<rant> Don’t you just love nimrods? There is something about people who just don’t seem to grasp basic poker strategy that makes you feel like you’re going to have a stroke. It seems to be happing more lately in my local tourney circuit. Sometime after break around level 4-6, the field starts to thin. Pre-flop there are let’s say 4 people in and then the flop is laid on the board. Short stack decides it’s time to push and the other three call. Then on either the turn or river some nimrod will make a very sizeable bet and drive the other two out of the pot. At least 50% of the time the all-in will now quadruple up and of those, at least 50% of the time one of the folders would have taken him out.
What is so hard to grasp about the concept of everyone checking down to increase the chances of getting one more person out of the tourney and moving everyone one-step closer to the final table? I can see hitting and then making a min-bet to start building a small side pot that may be called to the river for the sake of building a few more chips, but these morons will make huge bets (about the size of the pot or more) and just drive people out cause they finally hit something.
My best guess is that these are the people who have hear the word ‘isolation bet’ and are now applying the word without understanding the concept. I expect these people are the same ones who then the blinds are 10/20 and then someone raises 100 figures they are getting 130:1 pot odds on their money. I wish these people would learn the concept of the big words they know before applying them incorrectly. Well, maybe not that last one, I like it when they don’t know how to calculate their odds correctly or apply them.</rant>
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Nice for a Change
Well after a particularly abysmal month, things have turned around for me, at least for now. I’ve managed to make four final tables of my last five tourneys, and even had a first place finish! Nice to see the slump finally giving way, now if I can just keep it going for tonight’s WWdN Up4Poker Invitational on Stars tonight, trust me, my bankroll there could use the boost!
Anyways, last nite started out rather brutal, found myself out kicked three hands in a row, which led to pretty large dents in my stack. Just before the break, David sucked out on my Hammer while holding top two pair. I kept pounding away at it, 5x BB preflop, ½ the pot on the turn, then, instead of my normal ½ to full pot bet on the river, I made a ¼ pot bet. That pretty much stopped him in his tracks and really made him wonder what I had. He went through the hands that would beat him based on the board and really though I was trying to lure him into the pot to make sure I would get more chips. Eventually he did end up calling so I had to stand up, take my cards and slam them down with the traditional call of “Hammer!!” and then told him that I could not believe that he sucked-out on me like that. Oh well, das pokah.
Right after break I found myself moved to a new table with a paltry 3,000 in chips and the mega short stack at the table, the next shortest had me out stacked 4:1. Fortunately, the table was a wonderful semi-lose passive table and it didn’t take me too long to double up and get myself back in the game. It was ye olde JJ in mid-position that did me in. Made it 4x BB and got folds to the BB who called. Flop was 876r so I bet the pot, the BB thought about it and push in the rest of his chips, which was basically 2x my bet. I called and he flipped over ATh. The turn was a T as was the river and that left me with just enough to cover the Blind when it got to me one hand later and off to the rail I was sent.
All in all, it was interesting play. I don’t think I had to call more than a couple raises all nite, as most people were limping/min-betting/calling. Been a long time since I’ve seen that much weak/passive play at our tables. It was fun to be able to play looser than I normally do, but obviously I still need to put a bit of polish on that so I don’t loose too many pots in the future.
Anyways, last nite started out rather brutal, found myself out kicked three hands in a row, which led to pretty large dents in my stack. Just before the break, David sucked out on my Hammer while holding top two pair. I kept pounding away at it, 5x BB preflop, ½ the pot on the turn, then, instead of my normal ½ to full pot bet on the river, I made a ¼ pot bet. That pretty much stopped him in his tracks and really made him wonder what I had. He went through the hands that would beat him based on the board and really though I was trying to lure him into the pot to make sure I would get more chips. Eventually he did end up calling so I had to stand up, take my cards and slam them down with the traditional call of “Hammer!!” and then told him that I could not believe that he sucked-out on me like that. Oh well, das pokah.
