I am mainly going to use twitter http://twitter.com/#!/crankycowboy from now on. Further entries can be found back on my original blog...
http://charliepoker.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Monday, 8 February 2010
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
November 2009 - Las Vegas - Day 3
Meet David for breakfast at the Wynn where I rather confuse our not unattractive waitress with my bacon requirements. I try to explain the concept of streaky rather than “Canadian” bacon – which is basically spam. I like eggs Benedict but prefer proper bacon. We get there in the end but clearly she thinks we English are all mad.
I play in the midday tournament which today only has 22 runners so the top 3 get paid.
Manage to work my stack up to 30k from the 20k start in the first session of 3 levels. Won a nice pot against a clueless foreign woman sat to my right with KK in the BB. Also hit a couple of nice straights with KQ and later TJ after a lot of limping.
However after the first break on Level 4 25/300/600 I nearly tilt myself completely when playing 66 from mid position after a limp and a call from the blinds. The flop is JJT and when it is checked to me I think I might as well have a stab at it and attempt to bet 1500. Unfortunately I throw out a 5000 chip instead of a 500. I am called by the BB after much amusement at my rather loud “oh sh**” gives away my rather strange bet sizing. When the turn is Q and river T my hand is so absurdly pitiful I flip it over to complete my advertising of idiot Englishman. So by the end of Level 5 I am down to 15k.
Rather curiously they are showing English football on the Setanta channel – I though they went bust?? It turns out the guy to my left is an Arsenal fan so we discuss the joys of the good old days of 1-0 to the Arsenal. We also spend some time explaining the concept of the Champions League to the locals when that is shown a bit later on. I manage to do well to not weigh in with sarcastic comments about how world series should involve other countries. Having said that I think I heard somewhere that the US baseball world series were originally called that because they were sponsored by a newspaper called the World – not sure if I believe it.
We are just approaching the second break on Level 6 when blinds are 100/800/1600. I have been waiting to move all-in but no opportunity has arisen. However the Frenchman to my right has been raising a lot pre flop and when I am on the button with Q8 (perhaps I should adopt the Rag Queen as my poker name rather than the Balham Cowboy) and he raises again I decide to go for the resteal and push in my 15k chips. Unfortunately the button goes over the top with AQ but I Sanderson him when my 8 hits.
Shortly into Level 7 200/1200/2400 we are at the final table and I double through with QQ vs JJ to get up to 65k. I then keep out of trouble for the next level and we lose a couple of players including the Arsenal fan who attempts a resteal with 64 but gets caught.
When we get to the last hand on Level 8 400/2000/4000 I pick up AA UTG and standard raise to 12,000. Get 2 callers. When the flop comes KQJ my all-in of 46k is only a pot size bet so I get called by a big stack with TJ. He does not hit so I win a massive pot to get over 120k of the 440k chips in play with 5 left. I got AA 3 times this trip - once all folded to me another let me knock someone out late at Caesars and here a good double through - makes a bit of a change...
Soon we are 4 and we agree to put in for the 4th place to get his money back. Chips go back and forth and the blinds are 50/3000/6000. There is a young Asian guy who is clearly the best player. There is a tight tourist who wants to go to dinner and an old guy who likes to chat. Old guys has 140k, I have 120k, tourist 90k and young guy 90k. He proposes us two big stacks get an extra $100 each and we split the rest 4 ways (prize pool is $4200). The old guy wants $200. No deal. We play another hand (tourist steals my blind). Old guy now happy and we do the deal. I can’t be bothered to argue with it – it being such a crapshoot and so I get $1100 – which is quite acceptable. Someone has to sign for first prize so I do the honours – the rather nice blonde tournament director asks if I would like publicity on the results web site – I rather graciously say that will be perfectly acceptable...and here it is check out the 22 runner on 24/Nov http://www.wynnpoker.com/winners.cfm
Just have time for some food before heading off to Caesar’s for the last time.
Only 50 or so runners and I have soon reduce my stack to 9k when have to give up AQ after heat post flop.
I try to get clever on Level 2 with the blinds 50/100. I get 57d in the BB. There is a raise to 300 and a call from mid position the button and the SB so I call. The flop is T62 with 2 diamonds so after a check I think I might have a bit of a stab at it so I bet 1000. There are 2 callers. Turn is a T. Pot is 4500 and I have about 7000. I decide to represent the T wanting to defend against a draw so move all-in. This works perfectly to a certain extent when I discover one of the flop callers had a better diamond draw – but unfortunately the other caller actually had a T. Oops. I failed to SuperSanderson him and am knocked out.
So not a bad trip overall. Total buy ins $1250 – total prize $1500 – so $250 up – and really I should have done better in the first tournament.
So out of 3 trips to Vegas this year I was ahead in 2 out of 3. Unfortunately it was the expensive WSOP one I did badly in!
I play in the midday tournament which today only has 22 runners so the top 3 get paid.
Manage to work my stack up to 30k from the 20k start in the first session of 3 levels. Won a nice pot against a clueless foreign woman sat to my right with KK in the BB. Also hit a couple of nice straights with KQ and later TJ after a lot of limping.
However after the first break on Level 4 25/300/600 I nearly tilt myself completely when playing 66 from mid position after a limp and a call from the blinds. The flop is JJT and when it is checked to me I think I might as well have a stab at it and attempt to bet 1500. Unfortunately I throw out a 5000 chip instead of a 500. I am called by the BB after much amusement at my rather loud “oh sh**” gives away my rather strange bet sizing. When the turn is Q and river T my hand is so absurdly pitiful I flip it over to complete my advertising of idiot Englishman. So by the end of Level 5 I am down to 15k.
Rather curiously they are showing English football on the Setanta channel – I though they went bust?? It turns out the guy to my left is an Arsenal fan so we discuss the joys of the good old days of 1-0 to the Arsenal. We also spend some time explaining the concept of the Champions League to the locals when that is shown a bit later on. I manage to do well to not weigh in with sarcastic comments about how world series should involve other countries. Having said that I think I heard somewhere that the US baseball world series were originally called that because they were sponsored by a newspaper called the World – not sure if I believe it.
