I was not surprised in the least that Kostritsyn finished 3rd.  In fact, if not for some card catching, he should have been out long before then.  He made a lot of rookie mistakes during the final table.   From what I saw of his play, it amazes me that he even cashed, much less finished third in the event.  He was a prime target to trap and take a lot of chips from.  Eric Brooks caught on to this and took two huge chunks out his ass at the final table.  I told my partner Heath that was covering the event that the true stud players would take advantage of him, and they did.

Today begins the 3K H.O.R.S.E. event.  This should be a very stacked field as you will have mixed games specialist and a lot of pros trying to make their way through a smaller field.  I would not be surprised if we had 400 or more players in this event.  500 wouldn’t shock me.  I will be covering the event for Pokernews, so head over there and click on live reporting.

Finally got my first paycheck for this gig, so I finally have some money.  I haven’t played much my last two days off due to the fact I was nearly broke.  I mostly just hung out.   Summer called me today and told me that she might fly out to see me while I am here.  That would be good.  I miss her.   Of course that will just get a couple more guys talking more than they already are.  I will go into that further in a future post.

Anywho, got to go get ready for work.

Next, I worked Event #6 which is the $1,500 Omaha 8 or Better event.  That was a great event.  I worked it from start to finish.  Saw a couple of people I knew and had a good time.  Got to cover my first final table.  I even got in a couple of media shots and I “may” get to be on TV as a result of that one.  We will see this fall.

Right now, I am working Event #14, which is the $10,000 buy-in Seven Card Stud World Championship.  This one has been the most fun so far.  I am doing a lot of coverage on a living legend of Vegas,  Archie “The Greek” Karas.  He is the man that came out to Vegas with $50, ran it up to $40,000,000 and then lost it all back.  It’s been a lot of fun covering him and all the other pros.  I will be covering the Stud World Championship to its conclusion.

Of course, if you want to follow my stuff, go to www.pokernews.com and click on the live reporting link.  Any of my events, look for the nick of compncards, and you will find my stuff.

Got to go.  I have to be at work in an hour.  (If you want to call it work)

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? 

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.

Last night I decided that I would log onto Full Tilt Poker and try and play a mixed Sit N Go tournament. As soon as I logged on I saw a HORSE Sit N Go for $1.25 buy-in. Yes, this is micro stakes, but HORSE doesn’t go off easily in SnG’s, so I figured I would play. I love mixed games as most anyone that knows me can attest.

We started with Limit Holdem and I was on the button. The first hand I was dealt a pocket pair and I raised. Everyone folded. What? Micro Limits and a fold? A few hands later I get AK and raise. One person called, and we saw a Flop of K, 3, 4. I bet and the caller folded. This doesn’t sound very interesting; except for the fact this was micro limits. Usually at this limit, you get a lot of calling, raising, and reraising with any type of hand. I thought to myself, “Wow, this is a tight table.” Then the level switched to Omaha 8 or better.

The first hand 7 out of 8 players were in the hand to 1 raise. You can guess who didn’t play the hand. Next hand the hand was raised and called by 6 players. Ok, tight image of this table just got thrown out the window. At this point I am just barely above my initial stack, when I am deal KQ24 with the Q4 of hearts. Not that great of a hand. It has possibilities if you can see the flop cheap, or in the case of this game, if almost every player is in the hand. I flop the nut flush draw and turn a 2^nd nut low. Suffice it to say the betting went bonkers 5 handed the whole way and by the end of it, I took high for the flush and amazingly enough the 2^nd nut low held up. I’m over 3400 in chips.

Welcome to Razz. 3 people called a bring in with a card higher than 9. I’m sitting here with a smile on my face, basically waiting to get a solid hand that I can dominate with. 2, 4, 6 is dealt to me about the 3^rd hand of Razz. I proceed to catch a 5 and a 7 with 3 people calling my bets all the way. In the end I take another big pot and am over 4700 in chips. The Stud 8 round only saw me win one pot and the subsequent Limit Holdem round I didn’t do much in. Then we are back to Omaha 8. 7 players remain.

