The JENGA Report
Wow, a 13 hour session. I have just learned that fatigue is a big factor in the game of poker.
Here's how it goes........
I arrive at Rama at about 7:15 pm, I'm feeling great. Had a good sleep the night before, had my favorite mixed CD in the truck and was looking pretty good to boot. I called ahead of time to get on the list (which at Rama your not allowed to do, but I explained that I had an 1hr + 10 min drive and the lady said "alright just this once"...(BONUS) so I only waited about 30 min. to get into the room.
I buy-in for $150, I usually buy-in for 60-100, but I have my JENGA Block and am in great spirits. I sit down at the table UTG and wait for the BB before playing. Three players at the table I have played before, 2 of which I am happy to play because they are ROCKS, so if they are in after a couple of raises preflop, I know where I stand. The third, I love this guy at my table. He is East Indian, I have played him for 27 hours now (everytime I've been). He has a major tell. If he has a small pair or is suited he raises preflop. He will try to cap every betting session to eliminate players (which works). But at the turn if he doesn't catch he check raises. Once he does that, he eliminates more and if I am in the hand I know I am good, so I check raise the River and he folds. EVERYTIME. I LOVE THIS GUY.
Right of the bat, David the Dealer (who I now love as well) Say's "Are those notes on your card marker?", in which I reply "Why yes, they are, starting hands right out of Dave's Scharf's book." "Cool idea" David replies. A player in mid position says "Starting hands out of a book? Ha, hey guy's we have a newbie fish with a JENGA Block, hey JENGA BOY, mind if I call you that?" In which I reply "If it makes you feel like a better person and helps you believe that it will throw me off my game and you bet into me all night, then by all means." At which point the table breaks out laughing. The two gentlemen to my right, at this point SB and BB, enjoy the JENGA, but both agree that it is to tight for LL at Rama.
I get my cards, I am BB, 69o. One of my favorite hands, calls around to the button who raises. SB is in, I reach for my chips to raise my favorite hand, and notice the JENGA Block on my cards. I take a deep breath and fold. Flop comes, 6 3 8, turn is a 6 and the river is a 4. I think to myself "Damn, that's why I never fold my favorite hands and then I here David the Dealer say "Flush, Ace high wins the pot." I look down at the JENGA and smile.
For the next hour or so I play boring poker, fold, called the blinds a couple of times with suited cards over 5/6 and some small pairs. But got out at any sign of a better hand. The majority of people at the table are pleasent and there are some great conversations at my end of the table. Which helped me later in a couple of hands later on in the night, it is amazing what you can hear if you listen closely enough to people talking. It can really help you put them in a box.
The whole time I am playing boring poker, the loud mouth keeps poking fun at me. We are dealt new cards and as I look at my whole cards he says "Hey JENGA BOY, your block notes aren't doing to well for ya, you look like you've lost about 2/3rds of your chips ( I was actually down about $50 at this point). HAHAHAHA." This comment came at a perfect time really, I don't know the future but the following events unfold perfectly. KARMA, baby, KARMA. He was doing well and taking a lot of big pots. I thought to myself "Let me make him think he is getting to me." Loudmouth starts talking and giggling with the guy beside him, I look at David the dealer give him a wink and raise my voice "DAMMIT", I whip my cards hard to the center of the table and go for a smoke. Little did I know that this move was really going to pay of for me in the end.
I go outside of the casino and have a coffee and a smoke, I drag it out for about 10 min. I get back to the table and just miss the deal and loudmouth pipes up "Just missed the deal, but the way you've been playing that's probably good." I just shake my head.
