Dr. Pauly Phenomenal Post

WSOP Day 19: The Ghost of Stuey Ungar and Katja Thater Wins Razz Bracelet
By Pauly

I'm posting this link here in case you don't read Dr. Pauly's Tao of Poker on a regular basis. But more than likely if you're reading this blog, you're also reading GOOD blogs, which more than likely includes Tao of Poker. But this is exactly what I was talking about in this post. Anyway, take the time to read it. Very good. Pauly gives you a glimpse of the dirty underbelly of Las Vegas and gambling, that ESPN, the Travel Channel, NBC, and GSN will never let you see.

You tend not to find too many truly moving things in the blogosphere, but this post felt incredibly deep. I really can't wait for Pauly to write his Vegas book.

Another Good Night

It seems I go through phases. Sometimes I play nothing but cash games, and others it's tournaments/SitNGos. It looks like my current phase is Tournaments.

Friday night I took first in a couple of Turbo SitNGos, and then took first in Kat's Friday Night Blogger Donkament. I had a bad couple of days over the weekend at the SnG. Monday I won my token to the MATH about 20 minutes before it took off. Then finished in 9th (no money). Last night I played 3 SnGs and 1 Tourney (took a beat in the tourney to be crippled early), but finished in 3rd in 1 SnG and 1st in the other 2 (one was a HORSE).

I'll probably shy away from the cash games right now.

Mondays at the Hoy (some live blogging)

I'm putting together a post about my Donkament win on Friday, but tonight I'll be live blogging the MATH.
There are 55 players in the Hoy tonight. It's a $24+2, and I probably should have just bought in, as I ran completely dry this weekend trying to get the token. I finally managed to win one about an hour and a half before the event. A 4 person Heads Up Shootout. The first match was a tough one. I managed to get through my first opponent and apparently God loves an Atheist, because I ran golden. I seriously hit almost every flop. Now my opponent made some mistakes in being VERY passive and didn't bet that strongly so a few times by just checking or calling small bets I'd hit by the river. Finally, the last hand. He raised I called, flop was K-9-x. I had KJ. All the chips went in the middle and he had K9. The Turn was an Ace giving me 3 more outs, which I didn't need as I spiked a jack. And he tilted, but it didn't matter, I got my token.
...more...
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So the Hoy started. As I'm relatively new to the Blogger Tournaments, I don't know many of the people at my table.

From my spot, going clockwise.
Me
RecessRampage (I recognize)
empty
Dbirider
surflexus
ChapelncHill (recognize)
wwonka69 (recognize)
Astin
PokerBrian322 (not a blogger, but a buddy of mine- host of the "monthly" homegame).

How lucky or unlucky that he's to my right. Not sure honw I'm going to play him.

About 20 minutes in, and I'm slowly building a stack- 3450 (starting was 3000). But it's going to be a tough tournament.

Now one of the great things about the Blogger Tournaments has go to be BuddyDank's radio show. Good music (usually- stop w/ the F'in ABBA!) and fun commentary.

Oops. Out is bayne_s. The Gigli. Willwonka was moved to the empty spot at our table.
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Next out was Miami Don. I lost a chunk of chips bluffing at a pot.
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Iakaris - tried to drop the hammer on Buddy Dank. Buddy had Jacks.
IslandBum1 also busted.
...
Here's a weird note, every time I get into a pot, my buddy PokerBrian322 and ChapelncHill are in it too.
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ChapelncHill was almost out but he was a pip away from a royal. AKQJ9 spades
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45 minute mark and I've been playing horribly. I'm down to 935 in chips with the blinds 40/80. I'm 50 out of 50 :(
...
wilwonka went out to wwonka69... fixed! :)
irongirl01
phlersphan
Blinds are 50/100 and I have 1055, but I'm in the BB next). With 23 no less :(
...
Whew. Woke up in the CO w/ AQ. My buddy Slappy raises to 500, I push my last 900. He calls with AT. At first all I see is the T on the flop. Then I see the Q right next to it. Double up and at 1900. Back in. HERPES LIVES!!!
...
First Break. 40/44.
Papi Justify
lucko21
BobRespert
Oossuuu754
all busted as well.
...
Made a bad call as soon as we started up. Early position raised and I called with QhJh. Flop missed and I had to let it go. With only 1300 left. However, made up for it. KK in early position. Limped. Fold, raise, some folds, call from the button, fold to me, I push. Raiser folds and caller calls with AQ. I more than double to 3060.
...
Katitude
pvanharibo
iam23skidoo
Tripjax
RecessRampage
I continue to donk. Down to 1300 when I tried to continuation bet half of my stack on a missed board :(
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I had about 1000 chips left on the Button (couldn't even get pushable hands in the blinds (in the SB had raises and re-raises). Got Jacks on the button, pushed, UTG (who raised) called and had KQ. I doubled up.
I outlasted my buddy, Slappy (aka PokerBrian322)
Alceste (the only "blogger" from these I ever met)
Julius_Goat
weak_player
swimmom
PokerBrain322
GCox25
riggstad
chapelncHill --- who I knocked out.
Chapel limps from the CO with only about 800. Folds to me. I limp w/ KQ suited. HighonPoker in the BB checks. I flop the straight 9TJ (2 diamonds). I check, HoP checks, Chapel pushes, I minraise and HoP calls. Turn is a blank. I push, HoP unfortunately folds. I knock out Chapel and have over 5k.

