Boy I've been neglecting this blog, but not as much as you might think. If you read manzoniman, you'll know that I was in China for the last half of March and the first week of May.
No poker overseas I'm afraid, it's illegal in China and even in Hong Kong! Though they do have horse racing, sports betting and a lottery of course. The only place where a legal casino exists over there is the island city of Macau, and we didn't get to go there.
I missed T11 and T12. Upon my return I promptly slept, literally, through T13. Even though I was back in the US, I didn't play. My brain was awash in a fearsome haze of jet lag. The following week T14 turned out a little better.
I started off slow, but felt good even as I stole a little and lost a little more; I was surprised at how easy it was to get back in the flow. One thing I didn't like was that ytrabbit was on my right. Normally, you want stronger players on your right - so you can see what they do. But rabbit's style is so similar to mine, that he often pulls moves pre-flop (raises and steals on the button, cutoff or hijak) and I have to discard mediumish hands that I normally like to see cheap flops with.
To my left was perhaps the biggest donk in the whole league, Vikingjoe. (I don't mean this in any personal way, it's just that I consistently see really bad poker decisions by him. I'm sure he's a good guy). Though I didn't fear him, I was wary of his inability to recognize when he was being given the absolute wrong odds to call and draw. Thankfully ytrabbit took care of him early on.
1} Manzoni $1,110 4s 9c
3) Viking Joe $1,319 Kd Jc
5) ISAIAS41 $2,045 ?? ??
6) crippe $245 ?? ??
7) nacl $2,170 ?? ??
9) Sammy Ro $1,335 ?? ??
10) ytrabbit * $2,276 7s 7c
Manzoni posts small blind $15
Viking Joe posts big blind $30
ISAIAS41 folds
crippe folds
nacl folds
Sammy Ro folds
ytrabbit raises $60
Manzoni folds
Viking Joe calls $60
FLOP: 7h 5d Js
Viking Joe bets $30
ytrabbit calls $30
This is classic Viking, min betting and raising are his forte'. He fails to protect his top pair and gains zero information on rabbit's holdings - rabbit has the right price to call with just about any two cards - he's also a savvy enough player not to reveal that he's spiked trips. Interestingly, on the flip side, the min bet actually reveals a lot about Viking - since he always bets this way; Rabbit knows that Viking has something, and probably top pair.
TURN: 7h 5d Js 9s
Viking Joe bets $130
ytrabbit raises $515
Viking Joe calls $515
Rabbit springs the trap and Viking insta-calls. Thanks to Viking's min bet on third street, he has zero clue that his top pair with a less than perfect kicker is toast at this point. Incidentally, Rabbit is properly protecting his hand here just in case Viking has a flush draw.
RIVER: 7h 5d Js 9s 6c
Viking Joe checks
ytrabbit bets $1,511 (all-in)
Viking Joe calls $554 (all-in)
ytrabbit shows 7s 7c
Viking Joe mucks
Easy decision for Rabbit as to how much to bet, he knows Viking is unsophisticated and will probably think that his jack is the still the best hand. Rabbit also risks going broke over Viking backing into some weird gut-shot (J8 is a very probably holding for Viking believe it or not) but that's what you have to do against min-raising calling stations who have no clue how the game is played.
ytrabbit wins $2,653 with Three of a Kind, Sevens
So with uber-donk out of the way (a good thing in an ultra-turbo tournament) I was free to try and get Rabbit's chips. Easier said than done.
And before I could do that I had to win against Nacl. A good player who gets better every time I play him. Paradoxically, unlike Viking and his ilk, Nacl and Rabbit respect my play - so I'm able to get away with an occasional move. Case in point was the very next hand. Scary stuff.
1} Manzoni * $1,095 4d Jh
3) Miles 2 Go (sitting out)
5) ISAIAS41 $2,045 ?? ??
6) crippe $245 ?? ??
7) nacl $2,170 ?? ??
9) Sammy Ro $1,335 ?? ??
10) ytrabbit $3,610 ?? ??
