In my last post I stated that I had some thoughts that might have helped contribute to my win. After talking to a few people and thinking about it some more I think there may be some truth to it. I had a winning a session and at the beginning of that session I got a chance to sit next to a Harrah's friend that I hadn't talked to in a while and we were able to just shoot the proverbial shit and kill some time between hands. This was a hugh relief of some sorts and not an opportunity I have had in a long time. It has been a while since I got to play with people I consider a friend and it relaxed me at the table. In the midst of me still struggling with consistency I started to think back to the days when I was running good and playing a lot and the one recurring thought was the steady appearance of a friend at the table or near by. I'm not sure what it is about having a friend at the table or at least in the poker room with you but apparently it can cause some good.
I'm sure we've heard the cliche' that confidence breeds success....I'm fairly certain that the opposite of those words are true too. Well maybe there is a lot of truth in that...a cliche' becomes a cliche' because there is usually some truth involved. I haven't had that friend to travel to the poker room and put in a 10 hour session with or sit down at the same table and battle. I've been putting in time at the table by myself with my own thoughts and nothing to break the monotony. Only giving myself the chance to dwell on being card dead or the shitty beats I've taken. When I'm winning I'm thinking about the current hand being played out and how I would play it against each person at the table. Problem is that winning hasn't been a big part of my card playing life lately and the negativity is always creeping into my mind. I try to stop myself and stay focused and remain positive and then I get dealt AK and raise and totally miss the flop and start thinking like the douche bags at the table about "how I can't ever hit the flop with this hand"....In the past the thought was that it was just another hand the dealer will give me a new one shortly. It's not that I'm a pessimist or optimists...I pride myself on being a realist, it's a trait that I've had since I was a little kid. Always been able to see the next logical outcome oppose to trying to convince myself that the positive would happen or completely assume the worst was gonna happen. Realist is often misconstrued with pessimist but if you have any common sense and don't think with blinders on then you can obviously distinguish the difference (I needa stop using cliches).
I'm not quite sure why I play better with someone at the table or when I travel to play with someone but I do have some ideas. I'm a pretty competitive person...I've used to flip board games, throw cards, break controllers, crack helmets, snap golf clubs (in fact I have no 3 iron in my bag b/c it's in the water on hole 7 at Ellendale), when my friend and I used to coach a 13 yr old travel baseball team it wasn't uncommon for me to get into it with the umpire. With that being said, I'm sure you can tell I don't handle losing very well..I think it's because I never did it very often..haha. Whenever I started playing poker it wasn't any different and I used to tell people how bad they were and it got to the point where my friends didn't enjoy playing with me...I think it was because I won all the time. I have always worn my emotions on my sleeve (damn it, I used another cliche') I've learned to control myself at the table and not blow up on my competition, it took sometime to harness those actions but I basically learned that you shouldn't berate someone for being dumb b/c why would you want them to start thinking and trying to play better??...This really became clear when I used to deal a pretty big game in Houma and I'd see really shitty beats and there was one guy in the game who imo was obviously the best player and he'd just take it in stride and complement the guy on the hand, not drag it on, take out some money to reload and keep playing his game without pressing...just understanding that it's a swing and maintain thinking about the long term. I know I'm not quite there yet, I still pop off on occasion but I've definitely gotten better. But maybe the out bursts at the table allowed me to vent and move on. Maybe I didn't dwell on the beats b/c I spoke my mind and moved on and now I'm holding it in. Regardless, I'm not gonna go back to that b/c we all saw how classless Mr. Hellmuth looked on TV and I personally give anyone the right to kick my ass on the spot if ever do anything like that....and if anyone ever did that shit to me I'm not sure I'd kick their ass but I guarantee I'll get the first punch in.
When I first started playing tournaments in bar rooms or with people I didn't really know I played better b/c I had something to prove. I wanted to win but I didn't make a lot of mistakes b/c I was locked in. We used to do last longer bets and that was always fun because it gives a bragging right and nothing is more fun than taking money from your friend because you out performed them. That worked for tournaments but the cash side of it is totally different. When sitting at the table with a friend I know they had a confidence level for me and they expected me to win as I did for them. With that expectation looming things seem clearer because for me, I didn't want to look like an idiot in front or my friend..weather it be a really close friend or a friend at Harrahs. Everyone has an ego and some people need their ego fed different ways. Some need to feel smart, some need to feel tough, some people need others to like them...I need people to respect the way I do things. When I used to walk into Harrahs poker room and approach the table and see someone say something to another player about me I knew I had their respect and now I didn't wanna do anything to make myself look dumb. Now when I walk into Harrah's not as many people recognize me and the ones that do, just ask where I've been....that's fine and it's not like I NEED acknowledgment, but that was my edge..it kept me focused. When I ran into Ryan a couple weeks ago it gave that me the other kind of confidence b/c we used to play all the time together and experience those shitty beats and big wins and it didn't allow me to press when I lost.
