Happy New Year! (half way through the month I know) While my blog entries have dwindled over the life of this blog, my focus on my goals for the year has not. Last year, I reviewed my goals through a blog. This year will be no exception. Without further ado,
After much thought and reflection, I've come up with some of my goals for 2009.
1. Win 1 major online tournament series event including the UBOC, FTOPS, WCOOP, SCOOP.
Ship it!!!!!!! I won a WCOOP in September in the $215 Limit Hold 'em. I actually just returned from the Bahamas where they gave me my official WCOOP bracelet. I hope it's the first of many....
I know I got a 3rd in the UBOC Limit Hold 'em tournament as well....hmmm. Maybe I should play more limit tournaments even though that UBOC should barely count as a major online tournament series for a small limit tournament.
2. Final table 2 major online tournament series tourneys including the UBOC, FTOPS, WCOOP, SCOOP
See number 1. Mission accomplished..kind of. The FTOPS has eluded me this year.
3. Win a World Series of Poker Bracelet
3rd place in Pot Limit Omaha...very close but no cigar and this will from now on be listed as the number 1 goal.
4. Win a live tournament
3rd place in the WSOP and no cashed in any live tournament outside of the WSOP. I don't know exactly what's going on in the live arena. I haven't played that many and maybe just volume is where I'll find that win.
5. Win 10 online tournaments
I think this needs to be more specific, but what I meant was online multi-table tournaments with probably over 100 players.
I won 10 on Full Tilt including those small $75 other game tourneys (3 wins in Pot Limit Omaha, HORSE, and Omaha Hi/Lo), a $26 7-game mix and $26 heads up, so not as impressive as NL Hold 'em wins.
I won 2 on Pokerstars, the WCOOP and a PLO8 $215.
I won 2 on Ultimate Bet.
Total wins of 14 and I don't feel satisfied at all. I had a total lack of no limit wins. (Foreshadowing my goals 2010 post of course...)
6. Play a satellite to every live tournament main event where I enter a preliminary event
I'm pretty sure I did this except for when it was not +EV for me to do so. I did not win any of these satellites, so while I accomplished this goal, it did not achieve the desired results of putting me in a big tournament.
7. Reach 80 final tables including all events with over 50 entrants (not including sit and gos)
45 final tables on Full Tilt
16 final tables on Pokerstars
7 final tables on Ultimate Bet.
Total of 68 final tables online + 1 final table at the WSOP= 69 final tables.
8. Win an entry to a European Poker Tour event and go play it.
Fail
9. Play at least 5 events in every live tournament series I enter where there are at least 20 events.
I did not complete this goal because the Bellagio had bad numbers for tournaments. That being said, it shouldn't be considered a failure because I had specific reasons for not playing at least 5 events. I played more than 5 at the LAPC and WSOP because they had great turnouts and soft fields. The Bellagio was a different story at certain points of the year.
10. Win 1 Sunday major from the following list of tournaments: Sunday Brawl, Sunday Million, Sunday 500, Sunday Warmup, Full Tilt 750k or 1 mill, UB 200K, Full Tilt Mulligan, Stars 200 Rebuy
None of my wins included one of these.
Overall, I had an exciting year when it came to poker, but it was much different than 2008. In 2009, I had two larger cashes in games that weren't even No Limit Hold 'em that basically gave me what I needed for the year compared to 2008 where I won several more mid-range prizes. All in all, I'm still playing poker and have goals ready in the next blog....
Friday, January 15, 2010
Saturday, December 12, 2009
My Mind's Battlefield
So I can talk about the countless final tables coming up short in the past month, but that can only come off as whiny. I can talk about my inadequate performance at times, but that would deny that the fact that I've learned a lot. I just want to talk about the battlefield that is my own mind.
First off, I've just passed my two year mark of living in Las Vegas and earning my living by playing countless hours of poker. This is not video poker or something with a house edge, but a mind game between individual players where the outcome of the contest is determined by both skill and luck. I've won a lot of tournaments, made a bunch of final tables, and have not cashed in probably close to 85% of the tournaments I've played. That being said, I'm a consistent winner in the long run, which is all that matters in the game. The problem with the long run meaning more than the short run is that we live in the short run. My daily emotions are focused on the short run. My competitive desires strive for the present. Certainly, I've blogged about my long run goals and what not, but every day, I wake up and have to go compete. The ultimate determination of my long run success relies on my mindset as a competitor.
I play primarily tournament poker where the prizes are top heavy and 1st place is the only thing that feels great most of the time. I've walked out of the World Series of Poker with a 3rd place finish and over $90,000. At the time, I didn't want to talk to a soul. I went to a celebration dinner and night out, but all I wondered was why I didn't win. When I went to bed at night and woke up in the morning, I was haunted by being so close. Winning a WCOOP bracelet a few months later felt better for less money because I won. Over the last few months, I pondered what was next. Surely, winning a WCOOP bracelet and being so close to the greatest prize of them all had to mean something towards my talent........
