Casino Regina Nov 13 FULL REPORT part I
Casino Regina Harvest Poker Classic Nov 13
No-limit hold’em. $100 buy-in, $100 unlimited conditional re-buys, $100 add-on.
I am really tired. Really really tired. Even though I have not played a ring game in three days I have been up until 2 am, 2 am, and 3 am. This morning I am up for Casino Regina meetings and more time with the CBC Venture crew. I am so rushed that I am late checking out of the Delta. In my haste I leave me new $90 cologne behind! Arg. My fatigue will wear on my through the day and drastically (I think) affect me performance.
The meetings with Casino Regina are great. CR is committed to building a $1 million event. It will happen. And, they are keen to enter into a long standing relationship with CPP and the CPT to make this event part of the tour. Great news.
Bought a rug.
Getting ready to start the tournament I again note that I am super tired and I even have a sore back. Not going to be my best day.
Max invites me up on stage prior to the tournament starting to be part of his announcement of the $1 million tournament. Thanks Max. Also, I wanted to update the players on where we are with the TV deal. In short, we are still on the road. I am confident that we will get there but we have had a few false starts along the way which are my fault. They are not the fault of the casinos or gaming regulators or players all of whom have been awesome.
351 players (one no show).
During the re-buy period there is some crazy play. I take a $13K pot when I get three callers to my K-Js on a flop of J-x-x. They collectively has a million outs, but my K-J somehow snuck through.
Level 5 Ante 0 Blinds 75-150 My stack 13,500
I am about double average thanks to my KJ hand. There are 321 players still in.
Hand #1: UTG raises. I flat call will Q-Q. It is raised behind me. UTG folds. I call. Flop is jack high. Check check. He no fall for my trap! I bet the turn and take it.
Bad beat of the day… all fold to the big blind who wins the small blind. He shows K-K. Don’t you just hate that.
Level 6 ante 0 blinds 100-200 My stack 16,700
Nicely adding to my stack. I am seeing some of the information at the table, but I am not seeing enough. I clearly do not have my “A†game. How long will it be before I make a gross mistake?
Hand #2: UTG raises. There is one caller. I feel that I could take either of these players for their whole stack if I hit so I call on the button with 9-8o. Miss flop. All check. Turn gives me open straight. UTG bets 600. I call. Again, believing I will get paid off. I fold river and lose $1000 on hand.
Hand #3: Succesfully make a limp steal from the button with T-8o.
Level 7 ante 0 blinds 150-300 My stack 15,650
Hand #4: THE HAND. This hand I never could shake. I raised UTG to 800 with J-J. The button re-raised and I flat called. The flop was T-9-x and I bet out $4000. Button re-raised to $12K and I called. He, of course, has A-A and I almost took myself out of the tournament. This was a horrible call. But, it did help me see the enemy. This is a HUGE leak that I have and I have now given it a name.
Here is what happened in the hand. I raise UTG. OK, routine play. Button re-raises. This player made some crazy plays during the re-buy period so I was not at all certain what this re-raise meant. I decided to take off the flop and see what came. T-9-x. OK, I bet out telling myself that this will define me hand. He, again raises. Oh oh. At this point EVERYTHING screamed at me to fold. The betting pattern said fold. His actions said fold. He announced “Raise to $12K†but then didn’t put out enough out there. He was, however, VERY interested to make sure that $12K got put into the pot. He WANTED the money in the pot. I felt I was seeing a huge adrenalin response. Everything screamed fold. I had played the hand to set myself up to fold and then, all of a sudden, despite all of my analysis my mind went blank and I said: “Call.†Christ.
The player with A-A went on to win the tournament. Congratulations. And, with my apologies for not knowing you name. Very well played tournament.
Describing this to Ralph at the break I was in the process if saying, “I’ve discovered my biggest leak,†when Ralph interrupts to say, “That you play like a monkey?â€
“No,†I reply. “At times, my mind just goes blank.â€
And so, at that moment in the elevator in Casino Regina I named my enemy. I hereby confess to having the “Monkey Mind Go Blank Leak.†There, I’ve named it. Now maybe I can get rid of it. I need to build in some sort of a physical brake pedal to stop myself from suddenly going blank and announcing “Call†in tough situations. It was a gross call. I should have folded, but “Monkey Mind Go Blank†grabbed me. I have GOT to get this fixed.
Level 8 ante 25 blinds 150-300 My stack 3600
Hand #5: I raise in middle position with A-To. I am re-raised by a solid player. There is no doubt in my mind that I am a dog, but I have the odds to call (please don’t have aces). He shows Q-Q and I spike an ace to win the hand.
