Off to the Pacific Northwest

Sunday morning, I'm off to the picturesque Pacific Northwest. My wife and I have never been there, but have never heard anyone say a bad thing about it (well, at least anyone who doesn't mind rain). We'll be at the Space Needle on New Year's Eve, then hang out in Seattle for a few days and end the trip with one night in Portland, Ore.

In between, on Wednesday and Thursday, we'll be staying at River Rock Casino and Resort in Vancouver. If you're from the area or close, stop by the poker room then. I'll likely be there, and likely wearing the Ante Up Nation colors. I'll phone in a report on Thursday. (Yes, that's a reminder that our show will be one day late next week).

- SCOTT

Raise or Fold

Has anyone ever had experience playing a game of Raise or Fold for real money? I've seen these games on play money tables online before (mostly Hold 'Em), but wondered if anyone out there thinks this is a legitimate form of poker. I think I've seen it on the real tables of PokerRoom but I can't recall. Is there a strategy for this? I assume suited connectors are the way to go, and I also assume big pairs get cracked more than the back of a plumber's pants. I'm just curious to see if someone has played this game and what their strategy is. Seems like there's some skill in there, but it's hard to find. Could this be a money maker?

-- Chris

Episode #81 recap

MAIN TOPIC

Ladies and gentlemen (and Chris), welcome to this year's presentation of the .... Kongkeys! Yes, it's our soon-to-be-annual look at the best (King Kong, get it?) and the worst (donkeys, get it?) Ante Up and the poker world had to offer in 2006. And because Scott is good, and Chris is evil, Scott compiled the Best Of list and Chris compiled the Worst Of list. What, you expected it the other way around? So, without further adieu ...

Best Ante Up Interview: It was a great year for interviews, from our first (Kenna James) to our last (Clonie Gowen) and a great group in between, but it was hard to top the energy that came from our listeners after former FBI agent Joe Navarro, left, sat down with us and told us how to dissect our opponents visually. Scott will never blink again.

Worst Career Move (The Just Deserts Award): Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, who sponsored the Unlawful Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, was rewarded by losing re-election. Also, shame on Party Poker, Pokerroom and all the other online sites that ran screaming from U.S. players as soon as the law was signed.

Best Tournament: A who's who of the poker world at the final table. A $50,000 buy-in. A marathon heads-up finale. How can you argue with the HORSE tournament at the World Series of Poker? ...

Worst Poker Decision (The Cash Cow Kowtows Award): ... well, how about thoroughly punishing ESPN for insisting that this tournament end with a no-limit hold'em final table and then having the audacity to show not even one hand of any of the HORSE games on the broadcast? That's how.

Best Ante Up Intercontinental Poker Series (AIPS) Event: Sure, they were all great. But with pro Kenna James on hand for the first time, we give the nod to ... Razz. And if there is any game that represents the Ante Up Nation the best, it has to be the one that spawned the "Let's Play Razz!" battle cry.

Worst Poker Entrepreneur (The Bizarro Trump Award): Only Chris could design such cool stuff for the Ante Up! store, and then, without knowing it, sell everything at cost for three long days. Enjoy his generosity. It won't happen again. Well, of course it will.

Best Hand of the Week: Hey, listeners LOVE it when pros rip apart their hands on the show, so how can we not honor the hand in which Daniel Negreanu not only ripped apart our hero, but also humbled Scott? But beyond that, Daniel took control of this hand and broke it down like no one else has ever done.

Worst Etiquette (the Antegate): Can you believe that Prahlad Friedman just couldn't let go a missing ante in the World Series of Poker? And then the dispute with Jeffrey Lisandro escalated to the point where Lisandro threatened Friedman's life. Dudes, take it outside.

Best Titantic Glacial Meltdown of the Year: And don't say there can't be ties in poker. (You can't go for 2 when you both have Broadway). It's impossible to choose between Chris, who pulled the plug on online play after one or two little rivers didn't go his way, and Fasso, whose typing rage aimed at on dawdling online player earned him 30 days in FullTilt's chatroom timeout box. Dudes, take it outside.

Worst Poker Show (The Bling Bling Ding-A-Ling Award): Hip-Hop Poker. Word.

Best Damn (Tournament) Poker Player (of the Year) Period Award: Scott anguished over this one. Is it Chip Reese? One tournament does not make a player of the year. Is is Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi? Big money, but frontloaded in the early months. Is it Nam Le? Bookended the year with big wins, and filled the middle with five WSOP cashes. But all in hold'em. So Scott finally settled on first-year phenom Jeff Madsen, who won two bracelets and had four cashes in the WSOP, and his seven major cashes this year came in NL Hold'em, NL Hold'em Short-Handed, Omaha 8, Stud 8 and an Omaha 8/Stud 8 combo event. Now, THAT'S range. Congrats, Jeff.

Worst Host (the H.O.U.R. Award - Hiatt's Overconfident Underachieving Replacement): Yes, we enjoyed chatting with Courtney Friel, left, early in the year but, um, wow. Is it possible to ask less probing, more cliche questions during a WPT event?

Best Listeners-Are-Tired-of-Hearing-About-and-Scott-Pledges-to-Never,-Ever-Talk-About-Again Award: (Scott can't talk, or type, about it again, so you'll just have to listen to the show to hear what it was).

Worst Ability to Contain Himself on a Poker Show (The One-Minute Tourette's Syndrome Award): You know you can't WAIT to see a Fasso/Columbo Heads-Up Omaha Match after everyone's favorite Bard thought the mike was cold when he lashed out at everyone's favorite mystery man's perceived dilemma. Dudes, take it outside.

OTHER TOPICS

XMAS GIFTS: Chris FINALLY gets Ante Up merchandise, and Scott is sucked into the heavenly vortex that is known as Brookstone.

POKER AFTER DARK: Shana Hiatt returns to poker TV soon after the new year. Listen for her on a future episode of Ante Up!

LINGERING MYSTERIES: We heard you - Phil Gordon was just joking about that blasted note. Now we'll never know. And the set over set over set math broke our calculator. Anyone know the odds of a set over set over set over set over set?!?!

BIG, BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: And since we love to tease our listeners, we implored all of you to not miss next week's show, when we promise a big announcement. (Hint - stock up on bananas).

ONE-MINUTE MYSTERY: Columbo finally concludes that his 8-high Triple Draw hand likely is best, and even if it isn't, it's worth calling just to get some 411 on his unknown opponent. He's vindicated, and takes down a big pot. Scott offers a completely different way to play the hand (which would have resulted in less profit). With a rough 9 to begin with, and no raises, why not raise pot from the small blind, try to thin the field and then stand pat through the first two draws? Turn that positional disadvantage around by making your opponents outdraw you, and pay dearly for the honor.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Scott stepped dangerously into some of the roughest waters no-limit hold'em can offer - playing a bare Ace, playing it from the big blind and betting meekly into the pot at the noon tournament Saturday at One-Eyed Jacks. He called a 2.5x preflop raise from the UTG player, and went to the flop three-handed with the chipleader also in tow.

