Anyone who has played or watched tournament poker a while has heard the term "a chip and a chair" meaning as long as you are alive in a tournament, you have a chance to win, no matter how short your stack.
6/3 off did it for me.
It was a $65 buy in tournament. I was doing okay early but a tough beat got me short stacked (my AK lost to A 10 with us both all in) and as the end of the third level of this tournament approached, so did the first break. With just over 2000 in chips after the break essentially I'd have 10 big blinds, and way down in the tournament. I had decided as the last hand before the break came I was going all in. I had put my chips forward, and didn't look at my cards. I made it clear when I shoved I hadn't looked and I was either doubling up or going home.
Oddly I only got one caller, who turned over big slick. and I was packing up when I saw I had 6/3 off. Until the 3 hit on the river and no aces or kings had come. So at the break I now at least had a little over 20 BBs.
A few big win later and I hit the final table as the chip leader and after a while the final few players are chopping the prize money, and we are taking home $450+ each.
A chip (or two) and a chair indeed.
Showing posts with label hold'em. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hold'em. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Friday, April 29, 2011
Medium pairs
One of the hands I have a love/hate relationship with is medium pairs (7-8). Very few times will you ever fold them preflop, and in a limit game, deciding rather to just call or raise isn't that hard.
But no-limit can be troublesome. Raise bigger from early position? Limp? I tend to mix up my early play, limping most of the time and raising big probably 20-30 percent of the time.
I just don't know if it's ideal. My play is based on the lose less money when your hand doesn't hit philosophy, which will happen more times than not. But it also doesn't get rid of any weak Aces or kings, making it more likely my medium pair will be out flopped.
But the limp play sometimes makes it easier to win bigger pots when your hand does hit. Let's say I have 8-8, 2nd to act, and I limp, as do 5 others. Six players total, and the flop comes A-8-3 rainbow. It's fairly obvious no one has a real strong ace, by the lack of action, but an A-8, or A-3 is possible. And any player with a decent ace will still stay. If I lead out here, I'd go about 3/4 pot-pot sized bet or more depending on the flop (rainbow, all suited, 2 suits, etc...). Bet stronger if there's two of the same suit, less if rainbowed or all the same suit. Anyone who made the nut flush will stay in, but isn't likely to be too aggressive, wanting to extract as much as he can from the board. And you want to give anyone on a flush draw the improper odds to call. (It's amazing how many people ignore the odds and chase on the flop).
And I'm often lost on late to act preflop. If there's a 3x-5x raise in front of me, it's okay to assume my 8s are the low hand right now, but is it worth it to call the raise?
All limpers and my 8s may be good. Do I raise and how much? Ideally, I want a heads up situation, rather I create it or the initial raiser does. And if you know your opponent, and can put him on the proper hand, even if you miss your pair, can you pull off a bluff?
But no-limit can be troublesome. Raise bigger from early position? Limp? I tend to mix up my early play, limping most of the time and raising big probably 20-30 percent of the time.
I just don't know if it's ideal. My play is based on the lose less money when your hand doesn't hit philosophy, which will happen more times than not. But it also doesn't get rid of any weak Aces or kings, making it more likely my medium pair will be out flopped.
But the limp play sometimes makes it easier to win bigger pots when your hand does hit. Let's say I have 8-8, 2nd to act, and I limp, as do 5 others. Six players total, and the flop comes A-8-3 rainbow. It's fairly obvious no one has a real strong ace, by the lack of action, but an A-8, or A-3 is possible. And any player with a decent ace will still stay. If I lead out here, I'd go about 3/4 pot-pot sized bet or more depending on the flop (rainbow, all suited, 2 suits, etc...). Bet stronger if there's two of the same suit, less if rainbowed or all the same suit. Anyone who made the nut flush will stay in, but isn't likely to be too aggressive, wanting to extract as much as he can from the board. And you want to give anyone on a flush draw the improper odds to call. (It's amazing how many people ignore the odds and chase on the flop).
And I'm often lost on late to act preflop. If there's a 3x-5x raise in front of me, it's okay to assume my 8s are the low hand right now, but is it worth it to call the raise?
