Monday, October 23, 2006
Shangri La
So, I think I may have found the Shangri La of low stakes poker. What elements would be necessary to create such a poker paradise? First, the games would need to be in a comfortable setting – plenty of space, comfortable chairs, nice food/drink, etc… Check! Second, the game would need to be close. Who wants to drive for 45 minutes to play poker? Check! Third, the players would need to be very friendly, most of them drunk, and most of them with very little ability. Check! Fourth, the games spread should be at stakes I can afford. Check! Fifth, the other players would need to have seemingly endless sources of cash and a blatant disregard for it’s value. Double Check!
I played an 8 hour session in this private event on Saturday and ended up winning $36. It feels just about as bad winning only $36 bucks from this veritable ATM as it would loosing a couple hundred at the Casino or the other home games I play. I was sick.
First, I had a real bad beat put on me earlier in the day when my beloved Cornhuskers were about to shock the world with a win over the Texas Longhorns. With 2 minutes left, a 2 point lead and the ball, a short pass was caught for an apparent first down. The receiver fumbles the ball. Yada Yada Yada, were now 5 and 2 and right back in the hunt for mediocrity.
But, things started looking better at the poker tables. I bought in for $100 which was the limit at the NLHE table. With $1/$2 blinds. I soon discovered that almost everyone played any suited cards, any Ace and any connected cards from any position. I figured I could just play solid, tight poker and win some moderate sized pots when these people did not hit their draw.
About 30 minutes in, I hold A 10 in middle position. I raise to $12. 2 limpers and the big blind call. $48 in the pot and I have the button. Flop comes A, 7, 4 with 2 hearts. It goes check check check to me. This hand is dangerous because I know people here will play any Ace from any position and I could be up against 2 pair; however, the players in this pot did not strike me as tricky and would not be inclined to set a trap, especially risking a free card with a 2 flush on the board. Anyone holding a better A would lead out as well. I’m pretty sure. I just know my hand is good now, and I know I’ll get called by anyone holding a smaller pair (i.e., 6s) or anyone holding a flush draw. So I bet $50 into this $48 pot and get called in one spot. Oh Shit! Turn is a heart. It goes check check. River is a 10. I now have top 2 pair on a flush board that went check check on the turn. I have $30 left and I’m staring at a $150 pot. Now, it goes bad. EP player puts me all in. I know I’m beat and I call off my last $30, he shows a made flush. Damn! $100 down.
I think I played the hand mostly correct. I gave him a price of 2:1 with my pot sized bet while he chased a flush on the turn where he was a 4:1 dog against catching one of 9 outs. Even if he connects, he can only win another $30 from me, so his implied odds were only ($48 in the pot + $50 flop bet + $30 left or $128 total). He would end up paying $80 to win $128 (1.5:1 ouch!). If, however, he planned to go to the river no matter what. He probably made a marginally correct play. Hey, he was gambling – exactly what I want. I’m sure he really didn’t think through his flop call decision, but as it turns out, with 2 cards to come he is a 2:1 dog against hitting and if he was sure he could get my last $30 if he connected, then he was getting a price of 1.5 to 1 on his call – not that horrible of a decision…I guess. Bad outcome for me though. Anyway, I guess I could have overbet the pot on the flop – bet $80 into a $50 pot and gave him even a worse price. I just can’t see any sense in making a stupid sized bet on the flop. The problem with overbetting the pot on the flop is that it never (or rarely) changes the outcome. In this situation, if I would have led out with any amount between $30 - $80, the outcome would have been the same. The same players who folded would have still folded. The player who called would have still called. I think this is usually the situation. Lesson here - no sense in overbetting the pot on the flop. It changes nothing and could actually leave you with less options on the turn and river.
Déjà vu. About 30 minutes later, I turn 2 pair – again with A 10 in a raised, multi-way pot pre-flop. This time the board is A, 10, 8, 6. I bet $60 into a $50 pot on the flop and leave myself with $30 in front of me. I go all in on the turn and get called. Jackass shows 7 9 suited for the straight. I think I did everything correct except drag the pot. Damn! $200 down.
Tables break. Now I’m at the party table. A couple hands later I’m reaching in my pocket again - $300 down. So, I keep over-betting in situations where I have the lead. Now I’m $400 in to it. Finally the poker gods start giving me a bit of a break and I start my comeback. One key hand - I flopped the nut flush with a Kc 10c and got my money all in with someone holding the Jc Qc. Oh well – bad beat for him.
Then, someone suggested we play NL Omaha High. I just creamed a little. We were playing 8 handed and 4 of the 8 players asked for clarification on the “must use 2 cards from your hand rule”. This is a good sign. The first pot was $450. I folded pre-flop. Long story short, I’m now up $350 making a spectacular $750 turnaround.
That’s when I start making dumb, “I’ve got chips to burn” type decisions. One such horrible decision was calling a $100 bet on the river made by the table maniac (and drunk) when I held K 10 on a board of K 3 8 7 8. The pot had about $45 in it. Jackass held 33 for the boat. He had the lead all the way and trapped me good with a drunk like overbet bluff looking bet on the river – which was completely consistent with the way he had been playing. Good one! He trapped me good.
Anyway, the main observation of the night – I see myself make really weak and bad decisions once I start building a good sized chip lead. These weak decisions are usually calling off chips in bad situations. I think it would be somewhat more excusable if I was exerting pressure on the table with aggressive bets & raises, but just calling off chips like a meek, girly-man is a huge mistake. Henceforth, I vow to never play weak, dumb, girly-man poker again just because I have some extra chips to burn.
