Playing a Drawing Hand in Cash Game -- Part III (Conclusion), and Vegas Baby!!

Anyone ever notice that for whatever reason it's always the rocks that get very angry and aggressive when you show them a hand where you had something work out after you were aggressive? There are a lot of little things like that that you come to learn when you blog for a while and get used to a lot of feedback from a bunch of different guys. Like, how when a guy shows up on your blog and posts some negative fidiotic bullcripe, chances are about 95% (yes, just like a 2-outer on the river) that that guy's been losing, getting smushed at the tables, and is just saying what he's saying to blow off steam against a target that can't respond in real time. I mean, as much as we all like the whole poker blogger crew, there are different individuals with different qualities and different personalities, and sometimes some of these people lose a lot of money. And a certain percentage of those people use slammy comments on other blogs as a way to make themselves feel better. Again, it's just one of those things you learn when you do this for a couple of years, every single day, day in and day out. Just like what I said above -- it's always the super tight guys -- the guys who don't ever play out of turn and probably even grind out a good living if they play it just right (and not at my tables) -- who can't seem to even hide their disgust in their posts whenever someone shows an aggressive move. I love it. Keep 'em coming, anii.

OK so back to the conclusion of the our 68s hand where I called a raise and then called a reraise preflop, made a 12-out draw on the flop, bet out into a dry side pot (genius!!) on the flop and got called by one deep stack, and then I hit my 12-out draw on the turn. I asked what you think I should do here, and the response was basically unanimous: I have to push in here. I will admit that I considered the merits of a possible check for about two seconds, but in all seriousness I figured it didn't matter, we're getting this thing allin on the turn regardless as I was sure he would bet big if I checked on the flush card. And yes I 100% agree with all the comments, I bet on the come and just made my hand, so I have to bet it here. In fact, this highlights a larger issue that is really a central focus of my game in nlh play -- if I have bet a hand in a way that would tend to confuse my opponent into thinking I have a different hand than I do (like bet without a made hand, or slowplay a monster, etc.), then I am highly likely to bet big when I make my surprise hand at the end. Why wouldn't I? In this situation, just about more than any other situation I ever find myself in outside of the cash tables, my opponent cannot possibly know what I have. I called a small raise and then a large reraise before the flop, and then I bet out into a dry side pot on a pretty raggyassed flop. Now a random third club has hit and I am betting it? It's got to sound to this guy like I've had a strong hand from the beginning, not like I just made a random flush draw here on the turn and didn't have shiat before there. So, since he's been calling me from the beginning, now the pot is almost twice the size of his current stack, and he won't ever believe I actually made that flush, I have every reason to believe he's going to call me, however much I bet. So do I move it allin here? Almost:



Incidentially this is the cash version of the reverse hoy™, where since they won't let you bet in individual pennies like you can bet in individual dollars in tournaments, you have to instead resort to the betting the amount in your opponent's stack, less one measly nickel. Screw 'em.

So, do you think he called my river bet? Of course he did (he actually raised me his last 5 cents -- donkey). Wanna see? Take your guesses and scroll down below for the final view.
















Both guys drawing dead on the turn to my flush! BOOooooooooooom!!!! Eat it tightydonks! That right there is a $466 pot, awarded to the over-aggro donkey who called a raise and then a larger reraise against a bunch of short stacks in the pot with just 86s, followed that up by betting a flush draw into a dry side pot with one player already allin behind him, and then finished by getting his opponent to call an allin bet when he had already won the hand regardless of the river card. Pure gold, Jerry, gold!



Ahhh it feels good to see that virtual pile of 466 dollars virtually slide over to my virtual stack in front of my virtual self. Almost as good as it does to know that you, and you and especially you are tilting yourselves right now having seen how I won this hand. Good. Let your anger flow, as a recent ancestor of mine was once quoted as saying.

OK I wanted to chat briefly today about the WPBT poker bloggers gathering in Las Vegas the weekend of June 8-10. I've read about a number of you who are planning to go, but let me just throw in my two cents. I have only attended one WPBT gathering, which was last year at this time -- July, actually, when I went out to meet the group and to play in the WSOP. I can honestly say that the one weekend in Las Vegas really formed a number of lasting impressions about people, about poker, and about blogging and bloggers for me, and it was some of the best times I've had in the past year. Just getting to get utterly sloshed throw a couple back with a bunch of guys you've never seen before face to face, it's pretty awesome. Sitting down and hunting fish at the poker tables with these guys was just as great [insert joke here about the level of play of bloggers]. I had a number of conversations with a whole bunch of people I never thought I would ever meet, and was also quite surprised in some cases at the physical appearance of some of the bloggers I had never seen before ha ha. The whole atmosphere of the weekend was pretty electric for me, basically never getting out to Vegas anymore since I used to gambool it up at the table games a long time ago, meeting everyone for the first time and solidifying some real lasting friendships, and playing some hardcore poker including almost busting then-reigning world champion Joe Hachem from WSOP Event #13.

