Disappointment in the £150
Yep, tonight was a disappointing as poker gets, aside from going out on the bubble.
Here’s the stats: I played for just over 3 hours, (I tweeted 4, but it was actually 3). In those 4 hours I didn’t get a single pocket pair. Not one. Not deuces, treys, nothing. I did get AQ 4 times – each time I opened the pot for about 3 big blinds and took it down with no action. I took the blinds with K5 (the Hog Roast!) on the button once, again with no action.
Those were the 5 hands I won all night.
I limped from the small blind twice, when there were a few limpers. Each time I had to throw it away on the flop, apart from on one occasion when I bet out into a rag flop, hoping my ultra-tight image, and that they’d miss the flop, would make the other 2 fold. One of them raised big, and I had to fold.
And those were the only hands I played in the 3 hours – 3 flops, of which I hit none and folded all.
Until I went out of course, and this is how it happened. I had just over 4000 left, with blinds at 150/300 with a 25 ante. Given that I was getting no hands, but had a very tight image, (I hadn’t shown a single hand and had only raised 4 times in 3 hours), I was looking for someone to raise, so I could bang it all-in over the top and have them fold. I needed someone to raise who wouldn’t be committed, and who could I felt fold. I must admit that I failed to pull the trigger a coupe of times when I felt such an opportunity presented itself – however much you know it’s the right play it can be tough to act with garbage. I’ll be stronger here next time.
Anyway, I got K10. They looked pretty and they gave me the courage to do what was necessary. Actually K10 is worse than garbage to do this with, because if someone calls they could really have you dominated – something like low-suited connectors or something would be better. However, a guy in early-ish position made it 1k, and I banged in the 4k, hoping he’d fold.
He thought it about for a while, before saying “I know I’m behind” and calling, with AJs. I didn’t hit, and went out.
Now I have to say, with no sour grapes, that I think AJ is a terrible call here. A truly abysmal call. Here’s my thinking – if I am NOT bluffing, (which I am), then he really must be behind, and he is probably dominated with me holding something like AK or AQ. If I don’t have a big ace then I must have a pair there, so he is losing either way. When you look at this way, AJ is only ever beating a stone-cold bluff there. It’s half his stack, he can’t afford to be making this kind of call.
I was bluffing tho. Was it a good call? Did he read me for the bluff? Not a chance. He had no info to read me for a bluff, I’d played so few hands. When he said “I must be behind” he meant every word of it – he was just incapable of laying down AJs, and that’s why the call is a bad one…
..in my opinion.
So really I hardly played poker at all tonight. It’s the most card-dead I’ve been since the 3 days I was card-dead for at Caesars Palace a couple of years ago.
However, next poker for me will be the Main Event on Saturday afternoon which I qualified for on Tuesday. Looking forward to that – hopefully I will find either the cards or the positions to enable me to play a bit, that I didn’t have today.
December 11th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Hey man,
Keep plugging away. You’ll score a few good ones soon. You don’t know me, but I enjoy watching for your poker updates.
I’ve played an average of 6 good tournaments a year for the past 4 years. The first two years were really good, but the third one I felt like I absolutely no chance at winning – no confidence/bad play/bad cards… combination… I’m not sure.
However, I’ve regained my confidence over the past year and have cashed in 5 of my last 6 tournaments & made four final tables. Two tournaments include the $550USD Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza and one was the $550 Caesars Mega Stack – all in Vegas! The other three tournaments were closer to where I live – and only $230USD.
To be fair, the only tournaments that had more than 100 people was the Venetian tournaments (350 each).
My whole point is that it sounds like you’ve had some rough tournament experiences this year… but I’m sure you are really close to breaking through.
Again, I enjoy the blog. Start winning… keep us updated!
December 16th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Hey Doug! Cheers for the comments – I remember getting a comment or two from you during the WSOP in Vegas, and you doing well at the Venetian DeepStack (top marks for that by the way).
I’m pretty sure I just need to go back to my roots in the early stages of tournaments and not get involved. I’m better when the blinds start to become a factor, but somehow recently I manage to get myself sucked into the “any 2 cards” madness that seems to kick-off the early stages of the things I play in. Not to worry, just frustrating – as poker can be a lot of the time
The next update won’t make for pretty reading either – I didn’t really learn the lesson for the Main Event either
And I did have one particularly nasty beat too.
Glad to see the end of 2009’s poker, but well looking forward to 2010 – there’s a festival in late January I’m playing in, so don’t have to wait too long for redemption
Happy Xmas to you mate, and top new year. Perhaps I’ll see you in Vegas…
December 18th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Hey,
I was just pondering 1 ½ weeks in Vegas this next summer. I’ve never played in a WSOP event, but I’m excited about the possibility of playing a few smaller ones.
I agree with you on the “any two cards” syndrome. I know I played like that during my slump… it’s never good. Keeping it simple and playing ABC poker is usually the “secret” – specifically early on.
My early level strategy includes trying not to be noticed (seriously!) – not splashing around with junk & making unnecessary moves on the first few levels. Simultaneously, I look for those players who chips should be easiest to take (play more pots with these guys)… and those players who won’t be so easy – it’s really the most important thing to do! This includes looking for call stations and noticing who is and isn’t ready to risk their entire tournament. I personally fall into the category that I’ll risk it… but rarely am I “risking” it because my hand is so strong. I look for starting hands that will give me great implied odds if I hit… hands that I can hit a set, straight, and/or flush.
Also, I rarely get tricky early… I play my strong hands hard and make people pay. Once you gain the table’s respect, it’s amazing how easy it is to lead the action. My thoughts are if you can control the table you can a) get people to call you down when you have a solid hand and b) get people to lay down monsters when you’re on a bluff.
Just a few thoughts… not trying to give advice or anything.
Merry Christmas to you too.
December 28th, 2009 at 5:09 am
Cheers Doug, all god comments. Sometimes you just need to remind yourself of the fundamentals to get back on track don’t you. I’m lookin forward to the January Sales festival in Brighton at the end of January for a chance to get my game in order, and then play as regularly as poss to get in shape for the WSOP. I do love the WSOP events – a great buzz. I want to play the KCL this year