Mind Games

5-Card Draw
What a freaking disaster today was.

I played 700 hands of FL $0.25/$0.50, and dropped 55BB.
Long periods of card dead, followed by a decent hand that gets beaten.

Cruel.

OTOH, I had this hand with 5 BB left in a freeroll today:

Still didn't win, but it was fun while it lasted...
--VS

Real Life
After working Monday and Tuesday Day Shift last week, I did a stint of 5 consecutive night shifts. By the time I got to work last night, I was pretty much thrashed, and all I wanted to do was watch the presses run and go home at the end.

Not to be. The oil pump on the folder of Press 3 failed. Press 3 runs one publication by itself, the other is split between presses 1 and 4. This means that they MUST fix the pump to run the press. Worse, a fault in this pump means that we cannot run the same configuration through Press 2. <sigh>

Since I'm the IT guy and know pretty much squat about the mechanical intricacies of the press, I had to call in help. The pressmen determined that we would run Press 2 if we used a totally different configuration. However, they had to create it manually, plate making had to make an entirely new set of plates. More time.

Typically for a Sunday night press run, I'm in bed by two. I finally got to bed at 04:45, counting myself lucky nothing else went wrong.

Funny part:
When Press 1's run was finished, the foreman approached the charge hand and said, "Sorry, but you can't go home yet. We need you to re-configure this press to assist Press 2."
The look on the charge hand's face was worth the price of admission right there. The foreman was kidding, of course. It worked best because he is totally a business-only kind of guy. In 15 years I've never seen him joke around about the work.

Poker Tie-in #1 -- Table Image
As the foreman must have known, a bluff works best if your table image says you never bluff.

Poker Tie in #2 -- Mental Game
If it had not been for all the practice I've had over the last 4 years absorbing losses and facing bad beats, I would have found last night difficult to handle.

As it turned out, I managed to actually RELAX and let the techs and the press men do their jobs.

Bonus:
After my 7 consecutive days in harness, I get 4 off. Today was wasted sleeping 'til 14hr, but there is still Tuesday to Thursday.

Friday? Friday is pretty slack at work anyway. <== famous last words?

Peace,
--VS

NLHE

I didn't play as many freerolls this month as usual, as I was just too busy.
In all the ones I did play, I only cashed the non-PokerStrategy.com ones.
<sigh>

So today, I finally place 27th out of 1300-odd (well, I'm sure SOME of them are odd) players.

This hand came along just at the right time...

The observant will notice aht I was actually well behind on the turn.

Lucky me...

5-Card Draw
Well, my second losing month is officially over. I could (I suppose) play another session, but the traffic falls off sharply beginning about now, so I likely won't.

I am all out of sync with the other players.
♦  If I'm bluffing, they call.
♦  If I'm planning a check/raise, they check back.
♦  If I bet for value, they call with better (or fold)
♦  If I check back, they would have folded anyway, but at least I win.

At least I did not lose a LOT today.
I was playing slightly more aggressively out of the button, so managed to steal a lot more than usual. Of course, this requires the right players in blinds.

All the best in October...
--VS

NLHE
I tried 2-tabling Rush poker today.
I could barely keep up, but I did manage not to have any hands time out with QQ+ in the hole (yes, it has happened to me before).

The benefit of being barely able to keep up is that I'm folding anything marginal pre -- except from the BTN, of course.

The result is that after a mere hundred hands I was up almost a BI, with only a single showdown hand. Say what !?

The showdown hand?
I lost it, of course, this *is* Vorpal we're talking about here, but in this case it was a BB ATC call vs a BTN min-raise that didn't go anywhere and got checked down by a coward villain who could have had it on any street with a min-bet.[1]

I was going to write about my excursion into the dark world of Spin & Go poker.
This post is tl;dr anyway, so another time.

Oh, except that they are more like Bingo than Poker, so I hereby christen them "Spingo"
Yes, you heard it here first. You may use this term anywhere and often, w/o royalty or fee.

Peace and Contentment...
--VS

[1]Mrs Fairburn -- my elementary school teacher, just spun in her grave, yelling "Run on Sentence!". Serves her right, she was a tyrant.

I learned something about myself today.
Odd after 61 years that I should discover this.

Winning isn't all its cracked up to be.

