In the Midst

Villain and I have a ton of history. Over the years, he has become the shining example of THE Nemesis, always getting the better of me by running like GOD (and yes, some solid play, I must unwillingly admit...). It doesn't help that we hold a hatred as big as the world for each other and that the chat box usually becomes trash-talk-central...

Villain opens from the button to 2bbs and I defend from the big blind with Q10. I am not overly concerned with his hand strength - raising from the button and all -, yet still feel somewhat antsy about having to play OOP vs my nemesis...

Effective stacks of 42.5bbs (villain has me covered)

Flop (5.5bbs)
986

My hud informs me that we have played north of 10k hands vs each other... Maybe it is for this accumulated/compounded sentiment that a part of me sinks when we play a hand... Perhaps it is all the repressed frustration that bubbles up to the surface, that angst, that urge to crush, to annihilate-destroy-defeat-demolish-terminate and ultimately send him into oblivion... For every David, a Goliath... For every victim, a bully that we want to come to terms with...

This villain - that I shall not name, or even better, let's call him The-Nameless-Villain -, so this infamous TNV once challenged me to a heads-up battle after I won a flip against him in a rebuy MTT... He proceeded to insult me in classless fashion (using words in the chat box that shall not be repeated here), only to coward away from the dual after 4 tables of 1-2 HU were agreed upon.

You guys remember the HU 4 rolz days? Back when printing money online was God sent and the regs would not shy away from an ego-filled-testicular-competition... Back when the word bumhunting was basically unheard of in the lexical-poker-world... When there was still a certain purpose in putting a huge chunk of your BR on the line just so 1 of the 2 surviving gladiators would walk away with bragging rights...

My most significant match-up came after a player witnessed me getting crushed in the neighborhood of 5500$ in 3h at 5-10 PLO on Party (I was taking a shot that misfired) ; we decided to load 4 tables of 2-4 PLO and fight it out. Little did he know that I had been crushing HU 1-2 PLO and that I was being refused action at those stakes (there was only 6 handed PLO tables at the time, so the players had little HU experience).

With some rungood on my side and the poker Gods whispering in my ears, I proceeded to take 2500$ from our friend before he called it quits. But that was then. Even though I would love to repeat this experience vs TNV, now I will have to cripple him in this tournament...

I tank for a while, thinking about my options on such a monster draw with 2 overs... I guess I could X/R the flop and most likely take it down right away... But with a HUGE amount of outs, I do not mind playing a big pot and delaying my steal to later streets... After all, even with 1 card to come on the turn, I would still have enough direct + fold equity to justify a X/R...

I check. TNV goes in the tank, seemingly taking pleasure in this matchup before putting in a cbet of 3bbs. I call.

Everything goes in slow motion when a warrior steps on the battleground... In a zen-like fashion, every moment becomes heavily charged with significance...

Turn (11.5bb)
986 4

Like TNV, I take pleasure in this matchup (probably because I know that this time, I will finally be victorious) and tank-check (also to disguise the nature of my drawing hand) ; after much deliberation, he throws in a smallish bet of 5.5bb... I elect to call.

The thing about the act of war, is it puts everything into a new perspective : there is us, and there is villain ; only one of us can be victorious, everything else becoming benign/non-existent...

River (22.5bb)
986 4 9

Interesting decision here, as I don't think an overpair or even an A high will fold to a donk-bet, but a X/R might do the trick... so the plan is to check/give up or X/R... TNV takes his time, puts in the tentative bet of 8.5bb ; I shove for 32bbs. TNV goes solidly in the tank, activating his time bank... 50 seconds... 40... 30...

Life is filled with anxiety, as we are oftentimes left in the unknown, with nothing to grasp upon but dashes of uncertainty...

25 seconds... 20... 15...

It is the fall into emptiness that terrifies us, more than the inexorable landing...

10... 9... 8... 7...

I guess the only solution that remains is to face our demons or, in this case, The Nameless Villain and through a desperate river check/shove bluff at him...

6... 5.... 4..., TNV makes the call and takes it down with quads, 99

Haha, oh well, not only did Goliath win, but he slowrolled me big time What a guy Haha, what a game

Run good all

Funny story Dub, getting owned like that by ones Nemesis is one thing but add in the slowroll and that's be enough to send my ass to the blackjack table. Please tell us your reaction regardless of how unflattering it may be.

LOL

Surprisingly, I did not tilt this time around... I can think of 10 other times where TNV instilled me with a huge amount of rage, but this time around, all the effort that he put into this slowroll, simply put a sarcastic smile on my face (imagine if something unexpected had happened in the last few seconds, and his tank-slowroll ended up in a fold... Haha, that would of been amazing ).

As far as the pit games go, I have quit them just over a year ago, when I found myself playing 1k in the span of 20-30 minutes and simply tilting it away... So no more pit games for this guy!!!

Hahhahaha lol

If these Walls could Talk

If these walls had eyes, they would show us, frame by frame, the Gazillion of hopeful souls that crossed these casino doors, chasing the American Dream in these far northern Canadian lands... They would focus on the photogenic grand smiles of the gamblers being blessed by lady luck, only to subsequently zoom in to the anemic facial expressions when variance finally sinks in... They would parade the thousands of poker players on a mission that, over the years, sat down at the table to test the felt.


Sunday 2pm, 475$ Bounty


Unfortunately, only 21 players show up, which is miles away from the 40 anticipated. Considering I got admitted in the hospital Friday morning at 8am, was released Saturday at noon and have since had to go mornings and evenings for 2h of intravenous therapy, it is pretty safe to say that I don't have my usually stamina.

