Been Away, Coming Back

Woo boy it's been a while. I thought I was slacking when it came to the Vegas blog, this is even worse.

Oddly enough, it wasn't even poker that brought me back to the poker blog. It was a book by Malcom Gladwell called "The Bomber Mafia", which reminded me of "Outliers", which reminded me of how I was tracking my time playing poker in a "quest" (though that's too strong a word) to reach the 10,000 hour mark. I checked back here to see how far I had actually gotten in that "quest" and realized just how long it had been since I'd updated this space in any fashion.

Some cross-checking off the SFPT records tells me that since that last entry, we have played twice, both in 2020. Obviously I don't remember exact times, but based on the total time for each tournament and my finishing positions (third and fourth), I'm going to estimate that I added three hours to my home game total. 

I do want to keep up with this blog and the running hours, mostly because I want to get back in the habit of writing more, and also because I'm curious to see just how close to that 10,000 hour mark I can get. It will also be a good writing exercise, in that I am going to continue to try to stay away from recap-style entries and use poker as a setting for other observations.

Total time: 3 hours

Total Home Game time: 166.76

Total hours: 285 

Breaking the del Lago Seal

The tweet I put out when I sat down said it all: "Finally - FINALLY - making our debut at the del Lago poker room".

It had been over two years, almost to the day, since I played in a cash game, mostly for lack of desire but also for lack of opportunity.  The desire came back for both Tina and I after watching this year's WSOP coverage, and the opportunity followed when I got a comp day from work and Tina took a personal day to match.  Rather than recap everything that happened (I'm trying to shy away from that), I'll just share some thoughts.

Overall, it went well, even though I lost my entire $200 buy-in in about two and a half hours.  I played pretty well, in terms of seeing the board, folding when I should (most of the time), and using position to my advantage.  In fact, position was the one thing I had decided to focus on heading in, and for the most part, it was a success. 

Position led me to what I consider the biggest success I had of the day, running two bluffs with post-flop c-bets holding absolutely nothing.  One didn't win me much, but the other was good for about 50 bucks, not too bad in my world.  Both were against the same guy, who reminded me of the old guy who fakes the heart attack in "Oceans 11".

As for the table itself: I knew going in I would likely be the only non-regular, and with the exception of one guy in seat 9 who busted well before I did, I'm pretty sure I was right.  They were all pretty cool, though not very chatty, though I did strike up short conversations with the guy on my immediate right and the one two seats to the left.  As it often does, sports played a role in kicking off the discussion, with a Phillies/Dodgers game being shown on the TV just behind our table.

So why did I bust?  Quite a few hands where I called pre-flop and folded after not hitting anything, and the last hand where I had queens, raised pre-flop, got three callers, and was raised after the flop of 8d/A6/9s.  I called, was re-raised, and went all in for my last $21 even though I knew there was a lot that could beat me.  I was hoping the other guy had a diamond draw, and figured either 1) he could miss the draw or 2), he could hit it, but a fourth diamond would come and give me a good chance of winning with a flush since one of my queens was the diamond.

As it turned out, he had an ace, and no more diamonds hit, and I was out.  SAD.  But, I say I played well because I thought all that through, and took a calculated risk.  As I have said many times, I can tell when I don't play well, and since I wasn't tilting as I got up, I knew I did okay.

The only time I came close to tilting was when another of the regulars, John With the Shades and 'Stash, re-raised me pre-flop to $67.  This after he had done the same to me about three hands in with a $110 shove, and I folded with the comment/explanation of "too early for that".  I only had $6 invested in the pot and my cards weren't that great so it was an easy fold.  The second time though, I held Ah/Qh and REALLY wanted to call.  I tanked for an eternity (by my standards and cash game standards) before laying it down, with the reasoning that any pair would put me behind.

As I thought about things over a beer at Centrifico, I came to my biggest lesson of the day: the difference between tournament and cash strategy, and my lack of experience in the latter.  In a tourney, that hand would have been a snap call or even a shove.  Which then led me to my second lesson: you have to love - not just like, LOVE - your cards when playing cash, especially out of position.  Otherwise, live to fight another day.

All told, it was a good experience, and I can't wait to get back in there.  I'd love to make myself one of those regulars, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. 

Total hours: 2.5
Total Cash Game hours: 20.75
Total hours: 282

Home Game 2018

Lately, I've been big on learning lessons.  Not with poker, but with life.  Something will happen and teach me something, and I distill that down to a few words that I can hopefully remember for the future.  For example, my last trip to a Chinese buffet, and the way I felt after, told me I am done with buffets.

Life lessons can often come from poker too, and I learned one during our first SFPT game of 2018.  It's well-documented that a couple of drinks helps me loosen up and play better; what was not documented was how many was too many.  Based on my result, and how I felt the next morning, I've now found that number.

My play for the June 30 tournament was actually pretty good, finishing second to Matt.  My best hand of the night was slow-playing trip nines to take out Oscar, and even my biggest loss of the night was played well - I called Tina's all-in shove after the river with two pair, not believing she had the flush she was representing.  She did, and took a huge pot, but I was able to recover.