We are just approaching the second break on Level 6 when blinds are 100/800/1600. I have been waiting to move all-in but no opportunity has arisen. However the Frenchman to my right has been raising a lot pre flop and when I am on the button with Q8 (perhaps I should adopt the Rag Queen as my poker name rather than the Balham Cowboy) and he raises again I decide to go for the resteal and push in my 15k chips. Unfortunately the button goes over the top with AQ but I Sanderson him when my 8 hits.
Shortly into Level 7 200/1200/2400 we are at the final table and I double through with QQ vs JJ to get up to 65k. I then keep out of trouble for the next level and we lose a couple of players including the Arsenal fan who attempts a resteal with 64 but gets caught.
When we get to the last hand on Level 8 400/2000/4000 I pick up AA UTG and standard raise to 12,000. Get 2 callers. When the flop comes KQJ my all-in of 46k is only a pot size bet so I get called by a big stack with TJ. He does not hit so I win a massive pot to get over 120k of the 440k chips in play with 5 left. I got AA 3 times this trip - once all folded to me another let me knock someone out late at Caesars and here a good double through - makes a bit of a change...
Soon we are 4 and we agree to put in for the 4th place to get his money back. Chips go back and forth and the blinds are 50/3000/6000. There is a young Asian guy who is clearly the best player. There is a tight tourist who wants to go to dinner and an old guy who likes to chat. Old guys has 140k, I have 120k, tourist 90k and young guy 90k. He proposes us two big stacks get an extra $100 each and we split the rest 4 ways (prize pool is $4200). The old guy wants $200. No deal. We play another hand (tourist steals my blind). Old guy now happy and we do the deal. I can’t be bothered to argue with it – it being such a crapshoot and so I get $1100 – which is quite acceptable. Someone has to sign for first prize so I do the honours – the rather nice blonde tournament director asks if I would like publicity on the results web site – I rather graciously say that will be perfectly acceptable...and here it is check out the 22 runner on 24/Nov http://www.wynnpoker.com/winners.cfm
Just have time for some food before heading off to Caesar’s for the last time.
Only 50 or so runners and I have soon reduce my stack to 9k when have to give up AQ after heat post flop.
I try to get clever on Level 2 with the blinds 50/100. I get 57d in the BB. There is a raise to 300 and a call from mid position the button and the SB so I call. The flop is T62 with 2 diamonds so after a check I think I might have a bit of a stab at it so I bet 1000. There are 2 callers. Turn is a T. Pot is 4500 and I have about 7000. I decide to represent the T wanting to defend against a draw so move all-in. This works perfectly to a certain extent when I discover one of the flop callers had a better diamond draw – but unfortunately the other caller actually had a T. Oops. I failed to SuperSanderson him and am knocked out.
So not a bad trip overall. Total buy ins $1250 – total prize $1500 – so $250 up – and really I should have done better in the first tournament.
So out of 3 trips to Vegas this year I was ahead in 2 out of 3. Unfortunately it was the expensive WSOP one I did badly in!
November 2009 - Las Vegas - Day 2
Play the $220 at the Wynn at noon. Since it is now Monday the tournaments are smaller and this one has only 31 runners – top 3 get paid. This means at one point we are playing 11 handed – luckily there were none of those larger gentlemen you sometimes come across in the poker room.
Witnessed the second worse play I have seen in poker. (For those students of my blog you will recall that the worst play in poker was the knocking out of Shannon Elizabeth of American Pie fame in a tournament I played in the Venetian). It is very early in the tournament and 2 players have not shown up yet so their stacks are blinded away in their absence. Coincidentally they are in adjacent seats so there comes a point when they are the small and big blind. It is folded around to a nice old lady on the button who fails to observe they are not there so she folds too – to much hilarity from the rest of the table. She compounds her mistake by saying “gee I was thinking I must remember to get those blinds for free”.
We start with a rather ridiculous 20,000 chips and 50/100 blinds – 30 minute levels. Not much happens in the first 2 levels but make a nice 2 pairs out of the big blind with 89 after 4 limpers. Flop is 894 and I tag along before hitting the guy who slow played QQ with a river check raise. This gets me up to 24k.
Lose some chips with AK and when we get towards the end of Level 4 (300/600 25) there are still 18 players left I have around 18k. I pick up AQ in late position and raise to 3600 after 2 limpers and get one caller. Flop is QT9 2 clubs (I don’t have a club). He checks and I bet 5k – he then raises to 12k. I had only recently moved tables but the guy looked like he knew what he was doing so could easily be bullying my standard continuation bet – perhaps with a club draw. However on reflection there are not that many other proper hands he can have that I am beating. KQ is a possibility but if he has a set of T or 9 is or KJ I am in big trouble. The problem was that if I fold now the blinds are about to go up to 400/800 and I will have around 9k and will be in all-in mode. I decide to err on the aggressive side and go all-in – he then calls with KJ for the nut straight and I am out.
On my way to the Bellagio I am wondering whether we need some scale to measure those all-in situations. For those non-actuaries amongst my few readers, we measure and use in our rather obscure calculations the probability of dying at a particular age x and give it the symbol qx. But in a glass half empty/full kind of way there is the more optimistic item px which is the probability of surviving to the end of age x. These items are related by px=1-qx.
So in the poker world I think that a “Manson” should be the measurement when you get your money in good and lose and the inverse is the “Sanderson” when you get it in bad and win.
So let us set a standard Manson to be the typical dominated situation i.e. AK vs AQ. A SuperManson would be for a 2 outer such as AA vs 22 and a MegaManson for when you have AA vs KK and someone helpfully tells you they folded a K pre flop and the case King duly turns up. A MiniManson would be the traditional race of JJ vs AK and a MicroManson where you are slight favourite to some draw on the flop.
So in this case “I attempted to HyperSanderson him with runner runner to make a full house to beat his straight”.
This is the $330 that Wilson won earlier this year which started at 2pm. Although there were only 25 runners at the start the locals predicted a total field of 50 or so since you can enter any time up to 6pm.
