Here's the slightly extended Vegas trip report, though I'm sure I'll forget some details because I've been back since Wednesday night.

So a few hours after getting out there my first night, CrazyMike and I played our $10k HU LHE freeze out. He met up with me at the Bellagio and I was in a 100/200 must move game. Lots of my MN poker friends wanted me to sell them a piece of my action in the freezeout, and a few of them were planning on coming with to the Venetian to sit at a table right near us and watch it from afar while playing a 9/18 mixed game for fun. So before leaving, I asked Mike if we could either up the stakes or play for more $, and so he said "ok lets make it $12k instead of $10k," and so then I let four friends each have $500 worth of me and then that way I still got my $10,000 worth like I wanted.

I got off to an early $2000ish lead, then he stormed back and took a $7000 lead while running pretty hot, then I ran hot for about one hour and Mike tilted some in my opinion and I got back to being up $5000. Around this time, the following hand occurred that really changed the whole direction of the match:

CM raises, I call in the BB with 5c3c. Flop 9s6c3s and I check/call. Turn 2c so now I have a pretty big draw in addition to my pair. I checkraise, CM 3-bets, I call. River 4s, giving me a straight. I checkraise, and CM calls... With 7s2s for the rivered flush. Basically from this pot on, CM started winning every pot, and in under two hours after my stack had $17,000, I was down to zero. It was surreal, he was literally winning 8-9 of every 10 hands we played. Anytime I would have him dominated, he'd flop or turn a pair (ie 4 bets going in PF I have 88 he has A4, turn an ace; etc), or any time I would flop a pair he'd somehow make something better. I've probably never felt so helpless live; it's pretty tough to lose 85BBs HU in such a short amount of time.

The next night I rebounded to win $7k in 100/200, and then the next night we finally got a $200/400 started and I won another $10,000 in that session. The next night we got a 4 handed $200/400 started with me, BK, Vandiesel and another guy named Rich who plays alright. It wasn't that good of a game, and broke a few hours after it started since nobody else ever joined, and I lost like $4500 in that game and then another $2500 in $100/200... So push me back to about even on the trip. The whole rest of the trip no games bigger than $100/200 ever went, which was pretty disappointing considering the night I landed in Vegas Ray and others had told me every night for two weeks straight they had black chip LHE games going. I've had pretty bad luck my last several poker trips at timing my presence when bigger games are going... I just always seem to miss them.

Anyway, the second to last night in Vegas, BK and I were in a $100/200 game and I was wearing my headphones, when I hear BK shouting something over to Aaron Katz at another NL game... I perk up and realize that Aaron is offering the NL players at his table $1000/hr to play him $500/1000 HU. BK and I both tell Aaron we'll take that if none of them well, and he initially turns us down... Soon after, his game broke and he decided to let one of us play. Since BK asked him first and was instrumental in getting us the opportunity, he ended up getting first dibs, and sold me half his action. We won $50,000 in 2hrs and 40mins before Katz quit out of frustration over how hot BK was running (yeah, he was running well), though I'm also pretty sure BK had an edge vs Katz and had him fairly off balance.

The $100/200 games I played in were mostly super duper good. Here's a few hands from one night against the same guy:

Drunk not-good player straddlers, I 3-bet next in with A4o (debatable, whatever...), all fold to him and he calls. Flop 448 and he check calls. Turn ace and he checkraises, I 3 bet, he calls. River Jack and he again checkraises and pays off my 3-bet. An hour or so later, the guy on the other side of this guy tells me my opponent had J3o this hand...

Against the same guy a few hours and many drinks later, he again straddles... I 3bet first in with 66, and the CO and button call. He 4-bets, and we all call. Flop 887. He checks, I bet, everyone calls. Turn Ten, same action. At this time, he announces, "dealer give me a five!" 5 on the river. He bets. I call, other two guys fold. He stares at his hand for a solid 20 seconds, looking back and forth between his cards and the board. "Shit, I misread my hand" he declares and tells me good call. He begins sliding his cards towards the muck, then peels up his 64o for me to see, then continues sliding it forward... Then, for whatever reason, he decided to flip up his hand for everyone to see what he was misreading, and the dealer immediately pushes forward the cards to make him an 8 high straight.

I didn't mind too much, I'm 100% certain he wasn't slow rolling me and he genuinely had drunkenly decided he had 6 high and not a straight. We had been pretty chummy for several hours, he was calling me his "son," and he was grateful when I went back to my room to get him my ipod charger so he could get his ipod charged. All those factors, coupled with him apologizing profusely as he dragged the pot, lead me to believe it was an honest mistake. I did quit my session after this hand (mainly because it was 11am and I had played 15+ hours straight and I was going to be quitting then anyway since I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer).

I returned home with a fairly profitable trip, but am also disappointed I did so poorly in the 100/200's. The games were great, and I went through a stretch where I had AA lose 6 of 7 times, and QQ lose 4 straight times to ridiculous monster suck outs, and I also went through a $26,000 downswing over a couple day stretch in 100/200.

Hands like these seemed to be the norm for several days:

I raise TT in MP, get 1 cold caller, and the BB calls. T62 flop. BB bets, I raise, a fold, BB 3bets, I 4bet, he calls. Turn Q and he checkraises, I 3bet, he 4bets, I 5bet, he calls. River J, he bets, I think for a long time and call, and he has QQ. I guess if there's ever a time to not 3-bet QQ preflop in a multiway, it would be when your opponent is going to flop top set and you are going to turn your Q.

With that, I'm done typing for this blog, and with a promise that I'll be from this day forward updating my blog at least twice a week.

I'm in Vegas, where I've been since Wednesday evening. It's been tough to update my blog since out here because my laptop stopped recharging (I think because my cat has chewed up the power cord a lot and that's finally given in). In anycase, so far while out here I played Crazy Mike in a HU freezeout and lost, but since then have done quite well in $100/200 and $200/400, and am now up $10,000 so far this trip.