I actually have decent chips, 16/30, but blinds are 120/240 ante 25
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Points bubble and I'm at 7000 chips. Points don't matter to me as I haven't played in barely any BBT events.
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mtnrider81
surflexus
NewinNov (bubble)
blinders
...
DDionysus
Mike_Maloney ---- I busted him. Blinds 150/300 a25. MM raises to 900 from early. Astin calls, I call w/ pocket Tens. HighonPoker calls for 750 in the SB. BB folds.

Flop is 7c-5h-9d. MM pushes in his last 5K (an over bet). Astin folds, I call and HoP folds. MM has TdJd for not much. A little sweat comes on the turn in the form over another 9 for a flush draw, but he doesn't get there and I have over 15k in chips.
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And a quick check. I'M THE CHIPLEADER.
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Patchmaster
leftlu
mattazuma
...
Up to 2nd break now.
dbirider
cemfredmd
columbo --- ante up nation!
smokkee --- I busted him right before the break. He had about 5k. Blinds are 200/400 a 50. He limps in. Another player limps in. I check w/ 82. Flop comes Kd-2d-8x. I bet pretty much putting smokkee all in. He pushes, other player folds and I call like 200. He has 7d8d. He doesn't get his flush. I'm in 2nd. Two tables left.

And we're off. Lets see if I can continue this run. Top 7 spots pay.
250/500 a50.
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wwonka69
summer_babe
hoyazo
jeclimd
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Wippy1313
I lost some chips and was down to 8k, by playing a bit lose and firing continuation bets that didn't work. However I doubled up to 18k with 22 vs KQ. I limped. Button raised, I pushed, he thought, then called. He didn't get any help.
2 of 13 - blinds are 300/600 a75
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crazdgamer
garthmeister
BuddyDank
Astin
and... Unimpressed in 9th.
Well I made the final table, in the middle of a hand. horrible play. As7s in the BB. RakeFeeder pushes all in in the SB. I call. He's been so tight, I can't believe I called. He has AQ. As he's raking my chips, we make it to the final table.

I actually stupidly fold A4 in the SB when someone from MP raises. I end up pushing all in when it folds to me on the button (mind you have I have 1264 w/ blinds 400/800 a100) and I have T8. SB folds and BB only has to call 300 more. Heffmike has A5 he doesn't improve, but he does... to a boat.

I think this is my 2nd time playing in the Hoy and my 2nd Final Table, and my 2nd time not cashing. Oh well.

Good luck everyone.
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a104I9
Rake Feeder (guess my chips did him no good)
pushmonkey72
I'm a little disappointed in the final table. Even though it didn't really need to be (except for a few players), it became an all-in-fest. Every hand. Thought I was watching the WPT.
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I jumped into a 11+2 SnG and was pretty card dead and finished out of the money in 5th.
cracknaces finished in 5th
heffmike in 4th
HighOnPoker in 3rd.
At the moment FishyMcDonk (40k) vs Cmitch (124k)
It ended in a classic race: Fishy w/ TT and Cmith w/ AK. Rivers an Ace and Cmitch takes it down.

Congratulations.

Good night everybody.

Mr. 80%

OK, I’m in… again. Another affiliate deposit, but only $20. But, I’m off to an OK start. Basically turned that $20 into $32. Not as good as it sounds as it included getting VERY lucky on two key hands.
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I was playing in a micro cash game (.05/.10 full ring). I bought in for a mere 4, lost it and re-bought. The big stack at the table was pushing a lot and he had over $20 (max buy-in is $10). I got tired of him pushing. I don’t remember the hand, but the flop came Face-6-2. I had a 6. The big stack raised, I pushed in my remaining chips, he calls. He paired the face card. I rivered a 6. Now despite what J-Goat says, I don’t feel excited when I suckout like that. I feel like a donkey. Though that’s probably the case. I think in TripJax’s theory, I’m the 80%. I felt like I got a stay of execution, so I tightened up my play a little bit, and managed to turn my $10.50 total buy-in into $20; partly thanks to flopping Quad 4s, and “slow” (checked flop, small bet on the turn) playing them until the guy hit his straight on the river and I got his chips.

