Poker: A game of skill

I just got home from a multi-table $20 buy-in tournament which I WON. Sounds crazy doesn't it. Maybe not? I got to play heads up with a buddy of mine that I've been wanting to go heads up with for a while. At the final table with about 6 people left, he was in the chip lead and I was in second. He had about twice what I did and before we got started I mentioned to him that we should probably stay away from each other an he informed me that he was going to "play poker". I doubled up through him when I hit my boat and he pushed me All-in on a bluff a few hands later. He then put two other people out in consecutive hands and got back up to about the same stack as myself. He then put out one final guy and we went heads up with only a $1000 chips difference. We went back and forth for about an hour, both playing good hands and bluffing each other. Until I was dealt Kh 9h and the flop hit 10h 9s 4h. What I'm about to explain is called a semi-bluff, which I have wanted to try for a while now but haven't had the opportunity. I bet my draw and he called. The turn was a heart, now is where I checked to act like the flush scared me. He raised four thousand and I re-raise another 6,000. After he thought a while he calls with a K and I took down the pot. The final hand was uneventful I had caught two pair on the river and he pushed tring to bluff me and that was it. I really had fun playing for a change maybe it was because he was a rare skilled opponent.

Losing Streak Over

Today I finally broke my losing streak. What I won is nothing to be proud of but it helps my confidence to win again. This is the first time I haven't lost money since Feb. 29th and the first I've won in over a month. I played in a small shorthand game today and was dealt pocket AA's. The hand was raised, then Re-raised any finally pushed All-in before it got to me. I had no other choice but to call and found up against pocket KK's and AQs. Everyone at the table, including me, felt a K coming but it was a no show. I won the pot and really the tournament right there because we were three handed and it crippled the other two guys. I wouldn't normally write about such a small game but I'm happy to be somewhat out of the slump. Maybe things will turn around for me?

Message to All Readers

I just wanted to make sure that everyone is taking full advantage of all the features on ALRpoker. I know many people get this blog through a feed and miss a lot of the features on this site. The URL is http://alrpoker.blogspot.com. We have a poll and Tip of the Week that are updated weekly. There is a message board forum just for alrpoker members on the right side of the page and also a guestbook that you can sign at the bottom. Thanks for your Support, ALRounder

I Think I Need Therapy

Friday night I felt really really bad about my luck. I have never questioned my ability because I know that its there I just seem to be incredible unlucky. I was so sick that night that I said I would quit playing cards right then and there. If I want to continue to call myself a rounder I cannot do that. I have a total of $37 left in my bank roll that I will play throught before I make any drastic decisions. Something that changed my adittude since then is my discover of the amount of readers I acutally have on this site. Today alone 8 people subscribed to my feed! If you would have told me, two weeks ago, that I would have 8 people subscribe in one day I would have called you crazy. This astonishing fact turned me back around to where I needed to be. People keep telling me that my luck has to turn around sometime but I don't put a lot of faith into that. I do believe in luck but I don't see it as a being who flows from one person to another. Friday night I called the card that would beat me on the river because I knew it was coming. I have gotten to the point where I expect to be beat. This is why I have oppted for the break. I need some time to throw this psychological problem. I will play again as soon as I feel better about the game. (I'm still kind of hurt by the way it treats me but it should not be to long until I'm back).

The End

Tonight I played some of the best poker I have ever played in my life. I made a sick call to put out one player about an hour or so into the tournament. I am dealt pocket JJ's under the gun and have three callers including the SB and BB. When it gets back around I raise 5,000 on top of the 1,600 BB and get two calls. The flop hits Kd Qh 10s. The small blind goes All-in for about 9,000 and the guy in the middle folds. I now have an open-ended draw and with my pair. I figured she was holding an A and also thought if she had hit I didn't think she would push there. If she was drawing with an A I was holding two of her outs. I call and she flips up A _. The turn hits my straight and the river is another blank, so I am sitting with about 50,000 in chips. Here is where it goes down hill. In the BB I am dealt 8 4, and go to the flop with two other people. It hits 8 4 K and I check my two pair. The woman across the table from me, who had been complaining about wanting to leave all night, raises 2,000. The guy to my right folds and I decide to go ahead and push because I know I will get a call. She does call for almost 30,000 in chips. She turns over one pair and I show two. The turn is a blank and the river is a J which just happened to be her kicker. Who would have guessed that I, of all people, would get drawn out on. I have to say, being physically sick aside, that is the worst I have ever felt. I was still probably third I chips at my five person table but I couldn't sit their with those idiots any longer. I threw away the rest of my chips in the next few hands on purpose just so I could leave. With all of that being said I can't bear being beat day after day like I have been for the last few months. I am as of now no longer a card player. Poker for me has turned into nothing more than a waste of money. As far as the blog goes I'm going to try and get one of my friends to write on it for a while. He pretty much plays the same games I do and a lot on the internet so that will be good for the internet player/readers, if any, that I have. I apologize to the four or so people who do read this blog on any regular basis but I can no longer play this game.

