League Play and CheckRayz tournament commentary

Last night the Beer Guy made his Pokerroom league debut for Team Shark, representing the Shark Powered Network (CheckRayz, Shark Poker Tour, Online Shark, and the SPN Forum) in league play. As expected, we rose to the occasion and took down first place for the night, moving us third overall. Yours truly, despite all going on, won my leg of league play. Teammates Bornsupreme and clayshooter both took second places, and reelcrazy and gary812 took third and fifth respectively in their legs. Great showing by the team!  Speaking of league play, be sure to visit The OPC.

By all fault of my own, I had quite a full plate yesterday, considering I had three tournaments going on at once, with the league, the CheckRayz money added poker tournament at Poker4ever, and the CheckRayz heads up poker challenge at Celeb Poker. CheckRayz standout Lazrus knocked the beer man out of the heads up challenge in the first round, moving on to take down the event. He’s had my number lately, as this is two events in a row Lazrus has knocked me out of. Last person to own me in this manor was TexasDan, though he did so during bounty week, and collected nicely. Ironically, Dan and I had the exact same hands both times he ousted me. He had aces acting behind me, I had the Fillmaff (KJ) and was making a move, only to run smack dab into his aces both times.

As a note/warning to Laz, Dan has not been the same on a poker table full of beer since the two in a row. He’s been haunted by the Beer Guy, raising up over him, hitting the flop hard, knocking him off his hand, affecting his game. Don’t let that happen to ya. Keep playing your game and you’ll do fine. Don’t let the thought of ousting the Beer Guy in three straight CheckRayz tournament nights (that I’ve played) get into your head. Additionally, don’t let it get into your head that I’m putting $20 up if you can make it a third time (special launch bonus exclusive to you). Don’t be shy, rise up and collect the bounty. Third time is a charm!

Is it my imagination or am I trying to stir up a friendly rivalry? Or maybe its that I’m trying to counteract the state of “owned” I’ve been in whenever on the table with Sir Lazrus? A little of both even? One final note, Larry; Don’t just sing it… bring it!

Blogger Poker Tour Talk

As we all probably know, the Beer Guy hosted blogger poker tour event number four, appropriately named “We’re Just Here 4 the Beer.” Yesterday, I received a prize pack for hosting event number four from the BPT and Poker.com. I like receiving free stuff, especially when the free stuff are more than I expected to receive. Two poker.com hats, a poker.com coffee mug, poker.com beer koozie, poker.com keychain, poker.com bracelets, and my personal favorite, a poker.com card holder coin. It could be used as a dealer button, however I’m liking it guarding the Beer Guy’s cards personally.

This weekend, Dutch Boyd is hosting event number five of the Blogger Poker Tour. He has the password on his blog, which can be found here. From the sounds of it, Dutch is ready to play. The fifth event is slated to begin at 4.30pm EDT this Saturday. Top four finishers qualify for the Grand Finals, where the Blogger Poker Tour will send one skillful blogger (the winner) to the World Series of Poker! Don’t miss out on these events. This a great opportunity to win your way to the WSOP. If you’re a blogger and have a blog (there’s more to blogging than merely having a blog, by the way), register for the tour. Registration is accepted on the blogger poker tour website.

Tomorrow marks the triumphant return of the infamous Friday Mailbag. Until then… See you tonight at AP for the weekly Shark Poker Tour buyin. It seems that Sharky sweetened the prize pool by putting more money added to the prize pool in his weekly poker tournament, making it a $200 money added to the prize pool poker tournament.

A wise person once said “when all else fails, destroy any and all evidence you’ve even tried.” That’s how I feel about today’s post. Do I “have to” post every day? Nah… I don’t. I have, however, got into the habit of making blog posts daily during the week, and typically at the very least one or two days of the weekend. By writing today, I am writing to maintain my disciplined schedule of posting, not to be confused with writing “out of obligation.”

