The same frustrations that I experience with a ring game of NL Holdem are still there, but it isn’t as magnified. Also, I am playing Sit-N-Go’s and not cash games, so that helps. That reminds me of a talk I had with a friend of mine Mickey last night. He expressed that when he is running bad, the game affects his overall mood. I tend to sympathise with him. One thing that I mentioned to him was the fact that I tend to get frustrated more in cash games as opposed to Sit-N-Go’s. In SNG’s, once I pay the money, I consider it gone forever unless I cash. In a cash game, I see the actual money going up or down depending on how I am running. I am not like some people where the money doesn’t mean anything to me at all, so there is I guess the added psychological pressure. True, this is all in my head, but at least I admit it.

My Stud-8 game has been running really well lately. I’ve only had 2 losing session, and 0 losing days so far. I probably need to work on my Stud 8 tournament game some. It is still hard for me to find the patience to sit for a long tournament online. In a future blog, I will go over my Stud 8 cash at Binion’s during my Vegas trip.

I don’t really feel like talking about much else right now, so have a good one folks.

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I covered Event #29, which was a $3,000 NL Holdem event. As most of you know, I hate NL Holdem, but I will play it and I will cover it because thats where the money is at. Tuesday night was the final table of the $3k NL event. John Phan and David Singer were two of the pro’s at the table.

David Singer is a dick. He is a complainer. He complained that the players weren’t announced. (The table was not televised and maybe 20 people were watching.) He complained about the lighting (which was a semi legit complaint). The floorstaff moved them and then they complained that they were too close to people. Then he complained that there weren’t any rails. And that was just at the final table. He had other complaints as well, including the fact his name didn’t have a little FTP logo beside it. Oh boo hoo bitch. I dislike having to root against a pro, but this time I was rooting against him. He lost. Good.

The final table went relatively quick until we got to heads up. John Phan takes entirely too much time to do anything. He takes too long at breaks, he takes too long to bet, call, raise, or whatever. About an hour or two into the match, John Phan and Johnny Neckar decided that they would talk out a deal at the table. First, this shouldn’t have happened at the table. They should have taken a few minutes away from the table, had their discussion, and came back. A few hands after making the deal, Phan decides they are going to dinner for 90 minutes. What the fuck was that?? He decides not to come back on time from dinner. Gee…big shock.

Now comes the part of history. Around midnight, after playing heads up for about 5 hours, the two decide to push all in blind. You read that right, all in blind. They would get dealt two cards face down, have the flop, turn, and river dealt, and then show one card at a time. My partner in blogging Heath was pissed, but honestly, this was the only fun part about the final table. The above picture is the scene at the end of the second hand.

The board on the second hand was J-8-Q-Q-5. Johnny Neckar had 4-2, and was playing the board. John Phan had 4-7, and the 7 played. You can see the amusement on my face regarding the hand. The third hand of the three card series was just as funny when Phan had K-6 and Neckar Q-4 and his 4 paired with the board.

Clearly they made a second deal so that they could get it over with. In the end, John Phan won the bracelet and the title. Phan and Neckar definately made history with going all in blind three times in a row. I was at the table and witnessed the last two hands. Although I don’t like NL Holdem, this is one memory I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I actually had fun watching a holdem tournament….at least for two hands anyway.

No Limit Holdem satellite that pays a seat to 10 players. There are 11 players left. Average stack is 35,000.  You are in 5th chip position with 41,000 with blind of 1000 – 2000 with a 100 ante.  The chip leaders have over 100k each, and 2 short stacks are below 15k.   One of the chip leaders raises from middle position and your on the button with A, A.   What do you do?

Stud 8 or Better.  You have rolled up 9’s in a loose game that has 6 players see 4^th street.  Besides yourself, the other callers are a 9, A, K, 2, and 4.   The Ace pairs up on fourth and bets.  The King calls.  You raise and all other players but the other 9 folds.  On 5^th, the King now pairs up.   Your hand has not improved.  Aces bet, and the kings raise.  What is your play?  This is only the 2^nd hand you have played in this game.

Razz.   You have rolled up Aces and last to act.   A king brings in, and every other card on the table is 9 and above.  A Jack and a 9 call the bring in.  What should be your play here?

Omaha 8 or better.  This is a $2 – $4 game and every player at the table saw the flop with no raise.   You hold A, 3, J, 10 with no suits.  The flop comes 4c, 5c, 8h.  There was a bet and 5 players including you called.  Turn comes the 9c.  It is 3 bet by the time it arrives to you.  What is your play here?

Limit Holdem   You are dealt a Jh, 10h in the big blind.  3 people see the flop with you.  The flop comes Ah, 4h, Kd.   What is the best play here?

Stud.  You are dealt Kc, Qc, Jc.   You and three other people call the bring in bet from the 9s, which is the lowest card showing.  The other up cards are the As, Ks, Qh.  Fourth street unravels as follows.  You catch Ac.  The other three are showing As Kc,  Ks Qc,  Qh, Ah.  What is your play here?

