Simon’s Poker Blog

Have you seen the new HellKat sit and go tournaments over at Party Poker? They are just like regular SNG’s only they have a maximum time which the game can last (5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes at this stage though the filters in the client hint that there may be longer games to come), at the end of which the prize pool is divided up amongst the top 3 chip stacks. As an added twist some of the games have a random finishing time (within 10% of the scheduled finishing time) that make it more difficult to predict how many hands you have remaining.

My initial thought on these games is “what a crap shoot” with most of the tournaments I’ve been watching quickly turning into all-in fests. However, it does seem there could be some interesting strategies to be tried. Especially in the later stages of the game. I’ve only played in one so I’ll reserve judgment on the idea as a whole until I’ve researched things a bit more, in the meantime consider this final hand from the HellKat tournament I just played in:

Let me set the scene, there are five players remaining:

SB has 670
BB has 5,160
I’m UTG with 3,720
UTG+1 has 7,730
and the button has 2,720

Blinds are 150/300 but that is almost completely irrelevant as the HellKat timer is at 14:45 and this is a fixed time tournament capped at 15 minutes. This is our last hand.

The cards are dealt and I find:

What do you do here?

With my timer already beeping and all eyes on me I quickly consider the current state of the game, my options, my opponents likely moves and how this all affects me and my money chances. I do all this in the few scarce seconds you get to think in these things and then I fold. As the play moves around the table I double check the numbers in my head, I think I got this right…

1. I’m third. The only way this can change is if the current first or second place player doubles up fourth place in this hand.
2. First place will not play this hand as fourth place is going all-in regardless and if first loses he’s back to second.
3. Second place will not call the all-in as a loss will put him out of the money.
4. Since fourth has to push to have any chance of making the money and since I’m around 60/40 give or take against most random hands here it’s a big gamble to try and grab second place.

I’m convinced in this specific situation that folding is correct (and should have been done blind, though AK made it that much more interesting) however, if fourth and fifth place have more than 1860 in chips (half my stack) each here I have to play and in that case we would have been all-in preflop and I would have had a race on my hands for a chance at second place or nothing! That’s what these tournaments can come down to and while it’s interesting to try and run these scenarios in your head while under pressure at the table as the final minute ticks by on a clock it remains to be seen whether or not this type of game suits my style.

As far as a way to kill a quick 15 minutes goes though I can think of worse things to do.

Oh, by the way… the board after fourth and fifth place played the dead rubber of a final hand:

I’d have rivered the win and taken second. C’est la vie!

A week after I took second in my first NPL appearance tonight I again made the final table. Unfortunately due to a pretty cold run of cards I was only there for one hand, all-in on my big blind, where my K7o got beaten by an ace. But still… final table! Gotta count for something?

Pretty boring tournament overall, didn’t get too fancy with many hands and was card dead for a long time with a short-medium stack stuck in between a couple of monster stacks so didn’t have much room to move (hence hitting the final table with one big blind!). Still, was a fun night and I did manage to play a couple of interesting hands, for example:

UTG+1 I’m dealt:

UTG folds and I raise 3xBB to 300. I have around 4000 in chips and everyone else is around a average on 2000-2500. Everyone folds to the button who calls as does the big blind. The flop comes:

The big blind checks, I bet 1000 which is pretty much pot. The button folds and the big blind pushes all-in for another 1500 chips.

Damn.

The pot is 3000, it’s 1500 to call and I know nothing about this player though earlier this evening I’ve seen some crazy play and I think that may have influenced my eventual decision. I can fold aces here, if I think about it there are very few hands I can beat. Somehow I convinced myself that for 1500 more the chances that he was playing a queen were good enough and I called. Of course he turned over:

I didn’t improve and was back to 1500 in chips. I repeat, I can fold aces here. I should have thought longer about my situation and then mucked those aces face up, it would have given me a whole lot of bluffing equity I could have used when those cards went dead. Ah well, next time maybe?

The next hand was a strange one… blinds were 300/600 and I was in the big blind with around 2500 in chips after posting. UTG calls, it’s folded to the small blind who completes and I check:

The flop comes something like:

Everyone checks.

The turn is:

Everyone checks.

The river comes:

And it’s checked to UTG who bets 2500. The small blind folds and I take a look at the UTG player. We’ve been sitting next to each other for a while, actually we started at the same table and were moved to this table at the same time. He seems nervous. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was, in the end it was just gut feel… he was weak or bluffing. I called with my 7d and he turned over:

For the smaller flush and I took down the pot.  That one felt good and was probably the reason I made the final table at all… I think I’ll be back next week and try to go deep again. It may be a free roll but it’s fun!