Hand #6: Late position aggressive player raises my big bling. I have J-J. I decide to slow play pre-flop and hope to get a double. Flop is T-9-2. Check, check. Turn is 5. I bet out. He raises me all-in with A-5. I hold up and double through.
Supper break. Head over to the food court in the mall. Give name to the Monkey Mind Go Blank leak.
No-limit hold’em. $100 buy-in, $100 unlimited conditional re-buys, $100 add-on.
I am really tired. Really really tired. Even though I have not played a ring game in three days I have been up until 2 am, 2 am, and 3 am. This morning I am up for Casino Regina meetings and more time with the CBC Venture crew. I am so rushed that I am late checking out of the Delta. In my haste I leave me new $90 cologne behind! Arg. My fatigue will wear on my through the day and drastically (I think) affect me performance.
The meetings with Casino Regina are great. CR is committed to building a $1 million event. It will happen. And, they are keen to enter into a long standing relationship with CPP and the CPT to make this event part of the tour. Great news.
Bought a rug.
Getting ready to start the tournament I again note that I am super tired and I even have a sore back. Not going to be my best day.
Max invites me up on stage prior to the tournament starting to be part of his announcement of the $1 million tournament. Thanks Max. Also, I wanted to update the players on where we are with the TV deal. In short, we are still on the road. I am confident that we will get there but we have had a few false starts along the way which are my fault. They are not the fault of the casinos or gaming regulators or players all of whom have been awesome.
351 players (one no show).
During the re-buy period there is some crazy play. I take a $13K pot when I get three callers to my K-Js on a flop of J-x-x. They collectively has a million outs, but my K-J somehow snuck through.
Level 5 Ante 0 Blinds 75-150 My stack 13,500
I am about double average thanks to my KJ hand. There are 321 players still in.
Hand #1: UTG raises. I flat call will Q-Q. It is raised behind me. UTG folds. I call. Flop is jack high. Check check. He no fall for my trap! I bet the turn and take it.
Bad beat of the day… all fold to the big blind who wins the small blind. He shows K-K. Don’t you just hate that.
Level 6 ante 0 blinds 100-200 My stack 16,700
Nicely adding to my stack. I am seeing some of the information at the table, but I am not seeing enough. I clearly do not have my “A†game. How long will it be before I make a gross mistake?
Hand #2: UTG raises. There is one caller. I feel that I could take either of these players for their whole stack if I hit so I call on the button with 9-8o. Miss flop. All check. Turn gives me open straight. UTG bets 600. I call. Again, believing I will get paid off. I fold river and lose $1000 on hand.
Hand #3: Succesfully make a limp steal from the button with T-8o.
Level 7 ante 0 blinds 150-300 My stack 15,650
Hand #4: THE HAND. This hand I never could shake. I raised UTG to 800 with J-J. The button re-raised and I flat called. The flop was T-9-x and I bet out $4000. Button re-raised to $12K and I called. He, of course, has A-A and I almost took myself out of the tournament. This was a horrible call. But, it did help me see the enemy. This is a HUGE leak that I have and I have now given it a name.
Here is what happened in the hand. I raise UTG. OK, routine play. Button re-raises. This player made some crazy plays during the re-buy period so I was not at all certain what this re-raise meant. I decided to take off the flop and see what came. T-9-x. OK, I bet out telling myself that this will define me hand. He, again raises. Oh oh. At this point EVERYTHING screamed at me to fold. The betting pattern said fold. His actions said fold. He announced “Raise to $12K†but then didn’t put out enough out there. He was, however, VERY interested to make sure that $12K got put into the pot. He WANTED the money in the pot. I felt I was seeing a huge adrenalin response. Everything screamed fold. I had played the hand to set myself up to fold and then, all of a sudden, despite all of my analysis my mind went blank and I said: “Call.†Christ.
The player with A-A went on to win the tournament. Congratulations. And, with my apologies for not knowing you name. Very well played tournament.
Describing this to Ralph at the break I was in the process if saying, “I’ve discovered my biggest leak,†when Ralph interrupts to say, “That you play like a monkey?â€
“No,†I reply. “At times, my mind just goes blank.â€
And so, at that moment in the elevator in Casino Regina I named my enemy. I hereby confess to having the “Monkey Mind Go Blank Leak.†There, I’ve named it. Now maybe I can get rid of it. I need to build in some sort of a physical brake pedal to stop myself from suddenly going blank and announcing “Call†in tough situations. It was a gross call. I should have folded, but “Monkey Mind Go Blank†grabbed me. I have GOT to get this fixed.