Some people feel the complete opposite and can't stand being at the same table as friends because they don't wanna snap their friend. That's prolly another thing with me...if you're one of my friends and you're at the table, you're prolly not an idiot b/c "almost" all my friends who play poker are better than average players and I have to be fully alert to what their doing in the hand. Not saying that I'm not focused in a hand all the time but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't paying a little more attention if one of my boys is in the hand with me. I'm not sure if anyone cares about any of this or if it pertains to anyone else's thoughts but it is something that has been rattling around in my head and I decided to post those thoughts. I guess in the end it boils down to finding what works in order to be confident at the table. I've made mistakes with friends at the table and I've made great plays without friends there. This post could be total b.s. and have no merit at all or maybe it's Davey and Ruttley's fault that I'm not winning like I used to win. They stopped playing and then I started losing and not being as interested and now I can't get traction again...haha..anyway, I'll keep grinding away and keep looking forward and just try to have fun with it and I'm sure good things will happen.
Aside from this I'm pretty bummed I won't be able to participate in the IP Poker Tourneys due to insufficient poker funds. With all the fall and winter poker tournaments in progress and on the brink it's pretty frustrating not to be able to play. My new goal is make sure I'm ready to go for January for the wpt event at the Beau, the Main Event is right around my birthday. Maybe I need to find one of those backer people or maybe I'll try that lottery thing this Saturday...that would prolly help too. Anyway, good luck to all who are traveling to the coast. Keep It Real Homies.
10.30.2008
10.20.2008
I Beat 1/2........atleast this time
Showed up to grandma Harrahs house fairly confident and taking into account all the advice and perspectives I recieved from the last blog and realized all of you are pretty much idiots!....just joking, I appreciate the opinions and tried to run with some of the ideas. Well I did discover one thing. 1/2 is better when u win your first hand. First things first, a few issues with the way they run things at Harrahs. For the most part I like all the floor people and they do a good job but they do fluster me a little bit with the way they start games over there. I'm on the list and they have 10 people and I hear an announcement of a new table starting on 14 and my name is called. I was the last name on the list and I get to the table and Gretchen comes over and asks me to go the game on table 8 b/c someone was gonna come to this game. Great!...I'm not a fan of new games and I could buy into the other game for $300. Well I go get my chips and sit down and pay my $2 rake and take a hand utg. I limp with KQ and miss the flop. Next hand, well there wasn't a next hand. I get another tap on the shoulder and apparently the guy who moved to the new game wanted back in to his old game b/c the new one didn't have enough players to get started. So now i'm off the table and after one hand and down $4, two for the rake and two for the limp. Gretchen apologizes numerous times and I tell her it's ok and they are gonna get the new game started when a few more people get there. Well it didn't take long and we got started 9 handed and a 10th showed up shortley. I do appreciate the way she handled it and I got a $2 rake for an hour and a half. (that's about the only way to beat the rake). I just don't get how they do things sometimes. They always open games right before the push and it always causes players to get annoyed and games to get short. I've seen games start and the old game broke and now those players were drawing to get into the new game. That just doesn't make sense!...I understand you want games going and the players like that but use a little common sense. Let the push happen, see how many seats open, and if the games are still full then open the new game. They did the same thing later on. This time they messed up by starting a 2/5. They opened a 1/2 table and then 20 minutes later they opened a 2/5 table and of course this killed two of the 1/2 tables, and ultimately lead to me getting up from the table b/c too many people got up from my table. Now the people I left were playing short and the newly opened 1/2 game was short also. I know they filled up but I just don't get the logic in that...open the 2/5 table and then fill your 1/2 games and open another one if needed. Doesn't seem that complicated but what do I know??....now onto some poker.