We start with 10,000 chips and the levels are 35 minutes.
Not much happens on L1 of 25/50 but on level 2 50/100 I lose a few when I have 24 in the BB with several limpers. Board is 345 and my speculative bet is called in 2 spots. Turn is a 2 so I bet again but this time there is a raise and reraise all-in which is called so I fold (67 eliminates A4) .
So I am down to 8.5K in Level 3 when I pick up AK UTG. I make a standard raise to 600 which is called by an old Italian guy in the SB. He has been overplaying the doddery old fool card mainly by whingeing about how he is colour blind and can’t see the colour of the chips. He makes a big deal about checking in the dark and when the board comes down QJT he gives me some reverse psychology European solidarity BS so I make a continuation bet of 600 trying to look like a weak intimidated English tourist – he of course then springs his “trap” by raising to 2000 - where is all that solidarity now? I push all-in and then he gives the big spiel about being pot committed (er I don’t think he is given he has me covered) and then is rather disappointed that his QJ is rather crushed by my AK. Of course I am Mansoned when the J appears on the turn but at least he has the decency to be a bit sheepish about his amateur dramatics earlier.
I take the opportunity to go off to the Las Vegas Outlet mall – the only time it is EVER acceptable to travel on a bus in America. The shopping centre is out by the airport so it is a $3 ride on the bus or $20 in a cab which rather negates the savings you can make on shoes and jeans. In fact the Timberland shop is the one place you can be absolutely guaranteed to meet a Brit since the prices are usually about half the UK. American's unfamiliarity with the concept of a bus is well illustrated by the fact that when I hop on downstairs is as crowded as a 38 at Victoria Station at 8.30 am on a Monday but upstairs is an oasis of empty seats. Having said that you have to be impressed with the fact there are 2 staircases.
Later I meet up with David Hargreaves (who is in Las Vegas "studying" for a financial planning exam - nice one) at the bar by the Caesar’s sportsbook for pre tournament training. Unfortunately the Pussycat dolls are “dark” on Monday nights so we actually buy some Guiness which is not too outrageously over priced – and you get it free if you play one of the poker slots at the bar. So it would appear that we now have the perfect strategy for table games – pick the cheapest one to get you free drinks – either $1 on red and black simultaneously on roulette and wait for the zero or 10c per game of slot poker.
We play the 7pm at Caesar’s with 83 runners and it is a fairly uneventful first few levels. The cocktail waitresses at Caesars are rather variable but this evening they are not bad. Start drinking “New Castle” beer when the guy to my right orders one – I was not expecting to see that – the waitress is most amused when I ask for a fine English ale in Withnail style. She proves to be quite a sport when she returns later with a drink for the rather attractive girl who has recently been eliminated by my brown ale quaffing chum. He says that he knocked her out earlier but the waitress mishears him and repeats “you knocked her up earlier” ? we all have a good chortle at this and she goes rather red. She gets a lot of ribbing every time she comes past – but takes it in good heart.
I manage to work my stack up to 18k when I sneak in with 8Jh after a lot of limping. Flop is 49T and after some checking the turn of a 7 makes a guy trips which he falls in love with.
We get to level 8 200/600/1200 and I am down to 14k having lost a race against a shorty. Pick up 88 on the button but when I move in, my attempted SuperSanderson against JJ does not come off and I am out in 30th place. David does rather better but does not cash.
Witnessed the second worse play I have seen in poker. (For those students of my blog you will recall that the worst play in poker was the knocking out of Shannon Elizabeth of American Pie fame in a tournament I played in the Venetian). It is very early in the tournament and 2 players have not shown up yet so their stacks are blinded away in their absence. Coincidentally they are in adjacent seats so there comes a point when they are the small and big blind. It is folded around to a nice old lady on the button who fails to observe they are not there so she folds too – to much hilarity from the rest of the table. She compounds her mistake by saying “gee I was thinking I must remember to get those blinds for free”.
We start with a rather ridiculous 20,000 chips and 50/100 blinds – 30 minute levels. Not much happens in the first 2 levels but make a nice 2 pairs out of the big blind with 89 after 4 limpers. Flop is 894 and I tag along before hitting the guy who slow played QQ with a river check raise. This gets me up to 24k.
Lose some chips with AK and when we get towards the end of Level 4 (300/600 25) there are still 18 players left I have around 18k. I pick up AQ in late position and raise to 3600 after 2 limpers and get one caller. Flop is QT9 2 clubs (I don’t have a club). He checks and I bet 5k – he then raises to 12k. I had only recently moved tables but the guy looked like he knew what he was doing so could easily be bullying my standard continuation bet – perhaps with a club draw. However on reflection there are not that many other proper hands he can have that I am beating. KQ is a possibility but if he has a set of T or 9 is or KJ I am in big trouble. The problem was that if I fold now the blinds are about to go up to 400/800 and I will have around 9k and will be in all-in mode. I decide to err on the aggressive side and go all-in – he then calls with KJ for the nut straight and I am out.
On my way to the Bellagio I am wondering whether we need some scale to measure those all-in situations. For those non-actuaries amongst my few readers, we measure and use in our rather obscure calculations the probability of dying at a particular age x and give it the symbol qx. But in a glass half empty/full kind of way there is the more optimistic item px which is the probability of surviving to the end of age x. These items are related by px=1-qx.
So in the poker world I think that a “Manson” should be the measurement when you get your money in good and lose and the inverse is the “Sanderson” when you get it in bad and win.
So let us set a standard Manson to be the typical dominated situation i.e. AK vs AQ. A SuperManson would be for a 2 outer such as AA vs 22 and a MegaManson for when you have AA vs KK and someone helpfully tells you they folded a K pre flop and the case King duly turns up. A MiniManson would be the traditional race of JJ vs AK and a MicroManson where you are slight favourite to some draw on the flop.
So in this case “I attempted to HyperSanderson him with runner runner to make a full house to beat his straight”.
This is the $330 that Wilson won earlier this year which started at 2pm. Although there were only 25 runners at the start the locals predicted a total field of 50 or so since you can enter any time up to 6pm.