I see the same familiar faces around the table, yet a heavy silence reigns over, one that can similarly be experienced in the bigger WSOP 4 digit buy-in events where a good percentage of the players feel intimidated by the price tag of the entry... This clearly gives me an edge, as this buy-in is significantly lower than my daily grind.

We start off with 200bbs, which is pretty standard, but considering that the blinds inexplicably double up most levels (from 25-50, 50-100, 100-200 etc.), I take advantage of my peers discomfort by playing lots of hands early on and steadily chip up from 10k to 18k in 2 blind levels.


If the walls could speak, they would tell us about Shirley (who's picture is nailed on these same walls) and how she managed to win one of the major tournaments after being down to a single chip... They would speak of the Brad Booth days, when the guy had legendary live reads and a knack for building up mountain of chips... Or about Vanessa Rousso, that paid us an unexpected visit last summer, sat down in the 1-2 game with the old timers who didn't have a clue who she was, while the young guys were practicing the art of salivating...


Blinds are 100-200. I am the chip leader (sitting on 16k) at the table when I pick up AK in MP and raise to 2.1bbs ; CO and Button both make the call, 2 villains that I am happy to go to war against, even OOP.

Flop (7.8bbs)
1097

Not a flop that I am willing to attack, especially that these guys will most likely reveal more about their hand if I delegate the initiative to them ; but really, I am going for a check-fold here almost always... They both check.

Turn (7.8bbs)
1097 3

Sweet! the blank card that I was looking for to get me reinvested in this hand. I still don't feel absolute confident I hold the best hand (about 30-70 at this point), but it would suckk balls to have to check-fold what is possibly the winner... I lead out for 2.3bbs, keeping a low variance approach and not seeing the purpose in betting bigger (I will never fold out a pair here). CO folds while button makes the call, which is great, as I was giving up in the reverse case scenario, while this caller has a few combos of 8X and 9X and even 6X here on top of his flush draws...

River (12.4bbs)
1097 3 9

A great card for us, as it eliminates a TON of his pair possibilities and will most likely entice him to bluff at a seemingly scare card. I check, with the intention of calling most bets. He snap-bets 4.5bbs. I take 15 seconds to remind myself how he rarely checks back a pair on the flop and how I am getting almost 4 to 1 on a call that is probably good 60% of the time here... I call, he shakes his head, flashes A6o and grunts as my AK high holds up.


If these walls possessed a sense of smell, they would describe the omniscient peculiar mix of sweat, tobacco, whiskey and cologne floating aimlessly around, sometimes entangled in a heteroclite cloudy scent... or they would reminiscent the distinct body odors as dreams are made or shattered, blackjack, straights, flushes, red dogs and jackpots are hit, or bankrolls are dissipated...


Blinds 100-200, 25 antes. I am slowly but surely chipping up, taking advantage of my chip advantage, a TAG style and some post-flop creativity.

Blinds 300-600, antes 50. Sitting on the chip lead now with roughly32k, which leaves me with 53bbs+ as we are down to 15 players. It is still a grim/heavy atmosphere, but as far as I am concerned, I kick myself every single hand in order to have enough motivation to pay attention to the details, to stay focus and to try to not miss out on any info/tells... The caffeine isn't doing its required job today, as I have a zombie -like energy level (the slow zombies, to be precise, not 28 Days Later ones...).

The bounties are not worth pursuing, as they are worth a minuscule 11% of the total prize pool, so I simply play tight style, choosing my spots. One comes up when a LAG player opens for 2bbs in MP and I look down at A2 on the button. I am about to fold but soon remind myself that he has been opening to 3-4bbs with his top tier hands, and to 2bbs with his middling ones... He will probably call a 3bet so I opt to simply call, as the big blind is a tight player that will not easily be enticed to tag along... Big blind folds and we take a flop HU.

Effective stacks 25bbs
Flop (6.5bbs)
678

Not a great flop, but still one that I am willing to commit on, as I can put a town of pressure with the nut flush draw and 1 over... He makes my life easy by checking ; I bet pot. He goes in the tank, stares me down with defiance, but ultimately swallows his pride and finds a fold.


If these walls could hear, they would reproduce the tinkling sound of the chips being shuffled, the reverberate high pinch of the slot machines, the burps, farts, coughing, swallowing as the contained body impulses naturally express themselves... The sound of the tunes floating around indifferently, like an old jukebox... The laughter, sighs, moans, grunts, screams echoing around before ultimately dissipating into the emptiness of the eternal night...


Blinds 1000-2000. I am third in chips, down to 7 players. Nothing interesting to report, as most players have a somewhat knack for push/fold ranges and act accordingly. I have stolen more than my share of blinds, but not to the extent of attracting unwanted attention.

The same villain as the previous hand opens to 2bb from MP ; I look down at AK in the SB. I go in the tank. The fact that it is suited almost convinces me to squeeze in a 3bet and take a flop while being first to act with a pot size bet behind... (effective stacks 17bbs, I have him covered with 22bbs) Problem is, ICM is quite crucial and I don't want a small-middle pair to stubbornly look me up or worse, 4bet jam... I shove. Once again, he goes in the tank, goes through the motions, when the whole world + their mother knows that he will painfully make the laydown...


If these walls could feel, they would display a confined little universe in which gamblers try to create a feeling of familiarity with repeated habits, actions or superstitions. But if the walls could speak, they would interject, telling all these vulnerable souls that you cannot be at home in between these foundations, as everything is in constant flux : emotions, wins, defeats, faces, lives made and lost.

If these walls could speak, they would take a photo snapshot, one last glorifying moment where we - the poker players, slot machine addicts, blackjack junkies - would be forever framed in time...


Down to 3 players, we decide to stop the clock and start the negotiating. We all have similar stacks of 20-22bbs, have known each other for years, and hold a profound respect for one other. So once second place money is agreed upon (2k + personal bounties), we set aside an extra 1k for second and first.

