November 2008 Archives

Lion, originally uploaded by Shadowhelm.

A friend posted the following address given in support of Barry Goldwater by future President Ronald Reagan.  Listen to what he talks about and ask yourself when was the last time you heard anyone in our country speak in such a way about such things.  Then ask yourself where have the men of such personal conviction and strength gone.  Finally, ask yourself can Barack Obama be this kind of leader.

*Warning Poker Content Ahead*

If you are not interested in cards or a great story about beating a bully then how about a really cool picture from space?

(Sorry if this is full of typos and mistakes.  I am having a hard time staying awake this morning.  I'll fix them as I find them.)

I won a cash tournament Saturday taking home $70.00.  Aside from maybe the first hand, I played well, stuck to my strategy and stayed calm.  I made a few mistakes and learned a few things but overall it was a good game.  The critical hand for me occured about halfway through the game.  After playing tight and not really winning anything to get excited over I looked down at A 8 diamonds.  A decent hand but one I might fold more often than not.  Conditions were right, however, and I limped in to see the flop.  Honestly things could not have gone any better as the flop came all diamonds giving me the nut flush.  I was in good position to take some value from the hand.  The really helpful part occurred when another player led out a bet and it was called before it got to me.  I had caught some other players on the draw.  By the river the original raiser was pretty sure I had the flush but in order to find out he bet $450.00 and, to my surprise, the third player in the hand called.  I don't remember what happened next but I didn't get an opportunity to get all my chips in on the hand but I ended up winning a major pot and crippling one player.  After that it was a slow chip up the rest of the night until we got heads-up and I was able to come out ahead.  I am not aggressive enough in heads-up and the player I was up against had successfully beat me down in a previous final match so I was happy to finally be able to take him down.  It was a mediocre profit but a huge win for me.  It was a great start to the week.

Now for the better part of the story.

I play in a game just about every Wednesday night.  I have had some success finishing at least 2nd around 5 times.  Up to last night I had won once but had strong showings making the final table more often than not.  Since it is a free game, play is sometimes a little loose.  Everybody wants to see the flop and it took me a little while to adjust to this dynamic.  Last night, was no different.  Well, except for one major wrinkle.  I was moved to the other table from my more comfortable position with people with whom I was familiar.  After the move I found myself sitting to the right of three players I had hardly, if ever, had the chance to play against.  I instantly went into tight mode and began to study the new players.  I quickly found out that that player to my left was very loose aggressive and intent on controlling the action at the table.  He won some early hands and built a chip stack that gave him the ability to bully other players off of whatever they were holding.  He was particularly successful against me because I was playing very tight and not getting good cards.  I noticed how he was playing and that anytime he raised it was 50/50 he had a good hand and probably even more likely he played a lot more junk hands when on the button or in the blinds. 

It also became very clear, very quickly he had no respect for my play.  It was at least an hour or more before I won my first hand.  By that point in the evening I noticed the player on my left consistently raised when I tried to limp in.  I knew what he was doing but I don't think he knew I knew.  Everyone at the table saw how tight I was playing and assumed I would eventually get blinded out of the game.  All of this was an advantage to me as I knew I could change my play at anytime and start stealing some pots.  However, I stuck to my strategy while waiting patiently for the right hand at the right time.  The player to the left got increasingly more confident he could push me around.  I could see it in how he bet when I was in a hand and I could see it on his face.  I folded several more hands to him and won a few others when he was not in the hand.  I was avoiding tangling with him when I could because I knew I would have to push hard at him when I had a big hand.  I won enough to make the final table and it was at that point I changed my game.

Early in the final table I had a "discussion" about a rule with the player to my left.  He showed what he was holding to another player who was out of the hand and as the hand ended I asked to see his hand.  He was hesitant and we started to argue about the rules.  My contention was that if he showed one person at the table he had to show everyone.  I am fairly certain that this is standard tournament rules.  After winning that argument by way of the tournament director the player to my left, referred to as the "villain" from now on, made a few snide comments indicating a general lack of respect for me.  I had already decided that he was the player I wanted most to take down and that just sealed the deal.  I knew I was playing good, solid poker and that I had a really good read on this guy.  The villain, however, was treating me like a fool.  Insulting yes, but also good for me as it gave me an advantage. 

