Show delayed

We had a little technical difficulty editing this week's show, so it won't be posted tonight. We're hopeful it'll be posted around noon on Thursday. Sorry to delay the Ante Up! fix for all you junkies. We'll get it up ASAP. Thanks!

- SCOTT

What's your best game?

We are so overexposed to No Limit Texas Hold 'Em poker that I bet a lot of the Ante Up! Nation doesn't even realize that most of the players you think are NLHE players actually prefer other games. Jennifer Harman? She's the best Limit Hold Em player in the world, and she has her own Stud/8 table on Full Tilt. Daniel Negreanu's best game? Stud/8. Same for 2004 World Champ Greg Raymer. Mike "The Mouth" Matusow? You may think NLHE is his game, but he's an Omaha/8 junkie, and even has a bracelet in that event! Cyndy Violette? She started as a stud specialist. Ted Forrest is a Razz/Stud genius and his NLHE game has only come on just recently. Howard Lederer? He prefers Limit Hold Em, he says it's his best game.

They call Mike Caro the Mad Genius of Poker, but you probably only know him from his TV appearances and Tells books. Caro is the best 5-card Draw poker player in the history of the game. He makes Wild Bill look like a donk!

So it got me to thinking, what are the favorite games of the Ante Up! Nation? Are there any surprises? And defend you choice. We know that No Limit Hold Em is the "Cadillac of Poker" but do you agree? My favorite game now is Razz. Maybe it's because I'm a simpleton, but I like the purity of it. Stud/8 is growing on me, and of course I still prefer to play NLHE for larger stakes, but when it comes to a game that I really enjoy, it has to be Razz. There's no real deception until 6th Street, and at that point you're probably going to the end anyway. I'm a meat-and-potatoes-kinda guy.

What's the Ante Up! Nation have to say?

-- Chris

P.S. I know a lot of you are DYING TO KNOW what Sharkey looks like, so I posted a shot of him on the Photo Gallery.

Play money vs. Real money

I know what you might've thought when you read the title of this post, but no, I'm not bringing up my old discussion: Why play for real money when you can play for fun? This isn't that conversation.

I have to admit, I'm comfortable playing Razz, Hold Em, Stud/8 and even Omaha for cash, but I just don't feel too comfortable with O8B just yet. If I'm playing HORSE or our home game I'll play O8B because it's only for like 10 minutes, but I won't sit down and play it solely. Hell I sat down with Andy Bloch and played the game at $1-2 and came out a winner.

So, on Sunday I was waiting to leave for a family function when I logged on to FTP and played a little O8B with play money. I've been reading Bobby Baldwin's O8B chapter in Super System 2 over and over again and wanted to play some before I had to go. As I sat there someone typed in: Are you THE willhopper? And I laughed and said Yes. Turns out he was a listener with whom I have a mutual friend. So we talked and talked about poker, the show and O8B. I told him how I pretty much despised split games but now that I like Stud/8 I thought I should try to improve my O8B game. He talked about how much he liked the game and that there were TONS of fish out there. He said he was going to start playing for real money soon. I could tell he really had a lot of confidence. So today I came into the office and he had sent me an email that basically said he got his butt handed to him playing $.25-$.50 O8B. I chuckled and emailed him back, saying play money is never the same as real money. If it were, I'd be a multimillionaire!!! But I'm sure it'll just take him a few sessions to get his "legs" and adjust.

And that brings me to the reason for this post: Have any of you had that overwhelming experience when you made the jump? Would you advise against playing with play money and why? What was your first experience like playing for real money? In case you lived in a cave for the past 89 episodes, I had some very good success making the transition, winning my first-ever B&M tourney (A 30-player Turbo at Derby Lane) and I cashed in my first MTT Internet tournament, finishing 4th in a 120 player event on PokerRoom. I did well right off the bat and never really looked back, but occasionally I like to use play money because it's less stressful and I can try out different strategies or learn different games without taking a bankroll hit.

What say you?

-- Chris

A little hand analysis please.

