The best player in the world

I think there was a Cardplayer article about this, but I'm going to mention it, just to bring up a point.
Which is a better player? One who plays with the best players in the world and has a smaller edge, or one who plays against weaker opponents who has a higher edge and expected value?

The point I want to bring up is about game selection. When I was playing $10-$20 in Chicago, I was told that I should move up to the $20-$40 game because I was capable of beating it. While this may be true, I, for the most part, stuck to the $10-$20, and killed it, instead of making a small profit (big bet wise) in the $20-$40. When I was contemplating whether or not to play the $20 game, I looked at my records, and found that I was beating the $10 game for a little more than 2 bets an hour. And looking at $20 records, I was beating it for about 1 bet and hour. While money-wise, the profit is close to the same, I found that playing the $10 game was much easier on my mind-set (I was more comfortable with the limit), and required much less thinking, as the $20 players were more advanced (for the most part).

Last night, I was playing in a great $10-$20 game at the Mirage, and decided to quit because I wasn't as concentrated on the game because I was watching the Lebron/Kobe matchup on TV. So I went home to watch the rest of the game. I then went to the Wynn to finish up the night at the $8-$16 or $15-$30 game. When I got there the $8 game was so tight, 4 out of 5 hands were chopped. After dumping a hundred, I went to the $15 game, looking for looser action. It just wasn't there, I didn't even post to get in before I called the Mirage looking to get back into the $10 game. Sure enough, the game was still going good, so I went back and beat it for another few hundred. After thinking about it, I think that the $4-$8 game at the Wynn had an equal of or maybe an even better money expectation than the $8 game. My point is finding the best game to play in, regardless of limit, is probably the most important rule of thumb to go by when deciding what to play. Sure, the low limit games will almost always be a better game to play, but sometimes it's vice-versa like the $15-$30 at Bellagio when compared to the $8-$16 game there. So my suggestion is analyze a game and find where your best edge is, and go to that game. Whether the game is bigger or smaller.

On an ending note, I realize that going to a tougher game that you can slightly beat has its up-side, and you can learn a thing or two, but if you are looking to win the next session, find the edge, and do your thing. There is no need to prove yourself to anyone and show that you can beat a tougher game, especially if a bunch of donkeys are giving their money away at the next table over.

Four Words I Have to Never Say

Fuck It, I Call.
That's never a good sign.

I got a call from a buddy of mine I haven't seen since moving out to Vegas, and he asks if I wanna play a low buy-in tournament. It was a $45 unlimited rebuy ($20) tournament at the Orleans. Tons of players, I think 150+. We start with $375 and get an extra $300 for rebuys, almost everyone gets it, including myself. Anyway, in these tourneys, I generally try to gather chips and gamble a little to build a stack.
First Level $10-$20 blinds
A tight player makes it $200 out of the big blind after several limpers and gets one call. The flop comes down with two clubs, the big blind goes all in and gets called. AK for the big blind, A7 club draw for the caller, turn comes 7, and he doubles up.
The very next hand, the A7 guy makes it $65 to go. I, thinking he's trying to bully, go all in with my AJ, call. Oops, he turns over AK. The flop comes down all spades, and yes he has the Ace. Turn Jack, ship it. Lucky lucky - The only time. That pot puts me over $1200, and I prolly won't rebuy now.

During the rebuy period, I busted a few players and they rebought, turning my stack into a monster of $3500 in chips at the end of the rebuy period. I don't add-on, some people would here regardless, but as by far the big stack at my table, I didn't think it would be necessary, and it wasn't.

A Jostle. Level Five $50-$100
We come back after the break, and I win a pot with King high after the pot checks around the whole way.
On the button, after two weak limpers, I make it $300 with Filipino Slick, 57 suited. The blinds fold, and both limpers call. The flop comes down 976 with two clubs. The first player immediatly goes all in for $725, the next guy calls the rest of his stack ($125), and it $725 to me. Thinking I have the best hand, I try to put them both on hands. I thought the initial bettor had a club draw or a nine with from anywhere to J9 to A9, but I thought that if he had a nine, he'd let me bet and checkraise or call all-in, he was a donkey like that. Even if the first bettor had a flush draw, he almost certainly had two overcards making me a slight dog at that point. I put the other player on something similar, and maybe an eight for open-ended straight draw. The pot was 1050 plus the all-in bets, making it almost $1900, with $725 to call. After thinking and thinking, I decide that I can't overcall and fold. I thought I may have had the best hand, but with both of them against me, I was either a slight dog, slight favorite, or big underdog. They both turn over Q8 suited, spades and clubs (The initial bettor had club draw with his straightdraw). They both miss and chop the pot. I should've thought about winning the side pot. Even if the caller had the best hand, if I beat the inital bettor, I gain my chips back from the pot. But as it turns out, I was a slight dog versus his straight and flush draw with an overcard (assuming his outs were all free, which they weren't). On the other hand, I had chips to burn, an could afford to gamble there. This play wasn't really bad or good in either way. The fact that neither of them had a nine and had each other's cards, and that I had one of their outs, it makes my fold seem bad (especailly because I would've won), but it really wasn't that bad of a fold because I could've been way behind with a gutshot, two pair, or trip draw. So eh, whatever right, nope. it made me upset a little because I made the wrong play, and winning that potwould put me near $6k, by far a chip leader and in good shape for the coming rounds of ridiculous blinds.
Hands pass.... My table breaks and I go to the next table.

