Poker

If you're getting a decent starting stack - 8/10k in chips - allow 10/15% for 'fishing trips' in the first two levels, should you feel the need.

Personally, I prefer not to get too involved early on, and tend to adopt the tight/aggressive stance .... I'll observe .... try to suss out who's 'at it' .... and become a 'sniper' (making the fast/loose players pay dearly, should the opportuniity arise).

As the tourney really gets going (level 4ish) I'll adopt a non-passive approach using position (see my reply to Admin all about the correct way to play position).

If I progress to the latter stages ... that's the time to loosen up a bit - as the blinds/antes start to bite.

Other than that, play your game, and (especially in your case - from brief observation) don't talk so much/discuss hands .... you could be giving away too much information cheaply Perry.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the reply and tips OMR - I shall talk about the ILLS of having shyte chairman at football clubs instead

I think the starting stack maybe as high as 10k, i will checlk later.

If i get down to brighton ealy i shall look for a land fill site for Jimbob, he may be interested

 

Bwin won't load. :'(


btw I read all this with growing fascination and use some of the tactics in my little 10 dollar tournies. with some success you'll be pleased to hear. I hope.

 

Poker's an easy game to play, and can be a profitable one if you do the 'right things' to give yourself an edge .... most players don't!

The biggest online site in the world - Pokerstars - attracts such an enormous volume of players because it's ...... the biggest online site in the world!

Rarely have I seen/played against so many clueless muppets (esp in Omaha Hi, and Hi Lo) .... the Yanks may have invented the game (debatable?), but they sure are s h i t at it!

 

Also berkshirehorn - you have a brand spanking new poker club opening down your way, this coming Friday;

http://www.tcsports.org.uk/

Set up by players well known on the live scene - so it should be well run.

I'll probably poodle off down there on opening night .... £3k guaranteed prizepool for a £50 entry is not to be sniffed at!

Get real ..... play live!

 

Looks like £3500 now from that front page banner.

 

So it is .... five hundred more reasons (from their online sponsor) to turn up and have a go.

All these independent clubs tend to 'team up' with an online poker site to try to get funds in (the overheads don't get covered by live tournament fees .... all clubs make their money from the rake from the cash tables).

Because they don't have (aren't allowed to, under the Gaming Act) gambling tables (blackjack/roulette) the independent cardrooms find it hard to compete with the Casino chains (who provide poker facilities, grudging, purely because it's very popular. Most Casinos hate poker, because - in their eyes - it's a lot of equipment/staff/floor area for 'little' reward).

The tiddlers become 'affiliates' of an online site and try to sign up players, for which they recieve a small introduction fee, and a percentage of the rake from the play of the signees online .... standard practice, nothing sinister, it just helps the little clubs survive (and grows the online providers playerbase of course).

 

Loked upthe tournie in brighton. 6,000 stack for £200 and £20 fee.

expected players 70ish. One bloke on the betting forum i do my wfc thread on, came third on Monday night - top three done a deal and all took £1,900.

Now - it is going to be a £300 event for me with train, food and drink and I can't get back to London so would have to stay until first train out ( fine if i is on final table and in the dosh) or do i go back to Marble Arch for the Sportsmans £50 rebuys....1st price £1,500+ dependig o runners.

 

Mmmmm - I would opt for the Sportsman Perry ..... guaranteed numbers/good prizepool and easier to get home.

Brighton tournaments are notorious for low number turnouts .... and at this time of year (plus a poxy 6k starting stack) I would personally give the place a swerve!

 

Thanks Ray. I just may do that. I'll see if i can rustle up some company tomorrow.

 

b*gger, just read the small print and have to wait 48hours for membership to clear it seems. Would that be right? my local casino permits instant membership.

 

Don't fret register online, take the required ID, and then just turn up ..... all these new clubs will let you/get someone to sign you in - it usually just means you pick up your membership card the next time you go there.