Right after break I found myself moved to a new table with a paltry 3,000 in chips and the mega short stack at the table, the next shortest had me out stacked 4:1. Fortunately, the table was a wonderful semi-lose passive table and it didn’t take me too long to double up and get myself back in the game. It was ye olde JJ in mid-position that did me in. Made it 4x BB and got folds to the BB who called. Flop was 876r so I bet the pot, the BB thought about it and push in the rest of his chips, which was basically 2x my bet. I called and he flipped over ATh. The turn was a T as was the river and that left me with just enough to cover the Blind when it got to me one hand later and off to the rail I was sent.
All in all, it was interesting play. I don’t think I had to call more than a couple raises all nite, as most people were limping/min-betting/calling. Been a long time since I’ve seen that much weak/passive play at our tables. It was fun to be able to play looser than I normally do, but obviously I still need to put a bit of polish on that so I don’t loose too many pots in the future.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Nothing Special
After break last night I was looking pretty bad with only 2,000 in chips and blinds at 100/200. Then finally it happened, that magical combination of cards and callers. By the time our table was broken up I had pretty much quadrupled up, if not more. As time progressed and blinds hit 1,000/2,000 I hadn’t done too much and only had around 15bb or so in chips when we were down to three short handed tables. By some miracle, I managed to catch just enough to keep me between 10-15bb in chips to the final table.
This past month has been pretty brutal and this was my first final table in weeks. It started out pretty crazy at first and didn’t take long to lose a couple people (2,000/4,000 blinds). Unfortunately, it was the stacks who kept taking them out so it was getting a bit tougher to play them cause you knew you would be raised on any bet. Fortunately for me, that actually worked to my advantage every time except for two, the last one sending me to the rail in third. The one that damaged me the most was when I managed to get a good chuck of my chips into the pot with one of the stacks. He didn’t seem to want to push against me, probably because he didn’t have me covered by all that much (I had been putting dents into his stack for awhile now). Turns out we were pretty much playing the same hand, he just had me outkicked, A9 to AT. Oh well, 4 handed and blinds at 5,000/10,000 ya do what you gotta do.
Since the crowd that night was a bit light, there were only a total of about 150,000 chips in play between us, so even the stacks had M’s less than 10. Needless to say, there was either pushing to get a fold or just folding to any raise. When we got down to three I found my self in the bb with 15,000 left. After I posted, I didn’t even bother to look at my cards and just went all in with my remaining 5,000. The limper called and the other folded and he flipped over a nice AJo. I really didn’t want to flip my cards, but when I did I looked down at a T6o. Imagine my surprise when by the river I had a boat! Last hand was nothing special, A8o v 67s. The flop had both an 8 and a 7, the turn had a 6 and the river was a 2 and I was on my way to the rail.
All in all, it was a decent night. I didn’t make too many bad calls or plays, made several good lay downs and avoided being a donkey when it mattered. Though I must admit to being confused by that one lay down one guy made, and AK pre-flop to a min-raise at a five-handed table….
This past month has been pretty brutal and this was my first final table in weeks. It started out pretty crazy at first and didn’t take long to lose a couple people (2,000/4,000 blinds). Unfortunately, it was the stacks who kept taking them out so it was getting a bit tougher to play them cause you knew you would be raised on any bet. Fortunately for me, that actually worked to my advantage every time except for two, the last one sending me to the rail in third. The one that damaged me the most was when I managed to get a good chuck of my chips into the pot with one of the stacks. He didn’t seem to want to push against me, probably because he didn’t have me covered by all that much (I had been putting dents into his stack for awhile now). Turns out we were pretty much playing the same hand, he just had me outkicked, A9 to AT. Oh well, 4 handed and blinds at 5,000/10,000 ya do what you gotta do.
Since the crowd that night was a bit light, there were only a total of about 150,000 chips in play between us, so even the stacks had M’s less than 10. Needless to say, there was either pushing to get a fold or just folding to any raise. When we got down to three I found my self in the bb with 15,000 left. After I posted, I didn’t even bother to look at my cards and just went all in with my remaining 5,000. The limper called and the other folded and he flipped over a nice AJo. I really didn’t want to flip my cards, but when I did I looked down at a T6o. Imagine my surprise when by the river I had a boat! Last hand was nothing special, A8o v 67s. The flop had both an 8 and a 7, the turn had a 6 and the river was a 2 and I was on my way to the rail.