One of the reasons I say I know my limit now is my decision making heads-up. I didn't play terrible - a couple of coin flips gone differently and this recap would have a different tone - but I know in hindsight that I was too buzzed to think several hands ahead and play in the aggressive manner that I know brings heads-up success.

Still, second isn't bad, and more importantly, everyone there seemed to have fun.  Sadly, it's going to be a while before we have that same lineup again, as Chris and Jamie are moving to Georgia in just over a month. 

Tournament time: 3 hours
Total Home Game hours: 163.75
Total hours: 279.5

Home Games Restart

We managed to get in an SFPT tournament last weekend, which shouldn't be too much of a surprise - the fact that we haven't had one in 18 months is a function of desire and nothing more.  In fact, Saturday's get-together came together pretty quickly, leaving only a couple of weeks between my most recent play and this tournament.

We got set up during the day, and after the table top was on, Jules wanted to play some.  I played with her, teaching her hand strength, and had to laugh as twice I caught three-outers to "beat" her.  She took it well, but I didn't - every bit of luck I used up in that setting was a bit I didn't have for the real game.  Or at least, that's what the superstitious part of me believed. 

To say my performance in the seven-player tournament wasn't good would be accurate, but also a bit misleading.  It is accurate in that I finished last, and results matter, so therefore by definition it was not a good performance.  However, it's not like I pissed away my chips on a stupid chase, got bluffed, or got blinded out.  Rather I simply got beat, and in a way that was eerily reminiscent of the last time I'd played.

I was sitting in average position when I was dealt A/K clubs, and raised pre-flop.  Matt and CJ called, and when the flop gave me kings, I c-bet.  Matt folded after a short tank, and CJ called.  The turn was an ace to give me two pair with no flush draw on the board.  Again I bet, higher this time, and after mulling it over CJ again called.  The river didn't improve my hand, but did put a straight possibility on the board.  Either he had it or he didn't, and I decided to shove, as any large bet would have left me crippled.  My hope was that the shove, and the words "all in", would project confidence to the youngster, and force a fold.  It didn't, he showed his rivered straight, and a count proved he had me covered.

What could I have done differently?  Bet higher after the turn, and not give him a chance to get that straight.  Twice now I have been in that situation, and I have a feeling the lesson is going to stick this time. 

That being said, I know it wasn't a HORRIBLE play, and my calmness after seeing CJ's cards proved that point.  After a short bathroom break I took over as dealer and kept the tournament moving, which I think helped in getting us complete at a decent hour. 

As the tournament progressed, talk inevitability turned to del Lago, and the poker room.  Matt was the one who brought it up for the umpteenth time, saying part of him wants to but every time he goes out there, "I'm just not feeling it".  I can relate, but I also know I want to dip my toe in that pool at some point.

Tournament time: 1 hour
Total Home Game hours: 160.75
Total hours: 276.5

Back to the Bar Scene

I never would have predicted my first experience with "bar poker" back in April, but as soon as I knew I was going to Denver in October, I knew another similar foray was on the menu.  My co-worker Mike, who guided me around last time, runs a game twice a week at a bar a few miles from the office, and he had mentioned a while back that I'd have to come play next time I was in town.

"Next time" was last week, and as soon as we met up on Tuesday morning, we made plans - Thursday it was.  The big surprise?  Our boss decided to come along, originally even saying she wanted to play only to change her mind when we arrived.  No matter, she still had a good time.

The game got started just after seven.  The set up was very similar to Texas - a sign up sheet, and a cash payout to the winner, with late entries on a waiting list to get in as people were knocked out.  This was a logistical concession rather than a tournament-setup one; there were only three dealers counting Mike, though there was at least one more table that could have been set up.

That right there was the biggest change from Texas, and a good one - no dealing ourselves, which meant I wouldn't have a chance to screw things up and embarrass myself.  I only had to worry about my play and my mouth doing that.  Fortunately, neither did, though the former didn't give the latter much of a chance.

I think I ended up seeing about 15 hands in total, making it only through the second blind level (they were pretty slow levels, now that I think about it).  Like last time, two hands stick out, with the rest being either pre-flop folds or limps where I caught nothing and folded to subsequent raises.

The first saw me raise pre with A/10 diamonds, get two callers, and the flop come K/8/9 all hearts.  I c-betted as a bluff, got a call, and the other guy came way over top.  I tanked for a few seconds just for show but it was an easy fold.  The other guy called and they ended up in a showdown; both hands had me beat including the nut flush.

The last had saw me raise pre again with Q/J off, get three callers, and catch two pair with a rag in the middle.  This time I was second to act after a check, again c-betted, and two callers.  The turn was an ace, I raised again, and was re-raised by the third player to act.  I put him on a flush draw as there were now two diamonds, and went all-in.  The second guy folded but the original raiser called and flipped K/10 for a straight.  Damn it.  I still had hope if I could spike a Q or J, but it was a 6 and that was it for my night.

Still, not a bad play, and as I explained it to Mike afterward, he agreed.  Perhaps if I had bet higher after the flop he would have folded; that's the only way I can think of that I should have played it differently.