Level 8 ante 25 blinds 150-300 My stack 3600
Hand #5: I raise in middle position with A-To. I am re-raised by a solid player. There is no doubt in my mind that I am a dog, but I have the odds to call (please don’t have aces). He shows Q-Q and I spike an ace to win the hand.
Hand #6: Late position aggressive player raises my big bling. I have J-J. I decide to slow play pre-flop and hope to get a double. Flop is T-9-2. Check, check. Turn is 5. I bet out. He raises me all-in with A-5. I hold up and double through.
Supper break. Head over to the food court in the mall. Give name to the Monkey Mind Go Blank leak.
Comments
Ie what could you have figured him on, to make that move
just want to understand your thinking on the hand.
In terms of people folding to your kings, i've had people fold around to my BB with aces, and it honestly puts me on tilt. especially when it's the only good hand you've seen in forever
I do my thinking as I make my original bet, and think through the possibilities. When it happens, I usually have a really good read on my nemsis, and my thoughts are "don't loose your stack with JJ (it's my nemisis hand) in early position, try and take advantage of X player, and watch for Y player. Well, when Y player does what I would view as a huge alarm bell -- everything goes quite, there's no thinking. It's like I'm blocking any rationale thought, that would lead me to fold. It's like a Homer Simpson thing "hmmmm.....muuuuust noooooot thiiiink here". Then after that successful thought blocking coup, "testosterone man" leaps into action and clicks "raise-all-in". That will teach Y player. That will put him in his place.
Then "brain man" comes back online and says "well Y player" told you serveral times he had you hugely dominated. There was his raise, how quickly he put his chips in, the raise that wanted you to bite, etc. etc. And "testosterone" creeps into the background, saying "yeah you're right, but if you're so smart why can't you control me."
It usually comes from being too tired for me. Sounds like you were playing tired. Normally "testosterone man" is very good, when adequately controlled by "brain man". But when I'm tired "Brain man" can't control "testosterone man" and it usually ends "raise-all-in". Happened on Monday night in top ten (600 plry tourney -- 200 left), and I vehemently defend a blind with A9o, against another chip leader and I try and bluff him off two-pair with all my chips!
Now, I seek ways to control "testosterone man" when I'm tired. Haven't found any yet.
MONKEY MIND GO BLANK.
Must... find... a way... to defeat it...
As I was thinking about this ying/yang thing I have with "brain man- BM" & "testosterone man-TM", I recall a hand that's been bugging me for over 6 months. I can see clearly now that when BM won the battle, I made the right decision.
It was Day 1 of this year's WSOP, and I'm on a table all day with Al Krux. Didn't know who he was at the time, but it was clear he was the best player at the table. I'm getting pushed around, and making good folds. TM doesn't like this one bit. I think we're on the third level and I've pretty much treaded water and have something like T9800. I get 66 UTG. TM says you need to play this, it's going to hit and you're going to double up. BM says, you can't limp as it will encourage more limpers and Al to make a sizeable raise to take down the pot. It was pretty much a weak-tight table and I was opposite AL, and was handcuffed in many situations. BM makes a deal with TM, make a 3X raise, so I can make a good decision based on what happens. Weak-Tight man who's been hitting all day calls, and Al makes a little more thand pot sized bet (I think it was 3000). TM tries the thought block, raise-all in. But BM talks to him. TM says you've shown weak-tight tendancies all day, a raise-all in will surely represent aces and get Al to fold. Not a bad thought. BM intervenes, and says Al won't make a raise in that spot that he won't back up. Al had about T18,000 at the time and he could recover from a mis-read, and could roll the dice. BM says it's hard to represent aces, when Al could actually have them. BM thinks there's an 80% chance of being called, and a 50/50 that Al has a big pocket. So, I add it up and I've got poor odds on a hand that can bust me. BM forces TM to fold and Al takes the pot.
I never really thought of it as a discussion between BM and TM. But as I do, it's clear it was a good fold.
In my case it is more like BM, TM, and MM (monkey man). MM sometimes simply pulls the trigger the deather wish. Somewhere here there is a solution. I must find a way to have BM have the last decision. I think that a person needs a physical event (e.g. stand up and sit back down before moving all-in) in order to ensure that BM is in control.
I am going to work on a physical break pedal that I will do EVERY SINGLE TIME that I move 1/2 or more of my stack into the pot.
That is such an excellent idea! Although I'm not a very experienced player, I suffer from Monkey Mind Go Blank syndrome, and have been fighting it for a while (although mostly in limit games, rather than in tournaments). A physical routine to make me "snap out" of mechanical play and re-evaluate a situation might be the answer.
Now I just need a cure for "He's a bad player, so he must have a bad hand" syndrome.