All SnGs all the time this weekend, along with some big multis thrown in there (100K, 200K, 250K, 300K). Despite the more expensive buy-in, the play in these bigger tournaments are not better, at least in the early stages.
"Sit tight, play tight," that's my motto. PokerBabe's motto is
"look good, play good" (in golf as well as cards). But grubby ain't lookin' too good these days. And it's not just the fried calamari, fried shrimp with wasabi, and fried spring rolls (plus creme brulee) for tonight's dinner contributing to a chubby grubby that's doing it. It's also that convoluted run-on sentence.
Extending my losing streak, I continued to be slapped around by hella bad beats before reaching the halfway mark, all involving preflop play at full tables. I would raise or reraise all-in with a strong hand, get called by a dominated hand, then he would get lucky. Time and time this happened and frankly is making poker less and less fun.
It makes me want to take up knitting like mamagrub, since backing off her weekly slotplay at the Indian casinos.
The only highlight was placing 2nd of 250 in a 10+1 multi, but the payoff was pretty poor for 4 1/2 hours of play. It was
[shudder] limit hold'em.
I don't bluff with a preflop all-in unless in good position and I'm noticing blinds are folding. If I raise or reraise all-in, I have something. It continues to baffle me how people can call with KJ, J8, A7. This usually occurs when someone raises with that hand, I reraise all-in, and they call. And I in fact
want these players to call with those hands, because in the long run my hand will hold up. Though how long, I'm beginning to wonder -- millions billions bajillions of hands? Because it sure doesn't feel good to bust out on the bubble to those hands and know my AA and KK will be good next time... maybe.
Players so seldom back down in these early stages. I may have to adjust and sacrifice seeing the flop and
then raise all-in. Preflop is too much of a coin-toss, and I can't get people to let go. From experiences of it backfiring on me, I seldom slowplay AA or KK because it's just asking more players to call and draw out. My worry is they'll hit miracles on that flop, and then you'll see me posting those beats.
While I don't bluff preflop, I don't say don't post-flop. Here's a 50+5 SnG where playing the fear of the bubble over playing the cards actually worked.
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (4 handed) converter
BB (t1240)
UTG (t1735)
Button (t3775)
grubby (t1250)
(BB and I are equally stacked and both fear that bubble placement. I've bubbled here so many times that I now play this position strongly. If I'm going out on the bubble, I'm going out with fireworks.)
Preflop: grubby is SB with Q
J
2 folds, grubby completes,
BB raises to t275, grubby calls t225.
(Thought I could get away with a cheap flop, but BB trapped me into calling a few more. I became the fish here in playing a poor hand as QJ. A suited connector, I figured if the flop hit...)
Flop: (t550) 6
7
8
(2 players)
grubby checks, BB checks.
(An interesting check, allowing me a perfect bluffing opportunity.)
Turn: (t550) 5
(2 players)
grubby bets t125, BB calls t125.
(Time for the bluff. I throw out a bet and get called. Methinks BB has a big Ace and suspects my bluff.)
River: (t800) A
(2 players)
grubby bets t850 (All-In), BB folds.
(There's his Ace. But there's the straight possibility, which I can smell he's afraid of. I pause for effect and then go all-in. BB thinks for a long time, and I have no doubt he has a middle or big Ace. He runs out his timer before he mucks at the last second. I breathe a sigh of relief, and the extra T800 put me in fighting shape to make 2nd place against a very good heads-up opponent. BB, meanwhile, ended up 4th anyway.)
Okay, enough back patting. I posted this because everything else I lost lost lost. And isn't it better keeping positive?
Onto the Hand of the Week.
Judging from the gradual lack of responses to these Hands of the Week, there seems to be declining interest (and absolutely no one is signing up to the affiliate links, sniff). I may end these if it keeps dwindling, but for now we'll keep 'em going.
A twist for this upcoming one to throw some life into lucky 13th. As usual, the first person to guess correctly will win the prize. But if there is no winner in the next three weeks, I'll pick someone at random and award him/her the prize.
Yep, that's three weeks from now. I'm taking another Vegas sabbatical beginning next week (the grub clan tends to reunite in the gambling mecca every few months), but HoW will return on Aug. 16 with a hand, I hope, from playing in Vegas.
No winner for
Hand of the Week #12. CO had Q
5
. Perhaps he thought it was the GrannyMae Q
5
hand? Remember how these bad plays make you money in the long run? That was the case with him. Who knows why he raised the flop, but he continued his bluff to the bitter end. A little note goes next to his name and he's then released into the wild waters.
Okay, here's #13...
Grubby's Hand of the Week #13
for Monday, July 26, 2004
Prize: $30
The first person to correctly guess my opponent's hand before Monday, Aug. 16 wins. Suits may or may not matter. One guess per person, please. Winner will be declared here Aug. 16. If there's no winner, the prize will be given to a random entrant (be sure to include your name!) and the next quiz will reset to $20.
If you're signed up to
Empire Poker or
Absolute Poker through me (use those links to sign up), the prize is
doubled for you. Yep, even if you're the random winner!
Leave your guess in the comments section below. You can be Anonymous without registering through Blogger, but do include your name so I know whose guess is whose.
If you don't include contact info and you're the winner,
email me after the quiz is over.
Good luck and good skills,
Party Poker 10/20 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed) converter
Preflop: grubby is BB with T
Q
3 folds,
Button raises,
1 fold, grubby calls,
Flop: (4.50 SB) J
9
4
(2 players)
grubby bets,
Button raises,
grubby 3-bets,
Button caps, grubby calls.
Turn: (6.25 BB) T
(2 players)
grubby checks,
Button bets, grubby calls.
River: (8.25 BB) 3
(2 players)
grubby checks, Button checks.
Final Pot: 8.25 BB
Main Pot: 8.25 BB, between Button and grubby.
I did hold off playing 10/20 this weekend; this hand is from the previous week.
For the Button to check the river, surely my hand is good, right? What was up with that flop action?
I figured I was beaten, but with the turn help I figured I'd check-call him down. I normally do not push draws this much heads-up, but I think it's important to mix up my play in these shorthanded games. If I don't, players too easily realize I will fold to aggression and will constantly steal my blinds or constantly come in for a raise.
That said, what did Mr. Button have?
Go Ahead, Share Your Thoughts! .
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