I am now UTG. I am dealt Ad 5h, I call. there are 2 raises and loudmouth says "Your in JENGA BOY? I cap it." Whatever, I call. NO SH*T, the flop comes 555. It takes everything in me not to react, I almost started to bounce my leg and then I realized the SB bets and the BB calls. I scratch my head and think "Take a deep breath Rob." Loudmouth says in a raised voice "COME ON, either your in or your out JENGA BOY." I call, the East Indian guy that I like to play against as I said before (and he is one hell of a nice guy and his name is Rav, by the way) raises. 2 fold and loudmouth re raises as he throws his chips hard into the pot. Everybody but the SB folds, to me and I cap it. Rav calls, loudmouth says "Your full of SH*T" and calls, David the dealer asks him not to swear, the SB folds. Turn comes As. I know that loudmouth is watching me so I pick my cards again to look. I hesitate and throw in $5, Rav re-raises and so does loudmouth so I cap it. Rav folds and loudmouth proclaims "Your all mine JENGA BOY." And calls. River comes Kh and I check, he bets, I re-raise so does he and I cap it. Before he says "I call" he says to David "Heads up we can keep betting no?" David looks at me and smiles, at that point I knew he put me on my cards and he replies "Why yes, you can. If you feel the need to do so." So he re-raises. I can't believe what is happening, this guy is so arrogant that he is willing to lose all his money to make an ass out of me. The pot is huge, I re-raise and so does he. He is now down to about $25 in chips. I think to myself, "I don't want you to go because your about to tilt.HAHA." So I just call. He laughs and says "Thanks for coming out JENGA BOY." And throws down Big Slick while he yells "BOAT BABY." I sit back in my chair for a second and see that four of the players around me are smiling, they have watch me play and have watched me refer to my JENGA Block. They know what I have. I throw my A up and loudmouth starts to laugh and says "Told ya he's a fish." I stand up and show the 5, I thank David as he pushes the chips towards me and I tip him $20, because I LOVE HIM now. When I showed the 5, loudmouth went into a rage and David had to ask him to calm down. I then thanked loudmouth for the chips and went outside and jumped up and down yelling "YES YES YEAH BABY." And then I smoked and calmed down. WOW. What a hand.
I asked security if by anymeans, if our table was being taped and if I could request a copy. They said they weren't sure and would get back to me. Eventually they came back and said I could hand in a written request for it, that I would have to put the table number and approximate time on the sheet. I faxed it this afternoon. We shall see.
I was now feeling greater about the night than I already was, I have learned several lessons up to this point. About players at the table and a lot about patience and how to calm yourself at a table, when what you really want is to kill, one person anyways. He bought back a couple of times for $100, busted out eventually and left. But now everyone who witnessed the hand including a whole pile of spectators called me JENGA BOY all night, but in a friendly manner.
I managed to play boring poker and refer to the JENGA Block most of the night, I did waiver from my game time to time as I now had the bank roll to do so. I had worked my way up to about $550 by 2:30 am.
Here's where things go bad, my chip count waivers up and down. I got greedy, new blood had rolled in to the poker room and we had 4 spots open and they sat with us. By 5:00 am I was completely fatigued at which time I should have packed it up (because new players had rolled in and they were awake and raring to go). I was ahead and noticed that I was starting to waiver from my game. I thought t myself, "It's alright play a little while longer, your enjoying the company of the other players and having fun."
AAAAALLLLLEEEERRRRRRTTTTT. When you are getting fatigued to the point where you are not even noticing flush draws, get the hell out.
By 8:30 am, my chip count had diminished to $60 and man was I was tired. I packed it up and learned a hard valuable lesson. Get out while the gettins good, do not over stay because the only one that suffers is you. When you are fatigued, you are not thinking well enough to regain your chips and you don't have enough time to do so either (because of the fatigue setting). Your body can only take so much.
All in all, I had a great night, lots of fun and the players that were there were, except one, were very pleasent to play with. And most of them played good poker, which really does make it a better game.
I am down, but I have been schooled, which to me is very important. That JENGA Block with travel with me to every cash game I go to. I do not care what people say, poker it is a lot like life. You will always have something to learn. No matter what your skill level (or luck level), there is always something to learn.
JENGA BOYÂ
Here's how it goes........
I arrive at Rama at about 7:15 pm, I'm feeling great. Had a good sleep the night before, had my favorite mixed CD in the truck and was looking pretty good to boot. I called ahead of time to get on the list (which at Rama your not allowed to do, but I explained that I had an 1hr + 10 min drive and the lady said "alright just this once"...(BONUS) so I only waited about 30 min. to get into the room.
I buy-in for $150, I usually buy-in for 60-100, but I have my JENGA Block and am in great spirits. I sit down at the table UTG and wait for the BB before playing. Three players at the table I have played before, 2 of which I am happy to play because they are ROCKS, so if they are in after a couple of raises preflop, I know where I stand. The third, I love this guy at my table. He is East Indian, I have played him for 27 hours now (everytime I've been). He has a major tell. If he has a small pair or is suited he raises preflop. He will try to cap every betting session to eliminate players (which works). But at the turn if he doesn't catch he check raises. Once he does that, he eliminates more and if I am in the hand I know I am good, so I check raise the River and he folds. EVERYTIME. I LOVE THIS GUY.
