Saturday, October 30, 2010

Get some ARod

Just got back from Arkansas the other day and a spent a day catching up on sleep before heading over to the Bellagio to check out the action on a Friday night. Normally I go to a poker room w/ no particular game in mind to play in. I just play in the game I feel like playing while putting some weight into which game is softer (live bumhunting?). Anyway when I got there the choices were $50-$100 mix and $10-$20 nl. The lineup in the mix game was pretty solid (meaning the game wasn't great) so I elected to play some $10-$20 nl. This is a benefit of knowing how to play multiple games.

I sit down and don't really recognize anybody, mainly because I don't frequent the Bellagio poker room enough (hoping to change that). I do know Jimmy "Gobboboy" Fricke who I played w/ last time. I'm assuming he's a reg in this game now. Anyway I buy in for $5k and play for a little bit before Alex Rodriguez of NY Yankees fame sits in the game. Immediately $ signs flash in my eyes. ARod happens to be the highest paid baseball player w/ a contract worth $275mil over 10 years. He already made $250mil in his previous 10 year contract. Now having that much money probably allows him to spend some of it any way he chooses and I was hoping he chose to share some of it on my poker table.

After an hour of play my wife comes over and says she's up $1k from the $2-$5 nl game she played and is quitting. I tell her to sit down and learn from the best, so she grabs a seat behind Gobboboy. No seriously, she sits down behind me and asks how I'm doing. I tell her I'm even and she rolls her eyes giving me the "I made $1k in a smaller game and you can't make a penny in this game" look. I tell her just give me an hour because baseball's richest player just sat down. He sat down w/ $2k which was kinda disappointing to see considering how rich he was.

If I had to assign stats to ARod's play, it would be about 40/4/0 w/ an agg level of about 5. He was limping in a lot of pots but betting and raising postflop quite frequently. Finally we play this pot...he open limps ep, young kid raises to $120 right behind (I think isolation play immediately), 2 guys call to me in the bb where I hold AJo and elect to call (3betting was strongly considered because everybody except the preflop raiser probably had less than premium hands, w/ the preflop raiser having a wider range than normal trying to iso ARod...but the main consideration was that I wanted to play a pot w/ ARod and 3betting would've probably blown him off his hand). ARod calls and the flop comes down AQJr and it gets checked to the preflop raiser that bets $260, the button calls, and now I have a decision to make. The preflop raiser and the button had about $5k as well so I didn't want to checkraise and face a 3bet so I elected to call and ARod called to close the action. In hindsight checkraising was probably a little better based on the preflop raiser's flop bet of $260 into a $600 pot which is likely indicative of a mediocre hand like KQ or AT. The turn comes an ace and it gets checked around. I could've led the turn but figured the case ace or a full house was out there that would bet so I could put in a check raise. Anyway getting checked around the turn isn't bad either because a ten or king could roll off the river where somebody makes a 2nd best hand as well, plus I might get paid off by the case ace or a Qx hand at the river. The river is a 3 so I lead out for $1200 into the $1600 pot hoping to get paid off by 1 person at least. ARod tanks for awhile and finally says "call" and the other guys get out of the way. I roll over AJ and he flips over A8s. Being the target in the game, others console him and tell him he had to call (not really, but to his credit it's a tough spot for him).

Anyway he played a couple of more laps and quit. I feel good I won $1600 from him for a couple of reasons. He's uber rich and more importantly, I lost $400 betting on the Yankees to make it to the World Series so a little redemption there. Also he's dating Cameron Diaz so I'm not feeling sorry for him. Anyway I ended up winning $2500 so I was able to give my wife the "yeah, who's talking now bitch" look...but w/o the bitch part really.




















*Fantasy Football Update*

In 3dime my team is 4-3 and 2nd in total pts so I'm in 4th place in overall standings. Top 4 out of 14 make the playoffs so I'm doing well there. My te has been a problem all year w/ Celek so I picked up Marcedes Lewis and Jacob Tamme (Indy te starting now that DC is out for the year). Also getting Vick back at qb in a week will be a boost.

In 1dime my team has reeled off 5 wins in a row to stand at 5-2 and in 4th place. This league also has the top 4 making the playoffs. I really think I did a good job building the team....as it stands I have at qbs : Flacco, Fitzpatrick; rbs: AP, Torain, BJax, Woodhead, PT; wrs: Fitzgerald, Britt (unfortunately had him on my bench last week when he went off for 50pts), Welker, Crabtree, Murphy, Breaston; te: ZMiller. It's a 12 team league w/ a bunch of young online poker players so maybe I can teach them a thing or two about fantasy football.

In nickel, I stand at 4-3 and in 2nd place mostly because my team has the 2nd highest total pts for the season. I've got some injury concerns w/ Collie and Floyd hurt but I think my team should make the playoffs. The core of my team (w/ pts ranking up to date) is Peyton Manning (4th), Gore (1st), Roddy White (1st), Z Miller (2nd) so I like my team going forward.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied w/ my teams so far at the midway point of the fantasy season.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

On the road

A buddy and I went to visit a friend in Arkansas and we've spent about a week doing some cool things, from exploring caverns to taking a road trip to Dallas to watch the Cowboys take on the NY Giants on MNF. It's been a busy week so I haven't had a chance to get online to do anything. I haven't played any poker in a week but this time I have an excuse. I decided to get an Iphone right before the trip and I am maximizing it's usage. It's great for navigating on the road (GPS w/ traffic indicator) and taking pics like this one...



