ISAIAS41 posts big blind $30
crippe folds
nacl calls $30
Sammy Ro folds
ytrabbit folds
Manzoni calls $30
ISAIAS41 checks
FLOP: 9s Ac Jd
ISAIAS41 checks
nacl bets $90
I'm very sure at this point that Nacl has an Ace with a lame or even medium kicker. Since ISA didn't raise before the flop I can pretty much put him on not having big cards. Knowing that Nacl is capable of folding if he thinks he's beat, I make a move.
Manzoni raises $270
ISAIAS41 folds
nacl calls $270
Not crazy about the call, with only 700 left, I'm committed. I decide to move all in if he checks, before the turn card comes.
TURN: 9s Ac Jd 9c
nacl checks
Manzoni bets $705 (all-in)
nacl folds
Manzoni wins $810 uncontested
He did tank for what seemed an eternity, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when he finally let his ace go. Thank goodness for players who know what they're doing. My betting was a lie, but it was a lie that said I had AK or AQ, or even AJ. He would be crippled if he was beaten; he rightfully respected my position and got away from a small (for him) pot.
Now if most of the rest of the players in the league, whom are fine fellas, but mostly poker retards, would just get on the ball - I could steal them blind! Well, probably not; the key in this game I've found is not only target selection, but circumstance selection as well. Nacl had just recently won a large pot, I had lost a third of my stack - I know his nature is to tighten up when he builds a chip lead; subconsciously I just knew it was time to go.
I coasted for awhile, keeping my stack up by stealing and hitting occasionally and winning most of my pots uncontested. Then, as is often the case in our league; lady luck smiled and my opponent made a colossally bad decision.
1} Manzoni $1,890 Qc Jc
3) Miles 2 Go * $1,365 Ad Jh
5) ISAIAS41 $2,303 ?? ??
9) Sammy Ro $1,038 ?? ??
10) ytrabbit $2,147 ?? ??
ISAIAS41 posts small blind $50
Sammy Ro posts big blind $100
ytrabbit folds
Manzoni raises $125
I'm in the cutoff five handed, so QJ suited is a nice healthy set of cards to pop it with. Even if I'd had rags, I might try to steal here - Miles is probably the tightest player in the league.
Miles 2 Go calls $225
I don't like this. Miles probably has AK or similar. Maybe a chunky middle pair or even 10's or Jacks - though at this point he'd be likely to push with those. I'm out of position against him, and I'm pre-planning in my mind now that I'm ready to give up the hand if it's not a favorable flop.
ISAIAS41 folds
Sammy Ro folds
FLOP: Th 8s 9c
Bingo bango bongo. Against most of the monkeys in this league, I would ABC here - check raise. But Miles is a good player, and sharp to my ways. So leading out with a pot sized bet seems pretty deceptive here. I typically continuation bet 2/3 or the full pot even if I don't hit. I know he knows this, he's liable to think I'm pulling my typical full of shit move.
Manzoni bets $600
Miles 2 Go raises $540 (all-in)
Manzoni calls $540
Wow, he's come over the top of my nuts. For a moment I'm guessing he has the same two cards as me, then I figure he's gotta have a set. The low end of the straight he's folding pre-flop. I'm shocked to see...
Manzoni shows Qc Jc
Miles 2 Go shows Ad Jh
Open ended straight draw? He must really think I had nothing and was pulling my usual steal stuff. He failed to notice my $600 raise was basically committing me to the pot. I would never have pulled the trigger that big if I didn't have something. The great thing about being aggressive, and stealing and seeing a lot of flops - is that perceptive players like Miles eventually realize that you're splashing around chips a lot of times when you shouldn't be; and then they lower their standards.
I also think in this particular case, with Miles down to just over 1K, he realized it was time for him to get some chips or get out. Still, I think if he had stopped to really think it through - if I have two pair (a raise pre-flop with a suited connecter is very likely by me) or even trips (even more likely) he is getting the absolute wrong odds to draw to eight outs. He also can't seriously think that I'm firing with a pair of nines and a good kicker - I've got two pair minimum; and in that case he can't count the three remaining aces (or the potentially three remaining jacks) as outs and should fold. Ah well, glad he screwed up.
