Bad Beats and Bare Feet

It's the eve of the last day of January, and its time for me to look back at how I'm doing with my poker resolutions:

1. Play more of the tournaments at Running Aces

Not doing great at this one.  My kids schedule being what it is, I have trouble getting to 6 pm tournies.  Martial arts, piano, guitar, theatre class--it's far easier for me to get out to play cash later on in the evening.  Still, I've at least managed one a week, and as I've managed a min cash and a 3-way chop out of this month, you can't argue with my ROI.  Still, more volume is needed.

2. Pay more attention and utilize your reads

 Reading people and hands is not that difficult for me.  Overcoming my massive ADHD to actually take the time to do it and then have the confidence to make the move is more of a challenge.  Taking notes and recording at the breaks for my Fall Poker Classic top three finish video was very helpful in this. (If you're wondering where that video is, technical difficulties with the files hasfrustrated me into a state of disillusionment with video-making as a whole.  Next month's resolution: make a d*** video!) Having a responsibility to report accurately everything I was doing and thinking in a live setting made me concentrate hard at the table.  And I could see how that concentration was directly responsible for my deep run.  This month being deeply engaged in reading people and playing well, has definitely helped me go deep in tournaments and run well at the cash tables.

3. Remember how unimaginative most low-limit players are

I've been playing mostly 100-200 tournies, 4-8 to 8-16 limit, and 2-60 spread--all small and generally passive games.  These are not the 6-max 15-30 games on Full Tilt where a turn check-raise was the equivalent of a check/call.  If someone check-raises the turn in these games, it's because they have a big hand and you can safely throw your hand away nearly 100% of the time. In the tournaments, restealing is far less profitable since the openers usually have a big enough hand to call.  I remembered this all month and combined with resolution number 2 was able to make big steals, monster laydowns, and the occasional hero call. 

All in all, a good month both for my bankroll and my willpower.

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The newest issue of Blind Straddle is up at blindstraddle.com.  In case that sentence means nothing to you, Blind Straddle is a free online poker magazine that Fox and I put out monthly.  It's a lot of fun to work on, though it's been a bit of a challenge this month, since I'm out east with my family for the holidays.  I don't keep any passwords on my laptop so I'm constantly texting Fox to get into the various sites for editing and promoting the mag.

One of my favorite authors to read is a PXF subscriber, the inimitable Kat Martin.  And depending on how I'm feeling about the magazine that month, I usually save his article for the end (as a treat for finishing the others) or first (as a way to get my lazy a*** in gear.)  His article this month is called, "The Cross-Dressing Goatherd," and I hope my cover illustration does humorous justice to the article content.

 If you're a podcast listener, you'll recognize another regular contributor:  Aaron Rochlen.  He's a Psychologist with a doctorate and a keen interest in poker and how lessons learned on the felt can apply to the rest of your life as well.

We're always looking for more writers.  We don't pay anything but we don't care if you pimp your own projects (subtly of course) to our 30,000 plus mailing list.  Use the submissions form on the site if you're interested and be sure to mention you're a PXF subscriber.

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Played 2-60 spread at Running Aces last night and was struck by the difference between it and the tournaments I'd played recently.  Not the play—the play was bad in all cases—but the players.  Even in the lowest limit tournament, most of the players were serious about what they were doing.  Sure there was some joking around, but for the most part people concentrated on the cards and what was going on in the game.  In contrast, the cash game was just wild.  There were three different conversations going on at once. People laughed and joked and teased one another.  There was a loud and spirited conversation on whether or not Kobe Bryant was the greatest basketball player of all time.  (Being a Celtics fan, my contribution was, "I'm just saying he's a Michael Jordan jock-sniffing rapist.  How is that controversial?") Very little care was spent on what happened on the felt.

