Magithighs at Foxwoods -- pre-during--post
I thought I'd start a thread to monitor my progress at the WPT Foxwoods tournament. Many folks have asked me to provide regular updates and I'll post some of my thoughts prior to the tournament, and my wife will post my progress. I can then provide the post tournament wrap-up.Â
I'm a bit tired right now, so my thoughts may not be too coherent. I'll do my best.
The field will be broken into to flights for the first day. I don't know if I play Sunday or Monday. As I don't have a preference, I'll let the folks managing my fate decide which day I play. Many have said that drawing the first day is an advantage. However, I'm there to play and I will have to play consecutive days to win.
How does one prepare to play in a big tournament? For my first WSOP, I created a two month training program -- both physical and mental. I believed I would never have a better shot at winning a million and decided that I had to give it everything I had. After winning my entry into the Foxwood tournament, I realize that I'll be playing in many of these tournaments and I will win one. Playing poker requires repetition. I win because I play allot, make good decisions and the math then does it's magic. So, I have a calm about me. I realize I'll be playing in the worst poker game in the world at the time and my edge will be small. But I know I have an edge, and it will eventually lead me to the final table.
So, how do I prepare. Well, I'm looking at the field and figure out their strengths/weaknesses. I assess mine. I can then figure out how I can exploit players and how to batten down my hatches. When I get to the table, everything's situational. But my preparation will make it easier to figure out how to best manage my situation.
Thanks the the Lucky Lou tournaments I have a couple of new tools in the tool chest. I have the "ALL-IN" at the top of my lungs. Yes, I will use this if I need a call. I plan to knock over my chair as I stand up and yell "ALL-IN". This pretty much will guarantee I get called.
The other tool, is to not be too pessimistic when I'm assessing a situation. I was talking to Jen at the last tournament and she mentioned that she's really trying not to give up on a hand too soon. I think I may be giving up on hands too early, in the early stages of a tournament when the implied odds are huge. So, I may mix it up a bit in position and smooth call some raises with hands with big potential. The corollary to this, is to drop this tool in the middle stages and late stages of a tournament. Drawing hands cost way to much to play in these stages.
So, what does the field look like at Foxwoods? Well, I'm expecting a field of over 1,000 players and not as many online qualifiers. I would split the field into top pros, decent pros, other pros, online entrants, B&M satellite winners & walk ups.
The top pros are great exploiters. One of my lucky lou poker tips was that most players let fear and greed motivate them. Play too many hands, and they will smack you. Playing too few and they will play back at you and make it hard for you to continue in a hand. They will use position extremely well. They are most vulnerable out of position -- especially against me because they won't see me as a threat. So, I need to use position. Now, the bigger the pot, the less fear the top pro will have. Any time I enter a pot with these folks, I must be willing to go broke to win the hand. So, I need to have position, a strong hand. And, I can't afford to build a big pot on a pure bluff. So, continuation bets have to be carefully calculated so they are just enough, but not too much to wake up the starving wolf in these players. The best way to play these folks is to use the Gus Hanson approach -- bet into them and get them to make a mistake. Give them the rope to let them choke themselves. Don't get tricky, as they will have more tricks up their sleeves. And they will interpret simplicity as complexity -- because that's how they play.
The next level of pro, just doesn't have the same reading ability as the top pros. I noticed this at this year's WSOP were Steve Zolotov and Lee Salem and one of his buddies made huge errors. They just weren't able to read their opponents and were playing their own hands. They were using the element of surprise to trick their opponents. However, in the case of Steve Zolotov, he didn't realize he was being tricked by a weak tight player. Lee Salem, wanted to gamble too much and couldn't read how I was playing. And his buddy, couldn't read that the online player would not release his Aces at the turn. In this last play the buddy was playing something like T4o UTG and hit two pair. He check-raised the online player all-in at the turn. The online player called and made a better two pair on the river. What the buddy didn't realize is that he would still get paid the same amount if he made the bet on the river. So, he had a no-risk play he could have made. The top pros would not play T4 out of position against a pair of aces. And, the would make the right read on the online player. Against the next level pro, I don't want to pay off their implied odds, but I do want to make them pay to draw. They will keep trying.  And, it'll be obvious when they hit. So, as I say -- don't feed the seagulls -- ie. if they play trash, don't pay them.
