The return of Kenny Tran

Kenny Tran was back at the microscopic stakes LHE tables. I just found it right when he sat down and got to be first in line on the waiting list. It didn't take long for me to get the seat on his right. Yo, the pro's got position on me. Bring it! :)

The last time I sat down with him, people asked if I played any hands with him. I didn't really remember much. This time, I tried a little harder.

The first hand, I called from the BB and went heads up against him. When playing limit like this, many players will defend their BB with any two cards. I have a strong hands for heads up, but I'll be out of position for the entire hand. I called to keep the pot small. No reason to raise only to completely whiff the flop and dump a bunch.



Yeah, that sucked. I probably lost the minimum to him.

This next hand was the only other hand I played with him. Not sure what he's doing down here, but I think I know how you might get the nickname "Sick Call". To me, calling with Q high is just kinda stupid, but then again, I'm not a well known, red letter pro.



Yeah, ace high is the winner for me. Let this be a lesson. Bet your flush draws. Kenny "Sick Call" Tran will call you with queen high.

Just when you think the doom switch is fully engaged

I've had a really unfun run of cards lately. Actually, I found away to give back a few buy ins in just a matter of a couple minutes at limit hold 'em. You know when AKs flops AAX and some donkey decides it's positive EV to cap every street with you and that damn deuce on the river just had to give him a full house, right? Of course you knew that. Friggin' deuce on the river gives the donkey a full house A2o is the gawd damn nutz...fricka fracka...why I oughta...

Anywho. This time next week, I should be lining up to see Steel Panther with a group of bloggers at the WPBT winter gathering. I'll just say it now, sorry for any drunken tweets or posts that might show up. Dude..it happens.

So, I really did figure the doom switch had been engaged the last couple of days. I probably shouldn't be playing poker exhausted, but we all know, we don't play bad, there's evil people that run these poker site that are out to get us. That's why they invented the doom switch. To get us. (I kid...I'm pretty sure I was WAY too tired to play poker)

Well, tonight, I felt like I got a little bit of my karma back. Check out this screen cap -

Now, before you go and think, "Well, OhCaptain, did he slow play those aces all the way to the river?" The answer, of course, is absolutely, positively, no way. We got it all in on the flop cuz I think diamonds are purdy.

Here's the replay:



I'd love to hear some theories or explanations of how I had a suspicion that he had a big pair and this was some awesome play. He was not normally not that passive early, but why do I care, I'm trying to shake off a doom switch and pretty much just tilting the night away. I suppose I really should be writing about Vegas. I said I'd write about Vegas...but but but, no excuses, I was just wasting my time playing cards.

***UPDATE***

Doom switch is still fully engaged. The most passive bubble play you've ever seen. I went artic card dead after the straight flush. Doing my best to stay afloat with stealing and position play. I finally ran KQh into KK and then did this sick orbiting for like forever watching the most passive moronic play. Sigh. It finally took KK to take down my QJ. Sigh.

168 Hours but who's counting? #wpbt

WPBT Winter Gathering is 168 hours away from beginning for me, but who's counting?

Questions that need answering:

Who's Team D Listers?

Will Drizz be standing at the Geisha bar with drink in hand before me?

What's gonna be the line on the race to Vegas?

Will I forget something?

Will I remember something I really don't want to?

How long will it take me to drink the first beer? the second? the third?...

Can I really get it all done in 4 days without puking on my shoes?

Can I invert my biological clock and make it to Steel Panther?

Why so many friggin' questions when the clock ain't moving?

Can I learn Pai Gow and Craps and continue to pay my mortgage on time?

Answers coming soon...stay tuned!

PokerSluts recaps in a timely manner

Yeah, timely. That's me. Thank goodness for hand histories! Not this past weekend, but the weekend before, I played the Limit Hold 'em edition of the PokerSlut Tour XVI. I love me some limit hold 'em because it's a really great way to learn how to play a much wider variety of hands and also play more optimally post flop. I had a really fun time playing the tournament, even finishing 2nd. By the time we got heads up though, I was way ready for bed and just couldn't wait for it to get over. Probably why I never stopped firing raises to stpetebeach...probably why he also didn't stop calling any of them either.

There are a few things I'll rarely do playing no-limit that I will do in a limit game. One thing I do if I think a player is mostly raising with big cards is play small, suited connector type hands and see a flop, especially from the button. Take this hand:

If felt there was a good shot that SmBoatDrinks was raising with a ace or a bigger pair. We are short handed and my button limp screams weak. Which it is, but in limit, I'm getting 5:1 to call from position. I've also got a fairly sizable stack. I can let go of this hand if I completely whiff the flop.