So now, I've come to a realization. To take this thing to the next level, I need to control my mind. My mind has become a constant battlefield between snap judgment and reaction vs. the thoughtful right reaction. It has become a battle between good habits and a few bad habits. It has become a battle between curiosity (paying off players on hands that make no sense) and the correct decision. The battle lasts to the point where it's all about positive energy versus negative energy, the I can versus the I don't think I can. To really take this thing to the next level, I have to conquer my own mind. My goal for the next 6 months is to play the best possible poker 100% of the time. My A game needs to be my D game, and my D game needs to be my A game.
I'm writing this blog because something has been bothering me. When snap emotional decisions make up what is anything in my life, I've found it to be a harmful force overall. I've taken up the practice of yoga along with the meditation that I've talked about in the past. I've always succeeded at everything in my life, and maybe have never faced enough resistance in my own mind. This is a battle that I think we all have to fight at some point in our life. I'm glad I've found mine within the scope of a game I love to play and call my profession.
I took at class at Miami University that was a special sports psychology class. I often draw upon the things that I learned from this class, but now I think I fully understand how it relates to what I need to be. We are only as strong as our weakest thought or negative impulse. I'm going to be better.
First off, I've just passed my two year mark of living in Las Vegas and earning my living by playing countless hours of poker. This is not video poker or something with a house edge, but a mind game between individual players where the outcome of the contest is determined by both skill and luck. I've won a lot of tournaments, made a bunch of final tables, and have not cashed in probably close to 85% of the tournaments I've played. That being said, I'm a consistent winner in the long run, which is all that matters in the game. The problem with the long run meaning more than the short run is that we live in the short run. My daily emotions are focused on the short run. My competitive desires strive for the present. Certainly, I've blogged about my long run goals and what not, but every day, I wake up and have to go compete. The ultimate determination of my long run success relies on my mindset as a competitor.
I play primarily tournament poker where the prizes are top heavy and 1st place is the only thing that feels great most of the time. I've walked out of the World Series of Poker with a 3rd place finish and over $90,000. At the time, I didn't want to talk to a soul. I went to a celebration dinner and night out, but all I wondered was why I didn't win. When I went to bed at night and woke up in the morning, I was haunted by being so close. Winning a WCOOP bracelet a few months later felt better for less money because I won. Over the last few months, I pondered what was next. Surely, winning a WCOOP bracelet and being so close to the greatest prize of them all had to mean something towards my talent........
So now, I've come to a realization. To take this thing to the next level, I need to control my mind. My mind has become a constant battlefield between snap judgment and reaction vs. the thoughtful right reaction. It has become a battle between good habits and a few bad habits. It has become a battle between curiosity (paying off players on hands that make no sense) and the correct decision. The battle lasts to the point where it's all about positive energy versus negative energy, the I can versus the I don't think I can. To really take this thing to the next level, I have to conquer my own mind. My goal for the next 6 months is to play the best possible poker 100% of the time. My A game needs to be my D game, and my D game needs to be my A game.
I'm writing this blog because something has been bothering me. When snap emotional decisions make up what is anything in my life, I've found it to be a harmful force overall. I've taken up the practice of yoga along with the meditation that I've talked about in the past. I've always succeeded at everything in my life, and maybe have never faced enough resistance in my own mind. This is a battle that I think we all have to fight at some point in our life. I'm glad I've found mine within the scope of a game I love to play and call my profession.
I took at class at Miami University that was a special sports psychology class. I often draw upon the things that I learned from this class, but now I think I fully understand how it relates to what I need to be. We are only as strong as our weakest thought or negative impulse. I'm going to be better.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Get knocked down 7 times, stand up 8
It's Monday. It's also known to me as the day after Sunday. Yesterday was a awful mess of a poker day. While over the course of a poker day involving roughly 25-30 tournaments, I'm going to make mistakes. Minimizing those mistakes and being consistent are the keys to staying in position. Yesterday was simply one of those days where I kept getting knocked down. Even when it seemed the clouds were breaking, another bad beat or tough break. Countless big pairs into big pairs in situations where the average good player always goes broke. The number of bad beats and horrible hands that could have left a mark in my memory are gone now. It's Monday and time to stand back up. October is most likely going to be a negative month. I didn't really win anything this month and likely won't be playing too much until Sunday.
The takeaway from yesterday though is my overall demeanor. Even when the last bad beat took hold in the Sunday 500 on Pokerstars while we were in the money (QQ vs K2 with a shocking K on the turn), I stood up and was ready to live another day. I've had plenty of bad days since being a professional and even since playing poker. If you let them affect your confidence or your self worth, that's when it becomes a problem. Sometimes long periods of time don't go well. I've even had 4-5 months where it has felt like this. Then all of a sudden being able to manage the losses and staying focused leads to big cashes and those tournament victories when all the luck finally changes.
