Subject: ATLARGE NLHE - Never Ever Give Up..  or, it depends
From: alwaysaware@aol.com (AlwaysAware)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling.poker
Date: Mon, Mar 25, 2002 11:57 AM
Message-ID: <20020325145740.10643.00000121@mb-fo.aol.com>

I wasn't gonna write a trip report for ATLARGE... but, since I "grew" up on rgp
and this game included so many of the things, that I either whined about or
learned on/off the board, here is a mini version. (OK, mini for me, not the
average Joe :-)

Saturday NLHE - Never Ever Give Up!

After playing badly in the *real* tournament (the trop $200 NLHE with rebuys)
on Friday, I am mentally prepared to take down this group of r00lers for the
bragging rights.  I write on a piece of paper THINK THINK THINK (see SARGE
report for those not in the know)  Bruce Kramer takes my paper and writes (on
the back) Remember, Don't be an IDIOT!  Later in the tournament while away from
my seat Action Bob will write CALL CALL CALL (thanks Bob, but I'm sure you
understand why I had to cover that portion of the paper with chips... never to
see those words AGAIN!!!) 

I have played one hand weakly.  I raise. Get a caller. The flop comes with
babies and I bet. Called.  I know this player and I know that he has a pair, I
also know that he will not bet it out but will call me all the way.  I have
overs and check the turn and check the river when my Q hits.  He is going to
call me anyway, I'm gonna have to show that I am an idiot and not only played
but raised AQ early in the tourney *and* he is capable of having KK (or, as
others learned later in the tourney AA) and never betting it.  So I check and
take the pot over his 99. The others at the table don't know him and my play
looks very weak (as well as horrible :-).

We are less than 20 minutes into the tournament when I play my second hand. 
The blinds are 5/10 and in early position it is raised to 20.  OK many of these
ARG'ers are playing NL for the first time, so I can't read anything into that
raise.  I repop it for 60, it is folded to the raiser who repops (I don't
remember whether he threw in 200 more or made it 260.. it's either 220 or 260
doesn't matter) and I move in.  He hesitates and asks my chip count, dealer
informs him he is covered.  He debates just a tad longer and commits his chips.
 I turn over AA and say "I pretty much told you what I had" he replies that he
thought I was pushing him around as he turns over JJ and my heart sinks I
*know* that he is going to hit a two outer.  Sometimes God is merciful and the
pain was swift hitting the flop instead of the river and I now had 55 chips
left.  In retrospect good thing I took a shot with AQ early, heh? 

I take a page from Rich Barrett's book (I crushed him early at SARGE and he
made a terrific comeback, in fact he went on to win) and tell myself Never Give
Up, NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!!!  I have three orbits, I will choose a hand wisely.
(And, let's face it, if I bust what I am I gonna do.. play live - oh, great
there's a way to bleed money.. I am much better off spending 7 hours in a
tournament trying to survive, even if I don't cash than I am in live action.) 

I also have to smile as his statement, "I thought you were pushing me around" 
When I first started to play, I ALWAYS thought that, I still think that
sometimes (ergo my exit from Friday's tourney :-) And I looked at him and said
"Push you around? It's only the second hand I played, the first one I played, I
played weakly".  As he is scooping the pot, I inquire what his first name is
(he has a nic name on his ATLARGE badge) and as he tells me, he also request
that I don't post anything bad :-)  This makes me wonder if he read my post on
taking JJ against Wesley's AA where I stated "I just KNEW he was tried of being
pushed around".  But, I don't think he really knew who I was, but it did give
pause about posting those little "quips" :-)

I don't remember the hand that I pick, but I am ahead until the flop, then
regain on the turn and there is a big noise from the table, kinda like the
sounds you hear from people being jerked around on a roller coaster (this is
after all an ARG event) and Linda Lewis at the next table inquires if I
Schmengied someone.  I reply no, that I am working my way back after having A's
cracked.. and someone has the NERVE (at her table) to accuse us of bad beat
stories!!!!  (smile) I double through and just as I have enough for 6 orbits,
the blinds go up, d'oh..  I usually keep my stack in much a manner that I know
exactly what I have at any time.  Today, I stack them in orbits, so I can
quickly tell exactly how many orbits I have until I no longer have options. It
is going to be a long time coming, but I WILL make that final table. 