It doesn't matter that my JJ loses to AK... All is good in my world, for I have transformed what was supposed to be hospital time into a fairly profitable weekend. Life goes on.

Run good all

Wintertime Blues

August 28, Thursday, Top of the World Highway in the Yukon Territories, about 50km from the Alaskan border... The first snowflakes tentatively drop from the sky, reluctant, stuck in between the anticipation of the winter and the nostalgia of the summer...



Pic taken from google of the fall colors on Top of the World Highway

8 inches of snow have in fact accumulated on the ground, piled up like a winter promise, menacing with its striking white reflection of the times to come...


Only 1 week left in these northern parts as it is soon time to set sails for greener pastures in Asia. We have reached the closing end of the touristic season up here, which means that not only management is tossing poker players a few bones in terms of seasonal ending tournaments - of course - and juicy/slightly bigger cash games, but the players are also itching for action.


Thursday, 10-20 LHE


It is a somewhat-decent size game and worth the grind, yet a grind it remains as outside of focusing on hand selection and extracting a couple of Big Bets with nice reads, one could fall asleep at the wheel... What a tedious task it is to sit there and yawn your life away...

I manage to book in a sizable profit of 770$ in 4h of work before some of the limit players leave, prompting the rest of us to demand 1-2 NLH, which is thankfully obliged.


Like an old timer once said, "there is 2 seasons in the Yukon : winter and waiting for winter!!! ".



Pic taken from a buddy that lives across the river, in West Dawson


There is not a greater symbolic event that reflects the passage of winter then the freeze-up/break-up of the Yukon River. West Dawson is in fact literally separated from the town during the process, 2-3 months per year, as only a ferry connects both shores.

When the river breaks up in springtime (usually early May), a collective euphoria hits the town, as the emergency sirens emphasize the event, prompting the Dawsonites to gather by the shore as they contemplate in awe the remains of the winter being washed away towards Alaska.



Only one that has spent a winter in the far north can understand how such an apparent benign incident becomes a HUGE relief... Having survived the winter and seeing the Midnight Sun reign the skies again, simply brings heartfelt warmth to us all.


Thursday, 1-2 NLH


While I do not expect too much from this late game (it is 11pm, the casino will close in 3h), I see a fellow local maniac sit to my right that proceeds to go on a 30 min heater and scoop 1500$ his way. Sweeeeeettttt!!! It doesn't take long before we bump heads.

In a limped pot, I look down at K7 in the BB and check my option.

Flop (8$)
KK7

I do not have to put any work in (outside of tank-Hollywood) after flopping gin as our fellow villain bets 50$ on the flop God I love Dawson!!! I obviously call (villain is in SB).

Turn (103$)
KK7 5

The low card that I was hoping for, as I still hold the nuts ; villain snap-bets 100$. Sweet!!! Easy game I tank, practice my acting skills and call.

River (303$)
KK7 5 9

A decent river which does not alter my delayed-raising-plans... He donks another 200$, snap-folds to my 450$ raise and laughs it off as simple oops!!!, you caught with the hand in the cookie jar


A few interesting lexical terms are used to bring to light a depressive state that one might feel when sequestered into darkness and desolation... Cabin fever... Being bushed... Whatever the term, the lack of sun during the 3 winter months can bring out the worse in people. But it remains variance, as every year, every coming summer, the light is shun upon us again.





Pic taken from Google that adequately reflects, IMO, the paradoxical union of peace and desolation...


My war versus villain resumes when I look down at J5 and decide to limp on the button behind 4 other limpers.

Effective stacks 1000$ (I have villain covered)

Flop (10$)
A23

It is checked to villain who does his usual overbet of 50$ ; I call.

Turn (105$)
A23 7

Perfect card which also does not slow down our friend, as he fires 100$. I raise to 250$. He snap-calls.

River (605$)
A23 7 Q

Not the best card, but considering I have the second nuts, I am not folding to any bet size. He donks 200$. I tank-call, thinking about the merits of a raise, but decide against it. He shows the 7, laughs like a madman and tosses his cards in the muck. WOW.

After 90 minutes, 1400$ in profit and after our friend has busted out, I see no reason in entertaining the shortstackers that have just bought into the game and decide to call it a night.

Run good all!

Shame on you for live bum hunting

Yup, haha. In all seriousness, table ethics are even more scrutinized in a small town where every act committed is amplified through a magnifying glass ; for example, gossiping being gossiping, if you have any doubts as to what is going on in your life, simply ask anybody else and they will tell you!!!

That same fellow (that I beat out of 1k+) followed me in the washroom yesterday and tried to bum some cash from me... I politely declined, telling him that I have been screwed over in the past... Funny how it is always in the toilettes that such a demand is requested...

These times are changing


It might be hard to picture nowadays how Dawson City was once a major hub in Western America - second only to San Francisco on the west coast - with an estimated population of 40 000, figures 8 times superior than the ones found in Edmonton and Vancouver, and significantly higher than Seattle as well.



Dawson City, 1899, just after the peak of the Gold Rush

Friday September 6, 2014. A flow of players are pouring into town as the WhiteRam weekend attracts about 150 players from all over the Yukon, North-West Territories and Alaska. The Main Event is capped at 120 players (with alternates during the rebuy period) with a 300$ + 40$ buy-in that provides you with a starting stack of 6k and 3k for each subsequent 100$ rebuy or add-on.