What's interesting is that for that session (cash vs. a single tournament) the risk vs. reward is much worse in the cash game than in the tournament.  You stand to lose a lot more (unlimited rebuys) and are much less likely to win more than the possible first prize.  (1st in the $120 was $1500.  Max buyin for the 2-60 is $200 and an 8-rack win is quite rare)  So why are people far more relaxed in the cash game than in the tournament?

I believe it's the competitive aspect.  Put a 1st prize on something and suddenly everyone gets serious.  It doesn't matter if nothing real is at stake—it's a competition now.  How many people hurt themselves in Sunday pickup football games?  I, for one, kept playing on a broken ankly for an hour and a half in a non-league, pickup soccer game where we weren't even keeping score.  

Competition.

Add to it that in poker, there is something to win: money.  Even the smallest amount and people get real serious about competition.  There's money in the cash game, too.  But there's no winner, no first place.  Someone may win more at that time, but as long as you keep playing, you could turn it around.  Even if the game breaks, there's another one running at the next table over.  You haven't lost.  Or more importantly, they haven't beat you. 

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Played a tiny ($65 and 97 entrants) bounty tournament at Running Aces tonight and posted a small cash (7th) plus 3 bounties.　 Hilarious!　 I thought the players were bad in the $125 yesterday—they had nothing on this group...

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Played a little $125 tourney out at Running Aces tonight. It was interesting, because my biggest preflop hands were a JJ, an AQs, and an AKo.  I ran deep and ended up cutting a three-way chop almost entirely with a tight image, steals, resteals (ok, one resteal) and letting others make mistakes against me...

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If you make a ruling and a guy who has played at Canterbury since it opened and is twenty years older than you tells you it's wrong, perhaps you should call the floor over to explain things to you.  When said player calls the floor over and has them explain the ruling to you, perhaps you should act contrite...

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Heading out to Vegas to play in some Deep Stacks tournies.  Specifically, the OE tomorrow night.  Should be playing cash games tonight if anyone wants to swing by the Venetian and say hello.  I should be easy to spot as I'll be wearing a purple Vikings shirt with the number 13 and HATFIELD on the back.

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Well, that's it for the Fall Poker Classic for me.  The next week is too busy for me to get to the other events, so I'm officially out.  After a very promising start, the week just kind of dwindled out.  No more deep runs, one very early exit, and some beatings by the donkeys in the cash games...

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Frustrating tourny tonight.  Complete donkey ran me down with a runner runner flush to put me out.  Didn't even feel like playing cash after that--fighting a cold--so just came home to watch the hockey game.

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A real good start to the Fall Classic for me, and especially good as I was recording video at the breaks and taking copious notes for the video I'll be putting together.  Played patient but aggressive in the right spots and didn't have to get lucky till I was in the money and had moved up a spot or two...

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Off to play the first event in my Fall Poker Classic schedule.  Kind of a warm-up event for me as the one's I'm excited about are over the next three days: an O8 and two mixed holdem/O8 tournies.  But I've won a very similar event to today's at the Fall Classic, so I'm certinly not taking it for granted...

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The Fall Poker Classic is just a couple weeks away.  Two weeks of bigger buyin tournaments than usually run in the region, and a lot of farmers coming down from the Iron Range to play in them.  It's nice to be able to play in $500 to $1000 tournies without having to travel to them...

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To go with my Triple Draw vids and chats, suscriber Speros sent me a link to an archive oif the old lowball gurus site.  The calculator won't work anymore, and there's some dead links, but a lot of good info can be gleaned from the articles...

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I've been playing a lot of live poker lately (who hasn't?) and been constantly struck by how completely and unbelievably awesome the games are.  Which is why I was so surprised last night when I ended up at some tables that weren't that great...

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Back from traveling and will be chatting tonight about my Vegas WSOP trip.  If you were out there bring your own stories to share as well.

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Still traveling, so I'll have to cancel tonight's chat again.  Back on schedule next week, however.