I picked up some chips early with Q,10....Someone opened for $10 and we took the flop 5 handed and the flop Q,J,10 (I flopped the coners, god that's gay matt!)...I flopped top/bottom and it checked to me and I bet $22 and got called by the preflop raiser. Wasn't at all concerned by AK, this guy wouldn't have been able to control himself if he flopped the nuts. Turn was a brick and I bet $45 and he thought about it and folded. I'm guessing AJ, some pair and gutshot...not much though. That was a nice a little pot and helped me get into the swing of things. Stayed relatively quiet for a little while but it was ok, I got to catch up with a Harrahs friend that haven't seen in a while. Ryan Ferrell, he's a good player and had some good runs in some $500 and $1000 buy in tourneys. His brother Payne ran well in some tourneys during the Harrahs circuit a while back. Anyway, it got me thinking about my play at the table and how relaxed I was while he was sitting there next to me. I wasn't getting a ton of hands dealt to me but I wasn't focused on being card dead. I was just observing the table and making mental notes and enjoying conversation with someone that actually had something intelligent to say. I eventually moved games to table 8 b/c there was more money on the table and the game was better. I sat down in the 6 seat (which I HATE!...i can't stand sitting in the middle of the table) Everyone was pretty quiet and not a whole lot of chatter going on and made it kinda boring. I start engaging a couple people in conversation and they weren't too into it so i just sat back and played. I think the guy on my left took a bath in Miller Lite and he was prolly the most quiet on the whole table. Guess that's better than an obnoxious drunk.
My first encounter with the drunk guy. I'm in middle postition and dealt 10,8 and I limp along with a bunch of other people and we see the flop 6 ways. Flop is Q,10,3....just an ugly flop with no flush draw and everyone checks. Turn is and 8!..I decide to make somewhat of an over bet when it gets checked to me, with only the drunk guy and one other person behind me. I bet $20 and drunk guy calls and everyone else folded. J,9 is the only real hand and a back door flush draw showed up. River card was 2 and I was confident about my hand, but wasn't sure what to bet and then I decided on $46 and the drunk guy started cutting out chips like he was gonna raise and I told him, "don't do that, lets just call and see who has the best hand"....The dealer laughed and said "now he's gonna raise more"....I wasn't too happy about the comment but the guy was really into counting his chips, I think the $46 confused him and he more than likely never heard the dealer. Well he min-raised me...shit! Had NO clue what to put him on with that raise. I try to talk to him again and he just stares at me which made me kinda awkard b/c he's sitting directly on my left. Well I'm not folding for a min-raise so I call and say two pair and he stairs at the board and says "that's good"....so that was a nice pot and I still have no idea what he had.
The second encounter with the drunk guy was in a heads up pot. I made it $13 with 9,7 and he calls and everyone else folds. Flop was 10,7,3 and I bet $15 and he calls. Turn card was an Ace and I decide I'm not playing a big pot and if he makes a big bet after I check then he will prolly win. Not sure if that's the best thought process but I don't see the point in losing a big pot with third pair. I check and then he checks. Now i'm guessing he has 8,9 and I just gave a free card. He was drunk, but definitely NOT overly agressive. River card was a 3 and I am almost positve I had the best hand, unless he had 99 or something like that. I check the river and he bets $35 and that seem reasonable enough. I called and he just sat there and waited for me. Normally I would wait till the bettor turns their cards over but didn't see the point here b/c I pretty much knew what he had. I turn over my 7 and he mucks and chuggs the other half of his beer. He never said a word, it was kinda creepy. Well I had a seat change and a player gets up from the two and I decide I'm gonna take the seat. I make the move and the first hand I'm dealt is 99 in the big blind and I call $10 more and we take the flop 5 handed. Flop is K,9,6....Well I bet out for $25 and the guy thinks about it and folds (I think it was a bad fold if he really had what he said, he claimed 7,8......if you're gonna call a raise and flop that draw, u better call one bet..esp. since no flush draw...o well, I'm glad he folded). Preflop raiser folded and drunk guy calls, then it gets to a little asian guy in the 10 who is a regular and buys in for like $100 at a time but isn't a terrible player. Well the 10 seat raises all in for $80 total. I'm interested in keeping the drunk guy in the hand and I just call. The drunk guy then ships it!...for like $150 or so back to me and I call. Turn card is 10, river is an 8 and I'm just certain there is no way I'm winning. I turn over my set and drunk guy turns over K,9 for two pair and the 10 seat doesn't show and mucks. NICE!...Nice flop, scarey board and I drag a good pot. That was a nice win and 3 for 3 against the drunk guy.
