Scotty's place is turning into more of a 5/10 free-for-all than a 1/2 game. The action is ridiculous. At least on Thursdays. So, that kind of table usually turns me into a bit of a nit, admittedly. Essentially you just have to TAG your ass off until you grind out a profit. Facing PFR's of 20 every hand plus a run of marginal cards don't give you a lot of spots. A full house on the turn was the ONLY hand I won all night, and my night ended with a tussle with these crazy raisers.
AA in MP. Before me, a guy who has bet $50 more times than I can count, goes for $15 and Tal calls. I pop it to $45. Guy to my left calls! Crazy guy shoves in the rest for $97 more. I call with everything I have (at that point $93) and guy to the left calls with plenty behind. Crazy guy tables 77! Guy to my left AhJh!
Of course, a 7 comes up on the flop, AJ almost hits his flush, and my aces are cracked.
I'm a one buy-in kind of guy...I know variance is a bitch, but when I've lost my money at NYC home games, I go home. $200 is already way above my bankroll anyway, but once a week, you go where you have options to play live.
So, a question out there to you poker folks. I know it has been written about time and time again, but how do you deal with a crazy table? I think I'm handling it the way I should, just hit a bit of bad luck last night.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
This poker stuff is easy, except the Mookie! Another big score...
I run card dead in the Mookie, then I fire this up, and JUST like Monday....I follow it up with this....
What the heck? I don't mind the cash but I wish I could alternate the results!
What the heck? I don't mind the cash but I wish I could alternate the results!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Well, that blew!
I bluffed when I shouldn't have, and exited The Rail early. I don't feel SO bad about it though, I only spent $9 on it as I grinded a satellite for a Step 3 ticket. That was at least some feeling of accomplishment.
I think I should do the steps more often. I think you're sort of fooling yourself if you think you can get all the way to the ME with them, but you could certainly get to Step 5 and enter a bigger tournment, even bigger ME Qualifier.
To be honest, I used to really bust my ass to try and qualify for these things and this year I am not feeling the motivation. I qualified for the PCA once, and I found out I couldn't even go because of work. Having the BBT5 is great though...if you end up qualifying you really feel like you've been involved with something along the way. that might be why I haven't felt the urge to qualify in any other capacity.
I'm contemplating doing some coaching again...I fond it really helped my cash game, and I'd like an experience with someone who does MTT's. I've been looking into RainMan and BFizz11. I've listened to them on Mediocre Poker radio and I'm impressed with their results. I've mentioned coaching to some people, and they're like, 'why would you do that?' Well, you never stop learning, Some people walk into a gym and have no idea what they are doing. sure, they might go through some circuit training and ride a bike, but are they really accomplishing something? Now, if you start out with a trainer, you might see some results...and it wouldn't hurt matters if it looked like they were in shape, so they know what they are talking about. A good analogy for my reasoning, I think. Well, onto the Mookie Wednesday!
I think I should do the steps more often. I think you're sort of fooling yourself if you think you can get all the way to the ME with them, but you could certainly get to Step 5 and enter a bigger tournment, even bigger ME Qualifier.
To be honest, I used to really bust my ass to try and qualify for these things and this year I am not feeling the motivation. I qualified for the PCA once, and I found out I couldn't even go because of work. Having the BBT5 is great though...if you end up qualifying you really feel like you've been involved with something along the way. that might be why I haven't felt the urge to qualify in any other capacity.
I'm contemplating doing some coaching again...I fond it really helped my cash game, and I'd like an experience with someone who does MTT's. I've been looking into RainMan and BFizz11. I've listened to them on Mediocre Poker radio and I'm impressed with their results. I've mentioned coaching to some people, and they're like, 'why would you do that?' Well, you never stop learning, Some people walk into a gym and have no idea what they are doing. sure, they might go through some circuit training and ride a bike, but are they really accomplishing something? Now, if you start out with a trainer, you might see some results...and it wouldn't hurt matters if it looked like they were in shape, so they know what they are talking about. A good analogy for my reasoning, I think. Well, onto the Mookie Wednesday!
Ouch! Nailed!
Well, the edgie917 experiment is no more. No more rakeback. No more new name.
I tried to deposit some cash into the new account and got hosed. They closed edgie917 and so now I am back to edgie212. Oh well!
