Blake's Seafood at Crocker Park has $2 burger/fries, along with other great happy hour items. We stopped in yesterday before seeing District 9, a pretty good sci-fi thriller. It got mixed reviews from the group, but I liked it. It really put a new twist on the "aliens visiting earth" scenario.
After that, I stopped by Grayday's super-secret invite-only $.25-.50 cash game (Yeah, I know) and actually won $62 after an hour and a half. Kittensmashr and Matt G were there, and Hua Cool followed me from the movie theater. Matt G won a huge pot and had a nice stack. The other guys were a little baked (the guy to my left just kept staring at the table) so the more-experienced players like Grayday, KS, and Matt were taking full advantage. I got them for a few pots as well. Overall it was a friendly game and I didn't have to risk much money. Max buy-in was only $50. Usually, I'd play too many hands in a low stakes game like this but somehow managed to fold enough to hang onto my profit. Maybe I've finally found a low stakes game I can beat!! :)
Happy Friday.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Nautica
Cashed $652 on a single buy-in last night. Many CPMG members in attendance as well. I had Uncle Bob, Colin, and Andrew at my table. Gross, Jimmy, Matt G, Grayday, Nguyen were also there. I played 3 hrs.
I didn't see any awful play to really comment about, and my money really came from small-ball poker. Just chipped up a little at a time, and never once had to put my stack at risk. Nice, comfortable poker. I only bet with air once, about 2.5 hrs in, after showing a lot of good hands. I was on the button with A-10 suited after calling $12 preflop (see, I would almost never call $12 preflop in a 1-1 game!) and the flop was plain ugly. It checked around (about 5-6 players in the hand) so I bet $25 and took it down, showing the bluff.
There was a hand that came up for discussion on the CPMG board, check it out under "how is everyone doing at Nautica these days?" or something to that effect.
Also, I think it looks good for poker in Lorain. Check out these articles:
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2009/08/27/lorain-council-mulls-ordinance-to-lease-buildings-for-charitable-gambling/
http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/08/24/opinion/mj1504145.txt
Hopefully there will be a steady stream of donks coming through the door. I know I'll be there!
I didn't see any awful play to really comment about, and my money really came from small-ball poker. Just chipped up a little at a time, and never once had to put my stack at risk. Nice, comfortable poker. I only bet with air once, about 2.5 hrs in, after showing a lot of good hands. I was on the button with A-10 suited after calling $12 preflop (see, I would almost never call $12 preflop in a 1-1 game!) and the flop was plain ugly. It checked around (about 5-6 players in the hand) so I bet $25 and took it down, showing the bluff.
There was a hand that came up for discussion on the CPMG board, check it out under "how is everyone doing at Nautica these days?" or something to that effect.
Also, I think it looks good for poker in Lorain. Check out these articles:
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2009/08/27/lorain-council-mulls-ordinance-to-lease-buildings-for-charitable-gambling/
http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/08/24/opinion/mj1504145.txt
Hopefully there will be a steady stream of donks coming through the door. I know I'll be there!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The gloves come off
Chan continues to talk shit on the board, so I guess I'll have to jump all over him for weeks if he loses HU against me. The bashing is going to be relentless. He thinks I get on him now for the 10-high call...you have no idea! Sickest call ever!! lol.
In fact, if I win, I'm going to offer his buy-in back, if he will openly admit on the board that I won fair and square, and admit that I beat him, and then speak of it no more. No way he is man enough to do that.
Here comes his counter-offer...
In fact, if I win, I'm going to offer his buy-in back, if he will openly admit on the board that I won fair and square, and admit that I beat him, and then speak of it no more. No way he is man enough to do that.
Here comes his counter-offer...
Chan
Chan wants to play heads-up AGAIN. We'll see if he even shows up. If not, I hope he finally drops the subject.
