August 2007 - Posts
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WSOP Circuit Event--Tunica
August 29, 2007I finally made up my mind. I was either going to play in a few minor events at the WSOP Circuit Event in Tunica or at the WPT Event in Biloxi. Well, I'm Tunica bound as soon as I get home from work tomorrow. That way I can play in a tourney Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'll report the results in later posts. Wish me luck.
Read more: WSOP
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Seat Change, Please
August 28, 2007Ever play with someone that refuses to evaluate their own game honestly. Instead, they want to blame EVERYTHING on other factors. It's got to be something other than their game. The dealer must suck. The site must be rigged. Everybody else is getting SO LUCKY. It can't be them. It just can't be. They've played like this before and won so it has to be something else
.Recently I ran across this with a little different twist. I sat down at Seat 4 at an established ring game. I usually play a little loose and weak when I join a table just so I can tighten up, get action, and win some cash. Remember that 1st impressions are lasting ones
. I also observe the other players very carefully so I can evaluate the competition.I noticed that the woman in Seat 1 played the 1st 4 hands after I sat down. She won the 1st then lost each of the next 3, calling 2 all the way to the river. On the 4th hand, the fellow in Seat 3 busted so that seat came available. The woman in Seat 1 immediately asked for a seat change. The blinds had already past so here she comes.
This woman amazed me with her play for most of the evening
. She called EVERY preflop raise. If she caught ANY piece of the flop (bottom pair, gutshot straight draw, weak flush draw, whatever), she would call all the way to the river. I watched her lose her stack with 
because the flop came 
. Bottom pair and ace kicker must be worth calling to the river. Amazingly, when I was out of the hand (which was most hands) and she was in the hand (which was every hand), this woman actually showed me her down cards
. So I knew exactly what she'd call with.Of course, she won some hands. Statistically speaking, if you play every hand, you will win a few every now and then no matter what you're playing.
Finally, I was on the Big Blind and drew
. Everybody folded to Seat 2 who raised to 3x the BB. Of course Seat 3 called. I thought for a moment and actually counted Seat 3's chips in my head. Rather than risking having 2 other players in the hand and being outdrawn, I raised what I had counted to take Seat 3 down to the felt. Seat 2 thought a moment and folded. Seat 3 instacalled. Oops, I miscounted. She had $1 left. I looked at her in disbelief. She KNEW that $1 is going in on the flop. Flop came 
. She actually checked to me. So of course, I bet $1 (actually more but that's all she had). Turned 
. Rivered 
. I turned over my aces. She didn't even show.A few hands later, I busted out Seat 7 when I flopped a set and rivered a boat. Seat 3 immediately asked for a seat change. Apparently Seat 3 hadn't been lucky for her either.
Within 10 hands I watched her lose her stack twice. Finally, she'd had enough. Seat 7 hadn't helped.
Lady, it wasn't the Seat.
Read more: Seat Change
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Donking
August 27, 2007We all do it. Some more than others (thank God). We may be otherwise good players but every once and awhile we can't help ourselves. We just have to do it. We play that hand. You know the one. The one that we should fold. The raise that we shouldn't call. And there go our chances in the tournament. There goes the cash we've been grinding out the last 2-3 hours to earn.
What possesses us?? We know how to play. We know that we have to be patient. We know that every hand is independent of every other hand. But we do it anyway. Maybe we've been watching other players risk way too much with way too little and drawing out. Maybe we've been card dead for awhile and FINALLY are looking down at playable cards. Not great, but playable. So we overplay our hands and watch as our hard earned (won) chips go flying away.
What can we do?? The human mind is an amazing thing. It can make us ignore the obvious. It can tell us our middle pair is good. It can tell us that of course we're going to hit our draw. Everybody else has been hitting theirs. So surely we'll hit ours. Bzzzzzzt. Wrong answer.
When we find ourselves slipping and that little voice starts getting louder telling us to play those marginal hands, what can we do?? We have to stand firm. We have to do things to break up the grind and stay sharp. I like to put my opponents on hands especially when I'm not in the hand. Then I can watch the action with a little more interest. Just a mental game. Taking notes of everything my opponent does. Maybe I can pick up a tell. At least I'm not bored and getting mentally drained. At times, I even get tired of this. This means it must be break time. Walk around. Shake the cobwebs from your head. Easy to do in a ring game. Not so easy in a tournament. With set breaks, you may find yourself watching the tournament clock a little too much. Make it a point to ignore this clock. You need to know how much longer in a level but not how close you are to that smoke break. You can't really concentrate on poker when you're staring at a clock.