When the flop hits, I know I'm never laying this hand down, that flop is perfect for me. The trick now is to get maximum value, unless of course he's got a bigger flush draw, but still, two outers make it difficult to worry too much at this point. I flopped the nuts and have the stone cold nut draw.

By the way the action turned out and what he had for cards, I'm assuming he didn't have me anywhere near that flop. Which was good to know, I think my play with a bigger stack had been eradicate to hopefully be confusing.

In my opinion, that's one of the keys to limit hold 'em. You want people to think you are playing different cards then you are.

This next hand actually happened earlier, but I figured I'd lose you by now and could just lay it out for discussion. I'm disguising my hand since I didn't actually play in the hand, but I do question the comments of others as to why, why would they say what they say...My comments are in red, if you can't read red, let me know I'll provide a copy in an alternate color.

Full Tilt Poker Game #16056750288: PokerSlut Tour XVI (111159087), Table 1 - 200/400 - Limit Hold'em - 22:34:32 ET - 2009/11/15
Seat 1: Julius_Goat (2,270) <-- Good to see you on the felt!
Seat 3: Zerbet (2,250)
Seat 4: stpetebeach (7,100) <--Isn't this Fasso from Ante Up? I asked and no one would say.
Seat 5: OhCaptain (5,000) <-- 2nd in chips :(
Seat 6: wvapoker (290) <--Gonna be making a move soon
Seat 7: SmBoatDrinks (3,125)
Seat 9: WiredAces77 (3,965)
Julius_Goat posts the small blind of 100
Zerbet posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to OhCaptain [Ap Aq]
stpetebeach folds
OhCaptain folds <--I know, pocket aces, but look at the suits. I never play those unsuited.
wvapoker raises to 290, and is all in <--As long as we understand that this will be called with any two shiny cards in a later spot to act...just sayin'
SmBoatDrinks folds
WiredAces77 calls 290
Zerbet: double you tee eff
Julius_Goat: gg light <--well played comments are always welcome in blogger games
Julius_Goat calls 190 <--Can't say that talking while calling is a good move live, but here, I'll let it slide
lightning36 (Observer): later, mates <--Good game my friend!
Zerbet calls 90
*** FLOP *** [2h 6h 9d]
Julius_Goat checks
Zerbet checks
WiredAces77 checks

^--check, check, check? No one bets? I know there's someone all-in but it's not like he'll have a huge stack when he's done. Let's build a side pot.
*** TURN *** [2h 6h 9d] [Ac]
Julius_Goat checks
Zerbet checks
WiredAces77 checks

^--sigh. More checking.
*** RIVER *** [2h 6h 9d Ac] [2s]
Julius_Goat checks
Zerbet checks
WiredAces77 bets 400
OhCaptain: later <--Saying good bye to Lightning suck.
Zerbet: sigh
Julius_Goat has 15 seconds left to act
SmBoatDrinks: gg <--well played comments are always welcome in blogger games
Julius_Goat folds
Zerbet: betting into a dry side pot? really? <--I don't know Zerbert, it looks like a value bet to me. Most people only do this when they have something. According to my math, that bet would make a side pot with enough profit to make up for the initial bet if called.
Zerbet has 15 seconds left to act
WiredAces77: really <--representing a 2.
Zerbet folds <--representing not a 2.
Uncalled bet of 400 returned to WiredAces77
*** SHOW DOWN ***
WiredAces77 shows [2d 4d] three of a kind, Twos <-- See, a 2.
wvapoker mucks <--apparently, not a 2.
WiredAces77 wins the pot (1,160) with three of a kind, Twos
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1,160 | Rake 0
Board: [2h 6h 9d Ac 2s]
Seat 1: Julius_Goat (small blind) folded on the River
Seat 3: Zerbet (big blind) folded on the River
Seat 4: stpetebeach didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: OhCaptain didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: wvapoker mucked [8c 8h] - two pair, Eights and Twos <--nice! sorry it didn't hold up.
Seat 7: SmBoatDrinks didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: WiredAces77 (button) showed [2d 4d] and won (1,160) with three of a kind, Twos

Now, Zerbet went on for a while and seemed to get pretty steamed over some of us not seeing that bet as being a bad play. I personally didn't think it was horrible or even donkish. It's the last opportunity for a value bet with what is most likely the winning hand. The only hands the all-in dude could have that would beat you are a 2 with a bigger kicker, a set of 6's, 9's or aces. If no one was betting those by now, then they are morons. If that's what the all-in hand had, so be it, but we are looking for value from the others.

