The 10000$ poker challenge

[Pekka]

I just came third in 500+ person tournament. However, it was for some freaking virtual points. I thought it was a freeroll for money, but no, we got some virtual points, that allows entrance to better 'freerolls' where you need those points to participate. What BS.. I thought I won money..

Well anyway, it wasn't that tough, what I've recently gotten myself into is semi bluffing. I don't like to bluff a lot, except when I know I can make the other one lay down the cards. However, semi bluffing I have found very nice, I like to do it when I'm healthy and that usually leads me to some steaming I usually just bluff more when the blinds are big, so it's worth it.

Then again, there aren't many good players in those games.

But I needed to boost my ego some.

[KrazyHorse]

My multi-table tourney strategy is very different. You can't afford to sit on your ass very long in the first little while, otherwise you'll be chronically shortstacked.

[Pekka]

Right, of course you need to move in if you're shortstacked. But I'm not the one to grow the stack with bluffing at first. I'll wait for that, move on with good cards at first. Get the most eager ones out first. Avoid the first minute bad beas and the all-in-mania.

Of course this doesn't happen when there's good money involved.

[KrazyHorse]

My point is that since you cannot afford to simply wait out your competition in the multis you should feel that it's your duty to be more aggressive than at a single table tournament in the early stages. Since the blinds will climb yet you will continue to be sitting at a full table you can't pull the same sort of **** I often do at a SNG when there are only 5 or 6 left (the point at which I begin to feel blind pressure assuming I've not managed to make any big moves yet). When there are only 5 people left it's often easier for a short stack to push others around and steal blind after blind. When I'm starting to get short at a full table I'm in real trouble. So I try to avoid getting myself in that situation. If I have a chance to double on 3-2 odds very early in a multi I will take it without hesitation. In a SNG I will be much more cautious early on.

[Pekka]

Right, I don't go even on coin flips at the beginning.

Well, depends of course of the bets. I'm saying I'm not going all-in.

[KrazyHorse]

2 more hours. 338$ total

[Capt Dizle]

Originally posted by Flubber


In a fun game ($20 game with friends) a few weeks back I got killed with my worst bad beat. I actually had observed my opponent as being someone that loved aces too much and read him as having an Ace-weak while I held KK. Flop comes down Q73. I bet both pre and post-flop but he called both times. Next card was 5 IIRC so I bet enough to put him all in. He had an A3 and the last card of course was a 3. I couldn't believe he had stayed in !!! Maybe I should have went all-in preflop but frankly with KK I am hoping to do more than pick up the blinds. With this hit I was short-stacked and got eliminated a fw hands later.

Well, playing no limit you could have forced him to go all in postflop or fold. You would stand only to win the blinds and flop money, but that would have been your only other option. Personally, if a guy is going all in on an ace and a pair of treys, I'd count it lucky to have him in that friendly $20 game. Maybe you could convince them to play a $40 game next time.

[Capt Dizle]

Originally posted by Ming


Anybody that knows poker knows that some times, you are just plain unlucky. You can play the hand perfectly, and then get screwed by the smallest percentages.

Yeah... you shrug those off. Sometimes, you will win because of it, and others, you will lose. Over time, skill beats luck. A good player can win with bad cards, a bad player can't.

Yeah, this past Friday (actually sometime early Saturday), my eldest son hit 4 fours on me. Playing five card stud!

[Pekka]

dizle, what are the odds for that!

Anyway, yeah, everyone can play good cards. Anyone can play the nuts. But that's not the definition of a good player .

[KrazyHorse]

Man, thinking back, I wish I would have learned to play cards back in University. **** doing ****ty jobs in the summer. **** starving because I couldn't afford both rent and groceries. This **** would have been ****ing sweet.

[The Mad Viking]

Originally posted by Flubber
In a fun game ($20 game with friends) a few weeks back I got killed with my worst bad beat. I actually had observed my opponent as being someone that loved aces too much and read him as having an Ace-weak while I held KK. Flop comes down Q73. I bet both pre and post-flop but he called both times. Next card was 5 IIRC so I bet enough to put him all in. He had an A3 and the last card of course was a 3. I couldn't believe he had stayed in !!! Maybe I should have went all-in preflop but frankly with KK I am hoping to do more than pick up the blinds. With this hit I was short-stacked and got eliminated a fw hands later.

KH is there any way I SHOULD have played that differently?? I know this guy and he gets too enthusiastic with big hands and would have been raising me pre-flop with a big hand. So I pretty much knew I was starting with the best hand. Or is this one where you shrug and go on about your business.

Well I can't tell from your post, but he may have been drawing both straight and flush as well as looking for the 5 outs for aces up or the set.

But with cowboys and the knowlege that he was weaker, I would have jammed the pot sooner. There are a lot of bets between minimum and all-in.

Pocket pairs don't improve very much. The longer you let someone stick around, the worse your odds are. Bet big early. Be content with folds.

[Guynemer]

Go get 'em, KH.

I'd take up the challenge, but

1. you're clearly a better player than I am, and
2. I just don't have the time.