I am certainly not making any predictions, but he is definitely the weakest of the opponents I've faced, although Eskimo at the time we played surely had room for improvement. But, it's this weakness that makes Chan a formidable opponent. He doesn't have a real grasp on the game or reality in general, which makes him unpredictable and difficult to put on a hand. I'll have to make adjustments as the game progresses, if there even is a game.
Should be a fun match either way. I just hope he'll STFU about it after it's over. I will not gloat or brag if I win, unless of course he continues with his childish needling.
I will however continue to remind everyone that he once called John Coleman's all-in, on the river, with 10-HIGH!!! Sickest call ever!! :)
Of course, JC had paired his ace. NH sir.
I am certainly not making any predictions, but he is definitely the weakest of the opponents I've faced, although Eskimo at the time we played surely had room for improvement. But, it's this weakness that makes Chan a formidable opponent. He doesn't have a real grasp on the game or reality in general, which makes him unpredictable and difficult to put on a hand. I'll have to make adjustments as the game progresses, if there even is a game.
Should be a fun match either way. I just hope he'll STFU about it after it's over. I will not gloat or brag if I win, unless of course he continues with his childish needling.
I will however continue to remind everyone that he once called John Coleman's all-in, on the river, with 10-HIGH!!! Sickest call ever!! :)
Of course, JC had paired his ace. NH sir.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Nautica this weekend
I wish I'd had more time to spend down there over the weekend, with all the activity going on. I managed to stop by for 2 hrs on Sat afternoon and profited $685.
Got lucky early after getting all $215 of my stack in preflop with KK. I got min-raised to $40 after raising the initial $7 bump. I told the guy, "here's all the information you need". He of course says "Call!" AA. Ouch, NH sir. But... K on the river! Apparently it was the case K as well.
So I gave back all that profit after turning a straight and getting rivered by some old guy's 5-high flush. I did regroup and got it back from him after he pushed on a flop of A-10-x rainbow. I had AQ, he had AJ. Turn was a blank, river was another 10. He flipped over the AJ with the flourish of a matador. Sorry, out-kicked old man.
I later chased a nut flush that panned out. Guy checks to me on the river after betting big all the way. I push my last $110 into a $300+ pot, and he calls. I dont understand why he wouldn't have put me in on the river to possibly apply pressure. If you can call my all-in on the river, you can BET!! Not that I was going anywhere with the nuts, but just sayin'.
That's really about it. Took a mid-sized pot with A's full of 9's, and pocket 10's got a favorable flop twice to grab a couple of other pots.
Got my chips off the table after 2 hours, but would like to have stuck around. My little man thought it would have been a good day, but family comes first.
Slight reprieve at work today, but back to busting ass tomorrow. We'll now be pretty slammed through at least Halloween.
Got lucky early after getting all $215 of my stack in preflop with KK. I got min-raised to $40 after raising the initial $7 bump. I told the guy, "here's all the information you need". He of course says "Call!" AA. Ouch, NH sir. But... K on the river! Apparently it was the case K as well.
So I gave back all that profit after turning a straight and getting rivered by some old guy's 5-high flush. I did regroup and got it back from him after he pushed on a flop of A-10-x rainbow. I had AQ, he had AJ. Turn was a blank, river was another 10. He flipped over the AJ with the flourish of a matador. Sorry, out-kicked old man.
I later chased a nut flush that panned out. Guy checks to me on the river after betting big all the way. I push my last $110 into a $300+ pot, and he calls. I dont understand why he wouldn't have put me in on the river to possibly apply pressure. If you can call my all-in on the river, you can BET!! Not that I was going anywhere with the nuts, but just sayin'.
That's really about it. Took a mid-sized pot with A's full of 9's, and pocket 10's got a favorable flop twice to grab a couple of other pots.
Got my chips off the table after 2 hours, but would like to have stuck around. My little man thought it would have been a good day, but family comes first.
Slight reprieve at work today, but back to busting ass tomorrow. We'll now be pretty slammed through at least Halloween.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Dave's Wed night
Played what will probably be my last $1-1 game last night. I just don't win at it. Something is definitely wrong when I win 80% of the time at $1-2 but only 30% at 1-1.