If you're definitely going PM me and I'll send you my mobile number, then I'll be able to sign you in as I've already registered on their site.

(the 48 hour rule is summat to do with the Gaming Act - however it doesn't prevent you entering as a 'guest' .... so there shouldn't be a problem anyway)

It'll make a nice change from chaperoning a great big woolly Bear at a 'Poker Den' (he'll confirm I don't bite ..... except on Wednesdays!)

 

Tis true Berkshire, he bites on Wednesdays.

A very decent fellow though, on any other day.

 

Getting a bit peed off with this sodding Pokerstars new depositor promo thingy ..... I've only qualified for 7 of the 8 Finals on Sunday, so far - am I on tilt?

 

Last night, and I wandered off to the wonderful Home County of Berks for the opening of the new poker club in Maidenhead, TC's.

Nice little club, some of the 'usual suspects' hovering - looking for a soft touch, a few first night quirks (quickly sorted) ..... and £500 added by some unknown Skandie online site.

Good crowd of 76, fifty sovs F/O producing a prizepool of £4.3K (with the added Kroner), rookie dealer dealt, lovely chairs and tables (bumpers, cup-holders to have a dump in ..... no splinters or chance of Luton G elbow in this gaffe), nice atmosphere.

Gazed round my first table - European Player of the Year 2000 two to my left ..... no other apparent danger.

Started off steadily, but gave away initial gains to a Cruella DeVille lookalike local who refused to believe her nut straight was worse than my pocket pair ..... no shifting that lady, try as I might.

Back to scrimping, EPoY2000 and I taking turns to send out the raiding parties - to get to the first break with a modest profit.

Onto the second table, which was full of play by those that couldn't .... AA held, cracked the Boots with the Bobbies (J J), then called an all-in on the flop with second pair - telling the kid I'm behind, but there's too much in the pot to leave behind .... instant service on the turn (ahhhh the posh little internetgeeks from the Royal County really began to gnash their teeth).

Meandered through the rest of the comp with a good stack to the Final Table.

Some weird and wonderfully awful poker by the participants eventually left me H/U at a mere disadvantage of 7/1.

An optimistic shove with 10 8 (blinds/stack dictated), and it was all over ..... and Boggy had to settle for £989!

A very nice club, run by nice people, for nice people .... nice - I recommend attendance.

 

A New Year .... another dollar.

5/01 - All very standard fare against a very average field
(a tournament report on this thirty quid comp would put you into a deep coma)

.... as a chop of the first two money positions was agreed to by Boggy;

a) because there wasn't much to win, due to poor attendance because of the weather.

b) the opponent was an nervous - charming - elderly lady regular who shouldn't have to endure a heads up with an aggressive poker yob like me, at her time of life (her share - £215 was a lot of money to her, Gawd Bless her).

7/01 - A Chip and a chair

Tales of six foot icicles impaling any poor fool that ventured forth proved to be - yet again - a load of bollox, and the short dash on the M1 was made in record time.

A sparse field soon grew to 25 in the £40 with one reuy/one add on comp and produced a - not to be sniffed at - pot of £1.7k.

As is usual for an HQ 'mid-weeker', I'd never set eyes on 60% of the field .... I mused that they must have come down from the Airport - figuring that a game of poker was cheaper than quaffing Costa Coffee, gazing at blank Departure screens all night.

Steady progress was made, adopting my usual style of tight/aggressive ..... flopping quad nines - and getting paid - helped.

A late arrival, ten minutes before the break - Trev the Web - scooped up most the other players chips in murderous fashion …… he even broke into a smile!

Meandering my way to a Final Table of ten, I assessed the opposition.

Four spots to be paid with regulars Andy Looo, Happy Webber, Athy, Boggy, 5 x Random Donks, and 1 x Belgian Random Donk contesting the filthy lucre.

One RD was overheard telling his highly impressed Railbirds who the four were that would make the payout places - you'd love to be his bookie, 75% ..... wrong!

