More non-poker information

Work sucks. I don't mean my particular job or my industry or any of that, just the idea of work generally. I can so clearly understand the allure of a Marxist vision to your average actual worker who, at the time, would have been busting their ass for 12 hours a day doing, you know, actual work. Me, I sit on my fat ass for about that long each day staring at a computer screen set against a window with what is, by all accounts, a pretty nice (and prestigious?) view of my city and its best landmarks (harbour, bridge, large recognisable building dedicated to the arts) and it looks good to me (the Marxist vision - although the harbour is pretty).

Mostly my distaste for work is the very pedestrian nature of it. Weren't we all meant for better things then passing the day grubbing (or protecting the rights of those who grub) for money? I mean, if I didn't have to come to work I could treat myself to leisurely mornings followed by long sessions playing live poker where I would... wait a minute. Some sort of consistency problem there. I'll get back to you.

Reading

I know this blogging caper is supposed to include references to other blogs and content. And I also know that the lack of such content suggests I'm only interested in myself. It turns out that the suggestion is probably true - I'm one of the most openly self-centred people I know.

Which does not mean I do not read. I read lots. Like this article on 2+2 by Andrew Brokos about capped ranges that I think does a great job of communicating simple hand reading tips. Like everyone else, I'm a fan of Tommy Angelo and my favorite is his great article Reciprocality. I also think Ed Miller does a great job of writing clearly about topics of various levels of complexity (and his new e-book simply rocks). I have loved, like everyone else, reading Cardgrrl's well thought out, insightful and clearly written reflections while she attempts to live the dream.

I also read the news, various random articles on philosophy, the New Yorker from cover to cover each week and as many online dating profiles as I can. Does any of this make me a better player? I'm not sure. But it can't hurt.

Weekend Update - Coolers

Everyone gets coolered (yeah, I just made that word up, but you know what I mean). Of course, the converse is that we all cooler others. I was thinking more about my decent weekend, trying to separate where I had played ok from where I had just got lucky and I can pretty confidently say there was only one cooler dished out by yours truly - but it was pretty bad.

I limp from second position with AQ suited (merits of this play to be discussed in another setting if desired). Lots of limpers to button who puts in small raise of 3bbs. I don't recognise button as a regular, but based on her accent and her demeanour I know she is familiar with the game generally. Probably not this game, and familiar doesn't mean good. But I figure she is slightly stronger than a local who puts in what is essentially a pot-sweetener. Then things get interesting as Big Blind re-raises to 12 bbs. I do know big blind, whom we will call S. S is very nice, plays quite a bit and has a clue. This squeeze type move could mean lots of things, but likely she has a hand that I am at best a coin flip with. But given the money already in, and the fact my cards play in a multi-way, I call. One other caller and then the button and we are four-handed to a flop of Kh Jh 10s. Short story is that S had kings, so she flops top set and I, drawing very thin pre-flop, flop the nut straight. Money gets in on flop and board doesn't pair and I double. S has officially been coolered and she deals like a pro. Funny how we forget giving these things out much easier than we forget getting them.

Weekend Update

So it's Monday. I'm naturally sitting at work thinking about poker, which is much worse than sitting at poker thinking about work. So what am I thinking about?

I suppose an update after my first proper weekend of playing live for awhile is in order. Played Thursday and Friday after work (not too much on around here - which is an issue for another life-tilt post) and Sat and Sunday. Finished Thursday up three buy-ins, promptly gave two back on Friday before sitting down to a 13 hour session on Saturday that saw me finish up almost eight buy-ins for the day. Only lasted about two hours on Sunday afternoon before giving up even for the day due to the desire to eat a real meal. So that's a return for the weekend of 9 buy-ins, which for a conservative player like me is a great result.

But what did I learn? That patience is the key in my game (still). That there is value, lots of value, to be had with made hands. That stupid resentment tilt on my part will only result in the stupid guy winning. That I have a decent image. That some guys can adjust to different games and others cannot. Those that cannot should probably stay on the internet so that when their head explodes after having their fancy play called down ("f#!king idiot - how can you call when I bet three times on that board, don't you know I'm representing the best possible hand - you absolute donk...") I don't get any of the mess on me.

Random hands remembered - multiway hand for 7bbs each (I'm not in) sees a flop of 245 rainbow. Under the gun (large stack, decent regular whom we'll call J) leads for 3/4 pot. Guy next to him who I have classified as athletic donk based on previous experience (Yes, it is a stereotype I'm not proud of, but short guys with big arms and big foreheads play in a certain not-too-nuanced manner in my experience and this guy fits the description -- we'll call him A) and who has a good stack as well (this is early in my time at table so no idea how he got it today) flat calls. Folded around and they see a turn card of another 2 so board is now 2452. J puts on his best hollywood before betting just slightly less than pot. A smooth calls. (at this stage I figure J for flopping a straight having called pre-flop with a suited ace or a much bigger monster of a set that just filled. I put A on some over pair that I'm wondering if he can get away from) River is a 3. Board now reads 24523. J tanks for a short period and then announces he is all-in. This is a massive over bet as while the pot is pretty bloated, J has about 2.5 times the pot behind. A has slightly less, but would be calling his entire stack which is substantial. I'm thinking J over played it and won't get value when A, after tanking for a long time, calls. J rolls his set/full house and A shows his pocket aces which made the bottom end of a one card straight on the river. So, in addition to all the full houses and quads, he's beaten by any six (and J would have played a pair of sixes this way) but he calls his entire stack anyway. Maybe it was a cooler but I have to think he could have gotten away from it. I'd like to believe I could have. Although I would have raised the flop and then not put another cent in after J smooth called, but everyone plays different.