I need to understand if I'm an idiot on this hand, as XFREEBIRDX says I am. Actually, what he would say later is "Your a idiot" so maybe I shouldn't hold too much credence in his evaluation. Of course, being an editor I had to correct him by typing in "Don't you mean You're an idiot, Idiot?" LOL! He essentially accused me of being a donkey and a river rat. He said it was a "good chase" (dripping with sarcasm). I was hoping to run this hand past Fatso, but he's too busy donking off all of his money in LA. If anyone out there can give me an analysis I'd appreciate it. I know it's Stud/8 and not a lot of the Ante Up! Nation plays this game, but give it a shot if you will, Thanks.

$1/$2 Ante $0.20 - Limit Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo (I removed the lines about posting antes and the folds)
Seat 1: foo flaw ($47.15)
Seat 3: willhopper ($44.40) <---- I just took down a small pot but have been projecting a tight image.
Seat 4: XFREEBIRDX ($68.55)
Seat 5: trauts ($39.35)
Seat 6: GaryBMe ($31.65)
Seat 7: BassoProfundo ($28.85)
Seat 8: MillerAtl ($34.75)
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to foo flaw [5h]
Dealt to willhopper [7d 6h] [4s] <---- I have three to a 76, and three to a straight. Cardinal rule of Stud/8 is play hands that can scoop. Also, the only cards behind me that can help my low are the 5 and the A. The 6 and 4 help me avoid duplication, like in Razz.
Dealt to XFREEBIRDX [4d]
Dealt to trauts [9d]
Dealt to GaryBMe [Qc]
Dealt to BassoProfundo [Ac]
Dealt to MillerAtl [6s]
XFREEBIRDX is low with [4d]
XFREEBIRDX brings in for $0.25
BassoProfundo calls $0.25
MillerAtl calls $0.25
foo flaw folds <----This is the 5 so that's good that he's out.
willhopper calls $0.25 <----There's an ace 6 and 4 with low possibilities, so I'll proceed cautiously.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to willhopper [7d 6h 4s] [5d] <---- BINGO! I'm openended and drawing to a 76 or better.
Dealt to XFREEBIRDX [4d] [4c] <----Hmm, if he's going low this hurts him. If he has a pair under there I better get my straight or low. I don't put him on a 4 since I have one and he has two.
Dealt to BassoProfundo [Ac] [Jd] <--- Probably didn't help.
Dealt to MillerAtl [6s] [7h] <----I'm showing 45 and he'd have to be nearly perfect in the hole to be beating me. So I'll continue to play cautiously.
XFREEBIRDX bets $1 <----OK, so he's repping two pair or trips. I can beat that with any 8 or 3, which I still haven't seen so 8 outs for a straight, and a boatload for the low.
BassoProfundo folds <----I kinda expected that.
MillerAtl calls $1 <----Of course
willhopper calls $1<----Maybe I should raise? Nah, I'm not in the right position for that. If I were in Miller's spot I probably would've to force the low draw to call two bets cold.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to willhopper [7d 6h 4s 5d] [Th] <----BRICK!
Dealt to XFREEBIRDX [4d 4c] [Kd] <----Probably didn't help.
Dealt to MillerAtl [6s 7h] [As]<----Now it gets interesting.
XFREEBIRDX bets $2 <----protecting his two pair/trips.
MillerAtl calls $2 <----Probably has 4 to a low now. By not raising I don't think he's there yet.
willhopper calls $2<----At this point there's almost 10 bucks in the pot so I'm getting 5-1 on my money to hit a straight and a low.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to willhopper [7d 6h 4s 5d Th] [Qh] <----DOH! What the hell?!
Dealt to XFREEBIRDX [4d 4c Kd] [8s]<----That couldn't have helped.
Dealt to MillerAtl [6s 7h As] [Td]<----He's still not there. At this point I think that earlier ace paired him.
XFREEBIRDX bets $2
MillerAtl calls $2
willhopper calls $2 <----Now I'm getting nearly 8-1 on my money.
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to willhopper [7d 6h 4s 5d Th Qh] [8c]<----Made my low and my straight.
XFREEBIRDX bets $2
MillerAtl calls $2
willhopper raises to $4 <----I figure my 8 low is borderline, but it is a low, and I think Miller has to catch perfect to beat me. But I have to think my straight is good. If not I'm hoping I win at least half, so I raised just in case Miller made an 87 this might get him to fold. Probably not, but I tried.
XFREEBIRDX calls $2
MillerAtl calls $2
*** SHOW DOWN ***
willhopper shows [8c 7d 4s 5d Th Qh 6h] (a straight, Eight high - 8,7,6,5,4)
XFREEBIRDX shows [9c 4h 4d 4c Kd 8s 2c] (three of a kind, Fours)<--- He did have trips!
MillerAtl mucked [Ad Kc 6s 7h As Td 3h] - HI: a pair of Aces<----So I was right.
willhopper wins the high pot ($14.20) with a straight, Eight high
willhopper wins the low pot ($14.20) with 8,7,6,5,4

