Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Progress Post #12: I'm selling lightning in a bottle, Chip Richie cleans up Anaheim

Since my last post

Tournaments: -$538
Online Cash Games: +$232.35
Live Cash Games: +$1,200

Net since last post: $894.35

Winnings this year to date.
Live Cash Games: +$2,344
Online cash games: +$800.25.
Online Tournaments: +$3303.02

Net since the beginning of the year: $6447.27

I was talking to Todd, and he and Brandon were at Hawaiian Gardens. They were invited to a home game, and managed to get Rob and me an invite. We drove to a company building and someone runs out to let us in. The business is run by Eddie. He's been hosting home games for years now, but they told me it's gonna be ending soon since he sold his business. Too bad it's a nice set up. Anyways, Eddie is a cool guy and apparently he gets about 30 people showing up on a weekly basis.

There was a $100 tournament. Rob and I got there too late to play, but whatever we prefer cash games anyways.

The cash game starts up when enough people busted. They had an all time dealer set up who began shuffling the cards. We sit down at that table. Their whole set up was quite nice. 4 tables spaced comfortably, with nice chips and cards. Drinks in a fridge in the corner and various snacks on the counter.

The cash game was $1/$2 with up to two live straddles. We start 6 handed with Rob on my right. I know Rob plays tight, so I know when he gets into a pot, I should stay out. I ended up playing my usual LAG game to take advantage of the weaker players. Since the cash game is starting with the people who busted in the tourney, I figured many of the people we were starting with were bad.

My first hand is KdQd, and I push it up to $7. The BTN and SB calls me with about $100 behind. Flop is Kxx. The SB bets into me and I call. The BTN folds. The turn is a Q, he checks and I bet. He calls. The river is a blank and I fire a $60 bet out there into about a $100 pot. He folds after showing a K. I show him KQ and gain some respect. I had planned to abuse it later, but not all goes according to plan.

I ended up running too hot to bother bluffing. I had a real hand so many times, I never actually got a good spot to bluff. I made 4 straights, a flush over a straight, and two sets against top pair and got paid on all of them.

Like I attempted to check/raise my OESD. But since I only put in one chip, they said its a call. I'm like fine whatever. And I turned the straight and got paid off, since he didn't put me on that.

Todd decided he would try to play poker against me and got burned. I took about $100 off him when he didn't give my river bet any credit and called with a bad top pair. Then I stacked him when I flopped top two with QJ when he limped AQ.
=/
I told him I wasn't playing back at him. Whatever. His loss.

Some guy kept calling me Chip Richie because I kept collecting all the chips. I said I preferred to be called Chip Reese, but he was like, he's six feet under.
I thought to myself, well I didn't say I want to be Chip Reese.

The same guy kept saying he wanted to stack me whenever I left the room. (Rob told me this) And Rob now wants to stack him. What a great friend. So Rob decided to have some fun and raise with Td9d. Not really a big deal, I do it all the time. The guy reraises from $7 to $45. All right it's time to fold'em, but Rob calls and the guy only has like $60 more behind. The flop comes out 9 high, the guy pushes. Rob calls and the other guy shows JJ. Rob catches a T and WOW I was laughing my ass off.

I ended the night up $1,500. I only played for about 3 or 4 hours and I won more than the guy who got first in the tournament. I also cashed out more than everyone else on the table combined. It was pretty nice. Rob won like $300 as well.

Overall, the players were very nice. They weren't very good, some were terrible and only a small handful were decent. Eddie says since he's selling his business, he wants to get in our games. We'll see. I don't think we'll mind, it's just we don't have enough space. Although I don't really know how happy they will be to play with us, seeing how bad Rob and I cleaned them out.

I ended up dropping $300 at Winston's home game the next day. I ran KK into AA on Winston's straddle (obviously) and then flopped a straight vs top two and he filled up.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Progress Post #11: Return from the dead, a month all at once

The update first for the people who only care about that.

Tournaments: -$821.38

I've played probably close to 50 tournaments since my last post. I made a few three figure cashes, but haven't hit any four figure ones. I've bought into almost $1,400 worth of tourneys since my last post.

Live Cash Games: +$1,600

I won about $2,100 at Morongo, and then lost some here and there. Most of this post is about the Morongo trip.

Online Cash Games: +$208.03

Net since last post: +$1808.03
Although I'd say about $200 of expenses were incurred during the trip.

Winnings this year to date.

Live Cash Games: +$1044
Online cash games: +$567.90.
Online Tournaments: +$3841.02

Net since the beginning of the year: $5,452.92
All and all not bad. I was planning to hit $25k by the end of the year. I'm about 3 months in, so I'm behind a bit. It's ok, I expect it to pick up during the summer. I should have more free time to play then.



Let's start with the trip to Morongo


By the way, I started this during the weekend, then let it sit for two weeks. So if the past and present tense seem a little mixed up that's why.

--------


This weekend was incredible. SK has defined a new level of degeneracy. We all went to Morongo. SK is down over $1,000 on the weekend.


In blackjack.


I told him he's an idiot.