This was at Dallas Stadium for the MNF game. I'll be writing about my trip when I get home later this week (along w/ some pics I took). Also I'll be working on my 2nd video for Cardrunners (along w/ my usual grind).

Monday, October 18, 2010

A bad session (Just venting!)

This month has been swingy to say the least. After 40k hands I'm up about $1200. I played a session Saturday night across $2-$4, $3-$6, and $5-$10 nl and nothing went right. To be honest it wasn't a disaster because I've had worse sessions before (in terms of money lost) but I'm just going to post some beats I took...well, just for the heck of it and to show I run worse than anybody!! (jk of course). First my graph of the session...























Now a couple of things I'll point out is that I did win a few hands to avoid a really bad night, including this hand where I was gifted some money...

No-Limit Hold'em, $4.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($369.80)

UTG ($580.20)

MP ($412.40)

CO ($578.70)

Hero (Button) ($1909.95)

SB ($412)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9, 10

UTG bets $20, 2 folds, Hero calls $20, 2 folds

Flop: ($46) 7, 7, Q (2 players)

UTG bets $40, Hero calls $40

Turn: ($126) 3 (2 players)

UTG bets $80, Hero raises $200, UTG raises $440.20 (All-In), Hero calls $320.20

River: ($1166.40) 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $1166.40

Results:

Hero had 9, 10 (flush, Queen high).

UTG had 2, 4 (one pair, sevens).

Outcome: Hero won $1163.40


The other point is that it was really a night of not just running below ev ($3500 below ev) but the hands where I got coolered that weren't even shown in the ev line because most of the money went in at the river, including these (again really no educational purposes, just venting!)...

No-Limit Hold'em, $6.00 BB (5 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG ($1173.85)

Hero (MP) ($1165.05)

Button ($633)

SB ($609)

BB ($1760.35)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 7, 7

1 fold, Hero bets $15, 2 folds, BB raises $54, Hero calls $45

Flop: ($123) 6, Q, 7 (2 players)

BB bets $75, Hero calls $75

Turn: ($273) 8 (2 players)

BB bets $174, Hero calls $174

River: ($621) J (2 players)

BB bets $405, Hero raises $856.05 (All-In), BB calls $451.05

Total pot: $2333.10

Results:

BB had Q, Q (three of a kind, Queens).

Hero had 7, 7 (three of a kind, sevens).

Outcome: BB won $2330.10


Kinda standard but sucks we were about 200bbs deep. I could've just called at the river but I tend to err on the side of aggression, so whatever.

No-Limit Hold'em, $4.00 BB (5 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($1184)

UTG ($123.70)

MP ($237.90)

Hero (Button) ($472.50)

SB ($987.60)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 6, 5

2 folds, Hero bets $10, 1 fold, BB calls $6

Flop: ($22) 5, 6, 5 (2 players)

BB checks, Hero bets $15, BB calls $15

Turn: ($52) 7 (2 players)

BB checks, Hero bets $38, BB raises $84, Hero calls $46

River: ($220) 6 (2 players)

BB bets $118, Hero raises $363.50 (All-In), BB calls $245.50

Total pot: $947

Results:

Hero had 6, 5 (full house, sixes over fives).

BB had 6, 7 (full house, sixes over sevens).

Outcome: BB won $944


I guess I'll just point out villain's turn raise is pretty bad because there's really nothing he can beat if I'm calling there. It's ok because for some reason he got rewarded for it.

These next 2 are doozies...

No-Limit Hold'em, $4.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO ($515)

Button ($98.50)

SB ($1348.90)

BB ($227)

Hero (UTG) ($902)

MP ($491)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A, A

Hero bets $12, 1 fold, CO raises $34, 3 folds, Hero raises $70, CO calls $48

Flop: ($170) 5, A, Q (2 players)

Hero checks, CO checks

Turn: ($170) J (2 players)

Hero bets $100, CO calls $100

River: ($370) Q (2 players)

Hero bets $370, CO calls $333 (All-In)

Total pot: $1036

Results:

Hero had A, A (full house, Aces over Queens).

CO had Q, Q (four of a kind, Queens).

Outcome: CO won $1033

Again this is the same session....

No-Limit Hold'em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($1000)

Hero (UTG) ($1832.25)

MP ($6599)

CO ($1470)

Button ($2051.50)

SB ($1005)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A, A

Hero bets $30, 4 folds, BB calls $20

Flop: ($65) A, J, 10 (2 players)

BB checks, Hero bets $45, BB raises $110, Hero calls $65

Turn: ($285) Q (2 players)

BB checks, Hero checks

River: ($285) J (2 players)

BB bets $189, Hero raises $1692.25 (All-In), BB calls $671 (All-In)

Total pot: $2005

Results:

BB had J, J (four of a kind, Jacks).

Hero had A, A (full house, Aces over Jacks).

Outcome: BB won $2002


Yeah so I just want to say Aces can suck it! And so can poker! (for now anyways) :)