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I got back to the tables this weekend with our monthly Cleveland Poker League game.  With it being Memorial Day weekend we had a smaller game (11 players) but the action was no less intense.  We always have a final table of 8 so we started the afternoon with a table of 6 and a table of 5.  The plan was to lose 3 players and then combine for the final table… unfortunately for me, I didn’t make it to the final 8.

When playing short handed (as I was my entire tournament) you HAVE to loosen up your starting hand requirements.  If you don’t you’ll simply be blinded out.  The fact that it’s early in the tournament should have no bearing on when to play and when no to… the number of players at your table should be the deciding factor.  As I sat there throwing away hand after hand I KNEW I should be playing more hands but I just couldn’t do it.  In the end this was my demise.  That said, I do have a couple of hands worth reporting on:

Hand #1
Playing small pairs can be really difficult.  Sure they look nice but unless you flop yourself a set or a great draw you can get into big trouble.  And even with a small set you can always get in trouble with an bigger set, flush or full house.  With all of this in mind, I looked down to see:

I called with my small pair hoping to hit my set.  I was very happy to see that I’d done just that.

So I’m pretty sure that I’m in good shape as I’m guessing someone with pocket Kings would have raised and I didn’t get an “I’ve got middle set” read from anyone.”  I made a sizable bet and got two callers.  Hmm… not good.  Perhaps that middle set is out there after all.  At this point I’m guessing there’s a couple of Kings out there or at least a couple of flush draws.  The turn comes another club and everyone checks around.  That’s trouble.  The river comes a beautiful 6 giving me a boat.  really the only thing I’m worried about at this point is quad 6′s (and really only cause it bit me in the ass in a previous game) but in reality I’m not really concerned with that possibility.  Actually I’m hoping that someone’s got a big flush and will raise me after I make a bet.  Unfortunately no one called my bet and I took down a sizable pot.

Looking back I’m not sure what hands I was up against.  If my post-flop read was correct there had to be at least a King out there and possibly a flush.  I suppose I can see someone laying down a King with a flush on board but I just cannot see someone laying down a flush.  Perhaps I was up against two Kings and they both got scared off by the board (and my bet).

Hand #2
Once again I look down to see a small pair (44) this time on the button.  I just call (which in retrospect was a mistake… should have been raising here in a short handed game).  Flop comes 87Q and I’m forced to fold to a bet.  Really need to get into more of a habit of raising and then putting out a continuation bet.

Hand #3
There are hands that are good and we all know we should play them (AA, KK, QQ).  There are hands that are bad that we play anyways cause they are our “favorite” hands (for me, 74).  Then there are hands that look really nice but aren’t all that great (AK, QT, KJ).  Sure enough, I’ve got one of those in first position:

It looks SO pretty to see two painted cards but when it comes right down to it it’s a drawing hand that needs help on the flop.  This time, I got it… big time.

Just about a perfect flop for my hand (of course KKK, JJJ, KKJ, or KJJ would be better but beggars can’t be choosers).  At this point I’m pretty sure I’m ahead with the possible exceptions of 88, or AK.  I bet and get two callers building a nice pot.  A 6 comes off on the turn and I’m firing again and get one caller.  Perhaps I’m up against another King?  The river comes a 3 and I fire out again and take down a nice pot.  Not sure what they may have had… perhaps something like A8?

Hand #4
I’m sure we’ve all had hands like this.  Hands that have so much potential but just fall short.

Just like KJ above this is a drawing hand that needs some help but I play it for a raise this time and get 3 callers.  Remember… we’re on a short handed table and my opponents are doing a much better job of playing their cards.  Either they’ve loosened up their starting requirements, they’re getting better cards than me or both.

There are two bets in front of me and I call with middle pair and knowing where the nut flush is.  The turn comes another club and the flushes got there.  There’s another bet with two callers.  The river comes another card showing a four card straight on the board.  I’m forced to fold knowing that my flush didn’t get there.  Dammit.  Might have been a good idea to make a big raise on the turn representing the flush.

