Author Archive
The week that was, and a SNG conundrum
I was able to get in a ton of poker during Spring Break. My cash game sessions were capped off when I played at possibly the nittiest 6-max table ever. We must have set a world record for walks. I probably should have ditched that table and found another juicier game (game selection has never been my specialty), but it was actually kind of fun to be at a table with a bunch of grinders. In fact, three of them were 9-tabling. I came out a small winner for the session when I flopped top-two and value bet all the way down. I ended up a big winner for the week. Too bad school starts back up again this week.
What hand have I had the entire time?
I have discovered what I believe to be a leak in my game. It’s a leak that most players probably have but they just don’t know it. As my game has progressed, I have done a better job of playing off of my image and being able to represent certain things at certain times. I suppose this is just another step in this progression.
Multi-tabling vs. not
Like many online players, I am used to playing numerous tables at once. Personally, I never go above three tables, but I play against players who are on as many as ten. I can’t comprehend how they manage to do ten tables at once, but that’s beside the point. What I am getting at is that the other day, I decided to play at only one table. I’m not sure why I chose not to play my usual three, but I did for some reason. It was like some sort of epiphany. I seemed to know where I was at in every single hand. Playing at only one table forced me to watch every hand all the way through. I picked up numerous patterns on every single player that I probably would not have otherwise.
Does bad play beget worse play?
I contemplate this question every hand I play. It isn’t difficult to identify the worst player or the two worst players at the table. Heck, sometimes it’s pretty obvious that I’m the fish in the game. But when I’m in a hand against a player who clearly has no concept of the game, I find myself almost playing down to his (or her) level. For example, I generally resolve never to go broke with one pair. But if I get in a hand with a bad player who I know is capable of getting all the money in with middle pair or any draw, it gets difficult to throw that one pair away. All of a sudden, I find myself contemplating a decision I would never dream of contemplating if my opponent were a better player. I always scoff at the assertion that it’s better to play against better players. But when I actually get into these situations, it actually makes sense.
Praise for a WSOP rule change
It was recently announced that the WSOP would be instituting an excessive celebration rule for the 2008 series. The new rule states, “Excessive celebration through extended theatrics, inappropriate behavior, or physical actions, gestures, or conduct may be subject to penalty.” Although I have never played in a live setting against people who I don’t know, I am ecstatic at this rule change. Ridiculous antics from the likes of Hevad Khan and Humberto Brenes have made televised poker nearly unbearable. Hopefully this means the coverage will be more about the poker and less about what will appeal to the lowest common denominator.
Midterms, midterms, midterms
Midterms and poker do not go well together. Whenever I fire up Full Tilt to get in a session, there is a little voice in the back of my mind saying “You idiot! You should be studying!” I always end up giving in to that little voice, so not a ton of poker has gone down recently. Needless to say, my $75 bonus was not cleared. That’s kind of a bummer until I think about the fact that if I were to play enough to clear the bonus, I probably would have lost at least $75 at the tables anyway. Either way, I break even.
My ATMs and my DonkeyTest score
Is there any better feeling in the world than sitting at a table with a couple of players who you just know are going to pay you off big at some point in the near future? I had that indescribable feeling during my last session of .05/.10 NLHE 6 max on Full Tilt.
276 Days To Go
I have come to the stark realization that I am completely sick of online poker. My live poker experience is limited to small home games that I no longer partake in, but even with that small sample size, I can’t help but feel like live poker is, well, better.
The Frustration of Being a Recreational Player
Being a recreational online poker player is great. I’m not relying on success at poker to bring me any kind of steady income. Because I’m a college student, any extra cash is gladly accepted, but if I don’t bring in steady wins, it isn’t the end of the world. Being a recreational player also means that I don’t get to play nearly as much as I would like. School comes first, no exceptions. No matter how badly I need my poker fix, I have to hold off unless my homework is done (which isn’t that often). This brings me to my extreme frustration.
I am terrible at heads-up
I have started to play some $2+.15 heads-up SNGs on Full Tilt. I figure I need to start to be a more aggressive player. My cash game is really more suited to full ring but nine-handed games bore me to death so I inevitably end up heading to the 6-max tables. But then I play too passive and fail to adjust to a short-handed game. I have two choices: be a more patient person and just play full ring, or become a well-rounded player and improve my short-handed game. I have chosen the latter. One way I will do that is by playing some of these cheap heads-up SNGs, which is basically the only way someone with my bankroll can get a solid amount of heads-up play in. You would think that by playing five or six I would just fall into a win at some point. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. In fact, I haven’t won a single heads-up SNG thus far. I do a decent job of jumping out to a chip lead (sometimes as substantial as 2:1) but I can’t finish off my opponents. Sometimes the cards dictate this but I’m certain that most of it is my poor play.