I tried to deposit some cash into the new account and got hosed. They closed edgie917 and so now I am back to edgie212. Oh well!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Ass in gear.
BBT5 Invitational tonight...looking forward, but on to some non-poker content.
2010 for me, by and large, has been a bit of a 'treading water' sort of year so far. Many of you out there in the blogger world know little about me, or what I do, or did, so at least for some of you this might prove to be entertaining reading. For me, it's more about putting a list out there with some simple goals to achieve.
From a very young age, I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up. However far-fetched it might have seemed, I dreamed of moving to New York City and being in a Broadway show. Or, less specifically, being an actor. I followed that goal step-by-step, doing the high school plays, going to one of the best theatre colleges, and plopping my ass in Hell's Kitchen. On what was supposed to be my first day of training at the ultimate cliche(waiting tables), I booked my first Broadway show - and for the next ten years, I did show after show in NY and all over the country, guest starred on TV shows, commercials...you name it. I was making my living as a professional actor.
Then something happened - my dad passed away, and though I have a hard time admitting it, a gear shifted in my head. Sure, I had achieved every goal I had set for myself...but was I really enjoying it? Did it seem important anymore? Was pretending to be someone else for a job actually fulfilling me, or was it moving me away from who I am, or better yet, who I want to be?
And with that, more things happened...I distanced myself from friends in the business...I started working less...I left my agent...and started leaning more on what had, over time, become my survival job, real estate. And that's fine...it isn't my ultimate goal in life, but fine.
Which leads me to where I am...what IS that goal? Is it anything I can put my finger on? What would that goal be, and how would I achieve it?
So I've decided to start simple.
1. Live longer. This means finally getting back to exercising. Granted, I am at my target weight, but I'm not in shape. I LOOK like I am, but I'm not. So, the goal for May is to establish that for myself.
2.Find another agent. Here is where I have REALLY treaded. I could conceivably pick up the phone and find a boutique agent on my resume alone, but since one of my longtime visions has involved finding myself in Los Angeles someday, they need to be bicoastal. While this may seem to be antithetical to the way I feel about 'the biz' right now, it will help me decide if I really want to keep doing it, or change my life altogether.
3. Get up at the same time every day. I am horrible about this. If I have no real timetable for my day, I squander it by sleeping in. For example, I did it today. Not that it is unheard of to do on a Sunday, but for god's sake...let's at least try for 5 days a week.
That's three to start with. I found that in poker, I've really improved by writing about my play...maybe this will help me in non-poker life as well.
2010 for me, by and large, has been a bit of a 'treading water' sort of year so far. Many of you out there in the blogger world know little about me, or what I do, or did, so at least for some of you this might prove to be entertaining reading. For me, it's more about putting a list out there with some simple goals to achieve.
From a very young age, I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up. However far-fetched it might have seemed, I dreamed of moving to New York City and being in a Broadway show. Or, less specifically, being an actor. I followed that goal step-by-step, doing the high school plays, going to one of the best theatre colleges, and plopping my ass in Hell's Kitchen. On what was supposed to be my first day of training at the ultimate cliche(waiting tables), I booked my first Broadway show - and for the next ten years, I did show after show in NY and all over the country, guest starred on TV shows, commercials...you name it. I was making my living as a professional actor.
Then something happened - my dad passed away, and though I have a hard time admitting it, a gear shifted in my head. Sure, I had achieved every goal I had set for myself...but was I really enjoying it? Did it seem important anymore? Was pretending to be someone else for a job actually fulfilling me, or was it moving me away from who I am, or better yet, who I want to be?
And with that, more things happened...I distanced myself from friends in the business...I started working less...I left my agent...and started leaning more on what had, over time, become my survival job, real estate. And that's fine...it isn't my ultimate goal in life, but fine.
Which leads me to where I am...what IS that goal? Is it anything I can put my finger on? What would that goal be, and how would I achieve it?
So I've decided to start simple.
1. Live longer. This means finally getting back to exercising. Granted, I am at my target weight, but I'm not in shape. I LOOK like I am, but I'm not. So, the goal for May is to establish that for myself.