I actually started a post three different times, all on poker strategy. I wasn’t “feeling it,” so I just deleted the posts (hence destroying the evidence).  I cannot personally give anyone anything I feel is worth reading today. However… I can “pimp” other peeps posts (recent and historical), in hopes of not only giving my regular readers some worthwhile material, but also perhaps putting them on to some quality bloggage.

For starters, if there was one blog post I’ve read that has changed my life both on and off the tables, it is this post by Felicia on Personal Responisibility and Poker. This was one of the few posts I’ve read and had a major shift in overall Philosophy. I’m not going to go into details or summarize her post for her, as she worded it perfectly already – see for yourself. I will say though, that this post marked the day that my ass quit getting chapped when someone such as SuperDonk made a call that was outrageously poor. Both the content and the context of her entry really really hit home. I recommend this article she wrote to everyone, poker players or not. She is “the” must read in my blogger library.

Probably the funniest of blogs I read is the Donkey Manifesto. These bloggers don’t really update often, but when they do post, they make it well worth the wait. I strongly suspect that one cannot possibly come up with priceless material such as this post on the bad play of the day or the defective $20 dollar comp, or the donking time machine on a regular basis. Go through the archives on this one, lots of great… and absolutely hilarious stories, cutting edge interviews asking the tough questions that the Daily Show won’t even ask.

Slipping away from bloggage for a second, I had mentioned that I’d talk playing the AK. Instead of discussing it personally, (my communication skills are lacking today), I’ll link ya to the shark forum, where we discussed playing the AK.

Back to bloggage. Is online poker rigged? Find out here, and here.

Finally, Haley had some quality bloggage on the blogger community both here and here (once again, note the lack of “skills” i use by describing the links as “here and here”… told ya its an off day 4 me). No seriously, I just started reading Haley’s blog this past week, as I had discovered her work through the blogger poker tour. She and I were on the same page regarding some of the “blogs” participating or trying to participate in the tour. Through her writings, and via a brief discussion or two on the table in the BPT event, I strongly suspect she has a lot to offer the poker community. Thus, “shoutin’ out” to her, and sending “mad props”.

Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll feel it a bit more in the creativity department. Until then…

Mike

So yesterday, I decided to work on my “match fitness” for the upcoming $150 added Heads up Tourney at Celeb, that Rayz is promoting. So, having bonus dollars to work off, I went to Absolute Poker to play some heads up hold em.

I dropped my first two matches, first one losing boat vs. flush. This wasn’t much of a match at all. Of course, I didn’t see the boat as a possibility on the board (read: first thing in the morning). Second match was a little better, but not much, as my JJ got donked in favor of the four board card straight (he head A-9off, I pushed preflop, he pushed back into me, ended up all-in preflop).

I decided to play a bit higher stakes, and had things to do. So after putting Daddy’s lil Angels to bed, I fired that bad boy up and went to work, of course this was after playing the Shark Event.

I owned my opposition, only passing chips his way in two hands, and the pots he won were very small in nature. I nailed the figure four in classic Ric Flair fashion, letting him push my KK around with his 7-7 preflop and flop. Turn comes, he bets, I go for the thumb in the eye, raising him to all-in, he calls… chop, chop, suplex, knee, figure four, “whoooo!”

Determined, he asks for (and receives) a rematch. He wins the return match, flushing out my set of Jacks. We go again, classic back and forth battle. Blinds continue to raise and the higher they go, the more of an advantage “the champ” is at. This time, I nail the “figure four” with a boat to his bluff.

Next match (same opponent), this time he’s finished off with “television time remaining,” falling victim to my top pair, open end straight draw vs. his middle pair, garbage kicker.

OK, OK, fine, one more match… this time, its a loser leave town match… (feels like Flair-Rhodes feud of old). Once again, he starts the match out aggressively, as the blinds rise, so does my advantage. The champ “takes him to school” with (ironically) a set of fours he never saw coming.

