"How To Play Poker" by GCox25
Friday, September 30, 2005
I'll get to the title of the post a little later. Tons of stuff to blog about today. Tons!
If you saw the previous entry, write a blog of any sort and play on-line poker, you have to sign up for that event. PokerStars is putting it out there for all of us and it looks like a fabulous deal. That being said, I would expect a large field of veteran bloggers. Should be a big time. I'll be there, at least til I pick up a big hand.
__________
Oh yeah, you'll remember that the only reason you are reading this is because I had to come to work today for a "meeting." A fucking safety meeting on operating equipment. Jebus, I sit at a desk all day and the freaking stapler is the biggest piece of equipment I operate on a regular basis. Ass-hats! What a complete waste of time when I could have already been planted at the Redneck Riviera.
__________
I experienced the wierdest night ever at the bowling alley last night. EVER!
We got there early and found out we were on lanes 23/24 which are the end pair. Bowlers hate the end pair. There always seems to be something different about the end pair. Anyway, they call us down to start practice and the anchor man from the other team forgot to remove his slip on shoe protectors before trying to bowl. Bam! He busts his ass, hits the oil and slides about halfway down the lane. I'm sure I pissed my pants, but I held back the laughing out loud part. Not two minutes later, an old guy on the lane next to us pulls a good one. He takes off on his approach and loses his ball on the way back. Bam! Scared the shit out of me, I thought a bomb went off.
So, practice ends and we finally start the game. We're bowling the first place team (we're in 5th) and I start out spare, strike, strike, spare, strike, strike. I've got a good line and I'm carrying, this could be a good night. Then we notice some smoke inside the bowling alley. Not good. They had an electrical short and it shut down everything. No mas bowling, tonight. So we drove home, picked up some beer and it was poker time! I commented after practice to my wife, that this had to be the wierdest night I had ever experienced at a bowling alley. Little did I know, it was about to get even wierder.
_________
Okie-Vegas Update:
I have spoken to all the bloggers from the SNG Challenge and they are all in, assuming the date we choose works for everybody. Will, I'm posting some dates that are later in the year, so I'm hoping you could possibly make the trip also.
Possible dates(open for discussion):
May 31 - June 4
June 7 - June 11
July 5 - July 9
August 2 - August 6
These are just some preliminary dates that I know will work with my schedule. We have karaoke at the lake around most of the major holidays, but if we have to, I could make those work too. Toss it around and let me know which ones will work and which ones won't.
I'm working on a major surprise for this event also. I mention it here only to raise the interest of my fellow bloggers. I have no intention of giving it up, so don't even ask. It will be well worth being here to experience though, trust me.
I've also secured the use of a Party Barge for that Thursday at the lake. One of my friends has been kind enough to loan me their pontoon boat for the day, so we can all hit the water. We'll have the lake practically to ourselves anyway, but with the boat we can cook, drink and take turns on the jet ski's.
_________
Now, on to the title of my post. I got home from the bowling alley and TripJax was logged in, for the first time in what seems like months, and looking for some action. We settled on a $5, 10 person SNG on UltimateBet.
Let's see, for the first, say 60 hands, I played two past the flop. It's easy with Aces, you know. I played an off-suit J-10 on the button and flopped the nut broadway straight. We got it all in on the turn and I doubled up. My Aces ran into Kings and we also got it all in and I held up again. Right about this time, TripJax mentions that I should "write a poker strategy book." We ramble on and come up with several "professional-style" tips to offer my fair readers should I decide to write a book. Here is a sampling:
"Only put all your chips in when you can double up or knock someone else out."
"Only play hands that make the nuts."
"It pays to catch the nuts." - This one was after another player at the table, Phil, sucked out on me and I told him NH. He says it pays to catch cards. No, ass-hat, it pays to play good cards and that became evident when I busted his ass later on.
TripJax ended up going out on the bubble after a cold-decking from the poker gods. I, um, won the fooking thing. I am absolutely nothing, if not patient. When it came down to heads up, I took a quick peek at my stats and saw this number: Flops seen 12/142 11%. Hmmm, that could be construed as awfully tight, but of those 12 hands, I went to the river 8 times and won 7 of them, doubling up 4 times and ousting someone twice. I did catch some premium hands and TripJax, to his credit, never got paid off on his big hands. He raised with A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J and 10-10 and got zero action. Bad luck, J.
I did put on a clinic with how to play A-A UTG. I min-raised and got 3 callers. After a low, uncoordinated flop, I then proceeded to bet the pot, which enticed the fellow with pocket Kings to go all in over the top. I called and they held up. Bad luck for him. I was a little lucky that all my premium hands held up, but it was a damn good tournament. Good times, as always, J.
_________
I am headed to the lake right after work today, so no poker until Sunday afternoon, for sure. Hope everybody has a great weekend and let me know about the dates. I'd like to mark this one down on the calendar as a done deal as soon as possible.
I'm out.
G
posted by GaryC @ 6:25 AM,
,
I'm in, too.
I have registered to play in the
Online Poker Blogger Championship!
This event is powered by PokerStars.
Registration code: 5348617
posted by GaryC @ 6:13 AM,
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Mindset (An acual bit of poker strategy)
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Wow, two posts a day for how many days in a row? Compulsive blogger, indeed! Me, too.
Titan Poker/PSO Promotion
After a rough start working toward the 9000 point upgrade promotion through PokerSourceOnline, the worm seems to have turned in the right direction on Titan Poker.
At one point, after having earned 2000 or so stars and two bonuses collected, my initial $100 deposit was down to a paltry $24.95. That was just a week ago. I actually considered withdrawing that money and scrapping the PSO promotion.
I couldn't for the life of me figure out why I couldn't win there. I was still killing it on Noble Poker and they are the exact same opponents. What's the deal? Variance? Some. Bad beats? Occasionally. Playing like an ass-hat? Way too much of that going on, for sure.
So, I get home last night ready to play and decide that I am going to move down to .25/.50 Limit and "grind" my way to a positive session, Titan stars be damned!
Mental checklist:
1) Do not play speculative hands from EP.
2) Play aggressive with good hands from LP.
3) Fold, fold, fold, RAISE, fold fold.
Going through my mental checklist before pulling up a table was the key. There are a million ways and a million things that could go on that list, depending on the player, but it boils down to these two: Don't fish and be aggressive.Period.
I played well and caught some nice cards and doubled that $15 buy-in. I then moved up to .50/1.00 Limit and exact.same.story. Now my little $24 bankroll was sitting at almost $75.
Might as well try a little 1/2 while I'm on a roll, right? The winning continues and I finish out the night sitting at $102 on Titan. I'm still down around $28 with the 3 bonii that I've collected thus far, but this was certainly a move in the right direction.
So, the question is this, what can I take away from this session?
-On-line poker is rigged! Not really. What I figured out last night was very valuable. Your (and my) mindset at the beginning of a session is crucial to success. Vital, even.
Too many times, I sprint home from work and I'm cold-calling raises from UTG before I've even changed clothes. Pure, unadulterated ignorance! Take your time, get ready for battle and enter the arena in the right frame of mind, ready to play the best poker you can possibly play.Every.Single.Time.Period.
posted by GaryC @ 12:00 PM,
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Chummin' the waters
Last night was a good night. I had to go pick up all my equipment from the karaoke show last Saturday and just as I pulled into the parking lot, the temperature dropped like 10 degrees. We had a nice cool front move in last night, along with 700 mph winds, but it was much nicer hauling stuff out to the truck in 70 degrees vs 90 degrees or more.
I got home about 5:45 to find the wifey and little one camped out on the poker machine, er, computer, working on a book report. Hello!!! McFly!!!! It really wasn't that big a deal as I had to pack clothes for the weekend at the lake anyway. I changed clothes, threw some clothes in a bag and went out to the garage for the important stuff. Cooler. Check. Beer. Check. Ice. Check. We are in business. I haul my cooler into the bedroom just as they are finishing up. Perfect timing.
