I've spent a lot of time in the past month thinking about my game, and THE game in general. Basically, I've read a lot of books, have subscriptions to Card Player and Bluff, read lots of blogs, and play a fair amount online and live. Despite all of this knowledge (or maybe because of it), I'm going through one of the roughest stretches I've ever experienced in my 5 years or so of playing cards. For the first time I'm experiencing failure after having had an incredible run. Between July and November last year I ran my online bankroll (OBR) from about $200 to about $2000, playing a combination of cash games and tournaments. Since January, I've run my OBR almost completely in the opposite direction and experienced some trouble in live games as well. In particular, I haven't had a winning casino trip yet this year, including a trip north of the border to Niagara Falls. It seems that the big hands just don't go my way (I can remember several particularly brutal runner-runner suckouts and 5 outers that hit to take away $400+ pots). Sure I have $360 of equity from those pots, but equity doesn't fill the bankroll.
So, that's a long introduction to this post, where I'm starting to think about rebuilding my game from the ground up. As with anything else, you need a foundation when rebuilding, so I'm looking for a foundation. An overarching theme to my play. A principle that will guide my decisions and keep me from being too big of a donkey. As I've thought about this, it seems so simple. In poker you make money in one of the following ways:
1. You put money into the pot when you have the best hand AND a hand worse than yours calls.
Even if you offer them great odds to call, you still make money in the long run. If you are an 80-20 favorite, you have 80% equity in any additional dollar that you put in the pot, plus the 80% equity in the pot itself, right? Obviously if you are playing optimally, you will offer the villain the wrong odds to draw to his 20%. But even if you offer the right odds for him to draw, you still retain that 80% equity because you're going to win 80% of the time. Thus, putting money in the pot when a hand worse than yours will call is one way to make money playing poker.
2. You call when you have the right odds to do so.
If you have an 80% chance of winning a hand and the pot is $100, but you only bet $10, and I only have to call $10, then I make money. It's not that you are losing money, you still have 80% equity in any money that goes in to the pot. But I make money by calling because I will win $100 one out of 5 times and it only costs me $10 to take that shot. Over the long term, I'll win enough to offset all the times that I lose and then some. So I make money over the long run by calling when the odds are appropriate to do so.
3. Getting a better hand to fold.
This is where bluffing comes in. By getting a hand better than yours to fold, you win money because your opponent is forfeiting their equity in the pot. This is probably the most profitable move in poker because you are essentially winning when you aren't supposed to. Of course, it is also the most dangerous move, because if you get caught, you are usually in really bad shape.
4. Folding when you get the wrong odds to continue and you can't make someone with a better hand fold.
Basically, any time you are in a negative expected value situation, you should fold. Whenever you can't bluff your opponent AND they have a better hand than you, you should fold. You win money in this way by limiting your losses. Instead of losing $100 on a hand, you might lose $10. That $90 that you could have lost, but didn't, is chips that are still in your stack that you don't have to replace. That's as good as a win.
So what does all of this mean for my strategy. Well, it boils down to the actions available to you at the table.
Bet or raise - I should be doing this if I am either ahead and think that a worse hand will call or behind and think that a better hand will fold.
Check - I should be doing this if the reasons for betting or raising don't exist, but nobody has forced me to call or fold yet.
Call - I should be doing this if I am behind, but getting the right odds to draw.
Fold - I should be doing this if I am behind and getting the wrong odds to draw with no prospect of making a better hand fold to a raise.
It's all pretty simple, right? Well, one of my leaks right now is that I make bets with hands where it is unlikely that a better hand will fold or a weaker hand will call. For example, on a limped K44 rainbow flop, if I have K6, I frequently bet (right now). But what weaker hands to I expect to call? K5, K3 and K2 and some middle pocket pairs are the only weaker hands that might call. Larger pocket pairs probably raised pre-flop and aren't out there. So basically, my bet allows everyone to play optimally against me. The better hands most likely call because in a limped pot someone flopping top pair is probably not giving up that easily, meaning KQ through K7 are calling. But the weaker hands, are probably folding. It's not a perfect example, but it's a situation where checking is probably superior to betting.
So the foundation of my cash game has been laid out. These are the guiding principles that will hopefully find me on my way to cash game glory online, and when I hit up Vegas in about a month.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Clarification
So in my last post I mentioned that I was disenchanted with poker. Since then I've had a few conversations with some of the guys I play cards with and I've gained a little clarity on what I meant. You see, at the time I made the comments the home game I host each week had been cancelled due to a lack of interest a week or two in a row and I hadn't been able to put together any good sort of run playing online cash games (or live ones for that matter). Here's a little history too:
I started playing 4 or 5 years ago (or maybe longer) which puts me squarely in the Moneymaker Generation of poker players. Unlike alot of those guys, it took me a while before I discovered online poker. First it was Poker Room, then Full Tilt, with small accounts on Ultimate Bet, PokerStars and Bodog (so I could bet on sports). The first online tourney I played I finished second for about $300 and thought I was king of the world. Then, last year, I had a great run from June until December or so. In that timeframe I finished 6th in a preliminary event of the Borgata Summer Open, had a good run in casino cash games, and proceeded to run my online bankroll from $400 to over $2000. Obviously such success doesn't always continue. And that's how we arrive at my disenchantment. I think there are a few clarifications I need to make, and some factors that are probably involved. I'll make the clarifications first, then discuss the factors (hope you're making a long visit to the can because this could take a while).
First, I want to clarify that I'm not disenchanted with poker entirely. I'm not one of these guys who took a bad beat and has sworn off the game entirely, or someone who has blown their bankroll (although I've come close) and now isn't allowed to play. In fact, I've really enjoyed playing cards lately, just not online.
That brings me to my second clarification, I'm not completed turned off to playing online. B'more's Brawl is an immovable appointment in our household. Both myself and Momx2 make sure that the kids are in bed or headed that way on Wednesday nights so we can play. I've enjoyed some of the other tourney's I've played lately.
Which leads me to my last clarification and the beginning of the factors. I think I'm really just frustrated with the online cash games. I have struggled to put together a good run playing cash games for about 3 or 4 months now. Maybe it's variance catching up with me, maybe its me playing poorly, or some combination of the two. Maybe it's me not paying enough attention to what I'm doing (I do have a .15-.30 6 max deep stack game going while I write this and I just got AA). But I have another theory and it has to do with UIGEA and the vanishing of services to help you get money online and the vagaries of the laws surrounding online poker. I bet you never thought you'd be reading about this stuff when you first started reading this, but stick with me. Here are the factors that I think contribute to this theory. (By the way, I just got AA again, I lost a small pot with them the first time to K-9 off suit when he made a straight).
1. It is more difficult to get money online right now than it ever has been in the past. Neteller is gone. FirePay is gone. ePassporte is gone. So when you go busto, how do you replenish your account? If you really care about playing, then you find a way, but if you're a casual player, you move on to something else.
2. Unless you've been following the legislation concerning online poker, you probably don't know if its legal or not. There is a common misconception that UIGEA made playing online poker illegal. My understanding is that it did not, rather it made it illegal to deposit money into an online gambling site. In other words, the gambling itself may be legal or illegal depending on local statutes, but it's the transfering of money that was the focus of UIGEA. If I'm wrong on this I'm sure some attorney will point it out, just proving again that we have too many attorneys with not enough to do. The upshot of this is that many casual players are not playing because they are uncertain about whether they are breaking the law or not. And who wants to see Daddy hauled away in handcuffs because he was playing 5 cent-10 cent NL Hold'em?
These two factors lead to my theory. Because it's tough to get money online, and because there is uncertainty about the legality of playing, the online game has become tougher, particularly at the lower stakes, in the past few months. What I believe has happened (and I have not basis for this theory other than the logic I'm about to present) is this:
Casual players had a few bucks in an online poker account. They continued to play occasionally with that online bankroll. They'd gamble it up when they felt like it and generally just have a good time passing the time playing cards online. Eventually their lack of skill catches up to them and they miss one too many flush draws, felting their online poker account. After a few failed half-hearted attempts to load money through the ever changing list of services, they decide it's too much trouble and give up. And slowly all the fish are out of the pond leaving only a few types of players.
A) The pussycats - They are down to their last $100 online and aren't going to go broke for anything. They wouldn't chase a flush draw if you paid for them to do it. They are so tight that the only way you're getting their money is on some runner-runner miracle.
B) The grinders - What differentiates these guys from the pussycats is that they aren't down to their last $100, but that's because they play conservatively and try to avoid big losses. This is why they are still able to play online and they intend to keep it that way. They are slowly trying to build up their bankroll and working their way up the ladder. 20 buy-ins isn't enough for these guys, they need 40 before they think about playing higher.
C) The sharks - These are the guys that ate up the bankrolls of the casual players who "just like to play some cards." They have dreams of going pro, winning the WSOP (or the Sunday Million). They are just plain good.
Now, I know this isn't everyone who's out there in the online pond, but I think it classifies the folks who are most affected by UIGEA and the ones who are making the low limit online games more difficult. Frankly, UIGEA is like an algae covering the surface of the pond and killing all the fish. Hopefully it will be repealled and the pond will once again be filled with fish. To support the Poker Players Alliance, who is lobbying for pro-poker legislation, go to the link on my page. They'll send you a cool shirt and add you to their mailing list. If you care about poker and the return of the fish, you'll do it.