… It was a freeroll.

Still reading? Good! I live in Adelaide, Australia and legal live games are nearly impossible outside of the casino and the home game scene and I doubt I’m being invited to the right home game as the best I’ve found so far is a 50c/$1 game that grandma usually cleans up in.

ANYWAY.

Tonight I played in the “National Poker League” (NPL - www.npl.com.au) at my local pub, the Bridgeway hotel in Pooraka. The NPL is one of at least three poker leagues that are running free rolls in pubs around Australia. I haven’t really done my research but as far as I can tell this is a recent phenomena in my home state of South Australia and for the past month or so the NPL has been running games at pubs across my local map. Tonight was a Wednesday and as my luck would have it my local (the afore mentioned Bridgeway Hotel on Bridge Rd in Pooraka - No sponsorship though if they read this I do love free beer) was running the next NPL game starting at 7:30pm. Having nothing else on I decide to do the old pop-in and see what the go was.

Registration was easy, rock up from an hour before the game and sign up (alternatively you can sign up on-line before your first event and save the hassle of filling out a form). It’s free and for your name and contact details you receive an NPL membership card (plastic - good quality - to be used for registration at other NPL events) and two “drink cards” each of which you can get stamped whenever you buy a drink or meal at the bar. Four stamps before the first tournament break and you earn yourself an extra $500 in chips. If you want my advice, come in early and grab a meal… that will net you at least 3 or 4 stamps and the next card can be filled up with a couple of pints. Most others will have the extra $1000 so it’s worth grabbing from the first hand if you want to have the average chip stack.

So enough of the free plug… if anyone is still reading this blog you’re probably wondering how I did? The answer is surprisingly well, I entered expecting a quick game with a steep structure and I was right… $1500 in starting chips before the drink card add-ons and blinds starting at $25/$50 and pretty much doubling every 15 minutes. It’s a fast structure but it’s free. Not what I’d call ideal but for the price you can’t complain.

First hand of the night after seats have been “assigned” on a first come first served basis and the button decided on a high card deal UTG I’m dealt:

First hand, first to act and not knowing what to expect I consider my options. I decide it’s the perfect chance to see what I’m up against and I make the standard play by raising it up 3XBB to $75 and get a couple of callers. The flop comes:

(or something to that effect)

TPTK And I bet pot. A player (Mick) who I’ve made friends with earlier over a pint at the bar calls and we’re heads up after the only other opposition folds.

The turn is a blank and I check. I’m conflicted here however as half of me is expecting my new friend to my left to put me to the test and bet regardless of his hand but at the same time I’m considering that really he could just be a guy in the bar who usually drinks on a Wednesday but now wants to play poker. No reads, first hand, he could have anything. I’m being cautious….

He checks behind me.

This is no tricky play, at this moment I have no doubt I am ahead. Then reality sets in, I just gave the guy a free card. I have got to stop doing that (not talking specifically about this hand or this tournament… it’s been bugging me generally that I’ve recently gotten into the habit of either not putting my opponents on a hand or giving them too much credit for a trap and checking to them to give them a freebie… it’s gotta stop!) On this occasion though I was saved the the turn brought the:

I bet out about half the pot in with the intention of value and took down the first pot of the night with my AQ vs his AJ. Closer than I thought but I was happy to win the first one… I don’t care who you are this always has to put a smile on your face!

From there the first round was all about learning and what I learnt quickly was that my opponents were all generally weak passive. In the whole first round I was the only one to raise pre-flop and that was on the hand I just described! I mean players had aces in the hole twice in that first round and both failed to raise… both lost. Both whinged. Me, I just shut my mouth, ordered another beer from Rachel the cute bartender who I claimed to my table had been serving me lucky pints all night and proceeded to try and blend in with the crowd. This was a freeroll at a pub within walking distance of my house… I’m going to have fun goddamit!

The fun philosophy was certainly working when at the end of the first round I was dealt KK in what ended up being a four way pot on a board of:

With one player all-in, a dry side pot and two other live players I briefly considered trying to start something on the side but decided tournament wise I was already in a good position (at this point I had all of my table well covered in chips) and ended up checking it down. I won, TT vs 55 vs JT after a turn and river that didn’t help anyone I’d claimed my first scalp and the first person to be knocked out from our table.

After sharing a piss in the break with a guy called Phil who claimed that he “knew I had KK in that final hand when I reached for chips but didn’t bet after the two aces fell” I decided two things… one no more urinating next to players at my table and two, given the fact this was a freeroll and that I was now the big stack at the table no more giving off tells that even Phil could pick up.