Round Six $75-$150 blinds. New table
Its the 6,7, and 8 levels where I usually bust out in tourneys. Not this time. I had a pretty workable stack. After watching the first few hands, I decide the table was tight, and only a few deep stacks that could take me out. Two from the button, I make it $450 with 67 suited, steal play. The player behind me goes all in for $875. folds to me, and I foolishly put him on high cards, and take my 3.5 to 1 with my live cards. Nope. Pocket tens for the raiser, I flop a 7, turn open-ended, and miss. Okay, not too bad, I still got a $3k+ stack, still decent shape.

The very next hand I steal the blinds with a $450 raise with KK. Yay!
Hands Pass.
UTG calls $150. I, with KJ off, call and folds to the Big Blind who knocks. The flop comes down 885 rainbow. Checks to me, so with both players with under 400, I bet 800. Big blind folds, and I get called by UTG. Good hand I say, putting him on Ace high. He turns over 79 suited. He turns a flush draw, rivers a nine. Nice.

The very next hand I wake up with JJ, and make it $450 to go, behind me thinks for a sec, then goes all in for $1400, then another player goes over the top all in for almost exactly how many chips I have. Easy fold right? The pot was $4.5k+ with a $2k bet to me, but its all my chips. I look over for a tell on the lady, and she stares right at me. Strong means weak??? I KNOW the play is fold, but instead,

FUCK IT, I CALL.

Kings for the re-raiser, and Aces for the re-re-raiser, Duh. Flop drops ace-high, and I pick up hope on the turn, but the river misses my wheel-tie, and I'm out.

All from the 57 suited. That began my downfall. Making a close to 50-50 fold, I Donk off the rest of my chips. It had to be tilt, because I knew the right play, thought the right play, and did the opposite.
All I thought was getting close to triple up, and coasting through later rounds, so I don't bust out in my normal fashion of, play tight and get blinded off until I have to coin flip. The only flaw with that was I HAD chips to wait around for some time. Just because my Kings got no action and I got called with 9-high and lost, I panicked. I overthought my situation, thinking these players went over the top of me because I raised bullshit, and called away my chips. This is probably my biggest flaw. Live and learn I guess. But busting out of a tournament because you played stupid in one spot feels shitty, even if it was a small buy-in. That may be why I dislike tournaments, the depressed feeling you get after busting out. I had a great situation, and didn't execute. It was a long way from over.

By folding a "likely" 50-50 situation with the 57, I survived. By calling with an "at-best" 50-50 situation I ruined my tournament.

"Fuck it, I call."
Do Not add this to your vocabulary, they are the words of a Donkey.

Punished

I usually don't like the blogs I come up with after losing sessions, but tilt is a mother...
(You can skip this paragraph)
I step into a $1-$2 NL game. Dump $150 in a pot, bluffing into I think Kings, when the board pairs Queens. River comes a King that makes a Three-Flush. So I bet, and he goes allin. I have to fold a $300+ pot for $30 cuz I got 5 high. Oops bad timing. Then Pick up AQ, flop drops AKK, and I call off my chips to K9. Shit. Okay, so I'll play 6-12. Short handed I pick up JAcks in the cutoff, limp, the sb raises, i re-raise, and he calls. Flop drops 8 high, he bets out I raise, bet call the rest of the hand. Aces. Yup. Re-buy, two pair dies to a straight, and I finally make a good play. Flop drops KQ6, checks around. Turn comes 7, making two flush, a player in MP bets, a loose callers calls behind, I raise with 9T off, folding the bettor, and the loose caller calls. I smoke bet my last 12 on the river 3. his 45 takes the pot. Raised out the best, and had the guy pretty much nutted - he's not calling with a pair of 4s or 5s, just got outdrawn. Oh well.

I guess the moral of the story is, I came into my session looking to make a big win. I wasnt properly prepared, so I overplayed my hands and picked bad spots. My head wasn't in the game, so whenever I got outdrawn, I just paid it off. I could just focus on my outdrawn hands, and fool myself into thinking I played well. I wasn't. I'm sure it's been said before, you must learn from your mistakes. Simply reflecting on your night can help find errors and fix leaks. Also, you can't get too down on yourself after a bad session. No one plays perfect everytime. Except maybe Phil Ivey.

