Jims Poker Blog

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

2010-01-17T08:06:00.001-08:00

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Registration code: 143804

AI blind and losing a 90%er

2010-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Holy cow.
Wynn poker room:
Lost with a 90%er!
I had 77 and called a $15 pre-flop bet 4 way action.
Flop was K hi and i raised to $50 the weak CB from original raiser.
One caller.
Turn was miracle 7!!
Board K-5-2-7 - with 2 clubs.
I bet $80 on turn.
Guy calls.
River flush. I bet $50 and he called with T8 of clubs - SICKO!!!!!!!
I was 90%

Switched tables. David Rabbi said a guy was going AI blind!
I got to his left.
HE went AI blind! For $500
I had A2o.
I call with $392 (or close to it)
And he has Q8 and I WIN!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow!

Why Do People Write Poker Strategy Books?

2009-10-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

From: http://raiseorfold.cardgrrl.com/2009/10/why-do-people-write-poker-strategy.html

I heard some GREAT players giving this reasoning as for why the online training sites (Card Runners, etc..) are not killing poker as we know it.

Poker is an emotional game.

Execute the right strategy consistently.
This is very hard to do!
Also it's scary to think you HAVE to do #4 for the rest of your working life (if you're a pro player). The authors want some other way to make money. They are qualified to write a poker book, so it makes sense even though they are giving precious (and rare) information away.

Busted a dealer from Mirage

2009-09-18T04:36:00.001-07:00

I played at Mirage last night.
A 60 year old Mirage poker dealer was playing too. He was one seat to my right.
He was bragging that since they are slow, he can play poker ON THE CLOCK (!).
He’s “making 3 times the money playing poker than he is dealing poker”

$2/$5 No limit - cash game.

I re-raised his $15 pre-flop raise – I had KK
I made it $40 and he called.
Heads-up, low flop.
2-4-8

Check, Check.

Turn 2-4-8-J

He bet $50, I call, hoping he does not have JJ!
River 2-4-8-J-K and he bets $100.
I shove all in for (his last) $170 and he instantly calls with JK!

WOW! (The flush hit on river too)

Go back to dealing sir!

My Dad as a poker player...

2009-08-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

We never discussed this but Dad was a winning poker player right??

I know he probably never played NL but what did he do well?

Play tight?
Sense weakness?
Avoid tilt?
I wasn't too interested in his play years ago. But I read some article
where a guy said his Dad was really good and it got me wondering.
Jim

What a hand! Bet with overpair turned top full!

2009-08-04T03:39:00.000-07:00

I'm playing $1/$3 No Limit at Caesars Palace and I'm in the small blind with 88.
Some lady makes it $6.00 and (of course) I call in the small blind.
About 4 or 5 people see the flop so there's like $30 in the pot.

Flop: 4-4-2

Lady bet weakly - like $12.00 and a kid calls.

I decide I likely have the best hand and raise to $40.00
They both call!

Ready for this??? Turn is: 4-4-2-8

Fairly good turn card eh? LOL

Wow. I quickly decide that, hey, you guys called $40 on flop, you should call $40 on turn.
I don't slow play, I bet out $40.00

Lady folds, but KID calls! (And Kid has a lot of chips!)
River is: 4-4-2-8-2

Wow. Doubled paired board!

I look and see kid had $280.00 left

I immediately think this is a dream river and I'm fairly sure Kid has a 4 in his hand.

I'm first to act. What should I do.

I shoved ALL-IN for the $280.00 praying he has a 4.

"Wow! All In?? What do you have?" he said.

"What do YOU have?" I replied?

"I have a 4 for a full house!" he cried.

Now I've been in this situation before.
I made sure I didn't give off any crazy tells and I acted like "Wholly cow, you HAVE the dreaded 4??"
I just shrugged my shoulders and shook me head.

"I call" he said.
"I have the best hand unless you have..pocket eights"

"Yup,pocket eights" I said.

He was floored.

What a hand!!

Did I play my AA correctly? $2/$5 game.

2009-06-30T04:08:00.000-07:00

$2/$5 game at Wynn, Vegas.

I pick up AA in the BB.

I 3bet (to $75) an early position raiser’s $25 bet. He’s a young aggressive Euro kid. He called.
Flop As-Kd-8s (2 spades.)
I bet $75 and he called.
Turn As-Kd-8s-3s - bringing the possible flush.
I bet $120 and he pushed for $320 more - How can I fold?
I felt the right move was to call here. I mean, he had called a BIG re-raise pre-flop and now pushed for $320 into a $565 pot.
Even if he has the flush, I can't be drawing dead.
I call, and he shows 6s4s for the flush. River blanks and I lose BIG money.
Played OK?