Hand #5
Perhaps I’m learning… I pick up Ace/Ten on the button and make a raise and get one caller (the big blind).  The flop comes JJ8 which my opponent checks and make a continuation bet taking down the pot.  Feels good to “earn” that pot.

My Last Hand
From there on out I was on a downward spiral of poor play.  I just couldn’t get myself to pull the trigger and make a bet or a raise.  Not sure what was going on.  Actually I’ll tell you… I was hoping for the other table to bust a player so we’d be down to 8, combine and be able to play at a full table.  As it turns out that was foolish.

I looked down to see 66 on the button and decide to make my stand and put all my chips in the middle.  I’m called by the small blind (who was the eventual winner) with… you guessed it… Ace/Ten.  She turned an Ace and my day was over early.

It amazes me how a couple of motif’s kept coming up for me: Ace/Ten and small to mid pairs.  I definitely need to get better at playing those small pairs.  I’m either not playing them for value or I’m loosing way too much when I’ve got the worst of it.  Obviously a leak that I need to plug.  In addition this game really reminded me that when you’re playing short handed you HAVE to loosen up your starting requriements… otherwise you’ll be on the rail watching.

See you after the flop!

Doyle Brunson is the “Godfather of Poker”.  Even if you’re not a poker player the odds are pretty good that you’ve heard his name.  In the literary world, Doyle is probably best known for his poker-Bible Super System (and subsequent Super System 2).  Those are poker books through and through.  They include hand strategies, how to play against certain opponents, etc.  Poker Wisdom of a Champion while certainly about poker is devoid of those things… but don’t let that stop you from picking it up.

Originally titled According To Doyle this is actually not one story but rather 47 separate stories that started out as magazine articles.  They’re little anecdotes, stories and recollections that when read together tell the story that is Doyle Brunson.  It’s difficult not to get an image of Doyle in your mind sitting around the table telling these stories.  I’ve not ever had the pleasure of a gaming session with Doyle but I can only imagine that these are the kinds of stories he’d tell at the table – while taking all your money.

Brunson tells stories of his early days where poker wasn’t what it is now.  He talks of back-room games that were incredibly dangerous.  He talks about getting held up at gun and knife point.  He talks about big wins and he talks about big losses.  He talks about friends that he’s lost along the way and how they all have made him into the man he is today.

If you’re looking for a nice light read this is definitely a winner.  There’s plenty of poker in here to satisfy your urge but you won’t be blown away by tables upon tables of statistics on how to play this hand or that.  We as poker players and poker fans are blessed to have Doyle still among the poker community… Poker Wisdom of a Champion will give you some insight at to who this man is and why we’re so lucky.

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Tournament poker is a game of patience.  There’s quite a bit of skill involved as you need to play your cards well and take advantage of opportunities presented to you, but there’s also a ton of luck involved.  You could play your cards nearly perfectly and still get drawn out on.  You can get your money in good and still come up on the losing end of the hand.  I was recently the recipient of some good luck along the way (though I do think I played pretty decently).

Hand #1
Quite literally the first hand of the night which I normally do not like playing.  I’m in the big blind and look down to see Ten/Three off suit.  Definitely not the kind of hand I’m looking to get cute with, especially in the first hand of the night.  I manage to flop a three and take the pot down after checking the hand to the river.  For the second tourney in a row, I’m off to a good start.

Hand #2
Big Slick is not one of my favorite hands.  Its looks so pretty when you first see it and then you realize (or maybe you don’t) that it’s nothing more than a drawing hand.  Unless you flop a pair you’re in pretty bad shape.  That said I always play it either really strong from the get go or really tentatively.  Probably not the best way to play this hand to get the most value out of it, but it’s all that I’m comfortable with.  Obviously with all of this talk, you know that I looked down at AK (this time on the button).  I called a small raise and we’re off to the flop 3 handed:

Just about a perfect flop for my hand.  The initial raiser leads out with a $20 bet (minimum), I call and the big blind folds.  The turn comes a 9 and I call a $50 bet.  At this point I’m guessing he’s either on a straight draw, has a pair of 6′s or (hopefully) a weaker ace.  The 9 at this point really doesn’t scare me (unless he’s got A9 but I think he’d be betting quite a bit bigger if he’s holding two pair here).  The river comes another 6 for a final board of:

If he was holding a 6 then he just outdrew me and hit his set on the river.  If he’s holding an ace then I’m golden and if he was drawing he missed.  He checks and I jump at the chance to make a bet.  I fire $100 into the pot and he promptly folds.