2.Find another agent. Here is where I have REALLY treaded. I could conceivably pick up the phone and find a boutique agent on my resume alone, but since one of my longtime visions has involved finding myself in Los Angeles someday, they need to be bicoastal. While this may seem to be antithetical to the way I feel about 'the biz' right now, it will help me decide if I really want to keep doing it, or change my life altogether.
3. Get up at the same time every day. I am horrible about this. If I have no real timetable for my day, I squander it by sleeping in. For example, I did it today. Not that it is unheard of to do on a Sunday, but for god's sake...let's at least try for 5 days a week.
That's three to start with. I found that in poker, I've really improved by writing about my play...maybe this will help me in non-poker life as well.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Up and down poker evening
Last night was a poker-filled evening of the live and online variety.
The NYC poker underground was greeted with a somewhat new entry, just a few blocks from my apartment. This game had a brief but unorganized life back in the winter and I attended a couple of times because Matty and ScottyCards were there to deal and play, but once they were no longer asked to deal, they stopped texting the game, and nights would go off without so much as a half-table, so it faded. Apparently the room s under new 'management'(if you could call it that) so Scotty promoted it via text, and I figured I could get a few hours in before the Mookie, or the Dank, or whatever people want to call it these days.
Upon entry at 7 there's already a full table! A second table is forming - but as the dealer went through the cards, it seemed like every deck they had only had 51 cards. Finally after about a half hour of dilly dallying I put down $200 and we started. A flopped baby flush against TPTK and then my 33 hitting a set against a shove, I was well on my way to $300 when this hand happened.
66 in MP, two limpers behind and I make it $8. For the record, it was apparent by this time that $8 in this game was going to invite callers, but I was still only 30 minutes into this game and I was still getting a bead on range. Button and BB call. I don't really remember the flop at this point - I think it was 8-J-X but I came out with $15, the button called, BB folded. The button was taking his time. The turn paired the board with an 8 and two diamonds, and I fired another barrel out. He ruminated for a while, and called. I'm thinking, ok, flush draw. His eyes were focused on the Jack, which was leading me to think I value bet on the river and fold to a raise. River is a 10 that gives the board three diamonds. I have him covered by a good $200, and I've been representing a big pair or maybe even AK or AQ with the diamonds, so I go on and represent the flush and shove.
He was not pleased to see that...he sat and was bewildered for about 45 seconds and I was convinced I had made the right play here. Finally he shook his head and said, " Flush? I have to call." And he turns over 10J. Well, no you didn't have to call! Aaand down goes my profit.
To even the tables out I am moved to the other table where I know more people...but a few people are sort of those 'gang attire' sort of people, one in particular with his arm in a cast. He's that like sneery unshaven too-cool-for=school type guy you'll often see at a table in NYC, not my type of people - and he was talking too much. We tangled in a hand that got me back in the plus column.
I make it 12 in MP with As10s, two limpers call. The flop comes 2-3-5 with two spades. I fire out 17, arm cast guy calls, other guy folds, I call. The turn was a face of some kind, a Q I think, but no spade. I check, he makes it 25. So I'm getting roughly 3-1 odds, with 13 outs. He's got me covered so my implied odds are huge if I hit so I call. Indeed, a spade. I make what looks like a block with 35 and he snap calls. I flipped over the nut flush a bit too fast so I never saw what he had. He muttered some kind of gang-speak under his breath and called me a chaser...well, don't give me odds to chase, I told him! One more big hand with 77 and a 7-A-A flop, and I left at 9:59 with a comfortable $127 profit.
I walk home to greet the Mookie, already in full swing. My Monday From The Rail did not go well, and tonight the Mookie would be no different. Out of 120 something runners I go out in 48th or something. I don't remember any critical hands, but I hope I run a bit better in the coming weeks of the BBT5. I have an invite to the Sunday invitational, so wish me luck!
The NYC poker underground was greeted with a somewhat new entry, just a few blocks from my apartment. This game had a brief but unorganized life back in the winter and I attended a couple of times because Matty and ScottyCards were there to deal and play, but once they were no longer asked to deal, they stopped texting the game, and nights would go off without so much as a half-table, so it faded. Apparently the room s under new 'management'(if you could call it that) so Scotty promoted it via text, and I figured I could get a few hours in before the Mookie, or the Dank, or whatever people want to call it these days.