I played one hand between the first break and the second break. I lost. I had 33 and bet pot on the river against 2 others. The board had been paired since the flop with jacks and I folded instantly after a raise from a late position player who had been passive up until that point. The size of the raise was irrelevant, no doubt in my mind he had the jack… I only wish a three had come on the river :)

After the third break I had dropped back to average stack for the tournament and a few new players had joined my table. Realistically I had one hand left before where my chips might actually be taken seriously. I was the big blind and it had been folded around to the small blind who called. I checked with:

Doyles hand! The flop came:

The SB bet out a little less than the pot. He was a new player at the table and for some reason I decided to be stubborn and refuse to put him on the ace. I raised all-in for $1500 more than his stack (and less than the current pot) and he called. I knew I was in trouble and he turned over:

To leave me drawing as good as dead. He won the pot and I was left with $1500 with the blinds at $500/$1000. Needless to say the very next hand I ended up all-in against the big blind with 89s vs JTo. I won and doubled up. I doubled up once more and was average again (repeat: steep structure) and ended up playing the short stack well enough (with the assistance of some good short stack starting hands) to take down my table and head into the final table as near enough joint chip leader) over around $25000 in chips (apologies for the lack of detail in that little run but a combination of no breaks and much beer rendered my note taking ability near useless). Being the final table things changed from the previous table deals themselves structure to the tournament director dealing… I asked him how many chips were in play at the final table and he answered “about $60000, give or take”. I was chip leader! Though the blinds were $3000/$6000 and about to jump tp $5000/$10000. Can’t complain though ‘cos another guy at the final table had Around $15000 and the rest was shared amongst 7 short stacks. I liked my odds even though it was a gamble.

Things happened fast.

Very fast.

Couldn’t even tell you too many hands, short stacks were all-in on their blinds and being busted out all over the place. Before I knew it we were 3 handed.

Let me set the picture, blinds $5000/$10000… 3 handed. I’m chip leader but there’s only $60000 in play. If we see a show down at this point we’re all-in. Blinds go back and forth and we’re as good as even. Heads up starts after a hand I wasn’t involved in… not much vs not much else… I think middle pair won. Heads up finishes a hand later when in the big blind I check Q7o after my opponent calls, the flop comes:

I push, for what has to be about the pot. My oppenent calls with the diamond flush draw that makes it on the turn. I take second place out of over 50 entries and win a $25 voucher for the pub and a deck of cards for my troubles… Guess what though? It’s not about the prize… this was a freeroll. This was about having fun playing poker! I’ve not smiled so much after a poker game in a long time… great bunch of players, a well run tournament, within walking distance of my house… I’m there next week! I had a great time and was inspired to post to the blog for the first time in a few months.

Tonight was about what I really love about poker, the social aspect. No one cared tonight about bad beats, pot odds or the like. I shook the hand of everyone at my table that got knocked out whether I was in the pot or not and each one of them smiled and shook my hand back. Tonight was about playing for the fun of it, getting new players into the game and it was fun! In my books fun beats money any day of the week… especially Wednesdays. See you there next week!

“People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.”
- Otto Von Bismarck

Sometimes I get more of a kick out of reading the chatter of some of my on-line opponents than from actually playing cards with them. See if you can spot the mistakes made by the runner up when defending his taking part in the following, crazy, hand:

Preflop:

UTG folds, Our Lier calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, 1 fold, MP3 raises, 3 folds, BB calls, Our Lier calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls.

Flop:

BB bets, Our Lier raises, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP3 calls, BB 3-bets, Our Lier caps, MP3 calls, BB calls.

Turn:

BB bets, Our Lier raises, MP3 folds, BB 3-bets, Our Lier caps, BB calls.

River:

BB bets, Our Lier calls.

BB turns over:

Trip 10’s - good enough to win a pot worth over 20 BB. “Our Lier” sheepishly mucks with the following chat:

Our Lier: nh
BB: thx
Our Lier: trip 5s
BB: no ****
Our Lier: yep

I can think of at least reasons why claiming trip 5’s in this spot is a bad idea if you expect the on-line table to believe you. First, trip 5’s would actually have won this hand with a full house and second Poker Stars allows any player who played in the hand to check the hand history for cards mucked at showdown. Our lier’s true holding? 4s 5h.

Ok, I can’t resist:

Playing 45o in a 1/2 limit hold’em game from early position against a raise. $2.
Jamming the pot on the flop and turn with a sub-par hand. $16.
Claiming a hand that you couldn’t possibly have had after you muck. Priceless.

Ugh, terrible I know, but all tongue in cheek and hopefully good for a laugh, unless of course I’m just easily amused? :)

By the way, I converted this hand using the great hand history converter over at http://www.flopturnriver.com. Check it out if you need some, umm, hands converted!