So while it happens to us all, do everything and anything that you need to do to keep your head in the game and play at the top of your game. Eliminating mistakes is the easiest way to elevate your game to the next level.
Read more: Donking
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PokerNews Freeroll on WingowsPoker
August 11, 2007Congrats to whoever wins the PokerNews Freeroll on WingowsPoker tonight. I'm out already (too soon)
. Risked too much with pocket jacks and flops 2 overs. Cost me most of my stack.Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am proud of all the PokerNewsers that played
. Everyone played like it was a tournament with a $5k prize rather than just another freeroll. Regardless of the results, I enjoyed the tournament. I'll get you next time.Read more: WingowsPoker freeroll
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Results of Live Play
August 06, 2007Got back today from a weekend of live play in Biloxi.
We stayed at the Imperial Palace.
Played a $60 Freeze-out+$10 Dealer's Add-On. When it got down to the final table, everybody but 1 player wanted to chop it for $675 each. It takes 100% agreement so no chop. I really didn't care so we played on. Biggest pot I won was with AA on SB. The previous round, I had pushed all in with less when everybody folded around to the blinds. BB folded then. So this time around I decided that she'd probably be tired of this move. Luckily, she was holding QQ so I got an instant call. I had 500 more chips than her so it was close to a double up. I continued on and went into heads up with about a 2-1 chip lead. The other player was the one that had no interest in chopping to begin the final table so I guess it was a good move on his part.1st hand of heads up, I look down at AK offsuit. Other player says "let's get this over with" and pushes all in. Of course I give him an instant call. AK vs 44 and his 4's hold. Now the rolls are reversed. After swapping blinds back a couple of times, I look down at
. I raise the pot 4x BB and get a call. Flop comes 
, Top pair and nut flush draw. He bets 4x BB. Maybe I should have smooth call but I was ready to reverse the chip situation so I pushed all in. He instantly call me with 
so I'm looking good. Turn comes 
. Need any heart or an ace on the river. River comes 
. Game over. I won $1480 so not a bad tourney. Who needs to chop.After a break to eat, came back for a ring game. Went down early but battled back to finish $18 down for the session. 3am was late enough so time for bed.
Next day, spent some time with my wife checking out a couple of other casinos. Hard Rock Casino looks good but there were 0 players in their poker room. It's a small room but you'd expect some kind of game to be going on. Nothing. Nada. Zip. From there, we stopped by the Beau Rivage. Nice place. Reminded me of the Bellagio. It's owned by MGM so you expect a little more. You seem to get it at the Beau. Didn't play any poker room was packed. WPT comes to the Beau at the end of the month. Right now, I'm trying to decide between the WPT at the end of August or the WSOP Circuit event in Tunica the next week.
Once we got back to the IP, it was time for some poker. I'll just say that I more than tripled my buy-in amount. I'll describe some of the play in later posts.
All in all, a good weekend.
Read more: Live Play
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Live Play This Weekend
August 02, 2007Finally, my wife and I get to get away for the weekend. Headed down to Biloxi for the weekend. She understands when I stay in the poker room for 14 hours. No complaints. She just tries to make sure that I eat normal meals. You know how it is. Time flies when you're having fun.
I usually play at the IP but plan on trying out Beau Rivage this weekend. Stakes are suppose to be a little higher there. I may be in over my head but I have confidence. Doesn't matter how fancy the poker room. Cards are cards.
Wish me luck.:-]Read more: Live Play
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WingowsPoker
August 01, 2007OK. I see the PokerNews Freeroll in the Private Tournament Section on Wingows scheduled for August 11th at 8 EST. This should be the make up tournament since PokerNews lists another on August 25th. I look and I see that there are 23 signed up. Makes sense because there were originally 23 signed up before the last one was canceled.
Imagine my SURPRISE when I look and see that I AM NOT ON THIS LIST and neither is IMINTHEZONE. This means that Wingows has allowed players OTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL 23 THAT WERE REGISTERED for the CANCELED tournament to register for the make-up tournament. THIS IS SIMPLY WRONG. I don't care if there were other players that had qualified but failed to sign up for the canceled tournament. I don't care if other players have qualified since the canceled tournament.
The simple facts are that there were originally 23 players signed up when WingowPoker canceled the tournament due to THEIR SCREW-UP. And those are the ONLY players that should be allowed to enter the make-up tournament. It's not a make-up tournament if OTHER players are allowed to play. It's an additional tournament. That's not what Colin from Wingows led us to believe this would be. RESCHEDULED should mean same players, different time.
Now I'm ticked again. I welcome any comments and would love some answers.
Dave (davega)Read more: Wingows
