What a week!

Its been another hectic and crazy week at the office and, as a result, have been playing alot less live poker. Its been mostly online play money at full tilt and practicing aggressive and loose play. Been particularly successful weathering the all-in fests. Its really a good place to have fun while learning about the game.

When I did play some live games, mostly tourneys, I seem to be running into a common problem with my play. No, I dont short stack and blow it all off on hoping to win with an AK, I actually made the final table every time in top 3 chip position. I bluffed and bullied my way through average stacks on the way to final table, and do the same without success once I get there.

On one particular hand at a tourney (this is a fun story), I was chip leader at the table and was in position. UTG called the BB and I look down at 84 offsuit and sense weakness and decide to pounce. Blinds were 200-400 and I raise to 2000. SB and BB fold and UTG goes all-in, fortunately I didnt need to add anymore chips. He thought he was beat, when I showed him my cards he just smiled. Flop came out 8-x-4! I hit the two-pair immediately and could not believe my luck, and he could not believe his, that was his first playable hand in a long time and he gets screwed on the flop. Well, would you believe it when I say that the turn and river were both Kings? Well i dont care if you dont believe it, coz thats what happened. I didnt mind that he won, I resigned to the fact preflop that I was going to loose, but to hit the two-pair and loose was just salt on my wounds. Definitely a TV moment. Hehe.

I little later, on the final table, UTG says aloud that this could be his last hand and bets the minimum. Fold around to me at the button and I see AQ offsuit. I think about it and push him all-in. Of course he calls and flips over AK. Some of you might be thinking, "AK vs AQ isnt so bad. Its like 50-50". You would be wrong, its actually more like 70-30. So naturally, he spiked a King on the turn and made the new short stack. I move in later with pocket Jacks and loose to a set of 7s.

I reviewed these hands in my head and realized what I could have done differently. It was of course a stupid move to go push AQ, and to bluff the short stack with 84, but I think I could have won those hands if I played a little differently. Gamefrog, jpt, mave and mnlgrind, back me up on this one. Lets say I just call, I will be in position the entire hand anyway. For the first scenario I hit two-pair and will bet-out, short stack still has some chips left and will probably throw away the AK. For the second scenario, I would also call. UTG would not hit and probably check and I would bet out maybe just fold if he reraised me. In both changed scenarios, I save a significant amount of chips and would be ITM. Oh well, poker is about learning.

I also got into a discussion with a couple of ACF high-stakes regulars who complained about the decline in turnout for people playing ring games at the poker room. They told me that as early as 2PM, people were already in and sometimes, they had to extend until 9AM the following day because there was so many games going on. At one point, there was a shortage of dealers because of the sheer amount of players who wanted in on the action. Those days are gone and probably lost forever, one ACF regular said. He did not blame the decline of the popularity of poker, but rather the rake that the casino took. For those not familiar about the rake at the ACF, its 10% of the pot or P 300 max. Apparently it was P 200 a while back. This high rake is what discourages people from playing at casinos and look for home games with little or no rake. They hope that someday, they lower the rake or figure out some other profit making scheme. I for one would like to suggest paying a fixed fee for sitting at a ring game, lets say P 50 for an hour. If you bust out in 5 minutes, the next guy in has to pay the fee again. This way they make at least P 500 an hour for a full 10-handed table. Plus, the players can keep increasing the pot without fear of just increasing the profit of the casino. What do you guys think?

Yesterday, I got a text message from Pocket Kings organizers regarding a tourney at Elbow Room, at Metrowalk. I decided to give it a try and headed over there after work. To my dismay, I was the 3rd person registered and they expected 7 at most for the tourney. When we did start about an hour later, we were just 6 players. They gave us 5000 starting stack with 30 minute blinds which gave us ample time to strategize and play better. I just kept giving into the blinds when I finally picked up an A8 offsuit. 4 players in and the flop was 8-x-A. I felt that this was my time to make some chips so I just checked my two-pair. Turn was a blank so I bet out 500. 2 callers. River was another blank and I bet 500 again. This time, just one caller. He mucks his hand when he sees mine and I take down the pot.

I was a little over the 7K mark when I got AJ suited at the BB. SB calls and I reraise to 1200. He calls and I pair my Jack at the flop, the rest were rags. SB bets 600 and I call, sensing he has nothing and can squeeze more if I dont reraise. Turn and river were both rags, at each level I bet 600. I take down the pot again when he mucks after seeing my top-pair.

I was able to steal some blinds with some well-timed and executed bluffs. I was sure to leave myself some outs in case somebody decide to look me up. Whenever I went to showdown, my middle or bottom pair always held up against their King or Ace high. A couple of levels later, my huge chip lead was dwindled by some beats that hurt my stack. I bet 2000 on AJ forcing the SB to go all-in. He turned up his A10, which paired on the flop and I doubled him up. Another pot when another player went all-in with 78 offsuit against my K9 suited. We both hit the flop, but his 7 hit again on the turn giving him trips and blowing another dent in my stack. Was not able to pick up a decent hand for a long time and was getting really desperate. At one point, I kid you not, I got 9-10 thrice .... one after the other!

I prayed for a monster and looked down to see pocket Kings. Folded to me on the SB, with the BB who was the chip leader at the time. I had about 6000 left after I posted the SB. I knew that going all-in would guarantee me the blinds but I needed to double-up, and that would only happen if the BB was pot-committed in some way. So I limped in and luckily for me, he raised. I put him on Ace high with a low kicker. I made it seem that I was hesitant about calling and threw in the additional chips. Flop came out all blanks and I checked. BB bets out 3000 and I move all-in. I tell him that its another couple thousand for him to call, and he does. He turns up A6, which he hit his 6 on the flop. I yell out for no more Aces or 6s. I get my wish and double-up.