All in all, it was a decent night. I didn’t make too many bad calls or plays, made several good lay downs and avoided being a donkey when it mattered. Though I must admit to being confused by that one lay down one guy made, and AK pre-flop to a min-raise at a five-handed table….
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Happy Towel Day!!
Happy Towel Day everyone!! I hope you all have your towel with you, cause if you do, you are one hoopy frood, if not, you are most definitely a strag. I for one will be carrying my towel around with me at the tourney tonight, and I’m sure that most of them there will prove to be strags.
So take your towel with you wherever you go today, and when you are at the bar, order yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster and raise it up to one of the greats, Douglas Adams.
So take your towel with you wherever you go today, and when you are at the bar, order yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster and raise it up to one of the greats, Douglas Adams.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
From WWdN to Drunken Lemur
Well last at last nights WWdN tourney my performance was abysmal. Those cards just failed to fall my way, oh well what can you do. Had a good time chatting it up with the infamous AlCantHang, which of course translates to I got drunk doing IM-a-shots. So after both AlCantHang and I busted out and had one more shot to seal it, what is there to do other than play drunken lemur poker on the micro-limit tables and get your buy-in back. I was mildly surprised to see that it only took me 4 hands in two orbits to achieve my goal, and then it was off to bed. Let’s just hope that the cards fall my way tonight at the tourney, it would be nice for a change, haven’t made a final table there yet this month.
PokerStars Blogger Championship #2
I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!
This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.
Registration code: 7330476
It was an interesting game last year so I guess it's time to find out if I have actually learned how to play this game!
Monday, May 15, 2006
R.I.P. Crawford
On Friday, we lost a good friend. It is one of those sad stories, just coming out of a dark time for him with a future full of promise. He had just won a seat to the 2006 WSOP and was very excited to be going. His divorce had just been finalized and he was awarded soul custody of his three children. Things were beginning to turn around for him, and then it happened. In the blink of an eye, that person you just talking to yesterday and making some plans with to meet up that weekend and inviting to a private poker game on-line on Tuesday is suddenly and tragically taken from you.
He was a good man and a good friend. He loved his children and would do anything for them. He loved to get together and play some cards and did it well. His Royal Flush in Hearts (from this point forward to be referred to as getting a Crawford) gave him the stack advantage that allowed him to take down WSOP satellite event. Sadly, life decided to throw him the ultimate Bad Beat well before his time. Since he loved his children so we, his fellow card players and friends, will do our best to help them with their future in his memory:
It is with great sorrow that we share this tragic news-
On Friday May 12th
JOHN CRAWFORD
was killed in an automobile accident. John had recently won the WSOP poker event.
John leaves behind 3 young children. In his honor we will be hosting the first
JOHN CRAWFORD MEMORIAL POKER TOURNAMENT
Entrance fee will be $50 with ALL proceeds going into a trust fund for his children.
The winner of the event will be going to
Las Vegas all expenses paid to play in Johns seat.
This tournament will be held at Breise's Brew on Friday June 16th. Complete details will be listed here soon.
John Crawford
1971-2006
Update: The tourney was quite the success. Just under $12,000 was raised and placed into a trust fund for his kids. With some luck, there will be another one next year!
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Congdon & Company Funeral Home
3012 Sheridan Rd, Zion, Ill. 847-746-1234
Visitation is Wednesday May 15, 2006 5pm-8pm
Funeral is Thursday May 16, 2006 10am
Van driver killed in head-on crash with bus
BY ASHOK SELVAMDaily Herald Staff WriterPosted Saturday, May 13, 2006
A 35-year-old electrician died after he drove a utility van head-on into a bus carrying adult passengers with special needs Friday night in Winthrop Harbor.
The accident killed John Crawford, of Winthrop Harbor, Lake County coroner Richard Keller confirmed. The accident happened around 7 p.m. on Rosecrans Road, also known as Route 173, about a block west of North Green Bay Road, Lake County sheriff's office Sgt. Curt Gregory said.
The westbound van crossed the median and struck the eastbound bus, Gregory added. It was raining at the time of the wreck.
Crawford and the other driver were trapped in their vehicles and freed by rescue crews, the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department said. Crawford was driving by himself and died at the scene, while those on the bus suffered non-life-threatening injuries. [Clip]
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