We start with 10,000 chips and the levels are 35 minutes.
Not much happens on L1 of 25/50 but on level 2 50/100 I lose a few when I have 24 in the BB with several limpers. Board is 345 and my speculative bet is called in 2 spots. Turn is a 2 so I bet again but this time there is a raise and reraise all-in which is called so I fold (67 eliminates A4) .
So I am down to 8.5K in Level 3 when I pick up AK UTG. I make a standard raise to 600 which is called by an old Italian guy in the SB. He has been overplaying the doddery old fool card mainly by whingeing about how he is colour blind and can’t see the colour of the chips. He makes a big deal about checking in the dark and when the board comes down QJT he gives me some reverse psychology European solidarity BS so I make a continuation bet of 600 trying to look like a weak intimidated English tourist – he of course then springs his “trap” by raising to 2000 - where is all that solidarity now? I push all-in and then he gives the big spiel about being pot committed (er I don’t think he is given he has me covered) and then is rather disappointed that his QJ is rather crushed by my AK. Of course I am Mansoned when the J appears on the turn but at least he has the decency to be a bit sheepish about his amateur dramatics earlier.
I take the opportunity to go off to the Las Vegas Outlet mall – the only time it is EVER acceptable to travel on a bus in America. The shopping centre is out by the airport so it is a $3 ride on the bus or $20 in a cab which rather negates the savings you can make on shoes and jeans. In fact the Timberland shop is the one place you can be absolutely guaranteed to meet a Brit since the prices are usually about half the UK. American's unfamiliarity with the concept of a bus is well illustrated by the fact that when I hop on downstairs is as crowded as a 38 at Victoria Station at 8.30 am on a Monday but upstairs is an oasis of empty seats. Having said that you have to be impressed with the fact there are 2 staircases.
Later I meet up with David Hargreaves (who is in Las Vegas "studying" for a financial planning exam - nice one) at the bar by the Caesar’s sportsbook for pre tournament training. Unfortunately the Pussycat dolls are “dark” on Monday nights so we actually buy some Guiness which is not too outrageously over priced – and you get it free if you play one of the poker slots at the bar. So it would appear that we now have the perfect strategy for table games – pick the cheapest one to get you free drinks – either $1 on red and black simultaneously on roulette and wait for the zero or 10c per game of slot poker.
We play the 7pm at Caesar’s with 83 runners and it is a fairly uneventful first few levels. The cocktail waitresses at Caesars are rather variable but this evening they are not bad. Start drinking “New Castle” beer when the guy to my right orders one – I was not expecting to see that – the waitress is most amused when I ask for a fine English ale in Withnail style. She proves to be quite a sport when she returns later with a drink for the rather attractive girl who has recently been eliminated by my brown ale quaffing chum. He says that he knocked her out earlier but the waitress mishears him and repeats “you knocked her up earlier” ? we all have a good chortle at this and she goes rather red. She gets a lot of ribbing every time she comes past – but takes it in good heart.
I manage to work my stack up to 18k when I sneak in with 8Jh after a lot of limping. Flop is 49T and after some checking the turn of a 7 makes a guy trips which he falls in love with.
We get to level 8 200/600/1200 and I am down to 14k having lost a race against a shorty. Pick up 88 on the button but when I move in, my attempted SuperSanderson against JJ does not come off and I am out in 30th place. David does rather better but does not cash.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
November 2009 - Las Vegas - Day 1
I am over for a few days on my way to my brother's wedding in Chile.
I had pretty much the best possible journey from Gatwick direct to Las Vegas.
Arrived 2 hours before departure to tumble weed blowing across the check-in area rather than the usual total chaos. I had been hoping the flight would not be that full when changing my seat on-line the previous day in that rather absurd guessing game of trying to wangle yourslef the one spot on the plane with the empty seat next to you. There had been plenty of seats available, so I was rather surprised when a random Virgin (with a big V) blonde asked me if I would like to buy "slightly more" legroom at £30 or "much more" leg room at £60. I was vindicated for declining this fine offer when sitting down in the middle seat of 4 where I was the sole occupant and the row in front of me was completely empty.
Watched "the hangover" - quality Farelly style humour, Terminator 4 - first reel rather too contrived but sort of improved - disappointing overall. Also slipped in a Potter - I must have missed some of the earlier ones but it did not seem to matter - not sure if fancying the girls is acceptable now - presumably it is OK if the characters are under age but the actresses are not. Decided in the end I would go for the Weaselly (sp?) sister because she was probably a bit dirty rather than the more conventional charms of hermoany.
Even the customs queue was tolerable but clearly I am going to Vegas too often because the computer only needed to scan a few fingers before recognising me.
I am slumming it at Ballys but at $37 you can't complain - and my room is absolutely fine. However it is curious how in some ways the US is quite backward. For example the TVs are exactly the same as when I first stayed in Vegas over 10 years ago. In the unlikely event you would want to watch something there is no EPG. They don't even have the Welsh internet (teletext).
Bally's is opposite Bellagio / Caesars so I do my standard reccy of the current tournaments by following the poker trail of Bellagio ($330 2pm) / Caesars ($160 7pm) / Mirage ($80 7pm forgedabout it) / Wynn ($220 midday) and end up at the Venetian where unfortunately the main event of the umpteenth Deepstack extravaganza will be taking up Monday and Tuesday so looks like I will not be playing the usual noon tournament there.
Grab my first random meal at about 5pm before heading back to Caesars for the 7 pm. Decide to play an hour at the "pussycat dolls" blackjack where the price of having an attractive (rather than the usual hag) dealer is a slight worsening of the rules. Those blackjack pros amongst you will no doubt be able to give an accurate assessment of what only being allowed to double down on 10 or 11 nor after a split is worth but it seemed a price worth paying. Had a very foxy dealer and at one point I was the only player. I wonder if you could combine blackjack with speed dating? Could be a good concept - since the shuffle up time seems about the right length for those searching questions. Discovered that Renee (not her real name?) was going to Hawaii in a weeks time and her friend had deserted her so she was going to be all on her own. Quite tempted to ditch my trip to Chile.
