Random Thursday Thoughts

Taking a minute from work to get some things into the blog:

1-I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Great wife, kids, house, dogs. Very cool to have the view nowadays, considering life didn't look so hot where I was before.

2-Vegas trip can't get here fast enough. Looking ahead at my work schedule, March is going to be busy, April is a family trip to Disney (which will be neat), May will be quite busy, June will be busy as well. I know we are on the verge of March (already?), but still, there is nothing like the flight into McCarran International. Especially at night (although we are flying in during the afternoon this year). You see The Strip in all its glory. The Venetian, Paris, MGM, Treasure Island, New York New York. Breathtaking.

My buddy Klownboxer is heading there today, with the NASCAR race out there this weekend. There are times I would love to have his job. At the track each week, seeing the races, interviewing the drivers. Neat stuff. Then there are days I think about that, and am glad I don't have that gig. Every week is a race track. Think about that. Man, what a grind. This would be one of those weeks that make it bearable....but then again, it's February, and his season won't end until November. And they don't go back to Vegas for a 2nd race.

Anyway, I am trying to map out the poker plans for July, and with us arriving in the afternoon, there is no doubt in my mind I can find a tourney to sit in that night. Others are planning their trips for that time as well. It's gonna be a great week. Mrs. Chipstack and I plan on really letting our hair down, provided my Dad is in good health. Last year, he checked into a hospital while we were there--total buzzkill for us. Hard to enjoy the casino cocktails knowing we had to make trips to see Pops being taken care of. He promises to be in good shape when we get there, so we are holding him to it.

Anyway, looking like another Sunday of pub poker is on tap this weekend. Looking forward to it, as always, but I am also starting to have the desire to do a home game sometime soon. League tourney isn't for another few weeks, so any chance I get to sit in a game, I'm gonna take it.

Good luck and good cards,
~M

OK, poker, as promised

Played the pub poker tourney, actually 2 tourneys, on Sunday. Remember the post about making better decisions? Mission accomplished. Very pleased with my play, my decisions, and even the hands I busted out on. Finished 6th (I think..6th or 7th) in the first one, and then 3rd in the 2nd.

First tourney. Built a nice stack early, with my AK out flopping 10-10, and making 2 pair, top kicker. Then had a couple more hands that sent me towards 10K in chips (starting stack 3650--I know, random, right?). At final table, didn't really catch many hands, saw some cheap flops, but got outrun in other spots. Stack dwindled a bit, and finally had to push with K-10 on the button for my last hand. Got 2 callers, hit my K on an A-K-x flop, but there were 2 spades in that flop, another on the turn and river, and I was done for by a player holding 77, with the 7 of spades. Tough to have the lead, and then get out run, but no way was I the favorite going in. K-10 is no monster hand, but shortstacked, it was the best I was gonna see.

Second tourney. Again, built a nice stack early, and cracked 10K in chips (same starting stacks), got to the final table in good chip position, and watched some others blow up around me, others get outdrawn. We got to 3 handed play, when my final hand came up. Blinds are 1-2K, I'm SB with 10K behind my forced 1K. Button limps, I limp with A-6o, BB checks. Flop comes A-Q-10 rainbow. I shove, BB folds, button thinks for a bit and calls, rolling over KQoff. He hits a K on the end, and I'm out.

Now, I know there will be some that will say, "why not shove preflop?" Well, If I do, do you honestly think I am not getting called by the KQ? Anyway you slice it, that was my go broke hand. All my chips were getting in one way or another. The BB had 19K, the button had maybe 26K, so I could have shoved early and gotten called, or did what I did, and get called. Again--happy with my decision, knowing how it all played out.

No real bad beats, other than turning a K-high straight in the first game, getting my opponent all-in before the river, showing my straight before the river card was dealt, only to have my opponent, who was the dealer by the way, roll over the river J, and announce, "I have quads."

Zoinks!

Likely heading back to the pub this Sunday--the poker guys are in danger of losing that location, so if you live near me (and you know who you are), make plans on heading over there this week. It's a nice place, and good folks run the games. I would hate it if the games stopped over there, as I likely would be hard pressed to return.

