As you may or may not know, the World Series of Poker is now in full swing. By "now" I mean June 17, 2015 and by "full swing" I mean that it is nearly half way through the 70 odd tournaments that make up this thing.
If you are like me, you probably have always thought it would be fun to play in the WSOP. I will openly admit that every time I'm in a bar somewhere and I see poker on a television, I think "Someday I'm going to play in a big tournament. It looks like so much fun." But, if you are like me, it has always been relegated to realm of "Someday, I'm going to write a novel" and "Someday, I'm going to finish painting the house." The realm of crazy dreams.
I used to be obsessed with poker. I wrote this blog back when I played live poker fairly often - back when the dream of maybe playing a big tournament seemed not so crazy. But then I began to lose interest. I stopped playing regularly and stopped writing this blog. But still I think of playing in the WSOP someday.
Suddenly, it appears that "someday" may be tomorrow, and if all goes well my friend Eric and I will be on a flight to Vegas in about twelve hours.
Life is odd, no?
How it came about is this:
Over a month ago I had booked a little time off work so I could fly somewhere that has nothing to do with this story to talk to a guy who has nothing to do with this story about a thing that has nothing to with this story. The trip fell through because this guy said he had this thing to do in Budapest (If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that excuse), but the time is still booked off work.
Yesterday, my last day before this super-long weekend, was a particularly trying one. Yes, I know, I said I worked in a public library. If you don't think working at a public library can be stressful, then you have not been in one lately - particularly an inner-city library where the "marginalized" come to test the limits of your liberal social conscious. But I digress. I had a shitty day - let's leave it at that.
I meet up with my wife Sara and some friends at a bar after I finish my evening shift. I mention my crappy day. I mention that I'm off for five days. Somebody, (was it me?) suggests a trip to Vegas. My buddy Eric, who is semi-retired/self employed, likes the idea. I remember that the WSOP is going on, and wouldn't it be fun....
So it would appear we are going to make this happen. I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Sunday, April 13, 2014
When to play. Where to play. Who to play.
I had not played poker at the casino for quite a while, but last Friday just seemed to good an opportunity to miss. Friday nights bring out a lot of bad poker players. The best reason I can figure for it is that for a lot of folks this is payday, and some people just seem to want to spend their money as fast as they can. You want to play poker against people like that.
This particular Friday night was the last home game of the season for the Calgary Flames, whose area was a very short walk from the casino. After games the card room is full of hockey fans who want to have a little fun. A lot of people have a few beers in them - and some have quite a few. Again, ideal poker opponents. I had taken a nap that afternoon and felt refreshed.
What makes it tricky is that all these fish attract a lot of sharks, so you have to be careful. You loosen up your range to play more hands against the donkeys, and you too often find yourself in trouble with mediocre holdings against a solid player. As hard as it is to stay tight when you see guys pushing in after flopping top pair, you have to stay patient. There is no need to take any real risks.
I showed up at around 10:00 p.m. and all twelve poker tables were in use. I was able to find a seat right away. The first order of business is to find out who the fish are. Shortly after sitting down one guy, who seemed a little tipsy, was in the middle of a hand when he asked the dealer if aces were high or low. This was a very good sign that I was at the right table. After an hour I figured their were four guys at this table who thought flopping top pair was good enough to go all in with. The plan was to wait until I had a monster and they had something they felt was really, really good - like K 9 on a K 6 2 board.
After four hours I had made a modest $125, but I did it without really taking any risks at all. In fact I made almost all of it on a single hand, when I was dealt the red aces and flopped a third ace. My opponent tried to bluff me by going all in. With no flush or straight draws on board, it was a bad time to bluff, but with top set I would have called regardless.
Anyway there you go - that is the most basic way to play poker. Play against bad guys. Play against guys that have been drinking. Play against guys who are tired and should have quit. Play against guys who have lost too much already and are desperate to get it back.
At 2:00 am there were still 9 tables playing - but I was getting tired, so I went home.
This particular Friday night was the last home game of the season for the Calgary Flames, whose area was a very short walk from the casino. After games the card room is full of hockey fans who want to have a little fun. A lot of people have a few beers in them - and some have quite a few. Again, ideal poker opponents. I had taken a nap that afternoon and felt refreshed.
What makes it tricky is that all these fish attract a lot of sharks, so you have to be careful. You loosen up your range to play more hands against the donkeys, and you too often find yourself in trouble with mediocre holdings against a solid player. As hard as it is to stay tight when you see guys pushing in after flopping top pair, you have to stay patient. There is no need to take any real risks.
