I have been playing limit stud lately 25c 50c.Just needed to get away from all the NL donkeys. So far so good.Growing the bankroll little by little.
Bankroll $143
Monday, December 11, 2006
Monday, December 04, 2006
land of the donkeys
I know, I know! You had the best hand, and Donkey-boy hit a miracle card to kill your two pair: aces over kings. In case you were wondering, he did notice you had re-raised pre-flop. He also realized that you bet straight out when A-K-9 hit the board. He should have known you had the ace or king paired up – at least! He knew you would be upset when the ten completed his set on the river. Quit calling him names. There is no “do-over” in poker. But before you go, can I ask you a question? Why are you playing a $2 sit-n-go at two in the morning? Don’t you know that this is the Land of the Donkeys?
If you insist on playing in my land, you should know what you’re up against. Do you really want to know what makes a guy stay in a hand pre-flop with 8-10 when you have clearly raised big from under the gun? Let me introduce you to some common donkey breeds:
SHOW-ME DONKEY:
You have been on a rush of good cards and won four hands in a row without a showdown. The Show-me Donkey thinks you have been stealing hands and is sick of your crap. So now you have yet another big hand? Okay, let’s see it.
SOLUTION: When facing a short stack to your left, choose hands that you don’t mind playing for the entire amount of his stack. This is especially true if the short stack is on the button or recently lost a big hand. See the On-the-Button Donkey and Steamed Donkey below.
SHORT-STACK DONKEY:
Face it. The short stack is likely to call with any ace, any face-suited, any two face cards, or any pair. There is also a possibility that he’ll call with any low connectors, hoping to have two live cards.
SOLUTION: When facing a short stack to your left, choose hands that you don’t mind playing for the entire amount of his stack. This is especially true if the short stack is on the button or recently lost a big hand. See the On-the-Button Donkey and Steamed Donkey below.
ON-THE-BUTTON DONKEY:
Blame television for this one. One of the factoids emblazoned across the bottom of the screen during the 2003 WPT telecasts read: Many professionals will call a raise with marginal hands on the button to discourage aggressive play. This has been interpreted in Donkey-speak as, “I should defend my blinds with any hand.” This is terrible poker. The practice of defending the blind is a complex mix of situational awareness and gamesmanship that only an experienced player should try.
SOLUTION: You can’t put the Donkey on a hand just because he called a raise from the blind. He could literally have anything. You must make a probe bet of four times any bet he makes, or bet the pot if he checks ahead of you, to see if he has a hand. If you don’t hit anything that’s worth a bet on the flop, then check/fold and hope for the best.
STEAMED DONKEY:
This donkey just got crushed in a big hand – maybe he got out-donked by one of his donkey siblings. He is steaming, hates poker, and is vowing never to play this stupid game again. He is capable of anything – all-in with trash, calling with gutshot draws and any flush draw, regardless of the pot odds.
SOLUTION: Go ahead and play the Steaming Donkey. Just don’t be steaming yourself if he spanks you with a nine-high flush.
VENGEFUL DONKEY:
Have you been a brat? Have you been verbally whipping your donkey? What did you think the donkey’s reaction would be to your ruthless ridicule of his bad play? Here is what happens: If you ridicule and taunt that donkey enough, he will tighten up his play. He will wait until he has the super premium hands that you claim only to play, slow play you on every street, and finally bust you over the head with the acesfull anvil on the banks of Donkey River.
SOLUTION: Don’t ridicule donkey play! How many times do you have to read this piece of advice? Just stop it!
FLUSH DONKEY:
The favorite hand of donkeys worldwide is the flush. They will play any two suited cards in either blind. That is good news for you most of the time, because it usually will not hit, right? Well, that’s true if you have one or two donkeys at your table, but if you have six donkeys you are in trouble, because someone is playing suited cards. Suited cards come fairly often.
SOLUTION: You must be suspicious of any flop with two suited cards. Don’t let it cripple your play, because usually the flush doesn’t materialize. However, if you get quick calls from donkeys behind you, expect they are on flush draw. When online, you will need to over-bet the pot to get the Flush Donkey to lay it down. But if he is also a Steamed Donkey or a Short-Stacked Donkey, even that won’t work. Prepare to lay down you’re A-A or K-K when the third heart hits on the river. And one more thing: If the heart hits on the turn, the donkey will slowplay and raise on the river.
