Knowing when to Hold 'Em

Back to posting - I love Pokerstars

Bad blogger - playing poker, but not documenting my tilt.

I went on a bad streak until about 2 weeks ago. I had my ups, but my downs dominated.

Hoping to become succesful, I thought critically about my play. Here are my observations:

• I play better in SNGs than at ring games. When playing a SNG, I understand the value of patience. I have learned to fold good hands when I suspect better hands. I have a better understanding of bad beats (and certainly have had plenty both ways).
• So I had to rethink my ring game strategy. As I read and observe, patience and discipline are the keys. Wait for the good cards. Be willing to lose a string of hands while waiting for good starting cards and a good flop.
• Do not marry my cards. If I have AQ and the flop does not fit, fold in the face of aggressive betting. AQ does not always win. AA does not always win. Fold good cards in the right situation.
• Recognize when I am at a table of superior players, and either study them to learn, or get the hell out of there.
• When upset, drop down in stakes. I have even dropped down to nickle/dime for some periods to work off my tilt.

I have tried 4 different sites over the past 3 months - Party Poker (Iggy's favorite - Party Poker & Empire Poker Blog), UB, Paradise Poker, and recently Pokerstars. I bought into Pokerstars because the RGP crowd sang its praises.

Iggy takes about the fish on Party Poker all the time. However, the site just does not do it for me. I hate their SNGs (starting with only 800 chips makes them much more of a crap shoot than a poker tourney). I have not found the fishes yet - but then maybe I am the swimmer.

I like UB, for several reasons that I have mentioned in the past. However, I believe it is 4th in play.

Paradise Poker is very good for tournaments and SNGs. I do like their ring games better than Party Poker.

2 weeks ago I bought in to Pokerstars. I love their games. First, they are the only site with 2 table SNGs. And they start with 1500 chips. I believe that my patient style gets rewarded in this format. I wait for good cards - and eventually they come. Starting with 1500 chips decreases my sense of urgency. I can resist the desire to make something happen.

This reminds me of playing basketball. The best players wait for the game to "come to them". You are rarely successful forcing shots in basketball. Likewise, I am rarely successful if I try to play weak cards.

I have found plenty of fish at Pokerstars (at least at the 0.50/1 and 1/2 6 max tables). I salivate whenever I join a table where several players see almost every preflop bet. Currently I am building a nice bankroll playing those games and ...

I love .10/.25 Omaha 8/b - pot limit. What a great game! I start with $10 each time and just have patience. In these games, I always remember that Omaha is a game of nuts (either high or especially hi/lo). Wait and the nuts will be served. Then use my betting skill to reel in the fishies.

Now maybe I am just in the midst of a rush, but things are looking up. I have found a site that I really love. I will play the others in the future.

I think the key is finding a poker home where you are comfortable. Party is that site for Iggy, but it is not for me.

Let me once again praise the 2 table SNGs. Pokerstars has the best sign up procedure for SNGs. They give you the most chips. They feel more like tournaments.

Since I love the tournament challenge this single feature jumps Pokerstars to the top of my list. But if you are a bonus whore, they ain't got none!

Harrah's New Orleans

Last week I spent several days in New Orelans. Fortunately, I was close to Harrah's.

Harrah's has a very nice poker room (the only negative was smoking). They have 20 tables - high quality structures.

They spread at least the following games:

• 3-6 hold 'em
• 6-12 hold 'em
• no limit hold 'em
• 15-30 Omaha (high only)
• 4-8 Omaha (high only)
• 1-5 7 card stud (high only)
• 1-4-8-8 1/2 and 1/2 (stakes are obvious - 1/2 hold 'em and 1/2 Omaha high - alternating each time around the table

I do recommend checking it out if you go to New Orleans. The location is great and easy access from most hotels.

More later on some impressions of the poker played there (I can only really comment on the 3-6 hold 'em tables).

Challenging myself

I will use this blog to go public. I plan to publish my SNG stats until I play at least 50 on each Paradise and UB (unless my money runs out). My initial stats suggests that I make a small profit playing SNGs. So now I will test my trial run with $5 and $10 tables. Interestingly, playing $5 at Paradise costs $.50 more - $1 rake compared with UBs $.50 rake. Nonetheless, I will plan to generally alternate between sites.

Why do this? First, I love playing SNGs. They are time limited and have a clear goal! I like tournament play. I have a defined risk, and thus No Limit becomes a fun challenge. Second, until I use this blog to present my stats, then I could easily fool myslef.