Blinds kick off at 25-25 for 30 minutes ; since I only have 2h to build up a coveted stack of at least 20k+ after the add-on break, I proceed to widen my opening range, value bet light and try by all means to get a couple of double ups... Probably is, the table is nitty and no one wants to gamble with me (let alone go all-in blind...) Hence I have to reload a few bullets - 8 rebuys, that is - but ultimately get my table image to pay off as I stack up to 34k at the break, putting me in the top 5% of the field : SWEET



Diamond Tooth Gerties casino, as seen from the balcony.


I navigate through the field with my low-variance-small-ball approach, chipping slowly and steadily, safely preserving a cushion of 30bbs+ stack throughout and remaining within the chipleaders until... obviously my AA gets cracked by a flush draw, bleeding in the process half of my stack away. No sweat though, as I soon get a chance to get those chippies back.

The table has been somewhat passive and am quite happy to complete with J7 in the SB after 2 limpers ; BB checks his option.

Flop (5bbs)
257

I feel pretty nutted on this flop, as not many combos of 7s that beat me limped (outside of maybe A7s), yet feel the need to protect this vulnerable hand ; I lead out for 1.8bbs. Only BB makes the call, which makes it hard to pinpoint his range, yet it seems to be draw heavy.

Turn (8.6bbs)
257 K

I was ready to bet any 10+ non-club on the turn and do pursue my story by picking up 3.1bbs and toss them towards the middle. Call.

River (14.8bbs)
257 K Q

I slowly check. Villain fires 8bbs ; I snap-call. "Nice call", he says, showing 45.

Breaking down the hand :

It was initially hard to narrow down the range of villain, considering he could have any 2 in the Big Blind, yet being an old man and all (I have barely a history of 20 hands with villain, so most profile him as such), it became easy to gradually pinpoint his range as the hand progressed.

If his flop range consists mainly of straight draws (cards 9 and below) and flush draws (so possible overcards in s), it is highly unlikely that he calls with a pair without certain backdoor draws, considering there are still 2 players to act after him. On the K turn, I see him raising my smallish bet of 36% with the nut pair. When he simply calls, I feel I am still ahead. Live MTT players - and especially old timers - are not use to such a small sizing (even online, I am definitely more a smallball player than the other MTT regs) and will often attack it with a polarized range or - in this case - with such a nutted pair as Kings.

Being convinced he is not holding the K, when the Q rolls up on the river, the K relinquishes the Q to irrelevancy. Sure he could have the Q, but he seems to be the type to check back with second pair or making a smallish value bet, but definitely not firing 60% and therefore polarizing his range. Sure, the poker Gods were friendly to me, as if it had been the Q on the turn and K on the river, I might of folded (probably not, but it would of made my life harder though ...).

After this hand, I maintain a healthy chip stack until we call it a day, at midnight, with 20 players left.


Dawson City, 1898. Despite these challenges, the huge quantities of gold coming through Dawson City encouraged a lavish lifestyle amongst the richer prospectors. Saloons were typically open 24 hours a day, with whiskey the standard drink.[236] Gambling was popular, with the major saloons each running their own rooms; a culture of high stakes evolved, with rich prospectors routinely betting $1,000 ($27,000) at dice or playing for a $5,000 ($140,000) poker pot.

Tales abounded of prospectors spending huge sums of money on entertainment — Jimmy McMahon once spent $28,000 ($760,000) in a single evening, for example.[242] Most payments were made in gold dust and in places like saloons, there was so much spilled gold that a profit could be made just by sweeping the floor. (Wikipedia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondik...us_consumption


Saturday


I show up somewhat fresh after skipping out on the juicy cash games (that went on until 10h30am ), but I have my sights on an enticing payday, as first pays 23k, second 15k, third 8k... all the way down to 15th which is 500$. I am aiming for a top 7 spot and willing to sacrifice a min cash to get there (while I am sure that many players will want to sneak into the money).

The good thing is that I have the perfect seat : to the left of the 2 chipleaders that will most likely apply pressure, while my 21bbs 3bet shoves will make them fold all but their premium holdings. Shuffle up and deal

It only takes about 20 minutes before the bubble busts. I have been cautious, yet pushing some marginal edges and got caught, bringing down my stacks to 9bbs after the blinds increased. Yet, I still feel very comfortable with my situation until this next hand happened...

UTG limps (with 20bbs behind) and it is folded to me in the BB when I lift the corner of 1 card, an A, and the other, a beautiful K, just the combination needed to brighten up my day I think about the merits of raising to 4bbs-jamming most flops... But really, that would be somewhat suicidal, so I simply push my chips towards the middle fully expecting a fold, but UTG snap-calls and flips over QQ. O000kkkkK, a coin flip it is.

The beautiful, majestic K rolls up on the flop ; even better, a player confirms that he has folded a Q...

We often feel, as Westerners, somewhat entitled, as if life hides a secret meaning underlined beneath its apparent absurdity... "Everything happens for a reason" many will say, as if we are part of this vast intelligible-yet-obscure story that transcends us... It is a very egocentric perspective, me thinks, and one that simply disclaims all the injustices in the world. There are no poker Gods watching upon us, hand by hand vigilantly selecting a rightful winner. AK will win 43.24% of the time preflop and after the K flop, it is victorious 95.46% of the time. Words like "karma" and "destiny" have no place in this game.

Yet, when the case Q hits the river, the pain is direct, merciless, almost ironic. I still manage to shake the hand of the winner, save face, before walking away and taking a minute for myself. Sure I simply lost a flip, but in an alternate universe, Q doesn't show up on the river. In a parallel world, I bink the tournament. In another quantum dimension :



Peace all

Palawan

Filipino Time... it is not the same as the one found on your watch, nor monitored by your smart phone... It is not the one displayed at the bottom right of your computer screen... neither the one sung by the tickling old school clock nailed to your wall... Accuracy is lost upon it , yet it acts in tune with a more spontaneous albeit pragmatic flow of existence...

