As an infrequent poster but constant lurker, I have to add my word of gratitude to Jen & Snoops (& Blonde).  Over the past few nights I've been channel-hopping between here and Card Player, but my visits to the American site have become less and less frequent, for the simple reason that their coverage is dull.  When I read Blonde's coverage, I get a real sense of being in the thick of the action madness; the humour, the pics, the interaction online; it's all fabulous!

Keep up the splendid work folks, but please try and eat/sleep properly!

Hi Flushy,

If you bump into this guy on your travels, any chance of passing on a message him (Matt Davey, picture below)?

"Frank & Ladro say 'Hi', and there's a big box of Tayto with your name on it if you win."



Cheers pal!

MM.

Thanks for your thoughts Bob. Reading between the lines, you think my brain got in the way of my balls? 

The reason I limped UTG is I don't think AQo is deserving of an early raise on a table of ten given my healthy chip position.

This is quite early on in the tournament, only level 2, so why take on the only player who is already running
the taps in readiness for my early bath? Strategically that doesn't make sense, regardless of whether he has the goods or not.

Me become bitter and twisted? Absolutely - speak to the wife!  But I will always play low pairs.

Anyway, the flat call post-flop was a bad decision. I should've folded.

Sack-cloth and ashes for me this weekend...

Cheers Jezza, since I didn't read your post until after you'd edited it, there was no offence taken!

Ace2m, if I check and he checks, I'm no better off.  Surely a bet here is the only way to get some info?

If the situation was reversed and I was sitting with 99, I wouldn't bet in response to his check.

I would wait for the turn and hope for a raise.

Bah, where's that jar?

[Was this flat call a mistake?]

Apologies.  Here's another folded hand; is this solid play or weak play?

Again 2-table $20.  This time, I'm 2nd in chips with 2000 on a full table, blinds 30/60.

I'm UTG with  .

I call for 60.

MP (chip leader with about 2600) raises to 120. Folds back to me, I call.

Flop comes  .  Top pair, ace kicker. Rainbow flop. Life is sweet.

I raise 390. MP comes over the top with 780.

Now, two weeks ago, with a rousing cry of 'What the hell, might as well!' I would have pushed 'em all-in at this point.

Instantly. In the unshakeable belief I was ahead.

But how many times have I regretted this course of action?  Too many to mention.

Two weeks ago, I played poker exclusively using my fingers. Nowadays, I've enlisted the services of my brain.

And I'm not saying this is necessarily a good thing.

So my brain says; I have no information on this guy whatsoever. Am I really ahead? Or is he outplaying me?
There are five hands that are beating me; AA KK QQ 99 66. But with such a modest
pre-flop raise, surely I can discount the first three?  Has he made a set? Does he have AQ?

A faint whiff of panic sets in when I realise I've lost faith in my top pair with ace kicker.

My brain has sown such a large seed of doubt, my instinct to re-raise has been quashed.

I use some banked time to mull things over, and eventually call.

Was this flat call a mistake?  Should I have re-raised and taken the possible consequences,
or was I justified in crapping out having only lost half my stack?

With hindsight, only a queen on the turn would have made me smile.

Turn is  .

I checked. I knew I was beaten. Whether he was beating me, I'll never know. He raised all-in and I folded.

In future, perhaps I should just leave the brain in the jar and let the fingers get on with it...

Topsy-turvy-tank-tastic!

Good luck man, attack that challenge with renewed vigour!!

Thanks for the replies guys.  I think this post indicates just how little I know about this game!

If you call, there will be (assuming you have 1400 chips after posting) 900+900+900+100 = 2800 chips in the pot and you will have 700 left. A 1/4 pot all-in isn't going to get rid of anyone. Either the button has a pair or over cards to a raggy flop - either way he's going to call.

Yes, you're right of course.  I would have to hit on the flop, otherwise I'm just pissing away my chips.  Thinking I could steal post-flop was a bit foolish (mind you, this is a $20 game we're talking about).

You're allowing the fact that you would have flopped 2 pair to influence your thinking - you can't reverse-engineer your decisions from the cards that fall afterwards.

No, I seriously was considering a call, but I think that's just an indication of how daft I am. The flop was amusing, that's all.

I'll need to pull my finger out and start practicing working out the odds -- I'm just bone idle and tend to rely on [cough]instinct[cough]. 

This is a novice looking for opinions more than 'proper' hand analysis.

2-Table $20 tournament. Seven players on my table.  I'm having not-much-luck,
and beginning to feel a 'do-or-die' moment could be in order.

I have about 1400 chips (lowest on table) blinds are 100/200 and I'm BB.

UTG raises to 900.  The button calls.  Then back to me.

I have  .

Reasons for calling: 1) lots of chips in the middle - a chance to double through. 2) if the flop comes ragged, an all-in might steal the pot
3) Although he wasn't a maniac, UTG was raising quite often - he could be at it  4) 'get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.

Reasons for folding: 1) no reason to panic, so wait for better cards / better position. 2) the button was solid and probably had something.

After much thought I packed.

Of course the flop came  and the button took the chips with  .

Turns out, the 'waiting for better cards' option came along three hands later, when my AKs was up-ended by 67o. Them's the breaks  .

So, given the circumstances, should I have been less cautious and more adventurous?  Opinions please!

Tank's normal pyjamas must be in the wash.

Click to see full-size image.

I'm off to bed now and I'm curious as to how many people actually will by the time I get up at 6ish.
So go on, be a sport and post a picture of your oven gloves. Then you silly sausages.

Tank, why are you trying to flush them down the toilet?

Hello Hello Martain Martain. Do Do you you feel feel like like telling telling us us about about yourself yourself on on the the profile profile board board??

Hey Red, I'll post another profile if you want, but I'd be repeating myself.

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=3924.0

 

You've gotta love the blondites!

Hello folks, I've been lurking for a long while now - jeez, you're a nice bunch!

So anyway, the missus bought me a PC for Christmas and last week I finally succumbed to the long-resisted lure of online poker.  She only has herself to blame when I crawl to bed at 3am each night with eyes like smashed lightbulbs.

I'm on day 6 of low-risk low-reward $10 STT.  It's not rocket science. Even my fishy antennae can detect that the play is generally piss poor, so I'm getting a return on my money. In fact my original investment has trebled.

I don't feel I've been exceptionally lucky  - good luck has matched bad in equal measure.

Anyway, last night I was struck by a startling revelation - it dawned on me that I was improving as a poker player! After 7 or 8 years of stagnation, playing monthly home games or the occasional casino tourney, the speed of evolution has fair taken my breath away.

Three cheers for the net!

Best cheap set I have seen is in costco, £20 gets you 500 chips 12g and a large felt with a racetrack and 2 decks of average cards.

a good deal for £20.

That's good. Damn, I would package up the box and take it right back to Asda,
but the hamster got over-excited about his new pitch. It all got a bit messy.

Wandered into my local Asda last night and picked up a Poker Set for £8.98.

For that you get;
1) a nice tin to keep your biscuits fresh, or for leftover christmas cake.
2) a small rectangle of green felt - ideal for a hamster's subbuteo pitch
3) some great tips from the experts - TJ Cloutier says 'Mix up your play to confuse your opponents!'
4) a pack of not very good cards

but, as well as the crap...

5) 200 good quality chips - 7.2g in four colours, idea for a reasonable home game.