I started playing 4 or 5 years ago (or maybe longer) which puts me squarely in the Moneymaker Generation of poker players. Unlike alot of those guys, it took me a while before I discovered online poker. First it was Poker Room, then Full Tilt, with small accounts on Ultimate Bet, PokerStars and Bodog (so I could bet on sports). The first online tourney I played I finished second for about $300 and thought I was king of the world. Then, last year, I had a great run from June until December or so. In that timeframe I finished 6th in a preliminary event of the Borgata Summer Open, had a good run in casino cash games, and proceeded to run my online bankroll from $400 to over $2000. Obviously such success doesn't always continue. And that's how we arrive at my disenchantment. I think there are a few clarifications I need to make, and some factors that are probably involved. I'll make the clarifications first, then discuss the factors (hope you're making a long visit to the can because this could take a while).
First, I want to clarify that I'm not disenchanted with poker entirely. I'm not one of these guys who took a bad beat and has sworn off the game entirely, or someone who has blown their bankroll (although I've come close) and now isn't allowed to play. In fact, I've really enjoyed playing cards lately, just not online.
That brings me to my second clarification, I'm not completed turned off to playing online. B'more's Brawl is an immovable appointment in our household. Both myself and Momx2 make sure that the kids are in bed or headed that way on Wednesday nights so we can play. I've enjoyed some of the other tourney's I've played lately.
Which leads me to my last clarification and the beginning of the factors. I think I'm really just frustrated with the online cash games. I have struggled to put together a good run playing cash games for about 3 or 4 months now. Maybe it's variance catching up with me, maybe its me playing poorly, or some combination of the two. Maybe it's me not paying enough attention to what I'm doing (I do have a .15-.30 6 max deep stack game going while I write this and I just got AA). But I have another theory and it has to do with UIGEA and the vanishing of services to help you get money online and the vagaries of the laws surrounding online poker. I bet you never thought you'd be reading about this stuff when you first started reading this, but stick with me. Here are the factors that I think contribute to this theory. (By the way, I just got AA again, I lost a small pot with them the first time to K-9 off suit when he made a straight).
1. It is more difficult to get money online right now than it ever has been in the past. Neteller is gone. FirePay is gone. ePassporte is gone. So when you go busto, how do you replenish your account? If you really care about playing, then you find a way, but if you're a casual player, you move on to something else.
2. Unless you've been following the legislation concerning online poker, you probably don't know if its legal or not. There is a common misconception that UIGEA made playing online poker illegal. My understanding is that it did not, rather it made it illegal to deposit money into an online gambling site. In other words, the gambling itself may be legal or illegal depending on local statutes, but it's the transfering of money that was the focus of UIGEA. If I'm wrong on this I'm sure some attorney will point it out, just proving again that we have too many attorneys with not enough to do. The upshot of this is that many casual players are not playing because they are uncertain about whether they are breaking the law or not. And who wants to see Daddy hauled away in handcuffs because he was playing 5 cent-10 cent NL Hold'em?
These two factors lead to my theory. Because it's tough to get money online, and because there is uncertainty about the legality of playing, the online game has become tougher, particularly at the lower stakes, in the past few months. What I believe has happened (and I have not basis for this theory other than the logic I'm about to present) is this:
Casual players had a few bucks in an online poker account. They continued to play occasionally with that online bankroll. They'd gamble it up when they felt like it and generally just have a good time passing the time playing cards online. Eventually their lack of skill catches up to them and they miss one too many flush draws, felting their online poker account. After a few failed half-hearted attempts to load money through the ever changing list of services, they decide it's too much trouble and give up. And slowly all the fish are out of the pond leaving only a few types of players.
A) The pussycats - They are down to their last $100 online and aren't going to go broke for anything. They wouldn't chase a flush draw if you paid for them to do it. They are so tight that the only way you're getting their money is on some runner-runner miracle.
B) The grinders - What differentiates these guys from the pussycats is that they aren't down to their last $100, but that's because they play conservatively and try to avoid big losses. This is why they are still able to play online and they intend to keep it that way. They are slowly trying to build up their bankroll and working their way up the ladder. 20 buy-ins isn't enough for these guys, they need 40 before they think about playing higher.
C) The sharks - These are the guys that ate up the bankrolls of the casual players who "just like to play some cards." They have dreams of going pro, winning the WSOP (or the Sunday Million). They are just plain good.
Now, I know this isn't everyone who's out there in the online pond, but I think it classifies the folks who are most affected by UIGEA and the ones who are making the low limit online games more difficult. Frankly, UIGEA is like an algae covering the surface of the pond and killing all the fish. Hopefully it will be repealled and the pond will once again be filled with fish. To support the Poker Players Alliance, who is lobbying for pro-poker legislation, go to the link on my page. They'll send you a cool shirt and add you to their mailing list. If you care about poker and the return of the fish, you'll do it.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Who do you look up to?
It's been a while since I've posted, mostly its because for the first time in a while, I have been a little disenchanted with poker. For example, I've only played 3 or 4 days on Full Tilt since my last post, and most of those have been due to Bmore's Brawl. I think my psyche needed a break from grinding out small pot win after small pot win, only to see all that hard work go down the drain when my 1.5 times the pot all-in on the turn gets called by a gut shot draw with two overs that don't matter......and he hits.......again. So, due to the miracles of modern technology, I've been shooting at bad guys from all over the globe playing Call of Duty 4 on Xbox and playing less poker.
All of that being said, I have been recently inspired by one particular player. This guy was recently highlighted in Bluff Magazine as someone who "plays the game right." He has as many bracelets at the legend, Johnny Moss, and has been a force on the poker tournament scene since the late 80's. He is one of the few who holds a WSOP bracelet and a WPT title. On top of that he has already won more than $1.8 million in 2008. Despite all of these accomplishments, he is still most famous for bluffing off all of his chips in one immortalized hand. One of his best friends is possibly the most successful poker player/businessman (not to be confused with a businessman/poker player). He is feared and respected by anyone who knows poker, but is known by few who aren't serious poker fans. When poker players sit around the table and debate who is the best player in the world, his name rarely comes up, but his accomplishments trump nearly all of the players who's names do come up.
Of course, I'm talking about Mr. Erik Seidel. In an era when flash is worth more than cash at the table, Seidel has quietly put together a resume that is more impressive than many of the names we idolize. Quick, who has more bracelets, Ivey or Seidel? Who has won more money in tournament poker Men the Master, Scotty Nguyen or Seidel? And yet he is most famous for bluffing off his chips to Johnny Chan in the one real poker scene in Rounders.
What do I like about Erik that has me returning to the tables with a renewed sense of purpose? Well first of all, he has gone about winning without being loud like Hellmuth, over-promoted like Negreanu, idolized like Ivey, or revered like Brunson. For the ESPN buffs, remember the line about Chris Carter, the Vikings WR? All he does is catch touchdowns! Well, all Seidel does is win at poker. He doesn't dance, he doesn't sing, he doesn't whine. He just wins.
And so I am returning from my brief hiatus with the resolve to just win. I'm going to do everything I can to take ego and entitlement out of my game. I'm going to focus on making good decisions and having a long memory regarding those decisions, but a short one regarding the results. When I win I will be pleased, but not elated or excited. When I lose I will be disappointed, but not angry or upset. When Aces get cracked, well, that happens, on to the next hand. I've seen enough in my time playing this game that nothing should surprise me. I've also seen enough to know that if I'm playing my "A" game, I can beat most of the people I play against over the long run. So bring on the gut shot draws, two outers on the river, heinous flops, terrible turns and miracle river cards, they won't disturb my inner "Seidel" as I play my best and go home with some cash...
All of that being said, I have been recently inspired by one particular player. This guy was recently highlighted in Bluff Magazine as someone who "plays the game right." He has as many bracelets at the legend, Johnny Moss, and has been a force on the poker tournament scene since the late 80's. He is one of the few who holds a WSOP bracelet and a WPT title. On top of that he has already won more than $1.8 million in 2008. Despite all of these accomplishments, he is still most famous for bluffing off all of his chips in one immortalized hand. One of his best friends is possibly the most successful poker player/businessman (not to be confused with a businessman/poker player). He is feared and respected by anyone who knows poker, but is known by few who aren't serious poker fans. When poker players sit around the table and debate who is the best player in the world, his name rarely comes up, but his accomplishments trump nearly all of the players who's names do come up.
Of course, I'm talking about Mr. Erik Seidel. In an era when flash is worth more than cash at the table, Seidel has quietly put together a resume that is more impressive than many of the names we idolize. Quick, who has more bracelets, Ivey or Seidel? Who has won more money in tournament poker Men the Master, Scotty Nguyen or Seidel? And yet he is most famous for bluffing off his chips to Johnny Chan in the one real poker scene in Rounders.
What do I like about Erik that has me returning to the tables with a renewed sense of purpose? Well first of all, he has gone about winning without being loud like Hellmuth, over-promoted like Negreanu, idolized like Ivey, or revered like Brunson. For the ESPN buffs, remember the line about Chris Carter, the Vikings WR? All he does is catch touchdowns! Well, all Seidel does is win at poker. He doesn't dance, he doesn't sing, he doesn't whine. He just wins.