Calico from St. Louis

One of my best calls ever!

2009-05-31T02:52:00.000-07:00

$2/$5 game at the Palms
Guy fired FOUR "barrels".
I had KQ on Q-x-x-x-x and I called: $35 PF (after limping for $5), $70,$100,$250 and he flipped up AT for nothing.

Just a $1000.00 pot.

I just had a feeling that he was FOS (Full of..).
He had a poker logo on his jacket and he was staring me down a LOT before each bet.

Greg Raymer on his recent play at WSOP 2009

2009-05-31T02:50:00.000-07:00

Nice little video from Greg Raymer on his recent play at WSOP 2009

Venetian - The river is: 5-7-8-6-4 and he instantly said "Nice hand."...as he MUCKS his hand!

2009-05-12T02:55:00.000-07:00

Picked up AA and 3 bet a $25 bet to $50 from MP. Over checked the flop of 5-7-8 as did the 3rd opponent. Turn 5-7-8-6. It was checked to me. I bet $50 and next guy folded. 1st guy thinks and thinks and finally says "I'm all in". This would cost me about $200 (pot is about $200 now). My senses tell me to call. I call! Before dealer flips over the river, I ask the guy "You have a straight?” "Nope." as he shows me (and the whole table) his JJ. I show him my AA. The river is: 5-7-8-6-4 and he instantly said "Nice hand."...as he MUCKS his hand! Dealer picks up the guy's mucked cards and mixes them up with the other cards. Someone else mentioned it's a split pot – there’s a straight on the board! Dealer asks if he showed the hand. The guy tried to plead he tabled the hand. He asks for a floor ruling. The floor comes over (and sees my AA and him without cards) and says they’ll check the tape and if they can clearly see his JJ then it will be a chopped pot. They reviewed the tape and ruled in my favor. He had to give me the pot and $255.00 more – my stack. Wow, what a hand!

Great post from 2+2.

2009-02-15T03:50:00.001-08:00

MrMore

grinder

Join Date: Mar 2007

Posts: 441

Re: Survey of the "Live Pros"

Quote:

Originally Posted by WMB

O.K., this is inspired by the recent "Live Pros" thread. I'm looking for responses from those who derive their entire income from playing live poker. Especially 1-2 or 2-5 NL or low to mid stakes limit games. Please only respond if you have no other source of money coming in. Those who don't currently play for a living but did at one point for more than a year can also respond. And this is for live play only, not internet.

Specifically, what stakes do you play, what is your monthly nut for living expenses, are you content with what you do or do you wish you had a job and a decent paycheck every week, how long have you been doing it, and any other thoughts you may have.

I'm hoping for serious responses. Please be truthful. I'll give you mine if the thread takes off.

I don't play 1/2, but 2/5, 5/5, fake 5/10, real 5/10, and 10/10, so pretty much the range you're talking about.

My monthly nut, meaning "minimum earn needed to avoid going backwards", is only 3k, because my wife works and makes that much take-home. I could make 3k at 1/2 if it came to it. We can live off 72k take-home a year if it comes to it.

I strongly suggest structuring a life such that a weak month at the tables IS your monthly nut. 3k is a pretty sad month for me, but the thing is, it isn't sad. It's okay. Much of human long-term happiness comes from the absence of stress. If a weak month's income is adequate, then you'll find the poker life relatively devoid of stress. In fact, I think I have a much lower stress life than almost anyone. Supervisors, alarm clocks, demanding customers, loony co-workers, traffic jams, etc, kill. Don't get killed.

If you're a materialistic person, you'll have to play higher stakes than I do. But if you're a materialistic person, it won't matter how high you play, you'll still be miserable.

Want to lead the baller lifestyle? Find a baller who isn't a miserable turd inside. I'd like to meet him. Haven't yet. That's why they're ballers: they're trying to please their inner turd. Inner turds are like princess daughters: they can't be pleased. Ever. Ballers need attention. Why? No one happy inside needs bling or fame. You think Hellmuth is anywhere close to happy? Ivey, even?

I have a home a few miles from the beach in SoCal. Good and cool kids. I like it. I'm a slacker, true. I'm even a slacker in poker. I like it. I like the weather here. I like sleeping late. I like not taking poker so seriously that I lose sleep over it or gobble Tums or do drugs or degrade myself by borrowing money to stay in action.