Because of my laptop situation the second part of my tourney rant I've been promising forever will have to be delayed. Likewise, I'll type up a more thorough Vegas trip report once I'm back in MN whenever that ends up being.

This month it feels like I've been on the gogogo, which I guess is good in some ways, though leaves me with all too rare moments to step back and reflect. One vague general idea I wonder about is: just how often do I get married to the idea/thought of something, and then too rigidly stick to the idea in my head simply because I've either built it up so much, or because it's easiest, or who knows what other motivating factors make me unneccessarily stuck on it?

In poker terms, this could be as simple as forming a fairly specific read on the flop or preflop, and then sticking to it on the river even though the turn and river action/board might be suggesting you need to change your read. In this case, you got married to your first read, and probably due to pride and hoping to see you were right and oh-so-smart, your ego perhaps gets the best of you and it ends up hurting you. Or maybe you are playing someone HU, and early on he does one or two "dumb" looking things which make you decide "this guy sucks," when really an hour later you realize "he isn't playing too bad after all, maybe those first things I saw were image plays, or maybe even they were correct plays on a broader theory of poker level?" When this happens, how often do we end up continuing to play him just because we're romanticized on the notion that the other guy probably does suck -- in despite of a critical look at the evidence suggesting otherwise.

In other aspects of life, this is sometimes even easier to apply. For instance, I can think of times either friendships or dating type relationships have kept on longer than they probably should've, simply because both parties involved become married to the idea of the relationship being great, while clinging to the early experiences (that perhaps were), even though all later indications are that things need to end or change substantially.

So then tying this all together and making it pokerish, I wonder if being successful at poker requires a certain level of perceptiveness and strong grasp on reality and being able to quickly recognize when change is needed -- or if to some extent there has to exist within a poker player that clasping at the unknown, the unreachable, the longing for that perhaps unattainable perfection that we all sometimes get hopelessly married to? Or else it's probably an irrelevent, moot point and anyone from all ends of the spectrum can succeed at poker.

My next blog will finally be part 2 of my tournament rant. I've been pretty inactive with online poker this month. I hope to change that in December, one way or another. If I don't feel like LHE I'll start playing more mixed games or else NL, just for some variation. I pride myself on not forcing myself to play if I don't feel like it (I don't think I play as well if I'm playing when I don't want to be), and this month I've rarely felt like playing online. I've played a fair amount at Canterbury and have done pretty well relative to the $30/60 stakes, plus I've been generally enjoying myself too which is nice.

Lately I have really been feeling like playing more live poker, and it's a shame that the only place I live close enough to go play at spreads 30/60 as its highest game. Last night I went to Canterbury for 4-5 hrs and played 15/30 until we were finally able to get a 3-handed 30/60 game started....An hour after starting it 3-handed, it was a full 9-handed game -- odd. I won $1300 on the night in a great game.

Recollecting a story told to me I think during the 2006 LAPC in February, it is funny comparing that to my own reasons for going to play sometimes at Canterbury... I'm going to withhold their names in the story, even though I don't think either would care if I revealed them. So Player A, a very good player who was in LA with us, began by talking about his beginnings with poker at Canterbury, probably about 6 or 7 years ago, and his rise in poker infamy. Then he began talking about Player B (not in LA with us at that time), also a very good player and a very good friend of his. Player B was a few years younger, and began playing at CB a year or two later. Player A was kind of the dominant force in the 30 game back then, when Player B began playing in it. Player A sort of made it his quasi-goal to "test" out this new kid and see what he was really made of, basically by constantly 3-betting him, constantly making plays at him, and just in general trying to see if this new kid could get rattled or if he really had it. One day Player B even approached Player A away from the table, asking, "do you think I can make it as a poker pro?" Player A hastily responded something like "not a chance [semi-jokingly, though unbeknownst to Player B]," to which Player B told him something like, "I'm going to make it." The story continues with A realizing that finally B wasn't backing down, and properly playing back at him when he should, folding when he should, etc. So Player A started backing off against B, and the mutual respect was born. Player A would continue to do this versus the new young blood as they rose into the "big game" at Canterbury -- to which many rose to his challenge, and others too have fallen. In fact, I remember the first few times I played against him at Canterbury, and the very same type of thing happening to me. It wasn't even an ego thing really -- I think it was more so like a right of passage.

So here we are near the end of 2007, and when I go to Canterbury to play, I am one of the "veterans" of that game now. In fact I even have some of the 20 year olds who play there and I'm friends with calling me an old man (I turn 24 soon). If my memory serves me correctly, I've been playing in the 30 at Canterbury somewhere close to 4ish years (maybe more maybe less, I'd have to sit and think about it to give an actual correct number). When I go there and sit down to play, I'm one of the "proven" ones, and there's usually at least a few "kids" in the game who think they're poker professionals but have one, maybe two years of experience under their belt lifetime. And not to say that I'm gunning for them, but I definitely am going to try to throw my shots and see where they land against them. There's some who I just kind of want to tell them, "you know, maybe poker isn't the thing for you." Then others, who I form that impression about, then play with them again months later and decide, "hmmm maybe he can actually make it." Of course, unlike Player A, I could never actually tell them I don't think they could cut it if that's what I thought (taking that back, there are definitely some who I could). And then there's times I just want to preach some things to them, but rarely ever do, because those type of life lessons you can only really learn on your own by experiencing (not to say I know all the answers, cuz I don't, but the choices a lot of young poker pros make aren't always the greatest).

A couple afternoons ago I had one of the worst short sessions I think I've ever had, losing something like $26,000 in 200/400 in about 130ish hands. Last night I went to Canterbury and by the time I left, was just over +$10,000 on the night -- pretty darn tough to do at that place. Funny how it always seems to work that the sweet runs of cards happen in small games, and crappy runs are going to be in 200/400 or bigger.

Tonight is probably going to be the first night in a long time where I go to bed by 10-11 p.m. I've just never gotten a lot of sleep the last week or two and been on a crappy sleep schedule and all of that is finally hitting me and the last few days I've felt fatigued (coupled with the sun setting so early it's kind of depressing).