Hand #3
I picked up 77 three off the button.  I decided to raise and try and take it down rather than getting fancy and trying to flop as set.  I was called and we were off the river which contained two over cards.  I bet and was called and we both checked the turn.  The river came and left us with four straight cards on board.  My opponent bet and between the four card straight and two over cards I was forced to fold.  It turned out she had nothing but 55 in the hole and caught trips on the river.  I was irritated that I got outplayed in this hand but you’ve got to give your opponent credit for a hand sometimes and if they’re willing to make a play like that into a board like that you’ve just got to tip your cap.

Hand #4
The very next hand I pick up 88 and once again raise only to get a caller.  The flop comes down AK7 and I’m once again forced to fold my middle pair after a nasty flop.  I’m really not a big fan of these middle pairs because of just this reason.  Sure you can win a big pot if you flop a set but more often than not you’re going to see a couple of overcards on the flop and you’re going to have to either put on the brakes or go bet right into it.

The Final Table
The final table was pretty uneventful for me right up until the very end.  We had started the tournament with two tables of 8 and when we combined there were two VERY large stacks that had come over from the other table – they’d essentially knocked everyone out up till that point.  They were both sitting to my left so in most positions I was able to see what they were going to do before I had to act.  I went into “stay out of the way” mode for the most part and allowed them to knock out the other players at the table.

We got to the final four player: the two large stacks and two smaller stacks (myself included).  I sat back and watched as the large stack called the other short stack’s all in move.  Short stack had QQ, big stack had 52.  As I saw the last spade peel off the deck to give the 52 a flush I smiled to myself realizing that I’d just made the money.  When the big stack player knows how to play the game AND catches cards it’s a pretty unbeatable combination.

So we’re down to two… the two HUGE stacks and little ol me.  I figure it’s a foregone conclusion that I’m going to take third but I refuse to give up and keep playing my game.  I get REALLY short a couple of times and get a gift double up with I move in with A7 off suit and get called with 34 suited.  My hand holds up and I’m able to make it another couple of rounds.  The next time I’m on the button I fold, small blind raises and big blind calls.  The flop comes out and small blind bets and big blind calls.  At this point I’m starting to wonder what kind of hands we’re going to see.  The turn comes out and we get another round of betting.  Now I’m starting to think that I might have a chance to back into 2nd.  The river comes and we get a bet followed by an all in!!!  I’m literally PRAYING for a call here cause either way I’m in great shape.

1. I could have just gone from 3rd to 2nd without even playing a hand.
2. At the very least one of the large stacks is going to be crippled giving me a chance to move up.

Luckily (for me) the smaller of the large stacks called and was knocked out!

The Final Hand
We started heads up play and I had about a 25:1 chip disadvantage.  That said I didn’t just move all in the first hand I saw.  I managed to play a dozen hands or so before this hand came up.  I looked down and had 97 on the button and called.  He checked and we were off the flop:

I figure with a pair and an inside straight draw this is about as good as I’m going to see without getting blinded out so I put the rest of my money in the middle and I’m immediately called by K9 of spades.  I was actually a little surprised that I was ahead here but figured if I was going to get called it would either be by a made pair or a big draw.  I improved on the turn hitting another 7 but saw my dream of double through get crushed when a third spade fell on the river giving my opponent a winning flush.

All in all I can’t complain about the way I played.  I got outplayed in a couple of hands but based on the cards that I was getting I’m pretty happy.  One thing that I would change would not allow myself to get quite so love (if possible).  I simply don’t like being in that “all in or fold” mode when I don’t have enough in my stack to make a dent in a big stack.  That’s when you get called by a garbage hand and get drawn out on (see QQ vs. 52 above).  Luckily the next Cleveland Poker Leage Game is coming up shortly!

See you after the flop!