Right of the bat, David the Dealer (who I now love as well) Say's "Are those notes on your card marker?", in which I reply "Why yes, they are, starting hands right out of Dave's Scharf's book." "Cool idea" David replies. A player in mid position says "Starting hands out of a book? Ha, hey guy's we have a newbie fish with a JENGA Block, hey JENGA BOY, mind if I call you that?" In which I reply "If it makes you feel like a better person and helps you believe that it will throw me off my game and you bet into me all night, then by all means." At which point the table breaks out laughing. The two gentlemen to my right, at this point SB and BB, enjoy the JENGA, but both agree that it is to tight for LL at Rama.
I get my cards, I am BB, 69o. One of my favorite hands, calls around to the button who raises. SB is in, I reach for my chips to raise my favorite hand, and notice the JENGA Block on my cards. I take a deep breath and fold. Flop comes, 6 3 8, turn is a 6 and the river is a 4. I think to myself "Damn, that's why I never fold my favorite hands and then I here David the Dealer say "Flush, Ace high wins the pot." I look down at the JENGA and smile.
For the next hour or so I play boring poker, fold, called the blinds a couple of times with suited cards over 5/6 and some small pairs. But got out at any sign of a better hand. The majority of people at the table are pleasent and there are some great conversations at my end of the table. Which helped me later in a couple of hands later on in the night, it is amazing what you can hear if you listen closely enough to people talking. It can really help you put them in a box.
The whole time I am playing boring poker, the loud mouth keeps poking fun at me. We are dealt new cards and as I look at my whole cards he says "Hey JENGA BOY, your block notes aren't doing to well for ya, you look like you've lost about 2/3rds of your chips ( I was actually down about $50 at this point). HAHAHAHA." This comment came at a perfect time really, I don't know the future but the following events unfold perfectly. KARMA, baby, KARMA. He was doing well and taking a lot of big pots. I thought to myself "Let me make him think he is getting to me." Loudmouth starts talking and giggling with the guy beside him, I look at David the dealer give him a wink and raise my voice "DAMMIT", I whip my cards hard to the center of the table and go for a smoke. Little did I know that this move was really going to pay of for me in the end.
I go outside of the casino and have a coffee and a smoke, I drag it out for about 10 min. I get back to the table and just miss the deal and loudmouth pipes up "Just missed the deal, but the way you've been playing that's probably good." I just shake my head.
I am now UTG. I am dealt Ad 5h, I call. there are 2 raises and loudmouth says "Your in JENGA BOY? I cap it." Whatever, I call. NO SH*T, the flop comes 555. It takes everything in me not to react, I almost started to bounce my leg and then I realized the SB bets and the BB calls. I scratch my head and think "Take a deep breath Rob." Loudmouth says in a raised voice "COME ON, either your in or your out JENGA BOY." I call, the East Indian guy that I like to play against as I said before (and he is one hell of a nice guy and his name is Rav, by the way) raises. 2 fold and loudmouth re raises as he throws his chips hard into the pot. Everybody but the SB folds, to me and I cap it. Rav calls, loudmouth says "Your full of SH*T" and calls, David the dealer asks him not to swear, the SB folds. Turn comes As. I know that loudmouth is watching me so I pick my cards again to look. I hesitate and throw in $5, Rav re-raises and so does loudmouth so I cap it. Rav folds and loudmouth proclaims "Your all mine JENGA BOY." And calls. River comes Kh and I check, he bets, I re-raise so does he and I cap it. Before he says "I call" he says to David "Heads up we can keep betting no?" David looks at me and smiles, at that point I knew he put me on my cards and he replies "Why yes, you can. If you feel the need to do so." So he re-raises. I can't believe what is happening, this guy is so arrogant that he is willing to lose all his money to make an ass out of me. The pot is huge, I re-raise and so does he. He is now down to about $25 in chips. I think to myself, "I don't want you to go because your about to tilt.HAHA." So I just call. He laughs and says "Thanks for coming out JENGA BOY." And throws down Big Slick while he yells "BOAT BABY." I sit back in my chair for a second and see that four of the players around me are smiling, they have watch me play and have watched me refer to my JENGA Block. They know what I have. I throw my A up and loudmouth starts to laugh and says "Told ya he's a fish." I stand up and show the 5, I thank David as he pushes the chips towards me and I tip him $20, because I LOVE HIM now. When I showed the 5, loudmouth went into a rage and David had to ask him to calm down. I then thanked loudmouth for the chips and went outside and jumped up and down yelling "YES YES YEAH BABY." And then I smoked and calmed down. WOW. What a hand.