Hope you got something out of this, I just had to vent.

Bad Beat Story -Story

One night, playing $1-$2 NL, I sit across the table from Bill Gates. I didn't really notice him at first, but he was like the third chip leader, with $200 something bucks.
I'm in the 1-seat,
(2)some guy next to me just rebought for $100. He's been drinkin', but playing conservative.. "rebuy denial." On his left, was an
(3)average young player, decent, had $300+. On HIS left, was
(4)someone I apparently played $6-$12 with the night before. Didn't recognize him, but prolly a donkey. He was the big stack, with $400+.
And Bill Gates($200+) in the 5-seat. No one else really mattered in the story, no one else had any chips. I buy in with $150.

As hands resume, I find that Gates is pretty conservative for a friggin' billionaire. This is $1-$2. The guy I played with in the 6-12 the night before, was bullying the game. Making it $10 all the time. Got called, bet the flop, folds- ship it.
Under the Gun, Gates makes it $10. Folds to me on the button, I re-raise another $10, $20 to go. Folds back to Gates and he calls. $40 in the pot. I got Queens.

Flop comes: 4d 2h 8d.
Gates bets out $10. I raise to $30. He re-raises to $50. The pot is $120, $30 to call. Leaving me about $100 left. Fuck it, I'm all in.

Insta-Call. Shit.

Trip 8s, Turn blank, River Queen... OHHHHH Damn! SHIP IT!

"I'm sorry man, that was a pretty bad beat." He replies, "What can you do?" "Re-buy!" said the guy next to me. Hehe. But Gates didn't... What!? he had $50 left, and was pretty much done for.

Ad Kc, MP1: limp. Calls around to Gates in the small blind, fold.... Big blind checks. 5 players.

Flop: Kd 8d 4d.
Checks to the cutoff, the young guy (similar to the high schoolers I played with in a home game) who bet $10. It folds to me, I call. $30 in the pot.

Turn: Qh.
I check, young guy bets $50. The guy next to me (rebuy dude) blurts out, "Not exactly enough to call a draw."
So I raise, and make it $150 to go.
And he responds, "Unless you already have one."
Young guy thinks for a few seconds... and goes all in for $50 more.
The Pot is $400. I insta-call, lets see a diamond.
Young guy turns over 8s 4s for two pair.

River: 9d.
NICE!! SHIP IT!!!
Playing bad and getting paid. I did have outs, Queens, Kings, and Aces too-excuses, 16 of them.

It was a pretty unreal night. I had like $550 now, and was big stack at the table. The $6-$12 guy was a target. He was the only one that made it worth playing in the game. In the BB, after 3 limpers, pick up 3h 5h, the Frankie Nunez, and make it $15 more. Folds around. No show. "Nice bet." Hehe.

In MP-3, I make it $15 to go with |3h|4h|. The small blind, the $6-$12 Guy, re-raises me $25 more. "How much? -Okay, I call." Heads up on the button $80 in the pot.

Flop: 4c 5s 6s.
He fires out $80. I think for a few seconds, raise, $100 more ($180 to go). He thinks, thinks, call. Shit. I got outs. $440 in the pot.

Turn: 3s.
Checks to me.... All-in, $225. "Hmmmmm," as he thinks. Finally, he calls. and turns over pocket Queens, spade re-draw 17 outer..... Still a bad spot.

River: Blank. SHIP IT! Exact same situation with the AK, but I hit my flush. Its nice to run good.
He rebuys for $200, and now I have like $850 at the $1-$2 NL game in like an hour. Lucky fuck. I did have outs, Threes, Fours, Dueces, Sevens -excuses, 13 of them. Apparently I missed them call me for my $6-$12 seat.
I put my name back on, I pretty much busted the game by getting lucky. Maybe I'm a fish. Then again, it was only 3 hands in an hour or two. Excuses. No wonder I hate no limit. It should be Implied. :)

I dumped about $100 back before going over to the Six-Twelve and winning $200+ there. Sure I got trapped by Bill Gates, but hitting that two outer gave me momentum to attack the bigger stacks, dump a few bets here and there, but take them out in one hand. I slowed down my night with some $6-$12, practiced my patience.

