Dave's WSOP adventure -- UPDATE #1
Let me start by apoligizing for doing a VERY poor job of keeping up to date with this forum. I don't really have any excuse, busy, blah, blah, blah. In any event, I will be posting WSOP updates here. I will try to respond to new threads over the next few days of the WSOP but I can't promise anything. MY first priority is taking care of myself and playing well. I will answer what I can.
I am still in Saskatoon. My flight leaves tomorrow morning. Things are, however, off to a great start.
Local warm-up tournament
I played the small local tournament tonight. This is a fast action tournament with 20 minute levels. After an hour or so everybody has a short stack. There is VERY little bluff equity in this tournament. Many of the players simply have a list of hands that they play -- almost regardless of their stack size, position, or bet size. Skill overlay comes from having a better understanding of hand value than the field and extracting maximum value from your good hands and escaping your bad hands with minimum damage. I did, I think, a VERY good job of this tonight.
In the two hours I lasted (about 60 hands) I made five plays that stand out in my mind as being good plays that I am not always capable of making.
(1) Facing an opening raise from a tight player and a re-raise from an unknown player I folded Q-Q before the flop. It was the right fold.
(2) On a board of K-K-T-9 I correctly folded K-3 with only small damage to my stack.
(3) On a board of J-7-6-2 I correctly induced a bluff and called with A-K.
(4) On a board of A-A-J I correctly called, all-in, with K-Q and drew out on J-T.
(5) On a board of 9-8-6-3-3 I correctly bet the flop, turn, and river for value with the mediocre Q-9.
I don't think I could have played better. It has left me feeling good about my ability to be confident in my read of the situation.
The internet makes for poor etiquette
I have written before about the effect that the internet has on etiquette in live poker. I busted out when I raised UTG with A-J (my M was 4 and my Q was 0.4) and I was re-raised all-in. I called (500 into a pot of 1500). My opponent said, "Good call" which made me feel pretty good until he turned over A-A and I failed to suck out on him. It was funny. I am certain that he was not being an ass on purpose. I don't know what he intended. It gave me a chuckle, though.
Next stop, Las Vegas. There I will enjoy 36 hours of R and R then get my hate on and take on day 1b on Saturday. Next report late on the 27th or early on the 28th.
I am still in Saskatoon. My flight leaves tomorrow morning. Things are, however, off to a great start.
Local warm-up tournament
I played the small local tournament tonight. This is a fast action tournament with 20 minute levels. After an hour or so everybody has a short stack. There is VERY little bluff equity in this tournament. Many of the players simply have a list of hands that they play -- almost regardless of their stack size, position, or bet size. Skill overlay comes from having a better understanding of hand value than the field and extracting maximum value from your good hands and escaping your bad hands with minimum damage. I did, I think, a VERY good job of this tonight.
In the two hours I lasted (about 60 hands) I made five plays that stand out in my mind as being good plays that I am not always capable of making.
(1) Facing an opening raise from a tight player and a re-raise from an unknown player I folded Q-Q before the flop. It was the right fold.
(2) On a board of K-K-T-9 I correctly folded K-3 with only small damage to my stack.
(3) On a board of J-7-6-2 I correctly induced a bluff and called with A-K.
(4) On a board of A-A-J I correctly called, all-in, with K-Q and drew out on J-T.
(5) On a board of 9-8-6-3-3 I correctly bet the flop, turn, and river for value with the mediocre Q-9.
I don't think I could have played better. It has left me feeling good about my ability to be confident in my read of the situation.
The internet makes for poor etiquette
I have written before about the effect that the internet has on etiquette in live poker. I busted out when I raised UTG with A-J (my M was 4 and my Q was 0.4) and I was re-raised all-in. I called (500 into a pot of 1500). My opponent said, "Good call" which made me feel pretty good until he turned over A-A and I failed to suck out on him. It was funny. I am certain that he was not being an ass on purpose. I don't know what he intended. It gave me a chuckle, though.
Next stop, Las Vegas. There I will enjoy 36 hours of R and R then get my hate on and take on day 1b on Saturday. Next report late on the 27th or early on the 28th.
Comments
I have determined that all you need to do is win one million dollars for me to win 10K. Should be easy... go get 'em!
Dave your 100% right. Just last night on PNL there was a player who slow rolled another player, and unfortunately ended up finishing second. The only explanation I can give for players who say things like good call holding a monster is that they're very new to the game, and love the excitment and just impressed their opponent would call for alot of money... I know that sounds wierd but that happened with a nooby at one of my ring games...
Anywhoo GL, give lots of shoutouts to Canada if you make it the a final talbe