On a flop of A-9-8, Scott should have checked, but he put out a bet so small that Chris is still laughing. He got no information from it, of course, and then things got more interesting for him when a 7 fell on the river. He weakly bet again, and couldn't shake anyone. And then when a 10 flowed down the river, he made his straight, but couldn't be happy about it. He checked it down, took the pot and wiped his brow in relief. Kids, don't try this play at home.

- SCOTT

Vacation is over

I'm back to work, and boy time flies when you are having fun. I enjoyed my time off and played a decent amount of poker while I was away. In case you are all wondering, yes, I got some Ante Up! swag for Christmas, though none of the items have the Ante Up! logo on them, so can you guess what the items are? My parents got them for me, and they got my wife a pink "Got Razz?" T-shirt. I got my RAISE shirt (which I'm wearing right now), a "Got Razz?" golf shirt and a "Got Razz?" trucker hat! Thanks Mom & Dad!!! This week's show should be a lot of fun as we look back on 2006 in poker.

-- Chris

The Times Mob heads to One-Eyed Jacks

As I said on this week's episode, I wanted to go to One-Eyed Jacks, the poker room at the Sarasota Kennel Club this week before my vacation ended. So Scott hurried to get his Christmas shopping done and Fasso said he was in. So the three of us went down there and played in the noon tournament. I know Scott already reported on his first visit there and Bill gave us an audio review, but I can't let this opportunity pass without saying what I think. It is, without a doubt, the finest card room in all of Tampa Bay ... hell, it makes some Vegas rooms look like a booger! The tables, the decor, the chips, the screens: Great care and thought was put into this room. Sam Minutello and his staff have a great thing going there and they were very professional and everything was very smooth. The only glitch in the whole day came when somehow the blinds program shortened the time of the second level. But Sam came on and rectified it by telling us he would tack on that lost time to the current level to make up for it. I told him it was a great place and I really couldn't say anything bad. He said I had to since Scott gushed last week, so here's my nit: I had to pay $1 to get in the building. I don't like paying to get into the cardroom. I don't pay to get into Foxwoods. 8-)

As for our play, going in we agreed to a "last player standing" side bet for $5 each. It was the easiest $10 I ever made. 8-)

Fasso went out first (in about 50th place out of 96 entrants) and after the second break Scott had just 3K (we start with 3,500) and the blinds were going to 500-1000 with 100 ante. He went out not long after that. I had about 9K at that break and here is how I got there:

• First hand of the day: AJ in Seat 7. It's folded to me and I raised 3X. The BB called and the flop came J-x-x. He checked, I bet half the pot and took it down.
• Three hands later I look down at two red aces and I'm second to act. I raise 4X, to maybe give the illusion that I had a smaller pair, (though it was probably lost on this table anyway) and it folded to the guy in the No. 3 seat. He reraised me and then I reraised him. He pushed confidentally and I instacalled. He turned over AKo (clearly someone has been watching too much poker on TV) and of course I won (this isn't FTP). So after just four hands I more than doubled my stack. I had a couple of other hands, including raising with 89s on the button with three limpers and flopping trips. I tried to use my position to steal blinds but the guy to my left was very good and would defend EVERY time and then he would call me down. So that weapon was all but removed from my arsenal. I had to get creative to make my chips for a bit. Two hands I regret folding: One guy pushed and another guy called. I was in the SB and it would have cost me like 15% of my stack to call but I laid down K9. They flipped the cards over and I was dominated: It was KJ vs. AQ. I breathed a sigh of relief until the flop game K-9-9. I would've had at least the second most chips at the table at that point. Oh well. The other hand came very late. I wasn't totally desperate, but with the blinds at 500-1,000 and a 100 ante I had about 6K left. UTG I looked down at 2-2 and mucked because we just got the tournament chipleader at our table and he was raising almost every hand. The guy to my left raised and I was glad I got out and didn't try anything like limping. The flop came 2-K-4. I was sick, but not as sick as I was when the turn was another 2 and the guy on my left went all-in. I would have had quads and eventually taken down about a 18K pot. I make the final table if I play that hand.

I met my demise with Jh10h. I was in the BB and one guy limped. I had 2,200 invested already and only 3K left. I decided maybe I could get him off his hand, if not I had my favorite hand. So I pushed looking to take down the 7K pot. He called, basically shrugging as he was doing it, and he turned over Kh8h. So hearts weren't an option anymore. He flopped a K and a 10 the turn gave me a glimmer of hope but alas no queen on the river.

There seemed to be some descrepancy over when I went out, 23rd or 22nd. Sam says 22nd but Scott says 23rd, just so he could say he finished higher than me a week earlier. But then I kindly pointed out that there were less than 80 entrants in his tournament and mine had nearly 100. It didn't matter because he had to pass me a Lincoln regardless.

But Fasso turned it around by playing in a 1-table SNG. He finished second and was the only one of the Times Mob to make cash. He woke up with KK when he had to call an all-in from the player on the bubble. The cowboys held up and he was in the money. Nice job, Bard.

So it was an OK day. I played well and had a lot of fun. Could I have just checked and saw a flop with that J10? Sure, but the next hand would've cost me at least 1,200 and I only had 3K left. I would've been out of position for the rest of the hand and when the king came he woulda put me in anyway. I don't regret it, but man do I regret those deuces!

-- Chris

Epsiode #80 recap

MAIN TOPIC

Clonie Gowen gave us a ring, and we always love it when a pro calls us from Vegas and isn't just waking up. :) Here's what we talked about:

Her name: She was born in Tampa, just across the bay from the Ante Up! studios, and being hurricane country here, her parents decided to name her after the weather: Cycalona.

WPT Boot Camp: A regular instructor at the World Poker Tour school, she says even low-limit players can't afford not to attend one at some point. She says she had nothing in the way of information when she was learning to play. For the upcoming schedule, click here.

Oklahoma: She was born in Tampa, but raised in Oklahoma. In response to a question from an Ante Upper, she said she's never played poker in the state, but hopes to real soon.

Maxim: She did a photo shoot for the magazine because she said the magazine is tasteful, and she had a blast during it. No doubt male Ante Uppers agree.

Paris vs. Clonie: She's still waiting for Paris Hilton to accept her challenge for a heads-up charity match. She wouldn't bite when we tried to get her to talk some trash, though. For details, click here.

The "Julia Roberts" of poker: She got a giggle out of being called this ("Guys want to be with her, girls want to be just like her") and says her fan base is mostly women, and she likes that.

Unlawful Internet Gambling Prohibition Act: Clonie was the first pro on Ante Up! since this law was signed, and, of course, she hates it. But she also didn't hold back on her feelings toward Harrah's, which has said it likely won't accept entries next year that are paid for by online sites. Read more here.

FullTilt questions: Yes, she gets proposed to almost all the time. Give it a rest guys! But want she really wants players to ask her during Pro Chats is about poker strategy and how to play in specific situations, even though it's hard to give pinpoint advice without complete information.