If you want to play poker even semi-seriously, you just have to learn to accept that losses are part of the game.
November starts the final FTOPS of the year, which is Full Tilt's big series. I've joined a 1,000 per man leaderboard competition for Nov 1-Nov 11 to really motivate me to play long and play well over those days.
On another positive note, I did get a 4 day trip to the Bahamas for the WCOOP bracelet ceremony. I'll also be working hard on satellites to the Pokerstars Carribean Adventure, which is the 10k main event down there. It's probably the 3rd biggest tournament of the year. They also have a full schedule of other tournaments that looks intriguing. The tournament takes place Jan 5-Jan 12.
The takeaway from yesterday though is my overall demeanor. Even when the last bad beat took hold in the Sunday 500 on Pokerstars while we were in the money (QQ vs K2 with a shocking K on the turn), I stood up and was ready to live another day. I've had plenty of bad days since being a professional and even since playing poker. If you let them affect your confidence or your self worth, that's when it becomes a problem. Sometimes long periods of time don't go well. I've even had 4-5 months where it has felt like this. Then all of a sudden being able to manage the losses and staying focused leads to big cashes and those tournament victories when all the luck finally changes.
If you want to play poker even semi-seriously, you just have to learn to accept that losses are part of the game.
November starts the final FTOPS of the year, which is Full Tilt's big series. I've joined a 1,000 per man leaderboard competition for Nov 1-Nov 11 to really motivate me to play long and play well over those days.
On another positive note, I did get a 4 day trip to the Bahamas for the WCOOP bracelet ceremony. I'll also be working hard on satellites to the Pokerstars Carribean Adventure, which is the 10k main event down there. It's probably the 3rd biggest tournament of the year. They also have a full schedule of other tournaments that looks intriguing. The tournament takes place Jan 5-Jan 12.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Reflection
There must be something that biochemically changes in my brain when enduring a long car or plane ride (more so on car rides because I'm not worried about any time sound change likely signaling a plane crash in my mind). I just got back from visiting a few of my long time best friends in Arizona. In the midst of my ride home, I asked myself some of the following questions:
What happens if my car breaks down and a violent dust storm erupts for 3 days?
Why do we think that other intelligent civilizations in the universe would even be able to build spaceships?
If aliens came from a barren, desert planet, wouldn't Las Vegas or an Arizona type climate be the first place they would try to land?
If the Twitter generation takes over, are people ever going to talk to each other again?
Will text messages eventually become obsolete just like so many other forms of communication have in the past?
and most importantly as related to the blog,
Why did I not win another huge tournament this month?
The answers flooded my mind with all sorts of words popping into my mind; fatigue, focus, skill, luck, real estate, stocks, money, pressure, competition, rigged, etc. Those floods of words were enough to answer the question in and of themselves. My mind just needs more breaks.
Truth be told, I had a unbelievable month in poker in June, took most of July off with a few tiny tournament and cash game sessions, and have come back to Vegas in August to probably my worst month in my poker career. I've engulfed myself in trying to better understand the real estate market here for my first home purchase while simultaneously studying options trading strategies and attempting to put them into practice. All in the meantime, I still have to focus and worry about my actual primary source of income, poker HELLO!!!
I've talked in the past about meditation and how a book titled The Joy of Living has driven me to practice meditation. I practiced several of the exercises in this book throughout April-May-June and made a point to meditate during the World Series of Poker on breaks, after tournaments, etc. My meditation has since been non-existent, while in the meantime, all I'm doing from 6:30am-roughly 9-10PM is immersing my mind with new data points, information, numbers, and strategies involving all 3 of the tasks I'm trying to accomplish. These all add up to a poor month.
I'd like to also throw in a little disclaimer as well in that it's almost impossible in the short run of poker to determine how much luck is playing a role in the results, so 20 days of a month doesn't tell much. When it comes down to it though, there have been days where I knew I was simply too inundated with information and not putting my mind in poker 100%. You can't win online nowadays doing that.
So going forward, the WCOOP (World Championship of Online Poker) starts Sept 2nd-Sept 20th. Historically in this event (2 years), I have 0 final tables. I do have two final two table finishes and a 30 something place in the 7200 person event last year. I won't be playing every event in this series, but plan on playing as many as possible.
Focus and success coincide with a mind that is clear from distraction and free to innovate on its own.
What happens if my car breaks down and a violent dust storm erupts for 3 days?
Why do we think that other intelligent civilizations in the universe would even be able to build spaceships?
If aliens came from a barren, desert planet, wouldn't Las Vegas or an Arizona type climate be the first place they would try to land?
If the Twitter generation takes over, are people ever going to talk to each other again?
Will text messages eventually become obsolete just like so many other forms of communication have in the past?
and most importantly as related to the blog,
Why did I not win another huge tournament this month?
