We often read in articles that in order to be successful at poker we must be patient. What some players fail to understand that we must be patient not only hand by hand but game by game and session by session because poker does not reset the figures whenever you go to sleep, the cards don’t forget because they don’t remember in the first place and finally you are never “owed” a flush because you are drawing for the 5th time without hitting.
Too many players think that there is a quicker way rather than waiting. Too many players are like Infantry men who are waiting for a lift on the 5th floor to go down to the 1st. They push buttons up and down because they believe that they will get where they are going quicker. No matter how nicely I try to tell them (on my way up to the 7th floor) that they would have been quicker if they only push the button for the direction they wish to travel (and you have to be careful telling these guys) they just don’t understand why it would slow them down. They don’t understand that the lift would have one less stop. They believe that because they got on the lift quicker they will get to where they are going quicker. They also find it annoying and believes that one of their mates are pulling a practical joke when the lift opens on the 5th floor on the way down and no one is there.
My last session was not very successful I played 1 MTT, 2 SNG’s and a cash game to boot all live – I lost every game, not all down to bad play but lessons were learnt. I played the whole evening patiently but as I was evidently going to be down I decided to give myself a stop loss limit so the night may end in the black but not too much. So I headed back home reminding myself to be patient, got in my lift and went straight up to the 7th floor, it was 2am and all the soldiers were asleep.
Just a short blog, but be patient and another will arrive.
23 November 2009
13 November 2009
Image is Everything
Well maybe not everything, in poker being able to walk the walk and talk the talk can be very helpful but, you have to remember that all the gold chains, Rolex’s and other kinds of bling won’t make you a poker player any more than scalpel will turn a tree surgeon into a brain surgeon. You’ve got to be able to play the game to win. But in the tactical play, image is sometimes all you’ve got at your disposal to win pot. It may be all you have to get your opponent the false sense of comfort he needs to bet into your power-house.
Last time I played Funk Poker I was able to secure a wild and crazy player image. I decided that by using this image it would give out a completely opposite image from my regular rock like facade. So when I returned this week and played the same game against predominantly the same players I had ALL my value bets paid off as well as most of my premium hands. And I also managed to obtain a place in the payouts. I was knocked out going against the big stack with JJ vs. 66.
Certain images can be a little too much for some players. Last week I also realised that pointers I gave the volunteer dealer at my new table could have put that player on tilt, let me explain.
The image of a jobs-worth
In 1995, when the late Ken Flaton was contending for the championship title in Atlantic City he was given a choice and his decision made him very unpopular. One of the players at the final table, a veteran player, suddenly needed to relieve himself in the bathroom. He kindly asked the other players permission to step out since the tournament rules did not allow for the clock to be stopped before the end of the hour. All players except ken agreed, he said no and explain later that this man knew from experience how to pace himself. He should have known not t drink so much coffee. If he had to go while the game played on he was free to do that, but the tournament did not have to stop for him. The blinds were high and the championship was at stake. What happened was that the other players at the table, as a favour played slowly so that the man did have time to go and return. The man came back angry at Ken and on tilt. Ken ended up winning the tournament. Ken looked at this as an example of using the rules to your advantage. If enforcing the rules puts another player on tilt, so much the better.
Last time I played Funk Poker I was able to secure a wild and crazy player image. I decided that by using this image it would give out a completely opposite image from my regular rock like facade. So when I returned this week and played the same game against predominantly the same players I had ALL my value bets paid off as well as most of my premium hands. And I also managed to obtain a place in the payouts. I was knocked out going against the big stack with JJ vs. 66.
Certain images can be a little too much for some players. Last week I also realised that pointers I gave the volunteer dealer at my new table could have put that player on tilt, let me explain.
The image of a jobs-worth
In 1995, when the late Ken Flaton was contending for the championship title in Atlantic City he was given a choice and his decision made him very unpopular. One of the players at the final table, a veteran player, suddenly needed to relieve himself in the bathroom. He kindly asked the other players permission to step out since the tournament rules did not allow for the clock to be stopped before the end of the hour. All players except ken agreed, he said no and explain later that this man knew from experience how to pace himself. He should have known not t drink so much coffee. If he had to go while the game played on he was free to do that, but the tournament did not have to stop for him. The blinds were high and the championship was at stake. What happened was that the other players at the table, as a favour played slowly so that the man did have time to go and return. The man came back angry at Ken and on tilt. Ken ended up winning the tournament. Ken looked at this as an example of using the rules to your advantage. If enforcing the rules puts another player on tilt, so much the better.
07 November 2009
Funk Poker = Fun Poker, Drunk.
I have been slowly recruiting more players into the poker world, to shine a light onto the game and to persuade people that poker is fun and should no longer be considered taboo. To start off I have had to convince these newcomers that they are not going to lose vast amounts of money and that they will be enjoying themselves in the process, a win-win scenario.
So I have guided them towards low stakes tournaments. These are generally held in public houses to increase profit with sales on what would normally be a quiet night. I generally don’t drink very much or even very often, but my new recruits have haggled me to a compromise; they will come and play if I also attend and drink. I decided I will allow myself a night of non profit poker once a month in the form of a cheap tournament.
