Poker

OK, it's about time I created a permanent thread for the 'beautiful game' - where PYA can drone on about 'soapy re-buy' tournaments at Praed St, and I can brag about my successes!

 

Entered into the £50 F/O at HQ last night - 83 runners creating a prizepool of £6,150.

I battled through a mob of good players - vastly outnumbered by the distinctly average - to reach the Final Table.

Eventually out in 5th place picking up 290 sovs ....... but canny old Boggy had 10% of a lad (oooooooooo errrrrrrrrrrr missus) who finished secundamudo - meaning another £92 in the old sky for an outlay of a fiver.

Less exs' £327 profit (tax free) for 7.5 hours work .... a reasonable return for my 'labour'!

 

This is a good idea. If you can refrain from abusing us lesser experienced players then you might be surprised how popular this could get.

 

Seven and a half hours. Jesus OMR, that's a marathon.

Think the longest Freeze Out I ever played was about four hours.

 

That's about par for an 'average' sized entry to a run of the mill tourny - if you play a Main Event (GUKPT/EPT/WSOP etc) the Day 1 & 2 are usually 11+ hours (15 min break every 2 hours plus a 1 hour lunch break with an indifferent buffet laid on) ........ where's your stamina boy?

 

3rd in my Sit n Go last night on PokerStars... not bad.

Can you chaps recommend any good/essential poker books??

Mucho Gracias

 

praed stweet - won it monday, won it last night - does me well for my course work OMR.

20k chip leader i is BB 1,200, 1st player goes 8k other 5 players fold, i think for a while then go all in, to an immediate call ( he had 19k and was covered) - i had him on low pair or A,k. I show pocket 9' - he shows ak suited - flop good for me, turn good for me river good for - 40k chip leader

best idea of a fred in the forum:sign15:

 

I'd consider a seperate poker area in the gambling section if this becomes as popular as I think it will.

 

i think ya bluffing admin - all in!

 

The acknowledged 'Poker Bible(s)' are Super System I (& II) by Doyle Brunson.

Loads of other decent books about - if you want to save money (try the library obviously), get info free on the internet (read the Pro Tips - for many scenarios - on the Full Tilt/Stars etc websites).

However, there's no substitute for live play - you've got to do your 'apprenticeship' ........ the amount of 'good' (results wise) internet players I've seen come unstuck when they 'try the moves' against experienced bods - at a real baize table - could fill Vicarage Road.

Pub poker - complete waste of space ...... only use to get a 'feel' for the chips and the basic mechanics of the game.

Snooker hall poker - much the same as above ..... usually full of spazzes that know it all (and really know phuqq all) - use for experience (observe how bad most are) only.

Real Poker - join a club like these ...... (highly recommended)

http://www.thewesternclub.com/Poker.aspx

Or;

http://www.theintclub.com/

Only play the smallest of competitions - many of the players will 'coach you' with helpful tips, 'gently' telling you where you went wrong (or even right)etc ...... also be prepared to be embarassed/outplayed/abused by other players (surprising - you'll find I don't tend to fall into this category), and don't take it to heart, most are using 'aggressive' tactics to undermine you for their own furthment ..... it's rarely personal!

Once you've shed your 'newbie' status (after 15/20 mindnumbingly nervewracking visits) you'll slowly gain confidence in your game, and the surroundings.

Casino Poker - unless entering the lowest of low buy in Tournies - to be avoided by beginners.

Many players are Pro/Semi Pro/Phuqqin Good Amateurs hence the chance of 'newbie success' is virtually zero ..... they'll eat you alive.

In Real & Casino Poker - NEVER EVER get knocked out of a tourny and think ..... "Oooooooo there's some Cash Tables over there - I'll try my luck!"

You go home poorer than a New Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer .......

(Or if you're looking for 'easy money' and an appalling standard of play ....... join the Bear down in 'New Maida Vale')

 

certainly an easy place to start off your live game sessions - tis very friendly except for a few incidents and two or three whinging, moaning canuts. Problem is no dealers until final table, so self deal, but normally someone on each table will take up the duty.

Pleased with my progress there in made of ale.

OMR is right about the pub games - just to learn the lessons of betting, chip stacks and watching the players get pished and move all in on bolloc.ks then call you a canut for beating them.

 

I was going to ask about this. Do you chaps drink anything but non alcaholic drinks during play?