One thing I noticed was that whenever the blinds went to 50/75, I clearly outplayed him preflop. My mindset was that for $25 tourney dollars, there were few cards that did not offer the odds to call. Consequently, I ended up rayzin up more often than not. This worked for me about 4 out of five times, giving me the pot either pre-flop, or on the continuation bet.

Furthermore, I didn’t like the idea of allowing him the luxury to call me, completing the blinds for only $25T (5:1). So, of course, he completes the blinds, and I raise them 3 out of four times, regardless of my cards. Eventually, he was “beat down” and would fold if he didn’t have what he believed to be a solid starting hand (hell, for 5:1, I’ll see a flop with 2-7offsuit heads up).

I’m really looking forward to the heads up tourney today at Celeb (as I think you can tell). Rayz gear to anyone who enters the tourney today – need an email with shipping info sent to me here. Good luck and see you all on the virtual felt.

Mike

First of all, I’d like to wish every one of my readers, all CheckRayz members, and the souljas of the Shark Army Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and (insert pleasantry of choice here) (insert celebratory name of day/occasion here) — there, I covered it all.

I have here a list of presents I’d like to present to the poker world. Actually, its more like… if I had my way, this is what I’d get them. (Please note my continuing effort to make the poker world a better place).

The Call Station — A visible, working fold button.

(insert poker site here)’s Tech Support — A work order referencing the non-functioning Fold button for the Call Stations of the world.

Donkeys — A memo written in “Donkese” stating that other players at the table do have two hole cards, of which are capable of beating the hole cards possessed by said Donk.

The “Expert “ (playing .01/.02 limit, fully equipped with the resume, 20 million years experience, and a book on conspiracy theories) — A clue

The Delusional — A starting hand guide clearly written so that the so called “bad beat” stories cannot begin with “so i was in the big blind, facing a raise with Q-3s… I reraised and he called me!” …and ending with, “I am a tight player.”

Members of CheckRayz and the Shark Army — The insight and ability to download, try, and buy Pokertracker.

Site update number 50: Database is now installed and the books are open. The Rayz are now accepting members for freeroll and money-added poker tournament play. Click the link and sign up.

Site is still having finishing touches put on it, but it seems as if we can accept members and host tourneys. Details to follow, stay tuned to the blog, the rayz site, and the Shark Forum.

Stamina

I’m constantly evaluating and re-evaluating my game, regularly identifying opportunity to improve. My most recent “issue” appears to be later in tourneys. I do a very good job of establishing that Tight Aggressive image I seek. I rarely play “junk.” However, early in the money or on the bubble, I have been getting nailed. I’m not quite sure why.

My hand selection is usually such that I’m the favorite (be it slightly or heavily) preflop, yet, I’m busting. Why is this? The first thought that comes to mind is that I end up going too far with the hand – but who can blame me?

Take one beat as an example. Aces UTG, so I raise hard. I get 1 taker (in the blinds of course), he’s holding king shit unsuited. He reraises, which I gladly call. Flop comes in a klan-like manner KKK, thus knocking me out two from the money. That was an extreme example.

Others, such as AKs v 10-10 or AQ vs KQ, one last night AKs vs Q2s, the list goes on and on and on and on lately. This is something though that I’m not certain how to fix. Should I avoid being all-in on these hands when someone comes over top of me (thus moving to a tight weak posture)?

Should I throw the cards away when the flop misses me (yet another tight weak position)? I’m not really sure how to adjust. Actually, is there a fix, for that matter? I’d be inclined to say that I’m playing these critical hands right, for the most part. Yet, its happening so consistently, that its hard to think there’s nothing “wrong” with my play near or just beyond the bubble.

One thought I had, is that I’m so tight prior to these hands, that I become bored and have forgotten all hands I’ve played prior. Or maybe its that I’ve not participated in a hand for any longer than “these people’s” attention span (5 minutes), thus they’ve forgot that they might be calling into a monster.

Bottom line is that I’m not real sure how I can fix this “issue.” Feedback is helpful and I’ll be pondering it for a while. I’ll keep everyone updated as I think things through.