The answers flooded my mind with all sorts of words popping into my mind; fatigue, focus, skill, luck, real estate, stocks, money, pressure, competition, rigged, etc. Those floods of words were enough to answer the question in and of themselves. My mind just needs more breaks.
Truth be told, I had a unbelievable month in poker in June, took most of July off with a few tiny tournament and cash game sessions, and have come back to Vegas in August to probably my worst month in my poker career. I've engulfed myself in trying to better understand the real estate market here for my first home purchase while simultaneously studying options trading strategies and attempting to put them into practice. All in the meantime, I still have to focus and worry about my actual primary source of income, poker HELLO!!!
I've talked in the past about meditation and how a book titled The Joy of Living has driven me to practice meditation. I practiced several of the exercises in this book throughout April-May-June and made a point to meditate during the World Series of Poker on breaks, after tournaments, etc. My meditation has since been non-existent, while in the meantime, all I'm doing from 6:30am-roughly 9-10PM is immersing my mind with new data points, information, numbers, and strategies involving all 3 of the tasks I'm trying to accomplish. These all add up to a poor month.
I'd like to also throw in a little disclaimer as well in that it's almost impossible in the short run of poker to determine how much luck is playing a role in the results, so 20 days of a month doesn't tell much. When it comes down to it though, there have been days where I knew I was simply too inundated with information and not putting my mind in poker 100%. You can't win online nowadays doing that.
So going forward, the WCOOP (World Championship of Online Poker) starts Sept 2nd-Sept 20th. Historically in this event (2 years), I have 0 final tables. I do have two final two table finishes and a 30 something place in the 7200 person event last year. I won't be playing every event in this series, but plan on playing as many as possible.
Focus and success coincide with a mind that is clear from distraction and free to innovate on its own.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Letter to State Representative
I know I mentioned this letter in my Twitter. I've stayed very active in writing members of Congress at the federal level and sent this to my state officials.
"The U.S. Congress is considering legislation to license and regulate online poker. This legislation allows states to opt-out of the provisions of the bill. As a constituent, voter, and poker player, I ask that you support online poker rights by advocating against an opt-out by our state.
Poker is a proud American tradition. I believe the heart of that tradition is Las Vegas. Many residents here including myself now play online poker and poker in the many casinos in the state for a living. I thank this state for giving me that opportunity. It's an opportunity I hope will continue as I become a homeowner in Nevada.
The bill in Congress is U.S. House Bill H.R. 2267. It provides for sensible regulation of Internet gaming and puts the U.S. in charge of safeguarding its citizens. The bill mandates rigorous safeguards against underage participation and protections for those with excessive gaming habits while providing consumer protections for the millions of Americans who play online poker every day. This bill will also allow American gaming companies to participate in the world's Internet gaming market, bringing needed jobs to our state, one that is well positioned in that market.
What's most important to me is your support for my rights. Please respond to this letter and let me know you will support my freedoms. I will be watching your actions on this issue closely. I hope that I, along with my over one million fellow Poker Players Alliance members, can count on your support.
Thank you for your consideration."
For what it's worth, I have a blog I've been working on that will cover the WSOP. I'm writing a version of a highlights/interesting moments blog.
"The U.S. Congress is considering legislation to license and regulate online poker. This legislation allows states to opt-out of the provisions of the bill. As a constituent, voter, and poker player, I ask that you support online poker rights by advocating against an opt-out by our state.
Poker is a proud American tradition. I believe the heart of that tradition is Las Vegas. Many residents here including myself now play online poker and poker in the many casinos in the state for a living. I thank this state for giving me that opportunity. It's an opportunity I hope will continue as I become a homeowner in Nevada.
The bill in Congress is U.S. House Bill H.R. 2267. It provides for sensible regulation of Internet gaming and puts the U.S. in charge of safeguarding its citizens. The bill mandates rigorous safeguards against underage participation and protections for those with excessive gaming habits while providing consumer protections for the millions of Americans who play online poker every day. This bill will also allow American gaming companies to participate in the world's Internet gaming market, bringing needed jobs to our state, one that is well positioned in that market.
What's most important to me is your support for my rights. Please respond to this letter and let me know you will support my freedoms. I will be watching your actions on this issue closely. I hope that I, along with my over one million fellow Poker Players Alliance members, can count on your support.
Thank you for your consideration."
For what it's worth, I have a blog I've been working on that will cover the WSOP. I'm writing a version of a highlights/interesting moments blog.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Best of the WSOP blog
I know it's been quite a while coming, but I wanted to take a look back at my favorite moments and hands from the WSOP.
I played 16 events at the WSOP including the main event. I recorded 3 cashes and one final table. The 3 cashes came in the 5000 NL Hold 'em 6 max, 2500 8 game mixed event, and 1500 Pot Limit Omaha. 3 cashes in 3 different games in 3 different buy in levels is kind of cool looking back at it. My best finish was 3rd place in the Pot Limit Omaha event where I recorded my biggest live cash and second biggest ever cash of a little over 96,000.