No other place than Palawan can put this Filipino Time to such a good use : people are laid back. Relax. Life slowly flows by, dictating some necessities along the way, sure, but without the agitation found in places like Manila.

We flew in from Cebu a few days ago and managed to get a very sweet room at 60% discount, paying 1070p for what is normally 2600p The food has been simply amazing. Surprisingly good. The owner of the hotel is French, which explains a lot.





The fish chowder is probably the best I ever had, which is saying a lot. Have been pleasantly surprised by the flavorful pasta as well, especially here, in the Philippines, where the food is usually decent at best...


The internet connection has been solid, all of my 3 sources showing up with their A game Problem is, we are in the city of Puerto Princesa while it might be a different story in rural areas...

The plan was to rent a motorbike for 1 week, go explore the island for about 5h/day then come back to the hotel for the grind (and Engeli teaches English to Koreans on Skype). Our first destination, Sabang, known to be one of the most beautiful beach towns in the country, was 60km away from the city.

On the surface, Sabang did not disappoint in the slightest, but once we popped open the pocket wifi to try the connection, we were left with our tails hanging in between our legs





Curiosly, while this is the kind of secluded little place that attracts the budget backpacker/hippie with its cheap huts (10$/night) along the beach, then there is this resort a few meters away, with the rooms ranging from 200-600$/night and catering to a richer-older-retired crowd :





Sweet looking pool... one could get lost at sea in it...

Well, we will go back and spend an afternoon chilling in Sabang, but if not, here is the score up to date :

Remote places 1 - 0 Friendly people seeking solid-wifi

We will get our revenge... We will be back...

To be continued...

Lanquin, Guatemala, 2003. I am down to my last 60$. But this time around, I am not in Canada, USA or Australia, places where I am comfortable with the street life, know where and how to get free meals/groceries and some quick $$$ ; this is Guatemala, a third world country just recently erupting out of its 1960-1996 civil war, while visible scars are still mounting its landscapes, villages and population.

Nevertheless, in no time I pick up the nuances of the language, find a job as a chef for a few months in this sweet remote town named Lanquin



pic taken from google. In 2003, you had to hop on a 4h bus trip to get to the closest ATM or internet ; modern times and heavier tourism have since brought these commodities into the town of Lanquin.


Final Score : Remote Areas with spotty wifi 1 - 0 Friendly Seeking Wifi Grinders.

Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of this cooler : Palawan is known for its inviting and relatively unbeaten paths, sure, but the commodities of modern times have not followed suit, as the internet is sparse at best

Bohol it will be then, as we know what to expect over there : great beaches extending for kilometers, decent bars/restaurant, a tennis court, a solid internet connection, some good local markets and the proximity of a decent size city in Tagbilaran.

But this time around, I will not settle for an apartment in the touristy Alona, but settle down in one of the charming nearby villages.

I will say this though : it does feel good to have a bigger cushion financially over the years, as it lowers somewhat the stress level (variance in poker can already be a biiiiittttch ).

As far as poker goes, it will be online MTTs for the foreseeable future (+ the CCG on Party) and a trip in Cebu in January to grind the APT for 2 weeks (it will also be a great opportunity for Engeli to visit her family). I decided to skip out on the WPT in Hectic Manila (really don't want to spend 2 weeks there), as I prefer the laid back pace of life over here. Sure, live events are enjoyable and probably remain unmatched as far as the hype goes, that said, I forgot how much agreeable grinding MTTs online can be, especially when you top off your day with a nice midnight swim under the moonlight skies (like we have ritually been doing every night).


Hand played at the 0.50$-1$ CCG (I did not deduct the rake)

Villain is a fish (42/0) who limps from hijack ; I raise 4$ to iso with KJ in CO. After it is folded around to him, he 3bets 2x to 8$ ; I happily make the call.

Flop (17.50$)
893

Not a great flop, but with 2 overs and some backdoors, I don't hate the world ; this flop also hits somewhat my range, although I don't think my perceived range factors into the equation versus this specific player... He fires a weak 5$ cbet. I make the obvious float.

Turn (27.50$)
893 10

The turn gives me a ton of outs, making it Christmas all over again , albeit hitting dead center in the middle of his range, but more importantly, it brings the ultimate scare card, putting him in a sticky spot, thus forcing him to define his range, unbalanced as his action will be. He fires 10$, which smells of weakness, making it hard to put him on top pair or an overpair...

River (47.50$)
893 10 8

When he fires the tentative 10$ again, I take no time in attacking the scary texture board and making it 55$. He snap folds, even though I am not representing nothing outside of pure aggression. But hey, versus a good player, I sigh-fold river, while versus this villain, I got away with beating up an old lady in broad daylight and stealing the last of her pension plan, easy game

Here is a pic of simply the coolest pool bar I have seen, where the bar stools are immersed in the water



hotel we stayed in Puerto Princesa


Run good all

Glad your back in Asia this blog is about to get good again for me its like round 2 of Asia since ive been reading leggo

Best of luck with your travels and poker

Dub what other countries do you have on your asian itinerary ? And gl win a donkament

Glad you like the Asian part of this thread Who/what is Leggo? Link?

Well, I have spent a significant amount of time in India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Philippines over 5 different trips in Asia. This time around, I will most likely be the least nomadic, as I really enjoy the pace of life of here in Bohol. That said, I do plan on going to China for a couple of weeks and taking the train to Tibet. I love land transportation and to go across the Himalayas in a train, would be simply magnificent, me thinks.

I still have trans-European and trans-Siberean train on my bucket list, but probably something that I will reserve for my 40s...

Have you spent time extensive time in Asia, Hank? Saw your posts in the Cambo thread... what other countries have you done?