The last few nights I've became hooked to Heroes. I got season 1 of that show a week ago, and usually sit down the past last few nights intending to watch one episode and then blaze through an entire disc. Oh well, at least for the most part the big LHE action has been pretty slow when I've been watching Heroes.

The fall colors are really making me want to get a super nice camera and image editing programs and see whether I could produce any photographs good looking enough to get framed and hang on my walls... We'll see, I think it'd be a fun challenge.

A few hands from one of my more recent sessions. Showing both of these hands in my opinion is important because it highlights the idea we can often have a selective memory.

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: PapaWarbucks ($20000) -
Seat 2: Exclusive ($9371)
Seat 3: Sirens ($6700)
Seat 4: nimag ($9386)
Seat 5: valesco ($10595) -
Seat 6: retaaded ($13360) -


PRE-FLOP:

retaaded posts small blind $100
PapaWarbucks posts BIG blind $200
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


RAISE Exclusive ($400)
FOLD Sirens
FOLD nimag
FOLD valesco
CALL retaaded ($300)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($600)
CALL Exclusive ($200)
FOLD retaaded


FLOP:

Pot: $1800


BET PapaWarbucks ($200)
RAISE Exclusive ($400)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($600)
CALL Exclusive ($200)


TURN:

Pot: $3200


BET PapaWarbucks ($400)
RAISE Exclusive ($800)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($1200)
CALL Exclusive ($400)


RIVER:

Pot: $6000


BET PapaWarbucks ($400)
RAISE Exclusive ($800)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($400)


SHOWDOWN:
Exclusive:

MUCK PapaWarbucks

Exclusive collected $6795 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $6800 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: PapaWarbucks big blind mucked [Tc Td] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-3200)
Seat 2: Exclusive showed [7c 8c] and won 6795 with a flush, Queen high - Net Gain/Loss: ($3595)

Seat 3: Sirens folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 4: nimag folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 5: valesco button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 6: retaaded small blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-400)

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: actnjunkie ($5134.50) -
Seat 2: junbug33 ($5479)
Seat 3: manaay ($11635)
Seat 4: ariana2le ($5028.50)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($14730.50) -
Seat 6: Meticulous ($12278) -


PRE-FLOP:

Meticulous posts small blind $50
actnjunkie posts BIG blind $100
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD junbug33
FOLD manaay
FOLD ariana2le
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($200)
RAISE Meticulous ($300)
FOLD actnjunkie
CALL PapaWarbucks ($100)


FLOP:

Pot: $750


BET Meticulous ($100)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($100)


TURN:

Pot: $950


BET Meticulous ($200)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($400)
RAISE Meticulous ($600)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($200)


RIVER:

Pot: $2350


BET Meticulous ($200)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($400)
CALL Meticulous ($200)


SHOWDOWN:
PapaWarbucks:

MUCK Meticulous

PapaWarbucks collected $2897 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $2900 Rake: $3

Final Board:


Seat 1: actnjunkie big blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-100)
Seat 2: junbug33 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 3: manaay folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 4: ariana2le folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks button showed [Ts Ad] and won 2897 with a straight, Ten to Ace - Net Gain/Loss: ($1497)
Seat 6: Meticulous small blind mucked [Ks Ac] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-1400)

I think what's true of most people is they tend to remember the first hand a lot and dwell on it and bemoan their bad luck, yet when the second hand happens most people are to either forget about their good fortune quickly, or else try to justify it as a good play that was ill-timed -- this all of which explains why if you ask poker players how they've been running lately, you're much more likely to hear "so-so" or "bad," rather than "good."

Wow I can't remember the last time a month has flown by as quickly as October feels like it has. To quickly recap, this month I played every noon tournament at Canterbury during their 2 week long fall poker classic, and I was lucky enough to capture my primary goal from doing so: earning the FPC player of the year. With this I got a trophy (what I tell people is my #1 reason for playing tourneys), and a free entry into their $1000 main event in 2008. Since the classic ended, I've really been taking the last few days easy and catching up with a lot of friends who got neglected during the tourneys.

I did play a couple hundred hands of $200/400 earlier tonight. Here's a few from that session:

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: PapaWarbucks ($19600) -
Seat 3: Quackers ($8000) -
Seat 4: retaaded ($15713)
Seat 5: valesco ($4811)
Seat 8: aXeroX ($19153)
Seat 10: HC_68 ($7790) -


PRE-FLOP:

PapaWarbucks posts small blind $100
Quackers posts BIG blind $200
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


CALL retaaded ($200)
FOLD valesco
RAISE aXeroX ($400)
FOLD HC_68
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($600)
CALL Quackers ($400)
CALL retaaded ($400)
CALL aXeroX ($200)


FLOP:

Pot: $2500


BET PapaWarbucks ($200)
CALL Quackers ($200)
CALL retaaded ($200)
CALL aXeroX ($200)


TURN:

Pot: $3300


BET PapaWarbucks ($400)
CALL Quackers ($400)
FOLD retaaded
FOLD aXeroX


RIVER:

Pot: $4100


BET PapaWarbucks ($400)
CALL Quackers ($400)


SHOWDOWN:
PapaWarbucks:

MUCK Quackers

PapaWarbucks collected $4795 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $4800 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: PapaWarbucks small blind showed [Kc As] and won 4795 with a pair of Nines - Net Gain/Loss: ($3195)
Seat 3: Quackers big blind mucked [Ks Qc] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-1600)

Seat 4: retaaded folded on the Turn - Net Gain/Loss: ($-800)
Seat 5: valesco folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 8: aXeroX folded on the Turn - Net Gain/Loss: ($-800)
Seat 10: HC_68 button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)

In the hand above, it is a pretty easy "tough" turn bet. Especially against this field, with this action and board it is pretty likely I have the best hand on the turn. And again, when heads up on the river, it's a fairly self-explanatory value bet (especially exemplified by the fact he was first to act after me on all streets... If he had a pair, he'd have raised on the flop or turn to try to eliminate the field).