At this point, I have about 4300 in chips and have a comfortable chip lead. I am mostly taking advantage of a lot of bad play with solid starting hand which is a pretty basic strategy. The hand that gave me a dominating lead came during this round. A248 with one suit. 6 players saw the flop. 2, 5, 6 was the flop. Two pair with a 2^nd nut low. I bet and it is 3 bet. I call the 3 bet. Turn card is gin when a 3 hit the board. Now I’m pushing the betting like mad because even if I get quartered, I still win money. 4 players stayed in to the river, which came a King. Again, I pushed the betting, expecting at best case scenario to split the pot. I was the only person that had a 4. SCOOP! One player was all in and was eliminated, leaving 6 players and I am sitting with 7400 in chips. 2 players are around 2000 and the other players are super short stacked.

During the subsequent Razz round, I continued to catch cards. One player was eliminated when my 753 beat their 764. Another player was eliminated when I drew to an 8 and they started and finished with a Jack. This left 4 players, all of which decided to tighten up. I am not typically an overly aggressive player, but this situation was too good to pass up. I started raising with every low card that was ahead on razz and doing the same during the Stud rounds with every high card, with VERY little resistance. Finally during the Stud round a player went all in with Jack high verses another players 2 pair. We are now in the money. I have around 9000 and the next closes player 1800.

Raise and take it was pretty much the name of the game at that point and I took a lot of pots that way. During the Stud 8 round, I’m sitting on 5^th street with an 8 low, another player has Trip Queens and the 3^rd player has a pair with a low draw. My 8 improves to a 7 and the low stack that had the low draw did not improve and we were now heads up. My opponent had around 2000. I’m sitting almost at 10.

The very last hand of Stud 8, I had my opponent all in. I had 4 cards to a 7 straight and my opponent had two sixes and a 3 low. I made my 7 low, but my opponent hit runner runner for a 6 low and scooped. During the Holdem round, my opponent flopped a set of 9’s and then slow played them to get a couple of extra bets. He worked his way back up to around 4000 in chips. Then, my opponent decided that he was going to wait for good hands. Ok, raise and take it with reasonable hands and see flops with crap. I got about 1200 of his 4000 that way.

Then we switched to Omaha. This game was his weak game and it showed. The flop came giving me a straight draw and he bet out. I called. Turn card came and paired the board. He checked to me. At this point I knew he was scared of the board pairing and if my straight came, I was good. The straight came on the river and I got an extra bet out of him. At this point he is now down to about 1200. The final hand of the game saw me turn a set of 5 vs. his two pair and he was eliminated.

This was a remarkable simple win for me. Yes, I do prefer mixed games and most play them, but this one was beyond simple to win. I did catch some cards, but at the same time I was able to exploit other player’s weaknesses. Early on, I waited for solid hands to get involved with and then as the tournament went on, I took advantage of tight play and played proper late game strategy. All in all, I am pleased with my performance. What was my win you ask? Four dollars. For me, poker isn’t about making the most money; it’s about making good decisions and winning. If I can do that, then I am happy. The money is just an added bonus.

I sit down to my table. Seat 1 was a kid that looked like he could be Chris Moneymakers younger brother. Seat 2 and 3 looked to be either to be locals or maybe tourists holding a low profile. Seat 4 was a woman in her late 50’s, maybe early 60’s. She was a known Stud High player according to what I heard later on. I was in seat 5. Seat 6 was a guy around my age that had the “I’m smarter than you and I know it” look on his face. He was very well mannered and actually a pretty good guy. Seat 7 was a NL Holdem player who was playing this event because his backer made him, or at least that was his claim. Seat 8 was a guy that had Stud High player written all over him. He had the gruff demeanor, the 25 year old suit, glasses, and the large cup of coffee to help keep him awake. He was in his 60’s at least.

For the first 2 rounds I don’t think I a single hand. I split one 3 way hand when my 7 low held up against someone’s 8 low. In the 3^rd round, there was a 4 way hand. I looked down to a 2, 4, and 6 of diamonds. My 2 was up, so I was the bring in. Seat 8 raised, as he tended to do with any big pair or ANY 3 low. Two other players called and I called. Seat 4, the woman who was a Stud High player, was one of the people in the hand. She had a Q up. Fourth Street gave me the Ace of diamonds. I checked my monster draw, hoping to get bets. My wish was granted as it was bet by seat 8 and raised by seat 4. I smooth called. Fifth street gave me an 8 of clubs for an 8 low. Seat 8 had a J and a 10 showing and the woman beside me had a KQ, so I knew I had low virtually sewed up, so I bet. I was then raised and reraised. I looked again at the board quickly before capping the bet. Seat 8 had a J, 10, 3 as his up cards and the woman beside me had Q, 9, K. Neither hand was suited. With this action I figure I’m facing 2 pair and either a straight or an open ended straight draw.

