Poker, poker and more poker

Where to start? I guess I'll begin with the home game at Gambit's house on Friday night. I played real loose at the wrong times and too tight at others. I could never get on track and was down about $50 during the cash-game portion of the evening, which is the worst I've ever done in almost a year of playing in that game. But, as of late, I've been running well in the end-of-the-night SNGs (first and second in my last two) so I still had hopes of a winning session. This time, however, I managed just a third-place finish (for another cash), and I think NewScott (aka Snuffy) may have won (he was heads-up for the title with a decent chip lead when he knocked me out -- 99 v. 77). But unlike my last two cashes, this one didn't give me +EV on the night as I left down about $30.

So, I had high hopes for playing at One-Eyed Jacks on Saturday. Fasso and I drove down to play in the 6-table shootout, but alas we both went out before winning our tables (I went out 4th at my table and Fasso 3rd at his). I had promised Sam Minutello I'd head down there for the conclusion of his 2-day Pros vs. Joes tournament, which he deemed a great success. I won't fill you in too much as I interviewed Chip Jett (who finished 3rd for $15K), Gavin Smith, ESPN's Lon McEachern and Sam. I'll play those short clips during this week's Tampa Bay Poker Replay so stay tuned. The final two players, Chuck Chestnut and Chris Ladriere, chopped the remaining prize pool, taking home about $33K each. Not too shabby. Nice job guys.

Since Fasso was still playing in his tourney when I got knocked out, I decided to sit down at the $2-3 NLHE table with my max $100 buy-in. ... and I was very glad I did. It was one of those tables you dream about where everyone overvalues their hands and treats money like a red-headed stepchild. It didn't take long for me to get involved, and to grow my stack. In MP with A♠2♠ there were three limpers behind me so I came along for the ride. Eventually the pot was $18. The flop came 6♣10♠4♠. It got checked around to me and I put out a bet of $15. A woman in LP, who was a very poor player, called and everyone else folded. The turn was the sweet 9♠. So I had the nuts and bet out $20. She called and the river was the 5♠. I hoped she had the K♠ and I bet out $25. She only had $20 left and she called with ... wait for it ... 2♥6♠. She called on the button preflop with that hand, called a $15 bet with middle pair no kicker on the flop, called a $20 bet on the turn with three spades on board and then called a $25 bet with just a 6-high flush. But not before a speech: "I don't think you got a spade." I said "You're right, I don't have a spade. I have THE spade."

And she was one of the BETTER players at the table! I felted three people at this table, but two of them I felted twice, and they ALL rebought. I know you have to have no respect for money when you play poker, but they took it to another level. I haven't seen players this bad since that Mexican gentleman at the Monte Carlo back in July. And this session would be much better than that one. 

The cutoff limped, as did another woman the button. I was in the SB with Q♦8♥. So I called and the BB checked. The flop came K♦Q♥8♦ and I bet out $12 into a $12 pot. The BB and cutoff folded and the button called. The turn was the 3♣. I bet $25 and she min-raised (actually she raised to $40 but the dealer corrected her and said she needed to make it $50). She only had about $40 left, so I went all-in. She called, turned over A♠Q♣ and a harmless 10♣ fell. She lost her whole stack on second pair. I applaud the raise, but I hadn't shown down any hand that wasn't the nuts. Did she really think I was bluffing? Could she really think second pair was good?

My stack grew very quickly, plus EVERY pot I won went to showdown and involved me felting someone. ... and that's no exaggeration at all.