And so I am returning from my brief hiatus with the resolve to just win. I'm going to do everything I can to take ego and entitlement out of my game. I'm going to focus on making good decisions and having a long memory regarding those decisions, but a short one regarding the results. When I win I will be pleased, but not elated or excited. When I lose I will be disappointed, but not angry or upset. When Aces get cracked, well, that happens, on to the next hand. I've seen enough in my time playing this game that nothing should surprise me. I've also seen enough to know that if I'm playing my "A" game, I can beat most of the people I play against over the long run. So bring on the gut shot draws, two outers on the river, heinous flops, terrible turns and miracle river cards, they won't disturb my inner "Seidel" as I play my best and go home with some cash...
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Second Horsey Ride
If you read this and don't realize that its the second results post, you might think that I had just re-posted week one's results. As it turns out thebmorekid has more than just beginners luck, and successfully defended his Horsey Ride title from the first week. Not only that, but hslaw is proving to be a great bridesmaid as he finished second for the second week in a row. Newcomer toilets took 3rd place and yours truly was the bubble boy.
Interesting notes from week 2
crazydiggity set a land speed record for exiting a limit event. He was out in ten hands and obviously had something better to do on Sunday evening. Maybe there was a special Desperate Housewives that I wasn't aware of...
Hold'em (3 KO's), Stud Hi-Lo (2 KO's), and Omaha Hi-Lo (2 KO's) were the games that caused the most devastation.
hslaw was the primary executioner, taking out 4 of the 10 players who entered.
We had two new entrants this week, BlueHen226 and toilets, both OM Rounders who have occasionally made it to the weekly cash game.
Tune in next week to see if thebmorekid can pull off the three-peat and if I can get on the board.
Interesting notes from week 2
crazydiggity set a land speed record for exiting a limit event. He was out in ten hands and obviously had something better to do on Sunday evening. Maybe there was a special Desperate Housewives that I wasn't aware of...
Hold'em (3 KO's), Stud Hi-Lo (2 KO's), and Omaha Hi-Lo (2 KO's) were the games that caused the most devastation.
hslaw was the primary executioner, taking out 4 of the 10 players who entered.
We had two new entrants this week, BlueHen226 and toilets, both OM Rounders who have occasionally made it to the weekly cash game.
Tune in next week to see if thebmorekid can pull off the three-peat and if I can get on the board.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The Horsey Ride
Tonight we had the first Horsey Ride, a private tournament for OM Rounders and their friends. We had 12 players show up to test the full range of their poker skills. Proving that innaugural tournaments are his speciality, thebmorekid took it down. Proving that in-depth knowledge of all the games isn't required, hslaw06 took 2nd and spoiled a father-son duel between thebmorekid and 3rd place finisher xojones.
Other noteable events from the first Horsey Ride:
mind27 was the first player to bust out. Mr. Piccalino got him on the last hand of Stud Hi.
xojones was the biggest executioner of the tourney, taking out 4 players, including the tournament host, yours truly.
Players were busted in each of the games, 3 in holdem and 2 each in all of the other games.
Hopefully all the OM Rounders who played had a good time. This event will be played each week on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. If you are reading this blog and are interested in playing, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.
Other noteable events from the first Horsey Ride:
mind27 was the first player to bust out. Mr. Piccalino got him on the last hand of Stud Hi.
xojones was the biggest executioner of the tourney, taking out 4 players, including the tournament host, yours truly.
Players were busted in each of the games, 3 in holdem and 2 each in all of the other games.
Hopefully all the OM Rounders who played had a good time. This event will be played each week on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. If you are reading this blog and are interested in playing, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.
Friday, March 7, 2008
People just like you and I are out there...
Maybe this should be titled "People just like you and ME are out there..." and I'm sure someone will correct me on it. If that's how you spend your time, correcting obscure blogger's gramatical errors, then I hope you have a high paying job and can afford to pay your friends.
To make my point, there are a bunch of us who like to publish our frequent bad beat stories and rare successes on this thing that Al Gore invented. Just check out the Battle of the Bloggers on Full Tilt Poker. I had no idea that such a thing existed, then thebmorekid tells me that there is a series of 5 tournaments a week for 13 WEEKS!!!! And all it is are tournaments hosted by bloggers for the right to be named king of the bloggers (and go to the WSOP main event). I don't know about you, but being named King of the Bloggers is kind of like being named the best one-legged hooker. I mean, take a look at the population you're being compared to. But alas, I am a blogger by virtue of the fact that I type my thoughts into this computer and publish them on the internet for any random passer by to read. From what I've seen, there aren't many random passer's by, but I'm having some fun anyway.
Since my posts from the last few weeks have sounded about as exciting as the waning moments of Leaving Las Vegas, I should let you know that I cashed last night in my 2nd Battle of the Bloggers tournament. Now keep in mind, I didn't win any money, but I did get points, and as thebmorekid says, "points are all that matter." I don't know if I agree with him, but I lasted longer than him and jmlabrie18, the only other two Bmore Brawlers or OMRounders in the event. So that's gotta be good for something, maybe a toy from a cracker jack box or the free newspaper they keep delivering to my house. But it's something, right?!?!?
Anyway, this weekend is crazy, fantasy baseball draft and poker tournament on Saturday followed by the SHOW on Sunday. I'll post something else about the SHOW, but it is hands down, the best home game rebuy tournament I've ever played in and it's filled with enough donkeys to take you, your family, and your distant relatives down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back.
To make my point, there are a bunch of us who like to publish our frequent bad beat stories and rare successes on this thing that Al Gore invented. Just check out the Battle of the Bloggers on Full Tilt Poker. I had no idea that such a thing existed, then thebmorekid tells me that there is a series of 5 tournaments a week for 13 WEEKS!!!! And all it is are tournaments hosted by bloggers for the right to be named king of the bloggers (and go to the WSOP main event). I don't know about you, but being named King of the Bloggers is kind of like being named the best one-legged hooker. I mean, take a look at the population you're being compared to. But alas, I am a blogger by virtue of the fact that I type my thoughts into this computer and publish them on the internet for any random passer by to read. From what I've seen, there aren't many random passer's by, but I'm having some fun anyway.
Since my posts from the last few weeks have sounded about as exciting as the waning moments of Leaving Las Vegas, I should let you know that I cashed last night in my 2nd Battle of the Bloggers tournament. Now keep in mind, I didn't win any money, but I did get points, and as thebmorekid says, "points are all that matter." I don't know if I agree with him, but I lasted longer than him and jmlabrie18, the only other two Bmore Brawlers or OMRounders in the event. So that's gotta be good for something, maybe a toy from a cracker jack box or the free newspaper they keep delivering to my house. But it's something, right?!?!?
Anyway, this weekend is crazy, fantasy baseball draft and poker tournament on Saturday followed by the SHOW on Sunday. I'll post something else about the SHOW, but it is hands down, the best home game rebuy tournament I've ever played in and it's filled with enough donkeys to take you, your family, and your distant relatives down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Lots going on, not much poker
I'm not playing as much as usual, which admittedly is quite a bit. I had a conference in Nashville last week for work that took up 3 full days. For the record, I was at the Gaylord Opryland and that place is the biggest hotel I've ever been in that didn't have a casino. I probably could have organized a game with a bunch of people I work with, but after giving it some thought, I decided that drinking until closing for three straight nights was a better idea.
So I get home from the conference, and two days later, our offer on a house is accepted. Now, we weren't looking to move, but this was a deal that was too good to pass up. So the past few days have been spent feverishly getting our house ready to go on the market. If you know anyone who's looking for a house just north of Baltimore, please post a comment on this blog. I know there are only two people reading this, so I'm not counting on anything, but hey, a guy can hope, right?
So that has kept me from my usual diet of online poker almost nightly and live games at least once a week. This upcoming weekend is my fantasy baseball draft combined with a fun poker tourney. I might also get in a game on Thursday night, or possibly get into kibl's tourney on Sunday. Nothing like a $80 rebuy tourney with 50+ of your closest friends.
As you will see from thebmorekid's blog, my showings have not been that impressive in the brawl and my wife, Momx2, is ahead of me on both the money and KO lists. I hope to improve on those numbers this Wednesday, but I just don't feel like I've been running that well. I know its a self fulfilling prophecy, so I just need to take a step back and stop thinking that way. Hopefully this little unplanned break will give me the perspective I need.
So I get home from the conference, and two days later, our offer on a house is accepted. Now, we weren't looking to move, but this was a deal that was too good to pass up. So the past few days have been spent feverishly getting our house ready to go on the market. If you know anyone who's looking for a house just north of Baltimore, please post a comment on this blog. I know there are only two people reading this, so I'm not counting on anything, but hey, a guy can hope, right?
So that has kept me from my usual diet of online poker almost nightly and live games at least once a week. This upcoming weekend is my fantasy baseball draft combined with a fun poker tourney. I might also get in a game on Thursday night, or possibly get into kibl's tourney on Sunday. Nothing like a $80 rebuy tourney with 50+ of your closest friends.
As you will see from thebmorekid's blog, my showings have not been that impressive in the brawl and my wife, Momx2, is ahead of me on both the money and KO lists. I hope to improve on those numbers this Wednesday, but I just don't feel like I've been running that well. I know its a self fulfilling prophecy, so I just need to take a step back and stop thinking that way. Hopefully this little unplanned break will give me the perspective I need.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Canadian Bacon
I know, I know, I haven't written for a while. I was away in Niagara Falls last weekend with Momx2, thebmorekid, and his wife. And before that I didn't feel like writing another bad beat/whining blog about how bad I'm running. So, this blog is dedicated to a review of poker in the Niagara Falls area. I'll write another one soon on how I'm doing.