I fired up a table at Poker Rewards and a table at Pacific Poker. Fold, fold, fold, lose, fold. This is not going to work, so I decided to get off and go find a better table. I pulled up UltimateBet and Titan Poker. Much better table selection there.
I sit down at a .50/1.00 Limit table and proceed to run every one of them over. Like a freight train. Well, it really wasn't that impressive. I might compare it better like this: I ran over the table just like the deck of cards ran over me.
We had an interesting visit from Toddman29 at the UB table. He sits down with 20 bucks and immediately asks "Is this like 7 card stud?" My spidey senses immediately tell me that Toddman29 must know Jordan. He goes on to ask if his hand was good afterwards and to announce that this is his first time to play. I answered his "Is this good" question with this: "I don't know, this is my first night too." He says "Really?" Yup.
Two hands later, I have A-K on the button with a raise and a re-raise before me. What to do? Raise! We cap it and the flop comes A-A-x. Oops, somebody's pocket pair is in the toilet now. Four people go to the turn calling my raise. A blank on the turn (2, I think) and the same four go to the river, just check-calling my bet. The river is the case A. Show of hands please, now who likes their hand??? Think Arnold Horschack. Oh! Oh! Oh! So, I rake about a $30 pot and Toddman29 types in "This isn't your first night to play" and I reply "sure is" ...... "since last night."
So all in all, a very good night on the felt. I dropped a little bit at Poker Room, Pacific Poker and Poker Rewards, but more than made up for it with solid wins at UB, Titan and Noble. I put a pretty big dent in an 18-pack of Keystone Lights, too. Good night, indeed.
___________
I need some help from some veterans here. I have my Poker Tracker installed, along with Poker HUD, but cannot for the life of me figure out how to use it. If you read TripJax's e-tard post the other day, just multiply his lack of ability times about 5 to get the total e-tardishness that I possess.
I was able to get 200 hands e-mailed from PokerStars and somehow into Poker Tracker. I also had it open for a while with UB running and force/imported (?) a few hands while I was playing there. The question mark means I think I got them imported, it appeared they were accepting the hands, but afterwards, I could not find them.
So, imagine you are teaching a 3rd grade mathematics class and tell me what to do with the data or what to do with Poker Tracker to see some actual statistics. I would appreciate any help that I can get.
___________
Okie-Vegas is going to happen in 2006. Count on it. What I want from anyone that is interested in attending are dates that will work and dates that definitely will not work. I only have one date in May that is definitely out, but other than Mother's Day weekend(annual softball trip) I can make any other dates work. Especially this far out.
DuggleBogey commented yesterday and he will be joining us at the casinos. I haven't heard from Maudie, but I'm sure she will be game also. I'm going to talk to the powers that be at the Lodge about hosting the tourney on Saturday night. I'm sure there will be no problems with that, though, because they host tourneys all the time. I'll probably let my boy, Porkchop Fin, handle the tournament director duties, so I can concentrate on drinking, er, playing in the tournament.
I think if we plan this thing 6 or 9 months in advance and have a firm date, say, three months out, anybody that is interested will have the chance to be here. I can assure you it will be a LARGE time and you won't want to miss it.
__________
Gotta run, work beckons. Bowling tonight, but I will be home about 9:15 and immediately firing up Titan Poker.
Have a good 'un and say something nice to your spouse, if you have one. He/she will appreciate it.
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:31 AM,
,
Mid-Day Post Just For Jordan..........
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
.............and anyone else who happens to stumble or bumble their way through here.
Okay, if we're going to jump the gun on putting together a meet-up, we might as well completely jump the freaking gun and post some sort of schedule, right? Okay, kiddies, here's the itenerary. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Fire away.
No dates yet, as we have to finalize everyone's schedule, so that everyone that wants to attend has the opportunity and, of course, this agenda is "subject to change" based on the whims of every blogger that will be attending.
Location:Okie-Vegas
Note to East coasters: You will gain an hour of your life back on the trip here, but lose that same hour(and possibly many more, along with a billion or so brain cells) on your trip home.
Tentative plan: Fly into Will Rogers World Airport some time on Wednesday. Gary's shuttle service will run all hours necessary to transport willing combatants to and from the airport and the GCox25 household. I'll be the one at the bar, with a mullet, a wife-beater t-shirt and my truck will of course be the one that is "backed in" to its' parking spot with the "7 Time National Champions" bumper sticker. Oops, that doesn't narrow my truck down enough from all the others. There is also a "I Brake For Blondes" bumper sticker and slight hail damage on the hood.
After the shuttle service ends, we will load up and head to the Lucky Star Casino in beautiful Concho, Oklahoma for some No Fold Em Hold Em. I hesitate to call it a casino, because any of you who have been to Atlantic City or Las Vegas might have a hard time considering it a real casino. No free drinks and not your normal selection of table games. It is an Indian Casino, but....they do have a card room and that's what its' all about, right? ---Sling chips til we can't sling chips no mo---
Some time late Wednesday evening/early Thursday morning we will load up and head to the Redneck Riviera. Food, naps, jet-skis. This is really up in the air, depending on the dates we choose. Early in the year will be too cold to hit the water, but if we wait until the summer-time, we would have practically the whole lake to ourselves on a Thursday afternoon. This could also just be a quick tour of the "mobile" home and a stop-over for food and showers before we head back to Lucky Star for more poker on Thursday evening.(right here we could substitute a trip to a bar, strip club or just hang out either at the house or the lake, remember, I'm easy like that)
Friday morning-showers, naps and food.(or more beer, depending on the mood)
Friday afternoon we all head to the fabulous Thunderbird Wild Wild West Casino(T-Bird) just east of Norman to meet up with Maudie and DuggleBogey (assuming they haven't already joined us). Two tips from yours truly, just for my bloggin' buddies that might attend:
1) If DuggleBogey raises UTG, leave the card room for a smoke break.
2) If Maudie check-raises you in a pot, muck your hand immediately.
Don't ask me how I know.
Play at the T-Bird until we're spent and then head back to the GCox25 house. Note:T-Bird sometimes spreads Omaha 8b and if they do the night we are there, we are playing Omaha. Count on it.
Saturday morning/early afternoon-open to suggestions.
Saturday evening-MrsGCox25's shuttle service begins to and from El Reno for a NL tournament with as many people as I can round up. The room will easily accomodate 50 players and I think I can work a deal for them to deal also. They will charge a little "juice" and you will have to pay for drinks, but it is not too expensive out there. The juice will be nothing like a normal Vegas card room would charge. The reason for the Mrs. running the shuttle service Saturday night will be the possibility of over-indulgence by yours truly.(it could happen, especially if there is Tequila involved)
Sunday-sleep off a hangover, followed by a huge breakfast spread put out by the wifey and departures by bloggers. Depending on the number of people, we might have enough room at the house for everyone, rather than having to pay for a hotel room that you won't use. Also, if we stay overnight at the lake, we can sleep six in the trailer, pitch tents in the yard or get a motel room 50 yards from my trailer. It ain't much, but it's a bed.
Jordan commented on wanting to make this trip sans fiance Kim and I agree completely for this trip. If things go as I imagine they will, we can do a husband-wifey thing in Vegas or Atlantic City at a later date. This weekend will be full of degeneracy, brothers and/or sisters.
Of course, it is way too early to be doing this, but that's half the fun.
Now, who's down?
G
posted by GaryC @ 10:56 AM,
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About Mice And Men
"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." - Robert Burns
I post that quote because for the last three days, my plans have gone straight into the crapper. Case in point(1): I will not be headed to the lake on Thursday evening, as originally planned, because I have to stay and go to a fooking meeting on Friday at work. Case in point(2): I am not the "house" bowler that I thought I was up until this week. 189-193-180 for a 562 series. Case in point(3): Apparently, my plan to steadily build my bankroll back up after a nice weekend of profit is in the toilet also.
____________
My boss came to me yesterday afternoon as I was walking out the door to "ask" me if I could come to work Friday, rather than take off and head to the lake a day early. I highlight the word ask because it didn't appear to me that I had a choice in the matter. Like this place won't run without one cube-monkey? Bullshit!