If you've been following the Become a Freeroll Master - Opt-in now! thread, then you'll know that NijeVaznoKoSam cashed 12 times in September in the PokerStrategy.com freerolls. I don't know if she played every day, but even so, that is quite a feat -- at the worse it is 40% ITM in a 1400 player tournament. That is huge!

I on the other hand, played only a few all month, and on the last day finally cashed for the first time, enough to be in 4th place for the month.

I figured that was it. No, the 1st place plays the 4th, and 2nd plays the 3rd in a playoff.

NijeVaznoKoSam and I played our playoff today, and she was kind enough to set up 3 HU tournaments in her home game club to play. She won one quite handily, I luckboxed another, and the third went well over an hour. It all came down to two flips.

She is an impressive player, and I'm confident she will do well in the long run.

I was actually sorry I won.
It surprised me.
It surprised me that I won.
It surprised me that I did not feel good about it.

I will now do my best to win the whole thing for her sake.

If I win the finals, I get to choose a coach.
I would then have to play that coach in a live streamed match
If I beat the coach, I get some free coaching.

I certainly need it.

Tomorrow: Vorpal dives into the dark side and plays Spingo

Best of luck to every one...
--VS

Yes I've been secretly stalking NVKS and her freeroll crushing. Nice job there and agree, must surely do well at MTTs. That would be cool indeed.

Seems you need a bit of the old rungood stuff to get to the business end of that promo V, good luck with that, it looks a tough.

As for the spingo games, I gave those up. I won a few BI at nl5 and tried my luck, lost all my winnings. No more for me, the players are loony toons and as for winning a race...

Spingo
I played 4 real money $1 Spingo games.
I lost 3, and won 1 for $4.00

Break even.

I said to myself, "Self: you need to get a feel for this. Why not fire off a bunch of play money games to get the drift?"

So I did.

Played about a hundred.

Break even.

Today's session:
30 games. Highest pool was 10x
I won 10 2xs, 1 4x and 1 6x for a total of 30K play money chips.

I figure if I'm going to play these, I would need a much better idea of ICM, Nash pushing ranges and so on.

ITM of 40% won't cut it.
By far the bulk of games are 2x.
At the end of 10 2x games to have an ROI of 20%, you need to be ITM 60% if they are all the 2x games. The higher payouts have to be considered gravy -- you can't count on 'em. They happen when they happen, and when they do, the other players pull up their socks too.

Oh, and if you're at a $30 table, and draw a 1200x (or any) prize pool, deals are not available.

So -- fun as a barrel of monkeys, but edging toward the gambling side of things.

Peace,
--VS

Tomorrow: Miracle on 2nd street.

Found this strategy for Twister the other day, lost it, then found it again. Might help a bit if you haven't seen it yet.

http://www.pokerstrategy.com/strategy/sng/2351/1/

Originally posted by gadget51
Found this strategy for Twister the other day, lost it, then found it again. Might help a bit if you haven't seen it yet.

http://www.pokerstrategy.com/strategy/sng/2351/1/

lol @ 50 buy in BRM = conservative

Lifted from Twister Poker: Let's Go!
Since Twister Poker is carried out in the "winner takes it all" mode, there is no difference between ChipEV and $EV like there usually is with SNGs. If a move is profitable in a 3-handed cash game, then it is also profitable in a Twister Poker SNG. This means cash game specialists aren't at a disadvantage compared to SNG players.

I had completely overlooked this aspect of things, however had been playing "correctly" in that I was using my cash CO, BTN & BB preflop ranges as my guide. And since my stealing range is getting ridiculously large these days I was playing like 50/50. I also had a ridiculously high 3Bet percentage too as I was over shoving extremely wide if I had better then twice their stack.

Heads up I fold v few buttons.

My only quarrel with the article is that the range charts seem to be wider for the SB than for the BTN. I think relative stack size plays too much of a role to just go by charts.

@jb 50 BI seems OK to me. If you lose like 25 in a row, then your luck will surely change and you'll win 25 and be break even, right?

You once advised that a 100 big bet bankroll would be necessary for FL $3/$6 5-Card Draw. I thought at the time that this was over-the-top conservative. Then I had a 100 big bet downswing and FL $0.25/$0.50 and convinced myself you were quite right.

Lady Luck is a bitch.