STUBBORN DONKEY: Donkeys are stubborn by nature. It’s a defining characteristic of the breed. When a donkey bets into a flop, he will call your raise – almost always. This is because the donkey still feels the money he bets is his. He will chase it – at least for one more street. You will need to bet/raise again on the turn to knock him down. If you check the turn after raising the flop, the donkey will always bet big to represent a big hand.
SOLUTION: The most likely time to eliminate a donkey from a hand is not on the flop, but on the turn. Many donkeys play by the following donkey rule: get in as cheap as possible, call the flop bet, and raise the turn. Look for this pattern. If you have a good hand, reraising on the turn is your best option. If not, wait for a better hand.
DONKEY PARTY: Are you playing in a $3 rebuy tourney? How about a $5 sit-n-go? Are you prepared to get your *** handed to you again and again? These games are where the donkeys get together to socialize and rub noses. If you want to play here, fine. But if you start winning on a regular basis, you may have just ruined your game and become a donkey, too.
SOLUTION: You need to play tight, especially early. Once you get a decent lead, you will need to raise four to five times the big blind pre-flop to get the donkeys to lay down marginal hands. If there is more than one caller ahead of you, you will need to bet the pot to eliminate players. Most importantly, expect the worst and don’t get steamy. After all, you asked for it.
SUMMARY:
If you made it this far, you probably have a lot of opinions about what you just read. If you want to play with me in the Land of the Donkeys, you will need to read it again. If you have a decent foundation game, and you apply this advice, you can expect to improve your positive monthly return. You MUST mentally categorize this level of play as Donkey Land play, so it does not creep into your regular game (assuming you have another game). If you can’t stomach this kind of play, I suggest you move to the Land of Awesome Skills. Although I hear they ride the occasional donkey there, too. His breed is “Money-to- Burn Donkey.”
If you insist on playing in my land, you should know what you’re up against. Do you really want to know what makes a guy stay in a hand pre-flop with 8-10 when you have clearly raised big from under the gun? Let me introduce you to some common donkey breeds:
SHOW-ME DONKEY:
You have been on a rush of good cards and won four hands in a row without a showdown. The Show-me Donkey thinks you have been stealing hands and is sick of your crap. So now you have yet another big hand? Okay, let’s see it.
SOLUTION: When facing a short stack to your left, choose hands that you don’t mind playing for the entire amount of his stack. This is especially true if the short stack is on the button or recently lost a big hand. See the On-the-Button Donkey and Steamed Donkey below.
SHORT-STACK DONKEY:
Face it. The short stack is likely to call with any ace, any face-suited, any two face cards, or any pair. There is also a possibility that he’ll call with any low connectors, hoping to have two live cards.
SOLUTION: When facing a short stack to your left, choose hands that you don’t mind playing for the entire amount of his stack. This is especially true if the short stack is on the button or recently lost a big hand. See the On-the-Button Donkey and Steamed Donkey below.
ON-THE-BUTTON DONKEY:
Blame television for this one. One of the factoids emblazoned across the bottom of the screen during the 2003 WPT telecasts read: Many professionals will call a raise with marginal hands on the button to discourage aggressive play. This has been interpreted in Donkey-speak as, “I should defend my blinds with any hand.” This is terrible poker. The practice of defending the blind is a complex mix of situational awareness and gamesmanship that only an experienced player should try.
SOLUTION: You can’t put the Donkey on a hand just because he called a raise from the blind. He could literally have anything. You must make a probe bet of four times any bet he makes, or bet the pot if he checks ahead of you, to see if he has a hand. If you don’t hit anything that’s worth a bet on the flop, then check/fold and hope for the best.
STEAMED DONKEY:
This donkey just got crushed in a big hand – maybe he got out-donked by one of his donkey siblings. He is steaming, hates poker, and is vowing never to play this stupid game again. He is capable of anything – all-in with trash, calling with gutshot draws and any flush draw, regardless of the pot odds.
SOLUTION: Go ahead and play the Steaming Donkey. Just don’t be steaming yourself if he spanks you with a nine-high flush.
VENGEFUL DONKEY:
Have you been a brat? Have you been verbally whipping your donkey? What did you think the donkey’s reaction would be to your ruthless ridicule of his bad play? Here is what happens: If you ridicule and taunt that donkey enough, he will tighten up his play. He will wait until he has the super premium hands that you claim only to play, slow play you on every street, and finally bust you over the head with the acesfull anvil on the banks of Donkey River.
