It Takes a Village

Sorry for the pun, but it does. I fully understood the group of players that were waiting for me in Tunica this past weekend. The $500 weekend is the same each year. It is a hoard of players vying to fullfill their dreams. I was one of them not too long ago. Taking a shot at the fun I saw on TV.

I will not deny that in 2000 at the first WPO, the $500 event was my dream waiting to happen. I walked in and won a $70 single table, a $100 bounty for knocking off Amarillo Slim (from John Bonetti), had the entry chip and was ready to play. I didn't make the first break. I was a village member. I was not a player. Some say that maybe I am still not a player. Bah! This past weekend I saw stupid moves, was the glad recipient of at least two donations of chips.

It takes a village...............

A village of idiots.

I am not a superstar player, just read the archives and that will become clear. But I know that I am a very good player. A player that you do not want at your tournament table. I cause havoc and outplay most players I run up against in the $200-$2500 events. I know that I will have to increase my ability further to compete on the world stage in the future. But right now, I know that I am a very good player struggling to keep a tournament bankroll together.

Using an analogy of golf, I would say that I am a scratch poker player. I was an 18-handicap in 2000 in NL tournaments. It has consistently gotten better and now I would say that I am scratch. In the long run, the tournament professionals on the circuit would more than likely destroy my game as it is right now. A scratch golfer cannot play on the PGA Tour. Just does not happen. But they can cause havoc in smaller events and beat a pro on any given day. A scratch golfer today also becomes the touring pro of tomorrow.

So anyway, I go down to the $500 weekend and as I said before, I am not surprised at what I see. People trying to acheive their dreams, but without the tools to obtain those dreams. Problem is, they will trip up some of those (us) that are capable of winning these events. This one point illustrates the excitement of poker. In any given event, regardless of the game, I could beat Phil Ivey. That point cannot be argued. Luck plays a part, the size of that part is open for debate. However, over several events, he would perform better than me, without debate. He is a pro, with the skill and ability to beat anyone in the world at this game, especially players that are merely scratch players.

I went 1-7 in single table satellites (5 $120 and 2 $230) events. I never finished worse than fifth. The play was horrible, but in the six that I did not win, I got the best of it only to get knocked out by suckouts.

I went 0-2 in Multi-Tables. The $500 event was described in the previous event. I also played in the $330 event at the Gold Strike on Sunday and go knocked out in the seventh round after having the chip lead for most of the first two hours.

This post is not to spew about bad beats I received from bad play from bad players. I take that aspect of tournament poker with a grain of salt. I am talking about the entire tournament room. Every where I turned I saw amateur moves, impatient action and just plain stupidity. It is quite a phenomenom how poker has drawn such numbers to the game. I guess action junkies, compulsive gamblers, and addicted personalities are drawn to certain portions of the world. I think that this flame of poker will always draw the moths of the world, and the bigger the flame, the more moths.

I honestly love this game. It is my passion. I look forward to the combat at the felt. I just sometimes wonder if this village of $500 players understands just how impossible their dreams were this past weekend?

Thanks for the attention to my rant. I am going back to the $1500 WPO event on Saturday. I will also play no more than 3 single table satellites Friday night. WPO satellites for sure, because their structure is so much better.

Until next time,

Good Luck and See You at the Felt.......................

10s - I wish I were Bo Derek

Okay, I went to Tunica for the $500 NL event at the WSOP Circuit Event. Man, what a crowd. I remember my first $500 entry event in any big tournament, the 2000 WPO. I walked right up to the window and bought in 30 minutes before the event. There were 250 players. Wow, how that has changed. BTW - I did not make the first break in that event.

1345 players, 100 paid (I remember thinking that the payout was a little shallow, but such is life)

I started out at a table in the poker room and I knew I would not be staying for long as it would break for the cash games first. I treaded water, lost a significant pot early with JJ, but did not go bust. Got back to the starting stack of T-1500 with 88 in the BB with a 953 flop, I check raised all in and the raiser folded. I left with 1550 when the table broke.

