Bringing down the nemisis...

Last night, a buddy of mine and I were talking poker (surprise, surprise). We both play at the same place. And of course, we often exchange notes, ideas, and other things. We began discussing this one individual who plays very loose (read pretty much any two suited cards), and how he seems to get "lucky" quite a bit. So, today, given that he was the topic of conversation over cheap beer, I decided it was my goal to bust this guy out.

(Note: I'm going to speak in terms of "bets" as opposed to being bogged down with dollars and cents. I look at the money in front of me and at the center of the table as "Bets," so it stands to reason that I shall discuss them as such. To give you a benchmark, "1 bet" equals the size of the blind. 1/2 bet equals the size of the small blind.)

My little challenge actually started last night, prior to our conversation... "That guy" went allin preflop, as he often did. He was immediately to my left in the betting round, thus I was last to act. His allin was for 8 1/2 bets. Now, normally, I wouldn't call this down with the hand I had. But, with "That Guy," he has a very large hand range, which meant he could have a small pocket pair, jack $hit, or a legit hand. His legit hands were far and few between, as I suspect he has no clue what to do when he gets a real hand. So, I'm feeling lucky, thus I call. He flips over Jack-Six suited, which was at the lower end of his "range," I flip over Queen-Nine Suited, which is usually not even on my radar as a hand to play.

The flop missed us both completely, and I end up taking the pot down with high card. He was irritated. So, on to this morning's stompings...

Hand #1: "That guy" raises to 6 bets preflop, once again, i revisit his hand ranges and feel comfortable playing. I call his raise cold, as does "some other guy" (From Sweden), so the pot at the flop is 19 1/2 bets full. Flop comes Jd, 4s, 5d giving two flush cards and a possible straight draw. First to act, I check. "Other guy" checks as well, "That guy" bets 8 bets, same as his preflop. This bet could be a continuation of his preflop hit, or it could be a bet of strength, indicating the flop assisted him. I interpretted it as most likely being a bet that continued his preflop actions and that he did not get any loving on the flop. With that in mind, I reraise to 16 bets. "Other guy" calls cold, as does "That guy." There's now 67 1/2 bets in the pot. Turn card comes 8h. Now the board has two possible straight draws, and an incomplete flush draw. I check, thinking I'm going to see action before the river and knowing "That guy" only has 4 bets left in his stack til he's allin. He of course puts out 4 bets, going allin. I raise to 16 bets, hoping to drive the "Other guy" out, who I am certain is still drawing. He smartly folds. "That guy" turns over pocket tens to my pocket 8's which just made a set on the turn. River comes as a Queen of diamonds, which would have completed "Other Guy's" flush draw. The extra 16 bets won me the hand.

"That guy" reloaded. He goes allin a few hands later preflop, pushing in 35 bets. Once again, I'm last to act and call him down. He flips over 6-6 to my 9-9. The board zings over our head and pairs jacks. I take him down again. He complains about how lucky I am. I, of course smile. He realizes how on tilt he is, so he leaves. The "other guy" also comments on how lucky I am and comments that had he stayed in, he'd have outdrawn me both times. I smile, once again. And a few hands later, he and I am butting heads.

He raises it to two bets preflop, which being in the BB, I call. One other idiot also calls. Flop comes K-7-5, giving me an inside straight draw. I check, with the intention of check raising. The pot only contained 6 1/2 bets, so I didn't really wish to lead out to find out where i was. I figured a check raise would be more appropriate, especially considering how lucky I appear. Surprisingly, its checked around. The turn sends a six my way, completing my straight. I bet out 1/2 the pot at 3 bets, "Other guy" reraises, making it 6 bets. I decide to come overtop of him, and push out 27 bets, which he will surely call. He calls, river is a blank. I push out 14 bets, putting him allin. He calls and smugly turns over his pocket aces, which of course my straight mows down.

Maybe I am a lucky b*st*rd... But, I got to take down arch villians "That Guy" and "Other Guy" all before 10am...

More to follow...






Poker Stories
SuperDonk, Poker Idiot Saga
Horrible Poker Play

Illiterate, I am...

