Poker
Camp WPF 2002:
Opening Day
I
have looked forward to the WPF (World
Poker Finals at Foxwoods) for months.
I have arranged for three weeks off of
work, yet when the day arrives I don't
want to go. Not unusual for me, I always
look forward to stuff but never want to
actually go when the time approaches.
Finally decide I have the rest of my life
to straighten out my disorganized ways,
got a late start putting myself in horrible
traffic, but, I just *knew* this was my
weekend and I would win a seat for the
10K championship final event. I missed
the afternoon super but played the night
super. Small field so I didn't think there
would be seat. When I signed up five minutes
before the start, I joked with Kathy Raymond
(Director of Poker) that I could beat
three other people. But the start was
delayed for twenty minutes and with three
tables I felt confident I could get to
at least 5th and get some lammers, I sat
down and vowed to play solid poker. After
the add on period was over it became clear
that one seat had indeed been squeezed
out (28 players) with $200 for second.
So much for making it to at least 5th.
Had I known there would be a seat I would
have passed. Finishing 5th and getting
lammers was no longer the plan of the
day, I now had to win it.
In
the first round I was dealt a pair of
8's and almost folded it, then decided
it's a satellite - not a tourney and raised
3x's the bb to T75. Called in four spots,
WHAT? Oh right, this is a satellite not
a tourney... flop comes with two diamonds,
A 8 2 I bet weakly T75, wanted to get
paid off but I didn't want a flush draw
raising big and pushing me around, surprisingly
it is folded to the button who raises
to T300 (starting chips T1000 with one
optional rebuy of T2000, he had rebought
I had not) I move in (if he has a flush
draw he is gonna pay to get there), I
can get a rebuy so aggressive is OK and
I am pretty sure I am not dominated. He
is a high stakes player and if he had
pocket aces I strongly felt that he would
have reraised preflop when it came to
him with T350 in the pot {1 raiser and
3 callers to him plus the two blinds of
T25/25}. If the two hole flat calls I
have to slow down, *he* could very well
have pocket aces, but the button is only
a threat for a flush draw. He takes a
think and finally calls with AK, none
of the suit that will give him a draw
to a flush, hmmm Alan Miller tells him
he is dead to ONE ace. Turn is an Ace.
I am thinking, man he's got trip aces
to my set of 8's and am stunned when the
pot is pushed to me (dealer didn't call
hand) after the river card is burned and
turned . I don't know why, but I know
it's mine because the pro's are a buzz
about the hand. It is three hands later
I finally figure out I had a full house.
My brain has a lot of dullness lately,
not processing correctly at all times.
It used to bother me, but I have learned
to shake it off, but *very* mindful of
the fact that I need to be careful.
Turns
out the eight's are the highest pair I
will see the entire super. When they broke
a table four new players come in and I
say "Since you are new and we don't know
you, please state your name and playing
style" I get a double take from one guy,
another inquires what I said and I repeat.
He then replies "Paul Darden" Yikes! Pays
to ask.. I then look at Paul Hodosh and
ask if he is REALLY Paul Darden. Yup.
Luckily he comes to the table short and
busts shortly after arriving.
I
get AK and raise. I get a caller. The
flop comes K high and I bet, he is not
shaken on the turn, and I put myself all
in on the river hoping he didn't flop
two pair. Nope. He has KJ. As I am stacking
my new found chips Paul Hodosh asked me
what month it is. What? I reply. He clarifies
I know it's the 25th but I didn't think
it was December already (smile). I am
card dead, with no spots (that I can see)
to steal. I get 44 but the pot is already
raised to me. I get 22 three times out
of position twice facing a raise and I
fold, I limped with it once. Nothing.
I make the comment that if the cards truly
break even I should have a great final
table. I get AK again (at the final table).
Luckily I got paid off each time I had
something resembling a real hand.
We
get to three handed, IIRC I bust Paul
Hodosh and we are about even in chips.
I have Chris "Syracuse" Tspiraildis making
me wonder if I can ever be a top player.
I realize there is so much I need to learn.
I can't play him after the flop. He is
hard to put on a hand and even harder
to know if you are being bluffed or dominated.
He will play any two cards exactly the
same. I got eaten alive last year in a
satellite when he called my KK raise from
the bb and flopped two small pair. Some
people own you, well he doesn't own me,
but it would seem he has options on my
real estate. Since I can't play him post
flop, every time he raises my bb I move
in and he surrenders. He shifts gears
and starts to flat call my blind. I am
content that I have "taught" him not to
mess with me, when I get to see a flop
of J92 which fits nicely with my J8 bb
hand. I bet, he raises, I move in (as
I am now on the short side), he calls
with JT doh I go home now.. Actually I
go to the rail and watch as a patient
player tangles with Chris. They mix it
up for a bit. Talk only briefly of a deal.
Chris has no funds to pay, the kid (John)
doesn't want the seat. Chris offers 1K
and 20%. No deal, they play on, staying
fairly even in chips. Then this hand.