Anyway, good luck and good cards,
~M

I can't beleive I missed it!

Well, sorta.

28 years ago, Sunday, the 1980 USA Hockey team complete their journey and won Olympic Gold in Lake Placid, NY. They wouldn't have done it without their monumental upset of the Soviet Union, a 4-3 decision on February 22nd.

The final moments of that USA-USSR game are below--enjoy it, even if you aren't a hockey fan.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aRALJyv86eY

I'm not smart enough to know how to embed the video, even after trying to copy the embed link from Youtube and paste it here. Ugh.

More poker later.
~M

Trying to stay positive

Poker flows in cycles. Ride and enjoy the highs, but try to get out of the lows as quickly as possible, while trying to learn all you can.

Welcome to the low.

Played at Irish Jim's on Wednesday. Good table, 10 handed. I could not have played worse if I tried. I went bust once, and rebought once. Got felted when I lost to a Broadway straight. I wasn't mad at the player that beat me--I was mad at me. Poor decision after poor decision, compounded by even more bad decisions.

I am a victim of my previous success in the league. My 2 wins had me feeling bullet-proof. Not any more.

I played a tourney online at UB (a freeroll), with over 4000 players. Just for kicks, nothing really on the line. I make some money if I hit top 30. Inside of 800 players remaining, I pick up AQ offsuit, and raise in early position. Button has me outchipped, but not by too much. Blinds are 100-200 (or something like that). I have about 30K in chips. I bump it to 1200 after 1 other player limped. Button pops it another 2K. I re-raise it to 6700, he pushes it to 12K, I go all in. Basically, I don't believe he has anything other than a stack to try and bully someone. The all in would drop his stack to about 13K, and he calls with J-10 off.

I flop a set of Q's, he picks up a heart flush draw on the turn, and gets there on the river.

Believe it or not, I actually started feeling better about myself after that hand. Yes, I lost, but I lost to a complete lunatic who got all the chips in way behind, and needed a miracle to win it. I made the right decision, made the right play. The result wasn't what I wanted, but still, I was in the correct position with the best hand.

Ultimately, that's all we can hope for. When the money goes in, have the best of it. If the cards break even, good decisions will be rewarded more often than not.

Think another trip to the pub league is on tap for Sunday--don't hold me to that, but if I go, I look forward to making more good decisions. Hopefully, I have turned the corner and will start having those good results to go along with good decisions.

Make it a great weekend.

~M

Some Wednesday thoughts

1-Been a ton of talk regarding style of play vs. results within the league. It has gotten nasty, which really sucks. I consider all the players friends of mine, and hate to see the griping and sniping. Sometimes, in my opinion, you have to let sleeping dogs lie and not kick them. All we can do as poker players is get our chips in with the best of it, and make the best decisions we can with the information available. We are in season 3 now, and looking back on season 1, I am actually kinda proud of how I handled my run in that first year. I saw more bad beats than I care to remember (I think I was a favorite in 9 of the 12 hands that knocked me out that year). Was I frustrated? Yes. Was I angry? Yes. Did I show it? Sure I did. It happens, and thankfully, I have come to grips with the fact that sometimes, you run good, and sometimes, you run bad.

There really is no way to run good at all times, simply because the cards don't always break even. It's a nasty fact of the game, but fact nonetheless. Daniel Negreanu's website had this tip on the left hand side of his webpage, which I re-post, with full credit to FullContactPoker.com:

"Take responsibility for your results.

If they aren't as good as you'd like them to be, do something about it! Get a mentor, read a book, study the best player in your game - do something! Learn a lesson from your mistakes, and check your ego at the door. You'll be surprised what you can learn if you allow yourself to accept criticism from a friend who may be able to help you. Sometimes it's good to have a friend help you fine-tune your game when things are looking dismal. When things are going badly, you may develop bad habits that you may not be aware of, but that are obvious to your opponents. Hopefully, your friends will see them and be willing to help you when you're down. I know that my friends certainly did, and I thank all of them."

2-Looking like 85% for me to sit at Irish Jim's tonight. Really look forward to it--always a good time, with good friends. Hope I can make it a hat trick of "goods", with some good cards, too.