Not only am I playing my *best* short stacked game.  I am facing another
challenge...  seat selection.  I started at the table that will be broken
first.  The table breaks after my sb and I manage to draw the table that will
be the next to break *AND* I pull seat of the bb, d'oh.  And when this table
breaks, I do it again.  Short stacked with a Double Blind tax.  Everyone needs
a goal, I decide that mine will be to play at EVERY table. I fail at that goal.
 But the irony is this...  You may recall the situation in Tunica where someone
missed two hands cause they thought they were on break and the advice from this
newsgroup was never trust a dealer. OK, so just before our table breaks the
clock resets to ten minutes which would be the break.  We put our chips out to
color up and are told to color up at our new tables.  My new table is in a hand
and I *assume* we are on break, and I leave. I am still just surviving with
T170 in chips on blinds of 15/30.  As I head back to the poker room Action Bob
tells me that he tried to find me, we were not on break NEVER TRUST A CLOCK,
EITHER!!!!! and I have missed three hands, including both blinds. As Action Bob
notes the steam coming from my ears, he tries to encourage me, by telling me in
my bb someone had Aces,  and if I decided to defend that might have been the
end of me.  I, of course, decide to "steam."  Why? Because it was my fault, my
mind is not processing correctly lately ( I can't remember access codes that I
have used for the past six years, etc.) and it scares me enough that I need to
find a source other than my own brain to blame.  I seek out TK (Trop guy
running our tournament that is a super guy and recently promoted to management,
wtg TK!) and politely yet with a *edge* explain the situation, and suggest that
if the clock isn't working properly that they announce that fact, yada yada
yada...  TK the man that always wears kid glove, avoids "setting" me off :-)
and I am smart enough to walk away..  I am pacing and I am upset and EVERYONE
is smart enough to start away from me :-)  This is when I return to my seat to
find that Action Bob in my absence has written CALL CALL CALL on my sheet of
paper and I just laugh and all is right with the world.  Maybe he is right,
perhaps in my stupidity it is good that I missed those three hands, and I go
back to work watching and waiting for my spot. 

In poker there are some people that always seem to r00l you and others that you
seem to r00l over.  I am moved again, and my new table will be the 5th to
break, so the blind tax may be ending :-)  on my left is Chic Natkins whom I
always seem to r00l over (for instance in live action later that night in the
HOSEL game, his flopped trips that became a full house when a second A fell on
the turn giving me a set, there was plenty of action *cause I didn't consider
he was full*, yet I scoop the pot when I hit the two outer on the river, giving
me the yacht to his boat) I ALWAYS r00l Chic and though he has me out chipped
(probably 3-4 times my stack) he respects me. I have played most of the tourney
with only enough chips to play 3-4 orbits, once I got up to 8 orbits, but 3-4
orbits was about average for me.  So, when it came folded to me with just the
blinds behind me if I had anything resembling a hand I had to move it.  Chic
had to agonize and fold, cause he probably didn't have me beat and if he did -
he would just end up doubling me through - because I r00l.  Behind him was
Mitch Firestone, who was too short to defend, so the combination of the two was
good for me.  Chic whined to Mitch to get some chips so I would stop that
nonsense.  Of course, two to my right was Scott Bryon who moved in on my blind
EVERYTIME regardless of what he had if it were folded to him.  He doesn't r00l
me, but he knows that I can't call unless I have one of three hands, so his
odds are good, damn him!!!  