And then I moved to Vegas. (Preflop)

I moved to Las Vegas recently, started working, and am on my back to poker. Since I last posted, I was stuck, trying to rebuild a roll. In other words, a poker bustout. Even if I had no roll, I was going to move to Vegas.
After getting situated, I returned to the game. Oddly enough, I don't frequent the casinos very much, I've actually been playing a lot online. It's probably my ego, but I don't want to go to the Bellagio and play $4-$8. I'd rather play online, more hands, lower rake, no tips, short handed games, hardly a wait list, deposit bonuses and other promotions.
I came out here with a couple thousand and blew it all right away in a couple $15-$30 sessions. I couldn't handle the swings. So I got rolled for the first time, I didn't like it. I played $5-$10 online and getting rakeback. Broke even day by day, but the rakeback helped. But using poker tracker, I was looking back at my older hands, finding errors in my game. Things like: playing overcards too strong, betting hands that were only good if my opponent folded, missing value bets on the river with marginal hands (top pair, decent kicker), and taking middle pairs too far. These are things that I've done so well in the past that it seems basic. They are. Being able to review hands I've played, keeps my poker mind fresh. Playing on the computer made it easier to see results more objectively. It's true, online poker is good for practice and tuning your game.
It's been about a month, and I've built a solid foundation, payed my dues, and hoping to strengthen my foundation and work my way back up. The game I play is $5-$10 limit hold em, short-handed. I started the first time with full ring games, but I can't take it seriously sometimes. At least short handed, I can play more hands and not get outdrawn, since top pair usually holds up.
The key in these short-handed games is to play two big cards and avoid drawing hands. I usually am aggressive preflop, when I open. If someone limps ahead of me, unless they play 'everything,' I usually require a stronger hand, you're getting action post flop from someone who likes his hand. By playing aggressive preflop, you are defining your hand as a 'good hand' so unless they have one, they will likely give you credit for having and ace or a king, and you usually will.
I'll open with hands down to A9, KT, QJs. It's a tight strategy, especially short handed, but you are almost guaranteed that someone will see a flop with you.
If someone limps, I'll raise with only the bigger hands, like TT-AA, ATs, AJ, KJs, KQ. I limp along with hands down to 9Ts and TJ, and pairs up to 99 (Limping in is game dependant).
If someone raises, I make my standards higher. I'll cold-call with hands AK-AJ, 99, and KQ. Since the game is short handed, almost any hand I'll cold call with, I may also re-raise with it. I make my decision based on: position, the ability to control position, my hand, his raising standards, his post flop play, and his current mood. Also many of the times, since its short handed, you can cold call, not having to protect your hand preflop, still be heads up, and try to represent something on the flop is no ace or king falls. WHAT you can represent is a topic for flop play.

I guess I should say the the games I've been in have been somewhat loose, but slightly aggressive. You can find yourself in way ahead/way behind situations, and calling down often is the right play. An example would be a top pair with decent kicker, or middle pair. I'll be playing at this limit for sometime, until I get my game up to par. I'll try to keep up with this blog, as usual. Next: Flop Play.

From time to time...

"From time to time everyone goes bust"

i haven't posted anything in a while, and that's never good. Since my shot at the $1500 WSOP event, I've been on a 5 session losing streak. I can't really say I've been playing badly, but I'm sure there's some errors. The truth of the matter is, I just don't have bankroll to withstand the limits I was playing. I took a bad string of cards, and a low roll put me out. Now I'm stuck figuring out if I'll be back on my way to Chicago or if I try to rebuild, which was supposed to be the reason of the trip. I could tell a bunch of bad beat stories from my last sesssion, believe me they were a lot, and they were bad beats, but no one would wanna hear that. The more important lesson is no to spread yourself thin, and not to push your luck with a low stack, cuz that luck could be bad. Anyway, as you would expect, I'm pretty bummed out, and may have to work. So this quite possibly could be my last blog entry. Check in every so often, I'll be back I'm sure.

Been fun for the past two years, and would still be if I made better bankroll decisions. good luck.

Third Thoughts

Now I don't think I should've called those eights, The call was more like 3 to 1, not enough to call. I probably shouldve smooth called, and bet if an ace came, but how can I? How can I not put the guy on an ace, but I probably would lose the minimum by calling. I don't know, I wanted to win the pot right there, and when I didn't I got away.

Second Thoughts

I woke up tonight, and thought a little more about the wsop tournament, and I actually did find errors. I realize now how important it is to accumulate chips early in the tournament. You need to have those chips to make it through the rough beats, like the QQ vs AA. The biggest error I think I made was folding the 88 vs the QQ. Even though I was way behind, I was getting about the right price. pair vs overpair is a 4 to 1 dog. I needed those chips. If I somehow win that pot, I'm in great shape to survive the larger levels. On top of it all, I can have a bigger stack to help steal those blinds in the larger levels. I couldn't go against bigger stacks risking my tournament life, but with a bigger stack, I could collect those small pots, and take out short stacks on coin flips. What I was thinking when I folded those eights was surviving versus getting a big stack. I knew by calling in that spot that really was the choice. I chose to survive because that's what I thought I needed to do. However the $1500 event isn't a big buy-in major tournament. You really can't sit around in these smaller events. Well damn, I learned something. Too bad it cost me $1500. Ok, that's it. Shit, I should've thought of that with those eights, even though I'd probably be on the rail a lot sooner than I was.