SOLUTION: Don’t ridicule donkey play! How many times do you have to read this piece of advice? Just stop it!
FLUSH DONKEY:
The favorite hand of donkeys worldwide is the flush. They will play any two suited cards in either blind. That is good news for you most of the time, because it usually will not hit, right? Well, that’s true if you have one or two donkeys at your table, but if you have six donkeys you are in trouble, because someone is playing suited cards. Suited cards come fairly often.
SOLUTION: You must be suspicious of any flop with two suited cards. Don’t let it cripple your play, because usually the flush doesn’t materialize. However, if you get quick calls from donkeys behind you, expect they are on flush draw. When online, you will need to over-bet the pot to get the Flush Donkey to lay it down. But if he is also a Steamed Donkey or a Short-Stacked Donkey, even that won’t work. Prepare to lay down you’re A-A or K-K when the third heart hits on the river. And one more thing: If the heart hits on the turn, the donkey will slowplay and raise on the river.
STUBBORN DONKEY: Donkeys are stubborn by nature. It’s a defining characteristic of the breed. When a donkey bets into a flop, he will call your raise – almost always. This is because the donkey still feels the money he bets is his. He will chase it – at least for one more street. You will need to bet/raise again on the turn to knock him down. If you check the turn after raising the flop, the donkey will always bet big to represent a big hand.
SOLUTION: The most likely time to eliminate a donkey from a hand is not on the flop, but on the turn. Many donkeys play by the following donkey rule: get in as cheap as possible, call the flop bet, and raise the turn. Look for this pattern. If you have a good hand, reraising on the turn is your best option. If not, wait for a better hand.
DONKEY PARTY: Are you playing in a $3 rebuy tourney? How about a $5 sit-n-go? Are you prepared to get your *** handed to you again and again? These games are where the donkeys get together to socialize and rub noses. If you want to play here, fine. But if you start winning on a regular basis, you may have just ruined your game and become a donkey, too.
SOLUTION: You need to play tight, especially early. Once you get a decent lead, you will need to raise four to five times the big blind pre-flop to get the donkeys to lay down marginal hands. If there is more than one caller ahead of you, you will need to bet the pot to eliminate players. Most importantly, expect the worst and don’t get steamy. After all, you asked for it.
SUMMARY:
If you made it this far, you probably have a lot of opinions about what you just read. If you want to play with me in the Land of the Donkeys, you will need to read it again. If you have a decent foundation game, and you apply this advice, you can expect to improve your positive monthly return. You MUST mentally categorize this level of play as Donkey Land play, so it does not creep into your regular game (assuming you have another game). If you can’t stomach this kind of play, I suggest you move to the Land of Awesome Skills. Although I hear they ride the occasional donkey there, too. His breed is “Money-to- Burn Donkey.”
lost races
Today was a race day
6 BIG PAIRS ALLIN PRE FLOP
AA 2 TIMES KK 2TIMES QQ ONCE AND JJ ONCE
NONE HELD UP UN FREAKING BELIEVEABLE.
AA both lose to kj and all others lose to AA sees about right (rigged)
I think I need to wear a tin foil hat while online
Bankroll
$115
6 BIG PAIRS ALLIN PRE FLOP
AA 2 TIMES KK 2TIMES QQ ONCE AND JJ ONCE
NONE HELD UP UN FREAKING BELIEVEABLE.
AA both lose to kj and all others lose to AA sees about right (rigged)
I think I need to wear a tin foil hat while online
Bankroll
$115
Saturday, December 02, 2006
playing a maniac
Playing with maniacs at your table can be both a good and a bad thing. Regardless of whether you are at a live table, or playing online poker on the internet, you must realize that there are certain "rules" required to play with a "madman" as some people like to call them.
A maniac, for purposes of this article, is a player who has no respect for real poker hands, nor for his bankroll, or yours. They are probably playing at a level of play that makes any losses seem minor to them. They like to use intimidation and aggressiveness as a means to get other players off their game. They are capable of playing any two cards as a starting hand.