Again, I knew he would ALWAYS raise me when I played a hand and I was just waiting for a nice check/raise opportunity to present itself.  The first opportunity came when I flopped top pair after calling a minimum raise.  I checked and the villain checked behind me.  Interesting.  I expected a raise but since I was not the only one in the pot I only assumed he was worried about the other player.  The turn came and it paired my other hold card.  I knew I was in the lead and put out a pot sized bet.  I had to get some action or I was going to waste the opportunity.  The villain went into the tank (a term for someone stopping play to think about their next play) for a little while.  I was a rock and didn't give off any signals.  He went for chips, twice what I bet, but didn't make the call.  My tight play convinced him I was ahead.  He was right and I still took a decent pot but I wanted more.

The second time came several hands later after I had busted another player and the villain found himself on a shortened stack after his aggressive play cost him against other players.  I was pretty sure he hadn't noticed that I had opened my starting hand requirements since the final table had started and I decided to make a move with 10 7 off suit.  I put in a minimum bet and the villain called as I expected.  The flop came and it was all low cards.  I had a straight draw and I figured I could still be ahead but not enough to bet so I checked.  The villain checked behind me.  That was his mistake.  He should have bet right there, as he had been doing all night, and put me under pressure.  However, since he assumed I was only playing premium hands he probably thought he was still behind.  The turn came a 7 and I checked.  I was absolutely sure I was ahead at this point and I fully expected a bet to come and I was going to raise whatever he put in unless it was an all-in bet.  The raise came and it was the all-in bet.  It was also a stone bluff.  He shoved his entire $1500 stack and I called instantly.  He immediately sighed and said "He trapped me."  Yes.  Yes I did.  All night I was reading this guy right and it was time to get paid for my patient play and diligent study of the player.  Inside I was screaming "I GOT YOU!" but on the outside I was calm.  I expected him to turn over something like J 9 and sure enough that is what he showed.  I flipped over my 10 7 and the river came something that didn't hit anyone and I took down the pot and sent the villain, the former chip leader, to the rail.  

I had spent the entire night cultivating an image and then played against that image at the right time and won.  I planned that play for quite a while and the more disrespect and outright dismissal I got from the villain the more I just stayed quiet and stuck to my game.  It felt good to take him out, especially on a hand he didn't expect me to play. 

The evening ended quickly after that hand.  The next hand I played (I have a hard time remembering hands so assume some artistic license) I looked down and saw the cowboys, pocket kings.  I started hitting good hands at the right time.  I seem to remember I was in the big blind and patiently waited.  We were three handed by then as I had knocked another player out and I was the overwhelming chip leader.  The dealer folded and the player to my right, a good player and nice guy, shoved all his chips to the middle and again I insta-called.  He showed pocket 6s against my Ks.  The kings held up and it was heads-up time.  We played a few hands and I think I folded the small blind once and maybe stole the blinds a couple of times after that.  By then I was the monster chip leader.  The final hand was me in the big blind and the other player limped in.  I looked down to find A 6 off and thought about it for a bit while I listened to the villain from earlier tell people how I only limped preflop (which wasn't true) and decided to shove all my chips into the middle.  I was considering it already but that ridiculous comment help make my decision.  The small blind called and it was suited connectors against my Ace high.  An Ace came on the flop and it but a spade came on the turn with another spade sitting in the first three cards.  This gave the other player a chance to draw to the flush but the final card was not a spade and I won.

After the game other players commented that they never expect me to win.  Of course the ones making these comments hadn't played with me before.  Everyone noticed how the villian was bullying me but what surprised them is that I knew what was going on and I allowed it to happen on small pots that I wouldn't win anyway.  This was probably my best played game ever.  Much more well played than my win the previous Saturday.  Of course I caught cards at the right time which helped but I am still proud of my play.  It is not a strategy that would work every time but in this case it played out perfectly.

I have developed a great passion for this game even if I am not all that good yet.  There are some gaping holes in my game including the important math skills and I have trouble sizing my bets properly.  What I seem to be fairly good at, however, is reading people.  I think that is what has contributed to whatever success I have had since picking up the game back in the summer.  It is obvious to me now that poker involves much more strategy and skill than luck.  My hope is to keep adding to my skill set and get better over time.  As much as I disliked the villain's attitude during the game I am glad I got to play against him because it forced me to elevate my own play to another level.  So, overall a very successful game.  Kind of cool it happened on my birthday as well.

I am playing again on Saturday in a tournament over in the Atlanta area.  I will be at a disadvantage because these will all be new players.  It is another bar game so I hope my experience will help me get the feel of that game before I run out of chips.  I certainly wouldn't mind the trifecta.

Oak Mountain - Alabama - Fall 2008, originally uploaded by Shadowhelm.