All limpers and my 8s may be good. Do I raise and how much? Ideally, I want a heads up situation, rather I create it or the initial raiser does. And if you know your opponent, and can put him on the proper hand, even if you miss your pair, can you pull off a bluff?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Crazy hand
Everyone has the story about the craziest play they ever had that turned out good. Here's mine.
A single table tournament with what seemed to be full of normal players (no crazy raisers, raises usually represented what the player had) and the blinds were still low.
I should have never even been in this hand after being dealt 3/5 hearts and was second to act. After the first player folds, I thought maybe I can limp and try to steal after the flop, So I call the 20 blind. Next guy calls, then third guy raises to 110. A few folds and a call back to me. So the pot is 260 and it costs 90. Terrible odds for my holdings, but still I decided to call. Then the guy next to me who had limped shoves all in.
I prepare to muck but then noticed the initial raiser calls as does the other caller. The first all in guy is the only one who has me covered and he initially limped.
My thoughts are simply two players have AK or AQ and the third might also but likely has a medium pair. At this point though, the pot is near to 4000 and I only have about 1000 left. If indeed both players have a high ace and the third has a high pair (10s or higher) he cuts into their outs. It's still early and if I'm going to make a random play, this is it. So I call.
Mind you, had it been later in the tournament and nearer the money, no way do I call. But this is a play I might make once out of every 10 hands or so.
Here's what the others show:
AJ clubs
AK diamonds
pocket 8s
And the board comes:
A single table tournament with what seemed to be full of normal players (no crazy raisers, raises usually represented what the player had) and the blinds were still low.
I should have never even been in this hand after being dealt 3/5 hearts and was second to act. After the first player folds, I thought maybe I can limp and try to steal after the flop, So I call the 20 blind. Next guy calls, then third guy raises to 110. A few folds and a call back to me. So the pot is 260 and it costs 90. Terrible odds for my holdings, but still I decided to call. Then the guy next to me who had limped shoves all in.
I prepare to muck but then noticed the initial raiser calls as does the other caller. The first all in guy is the only one who has me covered and he initially limped.
My thoughts are simply two players have AK or AQ and the third might also but likely has a medium pair. At this point though, the pot is near to 4000 and I only have about 1000 left. If indeed both players have a high ace and the third has a high pair (10s or higher) he cuts into their outs. It's still early and if I'm going to make a random play, this is it. So I call.
Mind you, had it been later in the tournament and nearer the money, no way do I call. But this is a play I might make once out of every 10 hands or so.
Here's what the others show:
AJ clubs
AK diamonds
pocket 8s
And the board comes:
9c 5s 4s 6d 5d
And my trips take down the pot eliminating two players and giving me a huge chip advantage.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Starting a poker blog
It was a trip to Shreveport, La. that got this blog started. After playing a few rounds of poker I decided that, even if no one ever reads it, I would start a journal on interesting hands, and the thoughts on the play.
This day I was just intending to pass through and maybe play poker for an hour or two before heading out of town. I walked up to the Horseshoe poker room and looked at the screen. The no limit games all had waiting lists, but the 4-8 limit had an open seat, so I took it.
Mine was the last seat open at the table, and was two to the left of the dealer. As I sat for my first hand, the little old frail man to my right had the big blind, so I was first to act. My first card was a deuce, so I never even payed much attention to the second card and tossed em. Guy two to my left raised to 8 and took down the pot uncontested.
So at this point I knew nothing about the table, except that I was now the big blind. The cards come and as I am still adjusting my chip stack for my $100 standard buy-in I look down to find the King of clubs and 7 of diamonds. Not great, but a typical big blind hand.
After the player to my left folds, the raiser from the last hand calls. A couple of folds then four callers and the small blind completes his bet. I check to the $28 pot.
Then comes the flop. 7 7 7. I flop the nuts, no one knows anything about me and the pot is nice. Without much thought I check as betting here would likely reveal I had the 7.
The same guy who started the action preflop bets. This time three players follow and I can't believe how lucky this is. But all the action made sense. I figure the first guy probably had ace with low kicker or a small pair. If he had anything stronger he would have raised preflop. I figure after that the next couple of players probably had similar hands and even if someone had a stronger hand, the way the pot was being built there was no need to raise yet.
But I still can't believe how lucky I am when I call making the pot $48.