Best bad beat I gave:
This one is too easy. In the 6 max tournament near the end of day 1, I was at a tough table with several primarily online guys. A very good online player "Bill Ivey" flat called an early position raise and I looked down at 88 with 16 big blinds and shoved it in. The raiser folded and "Bill Ivey" called and showed QQ. Crap. Flop 8Q8. Easy game.
Toughest Table at any one moment in a tournament:
This one also comes from the 6 max tournament. Seat 1 was an older European who I wasn't terribly familiar with but had a ton of chips and wasn't afraid to play pots. Seat 2 was me. Seat 3 was Rory "mafews" Mathews from Scotland. This guy wasn't afraid to mix it up with anyone and basically made a soul read on Shannon Shorr that left the entire table stunned. I consistently had to worry about being 3 bet if I came into a pot with this guy as he was right to my left. Seat 4 was "apestyles." I've played with him in so many online tournaments that it was nice to finally meet him and I actually won a coin flip 33 vs A4 to stay alive against him on day 1. I got knocked out shortly after he moved to the table, so we didn't get to play many hands. Seat 5 was Shannon Shorr. I've probably read his blog for the last 3 years or so, but I still didn't quite know where I was at in many hands against him. He mixes up his game so well and isn't afraid to do anything at the table. That makes him a very a dangerous opponent, especially when he has more experience than all the opponents at the table. Seat 6 is Online Player of the Year for the last 2 years on Pokerstars, Shaun Deeb. Although he sort of went nuts with a straight draw for against me, I know he's a very good player He is another player who goes out there and plays poker. If he gets chips, he's not afraid to do anything.
Most heartbreaking beat:
This comes from the toughest table. Let me set up the scenario a bit. We are playing for 1 million dollars in probably the toughest tournament field in any event aside from Event #1-40,000 NL Hold 'em, which I didn't play. I fought all day to build my chips and played solidly throughout day 2. While I don't know the exact details, I have a pretty good idea in the hand. Shaun Deeb raises in early position to some 10k at 2k/4k. I look down at KK and reraise to 29500 after seat 1 calls. This is a small reraise, and I did this on purpose. First off, I was in position, and I want value from my hand. I don't want to flat call here because we were deep enough at the time. I believe I had roughly 250k at 2k/4k, and he had me covered. Flop comes down JT5. Deeb checks to me and I bet something close to half the pot or a little over it. He check raises me and I thought for about 30 seconds about the situation. Clearly, I gave him odds to hit a set with JJ, TT, or 55, but a check raise with these hands didn't seem as likely as other ways he would play the hand. I actually just think I caught him in a situation where I got a perfect flop for him to do something that isn't profitable when playing as deep as we were. I moved all in and he called and showed KQ. The 9 was the first card off on the turn and I lose. 550k would have put me in 3rd with 55 to go and 1 million to first. No big deal.
Hand I've talked about the most:
This hand came in the 8 game mixed tournament in limit hold 'em. I was just beginning to rush at my new table when I raised 6 9 of spades on the cutoff and was 3 bet by Bryan "badbeatninja" Devonshire. I called. Flop 7s8s2h. Uh-Oh. We put 5 bets in on the flop. Turn card 3 of not spades. He bets and I just call. River T of diamonds. Bingo! He bets with headphones on I might add. I take a second and decide not to be an idiot and look back at my cards like I do too much when I have the nuts. I go to put in a raise and announce raise, but put out probably 1.2x the bet instead of 2x because I simply didn't have any more big denomination chips. In order to make the full bet, I had to grab a stack of 40 100's chips at the time, which is not easy to maneuver without two hands. He thinks I just called because he had his headphones on and tables 88 for a flopped set. The dealer instantly grabs his hand and puts it into the muck. He rightfully flips a switch and gets the floor over demanding his hand back. When he gets the correct ruling that they can retrieve his hand, the floor guy asks him "Do you want to call the bet?" At that point, in a weird way, he said "well yeah." I table the straight, and he blurts out a priceless "F*%& my life!"
Best Celebration in a Loss
In a 2k NL Hold 'em event, I went from the 6k chips early up to around 35k without much trouble. After dinner break, I went completely cold. I couldn't hit a flop or get a hand or do anything until I was slowly down to around 6k. Blinds were 300/600 and I was under the gun with KJ off suit. I decided to push in as 2 players had left early for break. I'm in Seat 1 to the left of the dealer, but my stack is clearly out there. The SB says call and lobs 300 more chips in the middle. The dealer says his verbal declaration is binding and makes him call 6000 total or so. The player in the big blind (BB) sees that the player in the small blind (SB) is so angry at this point that he shoves in his stack with AQ. The SB folds another 5k or so with 9 4 off suit face up. The BB shows AQ with the Ace of spades. Flop comes KhJs and some low spade. The turn card is another low spade giving him any T or spade except for the K of spades to win the hand. The K of spades comes on the river and he screams "YEAHHHHH" while clapping his hands as I laugh on the inside knowing I won. The dealer points out to him that he actually lost. I triple up. (Unfortunately, this was one of the tournaments where I missed the money by about 2-3 tables when I had KK vs AA)
AA vs KK count
I had KK twice run into AA and lost both times. One was in the shootout where you have to play to win your table. I'm never folding, and neither is probably anyone good. The other time was the 2k near the bubble and I'm never folding and neither is anyone good.