In next to no time we were down to Andy Looo, Happy Trev, Athy, Loofah, 1 x RD, and 1 x Belgian RD straining at the leash to get the phuqq home/line their pockets.

Athy doubled me up - just as I was getting near 'shove it in with anything' stack size - being his usual over-optimistic self ..... and all was well with the World.

Happy Trev was getting a little agitated as his usual 'theft through mega over-betting style' unravelled ….. frequently!

UTG, your treasured author espied The Bobbies (J J) with blinds at 1500/3000 .... and 9k it was to go, RD flats, Happy Trev (face scarlet, looking like a pickled walnut) bashes the lot in - Boggy snap calls ... then RD decides to join the fun.

Happy has A 10 off, Dopey Donk has A 5 of shovels ..... the board sure didn't come three spades.

Getting up - to join the Webber Walk of Shame - the nasty dealer called me back ..... oh, phuqqin whoopeeeee, I had 1500 chips to come back from the 95k pot ..... geeee thanks!

Half a Big Blind left ..... and Big Blind I was next (not even an option as to when I threw my 'bowl of rice' in to be devoured by the other players!)

Strange as it may seem there was no offer of a saver for fifth (the Bubble ..... me!) - as all around me the other four ('safely in the money spots') peered over their towering stacks looking at my grains of rice, with equal disdain.

'Sportingly' - all four flat called, then proceeded to check it down, to remove the minor irritant on the road to Cash Heaven ........ whooooops, Boggy takes it down, and is up to 7.5k.

Even stranger, ten minutes later a £40 'booby prize' was suddenly decided upon ...... when your Noble Author had quickly amassed 25k, and bottoms started to twitch!

Andy Looo then departed in his usual affable way and - much to low chipped Athy's relief - RD went to war with Belgian RD, and went out fourth.

Athy huffed and puffed, but had to settle for 3rd .... leaving me facing a smug Belgian Barstaado with more chips than McCains!

Well the Heads Up didn't last that long ...... the over-confident Plastic Frog's defence of his six to one lead proved to be about as effective as the Maginot Line (musta been all that Ardennes pate I wolfed down over the Farting Season), and £635 clear in binge drinking vouchers were duly deposited in Boggy's thirsty bin.

Plastic Bertrand then quizzed me on how on earth he'd lost, being so far ahead in chips, and described playing H/U with me was like being attacked by a Rottweiler.

He looked totally bemused when I replied, "Dunkirk mate .... beaten, but never finished".

 

nice start to the new year there, OMR.. :sign15:

Haven't played at all this year - but will most likely go to the sportsman tonight, a £25 semi freeze out - whatever the uck that means.

 

Must be going soft in your old age. A "sharp as a tack" pensioner took you for a good few quid on the sympathy vote? I suspect you had to be seen to do the right thing, you know as well as I do she'd rob you blind given half a chance.

What sort of percentage of all the hands do you get involved in? I was playing online the other night and checked the stats, I was surprised to see that I was seeing the flop in 22% of hands, (tournament on Pokerstars with 9 to a table). I know the cards will probably dictate, but I was being particularly tight, (or so I thought).

 

Cheers Perry .... and it continued.

8/01 - £75 F/O .... binked 3rd spot for a clear profit of £585.

(not worth a report really .... standard 'better class' comp with 55 very capable runners)

9/01 - £55 ('weekend wally') comp .... struggled to a 4th place with £160 binkage.

(again not worth a report at all .... 'social player' comp with 33 very average runners).

10/01 - £100 F/O .... blankety blank.

11/1 - Nightmare at HQ .... and righteous retribution.

Tales of gloom, alarm, and joy from poker Head Quarters to recount from this night.

A truly tough field (supplemented by some very good bods from down The Western of Greek and Golders Green extraction) locked horns, with very few 'Midweek Random Donks' in attendance ..... boooooooooo, dead money scarce!

