Marginal Edge or Donkey Play?
Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2008 Internet
After reading RecessRampage's recent post, "Pressing marginal edges - cash v tournaments", I figured I'd put up a hand that shows my feelings towards gambling in poker.
While there are times when I'll play tight and choose my spots carefully, I also like to take crazy chances. I'm more inclined to playing a little crazy if I'm tilting, if I have a good read on my opponents, or if I'm trying to establish a crazy table image. Of course, there are also times when I like to play like a...
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Session Review #16: Skill or Luck?
Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2008 Internet
Poker is a game of skill. And poker is a game of chance. No matter how good a player you feel yourself to be, Lady Luck will always hold the upper hand when deciding your fate at the tables. But if you continue to make good decisions, you'll come out ahead more often than not.
In my latest poker session, I got to see all sides to poker: the good luck, the bad luck, skilled plays, and donkey poker. In fact, I displayed the entire gamut of luck and skill found in poker all by myself.
I very...
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Presto is Gold?
Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 Internet
We've all heard of the mystical powers of pocket fives, or Presto, from many a person. Pocket fives make me think of Fuel55 and his constant claims that Presto is Gold! I'm sad to say that this is generally not the case with me. Nor is it for most of my opponents either. Need proof? Keep reading...
Last weekend's poker started out poorly. On Friday night, I had my single worst day of poker. After some weak-tight poker and some bad all-in luck, I dropped two and a half full buy-ins at...
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Where am I?
Date: Mon, Feb 25, 2008 Internet
I won't have time to do a full post today. However, I'll be back tomorrow with some hand histories that show my biggest ever win and my biggest ever loss in a hand of poker. And I'll also have proof positive that "Presto is not Gold" for anyone other than Fuel55.
Have a great day! See you tomorrow!
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Weekend Poker
Date: Fri, Feb 22, 2008 Internet
With another weekend upon us I'm looking forward to spending time with my family and playing some poker. I've been pretty happy with my decision to stick with Full Tilt and PokerStars as my two regular sites. But I have to admit that it's taking me a while to get used to Full Tilt.
The games at Full Tilt are much faster than those at Stars. I'm used to playing a couple tables at a time and doing other things besides. But I find the Full Tilt games are really keeping me on my toes. Who's...
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What You Shouldn't Do
Date: Thu, Feb 21, 2008 Internet
As a fairly inexperienced hold'em player, I make a number of bad calls and ill-advised bets. Terrible situations arise whenever I believe that I have the best hand in a given situation and am willing to go broke with my mediocre hand. The problem is that I'm not a good enough player to make these types of judgment calls with any accuracy. In the whole time that I've played no-limit hold'em cash games, I have never called an all-in "bluff" and found that I was ahead in the hand.
Take, for...
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What would you do?
Date: Thu, Feb 21, 2008 Internet
I just finished up a short session at Full Tilt and PokerStars. I got a little lucky tonight and managed to scrape together a winning session. However, there is one hand that I played that seems both questionable and, at the same time, perfectly reasonable in hindsight.
And so I ask: what would you do?
Here's the set-up for the hand. You've only been at the table for one orbit. You have no reliable reads on anyone at the table including the Villain. You've seen him play a couple hands...
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Hall of Shame (Vol. 2)
Date: Wed, Feb 20, 2008 Internet
Since returning to online poker in late December, I've looked to players like Fuel55 and RecessRampage to help me better negotiate the pitfalls and dangers of no-limit hold'em. Try as I might, there are still many times that I fall well short of poker-perfection. I read about poker, I study the game, and yet there are times when I play like the biggest donkey imaginable. Luckily I'm a firm believer in learning to fall before learning to fly.
Today, let's take a look at a couple new...
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Drinking the Kool-Aid
Date: Tue, Feb 19, 2008 Internet
When I first dipped my toe into the shark-infested waters of online poker, Tiger Gaming was the first site to drink deep from the rake I generated at the tables. A few months later, PokerSourceOnline and Party Poker courted me with promises of a $100 instant bankroll. I left Tiger's $0.10/$0.20 limit games and started playing in Party's $0.50/$1 limit games.
Over the course of the next two years, I jumped from site to site. I was looking for the best bonuses and the best rakeback deals. I...
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Stars, Reloads, and Weekend Poker
Date: Fri, Feb 15, 2008 Internet
[UPDATE: PokerStars Bonus]
I took a night off from the tables last night. My intention was to spend time relaxing with my wife. Unfortunately, my youngest son is still not ready to give my wife and I time to ourselves. I was exhausted, my wife was exhausted, and my son was wide awake and full of piss and vinegar. I'm looking forward to the day when my wife and I will be able to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and the Hallmark holidays - Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day -...
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Session Review #15: Outplayed
Date: Thu, Feb 14, 2008 Internet
I'm getting much better at playing late night poker. In the past, I would have simply gone to bed rather than play poker after 11 o'clock at night. But I anticipated wanting to play more poker as I moved up to the bigger games and that seems to be holding true. Thankfully I have a very supportive wife, some delicious coffee at home, and a I go through energy drinks [note: Rockstar is my favourite and they should feel free to contact me if they'd like provide me with a year's supply of their...
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Poker Academy Prospector Contest Finished
Date: Thu, Feb 14, 2008 Internet
The Poker Academy Prospector contest has come to a close and I will be contacting the winners with further instructions.
Thanks to every who played. And for those of you who didn't, I guess you missed out on a chance to win some great software.
I once missed out a free Pogo (aka corn dog on a stick) at the fair when I was a kid and I've regretted it everyday...
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Big Pots and Bad Play
Date: Wed, Feb 13, 2008 Internet
I've been really busy today - but not too busy to give you an update on my attempts to beat online poker.
Without any further ado...
If you read my previous post, you'll know that I recently made the jump to the $1/$2 NLHE games on Stars. For better or worse, I'm determined to give my current run at poker my all. That means no backing down from stiffer competition. And it means forcing myself to look beyond table stakes and think only of making the best play possible. The fact that I can...
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A Warm Welcome
Date: Tue, Feb 12, 2008 Internet
I had some incredibly restless sleep last night. Why? Was it that my youngest was up all night screaming? No, that's not it - at least no more than usual. Was my bedroom too hot? Too cold? Nope - neither one. Was it perhaps that I'd just finished playing my first session at PokerStars' $1/$2 NLHE tables? Bingo!
Moving up in stakes can take quite a bit of mental adjustment and preparation. There's new stack sizes to contend with. Bet sizing is new and unfamiliar. Opponents are scary. ...
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