Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tear it up!
I rember when I was 12 years old, I watched the NBA playoffs on a little black & white TV with the "rabbit ears" sticking up. No remote. I'd have to sit 3 feet away so that I could switch channels during time outs.
I really admired the greats of the era (Dr. J, Maurice Cheeks, Daryl Dawkins, Bird, Isiah, Parish, McHale, etc..).
Then, after the games would end, I would run outside to our little one-car detached garage where I had an old hoop, nailed to a 2x6 framed backboard, hanging from just above the garage door. For hours, I'd practice the moves I had just saw. I'd be out there, pump-faking imaginary opponents and trying out my dunks on the 7 foot rim. I'd work so hard that I'd be completely wiped out by dinner time.
I can still remember the incredible motivation that watching these great athletes would inspire.
Now that I'm a little past my athletic prime, poker is my new competitive outlet, and I still get really motivated at times to play better.
My latest 'dose' of motivation came from two seperate events. The first event was watching high stakes poker this past Monday. It seems like I was able to pick out a some of the very subltle but remarkably good plays made by these top players. These plays are probably come second nature to the pros, but they were very remarkable to me. On one play there was a steal/resteal play that was just brilliant. I was also really impressed with some folds by Daniel Negraneu.
The second event provide a ton of motivation was a really bad session of NLHE cash game at Boone's place Friday night. I lost $300 (booooo!). In my defense I was really card dead. But I really have no exuse for loosing this much money. For some reason, I found myself playing big pots, out of position, with marginal hands. I did this over and over and over. If I wasn't getting bluffed out of pots, I was making marginal calls on the river and hoping to get lucky.
After loosing money and playing so badly, I was really motivated to play again and atone for my donkish play.
One particular hand got me really steaming, but when I look back on it, I'm not sure how I could have played much worse.
I was in middle position with a Jc-8c. Being the first person into the pot, I raised it to $5. I got called by a donkey in late position and the blinds. In looking back, this a pretty decent play. If I'm the first person into a pot, I like to raise most of the time - especially if the raise might buy me the button. I guess an argument could be made for calling here with a suited 2 gapper, but I'd rather take the lead on the betting as this might give me some bluffing equity later in the hand.
The flop comes pretty good for me J-7-4 rainbow. This gives me top pair with a poor kicker. After the blinds check, I continue by betting $15. The fish in late position thinks a short while then min-raises me. The blinds bow out. Action back to me.
I figure I have 2 options. I really considered folding my marginal holdings here. It is extremely likely that he may hold AJ, KJ, QJ, or J10. These are hands he might call a preflop raise with. I really don't give him credit for Qs, Ks, or As since I'm pretty sure I would have seen a re-raise preflop. I might also get min-raised with an smaller pair as more of a "feeler" raise to see where he was at.
In the end, I decided to go with my read that the min-raise reaked of weakness, so I reraised back $40 more. I have about $100 behind. Villian has me covered. He calls.
So here's the problem with this play. The pot already has $65 when I make my $40 reraise. After my nemisis calls, the pot has $125. I have just created a humongous pot, that I'll have the pleasure of playing out of postion for the next 2 streets all the while holding top pair/weak kicker. Brilliant!
A much better play would have been to fold or raise to about $60. This would give him a real good reason to fold or a real bad price if he had middle pair or was on some sort of straight draw.
The turn was a 6. The board reads J-7-4-6 rainbow. Here's where I make my biggest blunder. I have 3 options. If I think I'm beat, I can check/fold or put out a little blocker bet ($25) and hope to showdown a winner. If I think I'm in the lead, I can just shove here with my final $100 into a $125 pot and most likely take it down right there. Instead, I bet $50 and get called. This is a horrible bet. The pot now has $225 and I have $50 left behind. I'm already committed to this pot. Why didn't I just put it all in on the turn and get donkey kong to fold his long shot?
The river is a scary looking 9. The board reads J-7-4-6-9. I check. Other player shoves all in. I have $50 left. I can't hardly think of any hands that I can beat here, but I'm locked into this looser. I call.
Eyeor shows down a pair of 9s. He hit what turned out to be a 2 outer on the river to win this.
This got me steaming a little, but when I look back, I'm beating almost no hands, the pot is gianormouse and I'm pot committed. Brilliant.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to my next NL cash game session. I'm taking a wad of $100s to Motor City or to the home game next weekend and am going to TEAR IT UP.
I really admired the greats of the era (Dr. J, Maurice Cheeks, Daryl Dawkins, Bird, Isiah, Parish, McHale, etc..).
Then, after the games would end, I would run outside to our little one-car detached garage where I had an old hoop, nailed to a 2x6 framed backboard, hanging from just above the garage door. For hours, I'd practice the moves I had just saw. I'd be out there, pump-faking imaginary opponents and trying out my dunks on the 7 foot rim. I'd work so hard that I'd be completely wiped out by dinner time.