Manage to do half my money in about 10 minutes but then claw it back to end up about $30 up. Just as I am leaving the table one of the recently sat down Brits turns to me and says - hello - are you charlie? I am rather taken aback to discover it is one of the betting syndicate boys who I have met a couple of times but of course I did not recognise. Turns out he had dinner last night with the other degenerate David Hargreaves who I am hoping to meet up with - so he had been warned to look out for me ("probably doing his brains on a table game near the poker room waiting for a tournament to start") - a pretty Derren Brown like prediction. Don't have time for a chat since tournament is about to kick off.
The tournament has 76 runners. 30 minute blinds. Starting stack of 10k.
L1 25/50. Get off to a bit of a flyer when raising with KJ from the cut off. Only called by the BB - a young chinese guy (YCG). Flop is AK8. He calls my c-bet of 200. Turn is 5. He checks to me. River is a J. I am hoping to get action from Ax so so I bet 300 and he promptly check raises me 2000 more. Now I think may be he has A8 or A7 but I have to call. He mucks when I show 2 pair and does not look too happy. Also have my KK hold up on an 88545 board so I am up to 14k by the end of Level 1.
L2 50/100 This is when I get that bit of luck you need. Our table had been invaded but some Germans - there were 3 of them and there was that whiff of soft play in the air - a little too much checking when 2 of them were heads up. One had been involved in a big pot early on so was down to about 4k so I was not surprised when I make a standard raise to 300 with TT and get called by the YCG that the tanks roll into action and he pushes all in. He had been itching to do this so I am pretty happy to call and the standard play here is to eliminate YCG so I move all-in. This does not seem so clever when he instacalls and flips over KK. The german has 88 and looks in good shape when an 8 flops. But I turn a T to knock them both out, and boost my stack to 26K
L3 75/150
Get a further charity donation when calling with KJs after 2 limps. Flop is AJ9 with 2 spades. Original limper bets 150 and there is a min raise to 300. I am tempted to move all-in but decide to call and when the turn is a 7 spade I get a major result when we get bet then all-in ahead of me. Guy had A7 and did not hit so up to 34k.
After the first break not much happens at all on levels 4,5 and 6 but I get up to 40k with the odd raise.
After the second break blinds are 400/800/100. I raise with KK preflop to 4k after 2 limps and get one caller. He checks and I bet 7k to put him all-in and he calls with 88 with a board of 764. He does not hit so up to 50k.
For the rest of this session I lose a couple of biggish pots - a race with TT from the BB against a short stack and have to fold AK after flop action.
So after the third break on L10 when blinds are 300/1000/2000 I am down to 28k and starting to get into danger. However get a great coup when after 2 limps I look down at 57 diamonds in the cut off. I call and the blinds make up. The flop is T85 with 2 diamonds and when an early limper bets 5k I ship over the top. He grumbles and folds - this nets me a nice pot so I am up to around the 50k mark as we get closer to the bubble. I knock out the nice lady from Memphis with my AA vs JJ and I then eliminate the 11th player with QQ vs AT and so we get to the final table I have 130k in chips of 760,000 in play. we agree to pay off the 10th place by putting in $15 each - since the tourny only pays top 9. He is soon eliminated and we are in the money.
At this point it is 2 am in Vegas and 10 am in the UK - so I am a bit tired (!) so my inclination is to get on with it. I'd like to think in other cirumstances I could have avoided my elimination but perhaps not.
Blinds are now 3000/6000/400 when a shorty is all-in UTG for 8000. Former chip leader to my right who is a bit clueless min raises to 12k and I look down at AK. I raise 30k on top and the pro local to my left then raises all-in. The FCL folds and I am working out whether I should fold here. My reading of the situation is that his range is wide - he thinks I am picking on the weak player so he can then pick on me. As to whether he would do it with AQ - perhaps not. Also my fatigue is a factor - if I call and win we can probably do a deal and be home for horlicks in 30 minutes. So I call and he shows AA. Ironically the short stack had 97 and makes 2 pairs so I am out in 9th place for $400.
When the cashier asks me if I would like to leave something for the dealers I manage to restrain myself...
I had pretty much the best possible journey from Gatwick direct to Las Vegas.
Arrived 2 hours before departure to tumble weed blowing across the check-in area rather than the usual total chaos. I had been hoping the flight would not be that full when changing my seat on-line the previous day in that rather absurd guessing game of trying to wangle yourslef the one spot on the plane with the empty seat next to you. There had been plenty of seats available, so I was rather surprised when a random Virgin (with a big V) blonde asked me if I would like to buy "slightly more" legroom at £30 or "much more" leg room at £60. I was vindicated for declining this fine offer when sitting down in the middle seat of 4 where I was the sole occupant and the row in front of me was completely empty.
Watched "the hangover" - quality Farelly style humour, Terminator 4 - first reel rather too contrived but sort of improved - disappointing overall. Also slipped in a Potter - I must have missed some of the earlier ones but it did not seem to matter - not sure if fancying the girls is acceptable now - presumably it is OK if the characters are under age but the actresses are not. Decided in the end I would go for the Weaselly (sp?) sister because she was probably a bit dirty rather than the more conventional charms of hermoany.
Even the customs queue was tolerable but clearly I am going to Vegas too often because the computer only needed to scan a few fingers before recognising me.
I am slumming it at Ballys but at $37 you can't complain - and my room is absolutely fine. However it is curious how in some ways the US is quite backward. For example the TVs are exactly the same as when I first stayed in Vegas over 10 years ago. In the unlikely event you would want to watch something there is no EPG. They don't even have the Welsh internet (teletext).
Bally's is opposite Bellagio / Caesars so I do my standard reccy of the current tournaments by following the poker trail of Bellagio ($330 2pm) / Caesars ($160 7pm) / Mirage ($80 7pm forgedabout it) / Wynn ($220 midday) and end up at the Venetian where unfortunately the main event of the umpteenth Deepstack extravaganza will be taking up Monday and Tuesday so looks like I will not be playing the usual noon tournament there.