I feel the online players will be the most dangerous because of their unpredictability. Some of them will be very good, and some very bad. They all will have a bag full of tricks/plays they use. Where I can beat them is in multi-way pots with the pros. I have a good read on the pros, most of them won't.Â
It's getting late. I feel really good about this tournament. Now, I just need to win a race, dammit! I'll write more tomorrow if I can.
Cheers
Lou
I'm a bit tired right now, so my thoughts may not be too coherent. I'll do my best.
The field will be broken into to flights for the first day. I don't know if I play Sunday or Monday. As I don't have a preference, I'll let the folks managing my fate decide which day I play. Many have said that drawing the first day is an advantage. However, I'm there to play and I will have to play consecutive days to win.
How does one prepare to play in a big tournament? For my first WSOP, I created a two month training program -- both physical and mental. I believed I would never have a better shot at winning a million and decided that I had to give it everything I had. After winning my entry into the Foxwood tournament, I realize that I'll be playing in many of these tournaments and I will win one. Playing poker requires repetition. I win because I play allot, make good decisions and the math then does it's magic. So, I have a calm about me. I realize I'll be playing in the worst poker game in the world at the time and my edge will be small. But I know I have an edge, and it will eventually lead me to the final table.
So, how do I prepare. Well, I'm looking at the field and figure out their strengths/weaknesses. I assess mine. I can then figure out how I can exploit players and how to batten down my hatches. When I get to the table, everything's situational. But my preparation will make it easier to figure out how to best manage my situation.
Thanks the the Lucky Lou tournaments I have a couple of new tools in the tool chest. I have the "ALL-IN" at the top of my lungs. Yes, I will use this if I need a call. I plan to knock over my chair as I stand up and yell "ALL-IN". This pretty much will guarantee I get called.
The other tool, is to not be too pessimistic when I'm assessing a situation. I was talking to Jen at the last tournament and she mentioned that she's really trying not to give up on a hand too soon. I think I may be giving up on hands too early, in the early stages of a tournament when the implied odds are huge. So, I may mix it up a bit in position and smooth call some raises with hands with big potential. The corollary to this, is to drop this tool in the middle stages and late stages of a tournament. Drawing hands cost way to much to play in these stages.
So, what does the field look like at Foxwoods? Well, I'm expecting a field of over 1,000 players and not as many online qualifiers. I would split the field into top pros, decent pros, other pros, online entrants, B&M satellite winners & walk ups.
The top pros are great exploiters. One of my lucky lou poker tips was that most players let fear and greed motivate them. Play too many hands, and they will smack you. Playing too few and they will play back at you and make it hard for you to continue in a hand. They will use position extremely well. They are most vulnerable out of position -- especially against me because they won't see me as a threat. So, I need to use position. Now, the bigger the pot, the less fear the top pro will have. Any time I enter a pot with these folks, I must be willing to go broke to win the hand. So, I need to have position, a strong hand. And, I can't afford to build a big pot on a pure bluff. So, continuation bets have to be carefully calculated so they are just enough, but not too much to wake up the starving wolf in these players. The best way to play these folks is to use the Gus Hanson approach -- bet into them and get them to make a mistake. Give them the rope to let them choke themselves. Don't get tricky, as they will have more tricks up their sleeves. And they will interpret simplicity as complexity -- because that's how they play.