After I scooped this pot (which gave me a positive outcome for the day, woo-hoo! I went on to scoop two more too!) XFreebirdX starts saying I'm a chaser and "Keep playing that way." etc. I thought to myself, "Am I really supposed to lay down an openended 7 draw?" If I catch a 3 I have a 76543. If I catch an ace or deuce I think I have the best low and am freerolling for the 8 or 3. Maybe I am a donk like that picture. Any thoughts?

-- Chris

Me and Andy Bloch

Last night I had one of those up-and-down nights that ended UP so that was cool. I know my posts have been long lately so I'll try to keep this brief, or at least not too long. LOL!

I started playing microlimit Stud/8 and was down about $10 when a seat at $2-4 opened (I still think I can beat it), but that was a debacle as khanwoman and C furbee can attest to (They were spying on me, LOL!). My draws never got there, and even when I'd make a 7 someone would make a better 7. I lost about $30 before I moved over to a NL Hold 'Em $.25-$.50 table. Immediately I won about $30 when I gambled with A♣9♣ with the nut flush draw. A guy pushed with K♥K♠ and I called and hit a 2♣ on the river. If I had lost that hand I would've been done for the week (a la my epiphany). A few hands later in the BB I had 7♥5♥ (it may have been diamonds but that pip is real tempermental in TypePad). No one raised and the flop came J♥7♣8♠. I checked, as did everyone else. The turn was another 7. I checked to trap and finally someone bet about $3. I made it $9 and he was the only caller. The river was a 5♣ for a full house. I bet $20-ish and he pushed the rest of his stack. I called and he turned over 7♠6♥. Then he types in "Nice catch" I said "Thank you" and he typed in "LOSER" and I said "I am a loser. But with that pot I am now a winner." He left. And C furbee was watching and he typed in "nh" Finally I win a big pot when someone from the Ante Up! Nation is watching! Earlier when I donked off my stack in Stud/8 and khan/furbee were there I was like "Damn, can't I ever drag a pot in front of the listeners?" So after about 15 minutes I went from $50 to $120.

I logged off with a nice profit and watched TV for the rest of the night. Then I got back on around midnight to see if anyone I knew was playing, but that's when I saw Andy Bloch at $1-2 HORSE. The waiting list was only 6. I played Stud/8 while I waited and was up a coupla bucks when my seat came open. I bought in for only $40 and had a lot of fun. I took down two pots from Andy in Razz and Stud/8 and he took down two pots from me in Hold 'Em (A♥Q♥ vs. 8♥8♠ and I flopped the nut flush draw too!) and O8B, but my pots were larger. LOL! He was real cool and it was a lot of fun. I left with a profit of around $11. I was going to go to sleep when I happened to glance at the $.25-$.50 NLHE tables again. It was 1:30 a.m. At one short-handed table the pots were averaging like $12 so I said "Hmmm, that looks juicy." I sat down and literally during the first orbit this hand transpired:

Full Tilt Poker Game #1854188352: Table Key Vista (6 max) - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 1:39:26 ET <----- I should be sleeping! - 2007/02/23
Seat 1: willhopper ($48.50)
Seat 2: smithroger_777 ($100.30)
Seat 3: brisavio2002 ($40)
Seat 4: HGreener ($50)
Seat 5: RJH080 ($75.45)
Seat 6: Xiadow ($47)
smithroger_777 posts the small blind of $0.25
brisavio2002 posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to willhopper [Ah Ts]
HGreener folds
RJH080 raises to $1
Xiadow folds
willhopper calls $1 <--- I have position and I noticed on the first coupla hands this RJH guy bluffed so I just called.
smithroger_777 folds
brisavio2002 calls $0.50
*** FLOP *** [Kd Ac Tc] <---- Top and bottom pair, but Broadway's possible and a flush looms.
brisavio2002 checks
RJH080 bets $3.25
willhopper raises to $13 <---- At this point I want to find out if he has the ace and how big it is.
brisavio2002 folds
RJH080 calls $9.75 <---- Hmmm
*** TURN *** [Kd Ac Tc] [3c]
RJH080 checks <---- Interesting. Is that check because he's worried? Or is he drawing? Did he hit it and now he wants me to keep betting? What to do?
willhopper bets $21 <---- I don't believe he has a flush, given his nature to bluff I think we would've either bet more on the flop, or re-raised me. But, I don't have a club, so I need to force him to a decision. There was a little more than $20 in there, did I overbet?
RJH080 calls $21 <---- DOH! What does he have? I think the call here means he has a decent club but not two. If he has the flush he wouldn't want me to make a boat so I think he would've pushed it.
*** RIVER *** [Kd Ac Tc 3c] [6s]
RJH080 checks <--- Hmmm.
willhopper checks <--- Pot is big enough, and I don't want to risk him coming over the top and then I have to make a decision.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
willhopper shows [Ah Ts] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
RJH080 mucks <--- YES! So I typed in "AdQc?" and he never responded. I just couldn't put him on any other hand. So I checked the hand history.
willhopper wins the pot ($68.25) with two pair, Aces and Tens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $71.25 | Rake $3
Board: [Kd Ac Tc 3c 6s]
Seat 1: willhopper (button) showed [Ah Ts] and won ($68.25) with two pair, Aces and Tens
Seat 5: RJH080 mucked [5c Js] - Ace King high <---- WHAT??? So he called $9.75 more to try to hit a gutshot, then picked up a VERY LOW flush draw and called $21 on the turn? Sick. I may not have bet this perfectly, but if this guy hits his Queen/Club he gets rewarded for the worst play ever. I'm not complaining, because this is how we make our money, but what the hell was he thinking? This is the type of stuff that makes people quit for months on end, not that I know people like that. 8-) Besides, I'm a different player now, and I haven't had a losing session since "The Epiphany!"

Overall it was a good session that went up, down, up and up again. And I got to play with the WSOP $50K HORSE runner-up and I came out ahead! Woo-hoo!!   

-- Chris

Show #89 Recap

It's time for another Ante Up! recap. This week's main topic centered around No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail and an interview with the star and producer of the movie, Susan Genard. But first, there were some other things we needed to talk about.

HAVE ANOTHER ONE SCOTT: It seems our co-host had one too many at the laptop recently and spilled his barley and hops all over the keyboard. At first there were no problems, but then everything died. He later learned he should've used a hair dryer to dry the keyboard. But since Mr. Lang doesn't usually HAVE a need for a hair dryer I suggested he use his Flowbee!

AIPS STUD RECAP: We discussed the tournament and how we each fared. For results, etc. go here. One of the main points was how we each played rolled up hands. I failed miserably and Scott flourished, which could have meant the difference between him cashing and me going out 4 from the money. Rolled-up trips was a common theme this week.

ANTE UP MEETUP: Don't forget, if you are in the L.A. area, Scott and Fatso will be at the Commerce on Saturday (2/24/07) and they have a Home Game table set aside for the Ante Up! Nation. They'll meet you in the Arena Sports Bar at 5:30 and then you can take their money at the table at 6. Don't forget, Scott raises with suited connectors and Fatso hates it when you check-raise him.

WHEN GREGARIOUS = FUNNY: Turns out one of our listeners, Lou, was impressed with Scott's attempt at higher education, but he felt Scott used the word GREGARIOUS too many times. So, like Gambit did for me, Lou gave Scott a list of alternatives. Let's see if Scott can pronouce these bad boys! Hilarity ensues!