I play about 80 hours a month, 9-10 months a year, and have been at this for about 20 years. I always seem to end up making about $50-$80/hour, depending on whether I'm playing the low end of my stakes range or the high end. That was true when I was playing 20/40 to 40/80 LHE live, 2/4 NL online, or middle-stakes NL live now.

Wouldn't want to play more hours. Feel a bit sorry for those playing more than 1200 hours, much less 2k hours. What's the point in playing poker for a living if you're going to make a job out of it? Not to mention that this is true: play less, play better.

But wouldn't want to play fewer hours, either. I like playing poker. I like getting out of the house and meeting people (I tend to be a bookworm otherwise). I've made great friends in poker. Met lots of interesting people. The whole range of characters. I like walking in poker rooms.

Wouldn't want to play bigger. For what? Money? Money is crap. You lose just by needing "more" of it. The only thing dumber than being embarrassed by how small you play is being proud of how big you play.

And the life gets drastically different above middle stakes live. There's a whole, constant game-around-the-game to deal with. An odd and tricky and degrading culture. The loaning and staking and hunting and preying and piecing. I like playing at levels where I can just walk in a good-sized cardroom and play who's there and leave when I'm done. You can't just do that in high-stakes games. It's hard to explain why, just believe me, the very life of a cardplayer changes when you play above middle-stakes. There's a whole nother game on top of the game, and if you aren't good at it (I wasn't) or don't enjoy playing it (I didn't), then leave it be.

I honestly never regret taking this path. I like my freedom. I find very, very few people with jobs who really enjoy them, and almost no one with a job I'd enjoy. Not day-in, day-out, with attendant obligations. I like kids. But I wouldn't want to be a teacher. That would be day-in, day-out with a nightmarish bureaucracy to deal with. Pass.

I realized the other day that I wouldn't even be happy being an NBA pro. All the obligations and attention. Having to be certain places at certain times. Getting bothered for autographs when you just want to enjoy a meal in a restaurant. Pass that, too.

I don't regret not getting job "benefits." I have an 800 FICO. I pay my taxes (no kidding). I buy my family health insurance (Kaiser) and put money in an IRA. I don't know what other benefits I'd want. Can't get unemployment, true. But can't get fired, either, which is a nice perk these days. Millions of people are now finding out just how much of a gamble working for someone else is.

I could go broke. But if I was ever going to go broke, it would have happened by now. I can't possibly go broke by variance. If I ever go poker-broke, I'll quit the game, because it will mean I've lost my skills.

I keep 4 rolls: ER, LR, RR and BR.

ER is the emergency roll, which is mostly gold coins these days. Don't know why I keep it. Financially phobic, I guess. Used to buy coins in Vegas for cash after good sessions. Still got them. Cash for last resort.

LR is the life roll, which is what we live off, and is mostly in checking. I put 3k a month in there, last Friday of every month. That's it. That's my obligation. Playing or not, running good or not, I put that 3k in and my wife is chill thereafter. We have a good arrangement.

RR is the retirement roll, which is our IRA's and home.

BR is the bankroll, for poker, and it's paper cash in safe deposit boxes (except for the dayroll in my pocket, of course). If the BR taps out, I'll quit the game. If that isn't true of you, then you don't have a BR, because that's what a BR is: the amount you can lose which will make you quit, the amount you give yourself to lose before quitting. That's what it is.

I've always hated the idea of "work, retire, move to a warm-weather beach and THEN be happy."

I figured I'd just go ahead and quit work, move to the warm-weather beach, sleep until noon and play cards when I feel like it NOW.

Well, 20 years ago.

Could I contribute more to society? I'm politically involved, and free to be so. And I'm a very involved Dad, which I'm also free to be. I'm not the Dad who misses his kid's little league games because he's on a business trip. I'm the dad coaching them.

And yes I know this post is way too real for 2+2, but WTF, I kind of enjoyed writing it.

Shocking hand - A drunk says "Well I'll show you my cards too!"

2009-01-21T02:31:00.000-08:00

Played $1/$2 NL at Harrahs (LAS VEGAS) two days ago.
A shocking hand came up.

A drunk (in his mid 40s) is to my immediate left. He's a nice guy and he been super chatty with the whole table. The waitress can't bring the shots to him fast enough. "Where *is* she?", he keeps saying.
He's drinking whiskey all night and then adding these shots as fast as he can.