I had AA vs KK one time in the 8 game mix to double up in a nice pot in NL Hold 'em.
Bad Tournaments
The one tournament I regret was the 2500 NL Hold 'em right after I had final tabled the Pot Limit Omaha. I made a couple of wretched plays and got most of my chips in with 89 suited on a 8 6 6 board against AA. I simply wasn't locked in this tournament. This was a lesson that is so valuable to learn in poker. After a big win, there is no guarantee the next tournament will be an easy ride to the final table. I didn't respect the concentration needed every single moment for this one tournament. When looking back, I think this was my only egregiously bad play in a WSOP tournament.
The hand that won me 90,000
The stage is set. 18 players left. I'm in the middle of the pack with around 200k in chips, and my first final table painfully close. The small blind raises 24k on my 8k big blind. I looked down at AKsTs2 and decided to defend my blind. Flop comes down AhKh5c. The raiser checks. I bet 28k. He calls. Turn card is a 7h. He immediately fires out a pot sized bet. At this point, it's a decision for all my chips. My mind starts racing like Phil Ivey's in the commercial. This is one hand where every single thought that matters crossed my mind. Of course, the pressure is completely amped up being so close to a World Series Final Table. In the end, I eventually shoved the rest of my chips in and stared at the board in silence as the player took about 4 full minutes to fold. From there, I was able to take control of the situation and give myself a chip lead going into the final table.
It was really a great World Series for me and I can't wait until next year.
I played 16 events at the WSOP including the main event. I recorded 3 cashes and one final table. The 3 cashes came in the 5000 NL Hold 'em 6 max, 2500 8 game mixed event, and 1500 Pot Limit Omaha. 3 cashes in 3 different games in 3 different buy in levels is kind of cool looking back at it. My best finish was 3rd place in the Pot Limit Omaha event where I recorded my biggest live cash and second biggest ever cash of a little over 96,000.
Best bad beat I gave:
This one is too easy. In the 6 max tournament near the end of day 1, I was at a tough table with several primarily online guys. A very good online player "Bill Ivey" flat called an early position raise and I looked down at 88 with 16 big blinds and shoved it in. The raiser folded and "Bill Ivey" called and showed QQ. Crap. Flop 8Q8. Easy game.
Toughest Table at any one moment in a tournament:
This one also comes from the 6 max tournament. Seat 1 was an older European who I wasn't terribly familiar with but had a ton of chips and wasn't afraid to play pots. Seat 2 was me. Seat 3 was Rory "mafews" Mathews from Scotland. This guy wasn't afraid to mix it up with anyone and basically made a soul read on Shannon Shorr that left the entire table stunned. I consistently had to worry about being 3 bet if I came into a pot with this guy as he was right to my left. Seat 4 was "apestyles." I've played with him in so many online tournaments that it was nice to finally meet him and I actually won a coin flip 33 vs A4 to stay alive against him on day 1. I got knocked out shortly after he moved to the table, so we didn't get to play many hands. Seat 5 was Shannon Shorr. I've probably read his blog for the last 3 years or so, but I still didn't quite know where I was at in many hands against him. He mixes up his game so well and isn't afraid to do anything at the table. That makes him a very a dangerous opponent, especially when he has more experience than all the opponents at the table. Seat 6 is Online Player of the Year for the last 2 years on Pokerstars, Shaun Deeb. Although he sort of went nuts with a straight draw for against me, I know he's a very good player He is another player who goes out there and plays poker. If he gets chips, he's not afraid to do anything.
Most heartbreaking beat:
This comes from the toughest table. Let me set up the scenario a bit. We are playing for 1 million dollars in probably the toughest tournament field in any event aside from Event #1-40,000 NL Hold 'em, which I didn't play. I fought all day to build my chips and played solidly throughout day 2. While I don't know the exact details, I have a pretty good idea in the hand. Shaun Deeb raises in early position to some 10k at 2k/4k. I look down at KK and reraise to 29500 after seat 1 calls. This is a small reraise, and I did this on purpose. First off, I was in position, and I want value from my hand. I don't want to flat call here because we were deep enough at the time. I believe I had roughly 250k at 2k/4k, and he had me covered. Flop comes down JT5. Deeb checks to me and I bet something close to half the pot or a little over it. He check raises me and I thought for about 30 seconds about the situation. Clearly, I gave him odds to hit a set with JJ, TT, or 55, but a check raise with these hands didn't seem as likely as other ways he would play the hand. I actually just think I caught him in a situation where I got a perfect flop for him to do something that isn't profitable when playing as deep as we were. I moved all in and he called and showed KQ. The 9 was the first card off on the turn and I lose. 550k would have put me in 3rd with 55 to go and 1 million to first. No big deal.