_____________
I got to the bowling alley last night anticipating what I had been experiencing for the last 7 weeks or so since bowling league began. Wrong! Wherever my trusty shot was is anybody's guess, but it was nowhere to be found last night. I moved all around and never could locate a shot that I could hit consistently. No worries here, though. They were bound to tighten up the shot and it will just require a little more work to get back to where I was.
_____________
Actual poker content? Eh, two nights of losing to rivered 2nd pairs or gutshots or flushes. I'm getting to the point that I hate having a good hand and hitting a piece of the flop, because I know the ending oh so well. Luckily for me, I've caught on rather quickly and avoided the huge losses. It's always good when you know it's time to log off. I normally figure that out right after I've broken my mouse.
______________
Thanks to everybody who left a comment about my tilt post yesterday. I had meant to write that up yesterday morning, but ran out of time. It slowed down in the afternoon and I already had it written in my head, so I went with it.
Does that happen to anybody else out there in the blogosphere? Do you, while events are occuring, find yourself writing it up in your head before it is finished? It happens to me constantly. When the Cajunlady sucked out on me, as soon as I saw her two pair, I had the title of the post and most of the lines already written. It happens all the time.
My wife has even caught on now. She can tell by the look in my eye when something is happening that I am thinking of exactly how to write it up for my blog. The weekend we went horseback riding, she asked me on the way back to the barn, do you have a title for it yet? I said no, but I have the story about half-way written. I would be interested to know if anybody else thinks that way, too.
____________
When I got home last night, I logged on to find Jordan on-line as well, writing up his win from yesterday. He was finished, but we started discussing the possibility of a blogger get-together of our own in the future. Let me tell you right now, I am in, if it is at all possible. My wheels started spinning immediately and haven't stopped since I logged off last night.
I would love to go to the WPBT Blogger get-together in Vegas in December, unfortunately, the dates just don't work for me. I would really like to meet all of the people that I read everyday and that inspired me to start this humble, little blog, but that will have to wait until at least next year.
That being said, I would love to sling chips with the friends I have made in the SNG and HU Challenges. Talk about a weekend of tasteless jokes, drunkenness and degenerate gambling. How much fun would that be?
I'm trying to think of the places that are the most feasible to put this on and of how many of you would be interested. I'm not talking future, like next month, but some time in 2006, probably. I would love to do it sooner than that, but realistically, we would need time to plan the thing, plan the time off and work out dates to coordinate with everyone that is interested in attending.
My first thought was Vegas, because of the cheap packages, etc. Laughlin and Tahoe also came to mind, but aren't as attractive as Vegas, at least to me. New Orleans is now out of the question. How about Tunica? I've never gambled there, but it is right outside Memphis and I have been there. The airport is servicable for those flying. I could drive there in around 8 hours I think, that is if the price of gas isn't $10/gallon by then.
I know I am jumping the gun here, but who of you would be interested if we were to try and arrange this?
If it is only the "core" of our group, we could all meet in OKC and I would handle all the planning. We have two card rooms that are within 30 minutes of my house and I could arrange a bigger tournament out at the Lodge, also. I am up for this, most definitely.
Are you?
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:21 AM,
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Tilt
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
No, not the incredibly bad TV show on ESPN. The one force that we, as poker players, face from time to time. For me, personally, it was last night toward the end of my session.
I've been playing long enough and been through enough downswings that I don't really tilt anymore, er, very often. Last night, however, it happened. Thankfully, I realized it fairly quickly and was able to cool down, but for a minute there.........nuclear meltdown of the Nth degree.
Set-up: I had entered a $5 MTT on PokerRoom with about 800 of my nearest and dearest friends. Fold.Fold.Fold. and more Fold. Meanwhile, Ass-Hat to my right is running over the table like Bo Jackson ran over Brian Bosworth.(and yes, Will, it pains me to say that) He's raising every hand, hitting flops hard and sucking out when he's behind. I was incredibly patient.....until: A-2 suited in the BB. Folded around to Fucktard and he min-raises. I can hear the baby Jebus weeping in the background, so I re-raise. He calls and the flop comes A-2-J. Now is where I break out my "tricky" play. Check! He bets the pot and I raise the pot. He calls. Turn is a 3. Check! He bets the pot again and I reply with those three infamous words: "I'm all in!" He calls immediately and flips up J-8. WTF???? Of course, the river is a fooking Jack and IGHN. I was pissed and luck-box is typing into the chat "HaHaHa." Okay, simmer down, it's not the worst beat you've ever taken. He did have two outs. I closed PokerRoom and headed straight to the fishiest waters on the internet:Pacific Poker.
.50/1.00 Limit Hold Em 6-Max
Cajunlady is to my right and Roger.. is right of her. Again, fold.fold.fold.....aaaah.....A-K on the button. Raise! Roger and Cajunlady both call, out of position. Flop is K-8-3. Roger checks and Cajunlady bets, I raise and both call. Turn is a 2. Roger checks, Cajunlady bets and I raise again. Again, both call. River is a Q. Roger checks, Cajunlady bets and I raise, yet again. Roger folds and Cajunlady...re-raises? WTF? (Red flag landed on my keyboard) I re-raise and she caps......with Q-8 off-suit.
CajunLady shows two pair, Queens and Eights.
GCox25 mucks hand.
That did it. Over the edge with no hope of making it back to any sensible poker tonight.
GCox25: Nice call dumb a.s.s.
CajunLady: Are you talking to me?
GCox25: Sure am.
Roger..: She had odds to call.
GCox25: Maybe, only thanks to you, genius.
CajunLady: You're an idiot.
GCox25: Oh, I'm an idiot?
Roger: What did you have?
GCox25: None of your business.
CajunLady: didn't have s.h.i.t.
GCox25: had you beat til you sucked out.
CajunLady: sure you did
Roger: LOL
At this point, I couldn't type fast enough or come up with enough ways to get around the fooking censors, so I shut my mouth. I was steaming and logged off shortly thereafter.
I don't care who you are or how experienced you are, at some point, we all face tilt. It's embarrasing to admit, but hopefully, a part of the learning curve to avoid it in the future.
My "usual" form of tilt is known as "winner's" tilt. If I win 3 or 4 hands in a row and pick up J-6 off-suit, I'm in, fully expecting to flop two pair, right? Wrong, ass-hat, you've turned into a drawing donkey and will continue bleeding off any profit you've already made.
So, the question is, How do we avoid this situation?
I felt like I had it under control, for the most part, until last night's meltdown. So, that question is probably better answered by someone with more experience than me. I know it is something that I have to continually work at if I'm going to continue to improve my game.
I didn't tilt off alot of money last night, maybe $15 total, but the effects are terrible. I went to bed pissed off, woke up in a foul mood, and in general, am an unhappy camper today. Just because some chick from La. sucked out on me.
Let it go, Donkey, let it go!
****edit***** Now I'm on tilt at work. Fuck you, Frito-Lay! I never eat out of the vending machines at work, but this afternoon I felt a little hungry. Woot! Funyuns, my favorite snack. .75 cents, but at least it is a "Big Grab." Fuck you very much, Frito-Lay, nine freaking "onion-flavored rings." Blow me.
posted by GaryC @ 11:10 AM,
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Peace and Quiet
My personal Redneck Riviera is beckoning this weekend. We are scheduled to run Karaoke at the bar on Saturday night, but my personal plan includes driving down on Thursday night, in order to take full advantage of the rest and relaxation that comes with getting out of the city for three days.
Our lake place is about 60 miles south and west of Oklahoma City. The biggest town around there is Binger, the birthplace of Johnny Bench for any baseball fans out there, and it is not very big. In fact, you've heard of a one light town? Binger is a one light town, but if you are coming from the east or west, it is a no light town. It is like many of the small Oklahoma towns that were nearly decimated back when the oil went bust in the 80's. It is growing again, thanks to the comeback of the oil industry, but will probably never have the population it once had.