TURN: Th 8s 9c 5s
RIVER: Th 8s 9c 5s Kd
Manzoni wins $2,880 with a King High Straight
So then I have almost 3K and we're down to one table and that's when the fun begins. Somebody has donated to Nacl (who left our first table a while back) he now has 3K+. Somebody else (probably a super-donk) has given a boatload of chips to perhaps the most dangerous donkey in the leaugue. Rowser, he has over 4K in chips. Yikes.
I've said it before in this blog; Rowser is blessed with an uncanny ability to read where he is in a hand and mostly stay out of trouble; but he has no concept of what pot odds are or even the thought of what an idiot end of a straight or flush is. His natural aggression as a poker player, makes him deadly though if he gets some ammunition.
As the blinds escelated, I slowly drifted down to 2500K, while Rabbit got crippled playing a big blind special (K3) that spiked top pair out of position against a semi-bluff by Rowser that hit for the nuts on the turn. Fold K3 please, even as a big blind special that hits - it's just such a crap kicker; even Rowser isn't likely to be firing without something that can damage you.
He was crippled with the blinds at 100/200 when...
1} Manzoni $3,605 9d 9s
3) nacl * $3,532 ?? ??
5) ytrabbit $1,449 Js As
6) rowser $8,358 ?? ??
7) cali Al $4,003 ?? ??
8) ISAIAS41 $1,553 ?? ??
ytrabbit posts small blind $100
rowser posts big blind $200
cali Al folds
ISAIAS41 folds
Manzoni calls $200
nacl folds
ytrabbit raises $1,249 (all-in)
rowser folds
He's desperate, 300 is a lot, a third of his stack. Worth a steal. This is an easy insta-call for me.
Manzoni calls $1,249
Manzoni shows 9d 9s
ytrabbit shows Js As
FLOP: 3c Ah 8c
TURN: 3c Ah 8c 5s
RIVER: 3c Ah 8c 5s Qd
ytrabbit wins $3,098 with a Pair of Aces
Cali, who had luck-boxed his way into 4K+ by this point, was incredulous in the chat box. Cali, who reads this, should know that if I have a chance to bust the most dangerous player at the table with not too much damage to my stack - I'm taking it, EVERY TIME. A third of my stack is a lot - but I knew I could still steal and get by with just over 2K if I had to.
And that's what I did for quite a few hands afterwards. I stole a bit, with all in moves against the right targets at the right time; and even managed to "steal" by getting no callers with Kings and Aces on two different occasions. (I was hoping my thieving reputation would get looked up, but the table definitely played tight.)
Then ISA had a brain fart.
1} Manzoni $2,556 Js Jc
3) nacl $3,982 ?? ??
5) ytrabbit $2,898 ?? ??
6) rowser $8,108 ?? ??
7) cali Al $3,403 ?? ??
8) ISAIAS41 * $1,553 8c Tc
Manzoni posts small blind $100
nacl posts big blind $200
ytrabbit folds
rowser folds
cali Al folds
ISAIAS41 raises $800
Manzoni raises $1,556 (all-in)
nacl folds
ISAIAS41 calls $553 (all-in)
Manzoni shows Js Jc
ISAIAS41 shows 8c Tc
FLOP: 5c Jh 4d
TURN: 5c Jh 4d Kh
RIVER: 5c Jh 4d Kh 4c
Manzoni wins $3,306 with a Full House, Jacks over Fours
First of all, yes, I'm short stacked with the blinds at 100/200, so Jacks I'm going all in with even if it's calling another all-in. (Two all-in's behind me, I have to think about it.) But this bizarre behavior of betting over half of your stack doesn't make any sense to me. Yes, it alerts me that you're committing to the hand just as an all in would - but it gives a larger stack a chance to call and then possibly hit something on the flop. If you move all your chips in, you've put your fear and fold equity to the max and given yourself the best chance to win the pot right then and there. I really hope ISA and his pot-raising while short stacked ilk don't read this and catch on.
Now my stack is muck healthier, 4K+; time to shift gears and tighten up. Most of the table were not long for this world. Rowser, as the big stack, did exactly what he should have - pumped up the aggression. Taking pot after pot uncontested. It really took it's toll on the smaller stacks. Eventually Nacl pushed with sevens, and Cali made an ill-advised call with sixes. Hey Cali, google "Sklansky's Gap Principle". Love ya man!