Sincerly, ALRounder

Stupid Donkeys

I Hate donkeys. Not the animals, the other donkeys. You know someone who would fit this description, the person who thinks their good but this assumption only makes them worse. I was playing in a small multi-table game tonight and had made it to the final table with my low stack. I doubled up about two hands in an played it safe for 30 mins. or so. I'm dealt pocket JJ's and push All-in pre-flop because I see the guy to my left is going to do the same thing but with about 3,000 less chips than myself. We go heads up and he catches a K on the Turn to beat me. Two hands later I am in the big blind and are dealt A Jo. There are three callers to the blinds and I go All-in for another 4,500. It folds around to the guy to my right who calls and flips over Q 6o. The flop falls blank for both of us but on the turn I am not so lucky when a 6 hits. I really wanted to get up and leave as soon as he called because he is both the luckiest and the biggest donkey I know. Go figure "You can't beat Stupid".

Not to Complain

I'm not going to complain about being unlucky but if anybody should have the right, as far as cards go anyway, it would be me. To give you the gist of what happened we played a short-hand game today and I was in the chip lead when I am dealt 99. I raise pre-flop and get one call. The flop hits Q 10 _*, and I check. He raises 5oo and I re-raise another 2000. I did this for two reasons. The first is that I believed he had two high cards, and having two over cards to me on the board I had to re-raise to find out if he had hit the board. If he was drawing I was sure he would lay it down because I gave him horrible odds on his money. The second is I was really just trying to take the pot right there, I knew he was drawing and the re-raise he made was way to strong (I thought for him to have hit). He goes All-in and I call owing only 1500 more. He flips his open ended straight draw over confirming my suspicions and I show my 99's. The turn is 9 and the river is an A making his straight both ways. I really couldn't blame him for drawing in the first place but I believe he made a mistake but calling my 2000 re-raise. A few hands later with about 3500 left the guy to my right goes All-in for about 2500 and I call with pocket QQ's. He shows JJ, to the untrained eye, I would appear to be the favorite, but not if you know me. The turn is a J and the river was also a J. Who would have guessed?
(*Note: This flop may not be exact)

I Quit the Internet

Internet Poker sucks, a lot! I have watched the percentage for myself to win go from 60% to 98% to 0% for the last time. If I can get beat I will especially on the internet. I think it’s kind of going to my head. I mean when I play online Sit-N-Go’s if someone goes all-in in front of me on the first hand I’ll probably call with any face card. I do this because if I fold at least one person will call causing me to play the remainder of the game against a large stacked donkey. I think it is also affecting my live game, not a lot but I sometimes think about calling with hands I should not even consider. As you can read I do not need any distraction. With that being said I officially quit playing poker online (for now).

Despair

It has been one month to the day since I've won a tournament. My loss at the VFW last Sunday was disappointing but expected. I'm going to try and play in a few tournaments this weekend and if I profit anything I will play again at the VFW on Sunday. I have very little money now so playing anywhere will be hard. It puts a lot more pressure on me than most people have to deal with becuase if I don't win I am left with nothing. No gas, no food, and no Buy-Ins. (There is a donation button on the right side of this page if any one would like to help me out. Any amount is appreciated).

Bad Streak

After my loss Sunday at the VFW I have tied my all-time worst losing streak at -$100. I haven't been on a "run" like this since may of '07. The good thing is, that its not going to get worse anytime soon but its not going to get better either. I am dead broke. I played in a little tournament this afternoon where I bought in off of some dept I was owed. (You can't expect to run a successful business and have people owing you money and that's what poker is, to me at least, a business). But anyway that game was pretty ridiculous, and a game that I should have won but missed the opportunity. I flopped a boat but I ran everyone out that would have hit anything pre-flop bacause I re-raised to much with my pocket QQ's. The Flop hit A A Q. Then I ran the other guy out on the turn. One of my opponents would have flopped trip AAA's and the other would have turned a straight. To bad we can't live in the world of would because I would be a millionaire.

You Can't Beat Stupid

Well, I played in the tourney today and ... Before I drove over to the VFW, I discussed with two other patrons of the game, what my "strategy" would be. And I did exactly what I had planned on doing. I wanted to play very tight to the point of calling the blinds only when I had an A with a good kicker. I only played four hands in the little under two hours I was involved in the game. The first hand I decided to play was AQ. I called the 200 forced bet, and with no raises, the flop hit A 5 J. I led the betting by adding 500 to the already $500 pot and got one caller from the opposite side of the table. The turn card is an blank I bet five hundred again and get a call. The river hits an 8 so I check not wanting to put all my money in the pot and he flips over Trip 8's. The only hand I won all night long would follow about an hour later when I checked my pocket 8's down after betting them on the flop. The third hand escapes my memory. My final hand was against the woman directly to my right (who had already rebought several times). I am dealt AK and with only two other people in the flop I decied to check as to not scare any of them away. The flop hits A 7 9 and everyone checks to me where I bet 500. The player to my right folds and one flat calls. The turn is a 6 that is checked to me again and I bet 500 and get a call. The river is a blank on which I bet 1000 and am called and beaten by top two pair A 6. You can't beat Stupid! It has been a while since I have won a good hand. I think I might actually go on tilt if I hit one.