On the turn, the only card I don't want to see is an Ace. In the small chance someone was slow playing pocket aces, and they got A A on the turn/river, then I would be screwed and not even bad beat eligible as my 7 would be the only hole card I was playing (both of your dealt cards have to play to be eligible for bad beat).
No worries, the next card was a J.
Again the first guy bets $8. Two callers and a fold and a $72 pot to me. Now I ask myself do I make it 80 or 88?
I go for the raise, hoping maybe they will think the J hit me. And if they don't maybe someone else hit the J, both likely scenarios. The first guy gets a disgusted look, but calls. the other two realize they are beat and fold and the pot in $96.
The last card was inconsequential as I lead out again and get a disgusted call, taking down the $112 pre-rake pot.
I still wonder what would have happened had I just made it 80.
Id still be first to act, if i check, I figure the initial guy would have still likely led out to make it 88. I'd have to assume that the other two guys would very likely know they are beat, but the pot odds would be overwhelming. Assuming just one called, it would have been 96 when i raised to make it 112. if just one called i earn an extra 8.
But if he checks too? the action gets checked around, and I collect an $80 pot instead of $112.
And if I lead out? The other two still likely know I slowed played the 7, the one guy calls, but I still get two folds. for a 96 pot.
In either case, I sat there wondering, how wrong is it to get up and leave the table after just one hand?
I stayed and cashed in over $300 for a little over an hour worth of poker.
But its also likely that
This day I was just intending to pass through and maybe play poker for an hour or two before heading out of town. I walked up to the Horseshoe poker room and looked at the screen. The no limit games all had waiting lists, but the 4-8 limit had an open seat, so I took it.
Mine was the last seat open at the table, and was two to the left of the dealer. As I sat for my first hand, the little old frail man to my right had the big blind, so I was first to act. My first card was a deuce, so I never even payed much attention to the second card and tossed em. Guy two to my left raised to 8 and took down the pot uncontested.
So at this point I knew nothing about the table, except that I was now the big blind. The cards come and as I am still adjusting my chip stack for my $100 standard buy-in I look down to find the King of clubs and 7 of diamonds. Not great, but a typical big blind hand.
After the player to my left folds, the raiser from the last hand calls. A couple of folds then four callers and the small blind completes his bet. I check to the $28 pot.
Then comes the flop. 7 7 7. I flop the nuts, no one knows anything about me and the pot is nice. Without much thought I check as betting here would likely reveal I had the 7.
The same guy who started the action preflop bets. This time three players follow and I can't believe how lucky this is. But all the action made sense. I figure the first guy probably had ace with low kicker or a small pair. If he had anything stronger he would have raised preflop. I figure after that the next couple of players probably had similar hands and even if someone had a stronger hand, the way the pot was being built there was no need to raise yet.
But I still can't believe how lucky I am when I call making the pot $48.
On the turn, the only card I don't want to see is an Ace. In the small chance someone was slow playing pocket aces, and they got A A on the turn/river, then I would be screwed and not even bad beat eligible as my 7 would be the only hole card I was playing (both of your dealt cards have to play to be eligible for bad beat).
No worries, the next card was a J.
Again the first guy bets $8. Two callers and a fold and a $72 pot to me. Now I ask myself do I make it 80 or 88?
I go for the raise, hoping maybe they will think the J hit me. And if they don't maybe someone else hit the J, both likely scenarios. The first guy gets a disgusted look, but calls. the other two realize they are beat and fold and the pot in $96.
The last card was inconsequential as I lead out again and get a disgusted call, taking down the $112 pre-rake pot.
I still wonder what would have happened had I just made it 80.
Id still be first to act, if i check, I figure the initial guy would have still likely led out to make it 88. I'd have to assume that the other two guys would very likely know they are beat, but the pot odds would be overwhelming. Assuming just one called, it would have been 96 when i raised to make it 112. if just one called i earn an extra 8.
But if he checks too? the action gets checked around, and I collect an $80 pot instead of $112.
And if I lead out? The other two still likely know I slowed played the 7, the one guy calls, but I still get two folds. for a 96 pot.
In either case, I sat there wondering, how wrong is it to get up and leave the table after just one hand?
I stayed and cashed in over $300 for a little over an hour worth of poker.
But its also likely that
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