Grab my first random meal at about 5pm before heading back to Caesars for the 7 pm. Decide to play an hour at the "pussycat dolls" blackjack where the price of having an attractive (rather than the usual hag) dealer is a slight worsening of the rules. Those blackjack pros amongst you will no doubt be able to give an accurate assessment of what only being allowed to double down on 10 or 11 nor after a split is worth but it seemed a price worth paying. Had a very foxy dealer and at one point I was the only player. I wonder if you could combine blackjack with speed dating? Could be a good concept - since the shuffle up time seems about the right length for those searching questions. Discovered that Renee (not her real name?) was going to Hawaii in a weeks time and her friend had deserted her so she was going to be all on her own. Quite tempted to ditch my trip to Chile.
Manage to do half my money in about 10 minutes but then claw it back to end up about $30 up. Just as I am leaving the table one of the recently sat down Brits turns to me and says - hello - are you charlie? I am rather taken aback to discover it is one of the betting syndicate boys who I have met a couple of times but of course I did not recognise. Turns out he had dinner last night with the other degenerate David Hargreaves who I am hoping to meet up with - so he had been warned to look out for me ("probably doing his brains on a table game near the poker room waiting for a tournament to start") - a pretty Derren Brown like prediction. Don't have time for a chat since tournament is about to kick off.
The tournament has 76 runners. 30 minute blinds. Starting stack of 10k.
L1 25/50. Get off to a bit of a flyer when raising with KJ from the cut off. Only called by the BB - a young chinese guy (YCG). Flop is AK8. He calls my c-bet of 200. Turn is 5. He checks to me. River is a J. I am hoping to get action from Ax so so I bet 300 and he promptly check raises me 2000 more. Now I think may be he has A8 or A7 but I have to call. He mucks when I show 2 pair and does not look too happy. Also have my KK hold up on an 88545 board so I am up to 14k by the end of Level 1.
L2 50/100 This is when I get that bit of luck you need. Our table had been invaded but some Germans - there were 3 of them and there was that whiff of soft play in the air - a little too much checking when 2 of them were heads up. One had been involved in a big pot early on so was down to about 4k so I was not surprised when I make a standard raise to 300 with TT and get called by the YCG that the tanks roll into action and he pushes all in. He had been itching to do this so I am pretty happy to call and the standard play here is to eliminate YCG so I move all-in. This does not seem so clever when he instacalls and flips over KK. The german has 88 and looks in good shape when an 8 flops. But I turn a T to knock them both out, and boost my stack to 26K
L3 75/150
Get a further charity donation when calling with KJs after 2 limps. Flop is AJ9 with 2 spades. Original limper bets 150 and there is a min raise to 300. I am tempted to move all-in but decide to call and when the turn is a 7 spade I get a major result when we get bet then all-in ahead of me. Guy had A7 and did not hit so up to 34k.
After the first break not much happens at all on levels 4,5 and 6 but I get up to 40k with the odd raise.
After the second break blinds are 400/800/100. I raise with KK preflop to 4k after 2 limps and get one caller. He checks and I bet 7k to put him all-in and he calls with 88 with a board of 764. He does not hit so up to 50k.
For the rest of this session I lose a couple of biggish pots - a race with TT from the BB against a short stack and have to fold AK after flop action.
So after the third break on L10 when blinds are 300/1000/2000 I am down to 28k and starting to get into danger. However get a great coup when after 2 limps I look down at 57 diamonds in the cut off. I call and the blinds make up. The flop is T85 with 2 diamonds and when an early limper bets 5k I ship over the top. He grumbles and folds - this nets me a nice pot so I am up to around the 50k mark as we get closer to the bubble. I knock out the nice lady from Memphis with my AA vs JJ and I then eliminate the 11th player with QQ vs AT and so we get to the final table I have 130k in chips of 760,000 in play. we agree to pay off the 10th place by putting in $15 each - since the tourny only pays top 9. He is soon eliminated and we are in the money.
At this point it is 2 am in Vegas and 10 am in the UK - so I am a bit tired (!) so my inclination is to get on with it. I'd like to think in other cirumstances I could have avoided my elimination but perhaps not.
Blinds are now 3000/6000/400 when a shorty is all-in UTG for 8000. Former chip leader to my right who is a bit clueless min raises to 12k and I look down at AK. I raise 30k on top and the pro local to my left then raises all-in. The FCL folds and I am working out whether I should fold here. My reading of the situation is that his range is wide - he thinks I am picking on the weak player so he can then pick on me. As to whether he would do it with AQ - perhaps not. Also my fatigue is a factor - if I call and win we can probably do a deal and be home for horlicks in 30 minutes. So I call and he shows AA. Ironically the short stack had 97 and makes 2 pairs so I am out in 9th place for $400.
When the cashier asks me if I would like to leave something for the dealers I manage to restrain myself...
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
APAT World Championships - Day 2
In the end I came 19th in the tournament.
Suddenly the blinds go up very fast and people were dropping like flies...
Even though I was 6th in chips the blinds for the first 3 levels were to be 2k/4k 300 then 3k/6k 500 and 4k/8k 600.
Early on I got some marginal hands such as KQ KJ and AJ but the pot had been raised before so I had to fold.
Had to play any 2 when the SB went all-in for 11k and even though I was ahead he nicked a pair.
Had to fold 33 to a reraise.
So when we got to 3/6 500 I am down to 105k. I lose another 15k after raising with AQ only to face an all-in shove from the chip leader. I tank but decide to fold. He kindly shows me AK.
The hand I miss out on is 22 in the sb. There is a raise to 16k from mid position but I am wary of the bb who is one of the chip leaders and has been very active. I fold and the bb just calls. Flop is k72...but I am not sure if the raiser hit since bb folds to his cbet. Worse, a few hands later I call a 60k shove only to split with another ak.
By the time we hit 4/8 600 I am down to 90k and after going through the blinds and having to fold a button raise with a5 I only have 55k left. Manage to work back up to 85 by a couple of uncontested shoves but then my aj shove runs into ak and I am out in 19th for £300 (18th paid £600). A bit of a damp squib in the end but an enjoyable couple of days.