The fourth encounter with drunk guy wasn't as profitable. I'm in the small blind and utg makes its $6 and pretty much everyone calls. I put my $5 in the pot with my 7,4 and the flop comes: Q,8,5 and all eight people check. Turn is:6!!....I make my straight and bet out $20, get one caller and the drunk guy makes it $60. He has going bust and reloaded for $500 and has about $400 to start the hand. I think about it, decide to call as well as the other guy. River card pairs the board 8 and I check looking to call a reasonable bet. Well drunk guy decides reasonable is ALL-IN and moves in for his $320 or so and I'm in a situation that I don't like and pretty much know that I'm prolly not gonna make this call. I can't really talk to him to much because there is another player in the hand and although a lot of players engage conversation whenever they want, I on the other hand usually don't do to much talking unless I'm heads up. On top of that, the drunk guy isn't very talkative anyway. Well I start contemplating that it's prolly out the question that he's full but 9,7 is a real possibility and three 8's is a strong possible holding also. I don't sac up and make the call and the other guy folds as well and I never found out what he had. I'm not sure if it was the right read, but I think it was the right play. I don't fold to many straights, espcially to a drunk guy. A few things went into my decision, weather they are right or wrong these were the things that lead me to folding. I've been playing with him for a few hours and picked him off a couple times and everytime he never made a big over bet. Small raises and bets were his bluff attempts, this time he raised me on the turn and shoved over $300 on the river. Definitely not his usual play. That didn't make sense to me and that was probably the main reason. Another reason was that I was deep in my session and only playing for another 40 minutes or so...that may not be a good excuse but I wasn't interested in playing that big of a pot b/c if I lost it would have wiped out almost all profit. I just haven't strung together any wins and I think it was more important for my mental state and potential bank roll to book an ok win and be happy. After reflecting on my decision I am 100% ok with the way the hand played out. It wasn't the first and won't be the last time that folded a winner......well a possible winner in this case.
I'm feeling more confident when I sit down at the table and I'm really ready to start playing again on a consistant basis. Problem is, it's hard to find the consistant available time. I used to be able to go play no matter what, weather I was going on 4 hours of sleep or have taken a few days off. Didn't matter, I could get in my car and drive to Harrahs and be ready to go when I sat at the table. I've realized now that I have to my head right and really wanna be there. I might have the time, but if I don't feel like it's the ONLY thing I wanna do then it's probably not the best idea for me to go play. I have some thoughts about some things that contributed to my win and not getting frustrated with long strings of bad cards. Till then.
Keep It Real Homies.
I picked up some chips early with Q,10....Someone opened for $10 and we took the flop 5 handed and the flop Q,J,10 (I flopped the coners, god that's gay matt!)...I flopped top/bottom and it checked to me and I bet $22 and got called by the preflop raiser. Wasn't at all concerned by AK, this guy wouldn't have been able to control himself if he flopped the nuts. Turn was a brick and I bet $45 and he thought about it and folded. I'm guessing AJ, some pair and gutshot...not much though. That was a nice a little pot and helped me get into the swing of things. Stayed relatively quiet for a little while but it was ok, I got to catch up with a Harrahs friend that haven't seen in a while. Ryan Ferrell, he's a good player and had some good runs in some $500 and $1000 buy in tourneys. His brother Payne ran well in some tourneys during the Harrahs circuit a while back. Anyway, it got me thinking about my play at the table and how relaxed I was while he was sitting there next to me. I wasn't getting a ton of hands dealt to me but I wasn't focused on being card dead. I was just observing the table and making mental notes and enjoying conversation with someone that actually had something intelligent to say. I eventually moved games to table 8 b/c there was more money on the table and the game was better. I sat down in the 6 seat (which I HATE!...i can't stand sitting in the middle of the table) Everyone was pretty quiet and not a whole lot of chatter going on and made it kinda boring. I start engaging a couple people in conversation and they weren't too into it so i just sat back and played. I think the guy on my left took a bath in Miller Lite and he was prolly the most quiet on the whole table. Guess that's better than an obnoxious drunk.
My first encounter with the drunk guy. I'm in middle postition and dealt 10,8 and I limp along with a bunch of other people and we see the flop 6 ways. Flop is Q,10,3....just an ugly flop with no flush draw and everyone checks. Turn is and 8!..I decide to make somewhat of an over bet when it gets checked to me, with only the drunk guy and one other person behind me. I bet $20 and drunk guy calls and everyone else folded. J,9 is the only real hand and a back door flush draw showed up. River card was 2 and I was confident about my hand, but wasn't sure what to bet and then I decided on $46 and the drunk guy started cutting out chips like he was gonna raise and I told him, "don't do that, lets just call and see who has the best hand"....The dealer laughed and said "now he's gonna raise more"....I wasn't too happy about the comment but the guy was really into counting his chips, I think the $46 confused him and he more than likely never heard the dealer. Well he min-raised me...shit! Had NO clue what to put him on with that raise. I try to talk to him again and he just stares at me which made me kinda awkard b/c he's sitting directly on my left. Well I'm not folding for a min-raise so I call and say two pair and he stairs at the board and says "that's good"....so that was a nice pot and I still have no idea what he had.