Anyway, last night, I got my first buy-in into the pot preflop with AA against KK. Guess what happened.
Next, I hit an open-ender on the river for a nut straight against a well-disguised and well-played full house by TK. NH sir. He actually checked the turn (when he hit it) and the river.
Later, I called off my stack with the stone cold nuts (K-high straight) after Andrew re-raised all-in with a gutshot (that would have chopped) and a flush draw, with 1 card to come. Nailed it!!
Shoved my last $40 into the pot after TK raised to $15 preflop. I had 77, he had A-10. Guess what.
So last night wasn't so much a matter of the 1-1 being a different game, which it is...it was just a matter of getting sucked out, except for TK's boat.
Either way, I'll be playing at Nautica as long as I keep winning. Makes no sense to play any other game until the donks down there learn to play. See you there.
Anyway, last night, I got my first buy-in into the pot preflop with AA against KK. Guess what happened.
Next, I hit an open-ender on the river for a nut straight against a well-disguised and well-played full house by TK. NH sir. He actually checked the turn (when he hit it) and the river.
Later, I called off my stack with the stone cold nuts (K-high straight) after Andrew re-raised all-in with a gutshot (that would have chopped) and a flush draw, with 1 card to come. Nailed it!!
Shoved my last $40 into the pot after TK raised to $15 preflop. I had 77, he had A-10. Guess what.
So last night wasn't so much a matter of the 1-1 being a different game, which it is...it was just a matter of getting sucked out, except for TK's boat.
Either way, I'll be playing at Nautica as long as I keep winning. Makes no sense to play any other game until the donks down there learn to play. See you there.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Quick post
Sorry, it's been nuts around work and I haven't been motivated to post after work. In the process of buying a used vehicle for my wife. We found a Ford (yes, I know) Escape with fairly low mileage and in great shape for $2k so we jumped on it. My Sebring has 170K miles on it and has seen its better days. I should be able to get $1500 for it, so it's a $500 upgrade.
Poker news...lost the heads-up with Colin, lost a couple buy-ins that night in the cash game, and then won almost $1000 playing $2-5 at Nautica last Wed or Thurs. The players are just as terrible, they just splash around a LOT more chips. I saw a guy call off over $300 in a $100 pot with bottom pair and 10 kicker. Dream come true. All I did was hit a flush on the river and flop a straight. Shoved my money in and got called. I played just over an hour. Wooo!! What a bunch of awful players. Anyone with a bit of patience should have no problem making money there. Just shove your stack in with any hand better than 2 pair.
Looks like I may play at Dave's $1 cash game on Wed. I plan to buy in for the max and play it like a $1-2 anyway. I don't see why they don't just make it a $1-2 to begin with and raise the buy-in another $50. What's the big deal? We'll see...I may just end up downtown.
Poker news...lost the heads-up with Colin, lost a couple buy-ins that night in the cash game, and then won almost $1000 playing $2-5 at Nautica last Wed or Thurs. The players are just as terrible, they just splash around a LOT more chips. I saw a guy call off over $300 in a $100 pot with bottom pair and 10 kicker. Dream come true. All I did was hit a flush on the river and flop a straight. Shoved my money in and got called. I played just over an hour. Wooo!! What a bunch of awful players. Anyone with a bit of patience should have no problem making money there. Just shove your stack in with any hand better than 2 pair.
Looks like I may play at Dave's $1 cash game on Wed. I plan to buy in for the max and play it like a $1-2 anyway. I don't see why they don't just make it a $1-2 to begin with and raise the buy-in another $50. What's the big deal? We'll see...I may just end up downtown.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Busy busy
I'll try to update ASAP...work is kicking my ass. I have a couple good stories from Nautica and heads-up with Colin, which I lost 2-0 despite having AA 6 freakin times. I'd trade them for Colin's 8 flushes any day.
Anyway, be back soon.
