prediction. “He has an overpair.” Good job, Kreskin.

I only had one significant hand that I took notes on after that hand. In it, a loose player ended up all-in against me for around $108 preflop. I held QQ and he had AQ. He hit his Ace and I gave back some of my winnings.

When the session was done, I was up $453 at Bally’s alone, and $606 total on the day. At my peak at Bally’s I was probably up near $700 or more, but my hands stopped hitting and I gave some of it back. Alas, it wasn’t a bad take on the day.

We decided to leave the game when the Punjab and his friends left, leaving the table shorthanded. We made our way to some diner-type place, where we ordered grilled cheeses to go. We made our way to the bus depot at Bally’s and made the 8:30pm bus, eventually arriving in the city around 11.

$606. Not bad for a day’s work.

Until next time, make mine live poker!

*This parallels my thinking when it comes to that fateful hand between Chris Moneymaker and Phil Ivey from the 2003 WSOP Main Event, where Ivey got lucky hitting a flop (or was it a turn) before Moneymaker got lucky rivering a better hand. Ivey got as lucky as Moneymaker, but Moneymaker got lucky last.

*** WARNING: NO POKER CONTENT ***

Being a lawyer, especially a plaintiff’s lawyer, has its up and downs. The benefits are largely obvious, and quite irrelevant to today’s mini-post. It’s the negatives that always blow my mind.

How can you tell a lawyer is lying? His mouth is moving.

A guy walks into a bar and complains to the bartender, “All lawyers are assholes!” Another guy at the end of the bar chimes in, “Hey! I take exception to that!” The first guy asks, “Why? Are you a lawyer?” The second guy responds, “No, I’m an asshole!”

What happens when a lawyer takes Viagra? He gets taller.

Yes, lawyers are liars, assholes and dicks. That’s not true across the board, but its true enough. After all, this profession does attract some percentage of the greedy, status-oriented, or narcissists that roam this earth. But we also do something else. Some of us fight for victim’s rights.

The other negative I am constantly faced with in the practice of law is this crazy idea that people are getting rich quick on frivolous lawsuits. Let me briefly explain that frivolous lawsuits are not nearly as common as we all think they are. Why? Because frivolous lawsuits DON’T WIN. Law is a business and for most personal injury lawyers, the customer cannot pay the crazy fees charged by big law firms to large corporations. As a result, the vast majority of personal injury cases (including medical malpractice) are done on a contingency retainer. The law firm lays out all the costs (sometimes tens of thousands of dollars) and if the lawsuit fails, the firm eats the losses and gets nothing. It’s a literal gamble. And as you can imagine, if you are going to gamble thousands of dollars on a case, you don’t want it to be frivolous. But that’s not what the insurance industry and most corporations want you to think.

See, most corporations and insurance companies want to reduce the amount of law suits. After all, its the insurance companies and corporations that generally have to spend money to defend a lawsuit when someone is hit by a car, or injured by a dangerously defective product. Lawsuits are BAD! And they must be stopped…even if the victims suffer.

So, with all that in mind, I present to you the trailer for a new-ish documentary airing on HBO titled, Hot Coffee: The Movie. The documentary delves into the crazy McDonald’s case in which an old woman spilled coffee on her lap while holding it between her legs and driving down the freeway, and consequently won a lawsuit worth over $2 million dollars! Well, that’s what McDonald’s and most corporations want you to think. In reality, it was a lawsuit about an elderly woman who was parked in the parking lot and in the passenger seat when she opened her coffee to add sugar. The coffee was at 190 degrees Fahrenheit, which was way above industry standards. McDonald’s also had hundreds of complaints about the heat of the coffee. As a result of the spill, the woman suffered horrific burns to her groin and rear end. She asked McDonald’s to pay the medical bills, but they refused…so she sued. The jury found that McD’s knew of the danger, had many complaints, but ignored the complaints. The jury punished the huge corporation by giving punitive damages worth one day’s work of coffee sales…over $2M for McDonald’s. But then (and this is the kicker) the judge reduced the award to closer to $200,000 as punitive damages. I don’t agree with the reduction, but it is indicative that the Court does prevent insanely high verdicts.  It was also widely under-reported by, naturally, the corporations that control the media.