About thirteen more miles and you will run into our little slice of "getaway." Our trailer is situated in a "community" of trailers and cabins and homes. A few of the people live down there year round, but most, like us, commute back and forth to get away from the city. Our place is 100 yards from the store/bar/restaraunt/bait shop and about 300 yards from the water and the boat dock.
The thing that I like best about it down there is the peace and quiet. I love being the first one down there on Friday evening(or Thursday evening, in this case) and getting settled in. Once I have everything turned on and ready, I usually sit on the front porch, drink a beer, smoke a cigarette and watch the deer play, literally within 100 yards of my front yard. They occasionally are in my front yard, but they are always in the farmers' field directly beside my place. It's amazing, you think of deer as timid and gun-shy, running away at the slightest noise or distraction, but down there it is so quiet, there is nothing to scare them away, other than running at them like an idiot, screaming and waving your arms.
I'll sit on that front porch and watch the stars until all hours of the night. That's another major difference between down there and the city. I don't think of Oklahoma City as being a terribly smoggy city, at least compared to most, but it is. At night in the city, the stars are difficult to distinguish at best. At the lake, you can see every single star in the sky and point out the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, etc. with ease.
I'm really looking forward to getting out on the water and having a good time with my family this weekend also. In my never-ending pursuit of "balance", this will be one of our last opportunities to actually get on the water until next spring. We normally have our first frost on or around Halloween and that is the next time we are going to be at the lake, so this is it.
My kids don't fully appreciate what we have at the lake yet. They know they get to ride jet ski's and drive the golf cart entirely too fast down the gravel roads, but their comprehension of the ease of life down there is lacking. They've heard that fooking ambulance that parks across the street from our house and takes out every night with sirens blaring every day/night of their life, so they are accustomed to it. They hate the old couch that folds out into a bed, that they have to sleep in. They hate the one bathroom that all five of us have to share. They hate the bugs in the summer time. They hate alot of things about going down there, but one of these days, they will learn to appreciate it for what it is. Our "getaway."
__________
Not too much to report on the poker front. I played for a few hours last night and dropped about $20. I played with Jordan for a little while on a 1/2 table at UltimateBet and that is where my losses came from. Mainly from a hand that saw me flop top two pair with a LAG flopping the nut straight. Those pots get up there pretty quick at 1/2, especially for someone as protective of their bankroll as I am. I quickly decided that this table was not working for me and went to another and recouped most of my losses.
One thing I want to suggest in the future is not playing at the same tables, at least at 6-max tables. Sunday I played with 4 bloggers that I "know" and I found myself uncomfortable when it became a heads up situation. Last night, with Jordan directly to my left, I felt the same feeling. Now I am all for playing together on the same table with other bloggers because the chat is fooking hilarious, but I would suggest that we stick to 10 person tables or SNG's from now on. I just felt like I couldn't really play my game the way I wanted to play. Maybe it's just me.
_____________
Tonight is Men's night at the bowling alley, so I will be on for a short time before I leave and after I get home. Anybody want to guess what I shoot? The average is currently 226 on Tuesday night and I'm coming off three consecutive 700 series, so I will be looking for at least that much.
_____________
Thanks to all who commented on my hand from yesterday. If you read it and didn't comment, wtf? I can take it. I know some of you didn't agree with the way I played it, but I'm a big boy and can take criticism. Don't hold back, tell me how you would have played it next time. I'm going to try and do one of these a week from now on and I promise it won't always be a hand I won or a suck-out.
Special thanks to Chipper for stopping by. I have added him to my links on the right after visiting his blog. Nice poker chip pic's and a good writer, too.
Have a good Tuesday and remember, someone out there has it worse than you.
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:23 AM,
,
Hand History #1-Comments?
Monday, September 26, 2005
Okay, I said a while back that I was going to start posting a hand history once a week or so and get everyone's opinion as to how I played it. I posted most of this on saturday, but thought I might get a better response today.
The set up is this: PokerRewards .25/.50 Limit Hold Em. The table is very loose and I am up $5 or so, but have not played very many hands.
I pick up Q-9 on the button. Limpers around to me and I limp in also. Raise from the small blind, re-raise from the big blind, lose EP but others call back to the small blind who caps. 4 players call and see a flop.
I'm sure my call was too loose here, but like I said, I hadn't played very many hands thus far and there was a lot of money in the pot.
Flop comes A-K-5. Small blind bets, Big blind calls and MP raises. I call and they cap it, with four of us going to the turn.
Turn is a J and the same betting pattern continues,losing only MP, with three of us going to the river.
River is my beautiful 6. This time I put the capper on it and here is what is shown down:
Small blind has A-5 for two pair.
Big Blind has A-K for two pair.
Button(hero) has flush, clubs.
Button wins $20.37 pot with flush, clubs.
I'm pretty sure that my odds were good to draw after the flop and I'm also pretty sure that they weren't so good before the flop. Any thoughts? Was I just lucky or did I play a marginal starting hand with correct pot odds and implied odds? I also feel pretty confident that had I not hit any of the flop, I could have gotten away from the hand and, obviously, had my club not come on the river, I would have folded. Any comments, good or bad, are welcome.
I plan on trying to post one of these types of hands at least once a week, in hopes of generating some strategy comments and posts for a later date.
Thanks in advance.
G
posted by GaryC @ 10:20 AM,
,
Floppin' Da Nutz
Wow. What a freaking weekend of catching cards. Shhhhh! Do not tell Mr. Variance, because he obviously had me confused with someone else.
I had a fun hour or so last night on Titan Poker with Jordan, from HighOnPoker, Kipper and SirFwalgman. We were playing on a 6-max 1/2 Limit table and at one point I made the comment "Wow, 4 bloggers at this table." Jordan fires back "What's a blogger?" I'm thinking as hard as I can for a comeback and before I can type anything, SirFwalgman replies "a type of fish." I almost pissed my pants, funny stuff, SirF.
Always good to play at a table with fellow bloggers.
___________
Back to my title, it suggests that it was a very easy weekend to play my cards. That's about as honest as I can be. I flopped flushes that held up, full houses and nut straights, all.weekend.long. Basically, I just folded crap and played my strong hands and they held up, for the most part. I did get Aces cracked once (see previous post) but made them pay later with the nut flush. This was a weekend that was long overdue, in my book and I enjoyed it immensely.
___________
The weather has taken a turn to cooler here in Oklahoma. Not 40 degree cool, but anything below 95 degrees is a welcome relief these days. We are taking our final weekend on the water this weekend down at our lake place. I'm really looking forward to getting out and riding the jet ski's one last time before winter. I haven't fully decided, but I have my "birthday" day off to cash in and I am considering taking Friday off and heading to the "Redneck Riviera" on Thursday after bowling league. It's so nice to get down there and listen to nature, instead of the constant sound of squealing tires and sirens in the city.
___________
Kipper has a great post up about his family's "Ponderosa." Go over and give it a read. Good stuff, Kip, and I hope everything works out the way you want it to. He has also re-designed the look of his blog and I, for one, say it is a welcome change. The other one looked nice, but the new format is really nice and much easier to read. Good job, Kip.
___________
Also, keep Jordan in your thoughts and prayers this week. He is dealing with multiple things right now and could use good thoughts sent his way. Hang in there, brother, it will get better.
___________
That's all I got for today, except to say thanks to my e-mailing buddy from up north. I will talk bowling any time, brother, and I will gladly take advice from people more experienced than I. I'm pretty hard-headed and don't often heed the advice, but thanks nonetheless.
Have a good week and be nice to someone for a change.
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:52 AM,
,
A Little Saturday Humor
Saturday, September 24, 2005
I thought this was pretty funny, so I decided to share it.
.25/.50 Limit Hold Em at Poker Rewards.
I'm dealt A-A on the button and raise. Two callers.
I bet the whole way and a third heart hits the board on the river.
Winner has 10-6 hearts.
GCox25: great hand
BigSerg: pair of aces is the worst hand to get, never seems to win for me.
Koengroninge: same here
Stop tapping on the glass, G, at least you have found the right table.
Moral of the story:
GCox25 wins $7.20 with three of a kind, eights.