Day 1


Run Like The Sun


SK and I wait around for Winston to ride with us. We hit up King's Kabob and then bail cause Winston is still asleep. Anyways, it takes us over 2 hours to get out there. I get on the wait list for 2/5. SK goes to play blackjack.


6 hours later, I'm up nearly $2,500 killing the 2/5 and SK is into me for $900. I make some nice plays like checking AQ with top pair on the flop and extracting a few hundred out of TT on turn and river. It helps I am connecting with just about everything. I leave early and get us a room a Super 8 Motel. SK mentioned he thought he might get shot on the way in. I doubt it. Everyone who got a room still owes me $30 btw. SK that includes you. Yes, yes it does. (He's watching me write this.) Update, I am now continuing this at home. He got me the $30. As did everyone else, except Zack, who I'm letting slide on it.

Generally playing at casinos, your strategy isn't to get all in. This is because the range of hands they get all in for 100bb+ with is usually pretty strong. However, it's very easy to extract 15-20bb bets out of them with weak hands. So you should generally try to go after more of their range, then play for big all in pots.

Anyways, SK managed to make a recovery on my loan and ships me back $800. As we leave I notice this Armenian guy who is smiling after just winning a big pot. He has like 4 racks in front of him. I wished I got to play with him cause he seemed really bad. (foreshadowing!!!)

I get to the Super 8, get us a room and crash. I'm tired.


Day 2


A Downswing of the Epic Variety


It's probably more exciting if I start with the end result. At the end of Day 2. Sk is no longer in debt.


I am now into SK for $200.


The morning started with a continental breakfast, then going to Morongo. I play the 1/3 with Zack (who got zero sleep) and dump $200. I can't beat that game. It's impossible.

I play some blackjack and win $150 back. LOL. Blackjack.

Zack ended up losing like $200 at the 1/3 also and wants to go play blackjack as well. I am kinda against it, since I just won $150 there. But I go with anyways. I end up dumping back $250 to the casino. Figures. So I'm -$300 at this point.

I finally got a seat at the 2/5.

The same Armenian guy is sitting at the 2/5 game the next morning. I thought to myself, well I guess I get to play with him. There were a few other people from the previous night still there. Since I got some sleep, I was fresh and feeling good about my chances. I sit down with $1,000.

The Armenian guy takes me out for $1,800, and Zack for like $600 over the course of the day. I felt the full force of varience at it's worse. I got backdoor straighted 4 or 5 times. He caught a gutshot against my top two pair. He rivered trips against my two pair. He caught flush after flush. Then finally when he stops catching with rags he picks up pocket kings. He has the entire table disgusted at how lucky he is getting. He quickly builds a monsterous stack that is pushing $5,000 at the table's expense. Yea, he's getting lucky against the entire table. Like when his 95 called a $50 reraise against pocket Kings and flopped a boat.

Later, that day we had something interesting happen. SK just announced his last hand. The black guy UTG raises to $10, I call with 66, SK makes it $35 to go. The armenian guy calls in the SB, the BB calls (he is a chill guy and we play with him on Day 3.), and the black guy calls. I look down at the menial $150 in my stack and say what the hell and push all in. SK is looks at me in disbelief. I'm like "How hard can it be, if you got a big hand, you should raise." I didn't realize the impact my words would have. The BB immediately calls us on "teamplay" or collusion. The aremenian guy doesn't look happy about a reraise either and quickly agrees with the BB. UTG said we should call the floor. As usual when there is an arguement one side is heatedly argueing with the floorman. SK and I on the other hand we're kinda like. That's collusion? I suppose it's kinda borderline, but I'm so used to playing our home games, that I guess I picked up some bad habits. Anyways, the floor eventually rules, it's not collusion, but it's still questionable. She says SK can't reraise, but can call and gives us both a warning. SK ends up really questioning what to do and folds after a few minutes.

He has KK.

His logic is that he doesn't want to risk the $1,000 of profit he just won. He was just about to leave anyways. Instead of getting into a 5 way protected pot, he decides that it's better to just fold to avoid making an expensive mistake. It's a pretty weak play, but he was playing scared money, so I can see it.

The aremenian guy folds, the BB calls me and UTG folds.
BB has QJh.
Terrible call IMO. It's nice for me though. I love coinflipping with 2:1 on my money.

The flop comes out 784r which looks stellar for my 66. The turn is a 7, and the river is an 8. And I'm like, hmm I have 6 high now.
His queen high scoops the pot.

I just laugh. Perfect ending to my day.


After that I visited the Casino near Crush's pad. I lost another $300 there playing Omaha. It was just a bad day. I played some poker online and won $100. Not much of a recovery.


Day 3


The Pheonix that Rises From The Ashes


Since I lent out some money, I hit the ATM and bought in for $500 at the $2/$5 game. As of right now I exactly net $0 in poker (and blackjack) on the weekend. Zack and Crush are still sleeping, so SK and I head out to Morongo on our own. It's like 10AM. The casino is pretty empty. There are 4 people on the 2/5 wait list. We get on the list, then we sit at an open 1/3 table. I lost another $20 at 1/3 (I CAN'T BEAT IT, IT'S IMPOSSIBLEEEEEEEE). Sk wins like $20.

