Vegas Baby

As stated in my last post, I am seriously excited about my upcoming Vegas trip exactly 3 weeks from today. The weather is even turning nice here finally but I can't stop thinking about Vegas. I love my new job but I can barely focus.

I haven't had this feeling about a Vegas trip in a while. I think it's a combination of a few things: the WSOP, the fun I had on my last trip and the length of the trip.

I was in Vegas 2 years ago while the WSOP was going on and I was able to watch Daniel Negreanu play in the Main Event for a while but I didn't have the guts to play in any of the side games. I won't be there during the Main Event this time but other events will be going on and I will definitely play in the side games this time.

That leads to my second reason for the excitement - the fun I had on my last trip. I was with 2 of my brothers-in-law and we had a great time. I finally got up the guts and played tons of poker. I earned some comps (free meals) because I played so much poker. We got silly drunk but not overboard to the point where we were puking or doing stupid stuff. The only problem with the trip is that it was too short. I was having such a good time that I wasn't ready to come home after only 2 nights.

That leads to my third reason - the length of the trip. This time I will be there for 4 nights and almost 5 full days. I haven't been in Vegas on that long of a trip since just before my daughter was born (over 8 years ago). This time I will have more time to do new things. I always have set things I do on almost every trip like go to the Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay, Cheesecake Factory at Caesar's, Hofbrau House, Bellagio Fountains, Downtown and shopping for a toy for the kids of course. But this time I'll be able to find new things like this "burger tour" my brother suggested. And I'm sure I'll be ready to come home this time and I won't be so crabby when I get home.

No News is Not Really Good News

I haven't written in a while but that's not because I haven't been playing. I'm actually enjoying my new job so I haven't taken the time to write while I'm at work. Plus they don't block any internet sites so I've been going to Pokersavvyplus.com to download and watch some poker training videos while I'm on lunch break (instead of blogging).

I have played in about 6 WSOP Step 4 tourneys so far. I was able to accumulate 5 tickets to Step 4 before I started playing. On my first try I finished 5th which gave me a ticket back to Step 3 (which I promptly lost). On the second try I finished 3rd which gave me a ticket to Step 4 again. I have gone on to finish 5th 3 times and 3rd 3 times. Not exactly the results I want but not horrible either.

So far I've been surprised at the quality of play. I was expecting much better players since this is the half way point of the Steps but it's basically the same stuff.

I had a donkey at my table tonight who raised preflop and then called my reraise preflop. On a flop of 674 rainbow I bet enough to put him all-in and he called. To my shock he turned over KTo. Since I had AK he was drawing to 3 tens or runner runner straight. Of course the turn brought a ten and he doubled up. I was in 2nd place before this hand and I dropped to 3rd after it.

I couldn't believe such a donkey would be playing at this level but it quickly changed my mind. Of course he ended up winning this step when his Q9 beat my K5 and I ended up going out in 3rd. Earlier he had doubled up the 3rd place player (who moved ahead of me to 2nd) when the donkey called an all-in bet on the river on a board of 87643. The third place player turned over 55 for the obvious straight and the donkey had J3.

Yes he called with bottom pair and no kicker. He could only beat a complete bluff or a 3 with a worse kicker than a jack. Donkey.

Oh well, hopefully I can report that I have a ticket or two to step 5 soon since I have come very close so far.

On another note, I'm about 3 weeks away from my Vegas trip and I'm not going to make my goal of winning enough money online to buy my way into the $1500 WSOP tourney. That's why I'm focusing so much on these Steps tourneys so that I can win my way into the main event.

I am seriously excited for the trip though. Some of my brother's friends are going to be there also and they seem like fun people. We've decided to do a "burger" tour while we're there this time so hopefully we'll hit some new restaurants. We're still doing Cheesecake Factory and Hofbrau even though we won't be getting burgers there though.

I'm hoping to play in a satellite tourney or 2 to win my way into the $1500 tourney and if I can't do that I'll be playing a lot in the side games. I'm really looking forward to that. I'm also just looking forward to the freedom that Vegas provides. It really is like a fantasy world for me and I think that's why I like it so much. I can drink as much as I want. I can stay out as late as I want. And I can basically spend money on whatever I want as long as I don't lose the house.

I usually end up losing money gambling or win just a little. I'm still waiting for that trip that I win enough to cover the cost of food, drink and airfare/hotel. Either way I have a great time without a care in the world. I think I have a lot of stress here at home that I usually don't express or let out so my Vegas trips provide an opportunity for that release. Hopefully I can do well enough in poker to cover my expenses this trip.

Amazing Night

I guess I shouldn't title this "Amazing Night" because I didn't really win very much money tonight but I had some amazing hands. I'm still playing in the WSOP steps tourneys on PokerStars and I played in a Step 3 tourney tonight. I ended up winning it but that is an understatement.