The second encounter with the drunk guy was in a heads up pot. I made it $13 with 9,7 and he calls and everyone else folds. Flop was 10,7,3 and I bet $15 and he calls. Turn card was an Ace and I decide I'm not playing a big pot and if he makes a big bet after I check then he will prolly win. Not sure if that's the best thought process but I don't see the point in losing a big pot with third pair. I check and then he checks. Now i'm guessing he has 8,9 and I just gave a free card. He was drunk, but definitely NOT overly agressive. River card was a 3 and I am almost positve I had the best hand, unless he had 99 or something like that. I check the river and he bets $35 and that seem reasonable enough. I called and he just sat there and waited for me. Normally I would wait till the bettor turns their cards over but didn't see the point here b/c I pretty much knew what he had. I turn over my 7 and he mucks and chuggs the other half of his beer. He never said a word, it was kinda creepy. Well I had a seat change and a player gets up from the two and I decide I'm gonna take the seat. I make the move and the first hand I'm dealt is 99 in the big blind and I call $10 more and we take the flop 5 handed. Flop is K,9,6....Well I bet out for $25 and the guy thinks about it and folds (I think it was a bad fold if he really had what he said, he claimed 7,8......if you're gonna call a raise and flop that draw, u better call one bet..esp. since no flush draw...o well, I'm glad he folded). Preflop raiser folded and drunk guy calls, then it gets to a little asian guy in the 10 who is a regular and buys in for like $100 at a time but isn't a terrible player. Well the 10 seat raises all in for $80 total. I'm interested in keeping the drunk guy in the hand and I just call. The drunk guy then ships it!...for like $150 or so back to me and I call. Turn card is 10, river is an 8 and I'm just certain there is no way I'm winning. I turn over my set and drunk guy turns over K,9 for two pair and the 10 seat doesn't show and mucks. NICE!...Nice flop, scarey board and I drag a good pot. That was a nice win and 3 for 3 against the drunk guy.
The fourth encounter with drunk guy wasn't as profitable. I'm in the small blind and utg makes its $6 and pretty much everyone calls. I put my $5 in the pot with my 7,4 and the flop comes: Q,8,5 and all eight people check. Turn is:6!!....I make my straight and bet out $20, get one caller and the drunk guy makes it $60. He has going bust and reloaded for $500 and has about $400 to start the hand. I think about it, decide to call as well as the other guy. River card pairs the board 8 and I check looking to call a reasonable bet. Well drunk guy decides reasonable is ALL-IN and moves in for his $320 or so and I'm in a situation that I don't like and pretty much know that I'm prolly not gonna make this call. I can't really talk to him to much because there is another player in the hand and although a lot of players engage conversation whenever they want, I on the other hand usually don't do to much talking unless I'm heads up. On top of that, the drunk guy isn't very talkative anyway. Well I start contemplating that it's prolly out the question that he's full but 9,7 is a real possibility and three 8's is a strong possible holding also. I don't sac up and make the call and the other guy folds as well and I never found out what he had. I'm not sure if it was the right read, but I think it was the right play. I don't fold to many straights, espcially to a drunk guy. A few things went into my decision, weather they are right or wrong these were the things that lead me to folding. I've been playing with him for a few hours and picked him off a couple times and everytime he never made a big over bet. Small raises and bets were his bluff attempts, this time he raised me on the turn and shoved over $300 on the river. Definitely not his usual play. That didn't make sense to me and that was probably the main reason. Another reason was that I was deep in my session and only playing for another 40 minutes or so...that may not be a good excuse but I wasn't interested in playing that big of a pot b/c if I lost it would have wiped out almost all profit. I just haven't strung together any wins and I think it was more important for my mental state and potential bank roll to book an ok win and be happy. After reflecting on my decision I am 100% ok with the way the hand played out. It wasn't the first and won't be the last time that folded a winner......well a possible winner in this case.
I'm feeling more confident when I sit down at the table and I'm really ready to start playing again on a consistant basis. Problem is, it's hard to find the consistant available time. I used to be able to go play no matter what, weather I was going on 4 hours of sleep or have taken a few days off. Didn't matter, I could get in my car and drive to Harrahs and be ready to go when I sat at the table. I've realized now that I have to my head right and really wanna be there. I might have the time, but if I don't feel like it's the ONLY thing I wanna do then it's probably not the best idea for me to go play. I have some thoughts about some things that contributed to my win and not getting frustrated with long strings of bad cards. Till then.
Keep It Real Homies.
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