Cheers,
--VS

Originally posted by VorpalF2F

Lifted from Twister Poker: Let's Go!
Since Twister Poker is carried out in the "winner takes it all" mode, there is no difference between ChipEV and $EV like there usually is with SNGs. If a move is profitable in a 3-handed cash game, then it is also profitable in a Twister Poker SNG. This means cash game specialists aren't at a disadvantage compared to SNG players.

I had completely overlooked this aspect of things, however had been playing "correctly" in that I was using my cash CO, BTN & BB preflop ranges as my guide. And since my stealing range is getting ridiculously large these days I was playing like 50/50. I also had a ridiculously high 3Bet percentage too as I was over shoving extremely wide if I had better then twice their stack.

Heads up I fold v few buttons.

My only quarrel with the article is that the range charts seem to be wider for the SB than for the BTN. I think relative stack size plays too much of a role to just go by charts.

@jb 50 BI seems OK to me. If you lose like 25 in a row, then your luck will surely change and you'll win 25 and be break even, right?

You once advised that a 100 big bet bankroll would be necessary for FL $3/$6 5-Card Draw. I thought at the time that this was over-the-top conservative. Then I had a 100 big bet downswing and FL $0.25/$0.50 and convinced myself you were quite right.

Lady Luck is a bitch.

Cheers,
--VS

I wouldn't listen to me. Wtf do I know?

Good point, mrsjb is inifinitely more informed than us mere mortals.

...and a 100bb down-swing at FL.25/0.50 is - no wait - this is FL right? So, at fl 0.5/1.00 - is like, erm...lol! Am I right, or am I right?! ♦

I can only think SB is wider than BU because Sb thinks BU is; 'At it.' This is mostly due to being able to pressure short shack bvb steals obv.
But these loonies will get it with ATc v a steal....
I am actually interested.

Originally posted by gadget51
...and a 100bb down-swing at FL.25/0.50 is - no wait - this is FL right? So, at fl 0.5/1.00 - is like, erm...lol! Am I right, or am I right?! ♦

That is why I was careful to spell out "big bet".
In FL games on Stars (and I presume elsewhere in the modern world) the big blind is 1/2 the big bet. The small blind is some convenient amount in the neighbourhood of half that.

So, in FL $0.25/$0.50 the big blind is $0.25, the small blind is $0.10 and the big bet is $0.50
Pre-draw all bets are incremented by the big blind, post draw by the big bet.

So my downswing cost me about $50 or about 1/8 my current bankroll.
I still play FL $1/$2 and FL $0.50/$1 and even FL $2/$4 from time to time, but the players at those limits are far better at the game than I.

Things I don't do well that they do:
♦  Disguising their hand value. eg Call and D2 holding trips. If they 3Bet pre, I'm likely to fold my weak 2pr. If they call and D2 I can be sucked into calling a donk post-draw.
♦  Aggression.

I counter that by (apparently) knowing the relative value of hands well. It is stunning the crap that they will cap with post draw at the bigger limits (busted flush draws, for example). I'm guessing that they think the huge pot is scary.

Cheers,
--VS

Originally posted by VorpalF2F

My only quarrel with the article is that the range charts seem to be wider for the SB than for the BTN. I think relative stack size plays too much of a role to just go by charts.

They mean 3max so push chart should be wider from SB as you push into 1 opp and you you have better pot odds Steal chart where postflop could have place BU chart is wider

In the long run only rake is matter (7% for $1) so with 40% ITM you would have very good (for hyperturbo) 11% ROI. Yes this long run must be really LOOOONG, as variation is great. To be more real you have to exclude half of low probable prizes from consideration, so real rake for distance about few hundreds SNG would be 11%, not 7%. But 40% ITM is still positive with 7% ROI I guess.

Originally posted by Anykey444
But 40% ITM is still positive with 7% ROI I guess.

Definitely no get-rich quick scheme.

Miracle on 2nd street
From the "be careful what you wish for" department.

5-Card Draw
I frequently see players raising >30$ of hands from the BTN and SB, and some even >50%

Today's tale of Whoa! features a player playing 63/11, with >50% steal pct.

In the first hand, he limps from the button, then 3Bets post draw.

His problem (I think) is that he is betting on drawing to low-quality hands. Even if you hit, you may well end up with a low-quality hand.