I completely blew away the rest of the table. I wish I could claim it was all skill but I was really getting great cards and getting lucky. My luck started in level 2 (15/30 blinds) when everyone folded to me on the button. I had A9o and made the standard raise to 90. The small blind reraised me to 240 and I folded.

That doesn't really show any luck but I think it led to what happened on the very next hand. I was in the cutoff with 77 and it was folded to me again. Once again I made the standard raise to 90 and the button and big blind both called. The flop came down 6s 9h 7d and I bet 180 into a 285 pot. The button folded and the big blind called. The turn brought the 3s and I bet 360 into the 645 pot. The big blind check-raised me all-in for another 925.

I suspected he had an 8 and a flush draw and was trying to push me off the hand but I guess he could've had the straight already or a set also. I had to call and he turned over Kh Jh. He was drawing dead. He put his whole stack in on a complete bluff. Why? I'm only guessing it's because he saw the previous hand and thought I could be pushed off my hand.

That gave me the chip lead. Then in level 4 (50/100 blinds) I was dealt QQ in the small blind. An early position player made the standard raise to 300 and the player next to him called. Everyone else folded to me. I thought about just calling but then I'd be pretty scared if an Ace or King came on the flop. Since I was the chip leader I decided to reraise all-in. Both players had decent stacks and could fold and still have a chance at winning.

The original raiser thought for a long time and I was happy that I had made the all-in reraise. I'm guessing he had AK or maybe a medium pocket pair but I won't know since he folded. The other caller thought for a while too and eventually called with Ad Tc. I'm guessing he hoped I had a middle pair or he was just in the mood to gamble. No matter since the board brought no help to him and I jumped to a huge lead.

After that I started getting really lucky. I knocked out a player with QQ against my AJ when an Ace came on the river. Later I flopped 2 pair when I had T8 in the big blind and 2 players limped pre-flop. The flop also had an Ace and one of the original limpers called my bets on the flop and turn but then folded on the river.

In level 7 (150/300 blinds plus 25 ante) we were down to 3 players - the top 2 move on to Step 4. I was in the big blind with AJ and the small blind raised to 900 leaving him about 700 in his stack. I reraised him all-in and he surprisingly folded. I don't get that at all since he was left with basically nothing and he was getting the right odds to call with any 2 cards.

The luck lasted on the last hand when I was on the button with J7. The big blind was the super short stack who folded on the previously described hand and I made a minimum raise which was enough to put him all-in. I made the min raise because I was hoping the other player would call also and then the 2 of us would have a better chance of knocking the short stack out.

Unfortunately the other player folded and the short stack turned over KJ. I was in bad shape until the flop brought a 7 and the river brought another 7. Obviously I wasn't going to be in bad shape for the tourney but at least for that hand. I now have 3 tickets to Step 4 so hopefully I will be reporting some good results from those tourneys soon.

The luck didn't end there though. I started playing some cash games on FullTilt and ended up getting dealt quads twice. Both times I flopped a set and turned the four-of-a-kind and won some decent sized pots. I also caught a lucky turn card to give me a set of sevens over another player's flopped set of deuces. That player was seriously bad though so I was going to get his money on other hands even if I hadn't turned that set of sevens.

With all of this luck, I should probably still be playing instead of writing this but I wanted to stop for the night and watch some training videos on PokerSavvyPlus.com. I started a trial subscription on there and hopefully it'll open up some ideas to me.

Internet Poker is Full of Donkeys

I just experienced some of the biggest donkey plays I've ever seen. Most of the plays were bat beats on me but one of them actually helped me. The first one was having my pocket Aces beat by K6 suited on the button. I love when these guys call my preflop raises except when they're lucky enough to flop K6 and then turn another 6.

The second was having my pocket Aces beat by 75 offsuit when I raised from the small blind and the big blind decided to be cool and reraise me. Of course he flopped 55J to crack my Aces.

My best pocket Aces being cracked happened again when I had AA in the small blind. It was a shorthanded game with 6 players and 3 players limped ahead of me. I raised the size of the pot and got 2 callers as the big blind and one of the limpers folded. The flop came A52 rainbow. Obviously this is a good flop for me but usually I bet and everyone folds and I win a medium pot.

But not on this donkey filled night. I bet about 2/3 of the pot and both players called! WTF? Unless one of them was stupid enough to play 43 or they also flopped a set I could put them on anything worth calling my preflop raise and flop bet. The turn brought a 9 and I pushed all-in which wasn't much more because I was playing in a capped game.

Both donkeys called! The first donkey turns over JT suited and had turned a flush draw. No clue why he called the flop bet. The second donkey turns over 93 suited. He flopped a gutshot straight draw and turned a pair of nines. Of course the river brought a 4 so he hit his gutshot straight draw.