I showed up at around 10:00 p.m. and all twelve poker tables were in use. I was able to find a seat right away. The first order of business is to find out who the fish are. Shortly after sitting down one guy, who seemed a little tipsy, was in the middle of a hand when he asked the dealer if aces were high or low. This was a very good sign that I was at the right table. After an hour I figured their were four guys at this table who thought flopping top pair was good enough to go all in with. The plan was to wait until I had a monster and they had something they felt was really, really good - like K 9 on a K 6 2 board.
After four hours I had made a modest $125, but I did it without really taking any risks at all. In fact I made almost all of it on a single hand, when I was dealt the red aces and flopped a third ace. My opponent tried to bluff me by going all in. With no flush or straight draws on board, it was a bad time to bluff, but with top set I would have called regardless.
Anyway there you go - that is the most basic way to play poker. Play against bad guys. Play against guys that have been drinking. Play against guys who are tired and should have quit. Play against guys who have lost too much already and are desperate to get it back.
At 2:00 am there were still 9 tables playing - but I was getting tired, so I went home.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Admit to Your Stupidity
Be honest with yourself.
When you are furious because some idiot sucked out a two outer on the river to lay a massive bad-beat on you, remember that you have made dumb plays and sucked out on others.
Everyone sucks out now and then.
Admit it.
Shrug it off.
Don't get mad.
If you can't admit it, you are not being honest with yourself.
You must be honest with yourself.
When you make a bad call, say to yourself "I'm making a bad call here - I shouldn't be doing this."
This makes it easier to throw the hand away when you miss because you already know you've made a mistake. When you hit you should say "Gee, that's lucky" and don't for a second think skill had anything to do with it.
When someone sucks out on you, imagine that you have just made a deposit in the "Luck Bank" - sooner or later you will withdraw that amount when you suck out on someone else.
Over time the balance in the Luck Bank always will go back to zero.
And that's just the way it is - luck is a zero-sum thing.
When you are furious because some idiot sucked out a two outer on the river to lay a massive bad-beat on you, remember that you have made dumb plays and sucked out on others.
Everyone sucks out now and then.
Admit it.
Shrug it off.
Don't get mad.
If you can't admit it, you are not being honest with yourself.
You must be honest with yourself.
When you make a bad call, say to yourself "I'm making a bad call here - I shouldn't be doing this."
This makes it easier to throw the hand away when you miss because you already know you've made a mistake. When you hit you should say "Gee, that's lucky" and don't for a second think skill had anything to do with it.
When someone sucks out on you, imagine that you have just made a deposit in the "Luck Bank" - sooner or later you will withdraw that amount when you suck out on someone else.
Over time the balance in the Luck Bank always will go back to zero.
And that's just the way it is - luck is a zero-sum thing.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Episode 204: A New Hope
Rumblings and rumours.
They say that on Boxing Day there was a cash-in on an on-line freeroll.
They say that he-that-shall-not-be-named has returned, and that he is at present gathering his strength in the nano-stakes tables.
Perhaps.
Perhaps.
They say that on Boxing Day there was a cash-in on an on-line freeroll.
They say that he-that-shall-not-be-named has returned, and that he is at present gathering his strength in the nano-stakes tables.
Perhaps.
Perhaps.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Disappointment and Hope: The Jesus Challenge ends...for now.
A couple days ago I pissed away the last of the bankroll I had built off a $2 freeroll win. Hate to admit it. Since my last update I went on a great run, building my bankroll from $18 to $70 in two weeks. But the downfall was precipitous and this time I didn't find the discipline to reign myself in. A lesson learned - I'm not the dispassionate killer I thought I was.
And that's okay. In the end I just decided to have fun. I'm not entirely sure you can play like a pro and still have as much fun as you do as a recreational player. maybe I'm wrong.
The bright side is I get to play in my favourite charity tournament tonight and no matter what happens I know I'll have fun.
And that's okay. In the end I just decided to have fun. I'm not entirely sure you can play like a pro and still have as much fun as you do as a recreational player. maybe I'm wrong.
The bright side is I get to play in my favourite charity tournament tonight and no matter what happens I know I'll have fun.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The 42FB
When I make notes on other players, one of the things I look for is how they behave in "four to the flush" situations. By this I mean I like to see how they react when four cards of the same suit are on the board, because it reveals a great deal about their character, and the more you know about your opponent's character the better.
A few years ago I was in Vegas, playing poker against real people at real tables for virtually the first time. I was nervous and it probably showed. One day I was playing at the Mirage when I found myself in a hand where by the river there were four hearts on the board. I was first to act and since I didn't have a heart I checked. My opponent checked as well and when we flipped our cards I saw he had a better pair than mine - but no heart. As my opponent was gathering his chips the player on my left leaned over to me.