Spent a couple weeks in PP, loved it. Lived in HCMC for almost a year off and on, a great place to get around by bicycle, sloped curbs, mechanics every few blocks, grid street system, and no enforcement of traffic laws. My little brother did a bike tour from Hanoi to HCMC on a single speed bike last year kind of inspired me to do a big bicycle ride. Lived a bit in BKK but other than the food and good train system didn't find it that appealing.

Hope you get to do a train trip report, love trains too bad most of our rail is designated for freight. Amtrak needs to expand and give us flight phobic people a more reasonable alternative.

I am pretty sure he just meant since he was reading your thread and leggo as in "letsss goooo". Not that he was reading leggos or something called that hehe. GL Dub. I have been enjoying your blog as well.

Yah its what poker players say to each other when deep or what not haha leggo = lets go!

Ok, haha, gotcha. For a second there, I thought you meant one of the blogs at Leggopoker, where Ben Sulsky - among others -, had a thread.

http://www.leggopoker.com/blogs/sauce123/

Long Ways Home


Prince Rupert, B.C., 2001. The sinister grey skies are crashing down on us ; indeed, the torrential rain holds no pity for 2 sleep-deprived travelers that have spent the last month on the road. My girlfriend and I have been hitchhiking and bussing for the past 4400km+ (from Sayulita, Mexico to the Yukon), yet the weather gives us the cold shoulder, clearly showing no restraints, as the heavens are tumbling down like no tomorrow.

The world is too heavy for my gf, as she breaks down in uncontrollable tears. Gravity is a biitch. Everyday, we stand up, pay oath to the evolutionary path taken by our ancestors, yet physics is out to get us. The phenomena world. The rain. Storms. Decay. Gravity. That God damn gravity. And lets not forget about the gods : the same ones that are pouring down like cats and dogs, the same ones that have covered the eyes of my girlfriend with tears, and the same ones who make me grin like a madman, because in the face of absurdity, all we have to defy the divine is our laughter.


We have finally found an apartment. It wasn't an easy task, even in touristy Bohol with its widespread internet connection, as Engeli needs 4g in order to teach English on Skype. So things were still looking somewhat gloom after 1 week of 3G apartments (with 4g only found in a couple of gated-resort-communities, but I did not come here to seclude myself from the local culture and Engeli does not feel comfortable with such gentrification.). Anyhow, all is right in the world, as we put our hands on a sweet little pad.




Great little place. Located just by the beach, we fall asleep every night to the streaming hollow of the wind. We have sweet Korean neighbors and a crazy American conspiracy-theorist-that sees the TRUTH in symbols.




Our yard. Nice little chill area with hammocks, a beach and wind, of course...


I will say this : after 18 years of literally living out of my backpack, it feels great to find a nice little apartment by the beach, put the bags down and settle down for a few months. Not only does it put the mind at ease, but it provides stability for the grind.


Da Pokerz :


Not great since I have been here... Part of it is being on the road and having to continuously adapt to new surroundings... and variance, of course. But really - I got to be honest -, I am simply not playing my best.

I have started watching training videos once again (about 3-5 videos/week) which will greatly help to refocus into the online grind. I did naturally transfer some of my live tendencies to online, when we all know that those 2 diametrically opposed universes are inherently incompatible...

If not for this mini-downswing (well, not technically a downswing, but 2k/month is simply not going to cut it), I really enjoy the act of playing poker. A lot. Online MTTs are simply the nuts - me thinks, as opposed to live cash games -, and I enjoy the excitement of final tables, crucial ICM situations, 3betting light, 4bet bluffing... everything, really, fascinates me as if I was discovering the game for the first time.


Extracurricular Activities

Part of the reason I enjoy to spend as much time in the Philippines, are the sports. There is a ton of hoops played (and NBA basketball tv ), numerous tennis courts and a ton of volleyball nets, all activities I really enjoy doing.



Panglao is located about 10 minutes on wheels from the apartment. It is simply the sweetest little town that I have seen (or almost).


If not, really enjoy to ride around on our monthly rental motorbike (75$/month). For instance, tomorrow we will be exploring new beaches on the island (pics to come).


Food

Proven fact : Filipinas cannot go by more than 1 day without rice. Fact. Scientific truth. Their body needs it to survive. Their mind is addicted. They were born with it, grew up eating it (and because of its nutrients), so now I find myself eating WAY more Filipino food that last time in these parts. Sure, it is not Chinese, Viet, Thai nor Japanese food, but it is still relatively good...


In other news, here is a great little gambling story about video poker players that found a loophole in the machine and managed to book millions in wins (thanks to Nash Equilibria, who posted earlier in this thread, for the link to the article).

http://www.wired.com/2014/10/cheating-video-poker/


Run good all

LOL, rice is the most important food crop in the Philippines. We grew up eating it with every meal, so even most Filipino emigrants will buy a rice cooker and eat it everyday. My better half in Canada does not understand my disappointment whenever we have potatoes, bread, pasts or other starches instead of rice.

Me: "Awww, do we have any rice left?"
She: "What, you're going to die if you don't have rice for one day?"

Let the Good Times Roll

Dawson City, Febuary 2009, 1pm. ****!!! I am still drunk. I light up a cigarette, scan the room for damages/alterations, check my wallet, go through the bills... 1000$ extra bucks Sweet!!! It slowly comes back to me... those blurry flashbacks of hitting my flush on the river... or that 1500$ pot with middle set, as my LAG table image got TPTK to pay off... too bad most of the evening is lost to me (or most of my life, really...).

The cold shower does manage to shake off some of the drowsiness/drunkenness, at least enough to make myself presentable to the outside world... Not that I have a choice, for we must cater to a group of 30 people this evening...