EPASSPORT: We've decided we can't possibly endorse this e-wallet. It has given the Ante Up! Nation major headaches, and the clincher was when it charged one of our listeners, Steve, NOT ROB, $15 for uncollected web funds.

LEFT VS. RIGHT: No, this isn't a political topic, per se, but rather, we find out that Scott has a lot in common with the "great" minds of this country as it pertains to telling the difference between your left and your right. So sad, so very sad.

UPC DYING? We learned that Binion's will continue to hold the Ultimate Poker Challenge at its casino, but it won't be broadcasting them. The culprit: The evil UIGEA, of course! The companies that funded the UPC's broadcast were mostly online poker sites, and you know what's going on there. Is this the beginning of the end for the WPT and WSOP on TV as well?

OMM: Our good friend Columbo gave us a Triple Draw hand a coupla weeks ago and we all agreed he was ahead going into the last draw. Although some of our strategy differed, we pretty much were on the same page. Always great to get a hand that's not hold 'em.

MAIN TOPIC: It was short notice, but the producer and star of No Limit agreed to let us interview her, and we had a lot of fun. Susan Genard is quite the poker player, but she's also accomplished in film. Check out Camden Pictures as well. She answered a lot of our questions and was very honest about the whole experience. You can buy the movie on Amazon or here. Sadly she couldn't stick around for Hand of the Week, but we managed. LOL! One of Scott's favorite parts of this movie is the fact that Susan plays Stud/8 and O8B on her run. No limit hold 'em is nowhere to be found in No Limit, and that irony is not lost on her. My favorite part was probably her conversation with an ESPN exec. I won't spoil it, but man, she wasn't happy! And, of course, the movie features interviews with more than 40 pros and personalities, including Doyle Brunson and a virtually-unknown-at-the-time Kenna James, and those interviews are very telling. It's a cool movie that already has won an award at the Australian International Film Festival and they'll be in Miami for the Underground Film Festival on March 8.

HOTW: Our hand of the week was provided by Khanwoman and it came from our AIPS Stud event. It's one of those brutal hands where you're rolled-up and can't get rid of the chaser. We had some alternative plays for her, but there really wasn't much she couldn't do until 5th street.

-- Chris

What do you think about this?

I have to admit when I first heard about Doyle's Room pulling out of the American market I got a little nervous and upset. I mean, I sat with the man at Foxwoods and asked him about "fighting the good fight" and he talked about how things were going well there and that he's now a Democrat and that he'll basically do whatever he can to fight the current administration. So then what happened? Some of my "sources" tell me it's the software provider (Tribeca) that turned yella and ran the other way. I find it hard to believe that Doyle, who used to have men with guns on the roof of his home game, is afraid of the U.S. Government here. And I don't believe that "Doyle Arrested!" rumor had anything to do with this.

But the silver lining here is that Doyle's Room still thought of the poker player first by contacting Full Tilt and arranging a way to move your funds and points over there. This says two things to me: Full TIlt told Doyle "We're not going anywhere!" and that Doyle still cares about the game first and foremost. I think it means that FTP is going to fight this to the bitter end because Doyle wouldn't want his players to go there only to have FTP close down next week.

What do you think of this latest development?

-- Chris

Rounders Revisited

This past weekend my wife and I emptied the TiVo and were in search of something to watch. I suggested Rounders, and she graciously acquiesced. Jeanne rocks! During the film I remarked that what I loved most about the film were the little things that made you understand, as a poker player, that the writers, etc. knew a little bit about poker. What am I talking about? The use of Arrow KEM cards at KGB's place. ... the Caro's Tells video box ... the original Super/System book. ...Or when Mikey says "Premium hands." to Worm as he's getting out of the car enroute to the trustfund-baby game. ... Worm calling chips "Towers of checks", etc. It's these little things that mean nothing to the general public but tell us that they knew what they were doing and get us that much more involved and appreciative of the movie. I'm no Cineaste, but that's how I feel.