And now for the donkey plays that worked in my favor. I was at the very end of a WSOP Step tourney on PokerStars. I was one of three players left. I had about 1300 in chips. One player had about 10,000 and the third player had about 425. The blinds were at 150/300 with a 25 ante. Mr. Shortstack was on the button and Mr. Bigstack was in the small blind.

Mr. Shortstack moves all-in. Since he had anted 25, his raise was only 100 more that I was going to have to call from the big blind. I only had J8 offsuit but I have to make the call. Until...Mr. Bigstack decides to reraise! What an idiot! The last 2 players move on to the next step so he actually wants me in the pot so there is a better chance of knocking out the shortstack.

Obviously I can't call his reraise and Mr. Shortstack's KQ offsuit goes on to beat Mr. Idiot Bigstack's AJ suited. My hand wouldn't have been any better so Mr. Shortstack would've still won but it was still an idiot move.

About 3 hands later, I'm on the button and fold my crappy 62 offsuit. Mr. Shortstack is in the small blind and only calls. The blinds are up to 200/400 so this call is for almost half his stack. Stupid move of him to only call and not push in until Mr. Bigstack decides to raise him all-in. Mr. Shortstack insta-calls and turns over QQ - I guess that's why he decided just to call (still stupid). Mr. Idiot Bigstack turns over Q7 offsuit. Of course Mr. Shortstack wins and now I've turned into the shortstack.

And then the final idiot play of the table happens when I'm in the small blind with QJ offsuit and Mr. Bigstack raises all-in from the button. I'm tempted to call because I'm seriously low on chips but I fold hoping that the other idiot will do something stupid. I am rewarded when he calls the all-in raise. Mr. Bigstack turns over A7 suited and Mr. Idiot (the former Mr. Shortstack) turns over KJ offsuit. Mr. Bigstack's Ace holds up and Mr. Idiot is eliminated. Mr. Bigstack and I move on to the next step.

Mr. Idiot had no reason to make this call because I was so shortstacked that he could've waited me out until I was forced to move in which would've happened about 3 hands later. Maybe these donkeys didn't know that the top 2 move on to the next step. That's the only explanation I have. But for once, I'm thankful for donkeys.

Sigh

Another crappy night of poker last night. Sometimes I think I really should give up the dream but then I have a good run and I'm right back at it. And sometimes I really feel lost when I'm playing. Last night it felt like I couldn't win no matter what cards I held.

I think I need to stop playing the capped games because I've been getting killed by the gamblers lately. Last night I lost well over half of my money at just one table and I played at about 6 different tables (but no more than 4 at once). I lost to the same player last night 3 times in a row when I had an overpair to the board or top pair and my opponent had flopped a set. This guy was so unbelievably lucky it was sick.

I'm also experiencing a lot of check-raises lately and I'm feeling lost as to how to combat this problem. It generally goes something like this: I have AK and raise the size of the pot before the flop. I get one caller usually from one of the blinds. The flop comes 972 rainbow and the caller checks to me. I make a continuation bet of about 2/3 pot since my hand is probably still good here and I get check raised to 3 times my bet.

Unless I have some sort of draw or I know my opponent is tricky, I almost always fold here. I just don't have a clue what else to do but I feel like I'm giving up a lot. It also concerns me that other players see this action and decide to bluff at me with this play. I don't know if that is actually happening but sometimes it feels like it.

Thankfully I made a decent comeback at the end of the night to cut my losses in half. And it took a major suckout just to do that. I had pocket tens and raised pre-flop. The player to my right was the only caller. The flop came off J93 with 2 hearts. I bet about the size of the pot and he raised the minimum. Generally this means he's on a draw (probably a flush draw in this case). I called and the turn brought a 6 (not a heart). I checked and he bet the size of the pot.

This is another instance where I feel a little lost. He could be on a draw. He could have called my pre-flop raise with AJ and flopped top pair or he could just be bluffing because he's seen it work against me. At this point I was pretty pissed from losing so much on the night that I pushed all-in. He called immediately and turned over pocket queens. I was crushed until the river brought a beautiful ten. So for once I sucked out and delivered the bad beat.

After nights like this I really think I need to buy some training videos from CardRunners.com or CardPlayer Pro. The cost is probably less than I would lose anyway.

No Country for Old Men and Poker

Last night I had a chance to watch the end of "No Country for Old Men". I started it the night before but it was too long to finish since I started watching it late. I really had no idea what the movie was about but I wanted to see it because I had heard it was so good.

Overall the movie kept me interested (unlike the movie "No Reservations" which my wife picked out) but I wouldn't call it a great movie. I think I'm mostly disappointed by the ending because I didn't really understand it. It ended so strangely that I feel like I'm supposed to make up my own ending. It's kind of hard to describe but I'm making assumptions based on events toward the end of the movie to come up with my ideas of what happened to each of the main characters in the movie.