Anyways, all this is just a long way of saying that I am officially booked for the WPBT, and that you should too! I really hope especially the newer guys will come along because I assure you it's a weekend you will not forget. Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention all the work Falstaff has done in setting this weekend up for us, including getting a room block at the Orleans in Vegas and getting a private blogger tournament set up for Saturday afternoon with the help of sloshr. Unfortunately, Falstaff is one of the very few blogspot blogs that are for some reason blocked as "gambling" sites at my dorkwork, so I have not gotten around to posting this yet but I know it is long overdue. Following are the details, cut n pasted from Faslstaff's blog, with his text in blue and my comments in red font:

WPBT Summer Classic Update

Update 5-1-07: The Room block is set to expire the end of this week, so if you want to stay at the Orleans, go ahead and book your room! Also, if you are coming out to Vegas for the gathering, let me know via email (johnhartness AT gmail DOT com) with your name, where you'll be, your sell phone number and how long you'll be there. That way I can keep folks updated on our group.

John, consider this my notice, I will be there. I will send you an email this weekend but I'm there!

The room block is ready for booking at The Orleans. For those who have forgotten, the rates are as follows -

Wednesday Night - $60
Thursday Night - $60
Friday Night - $110
Saturday Night - $110
Sunday Night - $65

There are 50 rooms held at those rates, plus the million dollars in taxes and other fees that come with. The room block will vanish in three weeks, so don't dick around!

Call 1-800-675-3267 for reservations. Make sure you tell them this is for the World Poker Blogger Tour, June 6-10.

I don't know how much longer this room block is good for, as Falstaff posted on Tuesday that it was set to expire at "the end of this week". Presumably that means you can still get a room today for what is definitely a great rate, I can tell you because I've looked around quite a bit.

FYI I had a historically horrible run at the Orleans some years ago when I stayed in Vegas, so I am not going to be staying there this year. I looked at rooms in all the major hotels on the Strip, and the rates are fairly high. There must be something going on in Vegas on the Saturday night (June 9) of our weekend, because the big hotels have very high rates for those days, with the biggest names asking more for their lowest level room on just that Saturday night than the entire cost of the whole weekend at the Orleans at the rates Falstaff was able to secure. In the end, I am going to stay at a place where I had far and away my best run in all of Vegas, back when I was a big craps player: the Monte Carlo. The Monte Carlo is a nice place, not as posh as the Bellagio or now the Wynn, but it does the job, and most importantly it has a decent late-night and early-morning food court which is always a plus for me. And, it was the site of my craps roll where I progressively bet the come line and then took max odds on every single roll of the dice over what turned out to be an hour and fifteen minute roll. Still takes my breath away just thinking about it. Anyways, the Monte Carlo has offered me a great rate to stay there for the four nights I will be in town, so that's me. And it's fairly close to Bellagio, where I plan to hit the poker room at least one of the nights, as well as to the Rio where I will be playing in two WSOP events in my time in Vegas, so that's all good.

Also, if you're coming, please email me (johnhartness AT gmail DOTDON'TYOUDARESPAMME com), so I can start compiling a contact list of everybody that will be there. Let me know your Real name (if you want), blogger name, dates of arrival and departure, where you're staying, and contact info (if you want people to have it). This list will be distributed to everyone who's coming, so if you don't want your cell phone number bandied about, tell me.

Update: THERE WILL BE A PRIVATE TOURNEY FOR ALL OF US! Thanks to my homeboy RadioVegas, The Orleans will hook us up with a private tournament on June 9th. Here's all the details. Email him for an RSVP to the tourney - sloshr AT gmail DOTNOSPAM com.

The WPBT Summer Classic 2007 tournament will be held June 9th at The Orleans in Las Vegas. Start time will be at about 2pm. Buy in will be $65 + $10 + optional $5. $65 goes into prize pool, $10 to the house and the optional $5 goes directly to the dealers. Starting chips will be 1600 and if you pay the $5 extra dealer add on you get an additional 400 in chips.

I do not have a copy of the blind structure but its fairly standard
with 20 minute levels. If enough interest I will make a copy of the
blind structure. It is important that I have a rough estimate of how many people will be planning to play so the Orleans can staff their dealers
appropriately. Drop me an email if you're attending: sloshr * gmail * com.

Unfortunately I will not be able to kick some blogger ass in the live tournament, as I will be playing in the WSOP $1500 buyin nlh tournament that runs on Saturday at noon Vegas time. Nonetheless, I will be there in spirit, and who knows I may show up before the thing is done if I have an experience similar to last year's WSOP event for me.

OK that's it for today. I should be online at various times through the weekend, mostly in the evenings as always, as I look to continue final tabling but not winning seats in the FTOPS satellites (two more of those last night). But in the meantime you should be making your plans for Vegas that second weekend of June. Vegas baby! Only about a month away now!

Don't forget about Friday night's 9pm blonkament to top all blonkaments, Katitude's 9pm ET $1 rebuy tilt for bloggers n friends. As many of the players have noted in recent weeks, this is the closest thing to therapy that any serious online poker player could ask for, and it's always a lot of fun. My personal favorite part is seeing which blonkey will be the guy who busts during the rebuy period but then fails to rebuy for another measly dollar. here are the details:

Where: Full Tilt, at 9 EST
What: No-limit holdem, $1 + 1 rebuys for the first hour
Password: donkarama

Also, don't forget this Sunday is the latest weekend Riverchasers tournament, this one a HORSE event, on Sunday afternoon:

Name: Riverchasers Special Event #3
When: Sunday, May 6th, 2:00pm ET
Game: H.O.R.S.E Deep Stack
Buyin: $24 2 or token
Password: RiverHorse

I'm not free on Sundays or I would be there, but Riverchasers is always a great time and you should definitely stop by and donk it up if you are around on Sunday afternoon!