His play is just as you'd expect. Dreamlike. Any and all cards that connect are the "nuts" and his chips move to the center on the table.
He's re-bought a few times now for $200.00 a pop.
He's mentioned a few times that the money means little to him, we are all his friends and "this is just like playing in the home game with my buddies".

With $140.00 in my stack, I wake up with AA and raise to $12.00 UTG.
He calls the $12.00.
It's folded around. Heads up.

Flop: 8-6-6 rainbow.
I check to him.
He says "I'm ALL IN, and buddy, I highly suggest you fold!"
(I have $140.00 and he has me covered)

Wow, I think..what bad luck. He out flopped me and is being nice.
Dang. He has dreaded 6 eh? Humm.

I'm about 85% ready to fold when I decide, at last second, to flip my cards over (face up) and try to get a reaction from him.

I show him (and the table) my AA!
"Oh yeah?", he replies. "Well I'll show you my cards too!"
What?? I can't believe what's about to happen but...

He flips over his cards: A8
I'm stunned. I sit there are stare at his A8. I can't believe it.
Where's the 6?

I feel bad for him as I know he was trying to be nice.
But the poker player in me is thinking the obvious: He has 2 outs baby!

I call, and no miracle occurs for him.

I'll never forget this hand!

Made it to SilverStar on PokeStars. First time ever!

2009-01-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

Made it to SilverStar on PokeStars. First time ever!

Dream hand - turned the nuts and got paid - Caesar’s Palace

2009-01-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

Played at Caesar’s Palace tonight.

Bought in for $200.
Won with AQ on a A-K-Q-Q-3 board and then had $420 in front of me.

Picked up AK (offsuit) on the button and raised to $17.00 – three players called.
Flop was Q-T-3 of three different suits.

The three players checked to me.
I (did a continuation bet) bet $30.00 and one guy called me.
Turn was Q-T-3-J, giving me the straight (the nuts)!

My opponent bet into me $50.00 and I raised to $100.00
He GOES ALL IN FOR over $300.00.
I insta-call and he shows K9 (offsuit) for a turned straight.
Oh my god – he’s drawing to a chop at best.
River blanks and I’m up to $854.00

Wow…

What’s interesting is how badly he played it on all streets.
Go over each street and you’ll see what I mean.
Also, he (luckily) was the only player at the table that had enough chips to double me up.

HUGE MISTAKE! Didn't correctly put this gut on a flush draw. Duh!

2008-12-08T02:54:00.000-08:00

Wow, made one HUGE MISTAKE! I raised on the button to $15 with Ks9s. One caller. He "checked dark" and the flop was Xc-Xc-Xd. I bet $20 and he called. Turn he checked dark again and was a blank. I bet $30 and he called. River was a blank and he checked. I checked and he won showdown with KcJc. GEE, where did I go wrong??

2008-12-06T00:35:00.001-08:00

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

The WBCOOP is an online Poker tournament open to all Bloggers.

Registration code: 426922

When people say poker is a game of luck, tell them..

2008-11-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

Poker is a game of luck?
Do you go to Wall Street and tell all the day traders that the stock market is a game of luck? Poker and the stock market are very similar: luck is a part of it, there are swings, but a smart player in the game wins money over the long haul. The fact that sometimes bad players win, is in itself an admittance that there are good players and bad players, therefore it is a game of skill.

If I were to offer you coin flips at $100 a pop with a coin weighted to land heads 55% of the time (for the sake of the argument lets say you can confirm the validity of this), for as many flips as you want and you can have heads, you would take this wager right? Even though you MIGHT be down after 100 flips, 500 flips, heck even 1000 flips. Well, being a knowledgeable poker player is much like this. Sometimes you lose those flips, but the weighted coin affords you a positive expectation in the long run -- which, through patience and discipline, eventually becomes realized.

2008-11-19T03:29:00.000-08:00

From HERE

Hi all, I've moved this from the "online players mistakes" thread as I guess it goes better here.

A while ago I decided to make a list of leaks I found in my game. It's saved me a lot of money in the long run and I'd seriously recommend it to everyone, I haven't reviewed it as often as I should have, so hopefully posting it here will fix that and encourage others to contribute theirs.

The list is below and is pretty much unedited so please forgive the shorthand. I've also included several from one of Mike Caro's articles. Most are for cash games but there are some for tournaments as well.