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Don't miss the math-heavy triple draw presentation tonight at my chat.  Been working hard on working out the probabilities involved.  My head hurts.

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I think last week's home game on PStars was a bit of a success.  We'll try again this week with a HORSE game. 

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This Thursday's chat will be on PLO.  I'll talk a little about the game and then answer questions that come up during a low-limit playing session.

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The subject of tonight's chat will be Omaha Hi-Lo, with the focus on the live limit game.

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With the DoJ's attack on online poker, there has been a lot of questions about how videos will continue to be made on PXF.  I can't speak for the other pros, but I certainly still have accounts on smaller sites, and will continue to record videos from there...

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I'm going to try to get an alternate games chat going weekly, Thursdays at 9PM EST.  Just got done running some seminars on PLO and have placed high in a few PLO tournies lately, so that'll be the main subject for tonight, but questions/hand histories are welcome on everything--except holdem...

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Dear Ace Jack,

It's not you, it's me.  You're a good hand.  No, really, you are!  I'm just not in a position to give you the kind of play you deserve right now.  I just got out of a long and kind of abusive relationship with a pair of nines, and I just can't jump into any serious pots right now...

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Cashed in a couple miniFTOPS events, but nothing to write home about.  25th or so in the Stud8 event and bottom of the money in the rebuy.  Good news is, I never rebought cause I tripled up on my first hand and bought in with points.  I was actually only in for the addon...

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Off to the last-chance holdem event at the Fall Classic.  Had a lot of other stuff going on this year, so was only able to get to one other event this year where I finished middle of the pack.  Hoping to do a little better in this event, but looking forward to seeing a few friends I only run into out at Canterbury and eating myself even at the buffet.

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Finally got my internet sorted out.  Needed an amplifier added to my cable line so the signal didn't degrade.  But back up and playing.  Concentrating on some low-stakes pot-limit O8 in preparation for doing a series on O8 like my stud hi-lo series...

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Internet's been fubarred for days at my house, and my time at the tables has suffered for it.  Hoping to get it all sorted out in the next few days.  Bugger.

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Fox and I went out to Running Aces last week to play in their deep stack tourney.  Though some competition hasn't caused Canterbury to lower their rake, it has caused the chip structure of the tournies they run.  So, for $180, we were playing with 10k stacks and half-hour blinds, with blinds starting at 25-50...

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Been playing a ton of low-limit Stud H/L, grinding it out and trying to increase the roll while still taking some money out for bills.  Scored second in a little tourny on Cake which should help.  Took some time out to play a couple hours of PLO...

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Been crazy busy with conferences and the end of a semester work but I finally have a little time to write up the belated Vegas and Reno report.  Here goes:

Had a bit of a rough week in Vegas results-wise, but my play was solid.  Just kept bubbling...

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Heading to Vegas.  Playing in the 4pm PLO today at Venetian and in various other deep stack events during the week.  Then I speak to children's librarians over the week.  Strange life.  PM me with a cell # if you want to meet.

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I did the second audio chat on Seven Stud Hi-Lo on Monday, but failed to capture the audio from it.

Arggh.

So there'll be a bit of a delay before the second chat goes up, as I'll have to simply record a lecture rather than post the chat up...

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Well,  I was going to sum up the Reno trip, but looks like Fox has all the stats covered on his latest blog.  I should maybe cover that last night's Omaha game a little more, as most likely Fox has lost the brain cells holding that information forever...

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Fox and I are in the middle of a trip to Reno for some events at the World Poker Challenge, and despite the fact that the hotel is boning us pretty hard on the price of 24 hours of internet, I thought I'd file a trip report.

First of all, the tournament structures are fantastic...

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I have always said you learn more from teaching others than you do from taking classes, and it's why I encourage students, friends, and associates who play poker to get together regularly and talk about hands, situations, tilt, and the like.  It's why places like PXF are so successfull at improving people's games...