"I would have bet the river there," he said.
"But I didn't have a heart," I replied.
"Yeah, but he probably doesn't have it either."
This is what first got me thinking about the four-to-the-flush bluff, which I will hearby refer to as the "42FB", since that is the shorthand I use when making notes.
Is it a good idea to make the 42FB? Generally speaking it is. From a pure odds perspective, it is a good bet that you opponent does not have a card in the suit - four of them are already on the table, which leaves only nine out of the remaining 45 cards you haven't seen to complete the flush. With two random cards in his hand, that means he has only about a 40% chance of having a flush.
This is one of those cases where it really depends on your read of your opponent. Against cautious, passive players, the 42FB is a good move. However if he is an aggressive guy, and is well aware of the odds himself, he may just decide to put you to the test with a re-raise. A slow-player might check-down with the flush, expecting a bluff. A "by-the-book" guy would have made bets to chase the flush draw away if he doesn't have it himself. What you should do is entirely dependent on your read of your opponent,
Pay attention to hands you are not involved in for when the 42FB situation comes up and see how the players react. This will give you valuable information on how to play against them.
A few years ago I was in Vegas, playing poker against real people at real tables for virtually the first time. I was nervous and it probably showed. One day I was playing at the Mirage when I found myself in a hand where by the river there were four hearts on the board. I was first to act and since I didn't have a heart I checked. My opponent checked as well and when we flipped our cards I saw he had a better pair than mine - but no heart. As my opponent was gathering his chips the player on my left leaned over to me.
"I would have bet the river there," he said.
"But I didn't have a heart," I replied.
"Yeah, but he probably doesn't have it either."
This is what first got me thinking about the four-to-the-flush bluff, which I will hearby refer to as the "42FB", since that is the shorthand I use when making notes.
Is it a good idea to make the 42FB? Generally speaking it is. From a pure odds perspective, it is a good bet that you opponent does not have a card in the suit - four of them are already on the table, which leaves only nine out of the remaining 45 cards you haven't seen to complete the flush. With two random cards in his hand, that means he has only about a 40% chance of having a flush.
This is one of those cases where it really depends on your read of your opponent. Against cautious, passive players, the 42FB is a good move. However if he is an aggressive guy, and is well aware of the odds himself, he may just decide to put you to the test with a re-raise. A slow-player might check-down with the flush, expecting a bluff. A "by-the-book" guy would have made bets to chase the flush draw away if he doesn't have it himself. What you should do is entirely dependent on your read of your opponent,
Pay attention to hands you are not involved in for when the 42FB situation comes up and see how the players react. This will give you valuable information on how to play against them.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Quick Disaster and Slow Recovery: The Jesus Challenge, Day 45
I look back wistfully at my last JC post; day 18 when my bankroll was over $40. Sigh. Twice I managed to break up over $50 before, once again, things went terribly wrong. I went on a terrible run over a two week period where I lost money almost every single day. Usually the loses were small, but sometimes the loses were dramatic. When the two weeks were over my poor little bankroll was down to under $10.
I felt mentally broken. I had a great urge to just toss it all away and start again, going back to playing freerolls. Instead I decided I needed to play even more disciplined. My new plan was to aim for smaller targets- to break things into 50 session segments and to aim for coming out ahead in each segment. If I suffer a bad loss, I can usually recover that loss over the course of the segment. This new method has, so far, worked well. My gains have been modest, but consistent. I have taken some big losses (both by bad play and bad beats) but theses have been offset by my long-term positive play. My bankroll is just over $18 now.
Because I am taking this long term approach, I don't think I'll be giving you any bankroll updates for a while. It's just to boring to write and read about. I will write posts that I think might give you some insight into the game of poker (should I have any insights), but I'm going underground on the JC posts until I either break $100 or go bust.
I felt mentally broken. I had a great urge to just toss it all away and start again, going back to playing freerolls. Instead I decided I needed to play even more disciplined. My new plan was to aim for smaller targets- to break things into 50 session segments and to aim for coming out ahead in each segment. If I suffer a bad loss, I can usually recover that loss over the course of the segment. This new method has, so far, worked well. My gains have been modest, but consistent. I have taken some big losses (both by bad play and bad beats) but theses have been offset by my long-term positive play. My bankroll is just over $18 now.
Because I am taking this long term approach, I don't think I'll be giving you any bankroll updates for a while. It's just to boring to write and read about. I will write posts that I think might give you some insight into the game of poker (should I have any insights), but I'm going underground on the JC posts until I either break $100 or go bust.
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