Your Noble Author progressed smoothly, as Athi dominated but played too many flops, as per.

Sitting on the button at 100/200 - UTG (Ubermong Thatched Ginga) flats Athi's BB thus telegraphing his strong hand, as he had 'cleverly' used this Tic Tac twice already.

Looking down at the Rockets (A A), I mused a raise of 650 would keep him in ..... and price out an Athi fishing mission.

Well it certainly kept him in, as Ginge bounced 12k into the middle ..... Boggy snap calls faster than Usain Bolt on cocaine.

Chris Evans proudly flips over 10 10 .... and Boggy's an 81.41% favourite, says the Maths.

A flop of K Q blank was complemented by a J, with a river of 9 ..... said Mathematics is an inprecise stupid phuqqin Science!

I was 'truly comforted' by the Ginga **** apologising and explaining, "I thought you had A K" .... eh?

Refraining from poking him the eye with the sharpest of sharp sticks - and not a single name up for the Cash Tables - I wandered off to the Floor and decided to try their Three Card Brag soppy bollox game, thinly disguised as Poker for the Casino Herd (watching a golf ball bouncing around a spinning hubcap is bad for the mind .... worse for the pocket ..... and only good for degenerates and Casino profits).

Winning a few quid I had the pleasure of a Whoopee Goldbergesque lump - complete with Witch Doctor makeup - trying to ponce a drink out of me ..... she really didn't need a top up, her breath could have stripped the Forth Bridge bare with a mere yawn.

Soon to follow was Resident Nutter 2 - a Mediterranean type chappy with a pleasant sing song accent, but battier than your battiest Aunt.

He presumed Athi (who'd also suffered an early exit) was in the Army - because he had "short hair" - then started telling us his bruv was in the Forces out in Northern Ireland (I know we've got Ghurkas, but couldn't quite remember the last time The Royal Lebanese Phalangist Regiment trod the streets of Belfast).

Athi didn't chin him - and we fled Far From the Madding Crowd back to 'the sanity' that is The Poker Room.

Eventually the Cash started .... and I raced my first £100 into the pot with a Full House fives over Jacks .... marvellous, he had Jacks over fives.

Bah humbug, reload ..... and 'normal service' was resumed, thence a long session ended with a profit of £505 (quad tens, quad Kings, straights, flushes, trips galore - and noting the Tangerine Headed Monster departing the comp with nil £s - all helped to rescue the night).

Comp taken down by one of 'thinking' players - an almost extinct species in Acton - from down The Western.

 

Best of luck at the tables.

 

Watch the following clip;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAJ0ibzf4yk

It is a perfect example of why 'proper poker players' hate many of the scum Internetpokergeekwankerboys .... I truly hope the 'hilarious german' tries something similar sometime, preferably in a Cash game in a pub down in the East End.

Compare to it to this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLsyydPYoqg


Good old Jack - note the look on Internetpokergeekwankerboy's face ..... easy chips mate?

 

As mentioned before, if I had the time I'd definately do a regular visit to a live tournament, as would many others here I'm sure. For now though it's an easier life to pull out the laptop and have a couple of games running whilst still keeping the good lady of the house happy with my wonderful company once the kids are asleep .

Anyway, I played a couple of 180 player tournaments last night running together, being much much tighter than I have been recently. On one I finished in the mid 30's, it just didn't happen, but shows how far you can go without taking any kind of risks. On the other I made it to the last 9 and the final table. Stats said only 12% of flops were seen. Of the 9 I was 8th. There seemed to be a mad 10 minutes once everyone got to the final table, as if they were relieved to have made a few $, and some silly hands were played, enabling me to get to the last 5 in 4th position. Then disaster, I was on SB with a pair of 9's, the other 3 folded, I went all in and the BB called.......with AA! I lost the hand but as he was in 5th place at the time I didn't lose everything. Lo and behold, by the time the BB got back to me I hadn't made another bet but was 3rd out of 3! That's where I finished for my entry fee refunded x 20! First win since I got that d4mn poker book!