Outside, a few snowflakes are softly making their descent, dancing with the howling wind in the noon sunlight before making their final landing ; in the background, the ageless mountains stand there, magnificent, reassuring us of the advent of tomorrow... Not that I notice any of this, except the God damn shivering -40 icy cold, creeping itself under my skin, into my bones, thus forcing me back to the surface of myself...

I manage to calmly talk to my boss without giving away too much (not that she would do anything about it...), put on my uniform and finally make it to the kitchen. The crew managed to get everything ready. Sweet!!! All is good in the world!!! I can finally relax and get on with my day... But who am I kidding, "today will not be a sober one", I tell myself as I knock down a couple of shooters and pour myself a glass of wine. All is good in the world... Indeed, all is good in the world... I think


I haven't had a drink in 10 months. We all make decisions based on expectations, and while one can decide to play 27 OOP and even scoop the pot, it remains -EV in the long run. So had become drinking for me, the negatives by far outweighing the positives.

Too many times I would wake up anxious, my body in complete disarray, my mind even further down the spiral, as the memories of the previous night were not accessible What had I done? What had I said? Where had I been? Too many questions that were often left unanswered...

I do not want to spend an extensive amount of time discussing this subject, for as anything in life, it is a simple matter of choice. To drink and not to drink, that is a question that I had to contemplate for myself, as it could be directly correlated to my happiness factor.

But God damn was it fun to get hammered, to wake up still heavily intoxicated only too prolong the experience like no tomorrow To laugh at the absurdity of it all as we stumbled down the path of life , to wake up to a different nameless girl sleeping beside us and having no clue how she ended up in our bed

They say that your worst sober day is better than your best drunken day... haha, that is a load of crap, I tell you Drinking is a highly entertaining, numbing experience that takes the piss out of all seriousness , yet remains selfish, damages your health, your mind (not to mention the hole that it digs in your wallet), steals precious time away, the only thing that we actually possess in this lifetime. For those reasons, I have put the bottle down. Permanently. That said, I lift my fictional bottle to you all and say "cheers". Enjoy friends, our time is precious on this earth and if drunk you might be, then enjoy fully!!!




Hand of the week


I posted this hand in the small stakes NL section, but alas!, to no avail, as no one came to my aid... so here's to hoping that you guys will have some advice for me

I always have a hard time to play AK when I flop a broadway gutter with overs, usually giving us in the area of 40% equity against a pair. The following hand was played significantly deep - north of 300bbs - and with the second nut flush to add to the equation... Help!!!

Party Poker, CCG 0.50-1$

Hero SB, 374$
CO , 125$
Button , 365$

CO (27/23) opens for 3$ with what we believe to be a wide range, button (30/17) makes the call with an equally assumed wide range, and I (27/22 3B9) wake up in SB with AK and 3bet to 15$. My standard here is to 3bet to 14$, but since button and I are so deep and I am playing OOP, I wanted to slightly increase my fold equity and take it down right away or play HU. But alas!, both villains called.

Flop (46$)
Q105

On this flop, I plan on X/shoving vs CO and X/calling button (is this appropriate, you guys think?) given the different stack sizes. Against CO, I want to get max fold equity and am not scared of committing 125bb effective and thus realizing my equity (assuming he bets), but vs button, I do not want to X/R and be left with awkward stacks on the turn and not knowing what to do. Thoughts?

CO checks, button bets 35$, I tank call, CO folds.

Turn (116$)
7

I check again, button bets 55$. I elect to call. Would you guys do anything else? I mean, I still have 324$ behind and both jamming and X/raising seem spewy, considering I don't hold the A... His range is still somewhat wide, yet seems heavily value orientated. How would having the A change our decision? Thoughts?




Peace all

Filth

Vancouver, Canada, August 1999. We just arrived in the city a few hours ago, hitchhiking our way through the Rocky Mountains. We promptly found a park at dusk in East Vancouver, built a little love nest out of our sleeping bags to cuddle up into, and laid low underneath a bridge.

My gf is all snoozes. She smoothly slips into dreamland without a fight ; for me, it is a different story. One that cannot be brightened up by the shining stars, the clear skies and the mild mutter of the city night. I feel restless. Perhaps it is a natural consequence of being overprotective... or maybe the 3684 km between Montreal and Vancouver have brought me out of my element... nevertheless, drowsiness ultimately gets the better of me... but it is short lived.

The sound of my gf yelling rips me away from my sleep ; sitting beside her, a strung out junkie, lost in a daze and seemingly oblivious to the world... still somnolent and somewhat sluggish ... , I manage to mutter "What is going on?", not really feeling threatened by the intruder, yet still trying to make light of the whole situation... "All is good" reassures me my gf in French, while the stranger mumbles some indiscernible junkie grunts before nonchalantly leaving. I attempt to clarify the whole situation with her. "He put his hand in my underwear..." she calmly explains, "WHAT !!!" I let out, "it is ok", she replies, "he was more confused than anything else and seems completely harmless.". Jeezus ****king Crist!!! I mean, that is why I love the girl and all, her endless capacity for compassion brings much needed light into this dark dark world... But needless to say, I cannot put down my guard, unlike her that simply drifts back into the endless night like only a soul at peace with the universe can do...

About 10 minutes later, I spot the junkie dude on top of the small hillside, JKo... Jeezus fucckking Crist!!! But really, come to think of it, we are in his adopted living room... I mean, where else is he going to go to jerk off, right Still, I cannot help but feel petrified by the sight of his gaze locked down in the direction of my gf, combined with the constant movement of his masturbation... "Calm down friend!" I tell myself, "soon he will reach climax and go chase some other fix!" Alas!, wrong : our wanker goes find a buddy, comes back in our direction, meanwhile still rapaciously grabbing his dick, his beastly needs by far outweighing the shame of public display... I think fast, grab my 2 pocket knives, pop them open, stand up and wave my newfound weapons towards the 2 sexual predators. They suddenly stop, both staring at me, and start slowly backing up. I shake my gf, rip her away from the delusional security of her sleep and tell her to pack her goods.

