A Measure of Revenge

I went back for the second tournament last night. I did much better, placing 7th in the end. I played well but then I was playing well before. I've been playing well, it's just not been helping a lot.

This time I was careful to try to play smaller pots, at least with people I knew I could not put on any sort of hand. I even took a large chunk of chips from my brilliant adversary from the early tournament. I had AK offsuit in the big blind and he raised under the gun (yes I ended up with him on my left AGAIN). It was just the two of us and I hit my ace on the flop. I made a modest bet and he called (who is surprised??? anyone???). The turn brought my king. I made the same modest bet. I figured he was going to call no matter what so just in case he sucked a straight or a flush out by the river I might as well keep it cheap. Maybe that is not the right thinkng. I'm not sure yet. Anyway a third flush card fell on the river and I checked. He bet, the same 500 chip bet I'd been making and he'd been calling. Then he asked if I was going to check raise him. It was tempting except that he could have had anything at that point and my two pair was nowhere near the nuts. In the end I won and he was left crippled. I was left happy.

He didn't last much longer. Alas I was not the one to take him out.

Oh and in a bit of injustice he went on to win the first tournament after busting me. I didn't see it but was told by a couple of people that he was incredibly lucky and playing real trash. (I knew that part).

Seems that a blind squirrel does indeed find a nut every now and again huh?

Why APL sucks

As you can maybe guess I just went out of an APL tournament early and it was because of a totally idiotic play...at first on an opponent's part and then second maybe on my part. You be the judge.

It's early in the tournament. Blinds are 50/100. I have 3450 chips (starting chips are 3650). I pick up pocket Kings under the gun. I raise to 300. The absolutely brilliant player to my immediate left calls quickly. The big blind calls as well.

The flop comes down Jc 8s 4h. The pot has 950 chips in it. I lead out 1000 chips. I get an immediate call from the absolutely brilliant player to my left. The big blind is a wimp and folds.

The turn brings the 8c. I go all in for my remaining chips, 2150. I figure the absolutely brilliant player to my left either has J8, a straight draw or some other pair. I'm steaming already....

And then this absolutely brilliant player turns over A8 offsuit. He called a 300 chip preflop raise with ace rag. Then he called a huge pot sized bet on the flop with middle pair and no other draw.

See what I mean? You must be a fucking genius to make this kind of play. Either than or a clueless idiot and surely there are none of those at APL.

Wait...there is one...me! I thought I could actualy push a worse hand out of the pot with correct poker strategy! What a dumb ass! Don't I know people are there to have fun? Nobody is there to actually learn to play good poker!

Wait...I am...so I have to come to the conclusion that I am the dumb ass for playing there. What can you possibly learn from this hand? Of course what you learn is that if you make stupid plays then you sometimes get lucky and really piss a dumb ass off.

Will I go back? Well yes I will. I like most of the people there and well I'm a dumb ass and everybody knows that dumb asses keep doing dumb ass things over and over again.

Tune in next time for another entry in the saga of the worst poker on the planet....