 

The only book you really need to read - and understand - is 'Tournament Poker For the Advanced Player' by David Sklansky.

Then you'll start to realise the difference between the "How the phuqq can you call with that?" player, and the guy who will nod, say nothing, maybe give the table a gentle tap, 'appreciating/and understanding' the thinking/strategy/dynamics behind the previous hand's action.

 

12/01 The Slow Rolling of Boggy

Murder most foul ...... was almost commited at HQ this night, as I ran into 'Slow Roll Hari' (duly named after he has done the 'dirty deed' three times in one hour to a regular - and surprisingly lived - the week before.

Having raised with 10 10 pre, he re-raised me all-in for what was left of his 'Ticket One' stack in the poxy £30 Triple Chance comp (self phuqqin deal), much beloved of players that hate life in general ..... and those that despise Tuesday TV schedules, in particular.

"Yup, OK, I'll give you a spin", and I flipped over.

Slow Roll Hari then proceeds to gaze at my cards - lengthily - murmuring aloud, "I'm in a lot of trouble", three or four times. He eventually condescended to turn over his hand after I prompted him to "get the phuqq on with it".

The 'red mist' descended as he slowly turned one K, then the next ...... he proceeded to win the pot, as I battled to stop myself doing an autopsy on the little piece of excrement with zero anaesthetic (violence is much frowned upon in the Casino Industry, and tends to result in nationwide bans .... thus saving SRH from at best a verbal tongue lashing, at worst ...... we'll never know - as I took it on the chin!

Shortly after the break, the Cardroom Manager (great lad) transferred all the players onto the Adult Tables, and found some staff to make it dealer dealt. Praise the Lord, I mused ...... and a unique experience for the rookie players who now all felt "like them blokes on the Poker TV shows" ..... very exciting, for them (Casino cardrooms rarely supply dealers for the Tiddler comps).

I still had SRH to my left though - continuing to ply his trade - and was absolutely delighted to get knocked out before I earnt myself an appearance at the Crown Court (I doubt whether M' Noble Lud would accept my defence of hyper irritation for a Capital Offence).

Off to the Cash Table - and in true tilt fashion the first £100 was s p u n ked quicker than a thirteen year old finding Dad's badly hidden copy of Playboy under the bed.

Straddling (an optional extra blind posted that's twice the size of the Big Blind giving the option to raise ..... basically 'buying the Button,), a re-raised healthy pot built up and I was obliged to con myself that I was 'priced in' with my 5s 8s for the extra tenner ...... floppedy flop 4s 7s 6s ...... phuq me, a flopped straight flush, I struggled not to fall off my chair backwards ..... I promptly checked ...... Random Donk eventually bets into me on the turn (Boggy praying to the Poker Gods he's hit the Ace flush ...... strangely I flatted as A Nice Young Lady also called the £25 bet ....... the river blanks (a paired board might have slowed up the 'victim' from his impending doom).

Now for the clever bit, The Prompt (the inexperienced would gladly check/raise hoping Random Donk will bet and bring in The Nice Young Lady for the re-raise .... wrong, what if he's dopey enough to just check too - so you invite him into your world .... The Nice Young Lady has next to nothing left anyway and you wanna really get RD's healthy stack in, so - looking as 'green' and 'hopeful' as possible I put a small bet of £45 in hoping this would be seen as a 'feeler bet' to see where I was at ....... RD goes all in with great aplomb, with a smile as big as The Grand Canyon, congratulating himself on getting his Ace 'nut' flush paid ...... The Nice Young Lady folds ...... "Call, Ship it" ...... grinning Donk's jaw hits the floor, totally stunned (not to say outplayed).

