blonde poker

 

I managed to play 2 hands before I was out today (which is twice as many as I played in the main event in Luton last month). Ironic really, as I had passed Lucky Steve Lui on the way to the arena at 12.05pm as he had busted out in 5 minutes with a straight flush draw, that I should be busted out soon after.  The problem with these smaller events is that you simply do not get enough chips to play one pot to the river and still be in reasonable shape. Example, blinds 25-25, one raise of 100, 3 callers, raiser bets 400 on flop and to call costs you 25% of your starting stack. To re-raise him 1200 with your top pair will cost you over 60%, so you have to win your first major pot, and by the river, you are all-in. The best strategy seems to be to not play any pots early on and look for a double up when the blinds reach 50-100, where you could still have over 1500 chips at your disposal if you did not play a hand. This was going to be my strategy today, until I got involved in 2 pots when I was in the big blind.

Hand 1: Passive play with a pair and a flush draw
1 middle position raise of 100, one caller, I am on the BB with 6c3c. There is 250 in the pot and it costs me 50 to call, I am getting pot odds of 4-1, so even if one person has AA, its correct to call, never mind implied odds. The flop comes down 3s 7c 9c. I have a pair and a flush draw. I check and the original bettor bets 200, the other player folds. I am out of position so don't want to re-raise and have to bluff the turn, so I just call, hoping for a 6, a 3 or any club, although I am almost sure my I am ahead. Next card comes 7h, I check and the raiser checks. River Td, I have missed but am still beating AK, AQ, AJ, I check and he best 300, I call and he turns over QT off suit, my hesitancy to get involved has cost me 25% of my stack, if I had check-raised on the flop, or bet the turn, I would have won, its not like me to play so weakly, but when you have been missing draws all week, you don't want to go all-in on one in the first 5 minutes of the tourney.  Down to 1500 chips.

Hand 2: Aggressive play with a pair and a flush draw
I am on the BB with 7h2h and there are 4 limpers, making 150 in the pot including the SB who calls. The flops comes down 7d, 4h, 5h. I again have a pair and a flush draw, although an A7 or 87 or 67 is likely to among the limpers. I lead out betting 150, limper 1 and 2 pass, limper 3 re-raises to 400, I guess with A7 or maybe 88, 99. Limper 3 calls the 400 and the SB passes. What is going on? I analyse the situation and come to the conclusion that limper 2 had a hand that is beating mine, but will not call an all-in from the BB, as I could have anything. However, limper 2 has 44, 55 or 68, and is slow playing. I do not believe either have flush draws as 400 is 20% of there stack, calling to hit 1 card is not really a play, as if the heart comes, you probably won't get paid. Now, to stay in the tournamant here I should fold my hand, I still have 1300 chips, however, there is now 1100 in the pot. I know the second caller will call with his trips or straight (I think the nut straight is most likely) so if I go all-in for 1300, he will put another 1050, making 2100 in the pot, so I am getting 7-4 on my money if only he calls, and 7/2 if caller one also calls (I am 2-1 to make the flush). However, if one of them has 6h8h I am drawing dead. I move my 1300 chips in the middle, caller1 passes and caller 2 calls. He has the nut straight 6d8s and I am drawing to 9 outs twice. Turn comes 7s giving me trips, meaning any 2,4, 5,7 or heart wins me the pot (19 outs, 43% of the deck)a rotten Qs hit the river and I am out, having played 2 hands 63 and 72!

I put my chips in on a draw knowing I would get at least one caller, which not recommended play, however I did justify it with Pot Odds. If I had not played the 63s so weakly in the first hand, I may have passed the 72s on the flop. The whole thing is a bit comical really, but I guess not many players can say they moved all-in on 2 opponents with 72 after a re-raise and a flat call at the WSOP. In fact, I wonder if it has ever happened before! Minutes before my exit, Simon Nowab got knocked out with his KK v AA on the next table, all in pre-flop, the flop came 678, turn T, Simon was heard shouting for a 9 to make a split pot, which we had a laugh about afterwards. I lot of people went out early today due to the lack of chips in relation to the betting, I'm just trying to find someone who went out with 72 to make me feel remotely normal. I'm going to give Dan Harrington his books back and ask him for $59 rebate, as he does not have a section titled How not to get involved in stupid plays on your BB! Tomorrow is the $5000 NL 6 handed tourney, which will be great to play, as 6 handed forces action.

On a honest note, and I want my journal to be truthful, so when I look back on it is an accurate reflection, I'm feeling a bit fed up now, I've had 15 days here, only cashed once and not really had the rub of the green, although I agree than some of my play has been questionable, I like to call it unorthodox. The real reason is that I also know that I am an average player here at best, which hurts. The standard here is high, and I find myself thinking about the famous poker saying, if after 15 minutes you can't spot the sucker at the tableget up and leave cause its you. I hope people reading this do not find this negative, as I am really enjoying speaking to new people and learning more about poker, I'm just being a realist, to get a result here I have to get very very lucky, as my play alone is just not good enough to compete with the quality of these fields. Some players will believe this attitude is self-defeatist, but I actually think you need to know where you are, to get where you want in life, and kidding yourself does you no good in the long term. So, lets get very lucky tomorrow and bust out the better players!