The next level of pro, just doesn't have the same reading ability as the top pros. I noticed this at this year's WSOP were Steve Zolotov and Lee Salem and one of his buddies made huge errors. They just weren't able to read their opponents and were playing their own hands. They were using the element of surprise to trick their opponents. However, in the case of Steve Zolotov, he didn't realize he was being tricked by a weak tight player. Lee Salem, wanted to gamble too much and couldn't read how I was playing. And his buddy, couldn't read that the online player would not release his Aces at the turn. In this last play the buddy was playing something like T4o UTG and hit two pair. He check-raised the online player all-in at the turn. The online player called and made a better two pair on the river. What the buddy didn't realize is that he would still get paid the same amount if he made the bet on the river. So, he had a no-risk play he could have made. The top pros would not play T4 out of position against a pair of aces. And, the would make the right read on the online player. Against the next level pro, I don't want to pay off their implied odds, but I do want to make them pay to draw. They will keep trying.  And, it'll be obvious when they hit. So, as I say -- don't feed the seagulls -- ie. if they play trash, don't pay them.
I feel the online players will be the most dangerous because of their unpredictability. Some of them will be very good, and some very bad. They all will have a bag full of tricks/plays they use. Where I can beat them is in multi-way pots with the pros. I have a good read on the pros, most of them won't.Â
It's getting late. I feel really good about this tournament. Now, I just need to win a race, dammit! I'll write more tomorrow if I can.
Cheers
Lou
Comments
We will be sweating you from here!
With great power comes great responsibility. Respect the dramatic "ALL-IN" call and it will serve you well.
Well be watching, keeping tabs and rooting you on! Good luck, Lou!!
Same here, Lou.
Good Luck and Safe Journey!!
JohnnieH
Just remember to give the dealer a wink or a nudge to warn them so that they don't have a heart attack!
Best of luck. I can't wait for the updates.
Go Lou go!
You're doing pretty good for not being there...
David Scharf $58,500 14 4
Checked the standings this morning and didn't see Lou's name. Hopefully he's playing Day 2!
Lou is starting play at the WPT today. He was placed in the second heat and started at 12:30 pm. He'll be calling me in the morning to let me know how it's going.
Keep up the good work Lou.
With a K on the flop Lou Gazzola bet and 'Syracuse' Chris called. On the turn Gazzola bet and 'Syracuse' Chris called. On the river Gazzola bet again and 'Syracuse' Chris called all in for his last 2k in chips. Gazzola showed AK and 'Syracuse' Chris mucked KJ.
Maybe he's pulling an All Aces and post-folding until someone gets his bounty.
1 Steve Jacobs $ 42,000
2 Men 'The Master' Nguyen $ 38,000
3 Ted Forrest $ 36,000
4 David Inselberg $ 35,300
5 Bill Gazes $ 34,000
6 Hasan Habib $ 33,000
7 Herbert Cheng $ 33,000
8 Goldie Watts
Full Tilt Poker Entry $ 32,000
9 A.J. Kelsall $ 31,000
10 Joe Cassidy $ 27,000
11 Mark Gregorich $ 27,000
12 Lou Gazzola $ 25,000
Keep it up Lou!!!
where do you find this
pokerwire.com
Hasan Habib raised to 6k from under the gun, Chris McCormack raised all in for 10k from the small blind, Thomas Fuller pushed in over the top for 40k more from the big blind, and Habib muck pocket kings face up.
Thomas Fuller [A][A]
Chris McCormack [A][K]
The board was no help for McCormack
I really need to learn how to do this.
I don't see Lou listed among those who survived Day 2. Too bad the run was shorter than you were hoping Lou, but looking forward to an interesting report!
He could also have made a straight for the win. Quads or a smaller straight on the board or a board flush in a suit neither player held for the chop.
I played some of my best poker and worst poker at this tournament. Right from the start I decided to mix it up a bit, as the blind levels were only 1.5 hours instead of the 2 hours at WSOP. So, I did things I don't normally do, like call with AJs from EP and then call a raise from MP. I was in good form in that hand. There were three players in for that hand. Me -- EP, and scattered lady (she made some weird plays) and Tsiprailidis. It was 25/50 first level and he raised to 200. I called and so did scattered lady in early MP.  Flop comes 25J. I check, EMP (SL) bets 300 and Tsiprailidis raises to 1300.  I got a read on this guy right from the start and was pretty certain that he had an overpair and there was only 1 of my suit on the board. And, I couldn't be sure what EMP (SL) was going to do. So, I mucked.
