Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Live Pokery!

Sorry for the delay – didn’t realise my pages were being viewed with such anticipation!

I was intending on writing up my live pokery report as I played in the Bloggerment, but go so pissed off after losing yet another hand when over 90% favourite on the flop, I shut down the laptop and haven’t been online since – I don’t even know where I finished or who won!
Thankfully, this was such a contrast from my first live tournament – I’ve played a few home games with friends, but never in a ‘controlled’ environment.

Anyway, on to the live game. Not sure about so many things before the game, when to turn up, what to wear (some places have a dress code), how to behave, what to say, what not to say, nervous about going out early and looking like an idiot etc. I tried to prepare myself mentally – Keith Jarrett’s Koln Concert was a great soother – read a little of Vorhaus before heading off to the venue about half an hour before start time. Most were already there, and there was about 55 in total for a £5+£1 Freezeout, with 7 making the final table and the money. I didn’t do any calculations, but noted that about 33% went to the winner, so this was my aim.
Sat down with my 1500 chips and stared intensively at the other 7 players on my table, trying not to look nervous or out of place. Dealer said hello, the manager came round to lay a few ground rules (this was a ‘beginners’ tourney – though how they know who is or isn’t, I don’t know!) and wished us the best of luck.

First hand I was in mid position and there was a 5 x bb raise before me. First player trying to stamp his authority? Folded to me and I look down at 10 10. I think about this for a few minutes and keep looking at the guy, thinking what to do. I flat call and it is folded around the rest of the table. We see a flop of 6 2 2 and I am confident I am ahead in the hand. He bets about half the pot and again I wait a few minutes thinking if I could put him on a hand. No reads here, just a gut feel I am ahead, so I flat call. Thinking back, this was probably a mistake and I should have raised, and may have a got a call when I learnt what he had.
The turn was dealt, and a nice 10 was shown.
I reached down for a drink, and tried to do what I was doing before so he doesn’t get a read. He bets the same he bet the flop, and again I use a few minutes to think what to do. I raise double his bet – hoping he may feel this is a steal attempt, but also to try and win some chips without scaring him off. He flat calls. River was a K. He thinks for a while and bets a small amount (can’t remember the exact amount now). I re-raise him, putting about half my chips left in the middle. He calls and shows 7 7. Nice pot comes my way and this gives my confidence a real boost!

The next 45 mins was pretty much fold, fold, fold with the exception of one hand I called and didn’t hit on the flop, then checked the BB and folded to a bet on the flop that I didn’t hit. One piece of great discipline (I think!) saw me fold AQ in mid position to a raise, then the BB re-raised all in and after a call, they turned AK v JJ – and the JJ held up (No A or Q so I would’ve lost a lot of chips if I called). Half the field had gone within the first hour, though I didn’t see any real donk calls or play. There was a lot of calling, then folding on the flop – which may be donk play not knowing what they held – but if this was really full of beginners, it wasn’t too bad. I didn’t have a maniac or aggressive player on the tables I sat at, but didn’t watch what was going on around me, keeping my concentration on what was going on in front of me.

There was a bit of commotion on another table, and later I learnt that it was an AQ v A10 confrontation (not joking!) – with an A on the flop, AQ had pushed and A10 called. As the 10 hit the river, I heard ‘How can you think you’re ahead there?’ and the reply ‘shut up, bitch!’ created a little tension at their table! He later apologised and they had a beer at the bar afterwards so I don’t think there was any real harm done. I didn’t see the hand, in fact, I saw no real ‘bad beats’ as such on the tables I played. The contrast against online poker could not be more obvious. AK held up against AQ in a confrontation, AA beat JJ in another, and a flopped straight held up against a flush draw – all seemed to go the way of the favourite – but that was just my table.

So after about 2 hours, we were down to about 12 and the money was getting closer. I get KK on the button, and with 3 limpers already in, make a 8 x bb raise and they all fold. Maybe this was a little excessive, but my ‘online’ experience with KK is that an A will hit the table, so I didn’t want an A rag hand to call and hit lucky. After being amazingly passive, I decide to ramp it up a little at this stage as the blinds were increasing. QJ suited on the button next hand, and my raise isn’t called around the table. 2 go out on the other table and I was moved for the first time to accommodate 2 x 5 player tables until we are down to the final 7. 1 player from each table is eliminated and my table went ultra tight as we waited to see who would be bubble boy. I took this opportunity to steal about 5 pots (just blinds) and after about 30 minutes, a player went off the other table, and we were down to the last 7.
After ‘well dones’ were exchanged, and a 10 minute break, we began. I was about 4th in stack size, with 2 players having a pretty hefty pile in front of them, and 2 players with hardly any. One of the small stacks went out when his mid pair lost to a flopped straight, and we were down to 6. I called from the SB with 9 10 sooted and semi-bluffed with a half pot bet after flopping a flush draw, to which the BB folded. Then I was probably too passive for the next few rounds, folding when I could have been more aggressive, but we were down to 5 when the small stack pushed with K10 and ran into QQ.
With the small stack on the BB. I put him all in holding A2 and he called with 44. No A saw him double up, but it didn’t deplete me too much. Got my revenge the next round, when my 88 knocked out his AK and we were down to 5. A few hands later and it was 4 with AJ v 10 10 and the J on the turn knocked out the pockets. Another period of passiveness from me, but I made it to the top 3 when another player fell by the wayside. I was now a huge shortie and went out shortly after when I pushed with KQ sooted and ran into AQ and neither improved. I stopped to watch the heads up battle and after about half an hour of pushes and folds, there was a confrontation and the winner was crowned and £85 was his prize. 2nd place got £60 and 3rd (me!) got £35

Looking back, I was really happy to have made the FT and the money, pocketing a profit of £30, but feel that I played way too passive throughout. I folded hands where I could have made an impact – but I was still a bit nervous, and again conscious of making a move that made me look a donkey. I was learning as I went along, and played a really tight game, which paid dividends, but may not get me too much action on premium hands in the future as opponents pick up my game. I learned a lot about playing live, pissed the dealer off no end by constantly asking ‘how much’ and apologising for having to be prompted all the time to put my blinds in – but he accepted my apology at the end with a smile – I am a beginner after all!

Next one is in 3 weeks time as they shut for refurbishments, so looking forward to it already!

5 Comments:

At 2:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Way to go Mark!! Sounds like you had an excellent game mate well done on making the cash.

Great write up too, loved reading it.

As for pissing the dealer off don't worry about that too much. Dealers are always having to prompt me to play, because I'm usually busy having a bit of banter with another player. Failing this they are asking me to post my blind or I'm asking them how much is in the pot before I make a bet. Most of them don't seem to mind too much and some of them are a real good laugh. At the end of the day they are the only ones guarenteed to be paid out!

 
At 8:06 AM, Blogger Swifty said...

As Kenny says, great write up!

Glad you enjoyed it so much and that the cards were a little kinder.

 
At 1:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

wheeeeeeee !!

well done daddy !

great write up, great night oot, great result :)

and all on your first visit :)

all us "live virgins" await this type of write up with great anticipation. well done.

regards

dD

 
At 8:57 PM, Blogger The 80th Minute said...

Don't know if Google Adsens is such a good idea. I doubt it if they will ever pay u cause your blog is gambling related.

You can find a sticky about this on my sportsbetting blog.

Cheers,
Dremeber

 
At 9:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Any updates mate?

 

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