Tilt
Alcohol
Boredom

Rebuying in unfavourable situations
Playing tight games
Staying in tight games to get money back
Going up in limits to get money back
Playing too fast
Not using all the time available on tough decisions
Chair glue
Getting caught up in chat
Giving information in chat
Showing hands (sometimes good, sometimes bad..need a good reason)
Underestimating the opposition
Going after revenge
Not taking breaks when losing
Timing out
Playing too loose when joining table
Looking to call instead of looking to fold
Loosening up too much to match a loose table
Getting careless with a big stack

a) Calling raise in BB with trash
b) Calling in SB with trash
c) Not calling in SB with trash with good implied odds

a) Folding to a small bet on the river with a large pot
b) Paying off on the river too often

Bluffing too often
Bluffing calling stations
Bluffing too many opponents (3 or more)
Bluffing out of position (see above)
Betting too much when you want a call

Not raising with stone cold nuts when convinced split pot v unknown players
Betting the turn to set up a bluff then not following through on it
Betting on the end with a mediocre hand
Raising on the end with beatable hands (esp trips)
Betting into fish & maniacs on the end where you would usually check

Not respecting raises enough
Calling allin with flush draws
Overrating low flushes
Calling without right pot odds
Playing marginal hands in early position
Not calling loose players with decent non-nut hands
Making desperation bluffs on end
Playing bad razz hands
Trying to gamble a quick win heads up in SNG's
Losing patience at end of SNG's
Going all in with easily dominatable hands (esp Ax Kx)
Raising for information then not acting on it

NL Holdem

Raising too much trying to catch bluffs etc - use minimum decent size amount
Not laying down a good hand vs a big reraise
Overbluffing
Stealing at the wrong time
Bluffing when checked to when several people left to act
Driving people out on the flop with a great hand
Overbetting the pot
Overdoing the aggression
Bluffing into more than 3 or 4 players
Missing bets by trying to slowplay
Getting outdrawn trying to slowplay
Not betting enough on flop & turn with very good hands
Not respecting preflop reraises enough

Mike Caro's Article:

(a) Trying to impress weaker opponents
(b) Playing more aggressively when you're losing
(c) Raising too aggressively when you have to act first next round
(d) Folding too frequently on late rounds
(e) Reluctance to settle for a small loss
(f) Playing a bigger-limit game when a smaller game is more profitable
(g) Making marginal raises against deceptive foes
(h) Bluffing with hands that can only chase away weaker hands
(i) Complaining about bad luck while at the table
(j) Making others self-conscious about bad plays
(k) Bringing a serious winning image to the poker table
(l) Betting marginal hands after bluffers check

Poker, be patient!

2007-10-12T00:20:00.000-07:00

There’s SO much more to this game that we are just uncovering.
I still think it’s fascinating how good players make some bad decisions.
Very bad decisions.

I’m trying hard to keep making good decisions, natch.

I see, over and over some player who’s game you respect (maybe a stranger who sits next to you and talks good poker strategy with you for hours) go broke (or give away a lot of $) by doing something stupid.

Why does this happen?
Well, even the “rock” or super tight player gets bored, frustrated (steaming, tilting, etc..) and makes some wild, risky plays.

When I was in Vegas last weekend, why didn’t I give the fool credit for the backdoor flush? (I had AA). I should have when he bet $70 (into a $70 pot).

Patience is a word that’s expressed easily, but (in a cash game) am I really patient enough?
People at Shelia’s game (and Vegas too) “pick on” me sometime when I raise or call a big bet.
“I bet he has AA or KK, because he tight”
Yeah, I know I need to raise occasionally w/ 87suited in late position to mix it up a bit, but in general I love it that I have that reputation because I use it to bluff too.
And not just the reputation, it shows that I AM playing properly – way tighter than the average player.

Anyway, my new theory now is that I need to be even more patient and that the good opportunities WILL happen and I have to just wait for them. Wait even longer than I am now, which is a long time!
For example a bad opportunity is (1/2 NL cash game) : You have pocket nines in the BB and the SB is on tilt he’s been ready to go home for a 15 mins. It’s folded to the SB who goes ALL IN for $45.
You feel he can easily have a lower pocket pair or even something like AQ suited, so you call.
Bad call!
We need to wait for opportunities that are much more certain.

Tip: If the board has only 1 card over a T...

2007-08-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have found that if the board has only 1 card over a T, then it is good 2/3 of the time. However, I have also learned that a value raise (over min. raise but less than all in) to my initial bet is worse news than an all in raise. Raises to an overpair after the turn is bad news for the overpair unless the opponent is a known LAG.