3-When is Spring gonna get here, and stick around? Crap, I hate cold weather, even though I have my roots in the north. I love my golf, and have been able to chase the ball around a few times this month. Cold...well, it just sucks.

4-When is Vegas gonna get here? Oh yeah, July. Gotta get my Powerball ticket, just in case!

~M

Do as I say, not as I do

I know it sounds cliche, but I love poker because you never stop learning. Sometimes, the things you learn, you have already learned, but you are too damn stupid to keep in mind at the most critical time--like when your tournament life is at stake.


Perfect example from Saturday night. Blinds are 100-200 with 25 ante. I am under 3K in chips (around 2400 or so), and on the button. Player UTG raises it to 600, no callers to me. I look down at A6 suited, and decide to make my move for all my chips. UTG player calls, has AK, I lose, and I'm out.



The player that raised UTG is a good player, solid, doesn't get too many hairs out of line. I KNOW he's raising with a better hand. WhatthehellamIthinking????? OK, at the time, I just smiled, said "I had to move, I was getting short-stacked," but in reality, I never had to step into that pot. It's been eating at me ever since.



If I fold the A6 there, I lose my 25 ante. That's it. I still have another 6-7 hands before the blinds come back around to me. It's the risk I take of not seeing a premium hand in the next 6-7, but for my tourney life? A6 suited? Ugh.



The worst part is, I know better. I've LEARNED this in the past. I failed to remind myself of that when I was making the decision to dust off my remaining stack in a spot I was hopelessly behind in. For the record, I did pick up a flush draw on the flop, but couldn't get there.



I am angry at myself for this, and no one else. I made the donkish play there, for no reason other than I had a suited Ace. No doubt I could have picked a better spot to play in, but I didn't.



Now, it looks like my shot at winning Player of the Year in the league have gone up in smoke. I basically have to win the final 2 tournaments, and have the points folks in front of me go into a tailspin. Not likely, but only 1 of the top 4 in points actually won points this month--problem was she won the tourney too, earning max points, and jumping out to a nice lead. Good job, Killer.



I now have a nice whole month to steam about stacking off with an A6, before I get another shot to play a league tourney. Might try to get in a game with Irish Jim on Wednesday, but if not, we'll see when we get the cards in the air next.



Played that bar league tourney on Sunday as well. They run 2 a night on Sunday's, but the Daytona 500 kept me from the first one. Finished 7th in the 2nd tourney, and here's the hand the busted me.



Blinds are 100-200, I'm in BB with AJ off. No raises to me, 6 limpers, I just check. Perhaps mistake number 1 right there, but I'm disguising my hand a bit (think Jon Lovitz "yeah, that's the ticket").


Flop: J-10-X, 2 diamonds. I bet out 800, all fold to the button, who is on a big stack of chips, thanks to some early hands. He calls the 800.

Turn: Brick (want to say black 2). I shove all in for 2375. He tanks and then calls. What do you think he had?


My run of thinking was flush draw, since he thought about calling my all in for a good bit. I then put him on a KJ, or QJ. That seemed more likely, after sitting with him, and watching him play. He rarely turned over big hands, and was more content to try and pick up pots with 2 pair, or even 2nd pair.


Man was I way off (and this was kinda good). He called me down with Q9 off suit, leaving him a straight draw with an over card. Turns out I was about 75% to win the hand with one card to come. He hit the Q on the end, giving him a higher pair, one of his 11 outs in the deck (any of 4 K's, 3 Q's and 4 8's). Whatchagonnado?
A big welcome to the folks from pokerwblogs who are coming over and checking out the blog. Neat to see the international traffic blazing through here. Wilkommen! (that's all I got when it comes to foreign language).


~M

A quick one on a Friday night

February League tourney is ready to go....turnout is a bit sluggish (again), and it is quite frustrating. the League's Executive Committee does do a lot to make sure these things run as smoothly as possible. They get no pay, or anything like that, and it just seems that some folks don't appreciate it, or kinda take it for granted. The frustration level has me seriously pondering my involvement for next season in an official capacity. We'll see. It also may just be Friday, and I've had a long week.

