Well I think I am going to retire from poker. I can't seem to get anywhere either in cash games or tournaments.
To give you 2 examples, in the tournament today.
1 : The player under the gun throws in a 500 chip when the blinds are 50/100. He wanted to raise but did not say so, therefore when I asked if it was a call the dealer said it was. I had 65 in late position so I called. Then I can't believe it when the BB raises to 400. The UTG guy just calls and I fold in disgust. The dealer flops 659 rainbow. Bet of 1000 is called. Turn is 6. Bet of 1500 is called. I would surely have nearly tripled up here.
2 : The hand that eliminates me. Blinds are 100/200 with 25 ante. I have 2500 chips. 4 limpers to me in the BB with 84. I check. Flop is 28Q rainbow. All check. Turn is 7. I think I must be winning so push all in. Called by a guy who was slowplaying AA. Nice.
You know they say that when you look around the table and you can't see the sucker then it is you. Well I certainly feel like that at the moment.
As some consolation, the Ceasars tournament that Mark and I played in on Monday did have that tall American swimmer bloke in it http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/article/5334/tournament-trail-q-and-a-michael-phelps - and he was at my table for a while. Seemed like an OK guy - it sounded like he gets a lot of grief about being a poker fish (!) when he does not deserve it. It was reassuring to see artifically enhanced blonde ladies asking for his autograph.
Oh and it seems that the gossip is that the World Poker Tour is about to go bust - you heard it here first...
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Saturday, 18 October 2008
US Trip - October - Commerce Cash
I have come over for a repeat of the stag weekend trip earlier in the year. Mr B is here and we will be looking for action.
First night (or should I say morning) I play about 90 minutes of $5/10 with a buy-in of $400 dollars.
Early on not much happens. There is a lot of limping and I get value on a couple of draws which don't hit.
I only get dealt three premium hands:
1 - TT on the button - I raise a couple of limpers and all fold.
2 - KK in the BB. I make a $60 raise after 4 limps. Only one caller - flop is 998 two clubs I bet all in for $140 and he reluctantly calls. Another club comes but his big ace is no good.
Before relating the final hand, to give you an idea of the weird play, this was one of the biggest pots. There is a cowboyish type who has a big rack of chips - clearly he has been hitting flops, because he is a bit clueless. This pot also influences my last hand. There is a raise from mid position by Mr Arabian to my right and it is called by cowboy on the button and tight local on the BB. Flop is AQ6 all spades. Pot is about $80 and tight local goes all-in for about $120, Mr A reraises all-in to about $300.
OK - you are Mr Cowboy - what hands can you call with? I would have thought you need to have a spade or a set. Oh no - he calls with A9 clubs! and surprise suprise the other guys have AQ. However they split since even when 4s comes on the river neither of them has a spade either.
Equally weird is when I called a min raise to $20 on the BB with J9d. A flop of TJQ all hearts looks nice at first so I lead out for $60 into an $80 pot expecting to get raised by someone with a heart and then I can fold. However only one caller - the button. Turn is Kh - oh dear - surely my straight is no good here. I check - so does he. Likewise on the river which is 4d. I show and he mucks. Eh? How could I win there? He must have had a pair without a heart I guess or may be KQ, but how you can call a flop bet without a heart I will never know.
Anyway - to my last hand.
I am looking to leave so I have found a rack for my chips - I am about $50 up so I have $450 in front of me and will play until I am about to post my blind. I get JJ in the cut off and after 2 limps (including Mr A) I raise to $40. The cowboy reraises to $100 from the SB and then Mr A raises it to $200.
Mr A has up until now played quite straightforward. I thought that if he had one of the 3 pairs that beat me, he probably would have raised the original limper. Also he has been involved in a few pots with Cowboy and I would think he figures cowboy could be raising with anything. 3 options:
1 - fold - against 2 tight players - may be - but not in this spot given the history
2 - call - possibly to try to see a flop, but I would rather be heads up. Cowboy could reraise and if Mr A calls perhaps I would have to fold.
3 raise - and it will have to be all in. I think I am likely against Ax big or may be TT/99.
I go for 3 and Cowboy folds. Unfortunately Mr A has the Aces and I don't get lucky.
So $400 down...time for bed
First night (or should I say morning) I play about 90 minutes of $5/10 with a buy-in of $400 dollars.
Early on not much happens. There is a lot of limping and I get value on a couple of draws which don't hit.
I only get dealt three premium hands:
1 - TT on the button - I raise a couple of limpers and all fold.
2 - KK in the BB. I make a $60 raise after 4 limps. Only one caller - flop is 998 two clubs I bet all in for $140 and he reluctantly calls. Another club comes but his big ace is no good.
Before relating the final hand, to give you an idea of the weird play, this was one of the biggest pots. There is a cowboyish type who has a big rack of chips - clearly he has been hitting flops, because he is a bit clueless. This pot also influences my last hand. There is a raise from mid position by Mr Arabian to my right and it is called by cowboy on the button and tight local on the BB. Flop is AQ6 all spades. Pot is about $80 and tight local goes all-in for about $120, Mr A reraises all-in to about $300.
OK - you are Mr Cowboy - what hands can you call with? I would have thought you need to have a spade or a set. Oh no - he calls with A9 clubs! and surprise suprise the other guys have AQ. However they split since even when 4s comes on the river neither of them has a spade either.
Equally weird is when I called a min raise to $20 on the BB with J9d. A flop of TJQ all hearts looks nice at first so I lead out for $60 into an $80 pot expecting to get raised by someone with a heart and then I can fold. However only one caller - the button. Turn is Kh - oh dear - surely my straight is no good here. I check - so does he. Likewise on the river which is 4d. I show and he mucks. Eh? How could I win there? He must have had a pair without a heart I guess or may be KQ, but how you can call a flop bet without a heart I will never know.
Anyway - to my last hand.
I am looking to leave so I have found a rack for my chips - I am about $50 up so I have $450 in front of me and will play until I am about to post my blind. I get JJ in the cut off and after 2 limps (including Mr A) I raise to $40. The cowboy reraises to $100 from the SB and then Mr A raises it to $200.
Mr A has up until now played quite straightforward. I thought that if he had one of the 3 pairs that beat me, he probably would have raised the original limper. Also he has been involved in a few pots with Cowboy and I would think he figures cowboy could be raising with anything. 3 options:
1 - fold - against 2 tight players - may be - but not in this spot given the history
2 - call - possibly to try to see a flop, but I would rather be heads up. Cowboy could reraise and if Mr A calls perhaps I would have to fold.
3 raise - and it will have to be all in. I think I am likely against Ax big or may be TT/99.
I go for 3 and Cowboy folds. Unfortunately Mr A has the Aces and I don't get lucky.
So $400 down...time for bed
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