The Grand Stage

"We decide that in our new game, the loser will pay, not only in pride, but also in cash. Money buys time, and food, and choices. Money equals food. Food equals life. Broke equals death. In our society, wagering money is as close as we can get to betting our lives". - Tommy Angelo

Here's an update on what I'm doing in poker right now. I'm staying at low stakes and basically grinding my way up. Nothing too exciting, but because this stage is not too exciting, I'll save my hands and questions for the 2+2 forums.

2+2 defines NL Micro Stakes as 25c-50c and below; Small Stakes as 50c-1 to 1-2; Medium stakes as 2-4 to 5-10; and High Stakes as 10-20 and up.

Here's my play book: play a minimum of 5 hours a week up to 10 hours, and re-evaluate in a few months; no chat box participation; move up to Small Stakes by end of Summer.

I know that any goal that references a monetary value in poker is somewhat foolish as there are elements in poker that just can't be controlled. Correct play should be the holy grail, and money will follow. But, I'll be honest...to say my goal is correct play is very boring to me. I'd rather state a financial goal knowing that my best play is a given.

So there we have it. There won't be a post here, unless it's of some significance like if I moved up, live poker, or went broke. Until then, I'll re-evaluate this blog.

See you on the felt.

Getting Back to Swing of Things

I've been playing for a few weeks now, and no longer feel rusty. I'm able to play patiently and controlled.

I was thinking of creating a schedule and committing to log in a certain amount of hours a week.

Returning

I took a year off. Drum roll please...I'm back.

Slow And Low

Yeah. My game (and profit), has improved since I've been controlling myself and not getting tilty.

Not Getting Run Over

Usually, I would consider folding pocket 9's to a big re-raise (the book says KK/AA). But, at this level, on this site I read a weak A, and a strong A. Besides feeling that I had the best hand, and that the SB was trying to push me out, I hoped my pair would hold up with only 2 A's left in the deck (I felt this was confirmed when SB did not insta-call my all-in).

CakePoker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.20 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO ($20.40)
Button (Hero) ($12.50)
SB ($48.32)
BB ($11.35)
UTG ($34)
MP ($5.35)

Preflop:

UTG calls $0.20, MP bets $0.90, 1 fold,
Button (Hero) raises to $3
SB raises to $9.40, 2 folds
MP calls $4.45 (All-In)
Button (Hero) raises to $12.50 (All-In)
SB calls $3.10

Flop: ($30.75) J, 10, 7 (3 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: ($30.75) 2 (3 players, 2 all-in)
River: ($30.75) 7 (3 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: $30.75 | Rake: $1.50

Results:
Button (Hero) had 9, 9 (two pair, nines and sevens).
SB mucked A, K (one pair, sevens).
MP mucked A, 4 (one pair, sevens).
Outcome: Button won $29.25

People Just Don't Know How To Play Deep Stack

Preflop.
Hero: $6.50 - Q,Q Limp
Villan: $12.40 - 6,6 raise $1.10
Hero: reraise - All in.
Villan: call

I did win the pot, but either way - win or lose - this was a bad call on his part; if this was a tournament then I could justify the risk under certain situations, but this is a cash game for christ's sakes! If not that, most people just don't know how to play deep stacks. They call way too much when they are clearly beat, but don't care because they have their opponent 'covered'.

A couple hands later:
Villan: Maybe I shouldn't of called you on that hand
Villan: but, I had the big stack and was playing deep.
Me: no, good call.
Villan: LOL

Multiple Site Accounts

Thankfully, I saw the benefit of having accounts spread across multiple sites. My new sweetheart - CakePoker - has been a fickle thing as of late, so I went over to Bodog for awhile to get a better game.

HUGE LEAK ALERT!!!

Pocket 10's! ARrrrrrrghhhhhh!!!!

I play them strongly preflop (vp$p= ~90), I've won about 50/50, yet lost more than I won by at least double.

Ironically, Not strange enough, it's a leak for other people too, as I took two 3 stacks today with two strong A hands, and pocket 5's.

Game Back/Making Reads

Besides getting my feet wet over at CakePoker, I'm paying attention to reads. I've lost $$$ when I had a read and knew not to call, but called anyway. Now I have to make sure I make some $$$ doing the opposite.

Here's some Cake for you:

Usually, I would not raise here, but after his all-in he didn't have enough to get me out of the pot. I felt I may be beat here, but was crazy about my 4's and felt like gambling.

CakePoker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($2)
IkeepIt (SB) ($5.50)
BB ($2.80)
UTG ($16.43)
MP ($2)
CO ($2.90)

Preflop: IkeepIt is SB with K4

2 folds, CO bets $0.35,1 fold, IkeepIt calls $0.30, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.80) 8, J, 4 (2 players)
IkeepIt checks, CO bets $0.40, IkeepIt raises to $1, CO raises to $2.55 (All-In), IkeepIt calls $1.55
Turn: ($5.90) 7 (2 players, 1 all-in)
River: ($5.90) K (2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: $5.90 Rake: $0.25
Results in white below:
IkeepIt had K , 4 (two pair,Kings and fours). CO mucked J A (one pair, Jacks).
Outcome: IkeepIt won $5.65

***

Button was weak and very fishy. His call had me somewhat concerned. I made a bad read on him before when he got lucky on me. Despite his position his raise told me he had two pair or better. To raise on this street at this level, usually indicates a very strong hand, especially after the check on the flop.