Weak flushes: An Ante Upper question about how to play these starts with this advice: Don't play small suited cards to begin with, Clonie says. And if you're in the blind and do, then bet it strong to find out where you are in the hand.

OTHER TOPICS

PHONE CALLS:  One of many calls we aired uncovered the mystery behind the contents of Phil Gordon's note during a tournament. It was directions to his house for Thanksgiving dinner. OR NOT. Since the show, we've been flooded with e-mails saying Gordon was joking. The mystery remains ...

OMM: We can't get enough Triple Draw now, can we? The "Case of the Figure 8" has our favorite mystery man Columbo in a tough situation heads-up. Let us know how you'd escape. And Scott is champing at the bit to tell The Nation a completely different way to play this hand. Tune in next week ...

HAND OF THE WEEK

Remember all those "true life" movies that always seem to have a happier ending on the silver screen than happened in real life? Well, Scott flubbed the Hand of the Week this week and gave Mike of Colorado Springs, Colo., a Hollywood ending to a hand where he went broke. (On the show, we wins the pot. You're welcome, Mike).

Our hero limps in with pocket 3s in a $1/$2 no-limit cash game at a "unnamed low-rent Vegas casino." So far, so good, Clonie says. But then he reraises to $15 when the action gets back to him. Not good, Clonie says. Time to quit.

But then our hero gets an amazing rainbow flop of 2-3-2 with two other players. He checks. Bet, Clonie says. He does reraise when it gets back to him, though.

The turn puts the 9d out there, but our hero checks again. Bet, Clonie says. He does reraise all-in when it gets back to him, though. One opponent holds A-4, the other K-2. Give up the name of this casino, Clonie says. She wants to play there (so do we).

And in the Hollywood-podcast version, his hand holds up, so he's not punished for his mistakes. In real life, a third deuce comes on the river. Ouch. See why the Hollywood version is always better? :)

- SCOTT

So close to a $300K FTP seat

I decided tonight to sit down and play in one of those FTP Points tournaments to prepare for Saturday if Scott and I go to One-Eyed Jacks. I figured it wasn't exactly the same as a freeroll since they had to actually earn these points playing for money. Anyway, I was counting on the competition to be decent, and for the most part, it was.

As Hellmuth would say, I dodged a lot of bullets, laying down hands at the right time, etc. all the while chatting with members of the Ante Up! Nation along the way. I steadily built my stack and peaked at about 26K before making the final table. There were 174 entrants so getting to the final 9 felt pretty good, regardless of not paying a cash entry fee. The winner received a $216 seat into the Christmas Eve $330K Guaranteed Tournament. I figured the tournament would take about 5 hours but would be worth it if I won. They only paid one spot.

At the final table I stole blinds to stay above water during a cold deck, and then this hand came up (see photo). I was the short stack at the table with $16K but I was on the button with the jacks. The blinds were 500-1K with a 125 ante. I got a limper and then the guy with A8 raised to $3K. The guy with AQ made it $6K and then it got to me. I pushed, thinking these guys probably had at least one of each other's outs or smaller pairs than me. So I pushed. Both players called and my jacks held up. I moved from last to second in chips and then started to bully the table. Eventually I got to be chipleader (75K) with just five players left. Again I treaded water while the deck went cold until this hand (see photo #2) came up (which was the final hand for me, of course). I had lost about 20K in the past two hands due to the blinds being $1-2K and me going too far with an open-ended straight draw. So with $50K left and the blinds where they were, I decided to "steal" the blinds and antes with A7o. I was in the CO seat and raised to $6K. The button (and chipleader) called and so did the BB, who I watched almost the whole tournament. The BB was loose and loved to go all-in with flush draws (which always seemed to get there). So the flop came 3c 6s 7s and I knew I had the best hand, top pair top kicker. I figured the chipleader for paint or some ace and the other guy I just didn't believe had anything. So I bet the pot to make any flush chasers pay dearly. The chipleader called and the BB pushed. I had him covered and like I said he loved draws. So I called. The chipleader also called. At this point I only had about 12K left, so when the J came on the turn I figured I couldn't fold now, so I pushed. The chipleader hit his jack and called. The flush got there and I was out.
So do I regret it? Nope. I was entertained for nearly 5 hours, got back into the tournament groove again just in case I go Saturday and I played nearly flawless poker. There were no major suckouts vs. me and I didn't suck out on anyone else. Should I have checked the turn? Maybe, but the chipleader would've bet like 6K-12K anyway, and I don't think I would've folded. Should I have just pushed after the flop? It wouldn't have made a difference because I still would've had just 12K if the chipleader folded because the flush got there. Oh well. I don't feel bad at all, but it would've been nice to win that seat.
-- Chris

P.S. I added some more photos to the blog, including shots of a listener and his son in Ante Up! garb.

One-Eyed Jacks to FullTilt to Derby Lane = a good weekend

Unlike my Family Man co-host, I spent the weekend like the degenerate you know and love. After running as bad as I have been of late, it was refreshing to have some success:

ONE-EYED JACKS AT THE SARASOTA KENNEL CLUB

On Saturday, I climbed into Fasso's Town Car and we rumbled on down to Sarasota to check out the new poker room there and play in the noon tournament. Ante Upper Bill from Sarasota met us there (always nice to play with a listener, especially one who has figured the appropriate "M" for each level of the tournament). And I knew this room would be nice - former Ante Up guest Sam Minutello runs it - but I wasn't prepared for just how nice it was. We walked in, and Fasso said, "Are we in Vegas?" My reponse was "There aren't many rooms in Vegas this nice." Sam has done an amazing job down there. Great tables and chips, lots of room to move around in and, of course, he brought a lot of good talent from Tampa Bay Downs (I spent some time chatting with Jenna, the dealer we had on our show in March. She loves it at Jacks, and dealt at the World Series this year).

Oh, and Sam runs a good tournament, too. Same structure (and payout) as Tampa Bay Downs, but he starts you with 3,500 in chips - plenty so you can recover from the inevitable suckout. Only 75 players showed up, so top 9 earned cash (Sam joked that we scared everyone away by posting that we'd be there). Fasso got cold-decked and bowed out in the 50s (and then tried his luck in a SNG), while Bill made it to the low 30s/high 20s. I played rather mistake-free poker, though I got timid again when the antes started (you can't do that!), and was forced to go all-in short-stacked with 2-2. The big blind rightly concluded that he was compelled to call, and he ousted me in 22nd place when his K-3 paired his trey. Still, not a bad showing.

I wish Jacks wasn't such a drive for me, but I told Sam he'd likely see me for some of his 10 p.m. Blitz tournaments (no antes, 7-minute rounds, top 5 cash in a 44-max field). If you're in the area, you should check the place out.

FULLTILT

Got home, and jonzing for some more play, I promptly finished ninth in a $5 limit hold'em SNG. Is this how low my game has fallen?!?!? Then, with just seconds to spare, I entered a $5 Omaha 8 limit multi. Played very well, and with Ante Uppers n0rd1c and eblonk cheering me on, I took 6th out of 116. Not a huge payday, but I'll take a final table anytime. I made some adjustments to my game after realizing I played tournaments like I did cash games. That's always a big no-no. I loosened up those starting hand requirements, but remained focused enough to get away from them when they didn't hit.