I will continue to play some ring games (for variety), but SNGs are the challenge for the next month or two. Please check as I describe my progress.

Great fun!

Wow, I had a blast yesterday morning. I played in a $3 or 750 Ultimate Points, Hold'em multitable tournament. This is the cheapest multitable that I know. 170 players started at 6 a.m. my time. I finished 6th - and busted out at 9:20 a.m.

I saw some horrible play, and some great play. And I also watched others play!

I must admit that I should have finished in the top 4 - but I tilted a bit at the final table (I was late meeting some friends).

Starting out, I tried to remember everything that I have read on other Poker Blogs and the links to the left. Given that this was a multitable, survival was the key early on. I played very tight for the first two hours. When I finally had a big stack, I used it to bully the small stacks. My luckiest hand was an all-in on AA. My opponent had 99. The flop had a 9, but the river was an A. There is justice!

I won $25 (not a great amount per hour). The learning and enjoyment were worth much more than a $3 investment. I love winning, and would love to build a huge bankroll. But even more important at this stage of my poker career is the sheer fun of competition and the daily learning.

I highly recommend these cheap tournaments as great fun for the value.

If you are not a member of UB, and are considering joining, please email me so that I can be your sponsoring member. We both benefit significantly from your first deposit!

Paradise - good beats and bad

Having descended into the maelstrom, I decided to try another site. Learning a new poker site gives me great entertainment. Having accounts on UB and Party, I decided to choose between Paradise and Stars. I choose Paradise for the bonus!

My migration to Paradise has been quite successful this week. I started with $100 (and $25 pending bonus). My main playing has come on $.50/1 tables. I had been playing too many short handed tables and switching to 10 person tables seems to agree with me at this time.

Thus far this week I have played 5 SNGs (they call them minitournaments). I played 3 $5+1 and 2 $10+1. I won one of each to make me +$35 thus far.

The most recent $5 SNG was the site of two unbelievable good beats! I played very well and smart to reach the final 3. Due to some nice hands I had the chip lead in this round, having ~ $5000 of the total $8000 in the tourney. My first opponent goes all in for ~$1500. I have 99 and see him. He flops AA (I do like that Paradise shows you the cards on a two person all-in - UB does also, but not Party). I figure that he has won. But the river brings a 9. I am sheepish but laughing (a great advantage of playing at home).

After about 8 hands of tug of war, I have around 6k and my opponent 2k. I get dealt QJ - he has the button. I raise, he goes all in, I call and he shows QQ. My odds are ridiculous against. The flop shows 10, 9 and I live. The river is a K and I am champion. But somehow I feel like a thief. My opponents played these hands perfectly. But then it is poker and I will certainly lose like that in the future. Poker does involve luck.

After doing so well playing $.5/1 and a few SNGs I decided to try $1/2. I had about 5 bad beats in 30 minutes. The bad beats are not important, everyone has great bad beat stories (my opponents above are probably sharing those stories with someone right now). But you must recognize that you have had a bad beat, and fold. This idiot forgot that principle and turned a $20 loss into a $40 loss.

Principle, look for an excuse to fold, and then fold. When the board is KQJ102, and you have Q2 in the BB, and two opponents are raising - get the hell out of there. You idiot (I love berating myself) - what the hell were you thinking anyway? That hand cost me at least $10 (I probably should have folded after the flop anyway). So I plan to reflect carefully on my play. I sprung a leak, which I need to fix. I'm still up approximately 100%, but it is back to $.50/1 for more discipline.

Descent into the Maelstrom

So I was riding high. My plan was working. Then I ran into bad beat Wednesday, which begat bad play Wednesday, which dissipated my cushion. I am back to my initial stake (plus a few chips) and starting the long climb upwards again.

Like everyone else I must share 2 bad beats. First, I am playing a $2/4 table at UB. I probably should not have reached for this level, but I planned to play tight and aggressive. So I get pocket AA and raise. Two call and I am jacked. Three clubs flop (I have the A of clubs), but I bet one more time. 2 call. An offcard flops, so I check as does everyone else. A fourth club flops (my prayers are answered), I bet and get raised. I cannot believe it, and just am in shock when my opponent shows the straight flush. One card could beat me - and this portended a series of horrible losses.

Later that day I am playing in a SNG. We are down to 5 players - I have the 3rd most chips and am playing quite well (if I say so myself). I am on the button and call with A8 offsuit. The flop comes A 8 10. I make a large bet which the SB sees (the BB is all in from a short stack). The 4th card is a 3 - I go all in - the SB sees me. The river is a Q and he held J9. He called over 2000 chips on a straight draw! I would love to play him on a daily basis - but that day my SNG ended when he gambled and won.