Chips are sorted, cards prepared, buttons ready, tables cleaned. Shuffle up and deal. My question is whay hockey jersey to wear? Old skool Blackhawks? LA Kings? Quebec? Old skool Vancouver? Decisions, decisions...

Had a chance to play in a free poker tourney at a local watering hole last Sunday. It's part of a local league that runs games at bars in various parts of town. Good people running it, free for the players, a very nice time. I'm not just saying that because I finished 2nd in my tourney. Not at all. They are running a points system that will qualify X-number of players for a year end tourney. Tourney winners will get buy-ins to WSOP events (or satellites-I honestly forget). I wonder how these guys running all this make any money on these things. They must, otherwise they wouldn't do it. I am grateful for them, and plan on playing some more in the future.

Gotta run--have a great weekend!

~M

A valuable lesson

The names have been changed to protect the innocent...well, I'll just leave them out altogether. The lesson is this: ALWAYS ALLOW THE CARDS TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

1 table tourney, with rebuys. Level before rebuys end, this hand comes up.

Player A has 66, and raises pre-flop. Amounts are unnecessary at this point. All fold to BB, who makes the call.

Flop comes: Q-6-4 rainbow.

Player A checks, BB shoves all in for his last 3K or so (again, the details are sketchy, and this is not about making the right or wrong play). Player A makes the call.

Player A has trip 6's, and the BB holds Q-4 for 2 pair.

Turn is a brick (it was beleived to be a 2). The river brings a 4.

Prior to the river, a player not involved in the hand, allegedly says "he needs the case 4, since I folded one). When the 4 spikes on the end, the table erupts, and the pot is pushed to the player in the BB.

The power of suggestion took the hand away from its rightful winner, as even Player A beleived he had been beaten by a 1-outer.

No one is at fault for their actions during the hand. Idle chatter at a table is quite common, and really, at its heart, is harmless. The suggestion that was made, though, was enough to get all eyes trained on the board looking for that single 4 left in the deck, beleiving that was the one card that would in the hand.

Step back, and READ THE BOARD, AND THE CARDS IN PLAY. In the long run, it will prevent you from feeling sick the next day when your buddy explains to you that YOU should have scooped that monster pot, instead of being crippled as the rebuy period was about to end.

Good luck, good cards, and good VISION!
~M

Quick hits on a Monday

1-NY Football Giants. Wow. Unreal game. I have to admit, I was split on this one. I wanted to see New England win it, go undefeated at 19-0, and send the 1972 Dolphins away, with a case of champagne in hand. Every year, an NFL team flirts with a perfect season, and every year that team finally drops a game, the '72 Dolphins roll out of the mothballs, start clinking glasses, and making most of the football watching population throw up in their mouths a little. I respect what they did. Any football fan knows what they did. We all get it. Enough with the champagne. go away.

To see the G-men win it, though, tugs at the very heart of sports. The underdog, with no chance to win, everyone saying there's just no hope for a victory. They come out, bash the Patriots in the mouth, beat up Tom Brady at every turn. They played a whale of a game. Mad props to them for that.

2-My buddy AB is officially engaged. Couldn't happen to 2 nicer people. He and his future missus are a TERRIFIC couple, and AB joins the ranks of us that have outkicked our coverage in the love department. I am very happy for both of them. Their wedding will be whip ass.

3-Poker? What's that? LOL. Haven't played since the home game 2 Sundays ago, and getting the itch in a big way. Maybe this weekend, I dunno. Have to plan a little as the week goes along, but yeah, I gotta get me in a game.

February league event is 2 weeks away. Looking forward to that, as I do every month. I just like the fact that I don't have to drive anywhere this month. A good time will be had by all, but especially me, since I plan on winning, and taking the points lead. OK, it won't be that simple, but I have to maintain a positive outlook, right?

4-Poker After Dark. Last week's show has been pretty good--only seen 3 episodes. Need to watch the rest so I can clean off the DVR.

OK, at work now, and have to run. Lots to do, the day after Superbowl XLII.

Good luck and good cards,
~M

PS-spell checking isn't working at the moment, so any mistakes will have to just be lived with, I suppose.