Hand I've talked about the most:
This hand came in the 8 game mixed tournament in limit hold 'em. I was just beginning to rush at my new table when I raised 6 9 of spades on the cutoff and was 3 bet by Bryan "badbeatninja" Devonshire. I called. Flop 7s8s2h. Uh-Oh. We put 5 bets in on the flop. Turn card 3 of not spades. He bets and I just call. River T of diamonds. Bingo! He bets with headphones on I might add. I take a second and decide not to be an idiot and look back at my cards like I do too much when I have the nuts. I go to put in a raise and announce raise, but put out probably 1.2x the bet instead of 2x because I simply didn't have any more big denomination chips. In order to make the full bet, I had to grab a stack of 40 100's chips at the time, which is not easy to maneuver without two hands. He thinks I just called because he had his headphones on and tables 88 for a flopped set. The dealer instantly grabs his hand and puts it into the muck. He rightfully flips a switch and gets the floor over demanding his hand back. When he gets the correct ruling that they can retrieve his hand, the floor guy asks him "Do you want to call the bet?" At that point, in a weird way, he said "well yeah." I table the straight, and he blurts out a priceless "F*%& my life!"
Best Celebration in a Loss
In a 2k NL Hold 'em event, I went from the 6k chips early up to around 35k without much trouble. After dinner break, I went completely cold. I couldn't hit a flop or get a hand or do anything until I was slowly down to around 6k. Blinds were 300/600 and I was under the gun with KJ off suit. I decided to push in as 2 players had left early for break. I'm in Seat 1 to the left of the dealer, but my stack is clearly out there. The SB says call and lobs 300 more chips in the middle. The dealer says his verbal declaration is binding and makes him call 6000 total or so. The player in the big blind (BB) sees that the player in the small blind (SB) is so angry at this point that he shoves in his stack with AQ. The SB folds another 5k or so with 9 4 off suit face up. The BB shows AQ with the Ace of spades. Flop comes KhJs and some low spade. The turn card is another low spade giving him any T or spade except for the K of spades to win the hand. The K of spades comes on the river and he screams "YEAHHHHH" while clapping his hands as I laugh on the inside knowing I won. The dealer points out to him that he actually lost. I triple up. (Unfortunately, this was one of the tournaments where I missed the money by about 2-3 tables when I had KK vs AA)
AA vs KK count
I had KK twice run into AA and lost both times. One was in the shootout where you have to play to win your table. I'm never folding, and neither is probably anyone good. The other time was the 2k near the bubble and I'm never folding and neither is anyone good.
I had AA vs KK one time in the 8 game mix to double up in a nice pot in NL Hold 'em.
Bad Tournaments
The one tournament I regret was the 2500 NL Hold 'em right after I had final tabled the Pot Limit Omaha. I made a couple of wretched plays and got most of my chips in with 89 suited on a 8 6 6 board against AA. I simply wasn't locked in this tournament. This was a lesson that is so valuable to learn in poker. After a big win, there is no guarantee the next tournament will be an easy ride to the final table. I didn't respect the concentration needed every single moment for this one tournament. When looking back, I think this was my only egregiously bad play in a WSOP tournament.
The hand that won me 90,000
The stage is set. 18 players left. I'm in the middle of the pack with around 200k in chips, and my first final table painfully close. The small blind raises 24k on my 8k big blind. I looked down at AKsTs2 and decided to defend my blind. Flop comes down AhKh5c. The raiser checks. I bet 28k. He calls. Turn card is a 7h. He immediately fires out a pot sized bet. At this point, it's a decision for all my chips. My mind starts racing like Phil Ivey's in the commercial. This is one hand where every single thought that matters crossed my mind. Of course, the pressure is completely amped up being so close to a World Series Final Table. In the end, I eventually shoved the rest of my chips in and stared at the board in silence as the player took about 4 full minutes to fold. From there, I was able to take control of the situation and give myself a chip lead going into the final table.
It was really a great World Series for me and I can't wait until next year.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
First WSOP Final Table Thoughts
When I ran track in high school, there was a feeling before every race that can only be described if you have it. I'm assuming anyone who has competed in some sort of sport or game knows the feeling. That's basically what how I've felt for the last two full days. Going for the ultimate goal in poker, a WSOP bracelet, was every bit of what I hoped for. Falling two players short actually makes me understand how precious that title is to so many people.