GCox25 wins $20.37 with a flush, Clubs
I ended up doubling up my buy-in in about an hour.
The 20 dollar hand above was capped pre-flop and on all streets with 5 pre-flop and four to the river. I'm assuming my call pre-flop was pretty poor, I had Q-9 clubs, but following the flop of A(clubs), K(clubs), x, I'm pretty sure I was getting the right odds to draw to the nut flush, which hit on the river. I'm surprised you couldn't hear me screaming CLUB! CLUB!
Let me know what you think.
G
posted by GaryC @ 2:10 PM,
,
Hit And Run
This will be quick, since I'm working this morning.
We ended up singing Karaoke until around midnight last night. I drove home and wasn't quite ready for bed, however. I felt a bit like SirFwalgman in that I just had to play a bit of poker when I got home.
I fired up a table at Poker Rewards and a table at Pacific Poker. I would have just played two at Pacific, but with their ancient, hideous software, you CAN'T play two tables at once. So, I went to work at two different sites on the .25/.50 Limit tables.
I drank about a two beers, played for about 30 minutes and doubled both buy-ins. Unreal, the cards I was catching last night. I flopped 3 or 4 flushes, hit some sets and even sucked out a gutshot straight draw. The best thing about it was that nobody else believed me. I was betting them hard the whole way and getting paid off handsomely on nearly all my hands.
When they finally started to act like they believed I wasn't bluffing, I logged off and went to bed. 6:00 am came early this morning, but that session was worth it to me, if just to build a little confidence back up.
Have a good weekend. I'll be back on Monday.
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:28 AM,
,
Attention:Okie-Vegas Posse
Friday, September 23, 2005
I have gotten the go-ahead from the powers-that-be to invite you to one of their No Limit Tournaments, if you are interested. Maudie and DuggleBogey, if you would like to play, here are the details:
Monday Night-Sept. 26-7:00 P.M.
$30 buy-in - T1500 in starting chips ($5 goes to the house)
$25 re-buys for an hour - $25 add-on at the end of the hour
10 minute levels starting at 5-10
Last week they only had 9 players, but they are expecting at least two tables this week. They have had as many as 36 players when I've been there.
Fish are prevelant, as are the soul-crushing suck-outs.
They pay back thusly:
$30 buy-in back to 3rd place. 70% of what's left to 1st and 30% of what's left to 2nd. I don't know about you, but I'm a chopper if I make it that far and we are even in chips. About half of the players there will chop and the other half won't hear of it. They will play to the death and it is usually their death.
I took 2nd last Monday and won $150.00 or so. I had $55 in it, only taking the add-on. There are always multiple re-buys by multiple guppies, so the prize pool is generally pretty good money.
I haven't been staying for the cash game afterwards, but it is a juicy game also. $1/$2 No Limit. There's usually at least $1000 on the table, but no big buy-ins, normally $100.00.
So, if you are interested, shoot me an e-mail or leave me a comment here and I will fill you in. I'm off at 4:30 Monday, so we could meet at my house and I will drive, if you want to do that.
G
posted by GaryC @ 2:09 PM,
,
Ramblin', Gamblin' Man
It's finally Friday and I'm tired as hell. It's been a long week at work and a long week at the poker tables in the evenings. It feels like I've worked 80 hours this week and it isn't over yet. The wife and I have karaoke shows tonight and tomorrow night in El Reno AND I have to work tomorrow morning at the real job. Not much poker for me this weekend until Sunday for sure.
I will apologize before I even get started here today. This is going to be a rambling post with little or no direction or meaning. I didn't come up with any theme or have any premonitions on what to post about, so here goes nothing.
___________
Bowling was a grind last night. Fooking ten pins are kicking my ass. I shot 192-211-257, for a 660 series. I also spared 11 ten pins in three games. Hmm, I wonder what I would have shot if all those ten pins would have carried? About 700, which has been the norm lately. I guess I shouldn't complain too loudly. The "house" changed the shot this week and has some of the other bowlers up in arms about its' difficulty. If anything, my shot has gotten better and easier to hit than it was before. The only difference I have noticed is carry.
____________
I got home last night early enough to grind away at the limit tables for a couple of hours. Up and down, up and down and finally up right before I logged off. Pacific Poker continues to be a gold mine. I have run my initial deposit of $100 up to almost $200 just by sitting back and playing patient poker.
Titan Poker, on the other hand, has not gone near as well as I had hoped. The bonus is clearing very slowly and the profit is not going at all. I'm at approximately 3000/3500 points toward the PSO promotion (9000 points) and I'm close to releasing the second part of their bonus. I can't remember if it is $10 or $20 increments, but I need it no matter how much it is. I've played my $100 deposit down to around $30 and could desperately use a good night on this site. It'll come, I'm sure, but I need to knock out the rest of those points to get my 9000 points from PSO.
One thing I'm looking at doing in the future is consolidating money. I certainly don't have the bankroll to keep half of it on Neteller at any one time, but I need to consolidate and pick a few sites and keep a bit larger amount on a few less sites. In the future, I also want to keep some money on Neteller just for PSO promotions and bonus chasing.
_____________
Kipper had a very funny post yesterday about my list of things to do before heading to my own private Redneck Riviera at the lake. Very funny stuff Kip, but the duct tape is for repairing everything at the lake, nothing specific. We will be heading back down to the lake next weekend and taking the jet skis out for one last ride before fall and winter gets here. I'm looking forward to it, since we've owned them for over a year and I've really only gotten to ride them, for any extended period, two times in that year.
We are coming into our busy season for karaoke shows also, so we will be busy making that extra money in the coming months. Starting tonight, we have 7 shows booked in the next 5-6 weeks. Our normal schedule is 2-3 shows per month but once fall gets here, we usually get busier.
_____________
This was going to be a long post, but work has reared its' ugly head, so I'm cutting her short. Have a good weekend and say a prayer for Jordan and his family.
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:36 AM,
,
Me and the Role of Underdog
Thursday, September 22, 2005
When the HU Challenge started, I dubbed myself the underdog from the get-go. There were a variety of reasons for that, which I will attempt to explain here today.
When we started the SNG Challenge, I really didn't know any of the other bloggers very well and had no ideas about their individual playing styles. I fancy myself to be a pretty good SNG player and felt like I could compete with any of them, especially at the full 10-person tables.
This proved accurate in the end, since I ended up winning that Challenge, but, as the Challenge progressed, I started realizing some differences in my game and their games. The biggest difference could be explained in one simple word: AGGRESSION. They had it and I didn't.
In a SNG, a patient, non-aggressive player can nearly always make it to the money (at least at the levels that I play) by sitting back and only playing primo hands. I am nothing, if not patient.
In a heads up match, a patient player(see:Weak/tight) A) folds too much, B) calls too much and C) rarely gets paid off on their big hands. That was exactly the case last night in the Finals. I told TripJax he was "reading me like a book," but, really, how hard is it to read when I fold 8 hands in a row and then fire a pot-sized raise out there? Think I finally picked up a hand?
My personal experience playing heads up matches was limited to the 2 or 3 practice matches that we played right before we started the challenge and to the times that I got heads up at the end of a SNG. Obviously, in the SNG examples, I was usually out-chipped by a great deal or held a commanding chip lead. Rarely, were they ever a true heads up test, where both players had about the same amount of chips. I had never played a single HU match until right before the challenge started.
Confidence: While I certainly don't lack in confidence in my abilities, I am also a realist. I think I'm a pretty good poker player, but seeing the differences in everyone else's game and my own had me a bit intimidated. Not to mention the three "high-limit" bloggers that joined this Challenge. Just knowing the limits that DoubleAs, Will-Wonka and Mourn played was more than enough to throw me off my game.
Psychology: I used the underdog role for my own state of mind more than to affect anybody else's mindset. I've played competitive team sports all my life and I've always played better in games that we "weren't supposed to win," against teams that were "better than us."