Though it was only half an hour, it was still a good experience, and it was good to get my hands on the cards again after such a long absence.

Tournament hours: 0.50 hours
Total Tournament hours: 8
Running Total: 275.5 hours

A New Experience

My first foray into poker in months ended up being a completely new experience.  In Dallas for a work trip, I accepted an invitation from a co-worker to head out for drinks and a game.  In Texas, freeroll tournaments with cash prizes are legal, thus we ended up at a bar playing in a Hold Em tournament at 9:00 on a Wednesday night.

The structure of the tournament was at the least unannounced and at worst disorganized.  I did figure out eventually that late entries were permitted up to the first break; whether rebuys were permitted I'm not sure and couldn't really tell.  I should hope not - what else would stop people from shoving on every single hand up until that first break?  I had hoped to track the number of entrants to see where I ended up, but between the late entries and action at my table, it proved impossible.

I ended up lasting for about three hours, only about 15 minutes less than my co-worker, which worked out well in terms of getting back to the hotel at a decent hour, and not having to sit around and wait.  Overall, I feel I played pretty well.  Two hands stand out (not including the deal I screwed up on my first button - way to make a good impression, Mike).

The first saw my hold A/K hearts, raise and get called all the way down, and miss the nut flush on the river (I had the draw after the flop).  It took a good chunk of chips, but not too bad.  But, it was enough where if I won, I would have been sitting pretty thanks to the total pot.

The other was my last hand.  Short stacked and on the button, I got 2/4 spades and of course had to shove.  I was called with K/K and J/J, and though a 2 came on the flop, the kings held.  How great would that have been, to win with the Cuffe Hand?

However, more than the cards itself, it was the environment and culture I will remember.  Needless to say, there was a decent amount of apprehension going in.  Pretty much everything I got to experience that night was new, save for the cards themselves.  Which, as I mentioned to my co-worker on the way back, is one of the things I love about poker - it can bring people together.  Here we were, a white New Yorker and a Mexican Colorado native, playing poker in Texas with a racially and culturally diverse group of Texans and having a hell of a time doing it.

Everyone was welcoming, and not even in the "be nice to them and take their money" kind of way I have seen in cash games.  It couldn't be that way - no one's money was up for grabs.  We hadn't been at the table ten minutes when people were asking where we were from, how we liked Texas, what else we had planned, making suggestions for things to do, and the like.

After I got knocked out, I walked around a bit.  The room with the card tables was in the back of the bar, and to get to the bar itself and the restrooms you had to walk to the front, and opposite side, of the space.  The dichotomy between the "poker culture" and "bar culture" is striking.  The latter still gives me the willies - slutty girls doing what they do, nasty "bros" and old men trying to be the objects of their "affection", at least for one night.  After I used the restroom, I was tempted to play some of the video games to pass time, but no - I had to get back to the relative normalcy of the poker area.

On the ride back to the hotel, I thought about what a good experience it was, and I was happy I got out of my normal comfort zone.  I also thought about the reminder I just got, of the good poker can do for people.

Tournament hours: 3
Total tournament hours: 7.5
Overall hours: 275

My Worst 45 Minutes of Poker

I made a very brief stop in the 1/2 NL game at Turning Stone on Monday night. Much briefer than I would have hoped, because I played like garbage.  To be expected I suppose, but a series of bad decisions that shouldn't have been made regardless of the amount of "rust" on my game are what had (and still have) me upset.

Tina and I both bought in for $200, and while she ended up breaking even after a long session, my chips were gone practically before my seat was warm.  I folded a bunch of times after calling an initial small raise ahead of me (stupid; love your cards or hate them, don't be lukewarm), and I lost a big chunk trying to push a guy out of a pot holding 4/4 when the flop came 5/6/8 and he re-raised my initial raise of 40.  I folded that, which was probably good, but my issue is I never should have been in the hand to begin with.

The final hand of the night saw me shove my last 60 holding A/Q after a 10/rag/10 flop, get called, and see the woman have a ten in her hand.  What irked me a bit was that she said "I'm sure you have me" as she called, and then flip A/10.  In what world does she think she's beat holding trips and an ace kicker? Dumbass statement.

I got out of there after that (gracefully as possible, even saying "nice hand"), walked around for a while, and eventually went back to the room.  I was DONE at that point.  Only now, over 24 hours later, am I even entertaining the idea of playing poker again, in any form, ever.

It's too bad my night went so poorly on the felt, because the game around me was pretty entertaining up to that point.  There were a ton of huge pots, most featuring the two older guys on to the right of the dealer.  One of them lost a pot for over 300, had to re-buy for another 200, and lost all of that a few hands later.  Didn't stop him from re-buying once again.

My only saving grace in my poor play was that Tina and I didn't make it known we were together when we sat down, and therefore she wasn't embarrassed in front of the rest of the table by my actions.  Small victory, but an important one.

Race to 10K: 0.75 cash game hours, 18.25 total cash game hours, 272 total hours

(Note: I'm continuing to keep track of this because it will be interesting to see where it ends up by the time I die.  I don't even have a prediction, and honestly even if I got to 10,000 hours I still don't feel like I'd be anything close to an expert.)