Three tournaments I have targeted. Will see what else I play.
If I cross paths with anyone, happy to buy them a drink. Hope everyone is doing well.
If I cross paths with anyone, happy to buy them a drink. Hope everyone is doing well.
-
Where's the fuckin power box, Carol? -
Awesome! Any WSOP tournaments, or will you be doing some other events?Comment -
Hahaha! I LOVE 6-Max. One day I will play that one. BOL to you!Comment -
I prefer eight max myself.Comment -
Thx, Tammy! Yes, I'm very comfortable @6-max. In full-ring (9-man) people don't quite realize the requirements of opening from Early position.
Full-ring moves at a snail's pace for me. Way too slow. And the early position play means that it normally takes a HUGE hand to win the family-pot hand.
Nash, I hear you. 8-man is > 9-man. That extra seat makes a difference. My local poker-room has shifted to an 8-man standard. And it makes the game much better.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment -
Mpaschal and I have been talking about meeting up at WSOP from 16th June for a week or so. Also wanting to play the Seniors and a couple of other lower buy in ones.
Was going to contact you and a few others once it was locked in. But I am looking shakey for that date and am forced to leave it till the last moment to know if I can or not.
Matt is there next week with his wife as well actually..Comment -
Hi, Opti. Those are the dates that worked best into my schedule. I know people like other dates.
The schedules are out there. If you go, you should be able to find something you like. Non-WSOP schedules are out there.
I enjoyed speaking with the other players last year:
1) I don't at all think that the opponent talent is insurmountable.
2) My biggest finding is that it's well worth noting Player profile. In particular, look at their sizing trends. Can almost call out their hand sometimes.
3) To get the exact schedule you want, be willing to play at different casinos. Many options.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment -
Will post a few more strategy notes. These are just my personal opinions. Take a long look at removal effects:
1) High-card flops. Let's say your Opponent opens pre-flop, and you're Heads-up as a Caller.
...Flop = AKQ. Three high-cards. Let's say that you hold one high card, the Ace (which = Top Pair).
...Players have been taught to Continuation-bet high flops (A-hi or K-hi) almost at a 100% clip.
...If they C-bet, they're repping huge. They're saying that they hold AA/KK/QQ/AK/AQ (or maybe AJ/AT).
...The displacement effects are huge on this flop. IF they hold two hi-cards, that means that 6 of the 7 cards in play are hi-cards (A/K/Q). That means only six of the remaining 45 cards are hi-cards.
...Very fishy. Don't be so quick to concede the pot to them. Story doesn't check out.
2) Another situation I've studied = Sniffing out the Flush draws.
...First asterisk = BB can have many baby-flushes based on their Pre-flop starting hands.
...This is NOT true at most other positions. Unless a player is playing super-wide, you can narrow down the standard Flush combos to 20: Ax (12), Kx (3), Qx (2), JT (1), T9 (1), and 98 (1).
...Kx = KQ/KJ/KT. Qx = QJ/QT. Anyone playing wider than what I posted is playing an incredibly loose range.
...This info becomes incredibly important when trying to sniff out whether your opponent made a flush on a 3-flush board. 4-flush board is a different story, as it's now easy to hold the fifth flush card.
...Biggest removal card = the Ace. Take note if the Ace of the flush suit is on the board. That Ace just eliminated 60% of the likely flush combos (12/20).
...Next step = consider the suited connectors that are no longer in play based on the community cards. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can pare down the combos to three or fewer.
...Also consider the cards in your hand. If three spades are on the board (especially HIGH spades) and one spade is in your hand, it doesn't leave many flush combos. I've played many hands where I narrow my Opponent down to one or two Flush combos.
...In this situation your opponent is often going to be turning the Nut-blocker (which is NOT = to a flush) into a bluff. You don't need to believe him. Think critically, try to sniff out his bluff.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment -
Yeah, 10 seat tables makes sense for the venues to make the most of the space they have, but it makes for very boring games. Same for 9 handed, really. It's a shame that's what became the accepted standard, even online where real estate doesn't matter. You're absolutely right 6-max is where it's at!Comment -
Maybe our Sunday tourney should be 6 max?.Comment -
Poker Mentality can be so finicky:
*If you're running good, you see things so clearly.
*If you're running bad, it feels impossible to win a hand.
A few tips:
1) I'm a big believer in monitoring Villain Passive/Aggressive behavior across streets:
...If Opponent goes ModestBet/Passive/Aggressive across streets, rest assured that they hit their card.
...If they bet like they just discovered Plutonium, it's b/c they did!
2) The current crop of low-level players plays to an incredibly high Value/Bluff ratio.
...The average player doesn't like to risk big dollars on a bluff.
...That doesn't register for them. Their bet size is pro-rata to the confidence in their hand.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment -
Enjoyed my Vegas trip. Some notes:
*Only played in three tournaments. Spent more time @ the pool. In the past I might have played more tourneys.
*Messed up the back-end of my schedule. Departed on a SAT. Precluded me from playing a FRI/SAT event. Should have left on SUN.
I wasn't surprised by the game-play. I consider myself to be a thinking player. Rarely was I surprised by a hand.