 

Not a good idea - in the bigger tournaments the sessions are far too long to be playing half cut ..... alcohol clouds the judgement, and there's too much money at stake (plus you could easily miss the 'vital' hand whilst having to frequently point Percy at the porcelain).

Red Bull is the staple diet - or a nice cup of tea (anything with caffeine in it).

Or for a tiny minority a bit of 'Stu Ungar' - probably the greatest ever Poker player to have lived (and then died - potless - sadly addicted to the Columbian Marching Powder) - to keep the senses honed ....... again, not recommended!

However - if you play in soppy events in Paddington, vast amounts of Stella are recommended to bring your game down to the level of all the other participants ....... as it's a bit embarassing to have won the whole shebang by the end of the first level!

 

That's absolutley superb, cheers for the info guys... I've watched the game for years on TV but am only recently playing for 'real money' online. Just single table sit n go's, no scary cash games!

Had an absolute shocker last night.... Decent chip stack, made trip 10's on the turn and was gonna bet big to get the other guy off the hand as it looked like he was straightening up.... sadly, poor Robodance hit the 'check' button by mistake....

:forehead:

He (obviously) senses weakness, goes all in, I can't let go as I'm pot committed so call and sure enough he straightens up on the river...

5th for me then...

What an amateur. Bloody microsoft mouse!

:forehead:

 

They indeed like e bevvy in paddington.

 

Unfortunately, that's the trouble with the 'poker' on the internet.

The software is supposedly governed by a 'completely fair' RNG (random number generator) - but ask any experienced live player and they view Net poker with varying degrees of suspicion.

Par example - your own scenario above ......... your hand is 81.8% favourite to the dog hand of your opponent's mere 18.2% with only the river to come!

Many Net players haven't a clue about the mathematics behind a decision/move (let alone pot odds/or implied pot odds) - with one card to come his decision to move all in (most Donks 'explain' their awful play by insisting they "were making a move") wasn't good play.

Good Poker - when you haven't got the stone cold nuts - is all about 'control of the pot' ........ you've got to leave yourself a chance to pass if the turn/river go 'horribly wrong' for you - then you're still in the tournament, and have a chance to come back.

Even better Poker - when you have got the stone cold nuts - is even more about 'control of the pot' ........ you don't want to scare them away (the amount of times I have sat at a table, and a fool has totally overbet - ignorantly 'revealing' his hand - runs into thousands) ...... if you get your bet sizes right, even a good player will often pay you off with the second best hand, if you don't make it too expensive ........ what's better -cleverly get a third of his stack, or scream "all in" to get Sweet FA?

Also - don't look to the TV shows as examples of 'good' poker ........ 99% of it lies on the cutting room floor - in these highlights, the action hands are all that is shown!

 

My Poker Weekend;

I made my debut at the Monthly £20k guaranteed at The Equal Chance Club over in deepest, darkest, Walthamstow, on Friday night.

On arrival 'clocked' some noted pros Bushy/Citrone/Sapiano and one said, "it didn't take you long to find out about this one P ....... it's 'soft'!"

Sat all night - just playing premium hands - observing in total amazement the plethora of absurd/awful play ...... and made it into Day 2.

Kicked off Saturday with a 'rush' - got my 29k stack up to 75k in the first fifteen hands.

The 'happiness' soon ended when my 'dreaded hand' - AK suited - came a cropper on an AK7 board to a beautifully 'disguised' set of sevens ...... ho hum!

After, a good session up the boozer, and I was fully recuperated and ready for the Sunday £100 F/O at HQ.

3.45 am today and Boggy walked whistfully off into the breaking dawn with a 1st prize of £1,660 (tax free - to all you aquamarine civvies looking in) ...... normal service is resumed!

 

Yeah, lots still to learn, primarily utilising pot odds so I can understand when a bet is good value based on my chances of winning, etc...

But am enjoying learning along the way...

 

An 'enthralling' Monday night of Internet poker ........... not!

All set for the Australian Poker Cup super satellite on William Hill at 9pm .......... (to the 'uninitiated', a wonderfully cheap way of getting a 5* holiday in far off climes - all exps and spending dosh incl - with a game, or two, of Snap thrown in) ...... entry cost $275, one seat guaranteed with minimum field of 25 (qualified through a 'feeder sat' for $25).

Match Abandoned!

Only 24 registered ..... $275 returned to my account (showing a $250 profit on my original investment of 25 bucks).

What an anti-climax (as the actress said to the Bishop).

