THE PERSISTENT IRRITATION

WSOP - Hammond

The World Series of Poker is coming to town. Which means it's going to be ridiculously crowded at the Horseshoe in coming weeks. Best to hit the Majestic if you're looking for cash game fun.

On the other hand, this does create some opportunities for the daring soul. These big tourneys are held up in the Venue, a monstrously large theater upstairs. For those who complain that the room is bad for concerts because the room isn't pitched, well, I suspect this is the reason behind this decision.

So, anyway, the last time the tournament was in town, there was a steady flow of freshly bounced players coming down to the card room. They were all hot and tilty and made for pretty easy pickings. And they had money to burn.

Something to keep in mind for those of you with time to kill this weekend and beyond.

Cowboys, Full

TimeOut Chicago interviews James McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street and the upcoming Cowboys Full. If I remember correctly, PFS was a pretty good read, though you had to hack through the non-poker story lines to get to the real juice. 

I'm done buying new books (we all have to do our part to keep the economy down), but maybe it will show up in a used bin somewhere. In which case I will purchase, read and review accordingly.

And although it doesn't come out until October 27, you can immediately declare yourself a fan of the book through the magic of Facebook.

Fear and loathing in early position

It's been a long time since we've enjoyed any analysis here at the PI. I wish I had a good excuse. There have been plenty of games at home and just over the border, during which I've certainly played a multitude of questionable hands, got caught in easily identifiable traps, and cursed at myself uncontrollably for barreling headfirst into a wall of unprofitable sessions.

Of all these, however,  one play still sticks in my head; one that I still have been unable to reconcile. And so I ask, my nine faithful readers (or is it ten by now?), How would you play it?

Consider the following scenario:

A $1-2 no limit game, nine players. You just sat down and have yet to play a hand. You have $160 in chips and are under the gun (UTG) with AK unsuited.

You raise 5x the blind ($10). Ball Cap next to you calls. Two others fold until it gets to the Seventh Seat, who pushes $22 all in. Everyone else (including small and big blinds) folds. You call; Ball Cap calls. After the rake, there is $63 in the pot with Seventh Seat all-in.  You have $138 left in your stack.

Flop comes:

What to do? First, let's think this one through aloud.

The Blocking Bet

Consider the following scenario:

$1-2 NL cash game. You're in the big blind with:

Under the Gun calls the $2. Bears Fan is in middle position and raises to $10, clearing the field until it gets to you. You call; UTG folds. there is $25 in the pot. Flop hits:

You know Bears Fan has the better hand but you like that flush draw. You check. He bets $15, which makes you pretty sure he hit high pair. You put him on AxTx. The odds aren't in your favor but you call nonetheless. Fourth street gets you nowhere:

 

This presents a bit of a problem. If you check, you'll be broadcasting your draw. You want to see the river but certainly don't want to pay a lot for it. You've invested $25 into a $55 pot and have 11 outs (9 diamonds + 2 Queens). You're out of position. He's going to pound on you. What do you do?

One technique is to shoot out a "blocking bet," which the folks over at pokerhelper.com define as "... a bet made by an out-of-position player with the intention of preventing an opponent in position from making a problematic bet when checked to."

The benefits of the blocking bet is that it confuses your opponent by seizing control of the betting. It changes the reads people have on you. And when done correctly, it slows down the pot and allows you to see the next card at a price that's right for you.

For a blocking bet to work, it needs to be high enough that your opponent won't go over the top on it but low enough to make good financial sense to you.

For this pot, I assume my check would encourage Bears Fan to bet $30, so I throw in a blocking bet of $20. The move knocks him back, and he wonders aloud if I hit my jack or if I had two-pair to begin with. Dumbfounded, he decides the call isn't worth it and lays down his pair.

Of course, this is the best case scenario. The anticipated result would be that he would simply called the bet and we'd see the river. Nonetheless, the strategy worked, and it's something to consider next time you get too far down the path with a flush or straight draw.

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Game in review

Loose play and the heroic spirit punctuated game two of the 2008-2009 Ranckle Poker League.

Brent C. took home victory, with Mark B. and Matt K. rounding out the winner's circle. Hats off to Mark for making it into the serious money for the first time in two years. He was certainly overdue.

Mark was the set man on Friday. On at least three occasions, he took down pots with three of a kind. More importantly, he wisely laid down trip tens when faced with a showdown against Jeff H., who had pocket rockets. Here's how it went down (or at least how I remember it):

Accidental Brilliance

Sometimes we accidentally play excellent poker, portending weakness when we actually are in a position of strength. Consider the following:

Ten players in a $1-2 NL game. You're the new guy and took down a hand with a flush not more than three hands ago. You're in middle position with:

The Mississippi Straddle

What started out as a weeklong road trip to Florida instead ended as a 2-day stint at the Horseshoe Southern Indiana. Just on the other side of the Ohio River from Louisville, down the road from New Albany, Indiana, past the Thornton's gas station, over the tracks and a half mile beyond the power plant, this former Caesar's property has dozens of tables and offers no-limit hold 'em, stud and Omaha. They even tried to get a table of pineapple when I was there.

The games were loose and friendly, and there was money to be made despite the ridiculous rake ($6 from everyone every half hour). However, they play with a funny rule down there, one of which is worth noting for readers in the northern states.

I'm talking about the "Mississippi Straddle."

Starting out with a bang

The 2008-2009 season kicked off with some seriously high stakes. Ten players and 12 rebuys swelled the pot to $380. And even though it had been a few months since the end of the previous season (btw congrats, Jeff H., on the win), there was no rust to be found on anyone's game. Ben M. may be the biggest challenge to Jeff H.'s league dominance. Sean M. is showing some pluck (as well as some tells); keep an eye on him as the season progresses. Rick R. brought his game up to a new level and looks to be a force with which to be reckoned. And of course, Brent C., Chris L., Jeff H., Mark B., and Roderick D. are again poised to be contenders this year. Jerry X. looks to be a player, as well, and we're looking forward to his return.

So check out the stats, and let me know what you thought about the last game.

SAGE advice for heads up play

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Persistent Irritation is pleased to welcome guest blogger Jeff H.]

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It’s Friday night. I'm knee deep in an end game against Pedro S., a good, aggressive heads up player. In the big blind, I have Q9 offsuit, a stronger than average hand. Pedro only completes the SB, which looks weak, so I raise three times the BB. He comes back over the top and I suddenly have the sinking feeling that he is slow playing a monster. I either have to commit all my chips or fold.

How would you play it?

After hours of grueling tournament play, going heads up in the finale can be both the most important and confusing part of the game. The difference between 1st and 2nd is often a factor of two in the payoff, so half of your winnings depend on good heads up play. Yet by the time you get to heads up you are tired, you may have a few beers under your belt, and the patience that got you to this point may be waning. It can be hard to know what to do.

Luckily, there is a mathematical solution to help you out. It goes by the name of SAGE (Sit and Go Endgame), the main elements of which are simple enough to memorize or put on a 3x5 card.

How would you play it?

The Persistent Irritation is back from its annual summer hiatus. Let us waste no time in analyzing some hypotheticals, shall we?

Suppose you're in a $1-2 no limit cash game, with nine players including yourself. The players are average-to-good, with a few wild players and one geezer who only plays strong hands.

You're in the small blind. Player 3 (under the gun) folds; seat 4 raises to $6 and gets 4 callers before it gets to you. There's now $27 in the pot (4 callers plus 1.5 blinds). You look down and see:

What do you do?