There are three poker rooms in the Niagara Falls area. On the American side you have Seneca Niagara and on the Canadian side there's Casino Niagara and the Fallsview Casino. All three casinos are within sight of each other. I played at Seneca and Casino Niagara, but didn't have a chance to play at Fallsview. Of the three, Fallsview looks the nicest and it should, it's the newest.
The Canadian casinos are affiliated with each other and it's readily apparent that Fallsview caters to the higher stakes players and Casino Niagara caters to the average person. In both of those rooms the wait times were frequently over an hour and a half. They do allow you to call ahead and put your name on the list, and I'd highly recommend doing it. At 11 am on a Sunday morning during a holiday weekend we had to wait an hour until the afternoon shift came on because they didn't have enough dealers to open any more than the three tables they had running. On Sunday night the wait at Fallsview was over an hour and a half as well and the room was full.
At Casino Niagara all they spread was $1-$2 no limit with a $100 max buy in. It seemed that later in the day they would open a game with a $200 max, but that was as high as they played. The dealers and floor people were very friendly and the locals who played there regularly were of the opinion that this was one advantage that Casino Niagara had over Fallsview. The rake was also pretty hefty as it seemed that nearly $5 was taken out of every pot.
Fallsview was definitely the nicer of the two casinos and it was packed on a Sunday night (again, it was a holiday weekend for both Canadians and Americans). The lowest limit game they spread was $2-5 NL with a $300 max buy in. They had no limit games going all the way up to $10-$20 with a $3k max buy in. While I didn't play at Fallsview, the observation of thebmorekid and I was that there were quite a few players at the $2-$5 tables who had no business playing these stakes, but had to because it was the lowest limit game in the room. Next time I'm up there, I hope to be rolled for that game and be able to take advantage of this phenomenon. According to the players I talked to, all of the games at Fallsview are time games and they don't take a rake.
We did play at Seneca and it was more on par with what you'd expect from an Indian casino poker room in the states. It had more tables than either Fallsview or Casino Niagara. I noted at least one $3-$6 limit Omaha game on the board and there might have been some limit hold'em as well. I sat in the $1-$2 NL game with a $200 max buy-in. They also have $2-$5 NL.
The other big difference between Seneca and the Canadian casinos was the free drinks. Apparently in Canada it is illegal to give away free booze, so you have to pay for any alcohol. However, the states remains committed to intoxicating it's gamblers and most of the booze is free (minus the obligatory tip to the waitress). Also, in Canada, you have to step outside to smoke, not a problem for me, but thebmorekid and his wife spent a lot of time in the cold. At Seneca you can smoke in certain INDOOR areas.
Overall the player mix was a combination of regulars and tourists. I didn't encounter anyone who was particularly tricky. But if you play in the low max games in Canada, be prepared to take some beats because players will feel pot committed pretty quickly. Essentially ABC poker is the order of the day because alot of the deep stack moves are taken away by the short buy in. That being said, it was a fun weekend filled with lots of interesting folks at the poker table. You'll have to read the next blog to hear about how I was 7 outs from being a winner for the weekend...
There are three poker rooms in the Niagara Falls area. On the American side you have Seneca Niagara and on the Canadian side there's Casino Niagara and the Fallsview Casino. All three casinos are within sight of each other. I played at Seneca and Casino Niagara, but didn't have a chance to play at Fallsview. Of the three, Fallsview looks the nicest and it should, it's the newest.
The Canadian casinos are affiliated with each other and it's readily apparent that Fallsview caters to the higher stakes players and Casino Niagara caters to the average person. In both of those rooms the wait times were frequently over an hour and a half. They do allow you to call ahead and put your name on the list, and I'd highly recommend doing it. At 11 am on a Sunday morning during a holiday weekend we had to wait an hour until the afternoon shift came on because they didn't have enough dealers to open any more than the three tables they had running. On Sunday night the wait at Fallsview was over an hour and a half as well and the room was full.
At Casino Niagara all they spread was $1-$2 no limit with a $100 max buy in. It seemed that later in the day they would open a game with a $200 max, but that was as high as they played. The dealers and floor people were very friendly and the locals who played there regularly were of the opinion that this was one advantage that Casino Niagara had over Fallsview. The rake was also pretty hefty as it seemed that nearly $5 was taken out of every pot.
Fallsview was definitely the nicer of the two casinos and it was packed on a Sunday night (again, it was a holiday weekend for both Canadians and Americans). The lowest limit game they spread was $2-5 NL with a $300 max buy in. They had no limit games going all the way up to $10-$20 with a $3k max buy in. While I didn't play at Fallsview, the observation of thebmorekid and I was that there were quite a few players at the $2-$5 tables who had no business playing these stakes, but had to because it was the lowest limit game in the room. Next time I'm up there, I hope to be rolled for that game and be able to take advantage of this phenomenon. According to the players I talked to, all of the games at Fallsview are time games and they don't take a rake.
We did play at Seneca and it was more on par with what you'd expect from an Indian casino poker room in the states. It had more tables than either Fallsview or Casino Niagara. I noted at least one $3-$6 limit Omaha game on the board and there might have been some limit hold'em as well. I sat in the $1-$2 NL game with a $200 max buy-in. They also have $2-$5 NL.
The other big difference between Seneca and the Canadian casinos was the free drinks. Apparently in Canada it is illegal to give away free booze, so you have to pay for any alcohol. However, the states remains committed to intoxicating it's gamblers and most of the booze is free (minus the obligatory tip to the waitress). Also, in Canada, you have to step outside to smoke, not a problem for me, but thebmorekid and his wife spent a lot of time in the cold. At Seneca you can smoke in certain INDOOR areas.
Overall the player mix was a combination of regulars and tourists. I didn't encounter anyone who was particularly tricky. But if you play in the low max games in Canada, be prepared to take some beats because players will feel pot committed pretty quickly. Essentially ABC poker is the order of the day because alot of the deep stack moves are taken away by the short buy in. That being said, it was a fun weekend filled with lots of interesting folks at the poker table. You'll have to read the next blog to hear about how I was 7 outs from being a winner for the weekend...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Running Bad?
You all know what it's like. Everything you do seems to be wrong. You bluff into the nuts, slowplay and let donkeys hit 3 outers, fold when you should call, raise when you should fold, etc...
We all love to believe that the poker gods (or luck, or karma, or whatever it is that you think controls the cards) have frowned on you. You start wearing your lucky shirt (or whatever lucky trinkets you have), sacrificing virgins, and getting fried chicken to honor Jobu. All in the hopes of turning it around. After all, its not our play that could be causing it, it must be bad luck.
But somewhere, deep inside ourselves, our confidence is shaken. We wonder if all those previous good results were just good luck and not the skill that we had given ourselves credit for. Were we just getting lucky before and our current results are more reflective of our skills? It's a tough realization that our own play might be the cause of our dwindling bankroll.
The truth, as with many things, lies somewhere in the middle. When you're running good, you play better, and that, in turn, creates more "luck." When you're running bad, or playing bad, it becomes a downward spiral. The trick is getting out of the cycle. And that's about where I am right now.
If you think it's all me playing bad, then you should know that in back to back tourneys I went out on 80-20 situations. The first time I had TT vs. 99 and he flopped a 4 flush and finished me off on the turn. The river even brought a 5th flush card and gave me a set to boot. The second time I had QQ vs. 55 and managed to survive the flop, no spade or flush draws this time, but the cruel turn was one of the two outs he had left.
But I can't turn a blind eye to poor play. I have been negative for the past few weeks in cash games online. I have tried playing more passively, playing hyper aggressively, and most styles in between. Each seems to work for a little while, but none seems to produce any long-term results. So am I getting unlucky or am I playing poorly? Probably a little of both, after all, I did make $600 playing in home games last week, so that's gotta count for something...
We all love to believe that the poker gods (or luck, or karma, or whatever it is that you think controls the cards) have frowned on you. You start wearing your lucky shirt (or whatever lucky trinkets you have), sacrificing virgins, and getting fried chicken to honor Jobu. All in the hopes of turning it around. After all, its not our play that could be causing it, it must be bad luck.
But somewhere, deep inside ourselves, our confidence is shaken. We wonder if all those previous good results were just good luck and not the skill that we had given ourselves credit for. Were we just getting lucky before and our current results are more reflective of our skills? It's a tough realization that our own play might be the cause of our dwindling bankroll.
The truth, as with many things, lies somewhere in the middle. When you're running good, you play better, and that, in turn, creates more "luck." When you're running bad, or playing bad, it becomes a downward spiral. The trick is getting out of the cycle. And that's about where I am right now.
If you think it's all me playing bad, then you should know that in back to back tourneys I went out on 80-20 situations. The first time I had TT vs. 99 and he flopped a 4 flush and finished me off on the turn. The river even brought a 5th flush card and gave me a set to boot. The second time I had QQ vs. 55 and managed to survive the flop, no spade or flush draws this time, but the cruel turn was one of the two outs he had left.
But I can't turn a blind eye to poor play. I have been negative for the past few weeks in cash games online. I have tried playing more passively, playing hyper aggressively, and most styles in between. Each seems to work for a little while, but none seems to produce any long-term results. So am I getting unlucky or am I playing poorly? Probably a little of both, after all, I did make $600 playing in home games last week, so that's gotta count for something...