Too late to dash out anywhere to play live poker - so played a few SNGs (winning two, losing one), and had a minor (more like miniscule) cash in an MTT.

The Loneliness (and sheer boredom) of the Long Distance Internet Player ....... no wonder I play live 95% of the time!

 

The Wednesday 'Crap Shoot' Freezeout at HQ.

91 entries for the £50 Deepstack F/O - the starting stack of 10,000 chips pulls 'em in from far and wide ...... there seems to be 'such belief', amongst the herd of exceedingly average punters that continue to turn out for this, that a HUGE starting stack is 'value' and somehow 'gives them a better chance'.

What they don't consider is that, after the first two - half hour - levels, the blinds race ahead in the ensuing 20 min a level 'turbo-charged nutterfest'.

Steady progress was made by yours truly - watchfully keeping an eye (whilst many around weren't) on the alarmingly increasing blinds, and the 'average chipcount' - to get down to the last sixteen.

I kept my cool - keeping just ahead of the average (through some good play, and a lot of petty larceny - while all around (especially the inexperienced) grew increasing perturbed as the blinds gorged on their diminishing stacks.

Down to 12 - Final Table, and more importantly the wonga, for the final nine only - when there was an outbreak of 'lilly-liveredism'.

At 2.00 am, the six on the other table suddenly came up with a request for a 'deal'.

They wanted to 'chop' the prizemoney ....... twelve phuqqin ways (meaning everyone would cop £340ish).

Never in my poker phuqqin life have I seen a deal proposed by so many ...... with the Final Table still a mere speck on the horizon!

Reasoning, such as, "it's a crapshoot with these blinds/we'll all make a nice return/I've got work in the morning" - I was half expecting, "my mum will be worried where I am ........"

Arseholes were flappping .......

Now in poker the majority decision means Diddly Squat - if one disagrees ..... no deal!

With a smile, Boggy purred, "this is a Poker Tournament Gents .... not the phuqqin Co-Op!"

Immediately, The Wizened Master (an old boy in his seventies, whose forgotten more about the game than the internetbozokids will ever learn in a lifetime) intervened, "You beat me to it P. We're here to play cards- not change our underwear (or words to that effect) ..... FU lot get on with it!"

It's an interseting observation on life to watch how grown men (with jobs ranging from Company Directors, Doctors, Accountants - right down to your local jobbing carpenter) can visibly 'mentally collapse', over a game of cards ..... I was in my element!

Quickly, we were down to eleven - and the tension (for most) was tangible .....

Your beloved author looks down at JJ UTG, and promply raises (the blinds were 6,000/12,000) ..... a small stack goes all-in (no worries, my stack is four times his) ..... the BB (a wiley Old Israelite) announces, "this'll sort you out!", and also goes all-in ..... mmmmmmmm, a real worry - after asking for a count I also 'cover' him, and will be left with 35k even if it goes boobs up ..... Boggy calls, and doesn't like what he sees.

Small stack, A 7 ..... Moses with a 'monster', KK.

Flop no help, turn worse (oh bugger), river - all hail The Poker Gods - the beautiful sight of the Jack of Clubs ........ I'm blessed ....... two gone F/T!

More appeals for a 'deal' before a card is even dealt ....... 'Cough' says Boggie (especially as there's one guy - short stacked - who I think of as Thrush ...... he's such an irritating canut)!

Nasty man duly removed, and a bad beat from a runner runner Flush, and I condescend to the chop (the BBs were getting truly scarey - 10/20k and to have bettered the chop you needed to finish minimum third ..... with eight left, one mistake and it could have been 8th spot for a measly £140 - and egg all over my mush!)

So once again, Boggy sauntered off into the breaking dawn with a prize of £555 in the sky ...... an adequate return for 7.5 hours of extreme toil and pergatory.

 

enjoyed reading that - "deal or no deal" 12 players - ha ha , I bet 10 of them was from pwaed stweet.

 

First away 'game of the season' coming up next week, Paddy ...... at The Ricoh, Coventry.

Not football ****tery - there's a GUPKPT festival up there.

Cop this for a Casino (Vicarage Road ......... if only!);

http://www.grosvenorukpokertour.com/GUKPTCoventry.shtml

Now double cop this for a view from my hotel window;

http://www.71rooms.co.uk/accommodation.htm#1

PMSL; a panoramic view of a 'Plastic Brummie Bowl' - just as well there's no poxy Cov game on ........ otherwise there might have been a half naked WFC fan arrested at the Ricoh, at ten past three on a Saturday, for steaming into a bunch of startled football fans complaining about, "all that phuqqin noise" outside his hotel window!