When a question about poker is asked the answer is often "it depends."  Today
seemed to be the day of 7's and Scottro wasn't even there!  The odometer on the
vehicle I drove down (not one I usually drive btw) hit 77777 in AC. I folded
7's when in mid position even though it came folded to me, due to reasoning and
feeling and I played 7's, and even called with 7's, it just depended on the
situation and so  many other factors. Frank (Alaska) couldn't lose with a 7, it
saved him a few times.  I raised 77 and Chic moved in. It came back folded
around to me and I had to release the hand, cause Chic isn't moving in on ME
unless he can beat me bad. He knows that I can read him like a book and he
isn't going to double me through to be even more dangerous.  Chic had me out
chipped (by a lot) and I wasn't ready to die with the 7's.  I did however, show
the 7's (so I could use this later by letting those 7's stick in peoples mind
so I could make the same raise later with a premium hand) and Chic showed AA. 
Somehow I *knew* had I played them I would of r00led, but... and... we will
never know.  Shortly after that the tightest player in Atlantic City, Mitch
Firestone moves in utg (under the gun - i.e. first to act) and it is folded to
me.  We are now two tables and I stand up (on my chair) to survey the chips at
the other table.  I have him atleast 2-1 (maybe 3 or 4 to 1), anyway I will not
go broke playing the hand. Finally I say "it's 475 a round, your blind is next
and you have less than 2 rounds, the range of hands you could play (the
tightest player in AC :-) expands to overs,  and I call with my pocket 7's and
he turns over the bullets!  I am not worried, as Mitch is another player that I
*r00l* and I *KNOW* that I will get there, and state as much.  I am surprised
when no 7 arrives on the flop, or the turn.. but there it is indeed on the
river.  Poor Mitch, and he is of course, gracious in his disappointment.  You
see the irony right?  My Aces are cracked at the beginning of this tourney, now
at the end I crack Aces.  I lay down 77 to Chic Aces, yet take 77 up against
Mitch's A's.  Poker what a game!  And of course, IT DEPENDS!

The bubble is approaching and I am NOT going to be the BUBBLE GIRL.  Yet, I
don't have a lot of chips. It comes raised to me and I look and see AK of
diamonds.  The raiser has to know that I have a game as he was at my table when
I went to 55 and here I am at the last two tables (started with 84 players
btw).  He is on the sunny side of pot committed, and has me outstacked but I
need chips.  I move in (seemingly without hesitation, I have already surveyed
the situation before it got to me and I finally look at my cards).  He debates
and tries to use psychology on me. I am not afraid to answer as I can throw my
voice and am pretty good at out psyching or re-psyching.  He says "well atleast
I have one over" and with no hesitation (and almost appearing to be said
accidentally) I say "I don't think so."  He continues to debate and tries to
get me to talk, so I say "You have nothing to gain and everything to lose" (For
you to understand this you need to have been at the table when I went to 55
chips.  They were talking about getting lap dances, and I guess to include the
lone woman at the table in the conversation this same guy Jeopardy Jim, asked
me if I would be getting a lap dance if I won.  Without skipping a beat I
replied, if I win I MAY give lap dances.  This is a hand that I was all in with
my 55 chips and everyone immediately folded allowing me to take the blinds,
lol). I continue, "You either lose your chips, or the *possibility* of the lap
dance, but either way you lose :-)" At this point I know he has two big cards
one of which is an Ace. (i.e. the comment he has at least one over) so I don't
care if he folds or calls..  he can use all the psychology he wants, he won't
get a read - cause I don't care. He calls, inquiring if I really have AA.  The
board helps no one and my AK edges out his AQ.

I have a last longer with Frank (Alaska) and though I feel bad that he goes
down to 125 in chips at two tables I am loving that soon to be mine, $25. 
Well, Frank has won some big tournaments and if you saw him in action you might
know why.  He goes all in the next 6 hands and survives them all and is now
healthy, d'oh.  I depart 6th and two hands later Frank and Patrick depart on
the same hand. Once I was out, guess he started taking chances again!  I really
miss that $25!  Someone once told me that you have to allow yourself to get
lucky, I am starting to understand and apply that logic, good thing too - it
kept me out of the live games for 7 hours :-)... but, I STILL miss that $25!!!!

I have one question on my exit hand.  The blinds are 500/1000 the antes are
100.  After posting my bb I have 550 in front of me.  Mike Keohan raises to
isolate (he has over 1/3 of the chips with 6 players left).  Those that don't
know Mike, he is a great tournament player.  He isn't going to raise to isolate
me unless he has a chance of winning it, he doesn't want to double me up, he
wants me out.  So, he has either a pair or an Ace.  I look to see J7. Not a
great hand, cause I *know* he either has an over (the Ace) or a pair. In a
tournament without antes you almost always call there due to pot odds.  i.e.
3,200 in the pot.  What about an ante tournament?  If I don't call, I am all in
on the next hand, with a short blind, but there are antes to be picked up, so
the pot for me would be a minimum of 600 + 450 + 450, giving me 1500 and 6
mores hand to play if I survive.  When antes are involved does it change things
enough to lay down a hand that you feel is dominated and take your chances on
the next random hand?

Joan