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Pro Player Sightings
Just wanted to add one more note from the Borgata trip and then I'll be through with it. Because we happened to be up there during days 3 and 4 of the Borgata Winter Open Main Event, we saw a ton of poker players. This might not be that exciting to most of you, but I thought I'd compile a list of players that we saw. Hopefully thebmorekid will help me make this a comprehensive list. Please forgive me if I spell any names wrong. I could get them right, but I don't feel like doing all the research.
In the tournament we saw (in no particular order):
Gavin Griffin
Men "The Master" Nguyen
Lee Watkinson
Vanessa Rousso
Jared "WacoKid" Hamby
Justin "ZeeJustin" Bonomo
Brian Haveson
John Hennigan
John Juanda
David Tran
Nam Le
Roy Winston
Isabelle Mercier (thanks thebmorekid)
In the tournament room:
David "The Dragon" Pham
John Phan
In the poker room:
Joe Sebok
Layne Flack
Gavin Smith
Mark Seif
Vince Van Patten
JC Tran (thanks bmore)
In other places in the hotel:
Bill Gazes
This post will be updated as thebmorekid and I go over our collective memories...
In the tournament we saw (in no particular order):
Gavin Griffin
Men "The Master" Nguyen
Lee Watkinson
Vanessa Rousso
Jared "WacoKid" Hamby
Justin "ZeeJustin" Bonomo
Brian Haveson
John Hennigan
John Juanda
David Tran
Nam Le
Roy Winston
Isabelle Mercier (thanks thebmorekid)
In the tournament room:
David "The Dragon" Pham
John Phan
In the poker room:
Joe Sebok
Layne Flack
Gavin Smith
Mark Seif
Vince Van Patten
JC Tran (thanks bmore)
In other places in the hotel:
Bill Gazes
This post will be updated as thebmorekid and I go over our collective memories...
Monday, February 4, 2008
More on Passive Play
Okay, so in my last blog I promised you that I would explain a little more about my Borgata trip. It was one of those trips where I was never up. Of course, when you start with a $350 buy-in and don't cash, you're already in a decent sized hole. But even if you take out the tournament, I was only up in the cash games for a brief period around 4 or 5 pm on Tuesday evening. And that wasn't much (maybe $30 or $40).
As I think about my trip, I realized that a couple of things happened. First and foremost, I had a guy sitting two spots to my left who I could never figure out. He seemed a little drunk when he sat down and frankly looked like he had just rolled out of bed. To top it all off, he was probably in his 50's. All-in-all he wasn't that impressive. He would accumulate chips and then lose them in some wierd ways. But when I got up at 2 am, he was still there and looked like he was sitting on a winning session.
At the risk of giving those who play against me more weapons to beat me, here's what happened. It seemed that every time I raised pre-flop, he called. After the flop I'd bet, sometimes a continuation bet, sometimes because I hit the flop. Either way, it seemed like I couldn't shake him, he always called. Many of these times I'd then check the turn either because I still had nothing (if I had c-bet the flop) or because I didn't want to play a big pot with just a pair. Regardless, it seemed like he'd either fire a bet on the turn and then follow it up with one on the river, or he'd check the flop and bet the river. No matter what, it seemed like I always found myself facing a pretty good sized bet on the river with a marginal holding. Usually I found myself folding in this spot.
My timing also seemed to be off with the other people at my table. I only ran a couple of bluffs, but they always seemed to run into legitimate hands. A couple of times people would hit on the turn or river, but most of the time it seemed like I just couldn't buy a pot.
All of this caused me to become passive, both out of frustration and because that's what I do when I go on tilt. I started clamming up, waiting for a good hand, and just generally become weak-tight. So that's what I did and you know how this story goes. When I finally picked up AA, I got two callers (despite hardly playing a hand). KQ suited makes a flush and I get sent up to the room to think about things.
So on day 2, with the losses of day 1 still sticking in my head, I continuted to play passively and didn't seem to be raising nearly enough. It didn't hurt that it seemed like every pot was an eight way limpfest and that raises to anything less than $20 (10 times the big blind) would still get 4 or 5 callers.
Either way, I need to be more diligent about how much I limp and call. Since returning from the trip I've been playing a lot of really aggressive raise or fold poker on Full Tilt and have been CRUSHING the 25-50 cent game at a rate of nearly 9 big bets per hour. Hopefully this will continue. This week's lineup includes the regular home game tomorrow night and then Bmore's Brawl on Wednesday night. Friday night should be a good online session as Momx2 is going out and once the kids go to bed, well, there just isn't much else to do but play some cards...
As I think about my trip, I realized that a couple of things happened. First and foremost, I had a guy sitting two spots to my left who I could never figure out. He seemed a little drunk when he sat down and frankly looked like he had just rolled out of bed. To top it all off, he was probably in his 50's. All-in-all he wasn't that impressive. He would accumulate chips and then lose them in some wierd ways. But when I got up at 2 am, he was still there and looked like he was sitting on a winning session.
At the risk of giving those who play against me more weapons to beat me, here's what happened. It seemed that every time I raised pre-flop, he called. After the flop I'd bet, sometimes a continuation bet, sometimes because I hit the flop. Either way, it seemed like I couldn't shake him, he always called. Many of these times I'd then check the turn either because I still had nothing (if I had c-bet the flop) or because I didn't want to play a big pot with just a pair. Regardless, it seemed like he'd either fire a bet on the turn and then follow it up with one on the river, or he'd check the flop and bet the river. No matter what, it seemed like I always found myself facing a pretty good sized bet on the river with a marginal holding. Usually I found myself folding in this spot.
My timing also seemed to be off with the other people at my table. I only ran a couple of bluffs, but they always seemed to run into legitimate hands. A couple of times people would hit on the turn or river, but most of the time it seemed like I just couldn't buy a pot.
All of this caused me to become passive, both out of frustration and because that's what I do when I go on tilt. I started clamming up, waiting for a good hand, and just generally become weak-tight. So that's what I did and you know how this story goes. When I finally picked up AA, I got two callers (despite hardly playing a hand). KQ suited makes a flush and I get sent up to the room to think about things.
So on day 2, with the losses of day 1 still sticking in my head, I continuted to play passively and didn't seem to be raising nearly enough. It didn't hurt that it seemed like every pot was an eight way limpfest and that raises to anything less than $20 (10 times the big blind) would still get 4 or 5 callers.
Either way, I need to be more diligent about how much I limp and call. Since returning from the trip I've been playing a lot of really aggressive raise or fold poker on Full Tilt and have been CRUSHING the 25-50 cent game at a rate of nearly 9 big bets per hour. Hopefully this will continue. This week's lineup includes the regular home game tomorrow night and then Bmore's Brawl on Wednesday night. Friday night should be a good online session as Momx2 is going out and once the kids go to bed, well, there just isn't much else to do but play some cards...
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Stargazing and Playing Passively
The OM Rounders crew is back from the Borgata and overall it was a great trip. Unfortunately, I was one of the few who came home stuck.
First the highlights:
We drove up on Tuesday morning in the minivan which allowed thebmorekid, soooted42 and quedog to watch Rounders on the way up. Monseiur Frank was kind enough to ride shotgon, so I wasn't completely chauffeuring everyone around. Interestingly enough, the trip from Baltimore to AC is just long enough to watch the movie.
When we arrived we went to check in and Bill Gazes (who had busted out the day before) was checking out right next to us. Then, as we headed up to the rooms, thebmorekid decided to hang back. The main event was on day 3 and was just about to get going, so he saw a number of pros (I'm sure he'll say who on his blog). When I joined him I saw Lee Watkinson, Gavin Griffin, and a few others.
We all registered for the $300 event on Tuesday and then went up and watched the pros get started. They were down to about 85 players, which made stargazing pretty easy. The way I relate it to non-poker players is that it was like going to your favorite sports team's fantasy camp and seeing not only the big names that everyone knows, but also a bunch of other people that you have followed at one time or another.
Continuing with the highlights, I have to give a big congratulations to quedog for making the top 25 in the $300 event. We all had a tiny piece of the action and I think that paid for my lunch on Wednesday. Nice job quedog and welcome to the Card Player database club.
We also had another friend of ours who chopped in the 20k guarantee on Wednesday. On top of that, thebmorekid, soooted42, and quedog all had winning trips overall. Which then leads me to the lowlights of the trip.
I played pretty well in the $300 event. I slowly built my chips up from the $8k starting stack to about $13k before the following hand was played out. I was on the button and picked up AJ. I had been playing very tight early on and my raises had gotten a lot of respect. With the blinds at 200-400 with 25 antes, there were a couple of limpers when the action got around to me. I made it $2k and everyone folded around to a guy two to my right. He hadn't been doing anything special and he decides to push for another 7k or so. I went into the tank for a while trying to figure out if he'd play AQ or JJ that weakly pre-flop. I had already ruled out the other hands that would have me dominated (AA, KK, QQ, and AK). I finally decided that he had a small pair (at least a pair below JJ) and that we were racing. I thought it was a good opportunity to pick up some chips, so I called. He turned over 55. I felt good when the flop brought an ace, but he hit runner runner to make a straight and I was down to about 4k in chips. The blinds went up shortly after that, and when I lost another race, I was sent to the rail with about 400 players still alive in the tourney. I'm actually very happy with how I played in the tourney and feel like if I continue to play that well, another good cash is out there somewhere in the future.
Then the real carnage began. I went downstairs (the tournament was in the event center) and sat down at a 1-2NL game with $200. I don't remember a lot of big hands, but by the time I got up at 2 am, I was stuck quite a bit. I came back on Wednesday morning and played some more 1-2, losing another $230 or so. I'll make another post about the cash games later. I'm waiting on some feedback from thebmorekid and mulling it all over in my head before I put anything in writing.