Tourney or Not

I had planned to play in the $30 re-buy tournament at the VFW tomorrow but now I'm thinking that may not happen. Its really about the money, I have enough for the buy-in but I also need to drive to school next week. The donations haven't been rolling in like one would hope (ha). I also really need to write another speech tomorrow but on the other hand I need a tourney to write about too. I would normally have no problem spending my last few dollars to get into a game but the VFW is far from normal (the chances of winning there are slim to none).I'm not going to count myself out yet but its not looking good.

No Luck on the Draw

This is from a section of the book I was writing until I have a chance to play in a game:
7:45 PM January 27, 2008 VFW – As I walk into the VFW hopeful I’m not late, due to a run in with the law, I find the first game still well underway. I find a chair at the near table and discuss the many hazards of playing against “less than equal” opponents with a friend that walked in around the same time. There are no real players here or anywhere for that matter outside our own home game. Real poker is not being played on the ash scared tables of the VFW but rather a form of “ok, everyone flip your cards over and we’ll see who has the best hand”. To my knowledge I have never purposely been bluffed here. I have folded to “players” that unknowingly represent the winning hand only to later proudly display their inferior pair on the river. Alternatively you can’t bluff these same people either. I have a few rules about bluffing that I run down before I attempt one. 1. They must be breathing on their own. Believe it or not I have play against more than you person with oxygen tubes in their nose. 2. I always stay away from people who have just lost a big hand. Someone else being on tilt can hurt you just as bad as themselves. 3. I will not attempt to bluff someone who either a. things everything is funny, b. does not exhibit some vital signs of life, or c. any unknown women. Unfortunately for me the VFW must breed these sorts of people. The first game finally ends about 8:30 with a grey haired woman who must be in her 70’s winning the 975 dollar first place pot. My interview on Friday was a bust so I have to borrow another ten dollars to go with my fifteen for the buy-in. About an hour into the tournament I’m down only about 75 of my initial 5000 chips. The next hole cards I am dealt are K♥ 10♥ so I call the 200 forced bet. With no raises the flop hits Q♥ J♦ 4♥. I have flopped both an open ended straight and one card to the flush draws. Not a bad place at all to be in at this point in the hand. I’m going to stop and say that by nature I will not usually draw what so ever, but I had the very same draw two weeks ago on the flop and did not hit so my thinking was “what are the odds of me missing this huge draw again. I check and a guy four seats down on my left bets 1600 it folds around to me and I call. The turn card is 7♠, I check and he goes all-in for about 1200. I think about it and call needing any 8, J, or ♥ to make my hand. He flips over a pair of JJ’s and I now see that a K would also do the trick. With almost half the remaining deck in my favor the 4♣ falls and with all hope of winning this tourney. In a normal situation I would not have called that large of a bet but this is a far from normal game and I would win nothing with the chips I had at the time. With only a few hundred chips left I will spare you the disgust of listening to my demise in this tournament. I will say that the guy that won that hand was put out a few hands before me holding a pair of four. I doubt I play again until I receive my income tax return from the government. I have no clue when this will be since it takes them five years to pave a road.

Advice Warning

I am by no means a professional card player. But just as the title says "poker for the common man" I have logged hundreds of hours playing in living rooms and bars. You don't need to know how to play Phil Ivey or Gus Hansen. Your going to be playing Bubba Ray who is drunk and never graduated high school. All of the books and websites out right now are written by pros for pros. They have forgotten what they had to go through to get to the top. This site is about getting in the mind of the donkey and exploiting their stupidity. (Note: A donkey is someone who thinks they are good but this assumption only makes them worse.)

Not there yet

I've worked on the site for a couple of hours tonight and have made a few improvements. Its still not complete thought. It will take time for me to add past games and find money to play new ones.

I have no money

4:10 pm My House: I have no job and no money. I just found out what a blog was on some site after I searched for ways to "make money with no money". So here i am broke and bored. I guess i'll tell you about myself. I am ALRounder, I'm a 19 yr old college student, I have no job and I play way to much poker. Really its not all my fault I mean I couldn't quit if I wanted to because the only friends I do have eat, breath, and sleep this game too. So over the coarse of however long this keeps me interested I will write about the ups and downs of playing poker.