My confidence is really up at this point and start blind stealing again. When we were down to just 3 players, I requested for a chop, since I was the short stack, neither agreed and it was announced the there would only be first prize. I psyched myself into winning and got some pretty decent cards that paid off, including a hand that saw my A2 offsuit hit runner runner for the Ace trips. A little later, I was the chip leader when the short stack busted out. I was heads up and in good position for taking down the prize.

First hand I got was a Q10 offsuit. I called my opponents big blinds and was raised to double. I call and pair my 10 on the flop. I bet 4000 and my opponent folds. Nice start I think. The following hand was a Q10 suited and I bet out 4000 after opponent calls the blinds. He then reraises all-in and I fold immediately. While I start to place my blinds for the next hand, other guy pushes all-in. I have him covered and put him once again on an Ace with a low kicker. I look down and see AK. I hesitate for a minute and call. He's surprised, but more surprised to see that I picked up a monster when he decided to make a move. The flop was 8-9-8, and the turn which paired both our Aces sealed the deal. I won! I won! I WON! Woohoo! Woohoo! I was so happy but kept it to myself to not seem cocky. I shook all the players and organizers hands and thanked them for a great tourney. It really was, even if we were short-handed, I think we all had a good time. I got almost 3x my buy-in in cash plus a satellite pass for the saturday tourneys worth 3500, which by the way, I am selling. I won't be passing by Angeles or Pampanga anytime soon so if anyone is enterested in purchasing it, leave me a comment or send me an email with your best offer. Thanks!

Hope to play as well as I did last night in all my succeeding tourneys. Winning is always nice, but playing your very best and having fun are more important. I was able to make some really nice laydowns and put reads on peoples cards. One simple rule of holdem I used alot last night was to keep pots small for small hands and big pots for big hands. Was able to keep my losses to a minimum and maximize value on nice hands.

Anyways, will play again at Elbow room next week. You guys should try it out as well, we could use the dead money! Hahaha! Kidding guys. Thanks for reading my rants! Til next time, see you at the felt!

Not quite there yet ...

My apologies for not updating my blog. Its been a hectic couple of days for me at work and lots of other extra-curricular activities as well. Been looking forward to the ACF 1.5K last saturday all week and could not wait to start. Practiced a bit online and tried to go aggressive and won 3 out of 5 SnGs online. I think this is a good place to practice since people here are especially loose, since we were using play money, and you learn to choose your hands and be selectively aggressive, plus its for free! After the initial all-in fests of all online play money tournaments, you face up with some really serious players and play real poker. Doing so well in these games gave me lots of confidence heading into the tourney.

Arrived there about 20 minutes before tournament began and 60 players were in attendance. WPT seat was again up for grabs and everyone had their game face on. My table was filled with regulars, and I decided on waiting to see how they would play and react to that instead. As in all previous tourneys at the ACF, majority of the table was tight, so I played loose aggressive. Whenever I try to steal the pot and get reraised, I would fold, but most of the time, I would buy the pot that way.

After the first break, I was pretty much break even. When the antes began, thats when I put my aggressiveness on overdrive since the pot would be 220 even before the cards were dealt and winning these would be the key to survival. After a busted draw, I found myself down to my last 600+ in chips. I looked down at my hole cards to see an A6 offsuit and push all-in. Chip leader calls me with Q9 suited and we're off to the races. Luckily I flop top-pair and double up. Chip leader comments that he just "fed the monster", or something to that effect.

A little later I look down and see pocket Jacks and bet 400 from the cut-off seat and get one caller. Flop comes down K-X-J and I hit the trips. Caller bets 200 and I reraise to 400 which he calls. Turn is a Q and he pushes me all-in, I call immediately and he shows his 9-10 for the straight. I yell out to pair the board and a King comes on the river giving me the full house! I shout woohoo, which has to be the first time I show some actual emotion at the ACF tourneys, hehe. I usually get screwed on the river, not the other way around. I double up again but am still below the average stack.

A couple of bad calls and busted draws later, im down to my last 2100 in chips when I gaze upon A3 of spades and call a preflop raise of 300. 4 players in and the flop comes out Q-4-J with two spades. Initial raiser goes all-in for 1900, everyone folds to me. At this point, Im pretty sure he hit top pair, I have the nut flush draw and decide to call. He turns over QJ for the two-pair and hope for the best. Unfortunately, the turn and river have different plans for my evening and decide to send me home early. I did pair my 3 at the river, if that counts as anything. Hehe. Chip leader tells me that, "you've had to many lives already. time to go".

I really had fun on this tourney, I felt like I was dictating my terms in playing and felt I improved my game. Plus, I didnt feel so bad losing because I saw last months ACF5K 2nd placer bust out the tourney at the 2nd level and thought to myself, "maybe all the good players are busting out!". What? I can dream, can't I? Hehe

Marco mentioned that the tourney next week at the ACF would be a shootout style wherein all the rules, buy-in and rebuy/add-on restrictions would be in place, but for each person you knock out the tournament, you would get P500 in cash, not chips, but cash. That would be really cool to play, strategies would be different, since chip leaders would be more than willing to risk doubling up short stack players for a chance at an early payout. Hope it pushes through. Will let you guys know about that if it happens.

Good luck to all your games! Peace!