The next day, I boldly stepped back into FT's new mixed live games. I got battered and bruised in a $3/$6 HOSE (hold'em/Omaha8/Stud/Stud 8) game last week that taxed my bankroll, but Fasso suggested I step down to $2/$4 and play HORSE (razz added) instead. Excellent suggestions from The Bard. Won 7x my buy-in in my first session, and 2.5x my buy-in in the next. Razz is the true profit center of live-game HORSE, but I made a lot of my cheddar in Stud, including this hand: split Kings with 9 to start, King on 4th Street, 9 on 5th street - and capped action on 4th, 5th and 6th streets. (One opponent had trip Aces and the other, laughably, had Jacks and 10s.)

At the end of the weekend, I had more than tripled my meager FT bankroll.

DERBY LANE

I hadn't been out to Derby in a while, but an easy day at work let me escape for the Omaha Hi/Lo event. I give Derby props for being the only room in the area to deal tournaments in anything other than boring ole NL hold'em. This one drew 49 entries, paying down 5. And, as usual, there was plenty of fat to feast on. Eight players to the flop almost every hand - in OMAHA HI/LO. What books are these guys reading?!??! I survived three late all-ins to put myself in a nice position with 12-13 players left, until this hand: As-2s-3s-9c and this flop: 4-5-Q, no spades. Yep - three of us got all our money in (I had them both covered) and yep, turn was a 10 and river was a 5. OUCH. That left me with one big bet left with 11 players still in, and I look down at Ac-3h-8c-10s. Thank you, Omaha gods. Of course, the flop is Q-K-9, no clubs. I don't improve, and a pair of 9s scoops. OUCH. Out in 11th. But still, I played mistake-free poker again. Either of those last hands go my way, and I'm probably cashing.

So anyhow, I'm back, baby! My new Dell laptop arrived this morning, so I'll fire that up tonight and try to get some more of that easy cash from the $2/$4 HORSE game on FullTilt, and I'm pondering returning to Tampa Bay Downs again on Saturday, if not for the noon tournament then for some SNGs or some $2 Omaha Hi/Lo. But we'll see how the Xmas shopping goes this week first ....

- SCOTT

Clonie Gowen on Show #80!

Vacation be damned! I'm working my tail off for the Ante Up! Nation! I talked with Clonie Gowen today and she says she's looking forward to being on the show. If you have any questions you want to ask her put them here. And please, no "Will You Marry Me?" crap. Topics we will more than likely cover: Full Tilt, her column in Bluff, her Maxim shoot, her WPT success (she cashed at Foxwoods and finished 36th at Bellagio this week after being the Day 1A chip leader) and her WPT Boot Camp involvement.

Also, I talked to the reps of Shana Hiatt today and they said she wants to do the show but they want her to do it AFTER the show debuts. So we're thinking Jan. 17. Stay tuned.

On a personal note, been playing ZERO poker while I relax and enjoy the family. But we did have a three-handed winner-take-all SNG with each player starting with 100 chips. I was down to 4 chips when the blinds were 3-6 and still won the whole thing. Not bad.

-- Chris

Show #79 recap

MAIN TOPIC - HOLIDAY GIFT ITEMS

'Tis the season for gifts (and the season for copy editors and writers to look for way too many places to use 'Tis references), so Chris and I fired off some ideas for the poker loved ones on your list - or for you to share with those who lavish gifts on you. Some highlights:

VIDEO GAMES STACKED and WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POKER ALL-IN: Chris favors Stacked ($29.99)because of its artifical intelligence, but had fun with All-In $24.99), too.

SOFTWARE Wilson Turbo and Poker Academy Pro 2: Scott used demo versions of both, but can't see why anyone would pay twice as much for Academy ($129) than Turbo ($59).

GAMBLING JUNKETS: If you live in Florida, hope on a plane get somewhere where you can play real poker. And if you live anywhere else, well, just get on a plane. AirTran is your chariot from Tampa to Biloxi, where you can stay at great poker places like the Beau Rivage ($238).

COMPUTER STUFF: Make your online experience more enjoyable with some of these gadgets. The USB Beverage Chiller ($29.99) plugs into your USB port and keeps your can of Schlitz nice and cold. Impress the kids at work with a snazzy poker mousepad. Choose from the WPT-licensed version ($24.95), the PokerPadz one ($19.95) or show your love for fine art with a dogs playing poker one, like Scott has at work.

IPOD BATTERY PACK: Don't let those loooooong blind levels get you down. Keep those buds in your ear humming with the Geek Pod 100 ($69), which gives you 100+ hours of iPod battery life.

HOME GAME HELP: Running those tournaments at home can be hard. For a little help, you can go cheap and effective with the DB Dealer Button ($14.95), which we use in our home game. Or, if you have a lot of money and want to show off, well, then, order the Visage 300XT display ($695).

UM, DEPENDS. YES, THOSE ADULT DIAPER THINGIES: Chris, and let me repeat, CHRIS, suggested Depends ($14.99) to keep you from missing your big blind (and likely keep you from having guests over, too. Just a guess).

ANTE UP STORE ITEMS: Hey, help us stay on the air and buy some of this stuff. The link is right over there >>>>>>>. (SHARKEY - IT'S THAT BIG THING). And if you don't see something you like there, fire us off an angry email. Chris is pretty good at using this new gizmo called a computer, and he can create some junk just for you.

OTHER TOPICS

TOURNAMENT PAYOUTS: We added some more fuel to the discussion on which is better - Tampa Bay Downs' noon tournament (140 max entries, top 9 cash) or its 6:30 pm. tournament (180 max entries, top 18 cash). Weigh in yourself on the blog entry below.

HOME GAME: Scott is still in line at Wendy's, but Chris is happy as a clam because for the first time this year (not too much of an exaggeration), he left Stately Long Manor will more than lint in his pocket. Scott lost, but revels in the fact that he sucked out on Chris with trip/set 7s, knowing that Chris will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, never, never, ever, ever forget it. Never, ever. Never.

OMM: After getting a team from MIT to analyze the title of the Case of the Red Baron, we learned that Columbo's mystery this week was neither red nor baron. (Sorry, Chris).

HAND OF THE WEEK

We took a break from analyzing online hands to give some props to Greg, a college student from Seattle who fought off his nervousness over his first visit to a B&M poker room to win a nice pot off some clueless lady who claims to be a dealer. Greg used all the advantages of playing live (watching for facial expressions and the lack of attention by some players) to make correct plays.

- SCOTT

I'm in the giving spirit

OK, I know I said I'm going on vacation, but I had a sudden wave of kindness come crashing down on my like a check-raise for all my chips as I sit on the bubble of a major tournament ... or something like that. Since I'm in such a good mood, I figured why not bring a little cheer to the Ante Up! Nation. I have added black Ante Up! and Ante Up! Nation T-shirts to the Ante Up! Store, PLUS I have added kids wear that says "My dad can beat your dad at poker!" Enjoy, and may all of your holidays be bright! God that's corny!