After finding a hostel and sharing with her the nasty details, she jumps in the shower, uses up at least 10 years of water supply, desperately trying to scrub away the filthy memory of the junkie dude slipping his hand into her panties...



Pic taken from google. The Skid row of Canada. Don't get me wrong, I usually still prefer to stay in East Van when I am in the city. A certain part of me has always been attracted to the bohemian lifestyle.


Finally a day where I can lay claim to some overall solid play If this feeling is usually a given - with an off day here and there -, I seem to expose myself to reverse imply odds, for the past 6 weeks, by the mere fact of playing... Don't know why... After all, I have an amazing gf that I wake up to every morning, that smiles and stays positive regardless of grey or golden skies... I live in a peaceful beachfront apartment, soothing for the balance of mind... stay on a sweet little island in Bohol, that provides ground for a variety of entertainment... So what is the problem then? Hummm, I don't know....

Since April, I have included a CCG 0.50-1$ from Party Poker to my MTT grind. At first, my LAG style was simply crushing to a ridiculous hourly (70$/h over the course of 3 months). I did not think it would last, of course, yet did not believe that it would tumble down to under 10$/h... Sure, variance has a lot to say in my peak as in my downfall, yet, as in any downswing, I was able to locate some pretty big leaks.

Anyhow, things are looking on the up and up and this single table cash game should be a substantial addition to my steady MTT grind (have made 6+ BIs while writing this post).


Random Story : A couple of weeks ago, after filling our bellies with your standard Filipino food, we jump on our motorbike and ride back home, on the verge of starting our working day. I get a text 15 minutes later and... the motorbike was not ours Apparently we took a similar looking bike from the restaurant, one that had the same gas level and a similar key shape... Haha, oh well, not as bad as a friend of mine that took off with the wrong car at the grocery store, up in the Yukon, when only 2 vehicles were parked outside (the engines were left running in the -40 icy cold...).

Rant : I apologize in advance for keep coming back to this subject, but God foreigners can be uninspiring here. I understand the penchant for comfort and am noticing, in my 30s, a penchant for beachside apartments to the detriment of the rugged grass of a city park, sure, but then you have something like this :



Gated house and segregated from the rest of the community.

No big harm, you might say, but few Filipinos can afford such a place, yet foreigners invade the idyllic shores of the Philippines in waves. How one can live such an uptown lifestyle in a foreign country while thousands of local impoverished souls populate the city streets... I mean, how self-absorbed can 1 be

Ok, I realize that I am pulling a Dan Colman here, as I criticize without offering a solution, hence still being part of the problem... (and maybe the said owner of the house is a HUGE humanitarian, who knows!). Yet I believe that as humans, we have an intrinsic dual nature. It is inescapable. Hence me being at peace with a stance that might be contradictory, but feeling an ethical need to express it... I, of course, also live a comfortable - albeit less excessive - lifestyle. Anyhow, end of rant. But will finish with the words of my gf : "what can we do about it? Does it upset me, yes. But I have no power. I will not let things like this disturb my inner-peace.".


Poker Hand of the Week

6 handed 0.50-1$ CCG, Party Poker


Like previously mentioned, I have been trying to bring some substantial tweaks to my online cash game ; in this case, reducing my VP and PR. Yet I am at the tail end of a session, so balance can go out the window for the time being!!!

I decide to open-raise to 3$ 78 from the hijack. Button is a weak tight player (19/12 3B/4) that will not 3bet often enough to make my open a mistake, BB is the table fish (60/10 Fold to cbet 60) with whom I am happy to play marginal hands with. Button calls as does BB. As far as hero goes, I have been TAGish (24/16/7), yet have been known for being a spewy LAG in the past (and buttons Hud probably can attest to those previous tendencies...).

Flop (9$)
KQ5

BB checks. I tank, weighing in my different options, but finally throw in a cbet of 6$. I hate X/calling here, think X/Raising is quite spewy and since I have enough equity to call a raise, cbetting a flop that hits my range is pretty optimal here. Button calls.

Turn (21$)
KQ5 4

Hummmm... If I check, I kinda of give up on this hand... With the added equity of the gutter, I prefer to fire again and get some weak showdown hands that have us beat to fold. I fire 13$, he makes the call

River (47$)
KQ5 4 A

Gin Yet, I still tell myself that if he raises my value bet, I am done with the hand. I bet 28$ ; he snap shoves 86$ (I have him covered), what!!! FML Jeezus Fucckkking Murphy

As I am about to fold, I realize that he only has 3 combos that beat me : J9, J10 and 109 (I don't see him calling with 96 or worse...). Hummmm, ok, so I need roughly 27% to make the call, yet is there even 1 combo that I beat... Lets see, I raised pre, fired flop, turn and river on 3 broadway cards, so he has to put me on made hands, probably KQ+ here (AK, AA, KK or QQ) while his range consists heavily of draws... So my perceive range is not one of a rivered flush... So he might shove something like 67 for value here, and say he shoves 15% of the time with J10s and I am priced in... I... hummmm... call...



Run good all

Using that google picture doesn't really make a good case for East Vancouver being a bohemian neighborhood, but who knows maybe some of those junkies/addicts are struggling artists? Guess I can count not becoming a heroin addict as one of my many blessings.

Know you love to walk but have you gotten a good old fashioned bicycle yet? I'd be interested to know how it is to ride where you're at.