Bummer. Donkaments are clearly dumb. Unless you're DeathDonkey and you've solved them. Then, play and print.

Yeah, it's certainly frustration-maximizing. Theoretically I believe that if you're not bubbling more often than the scared money, you're doing it wrong. ICM just doesn't change that much in massively multitable tournaments until you're really down to your case chips. Even then a mincash is like 1.5x buyin. If you're folding a lot of spots to avoid gambling on "thin" edges that really aren't that thin, you're just the sucker.

Phil Ivey sacheted into the room around midnight at 10 minutes before the end registration after level 8 and bought in for a 7.5 big bet (or 30 big blind for PLO/NHLE) stack. For some reason I thought late registrants got at least a partially blinded off stack or faced some other sort of disadvantage. I'll strongly consider buying in late next time for both theoretical and practical reasons. Less fun for the money but maybe a better use of time.

Counterpoint: There was one really really really loose passive player at my tables and he was long gone by level 8, no shocker.

Starting to. Orleans 15 Omaha looked decent.

BTW when I say people are clueless about two pair in LHE, I'm not talking being cautious with KJ of spades on a K4QTJ board.

Folds to the SB who completes, I raise ATo, SB calls. Flop 942, check, I bet, call. Turn Q, check, I bet, call. River K, check, I check back, he turns over Q4 and sighs in relief that his two pair held up. I made up a few details that I couldn't remember but that's the gist of it.

Just the draw ones apparently. Sad to see him bust before the money too.

Here's the Matusow LO8 hand: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/4.../#post53923386

Probably sighing he missed a c/r.

I thought of that and people do make weird slowplays but check/call turn check/raise river made no sense on that board either really. (Actually I think he had top and bottom on the flop, not top two.) I'm not sure how thin I should be value betting on that river but he shouldn't really expect an unknown to bet AJ high.

This wasn't the only hand. Another where I was plowing ahead with my ace-high on KJx-J-K and checked the river to lose to a jack who showed no aggression and just seemed happy he won the chips in the middle.

It's like the $3/$6 LHE motto, "The pot's plenty big enough as it is," makes it into this game.

Here’s a fun poker hand I played, lots of things had to go right. BigO killmpot gets capped 3 ways pre. Flop is T82dd. I bet with A36dd and get raised. The guy who raises says yes that’s me and tables TT. 3rd player calls and says don’t raise same low. We cap flop.
Turn K and TT bets we both calls.
River 6 gives me nut low and a pair. TT bets out of turn and 3rd player says nut low and snap calls. Now he tables his hand for some reason and it’s A4 and 3 paint cards. I say well I guess I have to raise now. TT snap folds to river raise A4 calls and I scoop with 6s

lol, what a player.

I would call pre.

Is this real life?

I probably did a bad thing. Played a 90k NL pot 10 off the money that I didn’t have to. 200/400/800 label me 1800 button 75dd sb plays solid 5k me call. 964 two diamonds him 6k me all in 40 he held with JJ.

1.) ID probably fold to the 3 bet Pre

2.) once you don’t flop getting it in here is fine. I’ve found that I get more fold equity by raising rather than by going all in

3 paint? Must've been something else, otherwise he has at least a pair of something bigger then 6's.

I misplayed the hand but folding pre is awful

If you don't think you should have folded pre, how do you think you misplayed it? You were a favorite on the flop, you didn't get it in bad.

Call and do a bunch of things on turn is just better in retrospect (and after asking some NL wizards). I can call and call brick turn and fold river and cash the tournament 75% of the time which is significant.

So it's just misplayed because you were very close to the bubble? In a cash game I'd be happy to get it in on the flop here, and you will not be a favorite after a blank turn, might not even have odds to call if he bets big, and he may not pay off if you hit the turn.

Also met DeathDonkey and he said he reads my blog and I thought that was pretty damn awesome.

Starting stack is 45k (~55 bb). Calling 3200 to win 8800 immediate odds. SPR will be 40k:12k ~= 3.3

Clearly calling 1/15 stack to play "make a big hand" poker is pretty bad so I assume we call planning to playing some floaty lines here. SPR seems at the low end of the range to play floaty lines on their own. Probably have to play some "make a medium hand" poker too, like flop middle pair and be happy stacking off on certain boards.