Other than the movie, I played some cards last night. I won a whopping $5 but I'd still consider it a success since I was down much more at one point. I've been playing a lot on these tables that are No-Limit Hold'em but there is a cap as to how much a player may put into the pot each hand. Most of the tables I play at are capped at $60. So even if a player has $1,000 in front of them, they can only put in $60 into any given pot.

This works nicely to limit the amount each player can lose on each hand but it also limits the most you can win to $60 times the number of players in the hand. I've had good success at these tables this year which is why I continue playing but the tide has been turning somewhat lately. It seems that many of the players lately are there to gamble with almost any 2 cards since they know they can't lose more than the cap on each hand. It kind of turns the tables into more of a true gambling game than a game of skill.

Last night was particularly funny on one of my tables because there were 2 players who were always going against each other. It was amazingly predictable that player 1 would always limp into every pot and player 2 (sitting right after player 1) would always raise to the amount of the pot. Then usually everyone else would fold and player 1 would call the raise. After that the hand would vary depending on if either of them hit anything on the board but frequently both players would get their $60 into the pot with some sort of pair and they'd both end up flipping over crappy starting hands like J4 and K3.

I continued to play at this table because if I ever had a good quality starting hand, I knew I would probably triple up as these 2 donkeys would get it all-in with me. I basically just had to hope to avoid one of the donkeys hitting a lucky 2 pair against my pocket Aces or Kings, etc. Overall it made for an interesting table and it was kind of fun to have something different.

I did have one fun hand last night although it wasn't at the table I talked about above. I was in the big blind with 64 offsuit. 2 players right after me limped into the pot and the 3rd player made a minimum raise. In my opinion, this is the weakest play possible if the raiser actually has a good starting hand because they won't eliminate anyone. This kind of raise only builds the pot a little bigger.

Frequently I'll see this kind of raise from a player who has suited connectors like T9 or JT and then it's not a horrible play because those hands play better against many players because if you hit the flop hard, you will usually win a ton. But I also see this play from people with premium hands like AA or KK and these hands do not play well against many players. As Doyle Brunson says, with premium hands you will usually win a small pot or lose a big pot. And when you make a minimum raise with premium hands you are just asking to lose a big pot.

So in this hand, I called the tiny raise with my mediocre 64 but I was getting such good pot odds and implied odds that I was almost forced to do it. Then the flop comes down T64. I'm very happy when I check along with the first 2 limpers and the minimum raiser makes a real bet this time equal to the amount of the pot. I make one of his donkey raises by making the minimum raise of double his bet. The 2 limpers fold and the raiser calls. After a blank on the turn, I push all-in for the remainder of my capped $60 and he calls. He flips over AA and the river doesn't help so I take his money by cracking his Aces.

He didn't make any comments in the chat box but I'm sure he was steaming after this bad beat. I'm sure he doesn't realize that he brought this beat on himself by making a donkey minimum raise after 2 limpers were already in the pot. At least I hope he doesn't realize it because I want him to continue doing it the next time I play with him.

This just supports Doyle's belief. The guy ended up losing a big pot but he could have ended up winning a small to medium pot if he would've raised enough to get me out pre-flop. Then the other 2 limpers would've probably still folded after they apparently missed the flop.

3 Strikes & You're Out

Sigh. I just can't seem to get beyond Step 3 again. I have had 2 tickets burning a hole in my account for the past 2 nights. Each night I have tried 3 times to get 1st or 2nd place in a Step 3 tourney and all 6 times I've finished 3rd, 4th or 5th which just gets me another ticket to Step 3 again. I guess that's better than losing completely but it's getting frustrating.

On a better note, I experienced "3 strikes & I'm in". Not in poker but in my job search. As I've said, my current job is extremely boring and a long distance from my house, so I've been job hunting. I've had 2 other interviews recently that I thought went very well but I didn't get either job. Then finally today I received an offer from the 3rd place I interviewed at. This company is only about 20 minutes from my house and it seems like a very cool place to work. Lots of new technology and many geeky things for me to do.

The strange thing about this job is that I was already rejected by them back in December. I only had a phone interview and I didn't think it went very well (and I was right). But recently I found out that a former co-worker of mine was working there and he recommended me for a job there. So this time I was brought in for a face-to-face interview. I thought the interview went better this time. So I guess that interview plus the recommendation of my friend got me the job.

At the other long time job I had prior to this one (my first job after college), I was originally rejected by them as well. Although that rejection occurred because they didn't have any openings at the time. I did get the job when they finally had openings and I stayed there for 15 years! Hopefully this new job keeps my interest that long as well.