At the new table I am in seat seven, the chip leader is a lady that raises every third hand, but lays down to much pressure against her, is in seat one. A young player was in seat two and began to play back at the lady. In no time he had taken the chip lead from her and had around 8000. I flopped a set of 999 with a AQ9 board. Doubled up, plus some and had 3200 in chips when the first of two pivotal hands occurred:

Hand One 10-10 BB. The young player in seat two grew tired of picking on the lady in Seat One and started raising in position, or my BB if you please. Blinds 50-100, he has 8k and I have 3200. He makes it 400 to go in LP, button calls. I look down and see 10-10. I thought about ending it right there, but decided I did not want to race in level three without a reason. I called. 1300 in the pot. Flop comes 47Q rainbow. I check, fully expecting seat two to bet, which he did, 700. The button agonized over the call and folded. I counted out the 700 and counted my stack, 2100 more left behind. I decide that the 700 bet looked, no SCREAMED, AK. I thought that (1) I was ahead and (2) he would muck to an all-in. I moved in, he insta-calls. I say "that cannot be good." I was 50% right. I was ahead of his exposed AK, but he would not lay it down. The board bricked off and I more than doubled up to 6900.

I get moved again shortly thereafter and have the chip lead at the table with around T-7500. A bigger stack moves to the table but is caddy-corner from me. He is a solid professional from Tunica, so I was not too worried. I outplayed the guys to my right as I picked off their steals on more than one occassion, and built up my stack to over T-10,000. I get moved for the last time to a table by the final table area, I know that I will not be moved again so long as I make it deep.

I make it through the fifth level and still have around 10,000 in chips. Dinner break in one more level and we are down to 450 players. Blinds are at 200-400, 50 ante. I pick up 10-10 again in early position. I raise to 1400. An unknown player in the 8 seat, I am in the 3 seat, reraises to 4,200 and has 3,000 behind. I study and study and lay it down. I honestly thought he had me there, but I will never know, as you can see coming up.

For the next three consecutive rounds, the same guy opens the betting in my BB for a raise. The third time he does it, I tell him, I have a memory and we are going to play a big pot soon. He has 6000, and I have around 10,000. In this third BB, after I tell him we are going to play a big pot soon, I look at my hand - 99. I immediately go all in, he calls with AK0. The flop comes A4K, K on the turn and I am drawing dead. I ask him how much do you have, and he says "full house" and stares at me. I tell him "I know, how much do you have?" He says "Full House." I sit back down and tell the dealer, "please let me know how much I owe." The guy says why are you mad? I say "I am not mad, this is not personal, but I wanted to know how much I owed you. But now that you are being an asshole, I am mad and we will play another pot soon."

I go to the dinner break with 3400 in chips. I decide with the blinds going to 300-600, 75 ante, a couple of beers would not hurt. I was right, they helped. I calmed down and decided that I was reduced to one move poker. There were 250 players left.

I am in the SB immediately after the break, fold. Open all in in the CO and win the blinds and antes, which buys me another round. I fold until I am in the CO, with 3275 chips. It folds to me and I have K7s, which meets my late position open criteria (any ace, any pair, any suited king). I move in and announce clearly, "all in, 3275 total." Button folds, SB folds and the BB asked the dealer a question that I cannot hear. He then says. I call and turns over A10s. Okay, two live cards. I flop a K, turn another one and survive. He counts out 2275 total, and I say, no it is 3275. The dealer goes pale and the player goes ballistic as he only had around 4100 total when he made the call. He pays me off and goes to get the floor. There was nothing I did wrong, and the dealer misspoke. The floor tells him that it is his responsibility to confirm the bet before calling. Anyway, it gets worse a few rounds later when I bust his small all in move UTG with AJs on the Button.

The blinds go to 400-800, 100 ante and I have 8200. I have to find a hand to make the money as we still have 150 players remaining.

I have stolen once at this level, then this hand comes up. I am two in front of the blinds with 10-10, yet again. I count out the standard raise of 3500 (2,200 in the pot already), see that it leaves me with less than 5,000 in chips, or stated differently, a pot committed raise, so I pot commit myself and make it that much harder for someone to call and move in for 8,200. A big overbet, but thought that a 88 or 99 might get froggy, and if someone picked up a bigger pair, goody for them.

My full house nemisis thinks for a few moments, asked for a count, and then calls, he had 30,000 at the time (rivered flush in a massive pot). Folds around. I say "pair?" He says no, I expect we will be chopping this one. I say, "oh no, AK again?" And he flips over AK and it is off to the races for a 20,000 pot. The door card is a 10 and I cheer, the next two cards are a J and 4. I say "Oh no, don't do it." Sure enough, right on the turn is that brutal bitch, Q. The board fails to pair and I am stunned.

I played technically perfect for over nine hours and I fell 50 or so short of the money. If I win that pot, I am table captain and dictate the action through to and past the bubble, with a great chance to go deep.

Anyway, the next post will discuss the rest of the weekend and my plans to return for the WPO $1500 this weekend. Until then.....................

Good Luck and See You at the Felt.