My Opponent observations are consistent with what I thought heading into the tournament. Some tips:
1) Opponents continue to size pre-flop. I think this is a terrible strategy. Gives me a crystal-clear view on how to play my hand.
2) I view my play as TAG: Tight Aggressive. Will look for speculative plays if I have the odds behind.
3) I do run bluffs. But the board has to be consistent with the hands I'm representing.
Run-down on my three tournaments:
1) This one will read as a novella, I didn't last long. Think I made it thru four orbits. Big hand develops in Blind-on-Blind. I have KK and open 3.5x at a Deep Stack (160BB effective). Get re-raised by BB, I come back to 32x, BB calls.
...Flop comes T63. I know the TT is looming. I think that 66/33 are too low to line-up with his pre-flop action.
...I have an Overpair and bet. He re-raises me. Not enough $$ behind, I go All-In. He has TT.
...Board bricks out, and I exit. Cooler hand, I'm getting stacked there. I do question his Flop raise while holding the Nuts.
2) Lasted much longer in 2nd tournament. Was mostly happy with my play. I don't question much on my decisions.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment -
Made it thru four breaks, almost to end of Day One. Name-player sits down at my table, I have some familiarity with his game. Played two hands heads-up versus him. Realize that he's not playing a strong range.
30BB, he opens in the Cutoff. I defend my BB wide, so I call with A(d)/7(c). Flop comes 654(all Clubs).
...I have studied BB play. I'm a believer in aggressive BB play when the Flop smashes your range. Think: low cards on wet-board.
...I have a distribution of strong hands and semi-bluffs. The 7c gives me four to a straight-Flush.
...Club in my hand means that the remaining Club-density is much lower. 9/46 < .20. I proceed as if he' unlikely to hold a Club.
...I have a Ton of outs to improve on. Nine flush-outs, Six straight-outs, and A/7 improve my hand to Top Pair.
...I lead out for 110%, and he calls. I'll continue on Turn with any card that improves my hand and any low card. I don't want to see the off-suit Broadway cards like K/Q/J/T.
...Turn is an off-suit 5x, which pairs the board. He shouldn't have much 5x. Improved some of my Pair+Draw combos to Trips.
...I shove All-In for 110%. He tanks and Calls with 99 (no 9c). River is an off-suit Jack, I exit.
Ran the hand thru SOLVER. SOLVER didn't like my lead. Maybe SOLVER thinks that the board removes too many of my Flush combos.
...After betting Flop/Turn, however, SOLVER views his call with a 99 overpair as dubious. This is a range play. Board drills my range.
...I was really targeting the big Ax hands. I wanted the better Ax hands to fold. Ran into the higher-end of his range.
People will have their opinions. I'm 100% OK with my play.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment -
3) Third tournament was really fun. Made good decisions on two All-Ins.
Got deep into the tournament. On Last 28, I was on the stone-bubble. 10BB remaining, I was facing an All-In shove with 33 in the BB.
...Don't mistake a good decision with a good result. I know that 33 is borderline. And I know this Old Guy has a tight range.
...33 is very close on the Call chart. I ponder, I'd fold 22, I'd call 55. 44/33 is close, I call with a Pocket Pair > 22.
...I flop a 3 and win the hand.
Ran pretty good on the late-stage All-Ins. I get to Final table. Open and raise in front of me, I go All-In with AKo at 13BB.
...Raiser calls, he has AA. I knew that he was tight, but no way out for me.
...I finish 6th of 210. Nice payday to finish out the week.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment -
Saw several name Poker-pros. One stuck out to me: *I saw TEXAS MIKE.
...He was wearing the same burnt-orange LONGHORN hat.
...I didn't expect to see him. Thought he had busted-out.
...Guy must come from some seriously deep-pocket TX-oil money. Because he's one of the biggest fish I've seen.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment -
Sounds like a fun week Chucky. Good to have the result get better each tourney. Makes you leave feeling on top
Just bad luck about hitting the AA in 3rd tourney. And I imagine I would have played the 3s as you did with that stack size left too.
FIngers crossed for next year can make it..Comment -
Thx, Opti. Appreciate the note:Sounds like a fun week Chucky. Good to have the result get better each tourney. Makes you leave feeling on top
Just bad luck about hitting the AA in 3rd tourney. And I imagine I would have played the 3s as you did with that stack size left too.
FIngers crossed for next year can make it.
1) After I play a big hand, I run it thru SOLVER to re-analyze my play. I have my own perceptions on how Human plays differently than a 'bot. On the first hand, I was getting KO'd. Just a matter of whether it was on the Flop or a later street.
2) In the 2nd tournament I felt like I was seeing things very clearly. I don't question any of my plays. My exit was on a Low Board strategy that I've spent time studying. Almost made Day Two.
3) Ditto on the 3rd tournament. Felt good about my hand-reading.
...If I fold the 33, I know that I likely cash. But I miss a chance to Double-Up. The chart I memorized would say that 33 is calling fractionally too wide @ 10BB.
...On the AK hand, I could think about folding @ 30BB, but not 13BB. Guy was a very tight player, so I knew I was up against a big hand.
Wish I would have stayed longer. Enjoyed my trip for sure. Flight/hotel rates were reasonable, probably b/c Tourism is struggling.
Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment
