Mind Games

Originally posted by Harrier88
So you're talking about this one, right?

Apparently, the idea of this strike is that players will withdraw their funds and send letters to Pokerstars to explain the reasons behind it.

Sure

NLHE
I finally played some NL 10 tonight.

Two hands of note -- one I took down a 3-way all in with runner-runner nut flush after a two-street semi-bluff.

On a low board like that, a strong CBet will often take the pot, and if not, then firing the turn will also get it.
By the turn I have a gutshot and the nut flush draw, so I felt the turn bet was in line with my equity.
Maximum rake on that hand. Nice when you win the hand and you're clearing a bonus.

In this next hand, I got the best I could hope for -- a villain who bluffs trying to represent what I already hold: A full house.

On the flop on this hand, I thought it best to raise, since there are flush draws and straight draws (maybe) that I wanted to come along for the ride. In retrospect, villain could have totally taken this pot with a decent bet when the flush makes.

I kept hearing Thazar saying, "think of what he would have to have to bet like that".
So as it turns out, I lost a very few hands at showdown -- though too a short session to draw any conclusion.

When the 2 hits OTR my first thought was, "how much should I bet to get this guy to call".
Then he ups and shoves.

Sweet,
VS

Originally posted by thazar
nice red line it seems to be at the expense of your blue line.

A while back thazar made this comment in regards this graph.

A couple of thousand hands later, and things haven't changed much -- except that the blue line has crept up.

I think more than anything, the red line is being driven upward by hands like this:
partypoker - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP: $4.49 (23.81/0.00/0.00/21 (V/P/3/H)
CO: $13.28 (100.00/0.00/0.00/1 (V/P/3/H)
BTN: $20.85 (0.00/0.00/0.00/1 (V/P/3/H)
Hero (SB): $9.90
BB: $8.41 (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)
UTG: $8.12 (VPIP: 100.00, PFR: 100.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)

Hero posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.15) Hero has Q♣:A♥:

fold, fold, CO calls $0.10, BTN raises to $0.60, Hero calls $0.55, fold, fold

Flop: ($1.40, 2 players) 6♣:4♠:8♥:
Hero checks, BTN bets $0.99, Hero calls $0.99

Turn: ($3.38, 2 players) 6♥:
Hero bets $2.41, fold

At the same time, it's easy to see how the blue line takes a hit when villain has the nuts -- unless I get an opportunity to fold first.

I still feel that I must take these stabs, though, since it will give opponents the opportunity to fold their pocket 7s, pocket 9s and so on -- hands which I do have *some* equity against, but which beat me at the moment.

I've played these last 2500 hands or so with thazar sitting on my shoulder telling me to pick my spots carefully.

Perhaps I should give him credit for the upswing!

Cheers,
VS

NLHE
Keeping on the theme of red line/blue line, what do you do with this one?

partypoker - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (SB): $13.29
BB: $10.15 (33.33/33.33/0.00/3 (V/P/3/H)
UTG: $19.55 (21.21/12.12/23.08/33 (V/P/3/H)
MP: $15.71 (22.58/16.67/8.06/191 (V/P/3/H)
CO: $8.82 (33.33/11.11/0.00/18 (V/P/3/H)
BTN: $11.94 (53.57/41.07/11.11/58 (V/P/3/H)

Hero posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.15) Hero has J♠:K♥:

fold, fold, CO raises to $0.30, fold, Hero calls $0.25, fold

Flop: ($0.70, 2 players) 8♣:J♥:6♠:
Hero checks, CO bets $0.40, Hero calls $0.40

Turn: ($1.50, 2 players) K♣:
Hero bets $1.00, CO calls $1.00

River: ($3.50, 2 players) Q♣:
Hero checks, CO bets $3.33, Hero ???

CO's stats don't really tell the whole story.
His post-flop AF is 4, and AFq is 71. Yeah, yeah, yeah, small sample size and all that.
His post-flop bets and raises have all been large.
His stack size is odd as well. He bought in with only $5.00, but got lucky on his first hand.

So now you know as much about him as I do.

I posted this on the No Limit hand discussion board

VS

Today was different.
I went with my wife and grandson to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
There we attended a memorial lunch for a friend's Dad.

For dessert -- among other pastries -- they served Nanaimo Bars a confection of local origin that is only slightly older than Yours Truly.

I was surprised to see them served in Vegas when I was there -- complete with the name. No one in Vegas I asked could tell why they had such a weird name.

My friend's Dad was an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer all his working life. For the last 20 or so years he was working he was the flight engineeer on the Martin Mars water bomber stationed near Port Alberni -- also on Vancouver Island.

When I was a kid, my family and I sat on the hillside in New Westminster, and watched a tremendous fire in a lumber mill. While we were watching a Mars bomber flew low over the fire and dropped a tremendous load of water on the fire. It was most impressive for an 11-yr old. I can still "watch" the memory.

Two more drops and the fire was out.

According to the website, I was 14, but who's arguing...

Peace and contentment be upon thee,
VS

hey vorpal if you could send me a message I'd like to talk to you for a minute. Unfortunately I cant send you a message or add you as a friend yet.

Originally posted by Kounterfeit
hey vorpal if you could send me a message I'd like to talk to you for a minute. Unfortunately I cant send you a message or add you as a friend yet.

Well hopefully you can accept friend requests.
I've sent you a friend request.

Cheers,
VS

Here's a neat hand.
It illustrates why knowledge of ICM is so important.
I'm know expert, but I did recognize that in this situation, I should shove A2C, and the Blinds must fold all but AA

The reason for this is that CO is short stacked, and unless something major changes, CO will blind out first. This is a Double or Nothing tournament, so there is no advantage to being first over being 4th -- they all pay the same.

888 Poker - $0.36+$0.04|75/150 Ante 15 NL (8 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG: 695 (14.81/12.50/0.00/27 (V/P/3/H)
CO: 315 (11.84/6.06/8.33/78 (V/P/3/H)
Hero (BTN): 1,595
SB: 905 (20.00/13.04/0.00/27 (V/P/3/H)
BB: 490 (20.55/1.56/0.00/75 (V/P/3/H)

5 players post ante of 15, SB posts SB 75, BB posts BB 150

Pre Flop: (pot: 300) Hero has 4♠:K♠:

fold, fold, Hero raises to 1,580 and is all-in, fold, BB calls 325 and is all-in

Flop: (1,100, 2 players) A♠:4♦:3♥:

Turn: (1,100, 2 players) 4♥:

River: (1,100, 2 players) A♦:

For those interested, here is a link to the Holdem Resources Nash Calculator.

Peace,
VS

I got a $1 tournament ticket as part of a deposit reward package, and I saw that there was a $300 guarantee with a $1 buy in happening in a few minutes.

So I registered.

The result:

The funny part is that I forgot to use the ticket so I still have it.

Along the way, there was this hand:

888 Poker - $0.91+$0.09|500/1000 Ante 125 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP+2: 19,072 (10.94/4.76/0.00/64 (V/P/3/H)
CO: 6,710 (0.00/0.00/0.00/3 (V/P/3/H)
BTN: 4,745 (10.00/5.26/8.33/20 (V/P/3/H)
Hero (SB): 41,418
BB: 11,705 (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)
UTG: 11,057 (7.69/8.33/0.00/13 (V/P/3/H)
UTG+1: 69,401 (52.63/15.79/0.00/20 (V/P/3/H)
MP: 32,114 (27.27/27.27/20.00/11 (V/P/3/H)
MP+1: 18,934 (20.00/20.00/25.00/10 (V/P/3/H)

9 players post ante of 125, Hero posts SB 500, BB posts BB 1,000

Pre Flop: (pot: 2,625) Hero has K♣:K♦:

fold, UTG+1 raises to 2,000, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 6,000, fold, UTG+1 calls 4,000

Flop: (14,125, 2 players) J♥:A♣:6♣:
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets 14,125, Hero ???

I'm going to post that hand in the Discussion forum.
In all honesty, I folded because I had no idea what else to do. The bet size looked bluffy

WOOHOO
Nicely done my friend.

Gratz!

Bet that flop!

It has to be bet/fold, though, right?
How much to bet?

What worse will call?
What better would fold?

Yes, perhaps QQ will call, but if he shoves, I have to let this go anyway, and why put chips in if I'm going to have to let them go?

As you can see, I'm no MTT player...
VS

1/2 pot bet or a little less

Once he raises though it's probably a fold but I'd def lead out on the flop.

Don't know this limit on 888 especially, but IMO standard in 3bet pot is bet/fold about 35% every time with or without A in our hand.

Originally posted by Anykey444
Don't know this limit on 888 especially, but IMO standard in 3bet pot is bet/fold about 35% every time with or without A in our hand.

Yeah, I'll file that away. I have enough of a stack to afford the bet.
By not betting, I allow him to take the initiative, because it looks like I am afraid of the A, so his QQ, JJ etc look good to him.

Had he bet smaller, I would have come along, and he could have got value from the AX part of his range.
But thankfully, he potted it.

Peace,
VS

Hi, Happy New Year! How things are going? You didn't post for a long time

Could you help me please? I don't know English good enough to prove my version.
Sting – Shape of my Heart:
He may play the jack of diamonds
He may lay the queen of spades

What is the meaning of "lay" here? Is it close to "discard"? So these two lines are contrasting...

Originally posted by Anykey444
Hi, Happy New Year! How things are going?

Hi,
Any may you have a prosperous 2016

I've been super busy.
In October I decided that I would not retire after all, so started looking for a job.
That took most of November and I found one in December.
January is now here, and I'm actually working in my new job since the 4th.

A condition of the job is that I have certain certificates, and I had to study for the first test through most of the last week of December.

to your question...
"lay" does mean to put on the table, as a synonym for "play".
But "lay" can also imply "have sex with", as in "He's laid so many women he can't remember half of them"

In the previous line "He may play the jack of diamonds", "play" can mean put a card on the table, but to "play the jack of diamonds" might also mean "play the role of" a man who uses money to attract women.

I'm no English professor, so I probably have missed even more levels of meaning there.

Back to poker news, I cashed out 90% of my PokerStars bankroll, so my 5-Card Draw days are pretty much done.
I've been playing on 888 and had a couple of reasonable MTT cashes, so I'm enjoying that.

All the best,
VS

Great news about your new job! Grats:f_thumbsup:
How interesting is it for you? How different it from your previous job?
Could you work remote and how far it from your house?

Thanks for your answer to my question.

The job is fairly routine -- supporting Windows users in a national organisation.
Much the same as my previous job, except that in the old job, I was the department head in an industrial facility, whereas now I'm just another tech in an office.

Working remotely might be possible, but it isn't the way this company does things. My office is only 7 minutes by car. So close in fact that it is cheaper to take the car than the bus.

Peace,
VS

Have I really not posted since November?
Wow!

Real Life
When we returned from our cruise (pictures tomorrow -- I promise) Mrs Vorpal and I decided that our retirement income wasn't sufficient.

That left two choices:
 Job
 Move somewhere cheaper (Vancouver is one of the top 3 most expensive cities on the planet I'm told)

So I went into job hunting mode -- bear in mind I've not looked for a job in over 25 years. Paper resumés are out, so are newspaper ads with all the good jobs.

I joined LinkedIn, and a local government-sponsored "job club". But what one simple trick really worked? A friend of a friend has this company...

So now I'm a "technology consultant" and busy as all stink.
But with an interesting job, in a sympatico workplace (I'm the oldest geek there by easily 10 years).

But I'm now a minion again. Feels weird not telling people what to do, and it feels even weirder not being the guy everyone comes to for answers,

5-Card Draw
Nothing at all. I cashed out all but 20 bucks from PokerStars 'cuz I needed the cash before my first paycheque came in.

Maybe later.

NLHE
Given that my life has had 40 hours chopped out of every week, not a lot of time.
I typically make my breakfast, and browse the forums, and have an NL 2 table going on the side, and every so often I'll glance over and play a hand.

So today, I opened the client, picked a table with 5/6 players, joined and clicked the button to buy in for the max.

When the beep sounded that it was my action, I glanced over and say I had 196.71 in front of me.

All together now, "WTF?!?

It appears I joined an NL 200 table. So my entire roll for that site is on the table.

Well I figured I'd just play tight poker for a couple of orbits. I mean, what can really go wrong here?

I lasted 4 orbits.
My session graph:

Neat NL 200 hand

Peace,
VS