Upon entry at 7 there's already a full table! A second table is forming - but as the dealer went through the cards, it seemed like every deck they had only had 51 cards. Finally after about a half hour of dilly dallying I put down $200 and we started. A flopped baby flush against TPTK and then my 33 hitting a set against a shove, I was well on my way to $300 when this hand happened.
66 in MP, two limpers behind and I make it $8. For the record, it was apparent by this time that $8 in this game was going to invite callers, but I was still only 30 minutes into this game and I was still getting a bead on range. Button and BB call. I don't really remember the flop at this point - I think it was 8-J-X but I came out with $15, the button called, BB folded. The button was taking his time. The turn paired the board with an 8 and two diamonds, and I fired another barrel out. He ruminated for a while, and called. I'm thinking, ok, flush draw. His eyes were focused on the Jack, which was leading me to think I value bet on the river and fold to a raise. River is a 10 that gives the board three diamonds. I have him covered by a good $200, and I've been representing a big pair or maybe even AK or AQ with the diamonds, so I go on and represent the flush and shove.
He was not pleased to see that...he sat and was bewildered for about 45 seconds and I was convinced I had made the right play here. Finally he shook his head and said, " Flush? I have to call." And he turns over 10J. Well, no you didn't have to call! Aaand down goes my profit.
To even the tables out I am moved to the other table where I know more people...but a few people are sort of those 'gang attire' sort of people, one in particular with his arm in a cast. He's that like sneery unshaven too-cool-for=school type guy you'll often see at a table in NYC, not my type of people - and he was talking too much. We tangled in a hand that got me back in the plus column.
I make it 12 in MP with As10s, two limpers call. The flop comes 2-3-5 with two spades. I fire out 17, arm cast guy calls, other guy folds, I call. The turn was a face of some kind, a Q I think, but no spade. I check, he makes it 25. So I'm getting roughly 3-1 odds, with 13 outs. He's got me covered so my implied odds are huge if I hit so I call. Indeed, a spade. I make what looks like a block with 35 and he snap calls. I flipped over the nut flush a bit too fast so I never saw what he had. He muttered some kind of gang-speak under his breath and called me a chaser...well, don't give me odds to chase, I told him! One more big hand with 77 and a 7-A-A flop, and I left at 9:59 with a comfortable $127 profit.
I walk home to greet the Mookie, already in full swing. My Monday From The Rail did not go well, and tonight the Mookie would be no different. Out of 120 something runners I go out in 48th or something. I don't remember any critical hands, but I hope I run a bit better in the coming weeks of the BBT5. I have an invite to the Sunday invitational, so wish me luck!
Monday, April 19, 2010
An invite, but maybe a down side...
Well, it seems my pleading for an invite garnered some fruit, as alcanthang wrote me today and says I got an invitation! I don't know exactly what brought that to fruition, but there may be a sad ending. Full Tilt may qualify me as edgie212, but I am not edgie212 anymore...I am edgie917. Hopefully this will cause no hiccups, but it might....and I stand by my position about changing my name.
Now before you all accuse me of multi-accounting, I'm not. I took all my money out of edgie212 and have no plans of playing under that name. If I could delete the account, I would, but there seems to be no option to do that. I am just a tad superstitious, and I felt like the name was giving me bad luck, so I changed the number.
Now before you all accuse me of multi-accounting, I'm not. I took all my money out of edgie212 and have no plans of playing under that name. If I could delete the account, I would, but there seems to be no option to do that. I am just a tad superstitious, and I felt like the name was giving me bad luck, so I changed the number.
Friday, April 16, 2010
BBT5 Invitational Invite?
Well, crap - I haven't gotten one. I play in the Mookie, I do my part. Why hasn't an invite dropped on my doorstep?
I sort of feel like this doesn't give everyone an equal shot. Of course, I am the one without an invite at this point, so rightfully so I should be the one sporting that opinion at the moment, but while I am happy there is a BBT5, I don't think the current structure is really equitable if other folks get 6 more shots. Now, of course, if I get invited, screw the rest of you who don't get one. :)
I sort of feel like this doesn't give everyone an equal shot. Of course, I am the one without an invite at this point, so rightfully so I should be the one sporting that opinion at the moment, but while I am happy there is a BBT5, I don't think the current structure is really equitable if other folks get 6 more shots. Now, of course, if I get invited, screw the rest of you who don't get one. :)
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