All-in-all it was a great trip with some great people. We saw tons of pros, including a drunken 1-2NL game with Sebok, Gavin Smith, Layne Flack and some others. Congrats to Gavin Griffin for taking down the tourney and becoming the first person ever to pick up a WPT title, an EPT title, and a WSOP bracelet!
First the highlights:
We drove up on Tuesday morning in the minivan which allowed thebmorekid, soooted42 and quedog to watch Rounders on the way up. Monseiur Frank was kind enough to ride shotgon, so I wasn't completely chauffeuring everyone around. Interestingly enough, the trip from Baltimore to AC is just long enough to watch the movie.
When we arrived we went to check in and Bill Gazes (who had busted out the day before) was checking out right next to us. Then, as we headed up to the rooms, thebmorekid decided to hang back. The main event was on day 3 and was just about to get going, so he saw a number of pros (I'm sure he'll say who on his blog). When I joined him I saw Lee Watkinson, Gavin Griffin, and a few others.
We all registered for the $300 event on Tuesday and then went up and watched the pros get started. They were down to about 85 players, which made stargazing pretty easy. The way I relate it to non-poker players is that it was like going to your favorite sports team's fantasy camp and seeing not only the big names that everyone knows, but also a bunch of other people that you have followed at one time or another.
Continuing with the highlights, I have to give a big congratulations to quedog for making the top 25 in the $300 event. We all had a tiny piece of the action and I think that paid for my lunch on Wednesday. Nice job quedog and welcome to the Card Player database club.
We also had another friend of ours who chopped in the 20k guarantee on Wednesday. On top of that, thebmorekid, soooted42, and quedog all had winning trips overall. Which then leads me to the lowlights of the trip.
I played pretty well in the $300 event. I slowly built my chips up from the $8k starting stack to about $13k before the following hand was played out. I was on the button and picked up AJ. I had been playing very tight early on and my raises had gotten a lot of respect. With the blinds at 200-400 with 25 antes, there were a couple of limpers when the action got around to me. I made it $2k and everyone folded around to a guy two to my right. He hadn't been doing anything special and he decides to push for another 7k or so. I went into the tank for a while trying to figure out if he'd play AQ or JJ that weakly pre-flop. I had already ruled out the other hands that would have me dominated (AA, KK, QQ, and AK). I finally decided that he had a small pair (at least a pair below JJ) and that we were racing. I thought it was a good opportunity to pick up some chips, so I called. He turned over 55. I felt good when the flop brought an ace, but he hit runner runner to make a straight and I was down to about 4k in chips. The blinds went up shortly after that, and when I lost another race, I was sent to the rail with about 400 players still alive in the tourney. I'm actually very happy with how I played in the tourney and feel like if I continue to play that well, another good cash is out there somewhere in the future.
Then the real carnage began. I went downstairs (the tournament was in the event center) and sat down at a 1-2NL game with $200. I don't remember a lot of big hands, but by the time I got up at 2 am, I was stuck quite a bit. I came back on Wednesday morning and played some more 1-2, losing another $230 or so. I'll make another post about the cash games later. I'm waiting on some feedback from thebmorekid and mulling it all over in my head before I put anything in writing.
All-in-all it was a great trip with some great people. We saw tons of pros, including a drunken 1-2NL game with Sebok, Gavin Smith, Layne Flack and some others. Congrats to Gavin Griffin for taking down the tourney and becoming the first person ever to pick up a WPT title, an EPT title, and a WSOP bracelet!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Prepping for the Borgata
If you are an amateur poker player then you know the feeling. It's the same feeling you get when Worm talks to Mike about going to AC, you know the whole "check raising stupid tourists" scene. It's the day before a trip to the casino. I'm supposed to be working, but all I can think about is that this time tomorrow I'll be walking through the casino at the Borgata headed towards the poker room and getting ready to play in the $300 event. It's almost the opposite of Buckner walking back into Shea. Last time I played in an event at Borgata I did well. Last time I played a cash game up there, I did well. So I'm almost afraid that the regression to the mean is going to catch up with me. But that's not a good frame of mind to be in, so I've tucked that little nugget into the darkness in the back of my head and proceeded to cover it up with positive thoughts.
I probably get a little too excited about these trips. But I'm a father of two and don't get many days to just play poker without anything else demanding my attention. Tomorrow I'll sit down at 11 a.m., plug into my iPod, start observing players, and really get to play some poker. Regardless of how I do in the tourney, I'll probably play until 3 or 4 am before finally turning in for the night. These marathon sessions are AWESOME! Especially when you're winning. But I need to remember that losing is a possibility. I only need to recall last year's Valentine's Day Massacre at Foxwoods, or some of the recent results online to know that you can play well and run bad (or play bad and run bad, which is worse). Even though things haven't been going particularly well lately (I had my AA crushed by KK only 28 spots short of a seat in the $750k on FT last night), I feel like I've been playing well (I did get all my money in with AA vs. KK). I've gone back over some of the big hands I've played in the last week or two and I like my plays in most of them. So.....I'm feeling good and feeling like if I continue to make good decisions, the potential exists for a good couple of days on the Jersey shore.
My wife was chatting with thebmorekid this morning and he put it best, "it's like Christmas Eve." Well if that's the case, then hopefully tomorrow is Christmas Day and Santa will deliver some cash...
I probably get a little too excited about these trips. But I'm a father of two and don't get many days to just play poker without anything else demanding my attention. Tomorrow I'll sit down at 11 a.m., plug into my iPod, start observing players, and really get to play some poker. Regardless of how I do in the tourney, I'll probably play until 3 or 4 am before finally turning in for the night. These marathon sessions are AWESOME! Especially when you're winning. But I need to remember that losing is a possibility. I only need to recall last year's Valentine's Day Massacre at Foxwoods, or some of the recent results online to know that you can play well and run bad (or play bad and run bad, which is worse). Even though things haven't been going particularly well lately (I had my AA crushed by KK only 28 spots short of a seat in the $750k on FT last night), I feel like I've been playing well (I did get all my money in with AA vs. KK). I've gone back over some of the big hands I've played in the last week or two and I like my plays in most of them. So.....I'm feeling good and feeling like if I continue to make good decisions, the potential exists for a good couple of days on the Jersey shore.
My wife was chatting with thebmorekid this morning and he put it best, "it's like Christmas Eve." Well if that's the case, then hopefully tomorrow is Christmas Day and Santa will deliver some cash...
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Quick Update
I'm sitting here getting ready for dinner with my Dad and thought I'd post a quick update. First, I've added a link to Full Tilt Poker, the main site I play on. If you don't have an account, click on the link, create an account, and hopefully I'll see you at the final table.
It's been an interestingly boring week this week. I know that's an oxymoronic statement, but let me explain.
On Sunday night we had a 9 hour home cash game with 15 players. We played 50-1, and had the usual suspects present. I managed to get up early, then bleed it away from about midnight until 3 am. We got shorthanded when the Punisher and thebmorekid decided to head home at 3:15. 4-handed I managed to pick up some decent sized pots and avoid a losing session. All told, I played 9 hours and won $11. Better than a loss, but not by much. It's all one big long session after all....
I played some online and have been steadily growing the online bankroll. A winning 10 cent-25 cent Omaha Hi-Lo session followed by some small wins playing 25-50 and 50-1 NLHE and I'm up to $1,144. Not to mention I've managed to move into a decent early lead over thebmorekid in our year long bet. (I promise, I'll make a post detailing the terms of the bet some other time)
That brings me to last night's home game where we had a full table playing 25-50. I lost an early pot when my flopped boat wasn't good enough to beat Poo Poo's turned boat. But those things happen against him. A year ago, even six months ago, I would have gone on tilt and probably been well on my way to a $200 loss. This time I managed to keep my cool, rebought for another $80 and picked up a few decent pots to log a $35 win for the night.
So as I said initially, it has been interestingly boring this week. No big wins or losses, but lots of little victories both in terms of winning some money as well as making good decisions and managing myself and my psyche at the table.
Tonight is the Bmore Brawl on Full Tilt where I'll try to navigate through G-Unit, Eurotrash, thebmorekid, Punisher, nycboss, and a host of other villains in an attempt to take down the most important tournament of each week. Click on thebmorekid link on the right to see more details about last week's tournament.
It's been an interestingly boring week this week. I know that's an oxymoronic statement, but let me explain.
On Sunday night we had a 9 hour home cash game with 15 players. We played 50-1, and had the usual suspects present. I managed to get up early, then bleed it away from about midnight until 3 am. We got shorthanded when the Punisher and thebmorekid decided to head home at 3:15. 4-handed I managed to pick up some decent sized pots and avoid a losing session. All told, I played 9 hours and won $11. Better than a loss, but not by much. It's all one big long session after all....
I played some online and have been steadily growing the online bankroll. A winning 10 cent-25 cent Omaha Hi-Lo session followed by some small wins playing 25-50 and 50-1 NLHE and I'm up to $1,144. Not to mention I've managed to move into a decent early lead over thebmorekid in our year long bet. (I promise, I'll make a post detailing the terms of the bet some other time)
That brings me to last night's home game where we had a full table playing 25-50. I lost an early pot when my flopped boat wasn't good enough to beat Poo Poo's turned boat. But those things happen against him. A year ago, even six months ago, I would have gone on tilt and probably been well on my way to a $200 loss. This time I managed to keep my cool, rebought for another $80 and picked up a few decent pots to log a $35 win for the night.