-- Chris

Vacation time again

I just wanted to take this time to wish everyone a Happy Holidays. I will be on vacation after today and won't be returning until the day after Christmas. I will, however, come in during my vacation to tape Show 80 (we're trying to line up a famous poker pro but who knows?). I'll be thinking of the Ante Up! Nation as I relax and play a little poker from time to time. I may change my mind and head to One-Eyed Jacks with Scott and Fatso on Saturday, but I haven't decided yet (I still love my family more than poker). If I do go, however, I'll be sure to blog about it. Maybe we can have another home game before I return? I could use the cash!! I hope Scott can hold down the ship while I'm gone, but since it's 24 hours since we finished taping the show and he still hasn't posted the Show Recap, I'm thinking Greenland had a really good shot at taking over the Ante Up! Nation this week, should it choose to finally invade.

-- Chris

For your convenience

You know, last week when I was trying to steer one of our listeners to a past episode, I started thinking there should be an easy way to hear our shows from anywhere in the world. So, I have added a list of all of our past shows on the left-hand side. Just click on the episode you want to hear, and if you have QuickTime, it will direct you to an address and load the show.

Also, I added a few more photos on the gallery.

-- Chris

Best of 2006 Awards

The Dec. 27 podcast will feature our first annual "Best of .." awards and, like most things, we need the help of the Ante Up Nation. First and foremost, we're looking for a slick name for the awards, along the lines of Norman Chad's Flushies. Suggestions?

We'll come up with some categories and winners of our own, but we'd love to hear what crazy things are bouncing around in your head. Some ideas for categories include:

• Best Episode
• Best Interview
• Best Scott vs. Chris smack talk
• Best AIPS event
• Best Hand of the Week
• Best Rant
• Best Made-Up Word

And we're not going to limit our awards to purely Ante Up. Some other ideas:

• Best Poker Player
• Best Tournament
• Best Poker TV Show
• Best Overused Cliche by a TV Host
• Best Tampa Bay area cardroom

So let us hear some answers, and some suggestions for other categories.

And while we're on the subject of upcoming podcasts, the Jan. 10 show will be our second annual New Year's Resolutions episode. No doubt, we'll have plenty to talk about in regards to our failed efforts in 2006, but go ahead an call in with some smack of your own, or even your own poker resolutions.

- SCOTT

Sarasota Kennel Club meetup

Fasso and I are tentatively planning to visit the new One-Eyed Jacks Cardroom at the Sarasota Kennel Club this Saturday for the noon tournament. Chris might even join us, too, though he seems to love his family more than us (sniff, sniff). Like last week, I'll be emblazoned with Ante Up gear, and Fasso, well, you'll just have to figure out which one he is from Chris' recent post and then match the face to the face. If any Ante Uppers out there want to meet up, just come on out and say hi.

- SCOTT

Comments feed

For those of you who want to be updated every time there's a comment made on a post, we introduce the COMMENTS FEED. It's located over on the right-hand side of the blog. I don't know how to use it, but if you do, then it should be cool. Let me know what you think of it so I can tell the nice Web folks who gave it to us. Also, this means that it will be business as usual for those who don't want it, but for those who do, well now you can be up to date on all of the Ante Up! Nation views.

-- Chris

Ladies and Gentlemen, your AIPS Champion!!!

It took a little while, but Craig Kunimoto received his swag from the U.S. Postal Service. Here's the email he sent us and, of course, the photo of your AIPS Champ!
Hey Guys,
Thanks for sending all the great swag along with the Great AIP/Kongculator trophy and AIPS Banana!  Here's a picture of me with all of it.  I thought it'd be fun to do it WSOP-style, so I got out some chips and cards. Best, Craig
So there you have it. Our AIPS event is complete. If any of you still have swag or photos of yourself with your banana (COLUMBO!!) send them in and we'll post them here and on the gallery. Thanks for sending that in Craig and we hope you enjoy it! Stay tuned for details on AIPS 2!!!!!!!

-- Chris

Multi-Table Question: Pay down more spots ... or fewer?

As Chris said, five of us hit Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday for their noon tournament on opening day of the Silks card room. While we were happy to have the track open again, we were disappointed to see that this year Silks is capping the day tournament at 140 entries and paying down only 9 spots. Maybe it's our Internet influence, but Chris and I like a 10 percent paydown - or 14 spots in a 140-player field. To our thinking, it's not worth it to fight the luck factor for less than 10 percent paydown. (The night tournament at the Downs, however, pays down 18 spots in a 180-player max field). We also think you must factor in the famous State of Florida rake ($32+$13) and the inclusion of antes, which force players to make some do-or-die decisions a little earlier than you might in a tournament without antes.

I like to mitigate the luck factor, and know that I have reasonable chance of recouping my $45, and then freeroll into a bigger payday.

Patrick Murphy, the card room's manager and a former Ante Up guest, says he'd rather play in a tournament in which he'll make more money per position according to the number in the field. He's not a lone wolf in this argument, either. While Fasso and I were in Niagara, I heard regulars bemoaning the deep paydowns in SNGs at Seneca, since it's not worth it to them if they're not going to make a lot of money (Interestingly, TB Downs is paying 3 spots, rather than last year's 2, in its 11-player SNGs this year).

So, Ante Up Nation, where do you stand? Which is a better deal for your poker dollar - the noon tournament (140 players, 9 payspots) or the 6:30 p.m. tournament (180 players, 18 payspots)?

New Photos and New Tournament

As promised I added some new shots to the gallery from our home game. Essentially it's just the three shots down below and two more of me and Scott. But, first try to figure out who is who in the post below and make a comment or two, then go to the gallery for the answers.

Also, our good friend Sharkey is starting another Ante Up! Heads Up Tournament. Here are the details:

WHAT: AnteUp! Heads Up Invitational II
WHEN: Dec. 17,  4 p.m. ET
WHERE: PokerStars
ENTRY FEE: $10+$1
PASSWORD: anteup

-- Chris

Which one of these is Fasso?

OK, we held our home game (see post below) this weekend and someone brought a camera. Since you know what Scott and I look like, we thought it would be fun to post this collage of the three regulars in the home game. One is Mike, the other two are Kyle and Rick. Rick is the guy who caught that hand vs. me a while back when he made a low flush and I had top two. Kyle we've mentioned on the show a few times, and we used to nickname the River the Kyle Card, but now we're thinking of calling it the Scott Card since he sucked out a lot on the River this past weekend. LOL! Anyway, you wanted to know what Fasso looked like so he's in there somewhere. Also, for bonus points, which one is Kyle and which one is Rick? I'll post these shots in full and a couple of me and Scott on the gallery by day's end. Good luck and let us know what you think!