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: PapaWarbucks ($15583) -
Seat 4: Baffa ($8195) -
Seat 5: valesco ($24462) -
Seat 9: Quackers ($7975)
Seat 10: HC_68 ($16245)


PRE-FLOP:

Baffa posts small blind $100
valesco posts BIG blind $200
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD Quackers
RAISE HC_68 ($400)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($600)
CALL Baffa ($500)
FOLD valesco
CALL HC_68 ($200)


FLOP:

Pot: $2000


CHECK Baffa
CHECK HC_68
BET PapaWarbucks ($200)
FOLD Baffa
RAISE HC_68 ($400)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($200)


TURN:

Pot: $2800


BET HC_68 ($400)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($400)


RIVER:

Pot: $3600


BET HC_68 ($400)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($400)


SHOWDOWN:
HC_68:

PapaWarbucks:


PapaWarbucks collected $4395 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $4400 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: PapaWarbucks button showed [Jd As] and won 4395 with a pair of Threes - Net Gain/Loss: ($2595)
Seat 4: Baffa small blind folded on the Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-600)
Seat 5: valesco big blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-200)
Seat 9: Quackers folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 10: HC_68 showed [8s Ts] and lost with a pair of Threes - Net Gain/Loss: ($-1800)

In this hand above, I used a timing tell on the flop that made me decide that baring a 9 or jack of spades hitting on the turn or river, that I'd be calling him down. Without going too deeply into it, the tell involves the speed at which he checked his first option, and then the speed at which he raised when it was folded to him. Also along with this, his turn and river bet speeds added for additional confidence that I was likely facing a draw.

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: PapaWarbucks ($21958)
Seat 4: Baffa ($3970)
Seat 5: valesco ($29632)
Seat 6: PokerSnoopy ($15570) -
Seat 7: St1ckman ($16695) -
Seat 8: Shinomori ($8990) -
Seat 9: Quackers ($6950)
Seat 10: HC_68 ($5030)


PRE-FLOP:

St1ckman posts small blind $100
Shinomori posts BIG blind $200
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD Quackers
FOLD HC_68
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($400)
FOLD Baffa
FOLD valesco
FOLD PokerSnoopy
RAISE St1ckman ($600)
FOLD Shinomori
CALL PapaWarbucks ($200)


FLOP:

Pot: $1500


BET St1ckman ($200)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($200)


TURN:

Pot: $1900


BET St1ckman ($400)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($800)
CALL St1ckman ($400)


RIVER:

Pot: $3500


CHECK St1ckman
BET PapaWarbucks ($400)
CALL St1ckman ($400)


SHOWDOWN:
PapaWarbucks:

St1ckman:


St1ckman collected $4195 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $4200 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: PapaWarbucks showed [Ac Tc] and lost with a pair of Aces - Net Gain/Loss: ($-2000)
Seat 4: Baffa folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 5: valesco folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 6: PokerSnoopy button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 7: St1ckman small blind showed [As Kh] and won 4195 with a pair of Aces - Net Gain/Loss: ($2195)

Seat 8: Shinomori big blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-200)
Seat 9: Quackers folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 10: HC_68 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)

This is the type of hand you could argue forever. On one hand, I don't mind putting in this much action and losing this hand. I think doing so makes me much tougher to play (with how long he took to call my turn raise I was really expecting to see KK or KQ at showdown) and prevents people from as liberally betting marginal hands OOP against me. However, at the core, this is one of those "way ahead/way behind" situations, and in general with those situations if you are on the "way ahead" side of it there is no real reason to raise on the turn. In the end though, with the turn specifically being a Queen and with it specifically bringing a diamond redraw, I think that I can raise the turn and bet the river and get paid off by enough hands in his SB-3-betting range that can't beat AT (think KK, KQ, JJ), that it is a good raise and one I will tend to only make when I'm running good. Also, this isn't a turn raise I am advocating making anymore than once in awhile.

Sorry that it's been awhile since the last update. Basically, my life for the past 7 days has been wake up, drive 30 minutes to Canterbury, play a tournament all day, maybe play cash games if I bust early (happened 3 times), otherwise be there till near the end. So far after a week's worth of play, I've gotten 2nd in a LHE event for $13,000, an 8th in an NL event for $3300, a 3rd in an NL one for $8500, and a 12th in an NL today for $1000. Also in the O8 event I finished 25th (18 paid). Between my wcoop play and now all of these tourneys, I really feel like I've gotten a hang of NL tournament play. i still do have a tournament rant to finish, but that'll have to wait for another blog since I'm pretty pooped now after lots of long days of poker playing.

Since my last blog, I've also played 4,750 hands online too (in addition to all of the CB playing), and those have went very well, with me being up $53,000 total in them.

Three hands for you today, which showcase the three main pillars of winning LHE play:

Extracting Maximum Value:

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: fwilliams007 ($6390) -
Seat 2: PapaWarbucks ($39412) -
Seat 5: valesco ($11993) -
Seat 6: nimag ($16843)


PRE-FLOP:

PapaWarbucks posts small blind $100
valesco posts BIG blind $200
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD nimag
RAISE fwilliams007 ($400)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($600)
FOLD valesco
CALL fwilliams007 ($200)


FLOP:

Pot: $1500


BET PapaWarbucks ($200)
CALL fwilliams007 ($200)


TURN:

Pot: $1900


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET fwilliams007 ($400)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($800)
RAISE fwilliams007 ($1200)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($1600)
CALL fwilliams007 ($400)


RIVER:

Pot: $6300


BET PapaWarbucks ($400)
CALL fwilliams007 ($400)


SHOWDOWN:
PapaWarbucks:

fwilliams007:


fwilliams007 collected $2897 from main potPapaWarbucks collected $2898 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $5800 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: fwilliams007 button showed [9c Qh] and won 2897 with two pair, Queens and Fours - Net Gain/Loss: ($97)

