Poker vs. Bowling
Date: Sat, Mar 1, 2008 Professional
Superstitions can be good in some types of games.
I remember when I was thirteen and on a bowling league - you run into some hardcore superstitions when you’re in a bowling alley. We've all heard of a pitcher wearing the same socks throughout a winning streak, but the pure lunacy that encompasses bowlers every second of the game is just startling. Bowlers get new superstitions after every frame because they are attempting to do the EXACT same thing twelve times in a row! Having the same exact plan and execution twelve times back to back to back is what makes champions in bowling. Now, it goes without saying that this is a complete improbability in poker, and yet, you'll run into superstitions all around the felt in every state in the nation and country in the world. What's yours? There are so many... how you look at your hole cards, how you stack your chips, or what if you get your 'favorite hand'?
Maybe the hand you 'always lose with'…
“Damn this Jack-Ten, I'm in the small blind with no raisers, but I always get screwed on the river with Jack-Ten...fold – done!”
I decided right from the get-go, that I was not going to have any superstitions in poker. It is just not good for your bankroll to make crucial decisions based on ‘how many times you tap your chips between hands.’ Of coarse, I found out almost as quickly as I decided not to have superstitions- that they are unavoidable.
Or are they?
Well, it just so happened that the answer was right in front of me...
Taking after the old adage, I decided that I would be 'superstitious to superstitions.'
You see a black cat for instance- and boom, your running to the other side of the street. Something bad might happen right? Well, if I start paying attention to lining my card protector up straight between hands - boom, I change my focus to mentally counting the chip stack of the player in seat four. After all, I would hate to accidentally develop a superstition…I always get screwed on the river when I have a superstition.
Delik
Side Bet
Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2008 Professional
So I'm chatting online with a friend I know from Phildelphia last week...hey Jerry! We've never actually met in person, but have played many online games together since stricking up a conversation months ago after outlasting a pool of 90 players in a free sit & go to make it heads up in what ended up being a very long session.
Jerry doesn't play for real money at all outside of once a month with his uncles, but he is a true fan of the game and likes to dabble in Full Tilt Poker. Now, although the bulk of my poker income comes from flesh and blood cash and tounement play, I love places like PokerStars and the afore-mentioned FTP to try out new strategies and work out some of my short comings...luckily on one of these nights I gained a friend on top of insight.
Since Jerry's pride and often frustration, comes from his 'play money' bankroll, he was flabbergasted when I told him about an article in Bluff Magazine (Jan issue) regarding the amazing streak Gus Hanson had online racking up $1.4 million dollars in about 48 hours. After a year Jerry hasn't even come close to that because of the extreme swings and iratic players seen in play money rooms - and in my opinion - his being liberal in places he would never be if real cash were at stake...if not for this 1.4 million wouldn't be a problem at all.
As with most gamblers, this conversation ended in a bet...
I figured that it were possible to take a rock bottom bankroll of $1000 and turn it into one million in three months with the specific stipulation of being a 'casual player' (defined below) to which he claimed he may not be able to reach one million, but could earn more than myself in the same period of time if he could play as often as he wished. And so with that, the challenge...
Who can make more money in THREE MONTHS?
The rules:
1.) We must reset our balances to the base of $1000 on our accounts.
2.) I can play no more than an average of 3-4 days a week (casual player); Jerry can play unlimitedly (dedicated player).
3.) Cash games and tournament play are both allowed.
4.) We can rebuy as often as needed, (Due to the severe swings that come with this type of play), but the total at the end of the three month period is what counts.
5.) We must share our cashier totals atleast once a week.
Wish me luck!
Delik
New Stuff
Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2008 Professional
Hi All,
Lot's of new stuff coming tomorrow including an easy navigation tool through my Blog and a revamping of The Leak, which will serve as a Poker News section rather than my weekly poll. I will now offer a Poker Quiz instead of the poll - in my Grease the Rail section.
The Q7P Dealer Button Spotlight continues to be successful and I appriciate all the e-mails I've been recieving.
Also - Another new blog post tomorrow and don't forget to check my daily poker slangs in Language/Slanguage.
Wishing You Big Flops and Bigger Flops,
Del
Ace-Queen Disdain
Date: Sat, Feb 23, 2008 Professional
I recently had a lively discussion with a player, post-bust, who blew his stack literally and figuratively after his AQ faltered big time. Why is it that anyone would think AQ would qualify as an automatic call to an all-in hand pre-flop?
Now I know that there is a time and place where it might be, (short stack on the button for example), but generally, I find this hand can get you into a lot of trouble.
The basics: Against any pocket pair JJ or less you are only getting 50:50 OR if your opponent is tilting and holds two random cards (say 5-6) they are still 'live' and can be caught to suck out on you (same odds of hitting anything as you have.) Worse still, are the kinds of hands that would reasonably raise to all-in pre-flop that could end nearly all hope for your AQ...
Your unsuited AQ against AA gets you to only 18% to win, KK 22%, QQ 30% and even AK 25%. This doesn't get much better even if you are suited; these numbers are dismal.
I notice a lot of players have wised up to the fact that AK is a tricky starting hand and will bite you in the ass more often than not - so why have they moved onto playing similarly with AQ, which even the bottom of the barrel rookies can tell is not as valuable as the AK from the starting gate?
Well, I think the AQ needs some nicknames like its cousin the AK that drives the point home. My favorite for AK is Anna Kournikova - looks good but loses every time. This gets the point across as directly as possible that AK sucks more often than not. Over time - with sayings much like this one, players began to get embarrassed when they got felted and had to turn over a losing AK. Others would roll their eyes and think - 'there goes another one.'
I played three sit-and-goes yesterday and I must have seen more ridiculous AQ moves than I could have ever expected. I think the trouble is that some players will not face the ugly truth that no matter how good your hole cards may look pre-flop, they can quickly turn to dust after the flop and must be thrown to the muck if it comes down to an all-in. Don’t fall for the lure of invincibility that comes with a hand like AQ; it has all the disadvantages of the AK that you’re too 'embarrassed to lose with' - plus some.
As for Ace-Jack...don't get me started.
Delik
Pitter Patter
Date: Wed, Feb 20, 2008 Professional
I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend...no wait - fiancé (still trying to get used to that title), that has been forever supportive of my poker career. Truth be told, I could ask for no greater support system in this department than her. This week however - it all became more clear...
I get a call mid-day with the usual, "miss you much" kind of stuff followed by a "guess what!?"
Well, without a moment to take that guess, she tells me about a local tournament coming up that she thinks would be perfect for me to take full advantage of. Apparently, this annual function boasting the 'biggest grand prize yet' pulls in hundreds of local players each year to battle it out for cash prizes as well as some heavy merchandise ranging from big screens to shopping sprees. Then, I hear the first prize and I know I have no choice but to enter and WIN this tourney... first place gets a '08 Mazda CX-9...oh joy.
Call it an early Birthday present, Christmas gift or Anniversary gesture...but however you look at it - this car MUST be hers. I guess since she puts up with all my shit the least I can do is jump into a lion's den of locals for a few days to get a chance to ride away with an automobile that makes her heart go pitter-patter.
I'll keep you posted on the results.
Delik
Drink Up
Date: Sat, Feb 16, 2008 Professional
To this day I am continually amazed when I am at a poker tournament and see people chug back beer after beer during the course a game. Let us not forget why alcohol is free at casinos in the first place - a drunk player is a losing player...especially at a skill and thinking game like poker!
I remember a time back in CT when I had a regular weekly game at a club of guys twice to three times my age that had many drinkers around the felt. You'd figure they would use their additional years of wisdom for their benefit, but alas, they usually would not. Don't get me wrong...I do love these types of players - it means less work for me! You can pick them out pretty quickly and then avoid conflict with them for a few levels, all the while they get plowed and you watch their every move. Tells and betting patterns don't change when a person becomes inebriated, they are amplified...less work for me!
One time, on a particularly crowded night at this club's tournament (about 60-70 players), I was delighted to see one of my favorite drunkards moved to my table after we lost a few short stacks at once to a big Set a player caught on the turn. More interestingly - he came with a pile of chips and his signature Bud-Light ('when you want to feel the buzz, but not be weighed down with all those calories'). It took only another hour or so for him to lose track of things and develop the need to see every hand down to the river and bluff in a lot of really bad spots. Somehow though, he made some lucky comebacks and started running really good again, managing to hang in there right down to the last 9 players; final table.
It was then that I decided I really needed to take him out. Since the tourney paid only to the top five - I wanted make sure I didn't finish the night unpaid or worse...on the bubble because of a lucky drunk. I knew that luck runs out, and when it does, all he's left with is a cloudy head. Additionally, I had a moderate stack, but mine plus his would be sweet! The moment we came off of break to start the final table I wanted to ensure he was ready, so I bought him a beer. Oh yeah - that's right, a $3 investment in my future.
Long story short - I finished 3rd that night and Bud Light finished 7th or 8th.
Friends shouldn't let friends play drunk, but top players should buy the round.
Delik
The Magic Combination
Date: Mon, Feb 11, 2008 Professional
I recently ran into a pretty brutal table in the way of vicious exchanges just recently...
I find there is no better exercise of patience quite like a low stake internet game. You tend to see some pretty unpredictable plays from weak players that will toss curveball after curveball, most of which make no sense whatever and can provide the sort of stings that you won't get at a table full of moderate to good players. The reason: I'm playing with a sense for pot odds, position and betting patterns - none of which can be counted on in the slightest from anyone else sitting across the virtual felt in these games.
As previously stated- this table, on top of all these poor players and even worse plays, there was some serious trash talking. The first five hands was an all out war of words in the classic "I'm better than you are" style. It's in this situation that you just want to shut up the antagonists and bust them quick and painlessly...well, quick anyway. Unfortunately, in the game of poker it can take a while before you exact your revenge, though not on this night.
In the sixth hand I was pleased to see two black Kings promptly dealt at just the right time. Just as would be expected, the three primary name-callers were not cautious at all to my pre-flop raise and we went together to the flop where I hit trips (X-K-8); more betting. The turn was a blank (X-K-8-X), but this time the damage to two of my foul-mouth friends was too much for them to continue - however the last one was all too happy to keep going and called another bet. The river was a wink from the poker Gods, eight to pair the board (X-K-8-X-8) giving me a full house, which solidified the end of Big Mouth #1. Two to go.
The very next hand I got pocket AA's, but other than a low raise pre-flop, I squeezed no more chips from the table and took it down on the flop.
Hand number eight: Pocket Jacks. Now since I didn't show the Aces when I won the last hand I decided to make it look like I was getting over-confident and running a string of bluffs by putting out a small, but solid raise before the flop. Very quickly Big Mouth #2 and #3 bit the hook and when a third Jack soon followed, I reeled them in and busted them both with the help of their own egos.
It turns out I got my 'quick', but they were unlucky with the 'painless' part.
Delik
(Look for a nice screen shot of this Magic Combination below).
Exciting News...Potentially
Date: Sat, Feb 9, 2008 Professional
Ready... set... let those salivary glands go!
Word from the grapevine is that Party Poker might soon be bought out by one of many traditional casino gaming institutions! This could be the answer to many of our freedom-loving, poker playing prayers - whereas it would make it a private company and open to US players looking to gamble in cyberspace. I personally have the fingers on one hand crossed and one on the other hand ready to stand up high to the previous Republican 109th US Congress who put into effect some earth shattering online gambling laws!
Delik
UPDATES!!!
Date: Fri, Feb 8, 2008 Professional
The QuadSevenPoker Blog will return too 100% beginning 2/9/2008!!
A lot has been updated to make it even more fun, entertaining and influential -
Have a look around, and see what's new.
(Blog entry section - check back tomorrow for that!!)
Including tons more postings each month!!!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: DELIK JAMES NOW ON MYSPACE.
(see Quad 7 Links below)
Delik
Delik James MIA?
Date: Tue, Jan 8, 2008 Professional
Hello all.
I've been on the road for a few weeks now and have had no time or availability to post during my wayward journey. Rest assured, I've been taking notes and look forward to updating you completely just as soon as possible.
Thanks again for visiting, Delik
Lou: Poker God Extraordinaire
Date: Thu, Dec 20, 2007 Professional
The poker gods; who are they and how do I get on their good side?
I think these poker gods we hear so much about around the felt rule with a more swift and mighty fist than any god the Christians or Muslims could conger up. I’ve prayed many times to these ‘poker gods’ in moments of weakness. Lately, just one in particular though. I call him Lou. Lou and I have an understanding.
As in any god-worshiper relationship, the higher power knows more, but I feel sufficiently knowledgeable as well...
I understand that poker is all about the long run, and realize that, in that long run - I will witness some amazing circumstances. For example, if I am dead to a one-outer on the river - I know unequivocally that I am staring 1% right in the eye. Now would be a situation that I would call up ol’ Lou.
“Lou! It’s me, I’ve got a situation here. I know that I’m screwed, I mean really dead here. But do I have to bust for this guy? Give me this one! Please, Please, Please !! I had good intentions - who would have thought he would hold onto J-9 off?”
Lou’s pretty predicable right about now. In this 1% situation, he gives it to the prick with the straight about 99 times out of 100. BUT - every so often, let’s call it 1% of the time…Lou gives it to me. Right when I need it the most, just as Mr. Jack-Nine reaches for the pot, BANG. My one-outer turns the tables and I prevail.
That right, the poker gods are big on the math. Perhaps it seems sometimes like the river rats rule the world and chasing straights to the river are sure things, rewarding every schmoe around me.
But I know Lou too well for that.
Just because a shocking river-flush for example, breaks my pocket aces I needn’t worry. It’s not the first time and sure as hell won’t be the last, but on the grand scale I will win more often for every bad beat in the same or similar situations. This session today, this week, this month, this year and next - overall the numbers are my god. They are the only real truth in a game of bluffs, tells, and tilts.
It’s nice sometimes to think that by hoping and praying for that one card in the deck to come out, that it will. But all my prayers will need to be filed appropriately with Lou’s secretary whereas they will be addressed in the order in which they’ve been received. And even then - Ol’ Swift Justice Lou will simply do the math and move onto the next hand.
-Delik
Jekyll/Hyde Factor
Date: Sun, Nov 4, 2007 Professional
Funny thing about these labels we attach to ourselves with such impermeable closeness that they become a permanent part of our identity. I’ve found in my travels that it is very important to know the distinct differences between them, (as well as their hybrids i.e. tight/aggressive, loose/passive), but moreso, it is important to not tattoo just one individual player-type or even some choice combination of player-type on your poker physique.
When I sit in at a table, be it cash game or tourney - I have no idea what kind of player I going to be.
I liken sitting at a poker table, especially in a tournament, to being on death row. A bunch of people - all shifty-eyed and twitchy. Some will smile to your face, while thinking of felting you before you can blink an eye. Some will just flat out growl at you. So here we have this interesting bunch stuck in the same small space together, nose to nose, just working to keep their time from running out. Doing all they can, every appeal if you will, to just double-up and go on. These ever changing, unexpected situations and personalities will all need to be treated differently.
Example:
I hate the jackasses that always seem to take a 50/100 blind to an All-In Bet by the flop every hand for half an hour. In this situation I just happen to be the tightest, most solid player you have ever seen. I’m going to be folding 99% of my starting hands.
Eventually though, one of two things will happen:
The aforementioned jackass just will bust out because of the law of averages and drift into the poker afterworld.. OR - I’ll run into AA, KK, or AKs and it will be me personally selling the ticket to the aforementioned jackass, to go off to the aforementioned poker afterworld! Still, knowing that my decisions have been limited to such a small scope - I have a lot of free time on my hands. Perhaps now would be a perfect time to work on my Tells.
Although this is one of my largest pet peeves, it also provides one of my greatest joys in life…watching these players go down.
And they do - every…single… time.
In Comparison, I played a tournament a week ago in which I was anything but tight. At a nice little live sit and go, forty players or so with a starting stack of 2k for a $100 buy-in. It was a Thursday night and I noticed immediately that a large majority of the players had come right from work. With drinks in hand the gabbed about politics and weather patterns. And you know what? They were really having fun.
Me too after all - they wouldn’t even defend a blind with the worry of getting kicked out of the little gabfest. I found that a ¾ to pot size bet would move them off everything. Additionally, when I was beat I knew it - quick and with low chip casualties. Throughout the first few levels of play I slowly ate up a large percentage of the each of my opponents stacks. Eliminating only 3 of 8 while leaving 5 others in all-in / fold situations. Now, as I sit back and change back over to tighter play - I’ll wait for the short stacks to knock out and move me into a money position very shortly. I’ll grab a few blinds with my newly formed tight image and take down some big pots with premium hands when the times are right.
Next stop final table… with a whole new scenario and more characters to meet.
Who do you think was a better poker player - Jekyll or Hyde?
Dirty Little Secret About Tells
Date: Sun, Oct 7, 2007 Professional
New players are often wooed by the promise of riches when following the ill-contrived notion that 'tells' are the key to successful poker. Sounds kinda cool right? Just look over at your opponent and... Oh! He scratched his ear! All-In!!!
Sorry to break it to you; it just doesn't work like that.
If you do however, find yourself in the magnificent position of honestly being able to say to yourself, that you have a solid tell on a particular person - a real tell - it would be hours or perhaps sessions and sessions you will dedicate to studying, memorizing and comparing the slightest tick of each opponent until you feel you can rely on it... then-Enjoy every short and ever-fleeting second of that rare enjoyment. After all, despite all your work, an opponent could always be of the strategy for false-tells, waiting for the big hands to use your information against you... what then?
So why spend all your vital juices and brain energy watching every move, every player makes?
Easy answer: Don't.
The mere act of sitting at a table with anyone for an extended period of time will cause you to pick up on clues, mannerisms, and a general feel for the strength or more importantly - the weakness of their hand.
Let these subtle clues sink into your subconscious, where you may draw on them if and when you can. In the mean time, pay closer attention Betting Patterns or the Math and less attention to who's ear is the itchiest.
Wishing you Big Flops and Bigger Pots.
Delik James
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