 

Good reading OMR. I'm an extreme poker novice but it's always nice to hear of some success stories.

 

Continued my Poker education last night with a $10 9-Seater sit n Go on Poker Stars...

Came in second, but still did OK heads up despite being short stacked in comparision to my opponent...

tried to keep pot odds and value bets more in focus and it certainly adds another level of depth to decision making...

Bring on tonight...

 

Congrats Robo - SNGs are an excellent place to learn the 'mechanics' cheaply.

Remember to re-evaluate the hands as other players get knocked out and the table becomes short-handed (face cards, and rag Aces ..... become 'playable') - and if you're on the BB with filth, it can be 'profitable' to call a smallish raise to see if you hit (the raiser will often have AK/AQ ..... so if you pair your 5 7 on a low board, they're in trouble!).

And when heads up - naked aggression is the order of the day with, or without a hand ..... most internet players haven't a clue about the H/U game, and are too passive (but flat call if you get a decent pocket pair .... induce the raise ..... and then 're-pop' the pot).


No joy in the £50 F/O at HQ last night - an indecently early exit from the tournament for such a talented individual!

Two minor cashes in online tournies yesterday ..... dreams of a Caribbean Cruise remain firmly on hold!

 

Yep,

some familiar tips there OMR, in tune what I've seen/read...

Actually did rather well heads up last night, but the other guy had (luckily it must be said) doubled up a couple times while we were on the bubble, so he dwarfed my stack by the time we got down to business.... Essentially he could just fold and wait for a monster, then try and draw me in... But yeah, I always try to keep firing heads-up and keep in mind that an Ace becomes a much bigger weapon playing with less seats...

Bring on tonight



I think the biggest issue I have with 'real' poker is the whole table etiquette issue. It's all a bit intimidating...

Ended up in some dive of a casino in Nottingham after Tuesday nights game and was playing some 3 card (cr*p I know - no skill) and it's annoying getting ticked off by the dealer and looking a plank... Just simple things like not knowing the right time to get your cash changed up or being asked not to bend the cards too much!

:rant:

 

Good luck .....

 

Robo - just saw you're based in Dartford, so The Western's a bit of a trek.

The nearest club to you is The Big Slick;

http://www.bigslick.co.uk/cardroom.html

I've never played there (sarf of the river is a mystery to those norf of Lunun) - but heard reasonable reports.

Probably a bit 'softer' - and a darn sight politer than the Luunun clubs - an ideal introductory venue to the game, IMO.

 

A veritable source of Online Income 'discovered' in darkest Hertfordshire:


I have long ago noticed some particulary strange games offered in the SNG sections of the online providers ...... 'Double Up/Double Your Money' type Tournies (of the six that enter .... three split the dosh).

They certainly don't do what it says on the side of the tin, because if you take into account the registration fee .... your money isn't actually doubled!

I've always wondered why they seem so popular ....... musing that the players must play 'scared poker', and be terrified of putting their small bankrolls at risk (which is fair enough .... who wants to give their hard earned away?).

Also, being an 'online cynic', I've never been comfortable with the variances in NLHE ..... not with the 'virtual cards' - but with the bozos that tend to play it!

Anyhow, looking for something 'untaxing' to play alongside whilst in an MTT, I started to look in on these small comps - during the boredom of waiting for some decent cards in a bigger tourny.

I noted that a group of the same players tended to favour PLO (Pot Limit Omaha) SNGs ..... and most were decidedly average at the game.

Now most NLHE players on the net aren't that great, but to be mediocre in the 'more specialist' games is positively dangerous (especially to your pocket).

AHAAAAAAAAAAA ........... thinks Boggie ........ let's explore this (rather boring) investment opportunity.

Let battle commence ......

The resulting 'portfolio' below indicates that the duller games shouldn't always be scorned ........