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Well,  Fox and I went out 17th and 18th respectively yesterday for a little boost to the bankroll.  I got it in with AA vs. KK and forgot hit an Ace at the river after my opponent turned a King.  Got it all in twice in todays tournament, once with AQ vs...

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First day in Vegas was a good time.  We were too beat to play in the tournament today so we played in a little one table.  Got my money in good, but didn't get out the other side.  Fox lasted longer but got no seat either.  They weren't filling up quick enough to make it worth our while, so we went to Caesar's to play cash games...

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I'm past the halfway point in my first college semester (I took 24 years off after high school to travel around a bit), and my time management has improved, so I'm looking to start doing a weekly live Audio chat.  I'm looking for both a time that works for people, and subjects people want to talk about...

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I know it was only a$15 tournament, but really, you're going with that? I mean, thanks for the chips and everything, but what in hell were you thinking?

Blinds are 25-50 and I'm on the small.  Under the gun makes it $150 to go with his $5500 stack and gets called in three places...

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Off to Vegas on Thursday with the wife and two other friends.  Staying at TI on the poker room rate, for which I have to play at least 6 hours a day.  Such hardship!  I'll try to post at least once while I'm there, and let folks know how the games are...

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If you read Fox's latest blog post, you know the Canterbury Fall Classic is going on right now.  Though the structure is not real good, it's always been a good tournament for me to play in, as the play is usually rather weak, and I know a lot of the players tendencies from playing with them either in home games, ring games at the card rooms, or in the Fall Classic itself...

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PLO is gaining in popularity and as the alternate games guy, I feel it is my duty to explore it's complexities.  Luckily, Cake runs some PLO games fairly regularly, and I think a blind monkey with ADD and a thyroid problems could beat these games like a rented mule...

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I'm on the road with my family, traveling to Denver where we'll stay with some friends and I'll speak at a writer's convention.  We decided to travel through the Black Hills and then down through Wyoming, forgetting that this week was the Sturgis biker ralley...

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Well, my WSOP Vegas trip is done, with mixed results.  I finished 12th in one of the Venetian deep stack events, but really needed to final table it to pay for my other entries.  And I should have.  After chipping up to 600k, I made a couple of crucial misplays...

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Well, disappointing middle of the pack exit from the razz event.  Was rolling along well for a bit, stacked up to 4.5k--not much but right at the average when my 7 ran into an aggressive players 6.  Could have recovered from that, but the fast structure and a blunder or two had me short-stacked hard in the fifth roound...

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Got into Vegas last night and went to the Rio to register.  They've got 24 hour reg. so late night was a perfect time to do it--no lines.  In going over the ante schedule and rereading Ted Forrest and Huck Seed's razz section in the Full Tilt tournament book, I realize I'm going to have to play close attention to what the antes are in comparison to the bringin and levels...

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[Hand History Replayer Removed. Click "Read" to show.]

After this hand, the professor I drew out on goes into meltdown mode, calling me a donkey.  Admittedly, I don't play a lot of SNG's, nor a ton of holdem, but with an M of under ten and an active player raising, this seems a fairly automatic reshove...

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Booked flight and hotel for my Vegas trip.  I'm going out the 12th to the 21st of June to play in the $1500 Razz event and maybe the stud hi-lo $5k event.  Shoud be fun.  Probably play cash games at the Venetian or TI to help fund the adventure if the satellites don't look promising...

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Back from Vegas.  Was a real good trip despite bubbling out of another little tourney.  Didn't post a single losing session in the cash games, and though I didn't pay for the trip (when I travel with my wife, that's rare occurence ;)) I certainly cut into the expenses...

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Fox and I are in Vegas.  I'm staying at The Palazzo with the wife.  Gotta say they haven't quite worked the bugs out yet.  It's nice, but I prefer the Venetian.  Speaking of the Venetian, Jen Harmon was throwing a charity tournament the afternoon I got in, and so there was no cash action in the poker room...

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