Anyway, be back soon.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Limit poker rocks!
I stopped down to Nautica on Saturday and had a limited amount of time to play, so I put my name on the NL list and grabbed an open seat in the $2 limit game. I thought the NL players were bad. WOW! These limit players make the $1-2 donks look like Phil Helmuth. People calling river bets with 4 to a flush out there, 4-5 people in the hand, and all they hold is middle pair. Unreal.
So, I pretty much saw every $2 flop that I could, and jammed the pot the couple times I had 2 pair or better, and walked away 45 min later up $75. I almost stuck around, and I guess I should have.
So I sit down at my NL table with only about 45 min to play. Bought in for $200 and chipped down to around $140 after missing a few draws and flops. I called a small raise in late position with J8 or J9 of spades, and saw a flop with about 4-5 others. I flop a gutshot and top pair, but all the cards are hearts. It checks to me and I bet something like half the pot and got 1 caller. I figure he has A or K of hearts. Turn is a brick and I give him the free card since no one folds a flush draw (including me) and the river gives me the straight. He checks. The pot is around $80, and I think I had $120 left, so I toss it all in, and get insta-called by the nut flush. Oops!. I thought I had him for sure after the river, thinking at best he had AA or KK with the flush draw. Well-played I guess. I didn't rebuy and just hit the road.
SO I show up yesterday, play for an hour and a half, and cashed $1003 on a single buy-in. Not only did I hit a few monster hands, but there were 2 people at the table just throwing a party. They each had $500+ in front of them, and I got some from each of them. I didn't have to try anything creative, I just bet my hands and they paid me off.
Uncle Bob was there and I was just getting up when they came to collect seat fees, so I told him to sit at my table and pointed out the donks. Hopefully he went home a winner.
So, I pretty much saw every $2 flop that I could, and jammed the pot the couple times I had 2 pair or better, and walked away 45 min later up $75. I almost stuck around, and I guess I should have.
So I sit down at my NL table with only about 45 min to play. Bought in for $200 and chipped down to around $140 after missing a few draws and flops. I called a small raise in late position with J8 or J9 of spades, and saw a flop with about 4-5 others. I flop a gutshot and top pair, but all the cards are hearts. It checks to me and I bet something like half the pot and got 1 caller. I figure he has A or K of hearts. Turn is a brick and I give him the free card since no one folds a flush draw (including me) and the river gives me the straight. He checks. The pot is around $80, and I think I had $120 left, so I toss it all in, and get insta-called by the nut flush. Oops!. I thought I had him for sure after the river, thinking at best he had AA or KK with the flush draw. Well-played I guess. I didn't rebuy and just hit the road.
SO I show up yesterday, play for an hour and a half, and cashed $1003 on a single buy-in. Not only did I hit a few monster hands, but there were 2 people at the table just throwing a party. They each had $500+ in front of them, and I got some from each of them. I didn't have to try anything creative, I just bet my hands and they paid me off.
Uncle Bob was there and I was just getting up when they came to collect seat fees, so I told him to sit at my table and pointed out the donks. Hopefully he went home a winner.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday at Nautica
Seemed a little slow there last night. Not many CPMG'ers either. Hip left early with what looked like a decent stack. My bottom line: up $462 after 6.5 hours.
I tried something last night that I haven't been doing in a while...bluffing! It worked beautifully after I had shown a couple of good hands. After a couple hours I found myself up about $220, but my little man wasn't screaming for me to leave, so I stuck around. A few hands later, disaster struck. I flopped top-2 with AJ or AQ, after making it $12 to go preflop. There were 5-6 in the hand, and I bet big on the flop to narrow the field. I get one caller. Flop was AJ (or AQ)-6. Turn is a 7. I ship it and get called. My opponent had proven earlier to be a complete donk, so I was pretty confident. River is a 4 and he shows 8-5 for the straight. Ouch!!! Stacked me for my first buy-in plus a couple hundo in profit. Nice call on the flop donko.