Unfortunately, at the same time I was donking it up in SnGs (2.25 turbos and one 6.50 turbo, plus $1.25 90 DS). In the end I was down to about $12. Then I bought into a 4-handed heads up shoot out for $5.40. I’ll admit my HU game isn’t what it used to be. But I played my first match well and managed to win that one. In the second match, I once again got super lucky. I was down about 3-2 in chips. When I raised on the button with A2s. My opponent raised and I called. Flop came Ace high. I bet out he raised and I pushed. I felt he was trying to see where I was if he had a pocket pair. He called. I was wrong. He had AQ. Turn was a 2 and I had a big suckout, again feeling like such a donkey. It tilted him a bit. The next hand he pushes, I call with AQ. He had J8. He didn’t hit and I pocketed $20.

Then this morning, I sat down at a .05/.10 short handed table. And felt I played well (then again, I DID hit a set of jacks twice), and managed to double my buy-in. So a night I wasn’t really all that proud with. I really need to refocus my game. Part of the problem playing micro limits, is I ALWAYS feel someone is making a move. That makes it difficult for me to get away from middle pairs sometimes. I’m learning that sometimes, if you KNOW your judgment can’t always be trusted, let weaker hands go. I have to get that just because these are the micro limits, not everyone is bluffing.

Hellmuth Wins #11!!!

Whether you like him or not, Hellmuth is a monster.
...more...

He is the best Tournament No-Limit player out there. I don't think you can make a case otherwise. I think, in that fictional world were a mad man threatens to kill you unless you're top pro can beat his top pro in a No Limit Hold 'Em tournament, I gotta put my life in Hellmuth's hands.

Well, I was in no danger, BUT his win put me even with HighOnPoker in our prop bets. Sure none of his horses has done anything, but I pretty much gave away over/under for the Main Event with my way high #. Oh well. Now it's on! Come on Hellmuth... win a few more. I need to re-fund my online bankroll!

Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’

I just wanted to give a … um… shout out (how 90’s is that?) to some sites I read on a regular basis.

First, I’m going to cover some poker content.
I do a lot of browsing at work and like many work sites, they’ve blocked gambling sites. Even the news ones (they’ll allow me to go to Wicked Chops, but I can’t check out Poker News… morons). So when I’m looking to get info on the people at certain final tables and who placed where, I’m check out Wikipedia’s 2007 WSOP results.

The next four links are going are poker and non-poker in content… though at the moment, most of the focus is either on Vegas or WSOP.

Dr. Pauly (Paul McGuire), is a “famous” blogger (famous, as in Poker bloggers know who he is). Well I guess he was (or is), but he’s a writer first and foremost. He even publishes on online magazine, Truckin’. He posts his short stories and gets contributions from other writers. If I had readers, I might get lambasted for this next note. For my tastes, he’s kind of hit and miss. I’m often torn… his writing is fantastic and captures my interests, however, sometimes his topic isn’t … again… to my tastes. Now, that’s not to take anything away from his writing, it’s just sometimes, not for me… which, again, I’m not his target audience. With that being said… Right now there isn’t a blog entry I look forward to more, (closely tied with I Had Outs) than his daily accounts of the WSOP at the Tao of Poker. This is great story telling and great writing, all rolled into a subject that suits my taste. I can’t always sit at work and read them, so each day I’ll print it out and take it to the can for my daily er… constitution. He often talks about a Las Vegas book he is planning on writing, and let me tell you, I’ll be buying that the moment it comes out.

I’d also like to recognize his Las Vegas blog. Good information on the “goings on” in Sin City.

OK, I covered the “poker” content. Now for a couple of blogs that have absolutely nothing to do with poker. These I read somewhat regularly.

A Day in the Life of Ambulance Driver- He has been published.
Indexed- Logical ‘cartoons’ on index cards. A book is due out February 08.
Post Secret- “PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.” Three books have been published.

Luck?

I’m not going to bother to post much here, but DEFINITELY read Dr. Pauly’s post concerning luck, on Tao of Poker, titled "No Exit and Broken Mirrors." Very good.