I knew going into this Challenge that every other person in this challenge was "better" than me when it came to playing Heads Up. I wasn't scared of anybody (okay, maybe DoubleAs) but I honestly felt like I was ill-equipped for this challenge in comparison to the other challengers.
All that being said, I'm also a fairly quick study and I pay fairly close attention when I play poker. Each and every one of you taught me something along the way that I still use in my game today. I thank all of you for the lessons, I am putting them to good use on the Limit tables.
My game has changed immensely during the last two months during these challenges. I never played a 6 Max table and I never played Limit Hold Em before. Now, it is my weapon of choice for clearing bonuses. That comes directly from playing with all of you. The suck-outs are sometimes soul-crushing and never-ending, but those times that you absolutely run over a table, controlling every move made by every player, are priceless.
I'm not sure where I was headed when this post started, but hopefully you all have a little more perspective as to where I'm coming from. I don't, for a second, think that I was the 2nd best HU player in this challenge. I know that I'm a good poker player, but I still feel extremely fortunate to have made it to the finals. I also don't want you to think that I'm happy just to have made the finals, because I fully intended to win last night. Am I disappointed to have lost? You're damn right! Am I pissed that I didn't play better in the 1st and 5th matches? You're damn right! Am I mad at the way the cards fell or the way TripJax played? Not for a freaking second. He played great the whole time and I felt overmatched from the start. Underdog would have been a huge understatement at the beginning of last night.
The End
posted by GaryC @ 10:38 AM,
,
"An Epic Battle Of Monumental Proportions"
Last night on UltimateBet, TripJax and I did battle in the best 3 of 5 HU Challenge finals. It was a great match all the way around and TripJax is the HU Champion after winning the final 3-2.
My "suck out better cards" strategy failed me in the final two matches but I have no complaints. Other than the first game, I played about as well as I could play. TripJax played great the entire time.
Here's a quick synopsis from memory:
Game 1-went exactly as our previous matches with me playing the part of "drawing donkey." I raised and called raises with any two cards hoping to catch a miracle and it never came. TripJax up 1-0.
Game 2-I buckled down and played tight from here on out. Kipper even commented something to the effect of "tighter than a school girl." Indeed, that was spot on. I also caught some great cards and won the 2nd game. Tied 1-1.
Game 3-same story as game 2. I continued to lay down marginal hands pre flop and caught enough cards to take this game down. This was also the game that I played the part of "straight-maker." I completed straights, hit gutshots and flopped the nuts more than a few times this game. Like Jordan always says, "it's easy with Aces." GCox25 up 2-1.
Game 4-pivotal game and one for the record books.....almost. 225 hand marathon, falling just short of the 232 hands that SteelerJosh and I played in the semi-finals. We both played well but at the end, the blinds were so high, we were more or less forced to push. I think the final hand was my A-9 against TripJax's A-7. A 7 came on the flop and sealed my fate. On to the final game. Tied 2-2.
Game 5-almost a repeat of game 1. I made some loose calls and TripJax continued to amp up the aggression and I found myself quickly in a 3-1 chip disadvantage. I honestly don't remember the last hand, so it must not have been too good. I know this, I lost to a better HU player for sure. Congrats, J.
The recurring theme of the night, and one which had been prevelant in my match with SteelerJosh earlier in the semi-finals, was this: They both seemed to have the ability to see my hole cards whenever I held a monster. It didn't matter if it was A-A, K-K, Q-Q or whatever. TripJax must have laid his hand down pre-flop 20 times during the 5 games when I held a monster.
After the first game, I desperately tried to vary my betting patterns, but what it came down to in the end was catching cards. I caught good cards during the 2nd and 3rd games and I didn't catch anything in the other 3 games. I think that right there defines who is the better HU player because if it comes down to the cards, anybody can win. It is how you play the bad cards in the long run that makes you a great player. TripJax is indeed a great player.
I want to send out my thanks to all the bloggers that dropped by to offer their best wishes and to railbird us while we were playing.
Kipper
Jordan, HighOnPoker
DNasty
SteelerJosh
Will-Wonka
DoubleAs
I think I speak for TripJax also, when I say how much we appreciated your support and well wishes. It was a damn.good.time.
Javon and I have become good friends during this challenge and I really appreciate his sense of humor and his style of play. Don't get me wrong, we were all nicey-nicey before hand, but when the games started we were both going for the jugular at every opportunity. But, when it comes right down to it, I would rather lose my money to a friend and fellow blogger than to some drawing donkey out there in never-neverland. You played great J and deserve to be the champion. I'm looking forward to the next challenge, although it appears that we may be taking a break until Jordan's wedding and honeymoon are over. Any ideas for the next challenge?
___________
After the finals, Jordan and I played a little low-limit monkey poker on Titan, working on our PSO bonuses. I think I ended up doubling up my buy-in and he was ahead too, when we quit. There really are some bad players over there and if you have not taken advantage of the Poker Source Online promos yet, you are truly missing out. Easy money and for your pleasure, here is a list of referral codes:
GCox25
HighOnPoker
TripJax
Kipper
Will-Wonka
DuggleBogey
That's all I've got in me this morning. We were both pretty drained last night after the 5 game marathon and I am feeling the effects of it this morning. Go read everybody that's linked in this post and to the right. Workplace productivity be damned!
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:54 AM,
,
"Quotes" Of The Day
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
MrsGCox25-"Jordan, what kind of odds are you giving on TripJax? My husband says he owns him."
-Hmm, traitor in my midst. I guess I will have to address this in the very near future.
MrsGCox25-"Hey, TripJax, please go easy on my husband and his spine."
-No argument there, at my age my spine is in bad enough shape already.
LilGCox25-"My Dad is a punk."
-Hmmm, perhaps someone is going to have a sad little Christmas this year. Punk? I know you are but what am I?
LilGCox25-"He couldn't heads-up his way out of a paper bag."
-LOL, not much I can argue about there.
LilGCox25-"He lies about his bowling scores, too."
-Alright, smart-ass, you're hitting below the belt now. I may lie about my poker expertise, my SNG success, the size of my ......., but never, and I mean never, have I lied about my bowling scores.
TripJax-"Society put GCox on the backburner of life..."
-Good lord, if you only knew how true that statement was.
Eh, we were just having a little fun with y'all this afternoon.
The countdown is under way to the HU Challenge Finals. Be there or be square.
G
posted by GaryC @ 1:59 PM,
,
"Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!!!"
Tonight's the night. Some time around 7:00 pm EST. UltimateBet. Be there or be square.
Back on August 15, 2005, 8 poker bloggers set out in what was billed as the "First Ever Heads Up Challenge." The 8 gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, entered the arena to do battle heads up.
Jordan from HighOnPoker.
DoubleAs, the prohibitive favorite.
TripJax, creator of the HU Challenge blog.
DNasty13, he of the cross country move during the challenge.
SteelerJosh, perhaps the most experienced at HU.
Mourn, the last entrant and a tough competitor.
Will-Wonka, another high stakes player to fear.
GCox25, yours truly, fresh off a victory in the SNG challenge.
After a grueling series of first round matches, that included a sudden death playoff for a few of the challengers, four semi-finalists proceeded to the second round of individual matches. TripJax, Mourn, SteelerJosh and yours truly continued on. After the second round matches were complete, two competitors are left to battle it out for all the marbles.
TripJax, who compiled a 9-3 record overall, including the sudden death matches and GCox25, who compiled a 7-3 record overall are set to do battle in a best 3 of 5 series to determine the winner. The winner will receive $125.00 for the victory and the 2nd place finisher will receive $25.00 as the runner up.
The matches are set for tonight at 7:00 pm EST and will be played on UltimateBet. Anyone interested in railbirding or chatting is encouraged to contact us either here or via IM chat. We would love to have as many railbirds, bloggers, namecallers, etc. as possible. That is half the fun of this whole thing, in my humble opinion and I think TripJax would agree.
Overall, the entire challenge, as well as the SNG challenge has been a blast. Certainly, winning has helped make it more fun, but just getting to know all the challengers and playing together at the same tables has made it all worthwhile. This will be my attempt to convey that to them. Thanks to each and every one of you for making it worthwhile. I have truly had a great time and would have regardless of the outcome of the challenges. I will be up for anything you all want to do in the future, for sure. In fact, I'm already looking forward to it.