Is anyone is wondering why I just called the post-draw raise?
♦  I wanted to see what he had
♦  Unless he has something that beats me, it seemed unlikely he would call.
(you'll see later how wrong I was)

The astute among you will recognize one of my favourite whinges in reverse -- I'm suitably chastised.

In the 2nd hand, he draws 3 and caps post draw:

The odds of hitting a flush drawing 3 are nearly 100:1 against. He hit it. Poor bugger must have thought he'd died and gone to heaven. Not so fast my worthy friend.

Was he *trying* for a flush? Let's give him credit for a little (very little) sense.
We'll assume he had K:d J:d pre-draw.

He is BB so has to pay $0.10 into a pot of $0.35 -- 3.5:1 pot odds.
So I went to my handy-dandy table of drawing odds to find out what the odds are of hitting a pair or better drawing to two different cards.

I had never calculated such a thing.
It turns out that the odds of getting at least 1 pair are 2:1 for a 3.5:1 payout.
Crazy like a fox.

However, in this *particular* situation, his hand is ALWAYS a fold pre, since the very best he is likely to hit is KK, which is the very bottom of the UTG open raise range.

What about unlikely?
Two pair holding two different cards? 22:1
Trips, straights, boats and quads are all worse of course.

So be careful what you wish for -- you may get it when villain has better.

But hey, I needed the money, and he was kind enough to reload.
Life is good that way sometimes...

Peace,
--VS

But hey, I needed the money, and he was kind enough to reload.

Nice

NLHE

I had another one of my "screw up early, get it all back over the next hour" kind of nights.

The first hand got me a good leg up on my way to a winning session.
It is presented by the department of "don't go broke in an unraised pot".

I quit after this hand, now 40¢ in the black.
I turned my hand into a bluff on the river repping a FH or so I believed.
My intention was to fold out AA or KK, or even weak flushes. 77 is never folding.
The alternative was to bet small, but with a paired board and a made flush doing so left me wide open to a shove. I also figured if I just checked, again, I would have to fold to a shove, so the only viable option I could see was do it myself.

As it is, the hand was pretty nerve-wracking to play...

Peace and contentment to all...
--VS

I really don't understand your shove on the last hand.
I would play check-call there trying to induce a bluff for the following reasons;
1-Only a hand that beats you will call your shove.
2-You will not get paid off by shoving unless that was your intention
3-If he has you beat by checking he will bet small hoping to get paid off and you will save money in the long run.
4-I doubt very much AA or KK can fold to that board. I know I would think long and hard folding to a shove there as a shove looks weak in my opinion.

This is why I love the game of poker. There are many ways to play a hand.
Nice win my friend.
Keep it going.

Originally posted by TheMarxBros3
I really don't understand your shove on the last hand.
I would play check-call there trying to induce a bluff for the following reasons;
1-Only a hand that beats you will call your shove.
2-You will not get paid off by shoving unless that was your intention
3-If he has you beat by checking he will bet small hoping to get paid off and you will save money in the long run.
4-I doubt very much AA or KK can fold to that board. I know I would think long and hard folding to a shove there as a shove looks weak in my opinion.

This is why I love the game of poker. There are many ways to play a hand.
Nice win my friend.
Keep it going.

Part of the reason I quit after that hand is that I realized all of your points except #3.
At the time, I did not want to check since I figured it would like I was giving up.

Another thing I thought of doing was betting small to appear like I had the nuts and wanted at least a small payout.

Cheers,
--VS

I went in to work this morning for the first time this month.

No, I've not been sick, nor on vacation, but I had worked a string of night shifts.

So if I work 19:30 - 02:00 I'm get the next day off, which works out well.

I was chuffed to make it to the finals in the freeroll challenge, but ToyarKhan handed me my arse on a platter.

Well done sir.

He was quite noble about it, and I wish him all the best vs whatever coach he picks.

No poker now for 3 days. Feels weird.

My son came over yesterday, and we spent a couple of hours getting Cheap Jerky (my Jeep Cherokee) running. We then went to the Insurance office and transferred title to it from me to him.

I am now down to one vehicle -- a 1979 Mercedes 450 SL.
Anyone want it?

When that's gone I'll be vehicle-free for the first time since I was 21. Wow

Best of luck to everyone on the weekend grind!
--VS