After finally getting a chance to settle down emotionally and read through some of the hands on the live updates, I'm very pleased with my performance. I would say the key hand of the tournament came with two tables to go. I was in the middle of the pack with around 220,000 in chips and had Ad Ks Ts 2s. The SB raised to 18k at 3k/6k blinds and I called. The flop came Ah Kd 7d. He checked and I bet 25k which he quickly called. The turn was a 5h. He immediately bets the pot for 86k. Now at this point, I had a little over 100k in addition to that bet. It didn't really look to me like he could fold many hands when he makes this size of a bet. Then I ran through the options. He can't have the nut flush draw for obvious reasons because I have the Ad. I am most worried about some sort of set, but nothing like that made sense. AA or KK or 77 pretty much needs to try to protect that board with either a check raise on the flop or a pot bet on the flop. AK would probably bet as well. I just basically decided to go all in after thinking for about 2 minutes, and then he thought for about 3 minutes and folded. That gave my stack a nice boost and I was able to play lots of hands and put pressure on the table before the final table.
The final table was exciting. As everyone who knows me knows, I love competition and this is the closest I've been to both the coveted prize and 230k. I'm happy with my final table play and would actually say I was a little card dead and less aggressive than I'd hope to be early on, but I wanted to feel out the table. I had only played against two of the players at the final table for a good period of time, so I wanted to feel it out a little. I basically maintained a decent stack with a couple of rivered full houses and good value bets as well as the occasional bluff. After I knocked out a player in 7th, the eventual champion Jason went on a huge rush. He busted out several players and had a big stack get all his money in against him with 2 outs, which is rare to do in PL Omaha. Then we got to 3 handed and I found myself in 3rd place with around 700-750k I believe with the other two stacks somewhere close to 1.7 mill and 1.2 mill. The momentum wasn't on my side at the time and I think a short stack has a huge disadvantage in PL Omaha, so I made a move on a decent flop with KKJ3 thinking that I get a fold a good amount of the time and even against top set, I'm still 30%. Of course, he had top set and won. The cash is my biggest live tournament cash and gives me lots of room to play events I want in this WSOP.
I was excited and exhausted about it all, but am ready to get back to another final table. The next event will be a $2500 NL Hold 'em event on Friday. I'll keep doing the Twitter updates from my icekevin name. I can't say enough about all the people that supported me throughout this. The text inbox was full and getting home and reading the people following really meant a lot. I'm sure there will be more to follow at some point.
After finally getting a chance to settle down emotionally and read through some of the hands on the live updates, I'm very pleased with my performance. I would say the key hand of the tournament came with two tables to go. I was in the middle of the pack with around 220,000 in chips and had Ad Ks Ts 2s. The SB raised to 18k at 3k/6k blinds and I called. The flop came Ah Kd 7d. He checked and I bet 25k which he quickly called. The turn was a 5h. He immediately bets the pot for 86k. Now at this point, I had a little over 100k in addition to that bet. It didn't really look to me like he could fold many hands when he makes this size of a bet. Then I ran through the options. He can't have the nut flush draw for obvious reasons because I have the Ad. I am most worried about some sort of set, but nothing like that made sense. AA or KK or 77 pretty much needs to try to protect that board with either a check raise on the flop or a pot bet on the flop. AK would probably bet as well. I just basically decided to go all in after thinking for about 2 minutes, and then he thought for about 3 minutes and folded. That gave my stack a nice boost and I was able to play lots of hands and put pressure on the table before the final table.
The final table was exciting. As everyone who knows me knows, I love competition and this is the closest I've been to both the coveted prize and 230k. I'm happy with my final table play and would actually say I was a little card dead and less aggressive than I'd hope to be early on, but I wanted to feel out the table. I had only played against two of the players at the final table for a good period of time, so I wanted to feel it out a little. I basically maintained a decent stack with a couple of rivered full houses and good value bets as well as the occasional bluff. After I knocked out a player in 7th, the eventual champion Jason went on a huge rush. He busted out several players and had a big stack get all his money in against him with 2 outs, which is rare to do in PL Omaha. Then we got to 3 handed and I found myself in 3rd place with around 700-750k I believe with the other two stacks somewhere close to 1.7 mill and 1.2 mill. The momentum wasn't on my side at the time and I think a short stack has a huge disadvantage in PL Omaha, so I made a move on a decent flop with KKJ3 thinking that I get a fold a good amount of the time and even against top set, I'm still 30%. Of course, he had top set and won. The cash is my biggest live tournament cash and gives me lots of room to play events I want in this WSOP.
I was excited and exhausted about it all, but am ready to get back to another final table. The next event will be a $2500 NL Hold 'em event on Friday. I'll keep doing the Twitter updates from my icekevin name. I can't say enough about all the people that supported me throughout this. The text inbox was full and getting home and reading the people following really meant a lot. I'm sure there will be more to follow at some point.
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