I asked security if by anymeans, if our table was being taped and if I could request a copy. They said they weren't sure and would get back to me. Eventually they came back and said I could hand in a written request for it, that I would have to put the table number and approximate time on the sheet. I faxed it this afternoon. We shall see.
I was now feeling greater about the night than I already was, I have learned several lessons up to this point. About players at the table and a lot about patience and how to calm yourself at a table, when what you really want is to kill, one person anyways. He bought back a couple of times for $100, busted out eventually and left. But now everyone who witnessed the hand including a whole pile of spectators called me JENGA BOY all night, but in a friendly manner.
I managed to play boring poker and refer to the JENGA Block most of the night, I did waiver from my game time to time as I now had the bank roll to do so. I had worked my way up to about $550 by 2:30 am.
Here's where things go bad, my chip count waivers up and down. I got greedy, new blood had rolled in to the poker room and we had 4 spots open and they sat with us. By 5:00 am I was completely fatigued at which time I should have packed it up (because new players had rolled in and they were awake and raring to go). I was ahead and noticed that I was starting to waiver from my game. I thought t myself, "It's alright play a little while longer, your enjoying the company of the other players and having fun."
AAAAALLLLLEEEERRRRRRTTTTT. When you are getting fatigued to the point where you are not even noticing flush draws, get the hell out.
By 8:30 am, my chip count had diminished to $60 and man was I was tired. I packed it up and learned a hard valuable lesson. Get out while the gettins good, do not over stay because the only one that suffers is you. When you are fatigued, you are not thinking well enough to regain your chips and you don't have enough time to do so either (because of the fatigue setting). Your body can only take so much.
All in all, I had a great night, lots of fun and the players that were there were, except one, were very pleasent to play with. And most of them played good poker, which really does make it a better game.
I am down, but I have been schooled, which to me is very important. That JENGA Block with travel with me to every cash game I go to. I do not care what people say, poker it is a lot like life. You will always have something to learn. No matter what your skill level (or luck level), there is always something to learn.
JENGA BOYÂ
Comments
Good luck!
You played it perfectly post-flop. I would have kept raising with the river. Take every last cent of that jerk's money. Not to burst your bubble but does anyone else think A5o UTG is a crappy starter? Especially when it is capped back to you pre-flop?
I'd be careful on the slow rolling. I fully understand why you did it but...
At Rama 2/5 it will be capped almost every preflop. So you make a decision to play or not to play is what I find. While I wouldn't have played that hand almost everyone else would have and utg woulda raised with it. I remember one hand where I was either button or one before and it was capped before it got to me with my pocket 4's. UTG was the first raiser. flop come down 2 3 5 rainbow again gets capped. Turn brought an A, I figured I was good, J showed on the river, we showdown to his 4 6 offsuit that he raised utg. Believe me you don't have to loosen any of those players up usually.
I think I know who that loud mouth player is, because I had a guy like that one night. After not playing a hand for about an hour (best hand I got 7 8 of clubs utg and didn't play it) he kept yelling over to me why are you here.... are you not going to play? Tho about an hour later i did him in. Pocket J's with a flop of J A 4 rainbow.... then the A I know it's a boat but I was worried, but called his bet after he announced to the table "one more jack and buddy can't beat me...." and guess what brother got his wish...... I checked... he bet, raise raise raise raise until I was all in since we were heads up. He turns over his boat says A's over Jacks...... to bad..... I said yea.... to bad 4 jacks dude.....POTS mine
HE did the no f'n way ..... bull$hit routine, before stomping out..... I loved it.
This is, of course, exactly opposite from the truth.
These hands worked for me all night. Until I stopped paying attention and went into "asleep with my open" mode. The three of us had quite a long discussion on poker play, they both believe that you should play "almost" everything "because everybody else is". It worked for them on several hands, but they both had to rebuy at least once in the time I was there, where as I didn't. They would win a hand with something stupid like 35o, and look at me and say "see sometimes you just have too!", not realizing that the three hands they lost before that costs them more than what they won with the 35o.
Like I said, the JENGA worked for me, and I will continue to use it.
That is exactly why I play very tight in loose games. When you have a hand no one is paying enough attention to give you credit. And if they do you can loosen up and steal a few pots. I've managed to do that (not very often tho when I've missed my draw) because I was raising all the way too.