The 2/5 starts up. We begin playing 5 handed. I play aggresively and quickly win a few hundred dollars by stealing a few pots and catching good cards. SK bought in for $200 and is up to about $250-300. The two players between us were donating to the rest.

The old guy on my left, is a regular. He plays pretty solid all round good tight aggresive poker. He takes out another guy who apparently is a reg for a $1k pot. Two pair over two pair, the guy on my left fills up. So now he has a boat over the other guy's two pair. The other guy pays off way too much, because he figured "he never has an 8 there."

Seats are numbered from right to left in a circle. The table is structured like this.
Seat 1: Me
Seat 2: Old guy with Cowboy hat.
Seat 3: SK
Seat 4: Empty
Seat 5: Empty
Seat 6: Empty
Seat 7: Empty
Seat 8: Old guy who stacks off to seat 2
Seat 9: Older guy who is the worst of the five us.

Slowly the table fills ups. I slowly start to build a stack. I am playing extremely well in my opinion. I am focusing really well, and managed to earn the tables respect. I call down with middle pair against this other young guy (sits down in Seat 7) and showdown the best hand, I extract value with top pair no kicker, and keep showing down the best hand. Whether or not, I had a good starting hand was mostly irrelevant because I tend to go to showdown with winners. They start getting scared of me, which in turn let me loosen up and steal a ton of pots.

The older guy on my left gets up, and leaves. He's up about $800 which is pretty solid. One of the guys we were playing with last night sits in his seat and we start chatting.

I was playing tight (for me), which means playing about 25% of my hands. I felt I was extracting near max value out of them though.

SK and I had an unspoken agreement not to play big pots together and he folded ATo to my raise when I had KQs. The flop came out KQJ LOL, I would stacked off for sure. SK manages to get it up to $400 for a $200 profit and gets off. The asian guy who takes his seat, gets AQo on the first hand and flops the broadway straight and doubles up LOL. SK is like ... damn it.

Next hand the asian guy gets T9o calls a reraise and flops the nut straight again and doubles through KK. Sk is like... wow I would've had like 1.5k now.

The asian guy is actually really bad. He plays extremely aggresively, but doesn't hand read, so he ends up lighting money on fire. He ends up dumping $900 or so by the end of the day.

One of my favorites was when I raise with 99 on hte button. I make it $30 to go. He calls in the BB and the limper folds. The flop came out K32r. He bets $25 into me. I don't really think his range is beats mine, so I call. On the turn, another 2 falls and he fires $75 more. I still don't believe him and call. The river is a 3. I beat nothing except like 44-88 and pure bluffs. He fires $200. I think and call. He MUCKS HIS HAND and says nice call. I put a huge smile on my face and pass my hand towards the muck. The guy to my left who I was playing with last night, calls out to see both hands. (He's a nice guy, we chatted a lot and he was fun to play with. Sorry I forgot his name. Brandon maybe? SK lemme know if you remember.) I say OK, and proudly flip over 99. He shows 84o. Almost everyone at the table was like wow. I can't beleive you called that. I talked to SK about it, he said he felt he was bluffing too, but didn't know if he could pull the trigger with 99.

I texted out this picture midday. It was a brag. I was up about $2,000 and feeling real good.
Red Chips are $5 each. Those racks each have 100 chips in them.
The stacks in front of the racks are stacks of 10. The green chip is $25. The shortest stack are all blacks. Most people recognize black chips as $100. The far right is everything else. Browns are $2. I have about $25 in that stack.

And yes the money is all benjamins. Cash plays at the $2/$5.
Thats about $2,500 there. Maybe a hundred or two less.

The day is approaching a close, and the casino is just starting to pick up.
SK sat back down. Played really tight. Got AA and some idiot paid him off.


He played like 5 hands the whole day and won like $400. Standard.

This crazy asian kid sat down in seat 6. He ends up winning huge pots getting money in bad wiht draws over and over. He pushed all in with flush and straight draws (acceptable), and called all in with flush and straight draws (unacceptable, most of the time anyways).

When he almost took me out for $800 with a draw, I figured it might be time to leave. (He didn't because I decided not to call him with a pair of fours... but I did have the best hand.)

I shook hands with some of the guys I talked with, wished everyone luck and hit the chip changer. I have to say I was proud. I couldn't close my wallet. It was too full.

We went back to Crush's place. I donated $100, so Zack and Crush could buy alcohol. I had two screwdrivers and mimosa. Then we watched Wedding Crashers and Just Friends, because apparently that's what was available.

I go to sleep later.

SK and I wake up and decide to hit the Cabazon outlet, because the money is burning a hole in my pocket. We go around and SK ends up spending more than I do. LOL. Not hard. I didn't buy anything.


All and all, it was a BLAST. I think Winston came up a few hundred, Nate dropped like 1, and Zack came out brutalized. -$1,000 I think? Rough man. SK actually managed to come out with like $600 profit which is pretty impressive considering how much he lost in blackjack.

I'll try to get my next post out sooner.

I'll see you across the felt.
Bryce

Leviathan101
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