____________
Bowling night featured yet another 700 series. 246-224-232 for a 702 series. Same story, second verse. If I could carry the ten pin out every time I hit the pocket, it would have been much, much higher.
Got home in time to see Jordan bust out of Pauly's B-Day tourney on Titan. What to do? Jump on Noble and fire up a 10 + 1 Million Dollar Challenge SNG. Jordan got knocked out around 5th, I think it was and I was short-stacked, but woke up with A-A in the big blind. After tripling up, I coasted to the money and started with my version of the aggressive maniac. Those two players didn't know what hit them. So, I'm on a streak of 1 in a row. Woot!
____________
On a sadder note, I want to send my condolences out to Jordan and his family on the loss of his Grandma. I know it's a hard time, brother, and I feel for you.
____________
That's it for today, look for the Challenge finals tonight and before they go to bed, hug somebody you love and for god's sake, let's be careful out there.
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:46 AM,
,
Live Tourney
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
I went out to the Lodge last night for a 6:00 meeting and lo and behold, my buddy, Josh, had thrown together a NL Tournament for right after the meeting. I hadn't planned on playing as money is tight with gas prices and all, but I have a hard time telling Josh no, so at 7:30 I had paid the $30 buy-in and was hovering around a card table with 8 others.
One hour later, we have lost one player and the re-buy and add-on has passed. I have to take the add-on, but had seen only two flops the entire time, both out of the big blind. So, I'm in for $55 and have approximately 2700 in chips. Roughly, 6th out of 8 people.
I continue my folding exhibition with such beauties as 8-3 off-suit and J-3 soooooted until three more players bust out. I look down UTG and find American Airlines and raise to $500. Chip leader calls and the flop comes A-9-3. Now, anybody in my shoes would have checked here, but I have played with the chip leader a few times and I felt like a bet would appear to him to be a continuation bet and that I was stabbing at the pot. So, I quickly fire the "same 500." He hem haws around for a minute and finally calls. Turn is a 10. I move my remaining stack all-in and he insta-mucks. I showed my set, not that the table had any doubt after a solid hour and a half of folding.
I continue to trudge on with frigid cards and we are down to four players. Third place pays just the $30 entry fee back and fourth gets nada. We are all discussing how tight I have played and how nobody wants to get involved in a hand when the other short stack says those three magic words from UTG. "I'm all in." I take a peek and find 6-6. I know Bake pretty well and he could be making this move with anything, trying to steal the blinds. I thought for a minute and figured I might not see a hand better than this, so I announced "I'm all in, too." Small blind folds and my buddy Josh, in the big blind, goes into the tank.
"I could take both of them out right here" he mumbles, trying to convince himself to make the call. He finally folds his K-10 off suit and Bake turns up ducks, 2-2. No help comes for either of us and I take him out. My sixes would have held up against Josh also, had he called. So, now I'm in third place and trying to figure out how to get around either of these other two players when Corey raises to 2000 and Josh goes over the top of him all-in. Hmmm.
I fold immediately and Corey starts thinking. He shows me his Q-Q and I can't believe he even has a decision. He finally calls and Josh turns up A-10. An Ace is the first card off on the flop and no Hilton triplet for Corey and HGHN.
I doubled up against Josh's 4-4 on the first hand of heads up with 10-9 suited, catching a 10 and a 9. I pushed him around with nothing but all in bets until he woke up with a hand against my Q-10. He had K-K and took it down. It was a good match and I caught a couple of hands at exactly the right time and was lucky to get 2nd. Cashed for $150.00.
Funny, we played for about three hours and I think I replayed every hand I was involved in right here this morning. Guess I was playing pretty tight, huh?
_____________
Don't forget Iggy's WPBT Tournament tonight on Titan Poker. I won't be able to play tonight because I will be at the bowling alley, but hopefully will be able to railbird at the end. Check out Iggy's or Pauly's blogs for the details.
_____________
Wednesday night will be the Showdown of all Showdowns. A collossal event in the history of on-line poker. The finals of the HU Challenge among a group of bloggers has come to a head and the best 3 of 5 series will be played out in its' entirety on UltimateBet tomorrow night.
TripJax and myself will be involved in this battle of epic proportions. Feel free to stop by and railbird. You can find us on UltimateBuddy - TripJax or GCox25 or on Instant Messenger under Tripjax or Gcoxy25. There should be a group chat room going also, so the more the merrier.
_____________
Have a good Tuesday.
posted by GaryC @ 5:51 AM,
,
On-Line Poker Rigged?
Monday, September 19, 2005
Having read numerous posts on the possibilities of on-line poker being rigged, I have come to the conclusion that I agree 100% with DuggleBogey's assesment. Do these people have any clue what they are doing?
I'm sure they are being completely honest when they say they have deposited $100 on said site and then been cold-decked, drawn out on and every other variable that makes someone a losing poker player. I bet they've also played a lot of hands they shouldn't have played, called to the river looking to hit a flush or gut-shot straight and, in general, played less than optimal poker. News flash for you ass-hat, you're not a very good poker player! Either do some studying or read some books or you will continue to experience the losses and it won't be because the site is rigged, it will be because you suck. (these are the 2+2ers and RGPers and forum posters that I'm talking about and to here)
Why is it that bloggers and most on-line poker players, in general, scoff at the notion of the sites being rigged? Because it would be ignorant for them to rig anything. They are experiencing a boom right now and making more money than they can possibly spend, why would they compromise their integrity by "rigging" games with cashout curse or whatever? That's right, they simply wouldn't do it.
Another reason we scoff at the "rigged" cries is the simple fact that, for the most part, we all make money playing this game. Sure, we experience down-turns and suck-outs and cold decks, but overall, we are winning players. I am a winning player overall on-line. Granted, I play mostly low stakes compared to others out there, but over the long haul (year and a half, now) I have consistently made money.
This isn't to say that I am a winning player on every site I've been on, because that is not the case at all. Party Poker, the most notorious of the fish-filled waters on the net, has taken three buy-ins from me with nothing to show on the positive side. Do I play differently at Party than the other sites I play on? Nope. Is it rigged so that I cannot win there? Nope. Do I experience normal variance that probably would have happened no matter the site? Exactly!
I will eventually put more money back on Party Poker, because of the reputation and I will eventually make money there. I have no doubt about that. To think that they have "rigged" the random generator or anything else in favor of certain players is ludicrous.
I wonder how often these people complain when their gut-shot (4 outs or less) hits on the river to scoop a pot? Not very often I would imagine, as it probably never enters their thinking.
I have been in the middle of a down turn in my profitability for the last 10 days and it has nothing to do with any site being "rigged." It has everything to do with normal variance. In the grand scheme of "one long session" one can expect for his Aces to get cracked occasionally. One can also expect a "big blind special" where your 8-3 off-suit flops a full house in an un-raised pot about the same amount of time. Maybe a little less, but you see my point.
So, in closing, to all the bitter ass-clowns that claim on-line poker is rigged, let me tell you I hope you believe that is true and I hope you will continue to try and "prove" your theory. I need as many morons as possible at my table, in order to make my job easier. Thanks for the donation and have a good time in your bitter, little, imaginary world.
posted by GaryC @ 10:15 AM,
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Monday Blues
Why is it so hard to come back to work when you had almost a three day weekend? I took off at noon Friday and ended up working harder that afternoon than I would have had I stayed at work. It took me 8 beers, er, three hours to push mow my yard at the lake. True enough, I did drink 8 beers whilst mowing and I wouldn't have gotten to do that had I stayed at work, but the work was harder, just the same.
We had a big time and true to form, I bubbled out of the dart tournament in 3rd place, one spot from the money. It doesn't matter if I draw the best player or the worst player, it seems I am destined for third place. I drew a girl Friday night and she wasn't very good, but, as is always the case, I was on fire and we took down a few matches early on. Unfortunately, the consumption of beer took its' toll and it became increasingly difficult to focus on that tiny little dart board. Could have been the whiskey, but I'm not sure. All in all, though, a great time as usual.