However, upon further review, there were some glaring errors (at least I think they were) that you pick up on as well. Here are some of the ones I saw:

♠ In the middle of the night, after Jo packs up her crap and leaves, Worm convinces Mike to go to A.C. to "check-raise stupid tourists." And how do they get there? They have some little midsize sedan. Where did this vehicle come from? We know Worm doesn't have a car cuz he just got out of prison, and only a coupla days earlier Mike had to beg Jo for the Jeep to go pick up Worm because he doesn't have a car either. So, did they rent this car? In the middle of the night in Manhattan? Unlikely. And since they have very little funds and no credit cards I'm sure they couldn't get a rental car anyway.

♠ Mike is penniless when he goes to his professor for money. "If it must be tonight, then ten is the best I can do." the prof says. So he writes him a check. Obviously he doesn't go to a bank because, again, it's the middle of the night. So where does he go? To one of those sleezy all-night "Checks Cashed Here" joints. You don't really think an establishment like that would cash a $10K check and not charge a fee right? They don't just stay open to make even-money exchanges. So, if he has ZERO dollars on him after that State Police debacle, how does he buy in vs. KGB for an even $10K? Which leads me to my next point.

♠ There's a subtle line from Mike after he beats KGB for the first $10K and returns to the table. He says "Feel free to re-buy at any point." Without the presence of this line my next fault in the movie isn't as concrete. After he leaves the joint he has about $60K. But during the clips, KGB's lines make you believe that Mikey was down to almost nothing when he discovers the world's worst tell. "You must be kicking yourself ... for not walking out when you could. Bad judgment." Are we to believe that not only did he come back from being down to almost nothing, but then Teddy bought in again for another $20K? We really should've seen this transaction. It feels incomplete to me. But again, this isn't an error, per se, but still that aforementioned subtle line has to cover a lot of chips.

♠ The State Trooper scene wreaks for a few reasons: I really find it hard to believe that hard-working cops in Upstate New York are playing $20-$40 stud. Even if these guys were making $1K a week, which you know state cops in the late '90s wouldn't be making that kind of cash, the buy-in for the game would be their entire paycheck (and don't even get me started on taxes). Do they really think we believe these jokers are playing $40 a bet? Also, I find it hard to believe they would kick the hell out of these guys the way they did and then take their money. They are, after all, cops (and it's not LA). And in this scene, why don't they burn cards? I never see anyone burn in the stud hands during this movie, yet we all know you should do it. Some people don't know this fact, but when you're playing for thousands of dollars, I'm sure they'd be burning.

♠ Speaking of stud hands, the judges game cracks me up: When they ask Mike to tell them what they are holding he says: "Well, you were looking for that third three, but you forgot that Professor Green folded it on Fourth Street, and now you're representing that you have it." Why is this a mistake? Mike came in and they were already on Sixth Street. He couldn't possibly know what happened on Fourth Street. This may be a product of poor editing, but nonetheless, the statement rings false.

♠ In the golf pros game, the guy does one of those "I call your bet ... and raise you the pot limit kiddo." And we all know what's wrong with that statement. Mike would say no string-raising.

♠ As he said on our show, Johhny Chan would never ask some blond punk if he "had it" at the table.

♠ When Worm cashes out at the Chesterfield Club, there's NO WAY Petra lets Worm, a convicted felon, leave with the $2,000 credit on top of the $8K "white meat." And, she'd never let the juice run on Mike because Worm says so. She'd need to hear it from Mike.

♠ And finally, Knish's truck. What the hell is this truck anyway? Is it a floating job that Mike can pick up and leave whenever he needs it? And if so, do these stores that he delivers to go without supplies when Mikey decides to change his mind and not deliver anymore? And who's he delivering for? And who's job did he just steal out of the thin air like that? Knish plays poker for a living, so why does he have a truck that's just sitting there that Mike can use to fill this made-up job delivering goods for some made-up company to stores that never had his services to begin with? Very odd.

These are just the poker/life mistakes I found, but for a list of overall goofs go here.

But I still LOVE the movie! What did you find right/wrong with Rounders?