Seat 2: PapaWarbucks small blind showed [Qs Tc] and won 2898 with two pair, Queens and Fours - Net Gain/Loss: ($98)
Seat 5: valesco big blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-200)
Seat 6: nimag folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)

Inducing:

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: fwilliams007 ($4282) -
Seat 2: PapaWarbucks ($39210)
Seat 5: valesco ($13688) -
Seat 6: nimag ($17434) -


PRE-FLOP:

nimag posts small blind $100
fwilliams007 posts BIG blind $200
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


RAISE PapaWarbucks ($400)
FOLD valesco
FOLD nimag
CALL fwilliams007 ($200)


FLOP:

Pot: $900


CHECK fwilliams007
BET PapaWarbucks ($200)
CALL fwilliams007 ($200)


TURN:

Pot: $1300


CHECK fwilliams007
CHECK PapaWarbucks


RIVER:

Pot: $1300


BET fwilliams007 ($400)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($400)


SHOWDOWN:
fwilliams007:

PapaWarbucks:


PapaWarbucks collected $2095 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $2100 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: fwilliams007 big blind showed [Jc Th] and lost with a pair of Aces - Net Gain/Loss: ($-1000)

Seat 2: PapaWarbucks showed [Qd 9c] and won 2095 with a pair of Aces - Net Gain/Loss: ($1095)
Seat 5: valesco button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 6: nimag small blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-100)


Bluffing:

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 2: PapaWarbucks ($25892)
Seat 4: fwilliams007 ($2872) -
Seat 5: valesco ($6480) -
Seat 6: nimag ($20280) -


PRE-FLOP:

valesco posts small blind $100
nimag posts BIG blind $200
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


RAISE PapaWarbucks ($400)
RAISE fwilliams007 ($600)
FOLD valesco
FOLD nimag
CALL PapaWarbucks ($200)


FLOP:

Pot: $1500


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET fwilliams007 ($200)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($200)


TURN:

Pot: $1900


CHECK PapaWarbucks
CHECK fwilliams007


RIVER:

Pot: $1900


BET PapaWarbucks ($400)
FOLD fwilliams007

PapaWarbucks collected $1895 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $1900 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 2: PapaWarbucks collected 1895 - Net Gain/Loss: ($695)
Seat 4: fwilliams007 button folded on the River - Net Gain/Loss: ($-800)
Seat 5: valesco small blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-100)
Seat 6: nimag big blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-200)

In my sessions I really try to focus on a variety of things relating to how opponents are playing and running and how they perceive me, and use that to try to gauge the right plays. My QT turn 4-bet in the top hand, is an example of something I could never explain how/why exactly I just KNEW I had the best hand -- it's just instinctually there. I honestly think that when I'm focusing on nothing but poker and my tables and trying to gleam whatever I can out of them, I am one of the best. I do not know too many players on the planet who would've had the guts to 4-bet the turn in that exact situation (that is to say fwilliams was playing aggressively, but nowhere close to a hyper-maniac or anything).

I'm sure after posting that, in the next few days I'll get crushed and feel totally humbled. Lets knock on some wood.

Oh, and lastly, so far I'm the points leader for the Canterbury Fall Poker Classic Player of the Year race. I'm really excited about that and hope it remains that way, since winning the award gets a trophy (which is probably my #1 reason for playing every one of the FPCs here...I like trophies). In any case, if you're a reader of this and have never met me, but see me at Canterbury the next several days, don't hesistate to say hi.

Several days ago, I was on my way back home from a family get-together and thinking about how life can sometimes seem bland without some struggles in it and adversity to overcome, and also thinking about how I've been on relative "cruise control" of late. So then it isn't surprising that later that night, I experienced one of my worst poker sessions ever -- just as if someone from above was shoving a stark dose of reality in my face. The session I'm speaking of was a 3-handed game on Stars with Hoss_TBF and retaaaded, in 500/1000 and then 1000/2000. In the 500/1000, I won about $32,000 and things were great. Retaaaded was stuck (finally), and wanted to move up to 1k/2k. In there, Hoss crushed both of us. I lost $122,000 in the game (fortunately for me I sold a lot of myself off), and retaaded also busted.

Hoss ran super hot, but also played really really well. Momentum is uber-important 3-handed, and Hoss is as good as anybody alive at utilizing it. He was 3-betting from his SB and 4-betting from his BB with a huge hand range, and making great postflop decisions with his hands. He won a ton of pots without showing down, and other than a few glitches in his armor, recognized most of the time when to give up if he didn't have anything. In retrospect, the moment Hoss started crushing us both, I should've changed seats and taken position on him (which arguably I should've done from hand 1 of the session). The way Hoss was running/playing reminds me of a 500/1000 session I played months ago with babyhan and neverwin in which I won $102,000 in a couple hundred hands -- that day, I was in the same zone Hoss was a few days ago.

Funny enough about retaaaded, because for awhile the last few weeks he seemed invincible. I've never seen anyone win the way he did; it was as if he was playing blackjack, because most of his days would look like this: start at 100/200 or 200/400, and lose anywhere from 10-20 BBs in that. Move up to the next game (so either 2/4, or 500/1000), buy in for what he had left in front of him in the previous game, and get unstuck and then some, quit, and book a 5-10k type win. Only twice did we ever get him stuck enough in 500/1000 to get him up to 1000/2000. The first time he won $12,000 in 5 hands and quit, and the second, retaaded ended up down $100,000 finally.

Thinking about this type of approach, if properly funded, I wonder if it's possible that someone could employ this type of technique to win $300, every day, for the rest of their life. Basically, it'd go like this: Start at $30/60, if you get up $300, quit. If you dip $500 down, go up to $50/100. If you win $800 in 50/100, quit, if you drop to down $1500 total on the day, move up to $100/200 and try to recoup the losses there. If you get stuck $3000, move up to $200/400. If you get stuck $8000, move up to 500/1000. If you get stuck $16,000, move up to 1000/2000 and pray you can finally get together a +8BB rush to get unburied. I wonder how long it'd take for someone to reach the 1k/2k level doing this and lose their whole roll -- seems like that should happen within a few weeks of playing, since like 35BBs down and you're already to 500/1000, and 43BBs down and you're to 1k/2k. Who knows? Interesting to consider.

