Random Ramblings

I absolutely love the two-plus-two books.  I’ve decided to re-read “Small Stakes Hold’em:  Winning Big with Expert Play” and then “Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players.”  These two books are my favorite Texas Hold’em books – I haven’t found anything else out there that explains strategy as well.  The play quizzes at the end of the books are a great way to find out if you truly understood what you’ve read.  I liked “Small Stakes Hold’em” so much I bought two copies, which are almost always on loan.

So I feel like I’ve been trying to play tricky lately – pushing small edges, and relying on tells too much for decisions.  During a conversation with my friend, we both concluded that some “ABC Poker” would probably help both to improve my win rate, but also serve to help reinforce the basics.  I haven’t been spending as much time as I used to at the $8/$16 game – mostly because my favorite casino is opening a new room for poker where (I hope) they will spread bigger games like $8/$16 and $20/$40.  For the past several years they’ve only spread $3/$6 and $4/$8 kill.  The only place where I can find a bigger limit game is down south at Diamond Lil’s, which is both too far away and in a bad neighborhood.  I’ve decided to wait it out at The Caribbean until they get the new room ready, and spend my time playing $3/$6 and $4/$8 in the meantime.

Another room is about a month away from closing, and from what I’ve heard has about $60,000 in bad beat and Monte Carlo money to give away before they close.  I hadn’t played at Kenmore Lanes in a very long time, but a friend called and left me voicemail explaining that they were having a progressive high-hand jackpot with Aces full of tens to qualify, as well as triple Monte Carlo jackpot payouts and $50 for Aces cracked.

I tend to make a lot more money from the players than I do the Monte Carlo board, so I love to play in a situation like this – not because I stand to make money from the increased Monte Carlo jackpots, but because I’m playing against players who are playing the board more than they are playing me.  Those players tend to be loose and passive, and tend to take their hands too far – especially when they have long-shot draws that might turn into Monte Carlo hands like straight flushes and small pocket pairs that could turn into quads.

In games like this I wait patiently for quality hands – I’m pretty sure I’m going to get called down to the river, so I don’t bluff as much unless I find myself in the right situation.  I expect (and hope) to get paid off for good hands and great draws.  Also, I can sit back and just play “ABC Poker” like my friend and I decided we needed to spend more time doing.  :)

So it’s now official – I received a call from Sazzy saying that we ARE playing in the WSOP this year.  I’m probably going to drive down; I’m going to treat this as a summer adventure and have fun.  I haven’t done a road trip like that in a very long time.  I haven’t quite made my plans official just yet, but I’ll probably spend the weekend of the 4th here, and then leave for Vegas on Sunday the 5th or Monday the 6th.  I don’t know – by that time my job will have ended and I’ll have no responsibilities, so who knows what I’ll do.  :)  I might just find myself in Las Vegas for the 4th.  :)

Gosh isn’t life great when all you really have to do is play poker?

Queen-Jack

So I know that I promised to write some of my hand guidelines; however, I decided that it takes too much effort to be comprehensive.  There are plenty of books available.  The more I play poker, the more I’ve come to identify a certain “character” of specific hole-cards in Texas Hold’em.  This is true for playable hands as well as non-playable hands.  In other words, when I’m sitting at a poker table, and I look down at my hole-cards, I’ve probably seen every combination of hole-cards several times.  In different situations you start to see certain hole-cards in certain ways.  It’s strange – I know.  As an example, I think of pocket Kings as a powerful force – something I want to go to war with.  I want to get as much money in the pot as I can with this hand, and I’ll decide on the flop whether I have the best hand, or whether I can represent the best hand.  I think of pocket Kings kind of the way I think of Captain Kirk.  I love to play this hand hard, and I can sometimes get myself into trouble, but at least preflop I want to push as hard as I can.

There are other hands, like King-Ten which is like a bad friend; you don’t want to get too wrapped up in drama with King-Ten because it will more than likely get you into trouble.  It looks good to an inexperienced player, but can really cost you in the long run when, for instance, you spike a King and are dominated by another player with King-Queen or Ace-King.

This brings me to Queen-Jack.  This is a hand that really takes some care to play correctly.  I love Queen-Jack suited because you can make a flush; however, even when you do make a flush you might be behind someone with Ace-x or King-x of the same suit.  You can make a straight, and often times your straight will hold up.  The problem comes when you spike a Queen or a Jack.  Against weak/loose players you can make a judgement call to decide whether you’re good; however, against strong players be very careful you’re not up against Ace-Queen or King-Queen.  Same goes for a Jack.

Probably one of the worst things that can happen is to make two-pair with Queen-Jack, especially when another high card like an Ace or a King, or a Ten is on the board.  Against 2 or more players, you’re almost surely beat by a straight or a bigger two pair in the case that an Ace has hit the board.  I’m not saying to play the hand weak – you have to use good judgement, and information about your opponents to decide what to do.  Still, you can get yourself into a lot of trouble.

So to wrap this up, whenever I see Queen-Jack the funniest thing crosses my mind.  I think of a Queen and a Jester in an affair.  Send me to the funny farm; however, isn’t that a vulnerable relationship that can get the participants into a lot of trouble?  Just like the hand itself, it’s a situation that must be played out with extreme care.

It turns out I’ll be playing in the media event at the WSOP!  I am really looking forward to the event, and hope that between the 3 of us (Mark, Sazzy and myself) we can take 1st place!

The Ringleader

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