12k pot, we expect cbet to be around 6k, so calling certain flops (with equity) on a naked float leaves us with 34k, SPR < 1.5. Then I guess the line would be to shove certain turns if checked to.

Also worth thinking about ranges for preflop bluffing lines here. In order of preference (correct me if my theory is wrong):

• Ace-wheel suited are first to go in that range I think
• then probably any ace-suited,
• then baby pairs
• maybe any ace? blockers!
• then suited connectors, etc.

These stack sizes are a little awkward for 4! -- I think sometimes a smallish 4! bluff like 12k (so you can reasonably fold to a 5!) and sometimes a 9x shove are both considered OK.



I make no claim to NLHE expertise. Just posting to check my logic.

For example, K 7 4 (middle pair + BDFD) is an above-median flop for this hand. How do we play assuming a likely cbet of half pot (6k)? Call down unless we improve or are checked to twice?


BTW none of this is to dispute that folding pre is awful. Just trying to get the theory clear. It's important to understand what's generalizable to different stack sizes, etc.

Could I get a drawmaha 2-7 primer? Stat, please, or I'm gonna get my head handed to me in this 1/2 game.

Say hi if you see me at the B, table 3 by the cage in a black tshirt (March for Science)

Okay, just saw someone draw 3 in drawmaha 2-7, I'm already not the worst player in this game

I once was sweating my buddy at 40/80 mix and saw a guy cold 5-bet cap and proceed to draw 5 in 2-7. He didn't win the hand.

I feel I owe this board some trip reports for all the credit talk in the other threads.

Nine months ago, on a Thursday night, I decide I want to play some poker. Me and another 2p2er decide to start a 30/60 LHE game heads up. There was a third name on the board but he never came. No one came. And he obliterates me for ~$5,000. That night sucked. You are the best shorted handed and single ace player I know. Thank you, you know who.

Proceed to play 80/160 and I run pure. Week after week I'm booking wins and hit a $20-30k upswing. I started taking shots two years ago but could never get anything going. You know the story. Small win, small win, small win, huge loss. Can I beat this game? Bro this is the biggest LHE that consistently runs the US.

Take that money and start playing blackjack and table games. Why not? Get wrecked at an Indian Casino with my wife and friend. Did you really just lose most of your roll betting $500-$3000/hand. I just left you for 15 minutes. Yeah you're gonna watch me play slots and I'm going to make the payouts pay in full before spinning again. Life is hell.

Bink some more money and go to another Indian Casino. Why does a 10/25/50 NL game run in the middle of nowhere. Yeah I'm going to try to bluff a guy with Aces on a three flush board with a 4 card straight on the board when he has the Ace flush blocker. Villain: Why is this guy's thumb shaking? I lost too much yesterday. I call. That sucks. Win it back playing blackjack. Man these mattresses are comfortable. Call maintenance to ask what brand it is.

Walk into a cardroom and bink $20k playing tiles in 30 minutes. Is this real?

*** Vegas ***

Start going to Vegas and realize only 40/80 LHE runs outside of the WSOP. Start playing blackjack and get wrecked for $15,000. Can I get a host and my rooms comped? Sharp looking guy who we'll call Nolte introduces himself.

Nolte: We'll review your play at the end of the trip and see what we can do.

Win my money back and tip the dealer $500.

Dealer: Nolte is a good guy. He'll take care of you.

Nolte: You're taken care of. I've removed all the charges from your folio.

Two Days Later: What is this AMEX charge?

Nolte: You booked through AMEX instead of the Bellagio. We can't comp over that. WTF

*** Vegas ***

Now I'm back in Vegas with a comped Fountain Suite. This is sick. I don't have to pay the daily resort fee. How come I hear gun shots every now and then. Oh it's the fountains.