-- Chris

Saturday's poker marathon

Well, I said I was going to give it everything I had when I played in Tampa Bay Downs' season-opening event, and I did. I never played a more conscientious tournament in my life. Scott and I will have a lot to say about this event on the show, but I'll give you my highlights here: For the first 90 minutes (and I wish I were making this up but I'm not) I didn't see a card over a jack, and every time I had a jack I had a 4 to accompany it. I didn't willingly enter a pot until I saw my first ace and it was the only card I looked at. At that point I had 525 units left with the blinds at 200-400. I pushed and got FIVE callers. The board was 10-K-10-2-4. Everyone checked it down till the river, then this woman bet out and said "Sorry I have to." She turned over Q-10. I grabbed my cards, looked at the ace and then the other card was ... a TEN!!! I screamed YES!!!!!!!! Scott heard me two tables away. And I hate players who do that, but I couldn't believe it!

Now, with the antes and five callers I sextupled up!!!! So then I made some moves because my stack could inflict some damage and I had this SUPERTIGHT image. When I sensed weakness I pushed and kept picking up the antes. I got my stack to about 6,000 at one point (actually picking up KK once but got no action). With the blinds at 500-1,000 with a 100 ante I made the biggest mistake of my poker career, and it was the ONLY time I let my guard down on this most cerebral effort. The guy to my right raised to 4,000 and I looked down at A♣8♣. I had to call with my last 3,700. A guy two from my left felt he was pot-committed (he was in the BB) and pushed in his final 1,000 or so. The original raiser turned over two black sixes. The guy to my left had 83o. So I said "There's one of my outs." The flop came A-10-9 and I was like, "Cool I'm gonna have like 10K and I can make a run at this damn thing." The turn was a J and I'm just watching for a 6. When the river was a 7 the guy on my left says STRAIGHT! And at that point everyone says at least you win the sidepot. So I made like 400 on the deal. But then I realized he made a straight with his 8 and I had an 8 too. Everyone was focused on my ace and somehow no one saw (or at least no one admitted seeing) that I had the straight, too. It just never occurred to me because I was SO focused on a 6 coming out that I didn't even think about what the other guy had anymore. Then when he said "Straight!" I thought he had made the straight with his 3. But then when I thought about it I realized if the 7 gave him a straight it HAD to be the 8 because if it were the 3 then a 6 would have had to have been on the board, which obviously didn't happen cuz the original raiser had 66 and he would have had a set and I would have lost the sidepot. I was just sick after I realized it. But it was too late. Now, there's no saying I would have won the whole thing had I gotten to split the main pot there as well, but it still feels like a punch in the gut.

If I have to acknowledge this point about Internet poker I will: I may feel like I get screwed by the RCGs, but I NEVER get my winning hand mucked online! A few hands later I picked up Q♥J♥ and went all-in. A guy had A♥A♣ and it was over.

Scott and a couple of our other home game regulars were already knocked out and back at Scott's house waiting for me and Fasso (did you expect it to go any other way?). Fasso was the last Ante Up! National standing, going out shortly after me. There were 140 players and I think I went out around 35th. Fasso probably went out 30th. They paid ... 9. Is this outrageous? Absolutely! We'll talk more about this on the show Wednesday.

The home game went real well for me and Fasso. I bought in for 100 units and was hovering around even for about 2 hours. But a few hands didn't go my way and I was down to 33 units. I turned it around with a big Stud/8 hand when I scooped to get to 69 units. That's when someone called No Limit Hold 'Em. First hand I picked up KK and Scott raised to 6 units. I re-raised to 30 units. Two folded and then Fasso said "Thirty?!" and he went into the tank, hemming and hawing for what seemed like 5 minutes. He kept saying "Why so much? Why so much?!? And then he said "I think I know why, how much do you have left?" At this point I was elated because there's no way he would've taken that long with AA and I put him on QQ or JJ. I counted it out and told him 39 left. He again said "I think I know why so much," and he put in 69 units. Then Scott went into the tank because he thought he was getting the right pot odds to call with J10 (uh, fold Mr. Limit). He did and I gladly pushed in my final 39. Fasso dropped his head when he saw my KK and he turned over QQ. He got no help and then I was off to the races. I said "I raised that much because I wanted you to think I had 88 and was afraid to play after the flop." He said "Yep, that's what I thought."

By night's end I was the biggest winner with 300 units in front of me (200-unit profit). Fasso recovered nicely, taking home a nice profit as well. Scott, not so much. But I feel funny talking about their performances in depth since they post here as well. So I'll just leave it at this and if they want to comment they can.

Overall it was a great day of poker, even if I did let the winning hand get mucked at TBD.

-- Chris

Ante Up! Store news!

If you've listened to our latest show you heard Scott and me talk about dropping the prices of our merch at the Ante Up! Store for the holiday gift-giving season. Well, Mr. Long got off his lazy butt and finally gave you our special Ante Up! Nation discount. And in conjunction with this philanthropic gesture, I have added a new item: It's the R.A.I.S.E. T-shirt!!! That's right, you need to Resist All Internet Suckouts Everywhere! And as founder of this club I felt it was my duty to add this item. There are plenty of players out there who feel the same as me, so here it is. Enjoy!

-- Chris

Tampa Bay Downs meetup

Tampa Bay Downs opens for the season this Saturday (the 9th), and Chris, Fasso and I will be there bright and early at 11 a.m. when the gates open to sign up for the noon tournament. In past years, the noon tournament had cost anywhere from $30-45, but the Downs hasn't updated its Web site this year, so I guess we'll find out what it costs when we get there.

But if any members of the Ante Up Nation want to meet up out there, come on out. I'll be wearing my Ante Up Nation colors. (Chris and Fasso aren't proud enough to own officially licensed merchandise yet.)

- SCOTT

Why don't I think enough?

I've come to the conclusion that I don't think enough at the poker table. I'm a much better analyzer away from the table than I am at it. ... at least as of late. For instance, when we do the Hand of the Week on the show, 95% of the time Scott has picked the hand and I have no idea what's coming. I usually do pretty well because I'm trying to help this listener so I'm really focused on the hand and the possibilities. Plus, when you have thousands of people listening to your opinion, you tend to want to not make a mistake. But when I'm playing for myself I tend to just react rather than think. This could explain why I finished second in the Ante Up Invitational II and in the Razz AIPS. I just didn't think enough at the end to put my opponents away. (Of course in both tournaments I had them dead in the river, but that's another post for another time, so I shouldn't be too harsh on myself I guess).

The other night I played in a two-table SNG (yes I broke down and played online cuz I was bored when my wife had to work late, but that doesn't mean I'm back, I just didn't want to drive to the card room, so I spent the $5) and I won it fairly easily, which surprised me. But I can't remember thinking too long about any decision. I just played from my gut and let the situation dictate my actions. Though being a "natural" player works for a lot of people (and it's worked for me so far), to get to the "next level" I need to take my time and think more at the table. When the play is over and I make a mistake I know instantly what he/she had and where I went wrong. But lately I haven't been thinking about my moves or their moves. I've just been throwing the chips in or whatever. This has to stop, and I'm going to try like hell to stop it Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. I'm going to give serious thought to everything I do and everything they do. I'm tired of being a bubble player.