Suddenly the blinds go up very fast and people were dropping like flies...
Even though I was 6th in chips the blinds for the first 3 levels were to be 2k/4k 300 then 3k/6k 500 and 4k/8k 600.
Early on I got some marginal hands such as KQ KJ and AJ but the pot had been raised before so I had to fold.
Had to play any 2 when the SB went all-in for 11k and even though I was ahead he nicked a pair.
Had to fold 33 to a reraise.
So when we got to 3/6 500 I am down to 105k. I lose another 15k after raising with AQ only to face an all-in shove from the chip leader. I tank but decide to fold. He kindly shows me AK.
The hand I miss out on is 22 in the sb. There is a raise to 16k from mid position but I am wary of the bb who is one of the chip leaders and has been very active. I fold and the bb just calls. Flop is k72...but I am not sure if the raiser hit since bb folds to his cbet. Worse, a few hands later I call a 60k shove only to split with another ak.
By the time we hit 4/8 600 I am down to 90k and after going through the blinds and having to fold a button raise with a5 I only have 55k left. Manage to work back up to 85 by a couple of uncontested shoves but then my aj shove runs into ak and I am out in 19th for £300 (18th paid £600). A bit of a damp squib in the end but an enjoyable couple of days.
Sunday, 30 August 2009
APAT World Championships - 30th August - Day 1b
Louis and I are playing in the APAT championship in Nottingham at the Dusk 'til Dawn.
There are 2 first days so 354 runners in all.
A nice tournament structure - 45 minute levels - starting stack of 10,000.
They run a good site so you can see my paltry chip count at the break here
http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.135 and not much better here http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.210 but my finest moment is here http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.270 ....more later on.
Level 1 25/50
Fairly standard stuff. I establish my weak (i.e able to fold to a reraise) image nicely. Raised with AQ and Cbet into J85. Get called and after rag rag fold to a river bet.
Not sure whether I missed a trick here when calling a slightly bigger than normal raise with 89h. Flop is 954 with 2 hearts. He checks and when I bet he raises, but not enough to make me fold (I also expect to get a free card) so I call. This works out fine since he checks the turn As so I check behind. River is 8s giving me 2 pairs. He bets 1500 and I have a bit of a dwell. I can't see him having a better 2 pairs than me here or raising pre flop with 67 for a straight. It seems the only hand I lose to is AA but more more likely he has an over pair. Can I raise here based on this analysis - too risky so I just call. He instamucks so I think it must be AK as I show my 2 pairs. This puts me up to 12k.
Level 2 50/100
No action so down to 11k then off to the buffet at the rather early hour of 6pm. Good lasagna - much better than the pies in scotland a month ago.
Level 3 75/150
Pay a big price for a ropey limp UTG with KJ spades. BB is the only one who joins me so when flop comes J32 rainbow I make a standard Cbet when he checks. He then raises me and I decide to call. This guy has not played any hand I can remember so he must be strong.
Turn is Kh making it 2 hearts on board and he leads out for 1000. I am not sure if my top 2 are good here so I decide to raise to 3k. He then moves all-in. Well I only made the raise so in theory I could fold if he shoves, so I put him on either (1) set of 3's or 2's (2) A3 A2 hearts (3) worse 2 pair. I dwell then fold. Annoyingly chatting to him a bit later he asks what I had. I tell him and he says he had J3. Perhaps a bit whimpy then.
So I am down to 8.9k at the first proper break.
Level 4 100/200
At this level I pick up AA and get one caller to a standard raise. He folds when I bet a K high flop. No other action so down to 8k
Level 5 150/300 ante 25
No hands at this level so down to 6k
Level 6 200/400 25
Get KK but they all fold to my raise - down to 5.5k so I am looking for an all-in (next level will be 300/600) but I don't go crazy folding KQ and AJ after raises in front of me by the 2 big stacks. Eventually I get AQ on the button and after a standard raise from mid position I shove. Now we have the classic situation of the longer he thinks the better it is for me. My rule of thumb is
(1) Insta call AA or KK
(2) up to 20s either AK or QQ
(3) up to 40s AQ or JJ
(4) up to 60s AJ or TT
(5) more - probably going to fold but trying to make it look like he wasn't stealing
He goes for (5) but calls with KJ.
Flop is K75 - oops. But turn T river J saves me.
Level 7 300/600 50
So I am nearly back to my starting stack. See the big chip leader make a dubious call. He raises mid position and then calls a 20BB shove with JJ to face KK. I don't know if I would have called in that spot.
Level 8 400/800 50
Not much action so hovering around my starting stack of 10k. Make a couple of raises so up to 12k
Level 9 600/1200 100.
Now I am struggling and have to fold to a reraise from the big stack after trying a late position raise with A9.
Try to take advantage of the disruption after the SB was eliminated. BB has been quite tight so I think my Q8 might nick it. I am UTG but what the hell. All goes well until the button wakes up with AA. Oops. Naturally I crack them with a rivered straight. He is not happy!
Level 10 800/1600 100
Scrape along around 18k
Level 11 1000/2000 200
Looking for an all in again and make a couple of cheeky ones to get up to 22k. Then I decide to pick on the tight small stack who has dwindled to 7k when in the BB. I raise to 5k from mid with A5h. Unfortunately get a call from late position but my target folds.
Flop is A64 all diamonds. I think I could be in trouble but lead out for 6k. He just calls. wtf? I figure him for a pair with a diamond or a dodgy A (but better than mine!). Turn is 4s. I bet 7k and he calls again. River is Jh. Now I think at worst a split so I push in my last 5k. He folds.
I play Ak vs K4 so get to the final break with 50k.
So we are at the last break of the night. It is just after 2 am and some people are looking a bit tired and emotional. I decide the last level will be my make or break time.
Level 12 1500/3000 200.
I look to pick my spots and with about 15 mins to go I start some relentless stealing. The last hand of the night is a bit of a classic.
I am on the button, and I am seated to the immediate right of the dealer. To the left of the dealer is an action player Mark Russell and to his left is the chip leader. I look down and see Q6 and this seems to me to be the perfect doulbe or quits hand.