The water was choppy, but we had the lake practically all to ourselves. After some ernest searching, we found a cove that was out of the wind and rode til our hearts were content. I'm sporting a bright red sunburn on my arms, legs and face today, but it was worth it.
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Jordan has the first installment of his bachelor party shenanigans up and it is a good read. Quad Aces and got paid off, huh? Nice report brother.
TripJax has his "Gus Hansen" story up and it is also an excellent read. It is so cool when we "know" people that share these kinds of stories. It allows us the opportunity to live vicariously through others that share the same dreams as the rest of us. I would love to have the opportunity to check-raise Gus. Re-Raise, biatch! Good story, J.
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Remember that Iggy is hosting the next WPBT event this Tuesday on Titan Poker. Go by Kipper's blog for all the details or check out the Blogfather. Unfortunately, I will be stuck at the bowling alley and unable to play in this one, but all readers and bloggers that can, should definitely give it a go. You will see and hear things at those tables that are worth the price of admission, even if you get cold decked and have to push it all in with J-5 off-suit.
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Finally, TripJax and I are proud to announce that the Finals of the HU Challenge will take place this Wednesday night on UltimateBet. I was lucky enough to get past Mourn last night and punch my ticket to the finals. I was unlucky enough to have TripJax waiting for me there, as he has spanked my ass in the two previous heads up matches.
Anybody that would like to railbird those matches (it is a best 3 of 5 series) is more than welcome. The more the merrier. If you have UltimateBuddy downloaded, look for TripJax or GCox25. We will also be available on IM and there will probably be a group chat room going, as well. Come out and sweat your favorite or not-so-favorite blogger, whichever the case may be.
I want to send out my good luck wishes to TripJax now, because after my "suck out better hands" strategy has its' way, I am sure hoping to be out in front. Good luck, J.
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That's all I got for today, have a good week and MIH! somebody for me.
G
posted by GaryC @ 6:44 AM,
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Ticket Punched Part Deux
Sunday, September 18, 2005
TripJax punched his ticket to the finals of the HU Challenge early last week and has waited patiently for the rest of us to finish our matches. The wait is over and the Finals of the HU Challenge can begin at his earliest convenience.
I managed to slip past Mourn tonight in our 2nd round match and finished the 2nd round with a 2-1 record. The match with Mourn didn't take long (60 or so hands) and really featured alot of folding by both of us. The fateful hand had Mourn flop top pair with Q-7, but I had flopped top two with Q-9 in my hand. Neither of us played very inspired poker, I was just lucky enough to catch some good flops. Good match Mourn, I really enjoyed it.
At the start of this challenge, I had no grand plans of making it this far and to be honest, I was lucky to make it this far. Don't get me wrong, I think I've come a long ways since we started this in short-handed situations, but I still feel like luck has had more to do with my wins than any particular skill that I have shown.
All that being said, I will be trying my hardest to beat TripJax in the 3 out of 5 finals. My record against him is horrid, but I will be employing the old faithful "suck out better cards" strategy that has worked so well for me in the past. Good luck, J, I'm looking forward to it.
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This weekend was filled with water hijinx and boozing until all hours of the early morning. It took me eight beers, er, three hours to mow the yard down there with my push mower. What a bunch of bullshit. I've got somebody coming by to look at the riding mower, because I won't be pushing it again.
We spent two hours on the lake saturday riding the jet ski's. There was hardly anybody else on the water because it was so windy, but we found a cove on the south side of the lake and got out of the wind. Big fun was had by the Cox family this weekend.
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Jordan is having his bachelor party this weekend, so be sure and check out his blog, High On Poker, in the coming days for a great Atlantic City write-up.
When I wrote my post on Friday regarding all the blogs that I read on a regular basis, I purposely left out most of the people in my links. I didn't mean to slight any of you in any way, I was just trying to make a point regarding my blog. I read everyone in my links every day, unless I am just covered up at work.
I link to people for a few different reasons, but my logic is simply that, my logic. Certainly if someone stops by my blog and comments and asks for a link, I am more than happy to oblige. I remember when I started this, what if Jordan hadn't taken the time to help me? I also link to people that link to me. I think that goes without saying, but I feel if they take the time to link me then they deserve the link from me.
Do I think that everybody that stops by here will enjoy everybody that I have linked? Not a chance. Everybody has different tastes and different feelings involving how to link, who to link and what to link. I certainly want anyone that comes by here to visit all the bloggers that I have linked, but if you don't enjoy their blog, it is very simple, don't click back over there. I find something enjoyable from all the blogs I have linked, but that may not be the case for everybody else.
Have a good night.
G
posted by GaryC @ 6:38 PM,
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A 1/2 Day Of Work, Some Live Play & The Blogfather
Friday, September 16, 2005
Wow, it's finally Friday and I'm sitting in my office in stunned amazement, still!
Yesterday I wrote about how I'd lost my weight recently after reading a Pii On Poker post. I went into detail about the diet and what I had given up to accomplish my goals. blah.blah.blah. I stand up to go clock out about 4:25 and click over one more time and have 1 new comment. Hmm, I wonder who that could be? Jordan, TripJax, maybe Will-Wonka? Uh no, it was the BlogFather himself, Iggy, from Guinness and Poker.
As I sat here in disbelief, it occurred to me, this is a pretty big freaking honor. I know my content strays from poker from time to time, but basically, this is a poker blog. I also know that the entertainment value from this humble, little blog is well below standard. Hell, I read blogs all day, I know where all the entertaining ones are. You want excellent poker strategy? Go check out DoubleAs or HDouble. You want links to everyone and everything poker in the blogosphere? Go check out Iggy or Pauly. You want funny? Check out BG, Bobby Bracelet, AlCantHang or DuggleBogey. You want serious, thought-provoking posts? Again with the BG or check out Maudie or JoeSpeaker or Mean Gene. I could go on and on and on and on like this.
And still yet, this humble little blog was visited by and commented on by the Blogfather. Fuck, I'm still amazed and extremely appreciative. If you are interested and haven't already read it, check out his latest Uber-post. I got me a little pimpin' action too. Thanks again Iggy, you made my day.
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Poker content, right? This is a poker blog after all. You'll remember that I had to skip bowling league last night in order to attend a lodge meeting. Well, after we initiated a few new members, we grabbed ourselves a cold beer and a freaking Hold Em tournament broke out.
Four players, $20 freeze-out with insane blind structure. Perfect! I didn't have time to stay out there all night, so this should be over with fairly quickly. No notable hands, but I ended up all-in from the short-stack with Q(Paris)-9 suited. Nicky showed up on the flop along with a couple more 9's and I was back in business. I outlasted two others and got myself in position to discuss a chop and it was done, quickly. I was in a huge hole and ready to go home, so I took my $10 profit and ran.
I played for a half hour after I got home and chatted it up with Jordan and Will-Wonka. No eventful hands for me and I dropped about $20 in that time. Will said he was still running bad and believe me, I know where he's at right now. Not in the amounts of money, but as a percentage of bankroll, brother, I am right there with you. Keep the faith, you know it will turn around. I know it will turn around. These ass-hats didn't learn how to play overnight, they're just getting lucky and it will turn around. Keep the faith.
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On the personal front, I am headed to my own, personal Redneck Riviera in about 4 hours. I'm taking off work at noon and headed to the lake place to get the yard mowed and the jet-skis ready for a day on the water tomorrow with the wifey. Much-needed personal time and probably a welcome break from playing poker. We all know a break can do us good, but who wants to take a break when the Poker Machine is bing-bing-binging with IM messages from bloggers wanting us to play? Certainly not me, I don't care how -EV the proposition is.
I hope everyone has a great weekend and catches that miracle gutshot to lay a horrific beat on some unsuspecting donk. When that happens, give them a MIH! for me.
See ya.
G
posted by GaryC @ 5:28 AM,
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