But here's the hand I want the Ante Up! Nation's opinion on, and it came against THE WORST player at the table. I saw him call an all-in with bottom pair on a board of A♠K♠Q♦5♠J♣. So here's the hand, and I was up about $200 at this point. I was on the button with 7♦9♦. Again, a bunch of limpers, so I called, too. The flop: 9♥5♦6♥. The pot was roughly $15 so I bet $10. This terrible player called and everyone else folded. The turn was the 3♠. I bet $15 and he shoved for $50 more. What? Does he have a pair of fives again? So I needed to call $50 to win $115, which is better than 2-to-1, but not quite 3-to-1. I really couldn't put this guy on a hand, especially after the horrendous call he had made earlier. Finally I put him on either a draw or two pair. I did, however, pick up a double-belly-buster with that 3. Normally I'd probably fold here, especially if I wasn't up. If he had a straight would he really shove into someone betting into him? Then again, how could I put conventional wisdom into the head of a guy who made that earlier call? Ultimately it felt like he was trying to protect a vulnerable hand, so I thought "What hand is vulnerable here? Maybe he has A9? Or two baby pair? Against either of these hands I'd be behind (3-to-1 vs. A-9 and 2-to-1 vs. two baby pair), though I had a ton of outs. The only real hand I was afraid of was 7-8, but I knew he didn't have that because I think he would've raised me on the flop with two hearts out there (even the worst player in the world would protect that hand). So I called. Would you have called given the information I gave you?

He turned over 5♠3♣. Let's count the outs: any 4 (4), 8 (4) any 7 (3) any 9 (2) and now any 6 (3). So I had 16 outs, and the one I wasn't counting on fell: the 6♦. He was counterfeited and I felted another player. He rebought (again) and here's the nail that sealed the coffin on this player being the worst ever. After he lost a small pot (is that even possible with these players?) he had $80 left. He announced to the dealer (while the cards were being shuffled) he was going all-in blind on the next hand. But only I, the dealer and the guy immediately to my left heard him. So I was UTG with A♥J♥ and just limped, all the while watching this guy to make sure he really didn't look at his cards. Sure enough he shoved without looking. Everyone folded and I looked at the guy next to me who also had heard him. I could tell he was thinking of calling, but I knew if I called he probably wouldn't. Sure enough when I called he said, "If you didn't I would've. But since you called I can't."

The donktard turned over 8♣3♠. I saw an ace in the window and it was all over. I felted him again. I looked at my cell and it was around 3 p.m. I still needed to interview the pros at that point and I wanted to have dinner with my wife so I decided to cash in, up $430 in less than an hour. Ah, brick and mortar. ... isn't it grand?

But I really want to know what everyone thinks of that call I made. Would you have called there? Just curious.

-- Chris

Comments

[Marcus]

I think your call was good. I mean after seeing hin play how on earth can you take this guy serious. I think its only about playing your cards, outs and odds and not the opponent anymore. You have top pair (no kicker), a backdoor straight and backdoor flush possibility... And as it turned out the call was perfect. Even if he had a hand (even the dumbest players sometimes flop the nuts) you would have been way up in this game and could take another shot at the players after that.

What I do not understand is that you left the table. If it would have been me, I'd probably call my wife and would postpone dinner. Afer two or three more hours with those people you would have been able to book the president suite in a nice hotel and have a great night...

Man am I jealous that I was not at this table...

Marcus

[Gambit]

I'd make the call too. Given the play you describe, you might already be ahead here, lol. If not, you're on a big draw.

Don't forget to count your four 4's as outs, so that's 16.

[Chris Cosenza]

Oops, yes my fours too. I counted them when I was at the table and of course I knew about them since I wrote that I had the double-bellybuster, I just forgot to add them when I was writing it. I have since corrected the post. Thanks Gambit.

Marcus, to me, some things are more important than poker and winning money.

[Snuffy]

Call. You are way up in the game. Even if you miss you are likely to get the chips back from the same player anyway.

I told you live poker around here is soft. Now if I could only convince my wife to let me go play 4-5 nights per week.

[Ron]

I think it's something in the air in Sarasota. I stopped by there last Saturday, and a guy sat down to my left at a 1/2 NL table and announced he goes all-in blind every time on his first five hands. He actually did this & I felted him twice in his first five hands. (he did win one pot when he played QQ blind, but it wasn't against me.) On the sixth hand, I turned the nut flush & he pushed for $120, with a pair of tens & three clubs on the board.
I ususally play at Derby Lane, but I think I need to drive to Sarasota more often.

[Chris Cosenza]

Ron, was he Jamaican?

[Ron]

Yes, He was Jamaican.

[Erwin Blonk]

"to me, some things are more important than poker and winning money."

