Dnasty13's Poker Blog

Still Around

2008-08-05T08:55:00.002-04:00

Might begin posting more once my Fall Poker League starts up in September. New house, 3 classes and work make little time for poker. Will try to play in Dr. Pauly's tourney tonight.

Remembering BS

2008-02-26T14:56:00.000-05:00

Over the last couple of days I have been getting in trouble with AK. I have been running into situations recently where I am calling big raises or all in preflop with AK. What worries me is that I don’t think enough before calling, I just call. I used to take pride in my ability to fold AK in certain situations. For some reason I can’t find the fold button. Of course the situations where calling with AK or reraising all in with AK is the correct move (short stack, etc), I seem to still be playing correctly. It’s those situations when a normal player thinks my AK is probably not good here, that I am messing up right now.

Just as a reminder to myself.

I CAN EASILY FOLD AK.

Not Prepared

2008-02-25T13:11:00.001-05:00

That’s how I felt going into the Stud Tourney on Saturday. I had read up briefly on some strategy for Stud Tournaments but nothing really substantial. It didn’t make a difference after I realized we were playing NL STUD. Yes that’s right, NL STUD. Which I have never played or really even seen before. It was all kinds of fucked up. I went out before the second break and was happy with that it happened. Imagine being in one mind set and ready to play a certain game that you haven’t really played before. Then imagine that game being entirely different than from what you imagine. I was on GAME tilt. Now a major tournament (see last post) for this type of Stud is in 2 weeks, so I need to prepare. I have some ideas of how to now adjust my play, but does anyone have some suggestions? Of course other than don’t play.

New League

2008-02-22T12:59:00.001-05:00

I am in a poker league that has a Stud Tourney this weekend. It’s a cheap buy-in, so I don’t mind that I haven’t really played stud except for once or twice. This league consists of several regular events consisting of Holdem, Omaha, Stud, & Crazy Pineapple for a 15$ buy-in. 3 major tourneys consisting of Omaha, Stud, and Crazy Pineapple for a buy-in of 25$ and a Main Event (Holdem) for 50$. Also, a final tourney for the top point earners. Some cash for KO leaders and points leader at the end of the season.

It’s a well run league, there are 9 people that run it and at each tourney they all have a responsibility. One person runs the software, one runs the buy in, one records the knockouts paper and some one else does the chip ups during the breaks. They are all considered dealers so you never have to deal. You sit down and this person deals for the table the whole time, which works well when you have tournaments beside holdem. I love that they do this and I am sure it makes it easier to run the league, I hate running a tourney myself, I always feel rushed at the beginning and like everyone else is just sitting around waiting for me. Which they usually are.

The first tournament (Holdem) had about 40 people but I missed the tourney. The second event was an Omaha tourney had 29 runners and I was able to make the final table, money and earn bonus league points. We will see how Stud goes as I am trying to quickly read up on some strategy. Our next tourney in 2 weeks is the Stud Major, so I need to get up to speed fairly quick.

Watched FTOPS #17

2008-02-18T19:26:00.005-05:00

Anybody else catch the later stages of this tourney. When I logged on to FT at 6PM on Sunday, John Newcombe if I remember correctly was sitting at ~35,000. The blinds were something like 2500/5000 with 200 antes. This is from memory so not sure. His M was clearly under 10. Everyone on the rail was calling him an idiot for not pushing with any 2. He was content to blind down if needed. He was in 19th place out of 19 remaining. Payout was appr. $ 8000. 90% of the rail was continuing to criticize his play. Fast forward several hours later and he goes out in 4th for a 170000+ payday. Unreal. I'm not sure really what it says about his strategy but it was pretty amazing to see.

I still dance a fine line when dealing with M and the end of tourneys. When I first read Harrington on Holdem, it took awhile for me to correctly play his strategy when your M is 10 or less (basically I played poorly for several tourneys). Eventually I had deeper thoughts on M...but I deleted all my old posts.

New Meaning to Pain at the Pump

2008-02-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

The pain Exxon executives feel in their backs from carrying bags of money around.

