Maybe my luck is changing?

Up 660bb early in the session

Last Friday I played a session of poker and I haven't run this good in years. Maybe variance is evening-up itself after my series of run-bads in the past few months.

I hit 6 sets in one session. The only time I didn't see my set hit was when I hit it on the river, where I would have lost to a very hidden straight. So not seeing the set actually saved me money.

TT, pre-flop limp squeeze, 4 callers, flop T66.
QQ, raise pre, one caller, AQx on flop, cbet take down.
66, limp pre, flop T96. Check call flop, reraised by T9, jam, snap call. Ran twice, held twice.
QQ, limp pre, no one reraised, 6 way pot. Flop AQ5, check called flop. Turn 5. Villain had A5, GG for him.
KK, flop J33, turn K, GG

I was running so good even my two big bluffs went through. Preflop I raised with A4hh, flop was KQ5 rainbow. I cbet, two tough players called. Turn was another 5. I bet again, first guy said he folded ace-king (which I doubt it) and the other guy showed a queen and folded.

The second bluff I was on the big blind. Middle position made it 5bb, 4 callers, I made it 30bb, he reraised to 80bb, I 4bet to 210bb and he folded a big pair. I showed my J4 off.

No I didn't play 38o. Just a photo. 

Ended up winning 825 bb in 6 hours or so.

Are you a poker fish? Take the test!

There was one time, I sat down with a fish next to me. I was telling him about this poker site, that it was fishy. So he responded, "oh you mean the site is weird?" (fishy = weird) I paused for a second, then I said YES. I proceeded to take him for about $1500 that night.

So are you a fish? These are some questions for you. If you don't understand any of them then you might be one.

1. What is a fish? 
a. an animal that breathes underwater with gills
b. a bad player also known as a donkey

*Okay freebie question. If you were a fish, I doubt you would read this article.

2. What is the best position? 
a. 69
b. doggie
c. missionary
d. button

*this is debatable but generally speaking, there is one position that is best for most players. If you chose a, b or c, you might be an expert in something else, but maybe not poker. 

3. What is a calling station?
a. a telephone company
b. a telephone booth
c. a telephone
d. none of the above

*A calling station is someone who calls too much without betting or raising for value or bluffs and calls with weak hands

4. Where is the best position to sit?
a. middle of the table so I can see everyone
b. across from the hot girl so I can look at her all night
c. next to the hot girl so I can talk to her all night
d. to the left of the aggressive player and to the right of the tight player

*All 4 answers are good but D makes you a non-fish

5. What is a LAG?
a. the thing that happens when your internet is slow
b. Ladies And Gentlemen
c. A player that plays a wide range of hands aggressively regardless of position

*There are typically 4 playing styles, and LAG is one of them. If you don't know all 4 and which one you are, you are most likely a fish. Do note that for the best players, they are not any of the 4, they may play one style more than the others but great players switch from style to style even on the same session. If you play TP or LP, you are also likely a fish.

6. How is your poker memory?
a. I keep having to look at my cards again because I can't remember what I have
b. I keep asking what's the action because I don't know or don't remember who bet or raised before
c. After I play a hand I forget about it
d. One time, at band camp, September 2009, I had 2c4s on the button and made it 3x, 2 callers, flop was......

*If you have the memory of a fish, then you must be a fish

7. What is Jacking Off?
a. Favourite pastime of young boys
b. A very nice hand
c. An overrated hand that is only good if flop is JJK, KKJ, or AQT

*Fishes often overrate hands, especially if they are suited. QT, KT, KJ, AT may look great but are not great starting hands

The following are also some things fishes typically do, if you do some of these beware, you might be one too!

1. Stack your chips 5 or 10 chips high instead of the standard 20.
2. Pick up their cards off the table to look at them
3. Look at the first card then peek at the second one slowly like playing baccarat
4. Keep asking how much
5. Asking questions before it's your turn
6. Analysing the hand out loud before the river
7. Keep on looking at your hand

Anyway a fish just means the worst player on the table. If you are the 10th best player in the world but you are sitting down with 1st to 9th, then you are the fish. However if you failed the test above, you are most likely the fish in ANY game.