The calling stations were in full effect last night. I made it $15 with QQ at one point and got 7 callers! I think I took that hand down with a big bet on the flop if I remember right.
So anyway, I start to rebuild. I managed to stay completely off tilt last night. Somehow I knew that this table was going to provide for me. I get my 2nd buy-in back to about $300, and check my BB with a 2-5 of hearts. Flop is 2-2-5!! (I had actually hit trips 5's with the very same hand earlier) I am first to act and check of course. Guy next to me had just sat down, and this was his first hand. He was piss drunk. He was loud as hell and talking about how he just got back from Vegas...blah blah blah. He was still pulling chips from his rack, and shoves $198 into a $12-14 pot. Folds around to me. I dont think I can lay this one down, lol. CALL!! He says nice hand and flips A-4 off for nothing but a gutshot. Turn is an ACE, river is an ACE. Unfuckingreal!!! NH fuckstick. I add-on a hundo, so now I am in for $500.
Even after the monster beat, I didn't blow up. I played patiently and kept focus. In fact, this was one of my best sessions in a while where I really played well and considered every move I made. I did see as many cheap flops as possible (as always down there), and did a good job of picking my spots. I got a guy to fold 99 to my 77 on a 6-high board, I made stabs at pots that no one seemed to want, etc. I even folded AQ on a board of AQKK7. Another guy called with AQ, and the winning donkey showed K7. It may seem like an easy lay down, but really wasn't the way it all played out, which I don't exactly remember.
I was back to around a $400 stack and called a small raise ($10-12) with a Q-10 during the last hour, and flopped the joint. Rainbow board of K-J-9. This was already a big pot because there were 6-7 callers preflop. 2nd to act bets $30, 2 other people call, and I flat call. Turn is a blank, like a 4. Bettor makes it only $35 this time, and everyone folds but me. I make it $85 to go. He calls. River is another brick and there's no flush out there. He checks to me and I get him to throw in his last $92-or-so. Ship it. He showed 2-pair. That's where I think my game really excels...getting max value for my good hands. Inducing the bet/call/raise is a fine art. :)
So now I am back on top, I think I was up almost a hundo again, and was thinking about leaving, (just happy to be even) when a guy sits down that I know is hyper-aggressive. He raises every other hand, and continues to bet no matter what. He did this a few times, and then made it $45 to go after someone else made it $15. There were already about 4 callers in for the $15, and most of them had called the $30 raise, so I came along with my J9 suited. Flop is JJx. It checks to me (aggressive guy hasn't acted yet) and I make it $25, throwing some bait out there. Aggressive guy makes it $75, everyone else folds. I call. Turn's a brick (7), and I shove. He has a bit less than $200 and calls, saying my jack is good. River is another 7, and I boat up. He shows AA...oops! How do you put a guy like that on AA? Especially when he does stuff like that with pocket 4's. So I caught a lucky flop and cracked AA, and cashed $962 at 11:30.
A bit of a roller coaster ride, but I think I minimized some of the mistakes I often make and worked on focusing on each hand, and adjusting to the style of each opponent. With the money I won last night, I was able to pay for a class my wife is taking to become an STNA. TY Nautica donks!! I have also nearly recovered the money I lost during that bad run a couple of weeks ago.
I tried something last night that I haven't been doing in a while...bluffing! It worked beautifully after I had shown a couple of good hands. After a couple hours I found myself up about $220, but my little man wasn't screaming for me to leave, so I stuck around. A few hands later, disaster struck. I flopped top-2 with AJ or AQ, after making it $12 to go preflop. There were 5-6 in the hand, and I bet big on the flop to narrow the field. I get one caller. Flop was AJ (or AQ)-6. Turn is a 7. I ship it and get called. My opponent had proven earlier to be a complete donk, so I was pretty confident. River is a 4 and he shows 8-5 for the straight. Ouch!!! Stacked me for my first buy-in plus a couple hundo in profit. Nice call on the flop donko.