Sixth street gave me a pair of 8’s showing. I have a pair of 8’s with an 8 low. Seat 8 caught a 6, and seat 4 caught a K to pair her board. She bet, I raised, Seat 8 looked at me, and then looked at seat 4, and said that his pair of 10’s were no good he guessed and folded. Seat 4 looks at me, snarls, and then calls. She says “You probably have Aces up.” She really did snarl at me. Seventh street came the three of diamonds. Gin! I now have a flush and a 6 low. Unless she has 2 pair and hits a full house, I am NOT losing. Finally seat 4 decides that she should slow down and check to me. I bet, and she calls. I show my monster hand and she starts grumbling and shows everyone 2 pair, Kings and Queens. She started with Queens.

As the next hand is being dealt, seat 4 looks at me and says, “You have an interesting strategy. You ONLY play good hands.” I do not educate players at the table like some poker players have a tendency to, so I gave the typical “I really haven’t gotten much in the way of cards etc.” The truth is, she was right. I was ONLY playing good hands. Stud High Low Split is a game that is about scooping pots, not finishing with the highest hand only. This lady, as many other players tend to do, was playing Stud High and only paying attention to low when it was convenient. What happens in those situations is that players like myself who play proper strategy will more times than not clean house. It doesn’t always happen because poker does involve luck, but over the long haul, people like that woman will lose money to me. Stud High Low Split rewards proper play more so than most other poker games due to the way the game is setup.

Seat 4 continued to jaw on an off at me about my play. She asked me things like, “Do you actually make any money at this game?” She also liked to point out that she had been playing Stud longer than I have alive. Over the course of the game, it became apparent that only seat 6 and 8 had any clue what to do. Seat 8 played very loose and at times looked like he didn’t know what he was doing, but if he got in trouble or short stacked, all of a sudden he played textbook Stud 8. Seat 6 was a very calculating player but he was relatively inexperienced and it cost him later in the event. Seat 1, Kid Moneymaker, was NOT a Stud 8 player by any stretch of the imagination, but he seemed to be a decent Stud High player. He wound up getting a lot of chips when he was moved to a table with several Stud High players. I played my normal tight aggressive style and got some chips. I was about an average stack when the following hand occurred.

In round 7 I look down to 5, 6, 7 offsuit. Seat 1, Kid Moneymaker, was the bring in. Seat 4 calls and then I call. Immediately she says “Oh hell, you’re in. You must have a hand.” I just did my cockeyed “We will see” nod and moved on. By 5^th street I had a 7 low made with a 7,6,5,4, A. Seat 4 bet on both 4^th and 5^th streets and Kid Moneymaker called. On 6^th street Kid Moneymaker caught an open pair and bet out and seat 4 put her last chips in. The last card came and gave me an 8 for an 8 high straight and a 7 low. Kid Moneymaker checked and I bet. Seat 4 started throwing a fit. Kid Moneymaker actually folded at this point and I showed my straight. Seat 4 started spewing off how that she had Aces up but she KNEW she was screwed because I was in the hand. She gave me another snarl and gave me a sarcastic “Good luck to you” and went on her way.

Only 2 people from that starting table cashed, Kid Moneymaker and myself. Seat 8 got deep but his loose play bit him one too many times. Seat 6 got into a few situations where he made some bad reads and cost himself a pot or 2. Personally, I got moved to a table with about 40 players left with a bunch of good Stud 8 players. I took advantage of a few situations against other tight players late and got some chips and caught a couple of decent hands and then made the money. I finished 19^th in the event. Not a huge payday, but it was a payday, and a ton of fun. Of course, I never saw seat 4 again, so I didn’t get to gloat. In the end, I didn’t care. My “interesting strategy” paid off. That’s what the game is all about.