Monday, May 12, 2008

"R.E.S.P.E.C.T." -Aretha Franklin

So I had a great weekend, but let me get ot something happening in less than 2 hours. The company I work for has an annual karaoke competition, for which the 2 years it has been running I've been involved with it. So this year I have chosen to sing "Message In A Bottle". Now that I've typed all that, I have no idea what the point was to typing that...

Anywhoo, after a fun chatty night at the Riverchasers on Thursday (LOST was awesome!), I bounced in 27th after I started leaking chips all over the place.

What has been on my mind contantly lately is that I would like to gain some respect as a poker player. Winning stuff is fine, but if I constantly luck out to get to the end of tourneys (or suck out with A-5o against K-K, sorry PokahDave) then I will never get anyone to see me for a quality player vs some luckdonk. I've been reading Hoy's previous posts on middle pairs and theories, very good stuff. I started reading it last Wednesday, and I would say its already improved my play. So even if he doesn't read this, thanks a bunch Hoy.

Friday night I hit up good ole Foxwoods again. I was undecided what I should play as my allowance was only $300 this time, and I began debating between Stud and NL. Finally settled on NL and away we went. New table opened up and I could tell there were at least 6 "first-timers", good for me. The third hand after the table opened almost saw a fistfight over the silliest damn thing.

A guy Ill call Brooklyn Dude raises to 15 or whatever, and he gets one caller who I will call Boston Guy. The flop is all rags and he bets out, caller calls again. Turn is another rag, but starting to build a wheel draw. Check, check. River is a four, no flush possibilities. BD bets outs and BG goes into the tank. And he tanked for a good 5 minutes.....I'm pretty sure every at the table knew that BD had an A for the wheel (I had put him on A-K myself) He finally calls and shows 2 pair 3s and 4s. BD Shows A-Q for the wheel. BG goes on Mega Tilt, slamming chairs cussing BD out and finally pushing his chair as he walks by BD. This turns into a battle of cuss words with BD slowly rising from his seat and starting to step towards BG who is oblivious and walks off. Weird shit.

So after about 30 minutes I'm up at least 100, after a couple good plays with PPs that tripped up, and I bluffed BD out of a low pot with A-Q, as he folded he showed me A-Q and I turned my soooooted A-Q up, and got a nod from him.
The big hand turned out to be when I grabbed K-K in MP, it folds to me and I raise to 12. Guy directly to my left pumps it to 25, button calls. Not wanting to see a flop on this big a pot, I pump to $75. Guy to me left goes-in for 50ish more. Button calls all-in. So it gets around to me, 55 to call and 300ish in the pot. Not wanting to pass up 6-1 odds even if I am dominated by A-A I call and immediately ask which one has the A-A (though im thinking its the guy to my left more so than the button obviously). So check this: Guy to my left turns up Q-Q, button J-J. I'm excited. Flop has an A but all the rest were low. I take down the pot.

At this point im up at least 300, and I decide its SnG time. First SnG I joined was a wacky one. 1 guy eliminated first hand when he decides to not raise with J-J and lets an opponent run a straight on him with garbage. First hand I played was 9-9, raise 3.5x and everyone folds. Next hand I get 10-10. Raise again to the same amount, this time the button pushes all in. So here we go again, my "favorite situation", I raised to 400, and someone comes over the top for 2500, putting me all-in. This is where Hoy's posts dont venture, be aggressive with middle pocket pairs but if someone overbets you, do you just rely on your read of the player? This smells like J-J, A-K, A-Q, or a lesser pp. A-A in live poker would hardly raise all-in here, and I Figure K-K might do the same. Q-Q would probably be just a call to see how the comes. So figuring all the hands I could put him on, the only one where im in serious trouble is J-J. So I call. I almost laughed/cried when he turned up: A-10o?????

I stood up knowing this guy was gonna catch an A at some point to rail me. Well he didnt catch an A, but after a flop of Q-3-3, he catches a J on the turn, and a K on the River for the runner runner straight. Sometimes the correct call, isn't the best call. I could have folded here losing only 400 and stayed in the tourney.

Would love to know if I played that wrong, the whole thing just read as weak from his mannerisms, to his push. If I folded (which apparently what he wanted in this situation) he gets 700 chips. So simple math here folks. Lay 2500 to win 550? I had only played 2 hands and I had raised both, does he really think I'm bluffing with my raise? I just dont get his thought process there. Maybe Im good at acting really weak?

So I join another SnG right away, nothing to report there except I thought I was ahead with J-10 on a limped J high flop. I wasn't, guy had J-7 for twopair on the flop, boated up on the turn with another 7.

After that I wanted to play another SnG but I was 1st on a list of 10. So I had some time to kill. I sat on a couch and read the poker news talking about new legislature introduce to kill the UGIEA, good Im glad. I took this time to refocus, and get my head straight. Dont make stupid plays!

I ended up winning the next SnG, but again not too much report than the normal stuff. The turning point came when I flopped a set of 4s and a guy called because he had an Ace pair on the flop. The, in essence, winning move came when I pushed with A-6 with 3 peeps left and a guy called with Q-x and the A held up. It left him with 50 chips which he ended up turning into a second place finish, he was a good player I was happy for him. I always like to see deserving people get paid. Of course I love winning to.

The rest of the night was a mix of Stud 1-3 and Omaha 4-8. I kept thinking Omaha was 2-4 for some stupid reason and I had to reminded to bet the right amounts (NOOB!). I ended up cashing out up from Omaha and stud, although boating up and quadding (new word?) up definitely helps in Omaha.

FT was even nice this weekend, my new favorite cash game 2/4 Stud 8, allowed me to win $125 to push my FT bankroll past $600 again.

Tonight is the Hoy, and so far the best runs Ive had this entire BBT have been there, so hopefully that will continue.

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