Oh boy, now I’ve just gone on a rant. Ignore my rant and just see the movie. Then leave a comment here, if you can. I’d love to see what non-lawyers think about it.

Until next time, make mine live poker!

It’s been over a month since I played poker in the underground poker club, the BatCave, so when wifey Kim had another one of her Girls’ Nights last night, I heard opportunity knock.

While still in my office, I changed from my suit, which was already in fairly bad shape thanks to the sweltering heat, to my brown $uperman t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts. I had already loaded up my backpack with all of the usual accoutrements, including my new starfish-shaped stone card cap, which I picked up recently on my trip to Mexico. I left the office with a bit of a skip in my step. It’d been a while since I had played poker, and the last time was at Turning Stone, which was not the most successful run. But I had mentally prepared to play, largely due to the poker drought and that yearning tug at the back of my brain that always brings me back to the game.

I first stopped at Hill Country Chicken in midtown Manhattan for a quick dinner. Hill Country also has a BBQ joint in the city, and if you asked me about the BBQ joint, I’d tell you to skip it. From my recollection, it was one of those joints with several counters for meats, sides, etc. You fill up a tray and then pay per pound or something. In other words, you pay too much (because it’s hard to eye meat by the pound) and the food is luke warm (because it is sitting in hot trays or whatever). Not good.

In contrast, Hill Country Chicken is pretty damn good. They have two versions of the fried chicken, one with the skin and one without that has a cracker-based coating, and some delicious sides, including mashed potatoes with cheese and actual fries incorporated in the mash. Very odd, but delicious (and probably a calorie bomb to  boot). I enjoyed my dinner with a Miller Lite (keepin’ it classy) while I listened to Howard Stern interview Lady Gaga.

I left Hill Country and walked to the poker game. Naturally, I was early and the first person there. I made some small talk with the two guys who work the room, and then pulled out a magazine to kill time. By the time the tournament was ready to kick off, though, there were a lack of participants, and we started with only eight players, including one of the staffers. That said, the other players included two of the most talented I had seen at the club, one of the most solid players I had seen, and a couple of wildcards which look easier to beat than they actually are.

In a small group like this, walking away from the table to take audio or written notes just wouldn’t fly. I sure as shit don’t want them knowing about the blog, because I want to be able to speak freely, so instead, I decided to simply focus on the game and worry about the possible post afterward. For that reason, you won’t be seeing any detailed hand analysis or replays here.

I kept to my strategy at first, folding the vast majority of hands while I hoped my opponents would punch themselves tired, like a boxer not prepared to go the full 12 rounds. By the time the re-register period was over, one player who I’ve played with since the Salami Poker Club days had bought in three times. He was the best player at the table, but a couple of hands hadn’t gone his way, and he kept buying in because he was near the points leaderboard. Meanwhile, I was treading water, after losing one hand relatively early when I decided to play position more than anything. I raised preflop in LP with Q6o because of a slew of limpers. I only got one call, the staffer. The flop missed me entirely, but had an Ace. He checked and I bet out. He pushed all-in over the top, which was way too much to bet in the spot. Regardless, I put on a brief show before folding and groaning about how he got lucky and hit two pair on the flop to beat my strong ace. He showed the Ace, but nothing more. Whatever. I was just trying to save face from my failed bluff.

That hand reminded me that I had to play smart and not give myself a chance to lose chips. That also resulted in me folding a couple of hands that a looser person might play, especially at that table; naturally, those folded hands would’ve been winners, but I didn’t let that tilt me.

As the blinds got higher, I used position a bit more, but very sparingly. I had one hand that was a bit odd and caused a negative reaction from the best player at the table. The blinds were 400/800, and I was in the BB. The Best Player (besides me, naturally) was in the SB. In MP, one of the Wildcard Players (who will play ATC for a push at times) pushed all-in for 1,200 only. BP called, and I called as well with Q5.