-- Chris

No bracelet, but sweet nonetheless

As promised, I am reporting back after playing in Gambit's home game. Mark rolled out his new chips and new table for the occasion, and it's a sweet setup. I'm glad he got rid of the St. Andrews putting green because my arm used to get real tired dealing stud to players sitting in Sarasota and Citrus counties. LOL! And in honor of the new chips, Mark and the gang agreed to up the cash-game limits ($1-2 from $.50-$1) and buy-in ($40 from $20) and the tournament buy-in increased, too ($20+$5 bounties from $15+$5). We got started around 8 p.m. and played shorthanded until Pat Booth and another player arrived. Pat had a nice night, and I never called him grandma! (LOL!) But before he got there I was having a solid night, racing out to a profit of about $25 after about 35-40 minutes. I lost a few hands and chased too many in Omaha/8 (I never make a hand in that game it seems) and by the time the tournament rolled around at 10:30 I had a profit of exactly $10. Shorthanded play seems to be my specialty, or at least I should learn to just fold O8B hands that aren't drawing to the nuts when we're 8-handed. But I still made a profit so I wasn't too disappointed in the fact that I gave some of my winnings back. However, if I didn't win any money in the tournament I would have posted my first losing session in Gambit's game, so I really was focused in the NLHE tournament.

I had yet to cash in Gambit's tourney, going out 5th twice, so needless to say I was itching for a good performance. I drew Seat 4, and Gambit was on my left. I really liked my spot at this table, but let me tell you, having Gambit on my left isn't easy. He makes me sweat every button raise, and this is a product of past tournaments because he has seen me make moves to steal his blinds. So he doesn't ever want to believe me when I bring it in for 3X BB. Anyway, fairly early on I picked up A♣5♣ in the SB and a fairly aggressive player had limped in MP. The blinds were still 25-25 and I had about my original buy-in of 1,500. Gambit checked and the flop came A♥J♣7♣. I had top pair and the nut-flush draw. I checked, Gambit checked and the semi-aggressive player bet 100 into a 75-unit pot. I raised to 300 and Gambit folded. The MP called and the turn was a Q♠. I bet out 300 again and he called. The river was a 5♥, giving me aces-up. At this point I think I should've just bet 300 again, but instead I went all-in, thinking he was married to his pocket pair or queens and he mucked, disgusted. He admited he had a club draw, including the Q♣, and I assured him he didn't want to get there. If only the K♣ had come on the river! So this little cushion allowed me to be patient since the blind structure is nice and slow. I was fairly happy with my reading ability, more than once putting Gambit on EXACTLY the two cards he had, and he even remarked "That's why you have a poker podcast!"

I stayed quiet for a bit, but then the hand that propelled my into the stratosphere and allowed me to play the way I like was a hand that I needed a lot of luck on and I honestly felt terrible about it. A very solid player raised UTG to 300 (the blinds were 50-100 I think) and I looked down at Q♠Q♥. I had about 1,800 in chips and I figured the right reraise here is 3X his raise, but if I am willing to bet 900 here, leaving me just 900 and committing 50% of my stack, I figured why not push? I'm only beat by two hands. So I decided to push and give 10-10 or an AK or AQ something to think about. It folded around to the raiser and he called with K♠K♥! D'oh! Another tournament debacle! He even had my suits covered. The flop came all rags and I was getting ready to pay him off when the sweetest Q♣ I have ever seen peeled off on the turn. I SUCKED OUT! I really felt so bad, almost embarrassed. He was pretty upset, and I had knocked him out of the last tournament we had played together so I'm sure that made it sting even more.