Pot Limit Omaha.  50 – 100 blinds.  You have 25,000 in chips.  You are dealt As, Ad, 5c, 9h.   The bet is potted and repotted to you.  What is your play here? 

Lol donkeyments truly applies to freerolls.  I have played a couple of Pokerstars and gotten really deep and all the players that have chips are playing like crap.  I play crap and don’t catch.  I guess freerolls truly are crapshoots.  I know none of what I am saying is really earth shattering or ground breaking, but I just wanted to post about it.  

1. What is a low?

   A low is a 5 card hand that contains 5 unique low cards, typically 8 or below.  An example would be 2, 4, 5, 6, 7

2. Are wraps a good thing or a bad thing?

   Wraps are good.  Wrap starting hands are 4 cards that are closely coordinated for straight possibilities, such as J, 10, 7, 8.  A wrap straight draw is  a draw where at least 3 cards can come to give you a straight, such as a  8, 9, 6 flop with the previously mentioned hand. Any Queen, Seven, or Five will give you a straight in this example.

3. How is the size of a bring-in bet usually determined?

   In Stud games, the bring-in bet is usually twice the size of the ante.

4. Do you even know what a bring-in is?

   A bring-in is a forced bet made by the lowest showing up card in Stud and Stud 8 or better.  It is made by the highest up card in Razz.

5. John has a number 1. What does John have?

   John has a 2, 3, 4, 5, 7.

6. What game is John playing in question 5.

   John is playing 2-7 Lowball.

7. A flush beats a full house in what poker game? (This is a casino game, not some odd home game.)

   Mexican Poker.  This is a popular poker variant in California.  In Mexican poker the 7’s, 8’s, and 9’s are stripped out the deck.   As a result, it is much harder to make a flush in Mexican Poker than a Full House.

8. California and Kansas City are forms of what game?

   Lowball.  California lowball is 2-7 lowball and Kansas City Lowball is A-5 lowball.

9. You can make a double bet on an open pair on fourth street in 7 Card Stud 8 or better.

   False.  Only in Stud Hi.

10. Your starting hand in Omaha is a set of 10’s with a 7 kicker with no suits. What is your play?

    Fold.  You have to play 2 cards in your hand and 3 on the board.  Starting with a set in your hand is very bad as you only have one out to improve your PAIR.

11. At what point do antes come into play in most Limit tournaments?

    Unless you are playing Stud based games, there aren’t any ante’s in Limit tournaments.  

12. You are holding Aces full of Kings with a 67 in Razz. Your opponent has a King high straight with an 87. Who wins and why?

    Your opponent wins.  You opponent actually has Jack high where you hold a pair of Aces with a K, 6, 7.

13. You hear 10 people talk about HOE in a casino but there are no prostitutes anywhere. What are they talking about?

    A rotation game consisting of Holdem, Omaha 8 or Better, and Stud 8 or better.  Otherwise, they are likely farmers or construction people.  J

14. In what game is the first raise not truly a raise?

    Any stud based game.  In Stud based games, the first raise is actually a completion of the first bet.  It is even referred to as a completion.

15. You have a wheel, but only get 25% of the pot. What crazy game are you playing and why are you only getting 25% of the pot??

    Omaha 8 or Better.  You have the best low, but someone else has a wheel. 

16. Badugi. Tell me what it is.

    Badugi is a triple draw game where the object is to get 1 card of each suit in your hand.  The lowest 4 card badugi hand wins.  A four card hand consisting of one of each suit is a badugi.

17. What is the best hand in badugi?

    An A, 2, 3, 4 badugi is the best hand. 

18. What is HORSE?

    H.O.R.S.E is a rotation game consisting of 5 variants of poker.  Limit Holdem, Limit Omaha 8 or Better, Limit Razz, Limit Stud, and Limit Stud 8 or Better.

19. You have QJ108, with the Q10 of hearts. You flop Ace of hearts, Jack of hearts and an 8 of clubs. Someone potted and repotted. What do you do?

    You call or even reraise.  This is a Pot Limit Omaha hand with a boatload of outs.  The King of hearts gives you a Royal.  Any heart gives you a flush.  Any non heart King gives you the nut straight.  Any Queen or 10 gives you a full house.  Any 9 gives you a  Queen high straight. 

20. In the game California referred to in question 8, you have a wheel. How good is your hand and why?

    Your hand sucks.  California Lowball is 2 to 7 lowball.  Straights and flushes hurt your hand and Aces are always high.  You have Ace high.  (You do not have a straight because Aces are always high.)  If this was Kansas City Lowball, you have the nuts…literally the nuts.

Scoring Chart

1-5 Correct : You’re a Holdem player only aren’t you

6-10 Correct:  You’re a mixed games novice or maybe a Stud Player

11-15 Correct: Well rounded player but not in obscure games most likely.

15-20 Correct:  General Poker Expert.  Go find your own table.  These are MY fish.