The calling stations were in full effect last night. I made it $15 with QQ at one point and got 7 callers! I think I took that hand down with a big bet on the flop if I remember right.
So anyway, I start to rebuild. I managed to stay completely off tilt last night. Somehow I knew that this table was going to provide for me. I get my 2nd buy-in back to about $300, and check my BB with a 2-5 of hearts. Flop is 2-2-5!! (I had actually hit trips 5's with the very same hand earlier) I am first to act and check of course. Guy next to me had just sat down, and this was his first hand. He was piss drunk. He was loud as hell and talking about how he just got back from Vegas...blah blah blah. He was still pulling chips from his rack, and shoves $198 into a $12-14 pot. Folds around to me. I dont think I can lay this one down, lol. CALL!! He says nice hand and flips A-4 off for nothing but a gutshot. Turn is an ACE, river is an ACE. Unfuckingreal!!! NH fuckstick. I add-on a hundo, so now I am in for $500.
Even after the monster beat, I didn't blow up. I played patiently and kept focus. In fact, this was one of my best sessions in a while where I really played well and considered every move I made. I did see as many cheap flops as possible (as always down there), and did a good job of picking my spots. I got a guy to fold 99 to my 77 on a 6-high board, I made stabs at pots that no one seemed to want, etc. I even folded AQ on a board of AQKK7. Another guy called with AQ, and the winning donkey showed K7. It may seem like an easy lay down, but really wasn't the way it all played out, which I don't exactly remember.
I was back to around a $400 stack and called a small raise ($10-12) with a Q-10 during the last hour, and flopped the joint. Rainbow board of K-J-9. This was already a big pot because there were 6-7 callers preflop. 2nd to act bets $30, 2 other people call, and I flat call. Turn is a blank, like a 4. Bettor makes it only $35 this time, and everyone folds but me. I make it $85 to go. He calls. River is another brick and there's no flush out there. He checks to me and I get him to throw in his last $92-or-so. Ship it. He showed 2-pair. That's where I think my game really excels...getting max value for my good hands. Inducing the bet/call/raise is a fine art. :)
So now I am back on top, I think I was up almost a hundo again, and was thinking about leaving, (just happy to be even) when a guy sits down that I know is hyper-aggressive. He raises every other hand, and continues to bet no matter what. He did this a few times, and then made it $45 to go after someone else made it $15. There were already about 4 callers in for the $15, and most of them had called the $30 raise, so I came along with my J9 suited. Flop is JJx. It checks to me (aggressive guy hasn't acted yet) and I make it $25, throwing some bait out there. Aggressive guy makes it $75, everyone else folds. I call. Turn's a brick (7), and I shove. He has a bit less than $200 and calls, saying my jack is good. River is another 7, and I boat up. He shows AA...oops! How do you put a guy like that on AA? Especially when he does stuff like that with pocket 4's. So I caught a lucky flop and cracked AA, and cashed $962 at 11:30.
A bit of a roller coaster ride, but I think I minimized some of the mistakes I often make and worked on focusing on each hand, and adjusting to the style of each opponent. With the money I won last night, I was able to pay for a class my wife is taking to become an STNA. TY Nautica donks!! I have also nearly recovered the money I lost during that bad run a couple of weeks ago.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Comedian Mike Birbiglia
Funny guy. Not entirely stomach-pain funny, but he's got some great stories. Check out his "What I should have said was nothing" DVD if you have Netflix.
He also has a website http://www.birbigs.com/spj/
He also has a website http://www.birbigs.com/spj/
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Cash Plays Podcast
I've been listening to this podcast for almost a year now, and it's pretty good. A few good interviews. Check out the 2-part Greenstein interview.
http://www.pokerroad.com/cash_plays/rss.xml
Also, check out the 2-part series on value. Some great tips.