A few hands from the 1k/2k fiasco:

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 4: retaaded ($13870) -
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($28783) -
Seat 10: Hoss_TBF ($235349) -


PRE-FLOP:

PapaWarbucks posts small blind $500
Hoss_TBF posts BIG blind $1000
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD retaaded
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($2000)
CALL Hoss_TBF ($1000)


FLOP:

Pot: $4500


BET PapaWarbucks ($1000)
RAISE Hoss_TBF ($2000)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($3000)
CALL Hoss_TBF ($1000)


TURN:

Pot: $11500


BET PapaWarbucks ($2000)
CALL Hoss_TBF ($2000)


RIVER:

Pot: $15500


BET PapaWarbucks ($2000)
RAISE Hoss_TBF ($4000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($2000)


SHOWDOWN:
Hoss_TBF:

MUCK PapaWarbucks

Hoss_TBF collected $21998 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $22000 Rake: $2

Final Board:


Seat 4: retaaded button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks small blind mucked [Ks Jd] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-11000)
Seat 10: Hoss_TBF big blind showed [Th 6h] and won 21998 with a flush, Ace high - Net Gain/Loss: ($10998)



Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Ace Seven offsuit was my big money maker...the gritty way:

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 4: retaaded ($31286) -
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($84918) -
Seat 10: Hoss_TBF ($132661) -


PRE-FLOP:

PapaWarbucks posts small blind $500
Hoss_TBF posts BIG blind $1000
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


RAISE retaaded ($2000)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($3000)
RAISE Hoss_TBF ($4000)
CALL retaaded ($2000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


FLOP:

Pot: $13500


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET Hoss_TBF ($1000)
FOLD retaaded
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


TURN:

Pot: $15500


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET Hoss_TBF ($2000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($2000)


RIVER:

Pot: $19500


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET Hoss_TBF ($2000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($2000)


SHOWDOWN:
Hoss_TBF:

PapaWarbucks:


PapaWarbucks collected $21998 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $22000 Rake: $2

Final Board:


Seat 4: retaaded button folded on the Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-4000)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks small blind showed [7s Ad] and won 21998 with a pair of Kings - Net Gain/Loss: ($12998)
Seat 10: Hoss_TBF big blind showed [6d 7d] and lost with a pair of Kings - Net Gain/Loss: ($-9000)



Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 4: retaaded ($15469) -
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($66322) -
Seat 10: Hoss_TBF ($196329) -


PRE-FLOP:

PapaWarbucks posts small blind $500
Hoss_TBF posts BIG blind $1000
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD retaaded
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($2000)
RAISE Hoss_TBF ($3000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


FLOP:

Pot: $7500


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET Hoss_TBF ($1000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


TURN:

Pot: $9500


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET Hoss_TBF ($2000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($2000)


RIVER:

Pot: $13500


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET Hoss_TBF ($2000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($2000)


SHOWDOWN:
Hoss_TBF:

PapaWarbucks:


PapaWarbucks collected $15998 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $16000 Rake: $2

Final Board:


Seat 4: retaaded button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks small blind showed [Ah 7s] and won 15998 with a pair of Fives - Net Gain/Loss: ($7998)
Seat 10: Hoss_TBF big blind showed [Js 9s] and lost with a pair of Fives - Net Gain/Loss: ($-8000)



Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Part two of my tournament rant will be in my next blog.

Now that the WCOOP is over, it's time for my semi-annual rant about tournament poker and why I hate it. Before we begin, between the actual events and the second-chance events I played, I did in fact finish up money.

The most simple reason is I hate having to attribute luck to things, yet, tournament poker is so much about needing good luck. Nobody should deny that despite needing skill to win at poker, sometimes mother varience takes a long time to even out your perceived level of luck. Now throw in tournament poker, where not only there's that already existing factor of variance in poker, but now you have to counter variance at each and every different stage of the tournament. Talk about a LONG time to reach the long run!

I feel like I have this problem of running hot in the first four hours of tournaments, then perpetually going card dead/running bad right around the time we are either an hour away from the money, or just into the money. I'm aware as the tournament progresses into different stages, there are different optimal strategies; so I don't think my lack of "finishing" is due to me not recognizing the differences.

Take the $1050 wcoop NL tourney I played. I finished something like 233rd out of 6800ish people in it. A majority of the tournament I was near the top of the chip leaders, and then I play a pot where I end up getting QQ all in preflop vs KQo against another large stack (me calling his 4-bet all in). I lose that pot, and go from should've having over 500,000 chips (and being 2nd of about 280 people left) to being around 90,000 chips and near the 25th percentile of chips.

Especially in no limit tournaments, it just seems like not only do you hope to run at least average in "coin flips" and in spots where you get your money in 4:1 good, but, you have to do it at the right times. Some guys (I'll throw Gus Hansen from a few years ago out as a name to show this point) tend to run above average when most of their chips are at stake, and below average when it's only a small dent to their stack. Overall, perhaps they're winning/losing with their hands about the right amount of the time, but, they're hitting the wins when it counts the most. And then there's other guys (I'll use David Baker as an example) who've made it deep into many WPT events, yet never hit a big score because they tend to hit the worst of their luck right before the money starts to get huge. I remember seeing him on tv in some event (can't remember which one, bummer) where he took two or three sick beats that basically sent him from chip leader, to the rail with a small cash. I'm sure there are many guys who's tournament lives could be summarized as similarly.