The other night I watched the PPT (I know, I know, but my wife wanted to watch it) and it was the episode with Dan Harrington at the featured table. UTG raised and there was a caller. Harrington looked down at a suited ace-rag and I paused the TiVo. I turned to my wife and said: "Harrington does this thing called the squeeze play where he thinks the UTG raiser isn't very strong and the caller obviously isn't strong or he would have reraised. I bet Harrington pushes here." I unpaused it and sure enough the announcer says the EXACT same thing I said and then Harrington says: "I'm all-in." I couldn't believe it. I actually retained what he had taught me in his books and I applied it to his situation. But at a table, lately, I don't think I would come up with that on my own. I would look at ace-rag and fold. Why? Well, either I didn't think it through or I'm tired of donkadelics calling with any two cards because they believe they are pot-committed (even though they don't even know what that means) or because they don't care and then I lose a race with the best hand.

If I had to analyze why this is happening to me I would have to say the Internet and my age. First, the Internet: The timers, quick blinds and bad players make me rush sometimes beyond what I'm comfortable with. I mean, I'll be the first guy to type in "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" when someone is taking too long with every decision, but the fact that I have to decide my tournament life in 15 seconds is just ridiculous and it defintely affects the way I play LIVE. The other thing is age. I realize I'm 36 and relatively speaking that's pretty young. But to retain Harrington's books, Sklansky's books, Brunson's books and all of the information that I can get elsewhere, and combine that with remembering tendancies of how a guy plays that I met two years ago at Derby Lane is a bit too much to keep in my big fat head. I have a very good memory, but my retention is slipping beyond repair.

I will give it everything I have on Saturday, and if I get knocked out I will know that I tried my best rather than just playing by the seat of my pants.

Anyone else feeling like me?

-- Chris   

Show #78 Recap

Here's a look at Show 78, which was on Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw.

SCOTT’S TICKET: Mr. Long patiently waited to bring this up, making sure he would get a +EV before slapping me in the face with it. Remember that impromptu trip he took to Nawlins to get himself a free ticket from Southwest? And remember how I busted his chops about him actually losing money on the deal? Well, he's going to Seattle (via K.C. and Portland) to spend New Year's Eve with Laura (awwwwwww!). Say hi to the Space Needle for us! And yes, he made money on the deal. But I'm convinced he did it to spite me.

R.A.I.S.E.: I’m starting a club, it’s called R.A.I.S.E. which stands for Resist All Internet Suckouts Everywhere. I'm thinking of putting a shirt on the store. And, Scott's going to reduce the price of items there for the holiday gift giving season.

ANTE UP! WORLD: Our good friend Dave from Ohio is out in Vegas, living the high life with Kenna James and he bumped into Nenad Medic, winner of the WPT event I covered. Dave asks him if he is a member of the Ante Up! Nation and basically Nenad says, "Ante Up? Isn’t that the guy who was at Foxwoods?" Yeah, baby! By the way, he's from Niagara Falls (not Falls View as mentioned before). And, then Gambit sits down at a razz table the other night on Full Tilt Poker and someone there says … Let’s Play Razz! They start talking and it turns out the guy is a fan of the show and that’s why he started playing razz. Awesome! Taking over the world, one player at a time!

MORE RAZZ: Wayne from New York called to ask us to teach him Razz. He apparently didn't know we did a show on razz already (Show No. 39). He also asks about 8/better games. Omaha and O8B was Show No. 12. I’m pretty sure Wayne’s the guy who called and was upset with us because he felt we were making fun of people who didn’t know the game. So I think we cleaned up our act enough for him. Wayne, if you're a subscriber you should already have that show in your vault. If not you can go to iTunes and get it for free or you can go here. You can scroll down and find the shows you need.

BOND HAND **SPOILER**: Have you heard about the final hand in the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale? It rivals that of the Cincinnati Kid final hand. You'll have to listen to the show because I don't want to give that ridiculous hand any more pub. LOL!

ONE-MINUTE MYSTERY: Episode 29, Part 1, the Case of the Red Baron. I keep searching the titles of these mysteries hoping to find an answer. Columbo decides to slow-play aces, but when a coordinated board puts a fly in the ointment, he wants to know, are his aces good?

MAIN TOPIC: TRIPLE DRAW LOWBALL (AKA KANSAS CITY LOWBALL)
Like with our Razz show, I took WAY too many notes to be disected on air, so I will put everything I have here instead. We essentially covered everything you need to know to play it, but you know me, I want to give the best to the Ante Up! Nation. So here we go:

WHERE TO PLAY
Online you can go to UltimateBet and PokerStars. Scott says casinos in L.A. probabaly spread it, but this is a good game to introduce to your home game if you love action and want some change.