I also called a raise with 53s from the small blind. I made a straight on the turn and took down a nice pot. It got me the chips I needed to outplay Tsiprailidis. I had him on the exact hand of KJ after he called my turn bet. The poker wire didn't indicate that the turn was a queen and there was two hearts on the board. The river came another heart. I just made a bet which would put him all-in and he called and mucked when I showed my AK of diamonds.
I was at a tough table with Paul Darden, Eric Siedel, and Chris Tsiprailidis (didn't know him, but Darden knew him and I knew he was a good player). I had such awesome reads on everyone except Siedel.  I took down a couple of nice pots from Darden becasue I noticed he wouldn't fire the second barrel on a semi-bluff against strong players. I knew he had me pegged as a strong player after I took down Chris, and a couple of other nice pots. And, he had a huge tell -- let's just say he has HAR syndrome. Chris was an open book as he would hem and haw on a marginal hand, and fire away on a great hand. The trouble with Siedel (at least that's what I think) was that he was on my left and I was in seat 10, and he in 1. So, I couldn't see him. It really sucked.
The hand which broke me was AA. I had about 17,000 in chips. Blinds were 150/300 ante 50. I raise from MP with AA. Siedel calls, as does the small blilnd (very strong player), and the BB Darden. I'm thinking I really don't wan't to be in this pot with these guys, but it can double me up. So, I'm feeling good. Too good. Flop comes J95 two spades. I'm worried about the flush draw and straight draw as Darden is playing some flyers to double up. So, I bet out 2,000 into a pot of 4000. But, this is a big portion of the blind's stacks, and I can pick off one of their moves -- albeit a tad risky.  Siedel thinks and then raises to 6,000.  The other two fold and it's on me. I'm thinking Seidel can have a set (JJ, 99, 55) would all be possible or an over pair QQ, KK (not likely but possible) or AJ, or something like TT and he's making a move. I ask for a chip count and I have Eric covered. In retrospect, I'm almost certain I see Seidel crack a smile when I ask for a chip count. But I can't see the bastard. So, I have only two decisions raise all-in and hope I can pick off a move -- or I can fold. I can't call as that commits my chips and I have to put them in anways. He'll lilkely call my all in with AJ, QQ, TT, as he's very committed almost half of his stack.  So, I think it's time to gamble and I push all-in. He quickly calls and shows 99! I have about 3000 chips left.
My next hand I push in with 66. All fold to the loose button (thank goodnees) who calls with 78s. The SB had 55 and mucks and the BB mucks. Flop comes 492 turn J and river a 5! Yes, I double up. I'm in EP with TT. Tight guy to my right raises to 900 and I smooth call with TT, worried about the action behind me. Everyone else folds and two of us see the flop. Flop comes 257 rainbow. Tight guy bets 1,000 and I raise all-in to 3200. He hems and haws and says he's way behind but has to call. He does call and flips over QT. Yes, better than I thought. Turn comes a T and the river brings a 5. So, now I'm back to 9800.
Eric Siedel keeps raising me out of pots when I limp as the SB and he raises as the BB. One time he shows QQ and another he says he has KK. So, my plan is to limp with a big hand and then come over the top. So much for plans. I get AdQx in the SB. Blinds still 150/300 ante 50. So, I have pent up aggression and forget me decent plan. I raise to 1,000 and Siedel calls. Flop comes 27Q two diamonds. I bet 2K and Sidel Smooth calls. Turn comes a diamond -- it's a blurr -- I think the 9d. I check and Sidel bets 4K. I raise all-in as I have the ace of diamonds as a back up plan. What I was thinking is I really need to win this pot -- bad bad bad thinking -- and decided I didn't care if he had a flush. I had a back up plan. And monkey man was saying "ignore all your reads". So, I ignored everything and raised all-in. River was an Ace and IGHN.
I really want to thank everyone for their support. It really helped me through the tournament and play well most of the time. I guess it's not a shame being outplayed by Siedel, but I really wish I could have seen his face -- as ugly as it is.
Cheers
Lou
We're all proud of you!!
See you Sunday.
JohnnieH
Huh? Didn't he river his straight or is this a typo?