So as I said initially, it has been interestingly boring this week. No big wins or losses, but lots of little victories both in terms of winning some money as well as making good decisions and managing myself and my psyche at the table.
Tonight is the Bmore Brawl on Full Tilt where I'll try to navigate through G-Unit, Eurotrash, thebmorekid, Punisher, nycboss, and a host of other villains in an attempt to take down the most important tournament of each week. Click on thebmorekid link on the right to see more details about last week's tournament.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Goals for 2008
thebmorekid suggested that I write a blog on some goals for 2008. Seemed like a good idea, so here we go:
1. Up $2,000 on Poker Tracker. I was up $1,700 in 2007 on Ptrack, so I should be able to do this. I don't know if this will be enough to take down the bet with thebmorekid, but if I do it playing 25-50 cent NLHE, I should win the BB/100 portion of the bet. I'm up about $75 so far this year, but need to average $167 a month to meet my goal.
2. Up $2,000 in live cash games. This includes my weekly Tuesday game, Kori's game on Thursdays and any casino cash games I can squeeze in. I was up just under $1k in my game last year and didn't keep very good records about Kori's game, but figure that I was a break even player in that game last year. I expect to duplicate my results in my game (+$1,000), win another $500 at Kori's, and net another +$500 in casinos.
3. Have the online bankroll to play 1-2 NL comfortably. Using the 20 max buy-in rule I should have a roll of $4k to play at this level (20x$200=$4k).
4. Be a positive tourney player across the board. I don't have any specific financial goals for touranment play this year because one big cash can be such a big impact. I finished 6th at a Borgata Summer Open event last year and cashed for nearly $10k, so that kind of skews the results. I just want to be a winner in tournaments overall. Obviously I met this goal last year due to the big cash in the biggest buy-in event I played. I don't expect to duplicate that result again this year, but if I can cash consistently enough, I think I can get a positive bump from my tournament play.
5. Buy Mom x 2 some nice jewelry from my poker winnings. It's important to me that I do something nice for her each year with my poker winnings so that she continues to have a favorable impression of my poker playing. She's incredibly supportive and I need to return the favor. Last year it was the down payment on the minivan, and this year I'd like to get her some bling.
6. Enjoy the game more. I find I play my best when I'm loose and patient. Not loose in the way I play, but loose as in relaxed and comfortable. That feeling helps me be more patient. And when I'm patient, I am good. I don't force the action, make senseless bluffs, or do other stupid things that cost me money. And I'm loose and patient when I'm enjoying myself. So I need to continue to find ways to just relax and enjoy the camraderie that comes with sitting at the tables across from others who enjoy the game as much as I do.
7. Pay more attention at the tables (both online and live). I have a tendency to zone out from time to time, or not pay as much attention to the action as I should. As my play gets better, I need to do a better job of reading people so I can exploit their tendencies. Right now I know people on a general level, but the specifics sometimes elude me. I've started keeping track of some player's tendencies and the exercise of writing that down helps me pay better attention when I play.
I'm not going to extend this list to 10 just to make it a "top ten" list. I'll leave that to Letterman. But other, non-poker things that I want to do this year include: watch more movies that I "should have" already seen. As some of you know, I just recently watched Scarface for the first time, and finally saw Godfather II in it's entirety only a few weeks ago. To top it off, I saw The Matrix for the first time while on vacation last August. I love movies, there are just a bunch that I've never seen and I need to. I want to continue to spend as much time with the kids and Mom x 2 as I can.
Hope the flops are hitting you (unless you're playing against me)
-AltronIV
1. Up $2,000 on Poker Tracker. I was up $1,700 in 2007 on Ptrack, so I should be able to do this. I don't know if this will be enough to take down the bet with thebmorekid, but if I do it playing 25-50 cent NLHE, I should win the BB/100 portion of the bet. I'm up about $75 so far this year, but need to average $167 a month to meet my goal.
2. Up $2,000 in live cash games. This includes my weekly Tuesday game, Kori's game on Thursdays and any casino cash games I can squeeze in. I was up just under $1k in my game last year and didn't keep very good records about Kori's game, but figure that I was a break even player in that game last year. I expect to duplicate my results in my game (+$1,000), win another $500 at Kori's, and net another +$500 in casinos.
3. Have the online bankroll to play 1-2 NL comfortably. Using the 20 max buy-in rule I should have a roll of $4k to play at this level (20x$200=$4k).
4. Be a positive tourney player across the board. I don't have any specific financial goals for touranment play this year because one big cash can be such a big impact. I finished 6th at a Borgata Summer Open event last year and cashed for nearly $10k, so that kind of skews the results. I just want to be a winner in tournaments overall. Obviously I met this goal last year due to the big cash in the biggest buy-in event I played. I don't expect to duplicate that result again this year, but if I can cash consistently enough, I think I can get a positive bump from my tournament play.
5. Buy Mom x 2 some nice jewelry from my poker winnings. It's important to me that I do something nice for her each year with my poker winnings so that she continues to have a favorable impression of my poker playing. She's incredibly supportive and I need to return the favor. Last year it was the down payment on the minivan, and this year I'd like to get her some bling.
6. Enjoy the game more. I find I play my best when I'm loose and patient. Not loose in the way I play, but loose as in relaxed and comfortable. That feeling helps me be more patient. And when I'm patient, I am good. I don't force the action, make senseless bluffs, or do other stupid things that cost me money. And I'm loose and patient when I'm enjoying myself. So I need to continue to find ways to just relax and enjoy the camraderie that comes with sitting at the tables across from others who enjoy the game as much as I do.
7. Pay more attention at the tables (both online and live). I have a tendency to zone out from time to time, or not pay as much attention to the action as I should. As my play gets better, I need to do a better job of reading people so I can exploit their tendencies. Right now I know people on a general level, but the specifics sometimes elude me. I've started keeping track of some player's tendencies and the exercise of writing that down helps me pay better attention when I play.
I'm not going to extend this list to 10 just to make it a "top ten" list. I'll leave that to Letterman. But other, non-poker things that I want to do this year include: watch more movies that I "should have" already seen. As some of you know, I just recently watched Scarface for the first time, and finally saw Godfather II in it's entirety only a few weeks ago. To top it off, I saw The Matrix for the first time while on vacation last August. I love movies, there are just a bunch that I've never seen and I need to. I want to continue to spend as much time with the kids and Mom x 2 as I can.
Hope the flops are hitting you (unless you're playing against me)
-AltronIV
Monday, January 14, 2008
Patience
Over the weekend I got impatient. I wasn't pleased that I was having to ride out long runs of dead cards. I wasn't pleased that I couldn't get off $60 in a 25-50 game for two hours. I'd be up a few bucks and down a few bucks, but always right around $60. I wasn't pleased that nothing seemed to be changing despite logging a nice long session during which I watched the Patriots-Jaguars game AND Scarface (for the first time, I know, I know, I'm 32 and this is the first time I've seen Scarface. But that's another blog for another time).
As a poker player, you always hear people talking about what it takes to be a great player. It's kind of like philosphers trying to figure out the meaning of life. Well, I don't claim to know the answer to either one of those questions, but I think patience has something to do with both. As a poker player, I'm at my best when I'm relaxed, involved in the game, but enjoying myself and just generally not feeling rushed in any way shape or form. When I'm in that state I can fold for hours waiting for the right cards in the right spots. When I'm not, I'm constantly trying to create the right spots with the wrong cards, or vice versa. It takes me a while to lose my patience, which is probably why it doesn't affect me in tournaments the same way. Usually the blinds go up fast enough to force me into action before I get impatient. But in cash games, I get impatient quite a bit and that causes me to lose.
One of the things you'll always hear about great players is that they are patient. They aren't the maniacs they appear to be on WPT broadcasts. They can log a 12 hour session (or 50+ hours if you are Ted Forrest) and be patient, waiting for good spots for hours on end.
Maybe for me its that I don't get to play as much as they do. Maybe its that I'm so excited to play that I get anxious. Maybe its that I know the night is going to end at 12:30 no matter what and I hate ending up stuck (even though I understand that it is one big long session). It's probably a combination of all of those things, but I need to work on it.
As a poker player, you always hear people talking about what it takes to be a great player. It's kind of like philosphers trying to figure out the meaning of life. Well, I don't claim to know the answer to either one of those questions, but I think patience has something to do with both. As a poker player, I'm at my best when I'm relaxed, involved in the game, but enjoying myself and just generally not feeling rushed in any way shape or form. When I'm in that state I can fold for hours waiting for the right cards in the right spots. When I'm not, I'm constantly trying to create the right spots with the wrong cards, or vice versa. It takes me a while to lose my patience, which is probably why it doesn't affect me in tournaments the same way. Usually the blinds go up fast enough to force me into action before I get impatient. But in cash games, I get impatient quite a bit and that causes me to lose.
One of the things you'll always hear about great players is that they are patient. They aren't the maniacs they appear to be on WPT broadcasts. They can log a 12 hour session (or 50+ hours if you are Ted Forrest) and be patient, waiting for good spots for hours on end.
Maybe for me its that I don't get to play as much as they do. Maybe its that I'm so excited to play that I get anxious. Maybe its that I know the night is going to end at 12:30 no matter what and I hate ending up stuck (even though I understand that it is one big long session). It's probably a combination of all of those things, but I need to work on it.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Turning it around, maybe?