Well that was the start of it .... Boggy ran better than God for the rest of the session .... ridiculous amounts of good cards followed (there was much gnashing of the teeth to be heard) ..... flopped str8 got the guy all in ..... quads ..... hero call with Ace high - on a dangerous board - to the total bemusement of one Internetbozohowcanyoucallmyallinbluffwiththatshit Kid ...... flushes repeatedly hit - calling £75 on a Kc Kd 3c flop with Qc 10c, calling £ 75 on the missed turn, and 'rewarded' on the river with the wayward club forcing the guy to fire (all in) with his trip Kings, in the hope of winning the humungous pot ...... a profit of £732 almost erased the dirty deeds of SRH from my mind (come The Revolution, this fellah's first for a Show Trial).

And all was well with the world.

 

****ing Jacks!!

Last 3 nights I've been done by these demons.

Tuesday: Getting close to money positions. KK on small blind, player before me goes all in, I call, he has JJ. Jack appears on the flop!

Wednesday: In the low money positions, AA on big blind, player soon after the button goes all in, lovely, sitting here thinking I'm going to have a nice stack for the final table. He had JJ again, Jack appears on the flop!

10 minutes ago. Sitting 2 away from small blind, I get JJ, (60 players left out of 180). Raise. BB calls. 10h 8h 2c is flopped. BB bets a ridiculous amount, have to go all in to call, he turns over qh 2h. River is a h, he beats me with the flush.

Arggggh!

 

I have been known to rue the very sight of the dreaded JJ.

I once had a horrible month enduring their 'dubious delights' ...... four tournaments on the spin running them into 'lower hands' that improved, as the Board developed (oppos hit trips/flush/straights etc).

Verily, on the fifth occasion a particularly dumbass raiser (she had JJ, but couldn't work out for the life of her that the massive re-raise 'indicated' she was a mile behind) managed to flop a J (an 8/1 shot .... maths obviously not her strong subject) to send my pocket Queens spinning into oblivion.

Nasty, nasty Knaves!

 

13/01 - An 8th place (a saver) returned the entry fee.

14/01 - A creditable 5th secured a profit of £80 over the entry fees.

15/01 - A miserable blank.

16/01 - A tiring slog through a field of 77 ended in a 9th spot position with a saver producing a profit of £15 for 7 hours play (any jobs at Tescos?)

17/01 - A miserable blank.

18/01 - A miserable blank.

19/01 - The Tuesday £30 self deal Donkament at last produces something worth reporting.

Our Man in Dubai.

Tuesday night, and a field of 33 contested the filthy lucre pot of £990 ….. only to be sniffed at by Poker Galacticos.

Our table was joined by a young man whose only reference point in life was a Middle Eastern Emirate, that builds sandcastles in the sea.

We were regaled with tales of the high stakes cash games he’d played fantastically in Camel Land, netting Princely fortunes.

This seemed very strange considering his minute knowledge of poker ……

He didn’t seem to realise you had to act in turn, as he repeatedly passed/bet whenever it suited him.

His 'speech play' further confirmed that his particularly sorry understanding of the game was gained through watching a three minute clip of Late Night Poker on Youtube.

As I've advised before - if you're new to Live Poker tell everyone at the table, they'll invariably cut you some slack, often be helpful and advise ..... they've all 'been there' themselves, everyone's had to start somewhere .... this particularly dopey individual required no such advice - he knew the game inside out, innit.

Well, amusement soon turned to irritation as Dubai Dezzie repeatedly used his mobile to phone everyone in Hounslow on his poker progress .... ignoring polite advice that not only was it bad etiquette, but that his hand was 'dead' if he was on the phone!

He continued regardless, and proceeded to make himself look a bigger *** as the clock ticked away ...... furious glances were exchanged by his oppos - this no mark had to go!

After calling a raise, and re-raise, with Jc 7h and hitting a runner runner flush, cracking A A, the Dude from Dubai informed us rookies that, “you always play any J ‘hard’ in Dubai …. Standard Practice, innit!”