***

CalePoker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

IkeepIt (UTG) ($7.80)
MP ($11.27)
CO ($7.38)
Button ($5.65)
SB ($2.16)
BB ($10)

Preflop: IkeepIt is UTG with 10, A
IkeepIt calls $0.10, MP bets $0.40, 1 fold, Button calls $0.40, 2 folds, IkeepIt calls $0.30
Flop: ($1.35) 6, 4, J (3 players)
IkeepIt checks, MP checks, Button checks
Turn: ($1.35) 5 (3 players)
IkeepIt checks, MP bets $0.70, Button raises to $1.40, IkeepIt folds, 1 fold

Total pot: $2.75 | Rake: $0.10
Results:
Button didn't show
Outcome: Button won $2.65

***

After this player raised me, and then just called my bet on the flop I was convinced he was trying to push me out with some random hand, which a lot of players try to do at this level. His call told me he missed the board and had some over pair or weak Ace combo. I was real surprised he called my shove and almost shocked at what he was holding.

Cake Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.20 BB (6 handed) - Cake-Poker Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

IkeepIt (BB) ($10)
UTG ($6.46)
MP ($19)
CO ($9.67)
Button ($14.10)
SB ($26.12)

Preflop: IkeepIt is BB with J, A
3 folds, Button calls $0.20, 1 fold, IkeepIt bets $0.90, Button raises to $1.60, IkeepIt calls $0.70
Flop: ($3.30) 5, 6, 6 (2 players)
IkeepIt bets $1.60, Button calls $1.60
Turn: ($6.50) 10 (2 players)
IkeepIt raises to $6.80 (All-In), Button calls $6.80
River: ($20.10) 4 (2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: $20.10 | Rake: $1

Results in white below:
Button had 2, A (one pair, sixes).
IkeepIt had J, A
(one pair, sixes).

Outcome: IkeepIt won $19.10

***

Cake has this nice feature that gives you a visual of hands. Visually aesthetic, but not as functional as the above format. (There is a converter out there that let me change the format from the default cake output in order to display hands in the more widely accepted internet format.)


I've played with the above player a few times before and he likes to push. His over-raise was indicative of a weak hand and trying to take advantage of a scary board. My all-in, probably translated the same to him. When he called I hoped he did not catch whatever high card he may have.

***

There is not much difference between this level or up a few levels after. I've made these plays before as high as .50/1NL. The trick here is not to play the hero often and to keep the pots controlled, so as to not run into big decisions for a significant portion of your stack.

Eat My Cake, And Have It Too

I made the move. CakePoker.

Besides doing the cliché 'starting with a clean slate,' I've plugged some holes in my game and am keeping a watchful eye to stay off tilt.

There is also rakeback that I've finally signed up for, where players receive a certain percentage back from the rake that the site takes from pots.

The play there is very, very soft. Maybe I'll be there for the long run, maybe not...in the meantime let's eat some cake!

Evaluating My Game

One of the qualifications of a very useful book is that if you can skim around it and not necessarily read it in order (another factor is that it has to have a greater overview of a topic than I, and is well written). The Tao Of Poker, is a book that fits this criteria.

The book is separated into chapters on various topics designed to improve your game by giving you a "rule" (over 200 of them), followed by a description that you should incorporate.

There's a chapter on tilt. It not only talks about regular tilt, but expounds on mega-tilt - tilting beyond normal tilt! Mega-tilt is tilt on steroids, that you can be on tilt for days, weeks, months at a time. Poor-sap! Until I realized that that poor sap is me.

I've been on MEGA-tilt for a couple of weeks now, for various reasons outside the realm of poker. I thought I had this behind me as I wrote down a previous post, but looking at some recent events (now a couple of weeks past), I see that I was not (the first person we fool is ourselves). I am doing much better now and rebuilding stacks.

Playing Light

Yesterday, I did not have much heart for No-Limit games, so I played very light and short-stacked. I also played some limit and cap-games and did well there...actually, crushed the limit folks, which made me feel good about my game.

In retrospect, it's good to step back from the game when you don't feel you have your A game on.

UPDATE [02:20:2009]: The limit games over at FullTilt are juicer than what I expected; I may stay there for a little while.

Book Reading

From my father's side I have a thirst for knowledge, from my mother's I am gifted with intuition. In combination, these two assets compliment one another and help excel my poker game.

***

Books have always fascinated me. At a younger age, I would stare almost in awe at the two towers of book shelves in my Uncle's house. Deep inside I knew the books contained a wealth of knowledge. But, being a late bloomer I ironically hated to read.

From my Uncle, I learned how to read the Forward and Introduction of a book; how to pick up a book and skim through it to see if the book appeals to me; how to interact with a book and jot down my own notes, and highlight important points. This all stems from casual conversations and indirect influence.

***

If you think about it reading and writing are the same action; they are two opposite ends of a common spectrum.

***

I've picked up 3 new books lately (non-poker), but I expect in the end they will help me with my game. Also, I've renewed my dedication to a few books that I've half read and have planned to read (some poker/some non).

***
Some notes on my phone, from some poker book:

"A good player will rarely fold on the river to a large call after the turn."

"At 15-20 BB you are looking to re-steal from loose players rather than open raise."

Buzz words:
"the four points rule"
"stacks size"
"pot equity"
"folding equity"

I am sure that these notes came out of either of the two cash game books I have.