I always hate these kinds of results as they chase A away for a few weeks and, more importantly, leave his money with someone else. May post some other random hands from the weekend later.

Variability

In case it isn't apparent from my posts, I took some time off from the game recently. This was the result of many things, but primarily giving most of my bankroll to the holders of undersets when their one-outer comes on the river. I'm not one to tell bad beat stories. Really. But when the third guy in two weeks hits his fourth 9 on the river to scoop a pot that would have paid for my month in Vegas it may just be time to get out of town.

So what happened during the year since I started this blog and then failed to post? Well, during the past year I have played in Macau, Vegas and my home town. I spent a month getting Iron Man status on Full Tilt so I could understand what the attraction of playing on-line is. My dog died. My ex-wife had a baby and forbid her family to tell me about it so I only found out when my annual health-insurance claim summary came in (Hmm, I'm sure I didn't need an obstetrician this year...). I went a month without drinking. I went a month without not drinking. I got comped a meal in a nice vegas restaurant because the bartender felt bad I had to spend the entire time being abused by my date ("Thanks - the ceviche was awesome as was the flight of tequilas - everything really, except for the screaming-harpy-bitch. No, I really couldn't accept. Really, that bad? Ok, then, some more tequila. God bless you.") And the only clothes I have that fit feature more than a little elastic.

What have I learned? Well, I'm underbankrolled for the games I play. This really isn't an issue since I have a job and I'm not trying to make a living but a not even horrendous down swing can eat my bank roll. People are not smarter as a result of the recent financial downturn - just poorer (there is a whole post coming comparing the similarities between guys who get rich on Collateralizing debt obligations without actually understanding them and guys who call 8bb raises with 96off and rake pots when the flop comes 966). And the earth keeps spinning.

Like I said, the more things change...

What Could I Do - July 2009 Version

So it has been awhile since I posted regularly and in that time my local game has changed. But as someone much smarter than me once said, the more things change the more they stay the same...

I stopped in to my regular game on the way home from work today for a short session. And I was reminded that "what could I do" is still the most popular excuse for making poor plays. Here's an example from tonight's session: I'm on button with A10 clubs. It's limped around to kid who has been playing relatively tight - he raises to 6bb leaving him a good sized stack of about 300bb. Cutoff calls and so do I. Of course this means more callers and then we're 6 handed with a bloated preflop pot.

Flop comes all spades and ace high. Checked to a not very attentive gentleman (off duty taxi driver) who is sitting on a relatively large stack (200bb) and also happens to be immediately to the right of pre-flop raiser. Gentleman bets the pot. Entire table prepares to muck cards as everyone recognises that gentleman's any two suited approach has paid off. Original raiser who is next to act thinks for a minute and smooth calls. I immediately put him on either made flush or a draw to the K spades. Everyone else folds (including me).

Turn is a blank and Gentleman makes another decent sized bet. Original raiser thinks, and min raises. Now it is clear he has a big flush. Gentleman pushes his stack, original raiser calls and shows flopped nut flush. Gentleman tables 73 of spades for flopped flush, shrugs his shoulders and says, "what could I do?". Besides not playing cards designed to flop second (or third) best hands, I really wanted to tell him the answer was an obvious fold on the turn - yeah it sucks but he was obviously behind and drawing dead. Why put in your last 100bbs when you are drawing dead? But what could he do...

Mad Crush

So it turns out I'm a nerd. I read way too much and find myself most comfortable when able to spend time discussing obscure topics of limited interest to the general population. Professionally this translates to actually enjoying discussions about the relevance and admissibility of evidence relating to prior negotiations when attempting to construe contractual warranties. Personally this means I like poker. Happy to discuss the hard decisions like they are important while fully aware of their overall insignificance in relation to my earn.

I have also noticed this "nerdliness" gets progressively worse (better?) as I age. I am prematurely reaching curmudgeon status, which is not really something I'm excited about. Especially when it comes to the topic of this post - women. It seems I have a mad crush on a poker blogger (aka Cardgrrl) and I really have no idea what to do about it. Now I realise that there is little that can be done in these circumstances without violating laws relating to stalking in several jurisdictions (and in case the aforementioned Cardgrrl is nervous - I'm not doing anything - so that person who keeps calling and hanging up is not me - honest, check my phone records). But the specific here is, as is often the case, a perfect metaphor for the general. I'm a curmudgeonly, pre-maturely old nerd who spends his free time surrounded by people I hope are dumber than I am so I can take their money.

I suppose, in hindsight, it isn't surprising I struggle to find dates worth going on.

Wow. Where did that year go?

So here I sit wondering where that year went. It just evaporated, really. Anyway, going to make another effort at the blog thing.