Last time I wrote, I was coming off a tough cash game loss here at my house. It sucks when you lose and you can't leave. But on Wednesday I talked to thebmorekid and I was feeling better than I've ever felt after a big losing session. I thought I had played well and put myself in good situations, but the villians either had cards at the top end of their range, or happened to be hitting flops, turns and rivers. So, I took Wednesday night off and watched Superbad with Mom_x_2. It made for a nice break and I think helped me keep my positive frame of mind.
With that being said, I played a little on Thursday afternoon on FT. I managed to log a good session, up $100 on the 50dollar (50 cent - 1 dollar) game in about an hour or so. I caught some hands, but mostly just stayed out of bad spots and didn't try to steal or bluff at all. All of this put me in great spirits heading into last night's home game at Kori's. I came into the game making some strategic adjustments that helped.
1. I bought in for $100 instead of $60. I think I've come to recognize that I'm much more patient and a better player with a big stack in front of me. I though the shorter stack would help me limit my losses, but it just meant I was buying in more often and it's a psychological blow everytime you reach in your pocket for a rebuy.
2. I decided to pay more attention to position. I kept finding myself calling into these 8 way pots with crap from early position because of pot odds. I decided that wasn't a good idea and that I wasn't flopping or stealing often enough to justify it.
3. I wanted to have fun. I had been so analytical in the past few sessions that I just wasn't enjoying it as much as I had in the past.
I thought I made good decisions and I finished the night up about $200 for the night. It helped that I was at "Table 2," didn't have to face the Punisher, and was able to play a lot more small pots. It was just the kind of session I needed to help keep the roll going and hopefully continue to turn things around. The last month has been tough (both online and live), it would be nice to go into the $300 event at the Borgata Winter Open on a roll.
With that being said, I played a little on Thursday afternoon on FT. I managed to log a good session, up $100 on the 50dollar (50 cent - 1 dollar) game in about an hour or so. I caught some hands, but mostly just stayed out of bad spots and didn't try to steal or bluff at all. All of this put me in great spirits heading into last night's home game at Kori's. I came into the game making some strategic adjustments that helped.
1. I bought in for $100 instead of $60. I think I've come to recognize that I'm much more patient and a better player with a big stack in front of me. I though the shorter stack would help me limit my losses, but it just meant I was buying in more often and it's a psychological blow everytime you reach in your pocket for a rebuy.
2. I decided to pay more attention to position. I kept finding myself calling into these 8 way pots with crap from early position because of pot odds. I decided that wasn't a good idea and that I wasn't flopping or stealing often enough to justify it.
3. I wanted to have fun. I had been so analytical in the past few sessions that I just wasn't enjoying it as much as I had in the past.
I thought I made good decisions and I finished the night up about $200 for the night. It helped that I was at "Table 2," didn't have to face the Punisher, and was able to play a lot more small pots. It was just the kind of session I needed to help keep the roll going and hopefully continue to turn things around. The last month has been tough (both online and live), it would be nice to go into the $300 event at the Borgata Winter Open on a roll.
Monday, January 7, 2008
The Cooler
I don't know if you've ever seen the movie The Cooler, but it's worth a look, in a Leaving Las Vegas sort of way. Regardless, Alec Baldwin is excellent in that movie. Just don't watch it when you're catching cold cards or your head will really be spinning.
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because there seems to be a like between my state of mind and the cards. When I'm in good spirits, the cards seem to favor me, when I'm not, they don't. So, you would say, why not just keep a rosy outlook on life and things will be grand. Unfortunately its not that easy.
Tonight was a great example. I'm playing some 25-50 cent NL hold'em (6 max) on FT and I'm cruising along. No big wins, but I finally pick up AA on the button. $2 pre-flop, he calls from the big blind (because he's gotta protect those two quarters that are out there). Flop comes down 2s-6c-4c. I decide to be a little sneaky and just call his pot sized bet. On the turn (Qd) he slows down and checks. I decide that with 12.75 in the pot and him only having 19.50 left, he's probably committed and if he has me beat he has me beat, but all the money is probably going in anyway. So after his check, I just push. He goes into the tank, and just before the clock expires, he decides that his 6-5 warrants a call. After all, he is pot committed with second pair, a gutshot straight draw and a mighty 5 kicker. I wouldn't be telling this story if a 6 hadn't hit on the river and robbed me of a $50 pot.
The reason I tell this story is because this hand, combined with my wife pointing out that I hadn't completed a few things I said I was going to do should have put me on tilt. And for a while I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have (the BCS title game was a bit of a distraction too), and probably playing a little more loose-weak than I'd prefer. But in the end, I managed to keep my losses to $9.
I'm still down $165 in online cash games for the year, so thebmorekid is ahead on the bet. But I think he's bailed on cash games until I catch up. Just read his post about his most recent 45 man SNG disaster...
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because there seems to be a like between my state of mind and the cards. When I'm in good spirits, the cards seem to favor me, when I'm not, they don't. So, you would say, why not just keep a rosy outlook on life and things will be grand. Unfortunately its not that easy.
Tonight was a great example. I'm playing some 25-50 cent NL hold'em (6 max) on FT and I'm cruising along. No big wins, but I finally pick up AA on the button. $2 pre-flop, he calls from the big blind (because he's gotta protect those two quarters that are out there). Flop comes down 2s-6c-4c. I decide to be a little sneaky and just call his pot sized bet. On the turn (Qd) he slows down and checks. I decide that with 12.75 in the pot and him only having 19.50 left, he's probably committed and if he has me beat he has me beat, but all the money is probably going in anyway. So after his check, I just push. He goes into the tank, and just before the clock expires, he decides that his 6-5 warrants a call. After all, he is pot committed with second pair, a gutshot straight draw and a mighty 5 kicker. I wouldn't be telling this story if a 6 hadn't hit on the river and robbed me of a $50 pot.
The reason I tell this story is because this hand, combined with my wife pointing out that I hadn't completed a few things I said I was going to do should have put me on tilt. And for a while I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have (the BCS title game was a bit of a distraction too), and probably playing a little more loose-weak than I'd prefer. But in the end, I managed to keep my losses to $9.
I'm still down $165 in online cash games for the year, so thebmorekid is ahead on the bet. But I think he's bailed on cash games until I catch up. Just read his post about his most recent 45 man SNG disaster...
Early Jan. 7
So this is the first post of 2008. So far I've played in one cash game this year and made it on to Full Tilt (FT) every day. My routine has been to play enough online each night to get my FT points and qualify for Ironman. Then, on Sunday's, I try to satellite into the 750k guarantee. Today was frustrating. I bubbled in two satellites to the $50 qualifier and then busted in a third for a net loss of $5. Then I managed to earn a $26 token, but only after the 2:15 35 seat guarantee had started. I still bought into that one and a $50 sat.
$50 Sat - I never put any chips together, but managed to nurse my short stack until I had no choice, finishing about 35th out of 120. Alas, seats were only given to the top 27.
$26 Sat - I was frustrated with how I played this one. I was steadily accumulating chips when I called a short stack's push on the flop with AQ. I hadn't hit, but reasoned that he could push with anything because he was so short. Unfortunately for me, he had something and that chopped about 20% of my stack out. Another revolution or two and I picked up KK, ultimately having to fold when a 4 flush and one-card straight showed on the board. Bye-bye to another 50% of my stack. I won a hand or two and stayed afloat until I ran my 99 into JJ on an 8 high board. I didn't like losing because I kept telling myself that he had JJ or TT based on the way the hand played.
I did manage to win about $50 in a 25-50 cash game session while trying to qualify, but had to quit that when I busted out of the tourneys because I had to help grocery shop and get some stuff to the storage unit.
Tonight, when we finally go the kids to bed, I sat down and had one of my better sessions. I played 2 25-50 cash games and cashed for about $60. I also managed to win another $26 token in a $6 6-man SNG. So I should be loaded up for next week's attempts at the $750k guarantee.
This week I'm also hoping to build on my cash game success from a week ago, finally getting off the schneid a little bit. I should host a game on Tuesday and then hope to make it to Kori's on Thursday for some real craziness.
$50 Sat - I never put any chips together, but managed to nurse my short stack until I had no choice, finishing about 35th out of 120. Alas, seats were only given to the top 27.
$26 Sat - I was frustrated with how I played this one. I was steadily accumulating chips when I called a short stack's push on the flop with AQ. I hadn't hit, but reasoned that he could push with anything because he was so short. Unfortunately for me, he had something and that chopped about 20% of my stack out. Another revolution or two and I picked up KK, ultimately having to fold when a 4 flush and one-card straight showed on the board. Bye-bye to another 50% of my stack. I won a hand or two and stayed afloat until I ran my 99 into JJ on an 8 high board. I didn't like losing because I kept telling myself that he had JJ or TT based on the way the hand played.
I did manage to win about $50 in a 25-50 cash game session while trying to qualify, but had to quit that when I busted out of the tourneys because I had to help grocery shop and get some stuff to the storage unit.
Tonight, when we finally go the kids to bed, I sat down and had one of my better sessions. I played 2 25-50 cash games and cashed for about $60. I also managed to win another $26 token in a $6 6-man SNG. So I should be loaded up for next week's attempts at the $750k guarantee.
This week I'm also hoping to build on my cash game success from a week ago, finally getting off the schneid a little bit. I should host a game on Tuesday and then hope to make it to Kori's on Thursday for some real craziness.
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