RULES
- Everyone’s dealt 5 cards face down.
- You can discard as many cards as you want, and you can draw three times.
- There’s betting on each round with bets doubling after the second draw.
- You can stop drawing at any point. This is known as standing pat or a pat hand.
- There’s a button, small blind and big blind, just like in Hold 'Em and Omaha.
- The best hand is 7-5-4-3-2. Unlike in Razz, straights and flushes count against you and the Ace is high only.
- Another variation is Ace-to-Five, which has the same low rules as Razz but is triple draw like Deuce-to-Seven.
- Remember it’s the worst hand that wins so a pair of kings is beat by a pair of threes.
- You can only play this with 6 players max. Any more and you’ll run out of cards (unless you're sick and want to reshuffle the deck). If you’re home game has seven players then make the person to the left of the BB sit out for that round. The more players you have the more have to sit out.
BETTING
- The WSOP event is played No Limit, but we’ll be talking limit. The betting usually is similar to limit hold 'em. Let's say you’re playing $2-$4. The small blind is a buck, the big blind is $2. Before the first draw and after the first draw bets would be $2, capped at $8. After the second and third draws the betting would be $4, capped at $16. If betting is heads up at any point and you want it to be unlimited raises, that's your option.
STRATEGY
- Try to only play hands with a 2 in it. The deuce is the most important card in the deck. But if you must, make sure you have a 3 and that it's not a straight draw.
- Beware of open-enders. 3-4-5-6 might look good, but the best you can make is an 8-6 if you stick with those 4, and with three chances someone is probably drawing to a better low. If you have 4-5-6-7 you're really only hoping for a 2, which means 4 outs. And if you have other players in the hand chances are they have a deuce, so your outs are slim and none.
- Try to get heads-up with a good draw. And bet your good 7-draws (as long they aren't straight draws) aggressively.
ONE-CARD DRAWS
- If you have a one-card draw to an 8, play it aggressively to get heads-up or to steal the blinds. But again, be wary of straight-draw 8s.
- You'll find a lot of the principles in most poker games are the same, play tight-aggressive. If the hand’s good enough to play, it should almost always be good enough to raise with, or muck it.
TWO-CARD DRAWS
- The best two-card draw hands are 2-3-4, 2-3-7, 2-3-5, 2-4-5, 2-4-7 and 2-5-7. Daniel Negreanu, in his most excellent chapter in Super/System 2, says the best of these is 2-3-4 and 2-3-7, and there are many debates over which is better. Essentially he says it doesn't matter because you'll play them the same way, aggressively. But there are other 2-card draws that are worthy of playing aggressively: 2-3-6. 2-4-6, 2-5-6 and 2-6-7 because these can still make 7s, but the 6 is a tricky card because it's the link to so many straights. For instance. You have the 2-4-6 and you draw 2. You pick up a 5 and a J. You want to throw away the J but your next draw can give you a straight with any 3. Whereas, if you are playing 2-6-7 and you pick up any inside card, you can't make a straight on the next draw. The 6 is very dangerous.
- A good 2-card draw for an 8 is 2-3-8, or 2-4-8 or 2-5-8. Anything else is pushing it because you will run the risk of getting outkicked. 8-6 is not a very strong hand.
NEGREANU'S TROUBLE HANDS
He says hands such as 3-4-8, 3-5-7, 3-5-8, 3-6-7, 3-4-7 and 4-5-7 are only good for stealing blinds or defending them. The reason being is you'll usually be put in a situation where you'll have bad 8 draws or a straight draw to a 7. And generally, you don't want to be drawing to a hand that needs a deuce, you want to already have one.
THREE-CARD DRAWS
Generally speaking, avoid them. They only reason to draw three cards is because you were stealing from the button or defending your blinds. And if you're going to do it, you better damn well have a 2 in there. 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 2-7 are the acceptable hands. Don't play 2-6 according to Negreanu, because you want to be drawing smooth, not rough. Remember from our Razz lesson that rough is 7-6 and smooth is 7-5.
FOUR- and FIVE-CARD DRAWS
NEVER! But if you're in the BB and you get a free draw then keep the cards you have to a 7 and draw. If you have zero, then throw them all away and start with five new ones.
IN THE BLINDS
Defending your Big Blind shouldn't be too important to you. You better have a good two- or three-card draw. And if you're in the SB, it's really not worth stealing the BB because you don't have position, and for one more bet the BB is getting the right odds to call with any decent holding.
AFTER THE FIRST DRAW
- This all depends on a lot of factors. How many did you draw? How many did your opponents draw? Did you call a bet or make a raise? Did you improve or not? One rule is, if you drew one and you have a powerful draw like 2-3-4-7 and they drew two, you should bet regardless. You're ahead and chances are you still are. Remember, they still have to improve just to catch up to where you already are. But if you drew the same amount of cards and you don't improve then it's a judgement call. If it's checked to you then take a free draw.
- If you improve to a pat hand that isn't the nuts or a one-card draw you want to get aggressive to narrow the field. You always want to be heads-up if possible. Don't take any chances of letting a third party in there cheaply.
- Here's Negreanu's example: UTG you raise with 2-4-7. The button calls and the BB raises. You and the button call. You catch a 5 and a King. The BB bets. Do you call or raise? You raise to force out the button so you'll have position. You may be up against a pat hand now, but you still have two more draws to make your seven or eight. If you're heads-up instead of three-handed, just call.
DIFFICULT DECISIONS
- You have 2-4-7 and you draw an 8. Do you keep it and go rough or try for the seven? If you have a lot of opponents throw it away and keep drawing because you'll likely get beat by an 8-6 or better. If you are heads-up keep it. But if your opponents are drawing three cards and you have position, keep it.
- When out of position, only draw to the nuts unless you are heads-up.
GOOD THINGS TO LOOK FOR
- If your hand contains duplicates or blockers of the cards others will need that's good, for instance 2-2-3-7-7. You already know there are only two deuces and two sevens left, and the odds of your opponents holding both in their hands are slim so you know they can't be too confident in their holdings.
- Plus, just like in razz when you see a lot of the cards you're holding on everyone else's board, it means it's less likely that you'll pair up.
- This also plays into what to keep on the next draw. If you pick up an 8 you might want to keep it since the cards you discarded can no longer help your opponents fill their hands.
AFTER THE SECOND DRAW
If you were behind to someone, check after the draw. In other words, if you drew two and he drew one, check to him. The same holds true if you drew one and he stayed pat. Conversely, if you are ahead you should bet. No matter what. Let them give you a reason to believe you fell behind. No free cards!
POSITION IS KEY
- Let's say you're on the button, heads-up and it's the last draw coming. You hold 2-3-4-7-K. Your opponent checks to you. Do you bet or check knowing you still have to draw? YOU BET! Why? If you check your opponent knows you will be drawing again and might stand pat with a 10. Now you HAVE to make a 9! But if you bet, he may fold thinking you're pat or he may throw away the 10 thinking he needs to make his seven or an eight to win. This gives you a better chance to win.
- You can see why position is so important. You get to see how many cards everyone else is discarding, and you can use your betting patterns to force them to make mistakes.
WHEN TO FOLD
- If you're still in need to two cards heading into the final draw, fold to a bet. Only consider calling when you have position, you think your opponent isn't staying pat, there's a big pot and you've thrown away valuable cards (i.e. 2,7)
- If you pair up on the last draw and you're bet into. What can you beat? If you have a good read and your pair is 2-2, then maybe call.
- If your opponent stayed pat from the get-go or after the first draw and you're drawing to a rough 8. You might want to consider letting this hand go.
- If you're facing two bets heading into the final draw, fold. Why? If you don't have the nuts there's a good chance one of those bettors has it or pretty damn close. You'd still have to catch perfect to make a decent hand and you might already be drawing dead. Even if you have something as strong as 2-4-5-7 you still have to catch a three to make the nuts, and a 6 might not be good enough. Plus, if you call the two bets, how do you know the guy who led out won't make it three, then you'll get whipsawed. Just fold.
WHEN TO STAND PAT
This is up to you. Know that a "made 9" is favored over any drawing hand. So if you're dealt a "made 9" or better stand pat. Also, never break an 8-6 or an 8-5. You really need to know your opponents if you're going to break one of these fine hands to go for a 7.
HEADS-UP TIP
You should stand pat with a 10 if you have position and your opponent is still drawing.
BLUFFING/SNOWING
Bluffing isn't easy to pull off the deeper you get into a hand, especially on the river. The pot will be so big by then that it's almost always a mistake to bluff because you'll get called by a LOT of hands. Snowing is a form of bluffing and comes earlier in the hand. Snowing is when you have three or four of a kind with key cards to making a wheel. Three to four deuces or three to four sevens are ideal. This way you know they likely can't make a 7 or even an 8 and you'll be standing pat early in the hand, either before the first draw or after it. It's more believable if you bet out before the first draw, draw one and then stand pat and ram and jam. Negreanu recommends doing it only as frequent as when you get these specific hands. If you do it too often with just garbage and get caught a few times, your bluffing ability goes out the window. If you get caught early by another pat hand, then give it up r