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The US Poker Championship |
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December 2007
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Okay, so I feel like a lot of my columns for BLUFF Magazine
have focused on the tough times I've faced on the poker circuit.
Basically pain, anguish, crying myself to sleep; that sort of thing.
Hmmm... maybe a little.
The problem is that I'm not sure if I'm actually going out of my way to
cover the negative things that happen in my adventure through poker and
life or if I'm simply telling it like it is. Truthfully, with almost
every aspect of human existence it seems like conflict creates a much
more interesting story. Also, if I were winning every tournament and
cruising through every experience, I would certainly have something to
write about, but I wouldn’t be learning as much or sharing life lessons
with my readers.
Why am I prefacing this month’s column with all this psychobabble?
Probably because I don’t want people to think I am complaining about
everything I write about. This is a selfish reason. Another less
selfish reason is that I want the reality of my world to show in these
pages; and although I am eternally thankful for being in the position
I’m in, I am human like everyone else and have problems, albeit
problems that I know others strive to overcome. Like losing another
tournament chip lead!
This year I decided to play in the United States Poker Championship in
Atlantic City, since in past years it has gotten good television
coverage and also because I sensed the field would be fairly weak since
a large tournament was going on in Aruba at the same time. I was right,
— the field was incredibly weak! As for TV coverage, ESPN would not be
covering it this year, but there was a crew filming the event… however,
where the coverage will end up is a mystery. With 30,000 in starting
chips and an amazing blind structure, I felt comfortable from the
beginning, although defending champion Alex Jacob loomed to my left.
To what do I attribute the weak play in this field? First, decent
players who are not as polished because they are removed from Vegas and
the vast variety of game choices and skill levels found there. These
players have confidence in their abilities and are certainly
successful, but when faced with the more experienced players of the
West Coast, they are at a disadvantage. Of course, this is just my
opinion.Second, I encountered players who are clearly wealthy but are
clearly not wealthy from poker. There are definitely “rich fish” in
Vegas — countless more in fact — but these fish in Atlantic City will
gamble more. They come to this tournament with the desire to bring a
story home to their friends, probably because there are so many fewer
tournaments on the East Coast. So these players approach a tourney with
less regard for common sense and with an overall need to be remembered.
After all, this is their big shot! I completely understand this line of
thought… if only these players realized that an easier way into the
poker world is to begin with solid, more reasonable play. Once the
skill level is developed, THEN is the time to create a legacy!
Mishaps in strategy
At my starting table, within the first five hands of play with blinds
at 25/50, a player was able to get his entire 30,000 chip stack into
the pot on a fl op of 7-6-2 with two clubs. Having such an amazing
structure, getting all in on the fifth hand should truly be warranted
only by an extremely cold deck, or maaaaybe as a very strategic play
against the right kind of player when you are positive you have the
best hand… but still…
This was not a poor player at all; in fact he was an above average
player, but this hand is more of an example of strategic “subtleties”
that many players misunderstand or do not have in their poker database.
East Coast players may have more of these inconsistencies because of
fewer opportunities to experience certain situations. Back to the hand…
our hero actually had 7-6, for op two pair. A very strong hand. But
how strong?
Let’s look at his opponent… ALEX JACOB! Defending champion! Would a
solid defending champion get his entire stack in for the fourth or
fifth raise on the flop with a hand that couldn’t beat two pair? I
think not. Alex — who I had the chance to get to know a little better
and discover how intelligent and deadly he is at the table and will be
for years to come — had flopped a set of sevens, naturally. To sum up
this mishap, I would say that in any new situation in poker — and there
will be infinite numbers of these — it is best to sit back and analyze
what is really going on. “What factors should play into my decision
here?”
A little inner monologue can go a long way. For the above hand... “This
young solid famous player, Alex Jacob, defending his title, has shown a
lot of strength in the first level of the tournament… I MUST BE BEAT!”
Another good thought: “I have a strong hand but am out of position
against a top player early in a tournament… let’s make sure the pot
doesn’t get TOO big.” Either of these thoughts saves our hero his
tournament life and $10,000.
Mishaps in strategy
I smell fish. On the turn, an older Asian player makes a huge overbet
against another player at my table. He has pocket tens, but his
opponent has flopped a set. This hand seems to anger him immensely, and
he therefore decides to make a huge overbet pre-fl op with A-7 on the
next hand. His massive overbet is called by another player with A-5!?
They chop. The very next hand, I look down at pocket queens and make a
standard raise to about 2,500. Apparently this player is on a mission
to explode. After a small speech, he announces he is all in for
approximately 50,000 in chips! I quickly call and he turns over 10-8
off-suit. I have never seen such a desire to give away chips so badly…
the whole thing smelled like Atlantic City.
With hands like this one, along with other hands where I outplayed my
opponents, I found myself securely building an impressive chip stack.
As the field was whittled down, I noticed my good friend Gavin Smith
building his own chip fortress as well. I looked forward to an
interesting final table…
Mishaps in etiquette
Of course I don’t always get my money in with the best of it. The next
hand in question, I call a raise from a fairly loose player from late
position. I have 5-7 of diamonds, and we both see a fl op of Q-6-3, two
spades. I check to him, he bets, and I smell weakness. I have plenty of
chips and I go with my read and push him all in. He quickly calls,
stating, “You probably got me.” If only that could be true, sir. LOL.
He flips over A-9 of spades for a nut flush draw, and I proudly display
my inside-straight draw. I am pretty pleased that I have far more outs
then I imagined. Long story short, the river falls a four and I bust
said player. “You’re a f**king joke,” he says. Hmmm? Lemme process this
one. “You’re a f**king joke,” he says again.
Now, I have encountered people who are upset or on tilt or going
through a difficult time in poker, whether it is the result of one hand
or many, but have hardly ever witnessed someone targeting me
specifically with his words in such a way. If the player had said,
“That’s a f**king joke” or “Give me a f**king break,” that would’ve
been acceptable and understandable, based on his busting.
But, no — he aimed his words at me specifically in response to my
simply making a strategic poker play. This ignorance made me snap. “You
know what, f**k you. Learn some f**king morality. How about shaking my
hand or something instead of acting like an idiot?” That is a rough
quote, but close to what I said; I’m glad that cameras were rolling
during my rant!
I eventually cooled down. Well, I cooled down rather quickly since I
now had the chip lead. I cruised through the tournament from this
point, swapping the chip lead with Gavin, eventually ending the day
with 27 players remaining. I had 700,000 in chips to Gavin’s 380,000.
Sick.
Mishaps in strategy
A player with a large chip lead, nearing the money, decides to play a
big pot with A-Q. The player has continually told himself, “Don’t play
a big pot, it’s unnecessary,” but still ends up losing 350,000 to a
2007 bracelet winner, Ryan Young, after getting outplayed when Ryan
played K-K very sneakily. Playing a big pot was completely unnecessary,
particularly against one of the only players who could put a large dent
in this chip leader’s stack. You guessed it — this chip leader was me.
After this pot, I got unlucky a couple times and pretty much dwindled
to a disappointing 16th place finish. Frustrating, yes… however I am
being realistic with myself and I know that I am growing as a player.
There are inconsistencies in my game that I must improve, and sometimes
the best medicine is to just get the experience. NO WORRIES.
I sense more chip leads soon. I am curious about how long it will take me to learn how to hold onto one…
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