Poker Home Game Etiquette

Got bored and made a chip robot while waiting

I play regularly at a "home game" and sometimes not everyone know's the proper etiquette. So I am going to write an article on how you should behave at a poker game. There is no black and white and most of it is based on house rules, however some things are just common poker courtesy and common sense.

1. Act in turn: 

Acting out of turn breaks all poker room rules. The reason being is that if you act out of turn, it can be an angle or it might affect the action. Say for example there are 3 players left, first guy bets out on the river. I am next to make my decision. I think my hand is good against the bettor but I don't know about the guy behind me. What if he re-raises? What do I do? But now that guy folds out of turn. It makes my decision to call much easier and I successfully caught the bluff of the bettor. The bluffer is not going to be happy about it.

2. Do not show your hand: 

Do not show your hand while the game is in play. Sometimes showing your hand doesn't have to be physically showing it. Showing a reaction to the flop can be just as obvious. For example, flop is QQ2, and you moan like you folded a Queen, or you reach to grab your folded cards, or you show the guy next to you your hand and your face reads "damn why didn't I call preflop". Now those people still in the hand will proceed with the hand knowing there is only one Q left. Maybe you're too dumb to pick up on these things but there are smarter people out there.

3. Dealer deals: 

You see the DEALER button? You know you wait patiently for it every round right? It is called the dealer button because technically whoever holds that needs to deal. That is common courtesy. However if your game is fortunate enough to have someone volunteer to deal, then you should be grateful. Don't be like a dumbfuck and sit there like the king. Help out by pushing the chips to the middle, moving the button, pushing the cards and even offer to deal once in a while. Come on you're not handicapped. Your brain might be but you have hands right? If you are the kind of spoilt brat that I have encountered who thinks money can solve all problems, then TIP the dealer. 

4. Hit and run: 

Just won a big pot, phew, nice little profit, see ya suckers! Well, see ya is right. Don't expect to be invited back to the game. If you are, then maybe you are a big fat fish. Announce when you are planning to leave, that is the best. Just in case you won big between now and then, at least you did say you were leaving at that time. That is fair. I know so many people who used the excuse that they can't stay up late and have to go before 11pm - when they were winning. But will stay until 5am if they are stuck. Again, maybe you're that dumb to buy that excuse but we are not.

Good luck!

The Biggest Secret To Success in Poker

I was in Macau this past weekend, I saw so many pros playing there and there was a few of them camped out on the 300/600 table for 40 hour sessions waiting for a big fish who would come in for a few hours a day, lose and then come back again the next day. In the last 4-5 days the guy must have lost about HKD 6 million (USD 800k) on 300/600.

I had some good sessions as well but still couldn't grind out a decent outcome. I stopped to think about my skill levels, and what I am missing. First of all, I must say I am not as skillful as the top players, but I am playing good solid poker. There were a couple of pros who thought that I was a pro too. I guess that is a sign I am playing well. I still made a couple of mistakes here and there but overall I feel I played well.

Me waiting for a seat on 50/100

I saw a guy cash our HKD 1 million after playing 300/600 when I am grinding for scraps on 50/100. What makes him so much better than I am? Then I realized the key difference is DISCIPLINE: (of course there are other differences like skill, experience, bankroll, but the thing I lack the most compared to him is Discipline)

The discipline.....
... to make big folds when you know you're beat
... to play with decent starting hands
... not to tilt
... to take breaks in between
... to have enough rest, food and exercise
... to stay away from table games
... to pick the right spots
... not to make things personal
... not to get overly smart or creative
... not to get complacent
... not to show off
... to know when to leave / stop

Got this chip and still had a bad weekend

I am going to take a break from Macau for a while. I hope I have the discipline to stay away. 

Don't forget to SIGN UP on www.natural8.com using the Bonus Code : POKER168