The results were interesting;
I have previously played in these types of tournaments and found that the games are incredibly loose almost to the point where nobody folds, now you have to realise that even though our opponents play ultra loose this will not prevent you from winning in the long run. These types of tournaments are potentially the most profitable games going around. Skill is still a very important factor just as in the higher priced tourneys. People who think that these types of games are unbeatable and associate them to bingo will lose, not because of the game but because of the decisions that they make when playing against uber loose players.
My mission for the night was to attempt to bust myself out but not just to throw the chips away. As I recall this tale you have to keep in mind that before I had even sat down I had already reached my standard limit where alcohol was concerned (2 pints)
First hand UTG with 74c blinds 25/25 and everyone with starting stacks of 4000 so I decided to call as you should always play the first hand. The player to my left raises to 100 then the next re-raises to 250 followed by another re-raise this time to 1000 everyone folds round to me, as I had made the decision to play the first hand as well as my reasoning of they must all have high cards so I must be live, I called. So did the other two players Pot = 4050
It transpires that the players who had re-raised to 1000 had A7 and with his continued standard of play was out 3 hands later.
I must apologise as from this point onward I receive another pint and my memory goes a little fuzzy, I do however remember getting to the last two tables and after knocking out a few more unlucky souls on the way.
One thing you must also realise is that at these low stake events you will not find any dealers until the final table so before you survive to that point most tables are self-dealt.
Upon arriving at one the last two tables we had a player whom had volunteered their services as a dealer for the table, I watched as the hand finished and complemented this dealer on their efficiency, not that I am any kind of judicator. I then followed the complement by a few pointers which were not received well, maybe it was my delivery but what do you expect I was up to 4 pints at this point. So I found myself dealing, 1st hand I had dealt myself AA and showed the table along with a “Bruce Willis” type of smart arse comment “yippie kia yay mother f*cker, this what happens if I'm dealing.” I continued to bully the table until I was knocked out by a player who had slow played KK, what made me smile was that everyone cheered when I was knocked out. I had obviously achieved putting everyone out of their comfort zone and on tilt.
So I have guided them towards low stakes tournaments. These are generally held in public houses to increase profit with sales on what would normally be a quiet night. I generally don’t drink very much or even very often, but my new recruits have haggled me to a compromise; they will come and play if I also attend and drink. I decided I will allow myself a night of non profit poker once a month in the form of a cheap tournament.
The results were interesting;
I have previously played in these types of tournaments and found that the games are incredibly loose almost to the point where nobody folds, now you have to realise that even though our opponents play ultra loose this will not prevent you from winning in the long run. These types of tournaments are potentially the most profitable games going around. Skill is still a very important factor just as in the higher priced tourneys. People who think that these types of games are unbeatable and associate them to bingo will lose, not because of the game but because of the decisions that they make when playing against uber loose players.
My mission for the night was to attempt to bust myself out but not just to throw the chips away. As I recall this tale you have to keep in mind that before I had even sat down I had already reached my standard limit where alcohol was concerned (2 pints)
First hand UTG with 74c blinds 25/25 and everyone with starting stacks of 4000 so I decided to call as you should always play the first hand. The player to my left raises to 100 then the next re-raises to 250 followed by another re-raise this time to 1000 everyone folds round to me, as I had made the decision to play the first hand as well as my reasoning of they must all have high cards so I must be live, I called. So did the other two players Pot = 4050
Flop – 7d 10c 4d
With two pair I decided to try for a check raise, so I checked the player to my left went all in the two other players folded and I decided to call.
“I’ve got the flush draw” he says as he lays down AKd
“That’s ok, I'm drawing for a house” I say placing my cards down.
Turn – 8c
“I’ve got a flush draw too” smiling like a drunk Cheshire cat.Final Card – Jc
“And I’ve hit, unlucky mate”It transpires that the players who had re-raised to 1000 had A7 and with his continued standard of play was out 3 hands later.
I must apologise as from this point onward I receive another pint and my memory goes a little fuzzy, I do however remember getting to the last two tables and after knocking out a few more unlucky souls on the way.
One thing you must also realise is that at these low stake events you will not find any dealers until the final table so before you survive to that point most tables are self-dealt.
Upon arriving at one the last two tables we had a player whom had volunteered their services as a dealer for the table, I watched as the hand finished and complemented this dealer on their efficiency, not that I am any kind of judicator. I then followed the complement by a few pointers which were not received well, maybe it was my delivery but what do you expect I was up to 4 pints at this point. So I found myself dealing, 1st hand I had dealt myself AA and showed the table along with a “Bruce Willis” type of smart arse comment “yippie kia yay mother f*cker, this what happens if I'm dealing.” I continued to bully the table until I was knocked out by a player who had slow played KK, what made me smile was that everyone cheered when I was knocked out. I had obviously achieved putting everyone out of their comfort zone and on tilt.
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