Zerbet was right that there was probably no one at the table that would call just to see, but there was a chance that someone with an ace might call. There was almost no chance that the person calling would have a better hand, but to say you shouldn't bet because no one is likely to call is just crazy. How would you know that in some weird twisted moment, the guy with K9o doesn't call just to keep him honest. In limit hold 'em, you bet to build bigger pots. I don't see the harm in fishing for value. Getting that one extra bet can make or break your day.

Here's the replay if you want to just see it play out. And no...I didn't muck aces, but thought it looked cool...kay?

Just for giggles

I signed in to Full Tilt looking for a little poker something to pass me into dream land. Look who's playing the super cheap stakes Limit Hold 'em...not me...the dude across from me. What the hell is he doing at this level?

Ah. It's a night to relax

Home game poker. Nothing better. Whiskey club is at my house this month. Thankfully the cash game after the first tournament is helping to fund the night. I learned a game called 3 Card Monty. Not the street hustle but something else. Definitely -EV.

More on the whiskey layer. Time to play some cards, listen to music, rate the cartoons of the 1980's and drink tasty beverages.

Hope your Friday rocked too!

-- Posted from my cell phone that starts with the i.

Learning How To Fold Kings

I really need to find more time to write about poker. This week has been full of topics: the $100 bonus on Full Tilt, PokerSluts, WPBT and Poker League. For now, you'll just have to work with me on a hand from poker league and try really hard to convince me I made the right decision...I'm really doubting it...

So, I missed the last two weeks of league and hadn't played any live poker in that time. I know, shocking. I felt good going in to the night, no bad beats swimming in my, no fear of one outers, really, no baggage what so ever.

I had done a decent job of chipping up for the first 30 minutes. I sat at the table mostly enjoying the table chatter. We had the return of a guy that used to play quite often and then sort of disappeared for the last year or so. My memories of playing him mostly go back almost two years ago.

In our conversations, this guy had told us that he's spent most of this time playing online and going up to Canterbury to play the tournaments there with a bit of success. When we last played, his game was fairly ABC with a bit of a passive nature broken up with some recklessness. But I wasn't really sure how to use any of this early on. I don't like to rely on someone's tendencies from a long time ago, people change.

We are about one hour into the tournament, my stack sits 2025, a little more then starting stack. My chipping early had been whittled away. There were 7 people left at our table and I'm now under the gun with blinds at 50/100 T$. This early at poker league, I'm hard pressed to ever play much from this position. The play tends to be weak/passive and even raises will get called by a party, but for this hand, I was dealt KK. I'll play that from any position. I raised a standard raise, to 300.

The guy to my left folds. On his left is the guy returning from the past. He quite firmly moves all in for 1600. This really struck me as odd and my "somethings up detector" was going off like the alarm on LOST. Why so big? AK? AA? KK? QQ? Hm. the next 3 players fold until the BB announces he's all in for 1850.

I have a rule in my head at poker league. Never fold AA or KK preflop at poker league, but what's going on here. I stuck to my rule and called. I had both players covered but I have to tell you, I had a feeling one of them had aces.

The BB player was true to what I expected from him. He'll do this with almost any pair 99 and up or any painted ace.

But the thought I couldn't get out of my head came true. The guy that hasn't played for a while had played me like a fiddle. He tables AA. The BB guy...yeah he had AJo. Crap, I know now I'm in big trouble, but with one ace left in the deck, my odds improved...son of bitch...case ace on the turn. I'd need a K on the river to take the tiny little side pot. Nope. AJo gets that one too.

Now, the dude with aces is talking after then hand about how he'd hoped I'd perceive the shove as weak and call. I'll be perfectly honest, I call with Kings regardless right there, but should I?

I think here is where I should really integrate more 3rd level thinking for a select few players. He's talked about playing a lot more online and in the casino. I think his game is definitely improved since his explanation is 3rd level thinking...he's making this move on the hopes that I perceive him as weak. Well played. Being a 4:1 dog with kings sucks, but should I consider folding that hand? My something fishy alarm was going off and I ignored. Can you fold kings pre to anyone? When do you give a guy credit for an improved game and use that in your decisions? How do you smell a rat?

Without looking, I covered the next two cards dealt to me in the BB with my remaining 175 chips. With about 4 others in the pot, the community cards get dealt, The cut-off shows their paired ace and I find JJ. Yep...running like a god can be fun.