The table (and his unfortunate victim) were stunned into unbelieving silence.

He further educated us - on a Board of 4s 5s 8d turn of Ks as he called another guy's all in - brimming with confidence - and positively beamed as the river came a 2h.

When asked by the other guy if he had the flush, he triumphantly announced “I got the Wheel, innit.” (the Wheel being the arse-end of a straight)

Showing his Ac 3d Dubai Desmond was totally bemused to be informed that his hand didn't beat his opponents 6h 7d, but educated us further that, "in Dubai you always go for the gutshot, innit!"

Well ‘innit’ he wasn’t, and Carry on Poker had ended - so it was down to the nitty gritty.

Normal service was resumed as the grinders surfaced with intent (or within tent, for Mr Dubai) in search of the loot …. A warm welcome back to the Winner's Enclosure for Boggy, as I grabbed the dimes and sprayed the vanquished with champagne from the podium ..... a quick visit to the Cash Tables further enhanced the comp 1st prize of £390 with an acceptable CT profit of £126.

A good day at the office .... and all was well with the World as Boggy exited HQ to a biting wind.

20/01 - A miserable blank.

21/01 - A tiring 5th spot secured a profit of £115 over the entry fees.

 

Its nice to have an HQ - where you are settled and ITK.

So my brother who i managed to convince playing live tournies were fun and that he would do well, turned up at Paddington pre closure three times. He very much enjoyed the 'LIVE'intercourse and he is himself a decent player, better than I and with the tightest of games. any how, he decided to go to the Mint casino in South Ken and started playing there. I had heard some decent reports and that the standard of play was that of gambler to three or four good players.

So me big bruv starts to nag at me to go down as he was now settled there after a few weeks.

On Saturday was my third trip there and there were about 26 runners in a £20 rebuy for 75mins. Starting stack 2k. My previous two trips i was testing the water a bit, getting used to the pleasant but enclosed surroundings and the echo that seems to follow a few of the players constant voices bouncing around.

Got through to the add on with out a rebuy and added on so was in for £40 with a stack of 9k - 1st down to 4th for prize money, 1st being approx £500 i think, 3rd approx £180.

After about 5 hands on my table we were broken up and sprinkled across the other two. Hmmm me thinks - new table, sit, observe like OMR - i was also the BB at 600 sb 300. Goes to about 4th or 5th player as folds, he then goes 1,500 and all fold to me - i am holding qj suited hearts. Don't get involved numpty i say to myself as the hands grabbed the chips and threw em in and I called - convincing my inside player it's worth a look at this stage and i will fold on a poor flop. Flop 10,10,10 includes a heart. My oppo checks and I check, turn card the 7h - oppo checks i check. River comes up qd - oppo bets 3k, i go all in with a a further 2500 on top , he calls and i fear the worse as he couldn't call unless he had the cards to call.

What was the oppo representing with his original bet of 1500 with BB at 600 as his hold cards? Would you have played the same or differently during the hand?

 

LMAO Paddy, sounds like me in a $4 game :biggrin:

(BTW I reckon your oppo had an A with a low kicker)

 

He check up till the river was shown what seems abit odd for someone who bet big pre flop. You would of thought after the flop he would of tested the waters. I guess he could of been scared of you having a full house. To bet 3k after the river, and then call you when you go all in suggest that he was trying to hook you in. If it was me i think i would of called him. So did you win the hand?

 

He's priced in to call an extra 2.5k, in a pot worth 11.8k (nearly five to one on his money), with virtually anything from Ace high upwards.

As he initially only raised 2.5 times the BB (instead of the customary three or four times, at this stage of the comp) it could well indicate a strong hand ..... ie he wants/invites the call/a raise, or maybe a 'feeler bet' - sized to get away from - to see where he is in the coup (from a good player)(from a bad player it could well indicate weakness .... he's too afraid to commit too many chips to the pot).