Cali actually stuck around even though crippled (as he is wont to do) and built his stack up quite a bit. Helped by me when he
donked it up calling my big bet with 83. But it was soooted. Naturally he flopped trips. It's okay, I don't want to discourage this kind of play, but it is a bit hard on the blood pressure. In all fairness, the blinds were a third of his stack at this point - he had little choice but to hold his nose and call.
Happily, I got it all back and more on the next two pots - even doubling up against Rowser who was unlucky enough to be holding JQos (a monster set of starting cards in his mind) when I caught A10 and pushed. Cali had to contend with Rowsers love of all cards when his pre-flop push with 9's got called down by a baby ace by Rowser - who naturally hit on the flop.
Four players left. Bubble time. We all had 4kish, except for Rowser who had luck on his side and parlayed his less than selective aggression into a 2 to 1 chip lead. He continued his aggression, raising blindly and getting away with it until...
1} Manzoni $3,517 6d Kd
3) nacl $2,768 ?? ??
5) ytrabbit * $4,179 ?? ??
6) rowser $12,036 ?? ??
Manzoni antes $25
nacl antes $25
ytrabbit antes $25
rowser antes $25
rowser posts small blind $300
Manzoni posts big blind $600
nacl folds
ytrabbit folds
rowser raises $1,200
I've had it, the blinds are gi-normous. I pre planned this one, knowing I was going to shove after Rowser's crap (but at this stage) effective min-raise. I clicked the Jam box (all-in) ahead of time and waited for the donk to pop it. .
Manzoni raises $1,692 (all-in)
He was alarmed in the chat box, with the auto-selection I basically beat him into the pot. He tanked all the way down and auto-folded
rowser folds
Manzoni wins $3,700 uncontested
This is perhaps one of the single greatest examples ever of Rowser's utter inability to grasp the math of the game. A chance to eliminate one of the most dangerous players at the table, without ANY real damage to his stack; plus the right odds to call with basically ANY two cards.
And he folds.
Jesus H. I knew he would call my jam ahead of time, I was just praying for two live cards and a chance to suck him out - ala' Cali with his 83 against me.
And instead he folded.
Ohhhhhkay. I had to laugh, and collect my chips. Back in it, with an excellent chance to cash - now I had over 5K in chips.
Thanks man! Love you!
Allow me to stop here, and say that for all my disdain for Rowser's play, because it is very different from mine; let me just say that honestly - he has a gift and a feel for the game that no matter how hard I study and practice, I will probably never get. It's hard wired with him, and I really do respect his game, if not his technical play. He runs very hot and cold in the league, he has what they call a high variance. When it is down to 3 or 4 handed and he has some chips, he is without a doubt the very BIGGEST threat at the table. He is also my oldest and dearest friend, and FAR smarter than me in so many areas it's not even funny.
I sat back and was fully prepared to fold my way to the money. I had bubbled out twice before this season, and did not want that sting again. I expected to see Rowser bludgeon the two shorter stacks then myself until one took a stand and hopefully busted. Turned out, the two short stacks turned on each other; Rabbit busted Nacl's pocket fives by calling down his shove with a baby ace and spiking on the flop.
And then there were 3. Now I was the shortest stack, and frankly I didn't like my chances. I was just glad to have cashed.
Rowser continued to bully, we submitted. Then Rabbit got a little bit unlucky when his Jacks fell to Rowsers (correct) call with QKos.
Heads up baby. No time for niceties; I pushed in every hand when I was on the button. It was going to be a coin flip, my stack was just two small. For several hands, much to my surprise, he folded to my raises. Then I got unlucky. I had JK on the button, more than good enough. Push.
He slow rolled me with Aces. I had to laugh as Rabbit railed him for his dick move. His hand held up, and completely oblivious to his faux-pas' he signed off with a smarmy farwell. I chuckled, I know Rowser had no idea that he had done anything wrong. What he had done right, was play with tremendous aggression in the last half hour of play; entering nearly every pot with a raise. Well done sir! I salute your game!
And I'm pleased as punch I got second. Next week - an early exit.