So basically, when comparing tournaments to cash games, not only is there the variance/luck factor, but then there's the WHEN did you run-hot factor that exists in tournaments, which makes me absolutely loathe them. I know I might sound like a hypocrite, being that I benefited from super sick good luck to go from entering day two of the Party Poker Million 5 with 2.5BBs and being the second smallest stack, to winning that tournament. Obviously, that is an example of "running bad in the first half, running hot the second half." But maybe because I'm living proof of someone who's benefitted from it, my contention gains additional credibility?

Conversely, in two different LHE events (the $1050 LHE wcoop event, and the $530 LHE 2nd chance that same day) I had two cases of running the worst at the wrong times. In the $1050, I had emassed a large chip stack, then managed to bust about 10-20 people out of the money due to winning 0 pots the last two hours of my play. In the 2nd chance, I was reasonably large chip stacked the whole tourney, and from 2 out of the money, to into the money, I played great bubble poker and 4x my chip stack. Here is a screenshot to even show at one point how good it was going for me, this at the final table (9 spots paid):

At 4 handed, I still had about 60% of the chips. 3-handed, I had 50-55%. I finished 3rd, and in an hour stretch flopped two pair once (which one), flopped mid pair twice (both lost, and with me even saving several bets in each hand), and flopping top pair once and having it too be no good. Also, I hit 0 draws and almost never flopped any. Basically, running good the majority of a tourney doesn't matter if you run bad near the end of it -- and I ran pretty damn bad at the end.

And another factor in tournaments that make me hate them, which you can't control, is your table. Sometimes you get good tables, sometimes bad ones. In the end, yes it evens out. But, just like my whole rant in earlier paragraphs, because of the nature of timing and WHEN you get good/bad tables, it takes extra long to.

I have a lot more to say about tournaments and why I hate them (in their present form), but this is already getting long enough... So, that'll be in my next blog. To give a preview, part two will discuss my basic contention that tournament poker is killing poker, and why I believe that to be the case (from a cash player's perspective, anyway).

Last night, got to play some $200/400 and then $500/1000 and even a little (12 hands worth) of $1000/2000. Between the three games, I ended up winning about $7000, though it was a very bittersweet $7000 since like has been my ways the last several months, I didn't run particularly hot in big pots. Even a friend who was watching (and sometimes has had pieces of me in bigger games) had this to say:

(21:09:57) friend: try to stop having ppl hit miracles on u in 15k pots ok?
(21:10:07) friend: that seems to be a pretty big leak u have

First I'll get out of the way a few samples:

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 4: retaaded ($89745) -
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($26326) -
Seat 10: tommyboy83 ($33705) -


PRE-FLOP:

tommyboy83 posts small blind $250
retaaded posts BIG blind $500
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


RAISE PapaWarbucks ($1000)
RAISE tommyboy83 ($1500)
RAISE retaaded ($2000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)
CALL tommyboy83 ($500)


FLOP:

Pot: $6750


CHECK tommyboy83
BET retaaded ($500)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($500)
CALL tommyboy83 ($500)


TURN:

Pot: $8250


CHECK tommyboy83
CHECK retaaded
BET PapaWarbucks ($1000)
RAISE tommyboy83 ($2000)
FOLD retaaded
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


RIVER:

Pot: $12250


BET tommyboy83 ($1000)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($2000)
CALL tommyboy83 ($1000)


SHOWDOWN:
PapaWarbucks:

tommyboy83:


tommyboy83 collected $15498 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $15500 Rake: $2

Final Board:


Seat 4: retaaded big blind folded on the Turn - Net Gain/Loss: ($-2500)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks button showed [Qc As] and lost with a pair of Queens - Net Gain/Loss: ($-6500)
Seat 10: tommyboy83 small blind showed [Qh Jc] and won 15498 with two pair, Queens and Jacks - Net Gain/Loss: ($8998)

Nice Turn Card:

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 4: retaaded ($82039) - -
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($48866) -


PRE-FLOP:

retaaded posts small blind $250
PapaWarbucks posts BIG blind $500
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


RAISE retaaded ($1000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($500)


FLOP:

Pot: $2250


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET retaaded ($500)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($1000)
CALL retaaded ($500)


TURN:

Pot: $4250


BET PapaWarbucks ($1000)
RAISE retaaded ($2000)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($3000)
RAISE retaaded ($4000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


RIVER:

Pot: $15250


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET retaaded ($1000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


SHOWDOWN:
retaaded:

PapaWarbucks:


retaaded collected $13998 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $14000 Rake: $2

Final Board:


Seat 4: retaaded button small blind showed [4s 4c] and won 13998 with three of a kind, Fours - Net Gain/Loss: ($6998)

Seat 5: PapaWarbucks big blind showed [5d Ks] and lost with two pair, Kings and Fives - Net Gain/Loss: ($-7000)


Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Another Nice Turn Card...

Seat 3: Indigoae ($9989)
Seat 4: retaaded ($68711) -
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($68540) -
Seat 10: tommyboy83 ($23444) -


PRE-FLOP:

PapaWarbucks posts small blind $250
tommyboy83 posts BIG blind $500
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD Indigoae
FOLD retaaded
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($1000)
CALL tommyboy83 ($500)


FLOP:

Pot: $2250


BET PapaWarbucks ($500)
RAISE tommyboy83 ($1000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($500)


TURN:

Pot: $4250


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET tommyboy83 ($1000)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($2000)
RAISE tommyboy83 ($3000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


RIVER:

Pot: $11250


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET tommyboy83 ($1000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


SHOWDOWN:
tommyboy83:

MUCK PapaWarbucks

tommyboy83 collected $11995 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $12000 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 3: Indigoae folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 4: retaaded button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks small blind mucked [7c 8c] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-6000)
Seat 10: tommyboy83 big blind showed [9s Tc] and won 11995 with a straight, Six to Ten - Net Gain/Loss: ($5995)

Runner Runner

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: Vandiesel ($21740)
Seat 2: KidPoker ($14985)
Seat 3: Indigoae ($20721)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($72753)
Seat 6: BradL ($19250) -
Seat 7: Hoss_TBF ($16245) -
Seat 8: Neutrality ($19490) -
Seat 10: tommyboy83 ($18429)