Stop watching Oprah and I'll pretend I didn't read that heresy ;)

[viii_ball]

Given all the information you gave us I think I would call as well. But you were behind and you did suckout. That guy probably went home and wrote in his blog how horrible guys are playing and when he is almost a 65% favorite can't get his cards to hold up. :-)

[Chris Cosenza]

Ron, that was the guy. And to take this a step further, after I interviewed Lon I apologized to him for not finding him earlier, but I told him I had a game that was so juicy that I couldn't leave until I absolutely had to. So then he said, "I know what you mean, I was playing with a guy here last night who kept going all-in blind." I said, was he Jamaican? And he said YES! I pointed him out and sure enough, that was the guy. So we all must be talking about the same dude. I want to invite him to our home game.

Erwin: I really wasn't there to play cash games; I was there to cover the event and try the shootout. If Fasso was out before me I would have just interviewed the players and left. So, it was a windfall of cash for me. Now, leave me alone and let me get back to the Lifetime Sunday Movie.

[Marcus]

Chris,

I think I forgot the smiley at the end of that sentence ;-)

Marcus

[Ron]

Chris, you're right. There couldn't be two like him.

And to answer your original question on this post, having played against him, your call was a no-brainer.

If you get him to your home game, you need to invite me, or at least point him at Derby Lane when you're done with him. It's only fair that you share the wealth.

[Ashwin]

I think I would call there too. It's astonishing how badly people will play sometimes. Nice work mate!

I ad a session like that on the weekend only I was on the other end.

[Erik]

I'll make it simple...yes, I would have called.

[Paboo]

Which hand are you asking about? I think I have to call for both of them.

In the first hand he's playing so bad it hard to put him on his stellar holdings.

In the second hand, call with AJs? I think it made a bid difference that you had been winning and he only had $80 left. Would you make that same call if you both had $100 behind?

I know it will always be +EV to call in that situation, but if you only brought a couple hundred to play that day, I could how one could play conservative. As for me, I think I have to call that almost everytime even if my bankroll isn't quite big enough.

Paboo

[Chris Cosenza]

"But here's the hand I want the Ante Up! Nation's opinion on" ... I thought I was being clear with this lead-in, but now I realize I mentioned the all-in-blind hand afterward so I can see how you got confused. There's no question I call the all-in-blind hand with AJ in my mind. No matter what my stack was I'd be calling that.

[John Grillo]

Chris,

It all depends... it doesnt take skills to catch AA in the pocket and then it would have been a foolish call on your point. The thing that can not be replicated is the "feel" of the moment and the read you already had on him. He obviously was on tilt and was trying to bully the table, however he could have caught 8-3 on the flop because you were on a higher draw.

Bottom line, you caught him in a bad time and were able to profit from it... good job. You did a great session and now can pay for all the bad beats online..lol!

[Chris Cosenza]

Yes, John, I thought about the fact that unless I had a pair or one of his cards dominated I would only be a 70-30 fave. But knowing he didn't look at his cards I could only be a significant dog to AA, KK, QQ, AK or AQ. So I'd take that chance every time there are only 5 hands that have me crippled. And believe me, I thought about the bad beats I've had online, but I knew my hands would hold up with a real dealer. 8-)

[engstrok]

"But unlike my last two cashes, this one didn't give me +EV on the night as I left down about $30."

I would suggest you go back to "Theory of Poker" and reread the definition of EV.

[Chris Cosenza]

You know, I wondered how many comments it would take before someone brought up the +EV reference. Obviously you know what I meant, that if I played in this tournament and this cash game that I would have a +EV on the session as that has been the case a lot more times than not. Of course I should expect no less from someone who studies Sklansky, right? Lighten up for the holidays big guy. 8-)

[engstrok]

Just trying to do my part in keeping the Nation properly educated. ;)

[Aquaman]

I'll argue for folding. Even with your correct read of the bad player, you felt you were behind in the hand, and would be gambling (getting close to but not truly proper odds to call.) With players I know I am better than, and who will payoff big hands, I prefer to reduce my gamble and wait for the hands in which I am in a dominate position.

[Chris Cosenza]

Thanks Aquaman. That's why I posted, to see what others thought. I was running so well and had so much in front of me that I felt it was worth the gamble since I knew he played crap. I got lucky, for once. 8-)