I forget now who it was, but I thought it was great advice, and I've had the same idea, but I don't actually adhere to it. He said when running bad, you need to play more. My thoughts on this were that generally a bad run lasts a certain number of hands, so you need to get the hands out of the way ASAP. This is exactly what he said. Unfortunately, I think you can also go broke or crazy faster as well. I think getting your head screwed back on correctly is also a good idea. Take some time off, put some balance back into your life.
Through this podcast, I have come to realize that me and Paul Wasicka have very similar styles when it comes to cash game play. I thought I was the only donkey that bets runner-runner draws, but he apparently does as well. I'm gonna have to check this guy out. I've never seen him play, but we have a very similar mindset and approach to the game. He plays $5-10 NL regularly because he likes to play "stress-free", which is really why I haven't stepped up to $2-5 at Nautica. So if you really want a read on me, check out the podcast with his interview.
Speaking of Nautica and 2-5, I have been considering jumping in. I love 2-5 and have done very well at it at various casinos.
http://www.pokerroad.com/cash_plays/rss.xml
Also, check out the 2-part series on value. Some great tips.
I forget now who it was, but I thought it was great advice, and I've had the same idea, but I don't actually adhere to it. He said when running bad, you need to play more. My thoughts on this were that generally a bad run lasts a certain number of hands, so you need to get the hands out of the way ASAP. This is exactly what he said. Unfortunately, I think you can also go broke or crazy faster as well. I think getting your head screwed back on correctly is also a good idea. Take some time off, put some balance back into your life.
Through this podcast, I have come to realize that me and Paul Wasicka have very similar styles when it comes to cash game play. I thought I was the only donkey that bets runner-runner draws, but he apparently does as well. I'm gonna have to check this guy out. I've never seen him play, but we have a very similar mindset and approach to the game. He plays $5-10 NL regularly because he likes to play "stress-free", which is really why I haven't stepped up to $2-5 at Nautica. So if you really want a read on me, check out the podcast with his interview.
Speaking of Nautica and 2-5, I have been considering jumping in. I love 2-5 and have done very well at it at various casinos.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wild weekend
Lost $199 at Nautica on Friday. Posted some stuff I saw on the CPMG board (see The Chronicles of Nautica thread). Was up $150 at one point and didn't listen to my little man. I thought, "surely I can win more than $150 tonight"...WRONG!!! LOl...it was a dream table too.
Sunday, heads-up vs Jen. WOW...just WOW. I had 10's full of 5's vs her 9-5 (trip 5's), and didnt have her covered by 150. She won like the next 5-6 hands that we showed down to re-take the lead. I get her back down to 1000 chips, and still cant finish her off. She ended up winning the first match by crazy-stupid luck. Here's a couple examples...I had AK, Flop AKx, turn K, I get her all-in, river A, she has A-8...chop. I have AK again, get her all-in preflop, she has A-8 again, hits trip 8's. EVERY hand was like that. I think she won about 75% of the total hands. Slow-play my 2-pr and she drew flushes a couple times. Flop a set of A's, she folds. All my good hands were just timed badly.
2nd match, she outplayed me and hit some hands as well, although I did make a pretty good game of it. She just seemed to make all the right calls/folds. She won all the big pots and I only hit a few small ones. Nothing I could do. While I am not unhappy with my play, I am certainly disappointed with the outcome. It should have gone to 3 matches. What can I do. We played almost exactly 5 hours. That puts me at 2-1 in heads-up challenges. I'm looking forward to the next one. Either way, they are a lot of fun to play, and is always a learning experience. I switched gears a few times throughout each match, and each strategy worked well for me.
Luckily, as always, there was a cash game going. Gibran showed for a while while me and Jen were still playing, and ended up busting pretty quick. Uncle Bob was gone by 7pm as well.
Short story...up $1111 after 2.5 hours. Not bad. I got a little bit of everyone, and a whole bunch of Nick, Adam's roommate. On the first hand, I bet my top pair pretty hard all the way, and it was good. Got about $150 from him there. Later, I raise preflop with QJ suited, flop and open-ender, bet $20, and Nick min-raises. I call and hit the nuts on the turn. He bets out $50, and knowing he is incapable of folding even a pair, especially after he has bet, I make it $200 to go. "I guess I am all-in", he says. I guess I CALL! He had 2-pr (better hand than I put him on) and missed the boat. Stacked him for almost $400 on that one.
