Monsters
I witnessed this hand in a FreeRoll tournament on Empire Poker.
Blinds (200/400) - 8 players
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises 800, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button calls 800, SB raises 1000, BB folds, UTG+1 raises 800, Button calls 800, SB calls 400Flop
5♠K♣8♣SB checks, UTG+1 is All-In, Button is All-In, SB is All-In
Turn
T♥
River
Q♠SB shows A♠A♦ a pair of aces. UTG+1 shows A♣K♦ a pair of kings. Button shows K♠K♥ three of a kind, kings.
SB wins 5302 chips with a pair of aces. Button wins 9976 chips with three of a kind, kings.
I don’t think I could have folded any of those hands after the flop either. A♣K♦ was dominated the whole way. The only way he was going to win the hand was with a flush or straight. Ouch!
Home Poker Rules
My 2nd article in the home poker series has been published. It covers setting up some rules and regulations.
Gambling Laws
Gambling law summaries for the United States.
Poker Tracker Update
Version 2.05.00p of Poker Tracker has been released. No longer a beta version.
Texas Hold’em Odds
I found a very useful pre-flop calculator to see what your chances are with particular hands. The same site also provides a very detailed odds chart which is useful for comparing to pot odds. I think this chart will be my new study guide. Any poker player who wants to be serious should memorize these odds up to 7 or 8 outs. When you get beyond that, the pot is almost always laying you the correct odds for a call.
Giving It Away Post Flop
After playing the past two days on Ultimate Bet, which is much tighter than Party Poker, I’ve come to realize that my post-flop play is pretty bad. I’m giving away far too many bets on the flop, turn, and river. Back to studying SSH!
Doyle’s Work
Looks like the only way you’ll be able to get Super System 2 is by playing at Doyle’s Room. Seems stupid to me. How does Brunson expect to make any money from the book like this?
Quads and High Pocket Pairs
Last night I played way too much poker. I sat down at Ultimate Bet because I want to use up the bonuses I have over there. Once I get all of my bonuses, I’ll withdraw the money and put it into Party Poker when they have their next deposit bonus. Have I mentioned that UB’s bonus system sucks?! Playing .50/1 at UB, I get back about $1/hour in bonus. Playing $1/2, it jumps to $3/hour because the pace of play is faster. At Party Poker, I only had to play about an hour or so to get a full $20 bonus!
Poker Calling
“Some people are called to the priesthood; others are called to the casino.”
Plastic Playing Cards
I had ordered 2 decks of KEM plastic playing cards last week to try them out. They cost about $10 a deck, but they’re worth every penny. The 2 decks came in their own black plastic case even and are not as wide as a typical playing card, which is nice. Plastic cards last 30 times longer than paper cards made by the USPCC and other companies, so it’s actually a lot cheaper in the long run. KEM is the brand used by most poker rooms you’ll find.