So, in all this excitement regarding the Aussie Millions qualifier, I somehow forgot how to read. The Main Event Qualifier is not this weekend, but instead NEXT weekend. That gives me another week to "Say my prayers and take my vitamins." I'll use this time to further discuss what kind of stuff I will be talking about...

Obviously, you can expect to read about my daily experiences playing poker. I'll try not to bore with play by play account of my entire day's session. Instead, I will holla about the high spots, keeping it compelling for my readers. Sometimes, the stories will have the victory cry playing in the background. Other times, idiotic plays of mine. And yet others will focus on bad beats.

Which, the bad beat is something held near and dear to my heart. Not only do I love talking about bad beats I've received or observed. But I also LOVE hearing other bad beat stories. In fact, making a regular appearance in this column will be a little piece I like to call "Little Brother's Bad Beat of the Night." To give background to this piece, typically speaking when I wake up, I grab my morning coffee and do my morning reading. This reading consists of getting caught up on the news, checking sports scores, and reviewing the message my little brother sent me about the bad beat he took the previous night. These anicdotes almost always consist of the main character known as "That Guy." That guy historically will play any two cards, no matter the price, as he believes if he's been dealt two cards, he is immediately pot committed and must see the hand through. Sometimes, on special occasions, "That Guy" is referred to affectionately as "Some Idiot," "This Moron," "The Douche Bag to my Right," "This Lucky B*$t*rd," etc... You get the idea. All the pet names are the same "That Guy."

Most people hate "That Guy." Almost all home games have at least one of "Those Guys." The fact is, I love being on the table with "That Guy." "That Guy" makes the solid player's session far more profitable over the long haul. Now, on your average six seater, you do not want more than one or two (at most) on your table at a time. Otherwise, the fish will collectively nibble away at the shark. I'd prefer to have no more than three at a standard ten person table. Their careless, wreckless and clueless play will reward the solid player over the long haul. Consequently, I absolutely forbid anyone to cause these idiots to realize their idiots verbally. I will always stick up for "That Guy" and deter any attempts at education or besmerching him. After all, when I am on the table, I am fishing. What good is it to fish if the pond is not stocked properly, right?



Poker

The big tourney...

Today is the big tourney... Winner goes through to play in the Aussie Millions, a live tourney in Melbourne, Australia. To qualify, one had to get through (and win) a rebuy satellite. Which, the rebuys can be very loose, considering people are not "really dead" if they lose their hand on a speculative all-in.

Surprisingly to me, I did not need to rebuy in this tourney once. Which, in the interest of fairness, I've never won a rebuy where I have rebought. In this satellite, I entered the finals table fifth in chip total, which was about half the stack of the leader. One of the players, who I knew to be rather loose with his play, raised preflop. His hand range, by my calculation, was anything from 10-8s on up. I felt comfortable putting him allin with twos in the hole. He flipped over Jack-Seven suited, which was a bit worse a hand than his usual, but he was shortstacked. I hit trips on the turn card, and knocked him from the table.

Two hands later, I had A-A, which I decided to uncharacteristically slowplay. One person, the chip leader, raised preflop, which I gladly smoothcalled. Another individual between his action and mine also called. The flop gave me trips, which I gladly checked. However, there were also two suited cards on the board, which concerned me a little. The leader bet out, 1/2 pot, other guy raised putting himself allin, I called as did the leader. Turn card paired the board, giving me a boat. I check, leader checks. River card flushes the board. I check to the leader, who bets big, I reraise to put myself allin, he calls. I turn over pocket aces, and get mucks from the two. This win gives me the chip lead and puts the leader in a dire situation.

Now I have the chip lead, which is more than half the chips on the board. I let everyone else destroy one another for a bit, and enter pots as appropriate. A player emerges from that mess with about 25% of the chips to my 75%. Heads up play goes three hands. I folded to him, he folded to me. On the final hand, I raise, he reraises to put himself allin, I call, holding KJs to his A9s, which makes me a slight underdog. Fortunately for me, I flop a jack, which also appears on the river adding insult to injury and sweetness to victory.

So, in summary, I emerge the winner of the satellite, and move on to the main event this weekend, which features an all expense paid trip to the Aussie Millions tourney. Win or lose, I'll keep you posted...



Poker