Made a couple of other great pick-off river calls against Adam and this guy Dave. Dominic was also there and I got him pretty good a couple times as well. Bought in for $300 total, cashed $1411. Certainly made up for losing the heads-up.
Sunday, heads-up vs Jen. WOW...just WOW. I had 10's full of 5's vs her 9-5 (trip 5's), and didnt have her covered by 150. She won like the next 5-6 hands that we showed down to re-take the lead. I get her back down to 1000 chips, and still cant finish her off. She ended up winning the first match by crazy-stupid luck. Here's a couple examples...I had AK, Flop AKx, turn K, I get her all-in, river A, she has A-8...chop. I have AK again, get her all-in preflop, she has A-8 again, hits trip 8's. EVERY hand was like that. I think she won about 75% of the total hands. Slow-play my 2-pr and she drew flushes a couple times. Flop a set of A's, she folds. All my good hands were just timed badly.
2nd match, she outplayed me and hit some hands as well, although I did make a pretty good game of it. She just seemed to make all the right calls/folds. She won all the big pots and I only hit a few small ones. Nothing I could do. While I am not unhappy with my play, I am certainly disappointed with the outcome. It should have gone to 3 matches. What can I do. We played almost exactly 5 hours. That puts me at 2-1 in heads-up challenges. I'm looking forward to the next one. Either way, they are a lot of fun to play, and is always a learning experience. I switched gears a few times throughout each match, and each strategy worked well for me.
Luckily, as always, there was a cash game going. Gibran showed for a while while me and Jen were still playing, and ended up busting pretty quick. Uncle Bob was gone by 7pm as well.
Short story...up $1111 after 2.5 hours. Not bad. I got a little bit of everyone, and a whole bunch of Nick, Adam's roommate. On the first hand, I bet my top pair pretty hard all the way, and it was good. Got about $150 from him there. Later, I raise preflop with QJ suited, flop and open-ender, bet $20, and Nick min-raises. I call and hit the nuts on the turn. He bets out $50, and knowing he is incapable of folding even a pair, especially after he has bet, I make it $200 to go. "I guess I am all-in", he says. I guess I CALL! He had 2-pr (better hand than I put him on) and missed the boat. Stacked him for almost $400 on that one.
Made a couple of other great pick-off river calls against Adam and this guy Dave. Dominic was also there and I got him pretty good a couple times as well. Bought in for $300 total, cashed $1411. Certainly made up for losing the heads-up.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A couple pics and iPhone game review
Check out the carnival ride name. It'll apparently make you shit your pants. FAIL!!!
I have the popular Hold 'Em game for my iPhone that is actually made by Apple. It looks great and the game play is smooth, but the AI is completely awful, and it seems the random card generator sucks as well. Check out the pic. I went all-in after hitting the flop, and I get called by 8-2. Runner-runner. This happens 80-90% of the time once you reach the money or the final table. Amazing what you get called with.
A couple of other complaints:
* From the very beginning of the tourney (only tourneys are available, no cash), every bet seems to be at least half your stack. I've never played so tight in all my life.
* With all the crazy betting you can often make the money without even playing a hand.
* Heads-up play is a joke. Your opponent does nothing but bet HUGE amounts. I have discovered that if they bet less than half their stack, it's usually a bluff and they will fold to a raise that puts them all-in most of the time.
* Straight and flush draws hit much less often than they should
That being said, I have made $11.1 million over the last few days and make the money 38% of the time. Too bad I cant do that in real life, I'd be trotting the globe playing cards.
Over all, this game was worth the few bucks I paid for it, but I am going to look into another poker game that also has a cash game option. The last one I had for my Treo was pretty cool. I built a stack of over $3 million playing 5-10 NL.
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