It's all about decisions in poker - when you get them right .... you're a hero.

When you get them wrong .... you're a fool (analysis copyright of Late Night Poker).

Now I would guess he's either played the stone cold nuts (or AA KK QQ) to perfection .... or he's got an underpair to the board and is 'obliged' to call for the value.

Even if he's playing a bag of spanners, he's still 'priced in' to call at 2.5k just to play the Board!

 

PYA, you asked me about James Dempsey in another post some time back.

Speaking to someone at HQ recently, they were 'amazed' that I didn't know he was 'Flushy' on the Poker Forum that a huge percentage of the 'better' UK players infest, Blonde Poker.

http://blondepoker.com/

Now I would strongly recommend the above UK site to all 'poker newbies' as a regular read for it's articles/blogs/reports etc .... but the community tab (leading to the forums) is the one to press for info, and great banter/gossip.

The PHA (poker hand analysis) section is good ... you post a 'Paddy' outline of a recent hand, and some of the best live/online players in the world will post how they would have played it/give advice etc.

The other Forums will inform on upcoming comps/events often with 'live' reporting.

But the best of all are 'The Rail' and 'Live Poker' sections where some great stuff goes on ..... with merciless ribbing of all and sundry (some real 'eye-openers' on a few 'Galacticos' that have appeared on Late Night Poking type shows that 'strangely' they have never threatened legal proceedings against the site, because everyone knows they are true, and would be willing to air them in court!) ..... Boggy gets many a mention in the HQ threads!

Anyway, back to Dempsey.

He is one of the 'co-owners' of Blonde (along with the SKY Poker presenter Tony Kendall (great bloke is Tikay), and JD makes his (mountains of) dough mainly from online play, and having a 'poker stable'.

Unbeknown to the 'average online bod', all over the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world, there are groups that 'farm' the internet poker 'harvest'.

Promising players with a good track record - but no bankroll - are signed up by the wealthier players to 'work' for them.

The protege is schooled, and mentored, for a period whilst playing low stakes cash games (although SNGs are the preferred prey of many) until his is of the 'right standard' to operate alone.

Variance/swings are built in to their 'contract' and the 'horse' is allowed to keep x % of the winnings over x period of time ...... some 'owners' have dozens of 'horses' in their stable operating round the clock seven days a week!

So next time any of you are online ..... especially, avoid the cash tables ...... most punters really have no idea what they're 'racing' against!

 

His bet suggested to me ak, aq, aj my 600 blind he raised 900 to 1500 - with my qj suited i thought why not see the flop ( but my inner player was saying let this go) just me and him. I also thought middle to lower pair a possibilty.

So when the flop came 10, 10, 10 i said to meself i will fold on a substantial bet if the flop was not favourable for moi . Was surprised at the check and then the turn check was a bigger surprise - when the q came up on the river it wasn no longer possible for me to fold. His 3k was not worth calling, all in or fold and keep my remaining chips having just committed the BB and 900 call pre flop.

When I went all in and he called - i turned my q over and said " you got the 10 haven't you?", he was very polite and said "yes" - I got up to " hard luck" et al, I said well played and bid them all a goodnight and good luck.

I brushed past my brother who was also all in and he told me to wait for him and we'd get a beer or dinner - but his hand won so he had 3k chips approx -still not many at all, he had only turned up 20 minutes before the add on break as his greyhound had run at wimbledon.

I told him i is goin home - He ended up in the dosh in 3rd place.

As this is a new location for me to play in I do believe there is a small ' getting comfortbale" trips required - getting to know the regulars play and style. Now that was my third trip I feel more composed there, understand more about the style and the bullshyte and will hopefully be reporting some wins and or places in the near future.

 

Unlucky PYA, 4 tens, ouch. What did he have with the 10?

 

he turned over the 10 first and flicked it into the middle of the table - i foolishly didn't look at the other card as I got up and bid my best wishes and farewell.