Well, that pot made me a massive chipleader and I started putting the heat on everyone, knocking players out one by one. As it got close to the money, everyone tightened up and I used my stack to expose that, picking up blinds and small pots. And that's when one hand came up that I'll never forget. Remember when I mentioned Gambit HATES to fold to my button raises? Well this was a doozy. I actually had slipped a little from the massive lead I had and at one point surrendered the chip lead, so this hand couldn't have come at a better time. Again, we were close to the money and people had tightened up. I looked down at 5♦ 3♦. With the blinds 100-200 I raised on the button to 600. Again Gambit made me sweat and if he had re-raised I probably would've mucked, but he just called. The BB folded, so I was happy about that. The flop came 7-8-9 rainbow and he checked. I checked behind and here's why: I had a gutshot and figured if I pushed he might've hit that 9, calling my preflop raise with a K9-type of hand. So I took the free card, knowing if I hit the 6 he would bet out and I'd probably get the rest of his stack (unless he had a 10, which was possible, but I didn't put him on that). Another thought that ran through my head was Gambit had done well in the cash game, so if he lost his buy-in here he might not be too disappointed, so he might call an all-in with top pair, hoping to double-up. So, I saw the turn, which was a 4♥, putting two hearts up there, too. He bet, but it was 600 into a 1,400 pot and I didn't think that was a terribly confident bet. So I decided if I called, it would look like I was on a flush draw. Essentially, I felt like I had a ton of outs: Any heart (for bluffing), any 6 (for my straight) and any really high card (after all I did raise preflop so I could represent it). So I looked at it like I was getting 3.5-to-1 on my money to hit a bunch of outs. When the A♥ hit the river I got all of my perfect bluffing cards giftwrapped in one. He checked and I knew I had him. I needed to find a number that would cut deeply into his stack, but look like I wanted to get paid off. I counted out 1,000 chips and slid them out. Mark thought long and hard and eventually folded. I turned over the 5♦ 3♦ and everyone was in shock. I'm sure Gambit saw those two cards in his nightmares last night (or this morning as the case was). Sorry Gambit. This play paid off later because people thought I was always bluffing after that so they were calling my raises and then folding under the heat when I would bet out with a pair.

There were seven players in the tournament, and I knocked out every player but one (Gambit knocked out Pat), and when my KQ made a pair of queens on the river I knocked out the bubble boy to put me and Gambit in the money. Ultimately I eliminated Gambit in third place when my J♠7♠ turned a flush and beat Gambit's top pair. When we got heads-up I had at least a 6-to-1 chip lead and on the first hand I picked up K♠10♠. I pushed and he instacalled with K♥7♥. The flop: 9♥3♠10♣. So he needed runner-runner straight or flush cards (or running sevens) and when the 8♥ came he picked up nine outs, but the river was a Q♣ (see photo, I have my "got razz?" shirt on!) and I had my first victory in the Gambit Invitational. I have to admit, I hadn't won a SNG in ages (of course I don't play in them at all either, but when I did play I hadn't done well) so this felt pretty sweet.   

As you can see by the time stamp on the photo it was 1:31 a.m. so I was a little tired and loopy. I was so happy, and when I saw all of the chips and the final cards on the table, I just HAD to have the traditional WSOP photo taken! Gambit picked up his robotic dog and took a snapshot (OK, it wasn't a robotic dog, it was his PDA). Since my latest epiphany means I likely won't ever do this for real at the WSOP in Vegas, I have to take advantage of these opportunities whenever I can! LOL!

All told, I knocked out 5 players ($25 in bounties), won the tournament ($80 - $20 buy-in = $60) and I made $10 in the cash game for a total of $95. I had a lot of fun. Not sure when the next home game is, but this certainly feels good, and if I combine it with my Derby Lane performance last week, I have completely erased the debacle on Full Tilt and have turned a profit. Not too bad.

-- Chris 

We're No. 1!

Hey there,

If you played in AIPS Stud last night and visited the Chat Room you may have learned that Ante Up! was voted the No. 1 podcast by the Chicago Poker Club. Here's the link. I'd like to thank CPC and, of course, J_Chitown (ChicagoJason) for this honor. Knowing that shows like Bluff, Rounders and The Circuit are out there, it's a real feather in our cap to notch this accolade!

As for the stud tournament last night, I was happy with my performance, and I walked on the edge a few times. I got eliminated in 20th place by eventual champ C Furbee (Congrats buddy!) when my queens-up lost to his Aces-up on the river. D'oh! I was very impressed with the overall turnout (90) and with a lot of the play, including Blazman, who was soliciting advice THAT MORNING on how to play stud. Very impressive, and he's the frontrunner for POY!!! One other impressive stat: The five guys from our homegame who played last night all finished in the Top 25.... not too shabby!

Tonight is Gambit's homegame so I'm really looking forward to playing on his new table with his new clay chips! Plus, they are upping the limits, so that's cool. I'll report sometime during the weekend how it goes.

-- Chris