Now Mark seems like an interesting character. Earlier on he was chatting to a tall blond who clearly worked in the venue next door - the local strip club. Later he is extolling the virtues of a stripper girl friend. Leaving aside the phyiscial advantages, the big plus is of course that she works Fridays and Saturdays so he can go on the piss without it cause ructions. Perfect.
Bearing this in mind I make it 9k on the button. He reraises to 26k. Now I am happy to reshove knowing that he could quite easily have anything - and I even if he calls I'll take the chance to come back with a mountain of chips or go home. He folds and I show my Q6 - he has 73. One for the crowd!
So I finish with 115k in chips and a good chance to make the final table tomorrow.
There are 2 first days so 354 runners in all.
A nice tournament structure - 45 minute levels - starting stack of 10,000.
They run a good site so you can see my paltry chip count at the break here
http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.135 and not much better here http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.210 but my finest moment is here http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.270 ....more later on.
Level 1 25/50
Fairly standard stuff. I establish my weak (i.e able to fold to a reraise) image nicely. Raised with AQ and Cbet into J85. Get called and after rag rag fold to a river bet.
Not sure whether I missed a trick here when calling a slightly bigger than normal raise with 89h. Flop is 954 with 2 hearts. He checks and when I bet he raises, but not enough to make me fold (I also expect to get a free card) so I call. This works out fine since he checks the turn As so I check behind. River is 8s giving me 2 pairs. He bets 1500 and I have a bit of a dwell. I can't see him having a better 2 pairs than me here or raising pre flop with 67 for a straight. It seems the only hand I lose to is AA but more more likely he has an over pair. Can I raise here based on this analysis - too risky so I just call. He instamucks so I think it must be AK as I show my 2 pairs. This puts me up to 12k.
Level 2 50/100
No action so down to 11k then off to the buffet at the rather early hour of 6pm. Good lasagna - much better than the pies in scotland a month ago.
Level 3 75/150
Pay a big price for a ropey limp UTG with KJ spades. BB is the only one who joins me so when flop comes J32 rainbow I make a standard Cbet when he checks. He then raises me and I decide to call. This guy has not played any hand I can remember so he must be strong.
Turn is Kh making it 2 hearts on board and he leads out for 1000. I am not sure if my top 2 are good here so I decide to raise to 3k. He then moves all-in. Well I only made the raise so in theory I could fold if he shoves, so I put him on either (1) set of 3's or 2's (2) A3 A2 hearts (3) worse 2 pair. I dwell then fold. Annoyingly chatting to him a bit later he asks what I had. I tell him and he says he had J3. Perhaps a bit whimpy then.
So I am down to 8.9k at the first proper break.
Level 4 100/200
At this level I pick up AA and get one caller to a standard raise. He folds when I bet a K high flop. No other action so down to 8k
Level 5 150/300 ante 25
No hands at this level so down to 6k
Level 6 200/400 25
Get KK but they all fold to my raise - down to 5.5k so I am looking for an all-in (next level will be 300/600) but I don't go crazy folding KQ and AJ after raises in front of me by the 2 big stacks. Eventually I get AQ on the button and after a standard raise from mid position I shove. Now we have the classic situation of the longer he thinks the better it is for me. My rule of thumb is
(1) Insta call AA or KK
(2) up to 20s either AK or QQ
(3) up to 40s AQ or JJ
(4) up to 60s AJ or TT
(5) more - probably going to fold but trying to make it look like he wasn't stealing
He goes for (5) but calls with KJ.
Flop is K75 - oops. But turn T river J saves me.
Level 7 300/600 50
So I am nearly back to my starting stack. See the big chip leader make a dubious call. He raises mid position and then calls a 20BB shove with JJ to face KK. I don't know if I would have called in that spot.
Level 8 400/800 50
Not much action so hovering around my starting stack of 10k. Make a couple of raises so up to 12k
Level 9 600/1200 100.
Now I am struggling and have to fold to a reraise from the big stack after trying a late position raise with A9.
Try to take advantage of the disruption after the SB was eliminated. BB has been quite tight so I think my Q8 might nick it. I am UTG but what the hell. All goes well until the button wakes up with AA. Oops. Naturally I crack them with a rivered straight. He is not happy!
Level 10 800/1600 100
Scrape along around 18k
Level 11 1000/2000 200
Looking for an all in again and make a couple of cheeky ones to get up to 22k. Then I decide to pick on the tight small stack who has dwindled to 7k when in the BB. I raise to 5k from mid with A5h. Unfortunately get a call from late position but my target folds.
Flop is A64 all diamonds. I think I could be in trouble but lead out for 6k. He just calls. wtf? I figure him for a pair with a diamond or a dodgy A (but better than mine!). Turn is 4s. I bet 7k and he calls again. River is Jh. Now I think at worst a split so I push in my last 5k. He folds.
I play Ak vs K4 so get to the final break with 50k.
So we are at the last break of the night. It is just after 2 am and some people are looking a bit tired and emotional. I decide the last level will be my make or break time.
Level 12 1500/3000 200.
I look to pick my spots and with about 15 mins to go I start some relentless stealing. The last hand of the night is a bit of a classic.
I am on the button, and I am seated to the immediate right of the dealer. To the left of the dealer is an action player Mark Russell and to his left is the chip leader. I look down and see Q6 and this seems to me to be the perfect doulbe or quits hand.
Now Mark seems like an interesting character. Earlier on he was chatting to a tall blond who clearly worked in the venue next door - the local strip club. Later he is extolling the virtues of a stripper girl friend. Leaving aside the phyiscial advantages, the big plus is of course that she works Fridays and Saturdays so he can go on the piss without it cause ructions. Perfect.
Bearing this in mind I make it 9k on the button. He reraises to 26k. Now I am happy to reshove knowing that he could quite easily have anything - and I even if he calls I'll take the chance to come back with a mountain of chips or go home. He folds and I show my Q6 - he has 73. One for the crowd!
So I finish with 115k in chips and a good chance to make the final table tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)