08/23/2009 "Turbo" $10 PLO Double Up lobby $10.00+$1.00 1/6 $20.00
08/22/2009 "Turbo" $30 PLO Double Up lobby $30.00+$3.00 1/6 $60.00
08/22/2009 "Turbo" $50 PLO Double Up lobby $50.00+$5.00 1/6 $100.00
08/22/2009 "Turbo" $30 PLO Double Up lobby $30.00+$3.00 1/6 $60.00
08/22/2009 "Turbo" $30 PLO Double Up lobby $30.00+$3.00 1/6 $60.00
08/21/2009 "Turbo" $30 PLO Double Up lobby $30.00+$3.00 6/6 $0.00
08/21/2009 "Turbo" $20 PLO Double Up lobby $20.00+$2.00 1/6 $40.00
08/21/2009 "Turbo" $30 PLO Double Up lobby $30.00+$3.00 1/6 $60.00
08/21/2009 "Turbo" $30 PLO Double Up lobby $30.00+$3.00 1/6 $60.00

A modest profit of $170 odd .... without a sweat.

Oh, and I hope my half drunken ramblings about the game yesterevening didn't totally confuse Mr Wharehouse!

 

Not totally, but almost!

 

Thank God it's Thursday, and time to depart leafy Hertfordshire for the 'delights' of The Ricoh Arena.

Four days of poker bliss await at the former Isle of Capri Casino .... now taken over by Grosvenor - to become the new G (spot) Coventry venue.

The General Manager was so keen to get the venue 'going', that he has hastily arranged a GUKPT Summer Series of four events beginning tonight.

Having looked at their normal 'menu' it's hardly surprising - as the good folk of Cov seem to think that anything over a £25 comp during the week is 'beyond their means'.

So, it's ship in the loons to liven the gaff up ...... there are already plans for a drunken 11 a side game on the pitch - kicking off at 3.30 am ..... (giving us Hotel Suites whose patio doors open directly out into the stadium - how 'inviting' ...... ho hum)!

And if yours truly should get knocked out of one of the Tournies embarassingly early ..... there's the added bonus of the late bar, and the Casino dancefloor - where the local drunken girlies will be gently groomed into returning to a Cockerneeeees suite, to play 'hide the sausage' in the 'room with a view'.

I hope you enjoy your Bank Holiday weekend with a day out at Swansea ...... on 'shoutbox'!

 

good luck OMR - i is off to the delights of swansea - next year is a different proposition me tinks!

 

Paddy - it 'went off wight nawty' during the comp at HQ last night!

Two guys squared up to each other - apparently the table banter had got out of hand - as everyone looked on, rather amused.

Then ..... plonk ...... one sticks the head on the other ...... and a right royal tear up ensued ....... tables flying ....... fists-a-thumping ...... then, boringly, the two 'Gladiators' were pulled apart, and escorted out!

Everyone laughed when I quipped, "They should put those yobbos in the bloody Army, and send them off to Afghanistan, if they wanna fight that much!"

Neither of them could have been a day under sixty five ........ "Fossil Aggro, Fossil Aggro, Fossil Aggro."

These OAPs are dragging this country down ..;... bring back National Service (for Pensioners)!

 

Ringers from Pweaed stweet IMO!

Wednesday and Thursday at Paddinfton has now deteriorated into a sort of cash game tournie with just 4 or 5 players.
Its actually quite pleasant, last niht £50 ( s 5 players) 11 buy ins/add ons in total - 1st prize £550.

Was in last three with 14k chip stack ( out of 44k) was dealt pocket 10's - was me to bet first, so placed 4k ( BB 600) - sb folds after long consideration - BB goes all in 13k.

I know this player very well and he is a gambler, but also possibly the best player there - uck it call.

I drop my pocket 10's on the table he turns over pocket A's.

flop 5,3 10 - turn and river brought ? and a five - a change of luck of telast few tournies.

Done a deal I took £350 and the otehr player took £200 - he beat me heads on wednesday for much smallweer amount and was in for £200 last night. Net proft on the week £90 having been down £150 pre start last night ( £10 differnce is the house table money on a thursday, £55 buy ins/add ons- 50 to the win pool).

enjoy coventry and good luck.

Also was given a coupleof these Poker magazines - noticed an article for paoker in Tallin and Riga - I played Tallin a couple of years ago my first ever tournie. May do a winter trip, airport, hotel, casino, tournie, bar, airport home.

 

Cov - played three of the four events, and made one Final Table.

The 'wonderfully accomodating' locals at the cash tables ensured that a small profit was the end result of a relaxing weekend ...... rarely have I seen so many donating to so few!

The management kept the venue open on Saturday night for as long as the cash tables were going.

A wonderful idea - I had 'earnt my quota' by 1.30 am, and duly staggered off to the hotel at a quarter past seven ...... after nearly six hours of supping, with some mad South African, at only £2.80 a pint!