PRE-FLOP:

Hoss_TBF posts small blind $250
Neutrality posts BIG blind $500
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD tommyboy83
FOLD Vandiesel
FOLD KidPoker
FOLD Indigoae
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($1000)
FOLD BradL
RAISE Hoss_TBF ($1500)
RAISE Neutrality ($2000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)
CALL Hoss_TBF ($500)


FLOP:

Pot: $6750


CHECK Hoss_TBF
BET Neutrality ($500)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($1000)
FOLD Hoss_TBF
RAISE Neutrality ($1500)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($500)


TURN:

Pot: $10250


BET Neutrality ($1000)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($2000)
CALL Neutrality ($1000)


RIVER:

Pot: $14250


BET Neutrality ($1000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


SHOWDOWN:
Neutrality:

MUCK PapaWarbucks

Neutrality collected $14995 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $15000 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: Vandiesel folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 2: KidPoker folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 3: Indigoae folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks mucked [4h 4d] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-6500)
Seat 6: BradL button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 7: Hoss_TBF small blind folded on the Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-2000)
Seat 8: Neutrality big blind showed [As Kd] and won 14995 with a straight, Ten to Ace - Net Gain/Loss: ($8495)

Seat 10: tommyboy83 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)


Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

There were a few other hands that reaaaaally sucked but this post is getting long enough, and there's a few hands that I'd rather talk about some of the strategy considerations with anyway....

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: Vandiesel ($26465)
Seat 2: KidPoker ($24960)
Seat 3: OnTheRize ($11000)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks ($37375) -
Seat 7: Hoss_TBF ($44593) -
Seat 8: Neutrality ($33690) -


PRE-FLOP:

Hoss_TBF posts small blind $250
Neutrality posts BIG blind $500
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


FOLD Vandiesel
FOLD KidPoker
FOLD OnTheRize
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($1000)
FOLD Hoss_TBF
RAISE Neutrality ($1500)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($500)


FLOP:

Pot: $3750


BET Neutrality ($500)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($500)


TURN:

Pot: $4750


BET Neutrality ($1000)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($1000)


RIVER:

Pot: $6750


BET Neutrality ($1000)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($2000)
CALL Neutrality ($1000)


SHOWDOWN:
PapaWarbucks:

MUCK Neutrality

PapaWarbucks collected $10245 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $10250 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: Vandiesel folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 2: KidPoker folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 3: OnTheRize folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 5: PapaWarbucks button showed [As Ah] and won 10245 with two pair, Aces and Queens - Net Gain/Loss: ($5245)
Seat 7: Hoss_TBF small blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-250)
Seat 8: Neutrality big blind mucked [Ac Ts] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-5000)



Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

In this AA hand above, I really think this postflop line is best from a maximization/minimization aspect. Most high stakes players are aggressive enough to keep firing with an AK or mid pocket pair or whatever, yet, if you raise them any earlier in the hand, they are capable of getting away from some. Likewise, they are capable of 3-betting you with worse than AA (for value or as a bluff), yet, a Queen is very much in his hand range, so, calling down after getting three-bet before the river _feels_ like a losing play yet you have to do it anyway. This type of hand/board texture is probably the closest thing you can come to having "pot size control" in a LHE game. Basically, the plan was to call until the river and raise any river. With the river bringing a third diamond, it's especially good for my hand because now he may not even three-bet a queen, since I played my hand in a way that makes it very possible I could have a flush. Yet, I have an aggressive enough of an image that I'll get a lot of calls by people suspecting I might be bluffing a flush with some kind of ace high.

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: Neutrality ($7290) -
Seat 3: somewhrntime ($9595) -
Seat 5: vegas4927 ($8651) -
Seat 6: PapaWarbucks ($22525)
Seat 7: Hoss_TBF ($15115)
Seat 8: valesco ($6512)
Seat 9: aba20 ($11270)
Seat 10: Exclusive ($7685)


PRE-FLOP:

somewhrntime posts small blind $100
vegas4927 posts BIG blind $200
Dealt To: PapaWarbucks


RAISE PapaWarbucks ($400)
RAISE Hoss_TBF ($600)
FOLD valesco
FOLD aba20
FOLD Exclusive
FOLD Neutrality
FOLD somewhrntime
FOLD vegas4927
CALL PapaWarbucks ($200)


FLOP:

Pot: $1500


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET Hoss_TBF ($200)
CALL PapaWarbucks ($200)


TURN:

Pot: $1900


CHECK PapaWarbucks
BET Hoss_TBF ($400)
RAISE PapaWarbucks ($800)
CALL Hoss_TBF ($400)


RIVER:

Pot: $3500


BET PapaWarbucks ($400)
CALL Hoss_TBF ($400)


SHOWDOWN:
PapaWarbucks:

MUCK Hoss_TBF

PapaWarbucks collected $4295 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $4300 Rake: $5

Final Board:


Seat 1: Neutrality button folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 3: somewhrntime small blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-100)
Seat 5: vegas4927 big blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-200)
Seat 6: PapaWarbucks showed [9c 9d] and won 4295 with two pair, Nines and Fours - Net Gain/Loss: ($2295)
Seat 7: Hoss_TBF mucked [As Js] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-2000)

Seat 8: valesco folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 9: aba20 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 10: Exclusive folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)


Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

This hand above showcases a few different ideas: Knowing my opponent's approximate 3-betting range, and knowing what hands he'll call down with which I still beat (or which hands he may reraise me with). Putting those two together makes the turn an easy "tough" checkraise that many players don't make, but in my humble opinion the best do make. Interestingly enough to note, if the turn doesn't bring the back door flush draw, I probably check/call or bet/call the turn. The second diamond coming on the turn makes it 10x more likely I get an ace high call down (if the 3rd diamond doesn't hit on the river), because from my opposition's perspective, their ace high has enough value to see a showdown due to the possibility I could be semi-bluffing a diamond draw.

More soon.