Exxon set an annual profit record by earning $40.61 billion last year - or nearly $1,300 per second in 2007

Life Update

2008-01-23T14:49:00.001-05:00

Finish Masters Program

Move back to Michigan (staying with family)

Michigan economy sucks

Find job (not ideal job)

Wife can’t find job (specialized job in a non-profit field)

No privacy

I’m in a rut…

Pics

2008-01-17T22:53:00.001-05:00

Some cool pics I found on my camera. Camping in early November on the river.

Home Game League

2007-12-19T21:18:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday was the TOC of the live league I have been running for the last 6 months. The league was fairly successful with 11 full-time members, with the TOC paying out $600 to first, $300 to second and $105 to third.

Here are the basic rules we used:

The Tournament of Champions will be held after 6 regular tournaments. To be eligible to be in the Tournament of Champions you must be a Full Member. A Full Member is any member that has paid in full the total TOC rake for the season. The number of entrants in the TOC will be determined by the number of Full Members of the Detroit Poker League.

Up to 11 Full Members = 5 top point earners in TOC with 3 places paying out.
12-13 Full members = 6 top point earners in TOC with 3 places paying out.
14-18 Full members = 8 top point earners in TOC with 3 places paying out.

3rd In the TOC will win total of 1 Full Members TOC Rake for current season.

All TOC Rake will be kept in the TOC pot, even if a player drops out during the season.

Point Structure for the TOC taken from Poker Stars Tournament Leader Board system.

To accumulate points towards the TOC, your TOC rake must be current.

Here are some of the issues we had:

People playing for points not to win the tourney, this started with the first tourney.

Non-League members taking advantage of the people playing for points.

People dropping out thinking they can’t make the TOC, not wanting to continue to pay the league rake. Usually after they missed a tourney.

Nobody wants to play anything other NL holdem standard tourneys.

Any suggestions would be appreciated; we plan to start again in January. We are considering a TOC that includes everyone or just winners of a tourney. A TOC with points leaders with more chips, etc. I am open to anything.

Is this thing on? tap..tap..Can anyone hear me?

2007-11-09T23:50:00.000-05:00

I'm playing poker online more frequently now, so I decided that I should start this thing back up. I would be kidding if I said it had nothing to do with this. If its still missing, fill in my name for event #9 The Mookie. It also has to do with SteelerJosh posting a little more frequently also.

In my win of the Mookie at one point in the tourney, I was one of the big stacks at the table. Someone raised all in for under 900 chips. I was at about 8600 or so. I reraised (too big) to isolate, then the other big stack pushed all in. The 2 other people left in the hand both commented about their holdings giving me some more information. I would have 5000+ left if I fold, I think the other stack had me covered if I call. I felt extremely comfortable at this blind level with 5000+ stack, I also felt that the push over me was not a "move" (he had me covered but barely). These numbers are not exact, but with all the money involved I am getting the correct odds.

At this point I folded because I thought I was beat. I made a mistake with the size of my isolation raise, why compound it by making a 2nd mistake(although probably correct with any two oddswise) in the same hand. I quickly move past my mistake.

Fast forward to Riverchasers on Thursday. I raise in middle or early position to steal with some stupid hand like A3x. The raise with that hand was a tired raise, I was literally falling asleep playing. I havent stayed up for a tourney during the week and then have to work the next day in a long time. I was wiped out, plus we were in a hotel so my sleep was not good. Anyways I get reraised all in for all my chips, pots odds say call my gut says I am dominated. I fold again this time and I believe I was right. But this time I don't just shrug it off, I quickly donk it off in the next hand. I called an all in after a raise and a reraise with KX diamonds. I had no clue there was even another player left to act.

Point is, we are all going to make a mistake or four during a tourney, its how we limit those mistakes and then move on from them that allows us to be successful.

It feels so good to be back...

Long time coming...

2007-01-21T00:55:00.000-05:00

"Last words are for fools who haven't said enough" Karl Marx

I haven't said enough but it is time to go. I will still read and play in some of the blogger tourneys, but this blog has been dead for awhile.