Let's start with live games. In a live game this type of player may even use taunts verbally to throw you off emotionally. Ignore them! Online, on an internet poker site, they might even use the chat window to make comments. My first rule is to turn off the chat window. Especially online, people tend to hide behind the mask of being anonymous to even say crueler than normal comments. Racial, ethic and sexual comments abound. You cannot, as I like to say, "Get in a battle of wits with an unarmed man.... "
You must stay in control. The last thing you need to do is get emotionally irritated as it will affect your game negatively. You have to be the one in control. Everyone around you will be chasing the "idiot " who plays every hand, bets every flop, and often raises anyone that bets into them. You will find yourself playing weaker hands than you know is correct. Your justification will be that "he" is playing crap, and that you are still playing better hands than him most of the time. The exact opposite way of thinking is necessary. You must tighten your game down even more.
First rule. You should try and sit to the left of the maniac. Sit as closely behind him as possible. You want to be able to determine your action based on his or her action. This may not always be possible, but move as soon as it is. If you are in front, especially immediately in front, of the maniac, you will be subject to their constant raising without any control. Also, if you check a hand into them, and the maniac bets, others behind them will raise him because of his erratic style of play. This will cause you to have to put in two bets to call.
This brings up another point. Do not play in a game with a maniac if your bankroll is low. If you have a short temper, or are the type of player that gets easily irritated by bad players, get out of the game. DO NOT CHASE A MANIAC. They can destroy both your state of mind and your chip stack. Your goal is to win money, not to beat the moronic play of such a madman.
On the occasions I have found myself chasing such a player, he inevitably either has a real hand, or makes that miracle catch on the last card to beat me. Ever happened to you? Then you watch this same player distribute his chips to the rest of the players (your chips you lost to him), and go busted before you have a chance to get some chips back from him.
I most often play online at Fulltilt. This site offers a way to make notes on players. I highly suggest you use such a feature when it is available. If you are playing good poker, you will have plenty of time when not in a hand to make such notes. With thousands of new players coming online, you can't be expected to know their every trait. In live games you have the advantage of a face that you can distinctly remember. Online you only have what's known as an "avatar " or character.
Thus far, we have learned how to emotionally play the maniac. Let us now get down to some of the options of how to actually play certain hands. Remember, expect to have to put more money in the pot when you play against an aggressive player. That is why it is important that you don't draw to weak hands. Hands which I don't consider playable anyway, like a king or queen suited with a small card, will become a real temptation. Don't try trapping a bad player with a bad hand. You will quickly become the hunted, rather than the hunter.
Don't get too "cute" with your play against a bad aggressive player. They pay little or no attention. Often at online poker sites, they are playing in multiple games and have no idea of how the action is going until they are "beeped" by the software telling them it is their turn to act. If you really have "the nuts " (the best hand), then you might consider check-raising, but only if you are sure someone behind you will start the betting. Personally, I bet it out hoping to trap other players chasing the maniac. Often the maniac will now throw in a raise to try and steal the pot from you.
When you have strong starting hands, like AK or AA or KK, and the maniac raises, don't be afraid to make it three bets by re-raising him. You want to narrow the field with those hands. That is the main reason to try and sit directly after the maniac in a game. Occasionally, especially in low-limit games, a player will still come in behind you with a three-bet call. This is the reason you only want to play quality hands. In case you get caught in one of those hands where it gets capped (maximum bets) before the flop, you want to have the confidence that you are at least drawing to a high-quality hand.
As some of my final remarks on how to play a maniac, don't forget there are other players in the hand. They can make a hand too. Also remember that a maniac gets the same good hands that other players get. He CAN have a quality hand. When the maniac gets a hand like AA, they can destroy a pot, and your chip stack, if you don't give him credit for a possible winner. It's a patience game with a maniac. You must wait like a hunter. Let the prey come to you! Set the trap and hope they don't make a miracle on the river. If you do lose a big pot to the maniac, take a break. Go outside and have a cigarette if you smoke. It's a lot healthier than the stress building up inside you, and a lot healthier than what might happen to your chip stack if you decide, "I'm gonna get that son of a b...... "
There will be other hands, other days, and more importantly, other maniacs. There is an unlimited supply of bad players. The onset of all the poker shows on television, editing out many of the losing players and their bad plays, has created an image that "any two cards can win". While that is true, it is not the common occurrence. Play good hands. Play in control. Play to win money, not to beat a specific player.
Good luck and good rivers to you
A maniac, for purposes of this article, is a player who has no respect for real poker hands, nor for his bankroll, or yours. They are probably playing at a level of play that makes any losses seem minor to them. They like to use intimidation and aggressiveness as a means to get other players off their game. They are capable of playing any two cards as a starting hand.