So after I recovered my temporary depression and insanity, I tried to put the day into perspective. Several lessons come to mind.

• Do not go up in betting level until you are ready
• Try to analyze why your opponents are betting or calling
• When in doubt go down rather than up in limits
• Winning at poker requires patience (I know I say that almost everyday - but I am trying to actually learn it)
• I am definitely getting great entertainment value from playing online thus far
• I am not yet a good poker player - but maybe one day

So I still have my initial stake (and did fair on Thursday and started out great today). Back to the game plan and remember "a slip is not a fall".

Key link added

A response to a RGP post gave this key reference - all the odds that one can imagine. I have placed it on the key poker links.

On my way to the challenge

One of my first posts mentions a challenge - An interesting challenge. Too summarize, one starts with a small stake, and slowly works ones way up to playing larger stakes.

On UB I started with $100. After several weeks of alternately doing well, and then tilting, I decided to take this challenge. I was down to around $50. At that time I started focusing on $.25/.50 Texas Hold 'Em. Over about a week I stated to learn the things I had read. One should generally start with quality. Bet strong hands early. Slow play judiciously. Fold when you are likely beat.

I slowly started building my bankroll to the point that I could move up to $.50/1. Once I got to $100 I was ready. Then one day I had a few hours to enter a multi-table Omaha 8/b tourney (64 players) for $10+1. I really love playing this game, and believe that generally I am a bit better at Omaha and Hold 'Em. Tournament play requires great patience as you must wait for good cards and fold often after the flop.

I got on a nice run and made the final table. Unfortunately, I had to get to the airport at 5:30 to pick someone up. The tourney started at 2:00 and I thought it would finish on time. So when we get to 3 players left (and I have a huge chip lead) I go on conscious tilt - either I would win or lose quickly. I lost, but still won $86! That and a few excellent Hold 'Em days brought me over $200 - the breakpoint for playing $1/2. So now I am a $1/2 player. I am playing some SNGs, and hope to play a multi later this week. I still play some Omaha 8/b as a great alternative game.

So what have I learned thus far (oh - my bankroll is up to $379 this morning) -

• Read, read and then reread - most articles and books have great pearls of wisdom. We however must take the time to understand what we read. Learn a few lessons, and then practice those lessons. Go into each session with a game plan.
• Patience - let the game come to you. Whenever impatience takes over, I become a Big Fish!!!
• You will win some hands on the river; you will lose some hands on the river. Poker still has luck involved. Skill puts you into position to have good luck
• Play on UB and always check to see what you opponents had in the hole when they get to the river. UB makes this easier than Party Poker (you have to ask for email to see hole cards on Party). Knowing the river cards allows you to better gauge your opponents. As you accumulate knowledge, you will better understand their betting patterns.
• Read, read and then try to learn

And if you want to open an account on UB, please email me for the referral. One reader did, and I publicly thank him profusely!!

More on playing like Phil Ivey

Comments to my last post suggested that taking time was not relevant to the internet - the time should be spent prior to sitting down at the monitor. Your honor, I object.

I know generally what I want to do, however, I have not thought through every variation that I have seen thus far. Sometimes, a short pause for reflection of what has transpired prior to my bet helps me make a better decision.

These are not necessarily tremendously difficult decisions, rather I find that taking a few seconds keeps me from becoming a maniac (it is always more fun to call or bet than to fold). At this stage of my poker development I must continue to remember that you want to minimize your losses and maximize your winnings. You should fold unless you have a good defendable reason to call or bet. I must remind myself of this truism regularly. Developing the discipline to think before clicking on a button helps me make better decisions.

Play more like Phil Ivey!

I was watching my tape of the WPT finals this weekend. The commentors (who were generally annoying) made a cogent observation on Phil Ivey. He never rushes to bet or check. His discipline is beautiful. Prior to making a decision he obviously thinks!!

Over the past few days I have tried to emulate his deliberations. I have noticed that when I do, my decision making quality improves dramatically. Most of my bad decisions are fast ones.

When I get impatient and start clicking the automatic buttons, I sometimes make mistakes. Poker is not a process that requires rushing. Playing deliberately is not necessarily playing slowly.

Sometimes I do get into a groove where I actually think carefully prior to each decision. At those times I do quite well. But when I do not think, then my game suffers.

So when I next sit at the computer to play, I must remember to play like Phil Ivey and think before I act.