Of interest only to those WordPress bloggers who use it I’ve released an update for my Playing Card Smilies plug-in:

http://www.simonspoker.com/static/card_smilies.html

It’ll now work with v2.13 of WordPress. This also means that my blog is now working again instead of replacing the middle of innocent words with playing card images :) Enjoy!

… I jump into a low stakes game, 5c/10c. I buy-in short for $6. I’m bored, all my usual limit hold’em games are rock gardens and I’m not in the mood for no-limit hold’em.

As I’m dealt a few hands I start to realise I don’t really know what a good starting hand is. Something about suited aces, big pairs and suited cards that can work together for straight ring a bell. Seems logical then that after folding my first five hands I limp from early position with:

Doesn’t really meet any of those prerequisites does it? Probably an easy fold for anyone with the least bit of Omaha experience but to me this connectedy suitedy holding looked interesting. Three players plus the blinds decide to come along and we see a flop:

Even a newbie like me knows that this is not the premium holding it would be at a hold’em table. With the large number of cards out there it’s likely my 6 is either dominated by kicker or someone has already made a full house. I make a mental not to tread carefully. The two blind players to my left check and I decide to chuck in a half pot-sized bet (with the intention of throwing it away if I get any major resistance). It’s folded around to the big blind who calls and we’re heads up. I know nothing about the big blind player except he has 2.5 times the max buy-in in front of him and therefore must have won a hand or two tonight. Though I know from hold’em experience this does not necessarily mean he knows what he’s doing I can’t discount it. At this micro-limit however, anything is possible.
We see the turn:

He checks and I, still wary of the trap, check behind. The river:

And now he bets, half the pot. Looks like an attack on my weakness to me so I raise and am promptly raised all-in.

What does he have?

Now knowing anything about him or Omaha I decide I can’t lay this hand down. Only two hands beat me (88 and TT) and I’ve only played 6 hands of Omaha, how can I put him on those? I call.

He turns over:

For a bigger full house with his pocket 8’s.

So dear reader, bad luck?, bad play (post flop)? or both? If I’m going to get good at the “future of poker” I’m going to need to know!

P.S. Yes, I’m back… I had a whole comeback post planned but I’ll save that for later.

Actually, I’ve been back for nearly four weeks! Had no time for writing though, I’ve been too busy playing poker. I’ll up date you all on that roller coaster ride soon but until then let me share some table chatter I overheard and found amusing, I’m not sure they ever settled the debate on just who sucks worse… perhaps they never will:

OhSnap222: you’re a joke
DANGER137: ur2
OhSnap222: that’s your retort?
OhSnap222: i suck but so do you?
DANGER137: udo worse

I’m away in Europe for the next four weeks or so and while I’ll be trying to get to a poker table sometime while I’m away I won’t be able to update the blog (business as usual really ;)).

Good luck and I’ll see ya when I get back!

Want a quick way to calculate your bankroll requirements? Try this calculator I found during my virtual travels:

http://…/bankroll-requirements.html

You’ll need to know your win rate (big bets per hour or per hundred hands is the standard way to measure this) and your standard deviation over the same period which if you’re a poker tracker user can be found in your ring game statistics under the “More detail…” button on the “Session Notes” tab.

It should be noted that the more hands you have in your poker tracker database the more accurate this calculator will be. Personally I wouldn’t recommend bothering with anything less than 10,000 hands and many would argue that even this many is no where near enough (and technically they’d be right, so just nod your head and walk away slowly as believe me you don’t want to be on the receiving end of a lecture on statistics from a math geek ;)).

If you are interested though there’s a good thread over on 2+2 that covers the topic quite well.

At the end of the day, even if you’re not interested in the math behind it it’s nice to get a feel for what is statistically a correct bankroll to be playing with. While playing within your bankroll is no guarantee of success (tomorrow your playing style may change sending the current numbers out the window) nor should it ever even enter your thoughts once you’ve bought in and sat down at the table (if your bankroll is in your mind at the table it’s affecting your play and that’s a bad thing) it’s still nice to know that, all things being equal, we can determine if we’re playing within our means.

Good luck at the tables!

I’m afraid there’s not much to report from September, I played the least amount of hands last month than I have since I first started playing on-line and while I managed to turn a (small) profit my heart just wasn’t in it.

To be honest there was about 6 weeks there (end of August and all of September) where I just wasn’t in the mood for poker.

Sounds crazy I know but apparently it happens to the best of us.
Good news is I’m back in the game and feeling good. October has started well and I’ve already nearly played as many hands in three days as I did the whole of September.

So, my apologies for the half-arsed monthly status report but if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to the tables!