I can still remember the incredible motivation that watching these great athletes would inspire.
Now that I'm a little past my athletic prime, poker is my new competitive outlet, and I still get really motivated at times to play better.
My latest 'dose' of motivation came from two seperate events. The first event was watching high stakes poker this past Monday. It seems like I was able to pick out a some of the very subltle but remarkably good plays made by these top players. These plays are probably come second nature to the pros, but they were very remarkable to me. On one play there was a steal/resteal play that was just brilliant. I was also really impressed with some folds by Daniel Negraneu.
The second event provide a ton of motivation was a really bad session of NLHE cash game at Boone's place Friday night. I lost $300 (booooo!). In my defense I was really card dead. But I really have no exuse for loosing this much money. For some reason, I found myself playing big pots, out of position, with marginal hands. I did this over and over and over. If I wasn't getting bluffed out of pots, I was making marginal calls on the river and hoping to get lucky.
After loosing money and playing so badly, I was really motivated to play again and atone for my donkish play.
One particular hand got me really steaming, but when I look back on it, I'm not sure how I could have played much worse.
I was in middle position with a Jc-8c. Being the first person into the pot, I raised it to $5. I got called by a donkey in late position and the blinds. In looking back, this a pretty decent play. If I'm the first person into a pot, I like to raise most of the time - especially if the raise might buy me the button. I guess an argument could be made for calling here with a suited 2 gapper, but I'd rather take the lead on the betting as this might give me some bluffing equity later in the hand.
The flop comes pretty good for me J-7-4 rainbow. This gives me top pair with a poor kicker. After the blinds check, I continue by betting $15. The fish in late position thinks a short while then min-raises me. The blinds bow out. Action back to me.
I figure I have 2 options. I really considered folding my marginal holdings here. It is extremely likely that he may hold AJ, KJ, QJ, or J10. These are hands he might call a preflop raise with. I really don't give him credit for Qs, Ks, or As since I'm pretty sure I would have seen a re-raise preflop. I might also get min-raised with an smaller pair as more of a "feeler" raise to see where he was at.
In the end, I decided to go with my read that the min-raise reaked of weakness, so I reraised back $40 more. I have about $100 behind. Villian has me covered. He calls.
So here's the problem with this play. The pot already has $65 when I make my $40 reraise. After my nemisis calls, the pot has $125. I have just created a humongous pot, that I'll have the pleasure of playing out of postion for the next 2 streets all the while holding top pair/weak kicker. Brilliant!
A much better play would have been to fold or raise to about $60. This would give him a real good reason to fold or a real bad price if he had middle pair or was on some sort of straight draw.
The turn was a 6. The board reads J-7-4-6 rainbow. Here's where I make my biggest blunder. I have 3 options. If I think I'm beat, I can check/fold or put out a little blocker bet ($25) and hope to showdown a winner. If I think I'm in the lead, I can just shove here with my final $100 into a $125 pot and most likely take it down right there. Instead, I bet $50 and get called. This is a horrible bet. The pot now has $225 and I have $50 left behind. I'm already committed to this pot. Why didn't I just put it all in on the turn and get donkey kong to fold his long shot?
The river is a scary looking 9. The board reads J-7-4-6-9. I check. Other player shoves all in. I have $50 left. I can't hardly think of any hands that I can beat here, but I'm locked into this looser. I call.
Eyeor shows down a pair of 9s. He hit what turned out to be a 2 outer on the river to win this.
This got me steaming a little, but when I look back, I'm beating almost no hands, the pot is gianormouse and I'm pot committed. Brilliant.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to my next NL cash game session. I'm taking a wad of $100s to Motor City or to the home game next weekend and am going to TEAR IT UP.
Comments:
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Jon, having witnessed said hand, I have to say that you are being too hard on yourself here. The donkey -- let's just call him "Mr. Smith" -- KNEW he was behind when he called your $40 reraise on the flop. In fact, the only explanation for his reraise of your flop bet could be to detect if he was ahead in the hand. But, he went ahead and called $40 for a $105 pot, not getting NEARLY the odds he needed for his 2-outer.
You did what you should have -- you gave him bad odds to call. Unfortunately, as we all know, donkeys donk. He might have called you even if you had pushed right there on the flop.
Don't feel too bad, though. I lost to a 1-outer on the turn a little earlier in the evening. At least at that point all the money was already in.
I look forward to being there when you tear it up next time. Keep your eyes off my stack!
Brent
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You did what you should have -- you gave him bad odds to call. Unfortunately, as we all know, donkeys donk. He might have called you even if you had pushed right there on the flop.
Don't feel too bad, though. I lost to a 1-outer on the turn a little earlier in the evening. At least at that point all the money was already in.
I look forward to being there when you tear it up next time. Keep your eyes off my stack!
Brent
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