John is the button and flat calls the
bb. Flop is A high. John checks and Chris
bets T8,500. John looks like he will fold,
debates some and finally calls. K on the
turn. John checks and Chris bets about
half his stack. John can't get the chips
in fast enough and Chris calls turning
over AK. John turns over AA and now has
a seat he didn't want, he too had come
to day camp (he is a local) for lammers
(smile). Lammers, if you don't know, are
given in lieu of cash and can be used
for buy ins to tournaments or satellites.
Lammers have no cash value (i.e., you
can't take them to the cage and cash them
in), but you can sell them to other players.
I
am not my usual devastated. I felt I played
well. I spent four hours and was bubble
girl, but it was OK. There were a couple
of hands I didn't play that probably would
have made a difference. But, I had no
complaints. The next day I am talking
to Marty Stilling who had watched a lot
of the final table (I believe Paul was
giving him a ride) and he gave me some
advice about getting equity out of it
the next time I am three handed and there
is one seat. He also made the comment
that he thought I was the weakest player
at the table. Though, he was very surprised
to hear I never had a pair above 8. I
appreciate the honesty, but it also stung
a bit as I felt I played well. Marty was
right though, and in listening it made
all the difference in how I played in
the $340 NLHE event on Sunday. Thanks
for the honesty Marty. It is late and
they have gotten the last single table
off for the night.
The
next day I play some single table satellites.
I sit down in a stud single as it was
the only thing going on. The problem is
once you get in the stud rotation, it
is hard to be available when the NL's
start. A handful of people walk by and
comment "YOU are playing STUD??" To which
I reply, heh, tourney strategy is tourney
strategy is tourney strategy...Tourney
strategy gets me to three handed and someone
suggests deal (suicide levels as we have
played a LONG time) I don't care the other
guy seems too. He is busted and I ask
the fella originally asking deal if he
is still interested. He offers me a 100
lammer plus the cash, so $140 out of $340
and he has me 2-1 as he busted the third
guy... SOLD. Even though the hand was
being dealt and I had already looked at
my hand and had Q's under. What am I gonna
do say no and run over him when I was
the one asking if he wanted a deal? I
wanted to get into the NLHE que so what
do I care, I got an $88 profit and am
not a stud player.
Somewhere
(I think another super) someone puts out
chips for a raise but the blinds have
risen and he only has a bet and a half.
Another player states he must complete
to a raise since it is 1 1/2. A guy (bb
maybe that wants to see it for free) states
"That's not how the what-ya-ma-gigger
does it"...Me: "Do you mean the TDA, sir"
Someone: "TDA?" Me: "Tournament Directors
Association" The Guy: "yeah".. Me: "yes
it is a TDA rule, and has been a Foxwoods
rule for as long as I have played". The
guy continues to insist it isn't a TDA
rule and states the Commerce doesn't use
it and THEY are TDA. When I was at Commerce
about a year ago I don't recall them being
part of the TDA, it was in fact one of
the worst run tourney's I have seen (though
my experience is limited) but, I decide
to ignore him and heed my mother's advice
of saving my breath to cool my porridge
and simply say "Tell ya what I will look
it up when I get home" If you are wondering
Rule #8 Half-Bet adopted in 2001. Hey,
doesn't this guy know who I am???? (i.e.,
the pain in the ass that questions and
writes email to Matt Savage, Linda Johnson,
Jan Fisher and David Lamb on 8-11% of
the present and proposed rules!!!!)
On
Saturday morning I decide to go to the
Mohegan Sun and play in the weekly LHE
tourney. I don't play all that well. But
I find this interesting. When they race
off the chips THE high card gets ALL the
chips. I approach the seemingly second
in command and inquire why is it done
that way, giving them three examples of
how it is done elsewhere. They inquire
the logic of doing it one of those way,
I reply so it is fair and not a crap shoot.
Is it fair that one person can win as
many as forty chips and go from loser
to leader? He then explains "it's a race"
and besides that's the way we have always
done it. Now THERE's a good reason! And
yes, I again saved my breath to cool my
porridge (mom would be proud that I WAS
listening growing up :-) Starting to remember
why I rarely play there. I head back to
Foxwoods in time to play the afternoon
super. The one in the afternoon is unlimited
rebuys for the first hour. There are only
a handful of players and instead of starting
at full tables and breaking (you can buy
in for the first hour in this one) they
start the tables short handed 4 and 5
players. Weird, but I actually like it.
The blinds are small so no big deal really,
interesting way to improve on short handed
play. I advance a long way, and get busted
by a guy that didn't belong in the hand
and lays downs to raises from the guy
next to me, but not to a "girl." He sucks
out the river and I am done. I can't complain
too bitterly, I made a couple of plays
in the championship tourney that only
a "girl" could get away with (smile) it
just depends... some guys give super respect
others refuse to give up to a "girl."
Next:
Arts & Crafts... er, $340 NLHE Tourney
Read:
Introduction
to Camp
, Opening
Day
, Arts
& Crafts... er, $340 NLHE Tourney
, Leaving
Camp and Returning
, The
Championship Event Day One
, The
Championship Event Day Two
Joan Hadley
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