This 20/40 NL game looks fun. Not really. You know you're getting exploited hard when people are 3-betting you big and wide. I run AQ into AQss on a AXXXss board. Run it twice? Sure. I chop the pot. Could be worse. Did I just get value towned by someone who turned quads?

20/40 mix games is running. How do you play super razz deceucey? This is fun but slow as ****. 40/80 and 80/160 mix are running in the top section. Everyone is explaing how to play this game and that game. I still don't know who opens first in *insert twisted 7 card stud game*. How do these dealers know how to deal this many games. We're playing omaha hi-lo and I have KQxx vs ATxx on a 666Tx board. I'm trying to figure out how I lose.

Lu: Trust me you lose.

Me five minutes later: Oh I can't play Kings and Sixes against Tens and Sixes...

Me: Why are these players so damn friendly. Oh they're just really friendly people.

I'm winning for the trip and the same guys are now in Bobby's Room playing 300/600 mix. Why not? They're playing LHE too. Whoa. I've never seen someone play triple draw and badugi so aggro. I make a 7 playing 2-7 triple draw on the flop. I'm counting what number this is. One, two, three, four, five, I can't count. Villain: I thought I had it once you counted past five. We're playing LHE. Did I just get suck-resucked with A5ss against AJ on a A5xJ board. Eff this. I just played in Bobby's Room and I still have money.

*** Vegas ***

Me: So how do I get to Noir status?

Nolte: I never want to see you there. You get all the same perks already. Most guys who are in Noir lose a quarter million minimum.

This trip is bad. Try to fly on Thursday. Flight is cancelled. Bad weather and low ceiling. Try to fly on Friday. Flight is delayed 4 hours. Bad weather and low ceiling. It's EDC in Vegas. Cluster****. Arrive Saturday in the wee hours. Take a nap. Play blackjack. Life is good. I'm winning $10k. Dealer change. Now I'm stuck $25k. FML. Go back and take a nap.

Wake up. Two 200/400 mix games are running. Why not? Now I'm losing $20k in mix and am down to my last $10k on hand. My wife comes down and asks how I'm doing. I give her the stink eye. Cue upswing. I CAN NOT LOSE. Swong up $40k and I'm even for the trip.

Back to blackjack.

Nolte: Hey wsup man. How's it going.
Me: Terrible. Stuck $25k in blackjack but I won it back playing poker
Nolte: WTF. Is this guy forreal?

Wife order chickens from room service and they botch the order. This isn't going to end well. How many times can I order the Sea Bass from the Bellagio Cafe. How come cocktail comes every 5 minutes when I'm sitting at blackjack. No I don't want to go into Club Privve

I realize there's only $100k in flags in the blackjack tray. Goals baby. I'm gonna break the table one day.

*** Vegas ***

Now's it's WSOP and things are crazy. 200/400 mix, 400/800 mix, 1k2k mix, 3k6k mix. Johnny Chan just sat down. Johnny EFFING Chan. He pulls out a flag and we're playing PLO in mix. He gets stacked with a flush draw against a wrap. I text my friend Johnny Chan just got stacked. Next hand. I stack Johnny Chan when I river a gutshot against his top set. I text my friend I just stacked Johnny Chan. Unreal.

Now I'm seeing heavy hitters and people I've seen on TV. Jennifer Harman, Eli Elezra, Jeff Lissandro, CrazyMarco, Kenny Tran, and others. Didn't that guy win a million dollars in a tournament a long time ago? Only in Vegas. I just runner runner Johnny Chan in omaha hi-lo. Now he's talking to himself and throwing cards at the dealer. Life is funny.

There's a 50/100 PLO game running. Me: Hey XYZ, how's the game? XYZ: Game is great there's a lot of action. Game breaks once 2 pros sit down. Ok maybe next time. Can't lose if you're gambling with house money and freerolling for the rest of your life. What is this Acqua Toscana?

Nolte: You're killing it.
Me: I'm gonna hit a million this year.
Nolte: I hope you do.

Shout out to the 2p2er who kicked my ass one night last year. Without that nothing is possible.

Cash Porn on a good trip:



Tier Credits:

Sexy story.

That trip report was epic. The swings!