The flop came down 234. I don’t think there was a flush draw. The BP checked and I decided to bet out the minimum, 800. The BP folded and we showed our cards. My Q5 was behind the WP’s A3. By the river, though, I hit a Queen and took down the pot, eliminating WP.

After the hand, BP complained, “Why’d you bet there?”

I responded, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“You should be playing to knock out WP. I had a piece of that flop.” I was surprised when he said this. In the past, I took it as standard that you would check down here to increase the chances of knocking out a competitor, but as is the way with strategic games like poker, eventually common knowledge becomes exploitable, and new strategies emerge that take advantage of what is common. Of course, those new strategies become part of common knowledge until new new strategies emerge.

If I were a smarter man, I would have kept my mouth shut at this point, but it was a friendly game with all players openly discussing strategy in the abstract. I countered, “I wasn’t playing to knock him out. It’s too early for that. I was playing to build my stack. I thought I could even be ahead of WP with the way he plays, but I didn’t want to give the pot to you if you hit the turn or river.” I thought for a bit more and added, “Besides, I had a draw, so if you did call, I was building a pot.”

And that’s the truth. I could have checked it down, but what good would that do me. I was there to win the tournament, not knock out the guy who went out 7th out of 8 players. Interestingly, this hand probably won me another 1,500 about a half-hour later.

In that scenario, a player once again pushed all-in with less than 2x the BB. I was in the BB and BP was in the SB, and we both called. I had T4o, but the preflop action was so cheap that I felt I had to call. Plus, now I knew BP was the type to check it down, so I felt that I had an opportunity to pay for the flop and see all five cards.

That is exactly what happened. We all saw the KQ9 flop. We all saw the Jack turn, which gave me a straight, and we all saw the negligible river, where I bet out 1,500 and was called by BP. Sure enough, he had called me light, having hit the Jack only. In fact, when I showed my cards, he was incredulous that the chips weren’t pushed his way…until I pointed out that my Ten made the straight. I guess he was so conditioned to check it down and so conditioned to call my small-ish bets into a dry side pot that he wasn’t even thinking about what I could really have. All he thought was, “I saw this before, and all he had was Q-high!”

I actually held a decent stack until we got down to the top 3, with only 2 spots paying. At that point, I was the small stack, against BP and one other dude. I mostly stayed out of there way, stealing when I could to keep afloat. I was able to double up right before the 3rd player was eliminated by BP.

Down to two, both in the money, I considered the possibility of a chop, but BP couldn’t do it. Having bought in thrice, he was in the tourney for $390, and 2nd place was only $320. Instead, we played it out, with me at a 1:3 chip disadvantage. I made somewhat of a comeback, but it all eventually went in on a cointoss, his pocket pair to my overcards. I missed and he won the tournament, but it still felt good.

I made some money. I also played well, particularly against BP. I remember when we were heads up, I didn’t feel a moment of stress or anxiety. I remember thinking, “Go figure, I’m up against probably the best player here,” before thinking, “It doesn’t matter though. He’s just another player. I’m going to play my game.” And it worked, at least temporarily. I made a bit of a comeback before that coin toss, and I wasn’t really upset about the coin toss situation, so good play, bad results. It’s just part of the game.

Who knows when I will be back. But I’ll certainly be back. Let’s hope this is the start of another streak.

Until next time, make mine live poker!

Hey folks. I have a few odds and ends for your blog reading pleasure.

First off, I haven’t played poker in weeks. Crazy, but true. I could’ve played at Dawn‘s birthday party two Fridays ago, but I didn’t realize how late it was (1opm start? Really?) and I had just returned from Mexico, so I was exhausted from the travel and the week’s worth of booze and sun. Sorry Dawn, and happy birthday season!

Fortunately, I break the seal tonight by returning to the BatCave for the $130 tournament. Wish me luck. I know I have ring rust for sure, so the plan will be to take my time, watch the action, and try to play extra tight. With the quick blind structure, that’s a decent strategy if I can pick up some cards. If I go card dead, though, I’ll be playing push or fold poker within an hour or so; fortunately, I’m a short stack specialist.