Let's start with live games. In a live game this type of player may even use taunts verbally to throw you off emotionally. Ignore them! Online, on an internet poker site, they might even use the chat window to make comments. My first rule is to turn off the chat window. Especially online, people tend to hide behind the mask of being anonymous to even say crueler than normal comments. Racial, ethic and sexual comments abound. You cannot, as I like to say, "Get in a battle of wits with an unarmed man.... "
You must stay in control. The last thing you need to do is get emotionally irritated as it will affect your game negatively. You have to be the one in control. Everyone around you will be chasing the "idiot " who plays every hand, bets every flop, and often raises anyone that bets into them. You will find yourself playing weaker hands than you know is correct. Your justification will be that "he" is playing crap, and that you are still playing better hands than him most of the time. The exact opposite way of thinking is necessary. You must tighten your game down even more.
First rule. You should try and sit to the left of the maniac. Sit as closely behind him as possible. You want to be able to determine your action based on his or her action. This may not always be possible, but move as soon as it is. If you are in front, especially immediately in front, of the maniac, you will be subject to their constant raising without any control. Also, if you check a hand into them, and the maniac bets, others behind them will raise him because of his erratic style of play. This will cause you to have to put in two bets to call.
This brings up another point. Do not play in a game with a maniac if your bankroll is low. If you have a short temper, or are the type of player that gets easily irritated by bad players, get out of the game. DO NOT CHASE A MANIAC. They can destroy both your state of mind and your chip stack. Your goal is to win money, not to beat the moronic play of such a madman.
On the occasions I have found myself chasing such a player, he inevitably either has a real hand, or makes that miracle catch on the last card to beat me. Ever happened to you? Then you watch this same player distribute his chips to the rest of the players (your chips you lost to him), and go busted before you have a chance to get some chips back from him.
I most often play online at Fulltilt. This site offers a way to make notes on players. I highly suggest you use such a feature when it is available. If you are playing good poker, you will have plenty of time when not in a hand to make such notes. With thousands of new players coming online, you can't be expected to know their every trait. In live games you have the advantage of a face that you can distinctly remember. Online you only have what's known as an "avatar " or character.
Thus far, we have learned how to emotionally play the maniac. Let us now get down to some of the options of how to actually play certain hands. Remember, expect to have to put more money in the pot when you play against an aggressive player. That is why it is important that you don't draw to weak hands. Hands which I don't consider playable anyway, like a king or queen suited with a small card, will become a real temptation. Don't try trapping a bad player with a bad hand. You will quickly become the hunted, rather than the hunter.
Don't get too "cute" with your play against a bad aggressive player. They pay little or no attention. Often at online poker sites, they are playing in multiple games and have no idea of how the action is going until they are "beeped" by the software telling them it is their turn to act. If you really have "the nuts " (the best hand), then you might consider check-raising, but only if you are sure someone behind you will start the betting. Personally, I bet it out hoping to trap other players chasing the maniac. Often the maniac will now throw in a raise to try and steal the pot from you.
When you have strong starting hands, like AK or AA or KK, and the maniac raises, don't be afraid to make it three bets by re-raising him. You want to narrow the field with those hands. That is the main reason to try and sit directly after the maniac in a game. Occasionally, especially in low-limit games, a player will still come in behind you with a three-bet call. This is the reason you only want to play quality hands. In case you get caught in one of those hands where it gets capped (maximum bets) before the flop, you want to have the confidence that you are at least drawing to a high-quality hand.
As some of my final remarks on how to play a maniac, don't forget there are other players in the hand. They can make a hand too. Also remember that a maniac gets the same good hands that other players get. He CAN have a quality hand. When the maniac gets a hand like AA, they can destroy a pot, and your chip stack, if you don't give him credit for a possible winner. It's a patience game with a maniac. You must wait like a hunter. Let the prey come to you! Set the trap and hope they don't make a miracle on the river. If you do lose a big pot to the maniac, take a break. Go outside and have a cigarette if you smoke. It's a lot healthier than the stress building up inside you, and a lot healthier than what might happen to your chip stack if you decide, "I'm gonna get that son of a b...... "
There will be other hands, other days, and more importantly, other maniacs. There is an unlimited supply of bad players. The onset of all the poker shows on television, editing out many of the losing players and their bad plays, has created an image that "any two cards can win". While that is true, it is not the common occurrence. Play good hands. Play in control. Play to win money, not to beat a specific player.
Good luck and good rivers to you
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