Without poker, I’ve been spending much of my free time playing PS3. My current game of choice is Red Dead Redemption, which is now probably more than a year old, but brand spanking new to me. I’ve also taken up gardening, if one can consider some random herbs and jalapenos growing on my windowsill as a garden. See? Life really is better without free choice!

I read an interesting article on Atlantic City today. When Pennsylvania legalized poker, I opined that AC needed to Vegas-ify themselves if they wanted to retain their customer base. That would mean more events, like concerts, and more cheap rates to encourage people to stay at the hotel cheaply, but gamble and spend more in the restaurants, bars, clubs and stores. Well, it looks like someone in AC has been reading HighOnPoker. The article basically explains how casinos in AC have been throwing cheap-ticket concerts at an initial loss, so that they bring in customers, who all end up gambling and spending enough money at the casinos to more than offset the cheap tickets. If you read the article, you’d also think that the hotels are giving away weekend rooms. That hasn’t been the case from what I can see, but I’m glad to at least see that AC is doing something to keep in the mix.

Until next time, make mine live poker!

I noticed recently that April has posted the details for this years poker blogger gathering in Vegas. I actually skipped the event for the first time in years last year, mostly because I felt that I should spend my birthday weekend with my wife. Prior to that, I had spent my last two or three birthdays in Vegas playing poker with my Internet friends, and while I had a great time, it always struck me as awkward leaving my wife for my birthday, including my monumental 30th.

This year, I have no such problem. For the first time that I can remember, the event is scheduled for the first weekend in December, instead of the second. My birthday is usually on or around the second weekend of December, so suddenly, the glory of my birth and my cravings for degeneracy are no longer in conflict.

Of course, that’s not to say that I will definitely be in Vegas for the WPBT Winter Classic, which will be held from Thursday, Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 4. I still need to see if it makes sense.

Deciding factors will include: (a) who else will be there, (b) how expensive it will be, (c) how many vacation days I have left by then.

Truth be told, with this wild extended family of degenerates, I can pretty much show up without a care for who is attending, since surely whoever attends will be fun. The best part of these events, aside from the poker, is the fact that the poker bloggers are an incredibly inclusive group, and if you are staying in the right place or know where to be, you can literally stumble around until you find some fellow bloggers, and instantly have an awesome night. Even so, I am curious to see who will be attending, if for no other reason then the fact that there are a handful of you that I really want to meet and/or have a beer with.

As for the cost, this is truly the biggest wrench in the works. I recently checked direct flights, and they start at around $600, after taxes, etc. That just sucks! April did a great job of getting us some good rates at Aria (I’m used to staying in shitholes like the Imperial Palace, happily I might add), but even with the reduced rates, I’m looking at a $1,000 weekend. It’s doable, certainly, but its a lot to spend for what amounts to a weekend of fun.

The vacation day issue is the last hurdle. I’ve done the math, and if I do not take any more vacation days after my upcoming European Vacation (sing with me, Holdiay Ro-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oad, Holdiay Ro-o-o-o-o-o-oad), I will have exactly two vacation days to spare. Usually, I save one for the AC in Xmas season, but since that appears to be on a weekend this year, I may have two full days for my Vegas adventure. Exciting.

If anyone is interested in a roommate, feel free to hit me up, although obviously I cannot commit for a while. Priority goes to the people who I have roomed with in the past, mostly because none of them molested me (save for TripJax, and arguably, with the amount of E we were on, some might argue that it was consensual). Next priority goes to people I like. Finally, the last class of people are people who I dislike; I will only share a room with you if you agree to provide copious amounts of drugs and alcohol.

Before I sign off, I should mention that I was speaking to the one loyal person in all of Donkey Island, JamyHawk, and I began to wonder about an East Coast poker blogger gathering. That led JHawk to suggest a St. Louis gathering, since he is from St. Louis and apparently they have legal poker there. And that got me thinking about the fact that there is legal poker in all sorts of unexpected places.

I right now have no plans for any trips for 2012, which depending on how l

Until next time, make mine live poker!