Poker Camp WPF 2002:
Leaving Camp and Returning

The morning after winning the first event I get a phone call from Matt Treasure who has just looked up the results on PokerPages. Did I mention that I have the BEST poker buds??? I tell him I am headed to Mississippi and make arrangements for him to take over my room. (The hotel is sold out and calling to congratulate has unexpected rewards sometimes ) I head to work for a couple of days and then I head to Biloxi later in the week. What I remember about MARGE. They have the BEST spa, a great 1-4-4-8 and a superb 15/30 game. Thanks Daryl for suggesting I play the 15/30! The staff is great, many locals are grumpy (I guess if I played like them I'd be grumpy too!) Some locals were great. One renamed me (didn't like the nickname of Yankee that I had chosen for myself) and wrote "pitbull" on my badge, loved it, he was a pro and likable. I got run over by the Barrett men again. Misplayed a hand in the local limit tourney that ended up costing me big, but a big lesson learned (will NOT ever fold in that position again!!! For those interested in poker content see the thread on rec.gambling.poker entitled "Tournament Strategy End Game.... What would you consider" posted on 11/04/02). Read Ed Barrett's trip report which talked about how he and Rich (his son) made their 5th (IIRC) final table together. Hey, I was at 2 if not 3 of those Father/Son final tables.... Hey Ed, you want to adopt me????!!!! (smile). Thanks Randy and Steve (MARGE organizers) for a great time!

I am to return to the WPF, but again I don't feel like it and procrastinate and keep changing the arrival date on my room reservation. I am happy to finally have a substantial monetary win (course I am still in negative territory from when I first began this hobby/journey three years ago) and am somewhat reluctant to give put in more tuition. Matt Matros inquires if I know anyone with a room or wants to share. I tell him he can have my room he takes it for one night and then I can no longer delay as once it has been opened, it is cancel or use. (I think the desk people are beginning to wonder how many Matt's are in my life :-) So, I head back to camp.

Playing bad. While talking to my niece on the phone, I catch myself telling my niece that I am running bad... not true I am playing bad.. Ok mostly, playing bad, but this pot limit hand made me think it wasn't "my day".. 5/5 brought in for a raise by Mike May, not unusual and since it is short handed and my blind I decide to defend for the extra $10 with 5d8d... The flop comes 467 with two diamonds.... chaching.. Three of the four players are in the hand and I check. Mike raises the pot, the button reraises another $120... And I say "what can I make it" yeah yeah I know a tell but to be honest I would just as soon take it there. Mike probably has overs but the aggressive button may have a flush draw even though I have a straight flush draw I prefer to take it now with my flopped straight. Mike says "you can make it a bunch" I move in (about $550). Mike folds and the button debates and then calls, as it is only two or three hundred more to him. I turn over my hand and say straight. The turn is a 5, the river is an 8 and he almost mucks then turns over Aces. And for an instant I don't see it.... the straight on the board. Argh... Could of been worse. We did chop Mike's money, but my all in raise got Mike off his 9's...

I want to leave, but I force myself to stay, reminding myself that bad poker is like falling off a diet/exercise routine, you either get back in there and start again or you remain fat and dumpy/bad player. I will return tomorrow, I WILL play FLAWLESS poker. I return the next morning, sign up for a baby satellite ($43 the winner getting $300 in lammers and $40 in cash). My very first hand Tom Noyles raises utg, David DiBiasio reraises and I look to see AA in my big blind and move in. Tom folds. Solid guy (David) thinks for just a bit and calls with QQ (in his defense he saw less than stellar poker from me the night before). I have an uneasy feeling though everything is fine until the Q hits the river and I am done. Aiyah, that's poker - can't fault the way I played it (well I could but I would be incorrect) I go to another satellite and meet a similar fate 10 hands into it. Isn't there a prize when Aces full is beaten by quad fours??? (Well, OK I didn't play that hand flawlessly, I did let him in cheap AND he did flop the quads and wait for me to catch up a bit) I give up on the baby satellites and try a two table 10K satellite. David the guy that crushed my AA with QQ is there and I state if I get Aces, I am mucking them, telling him of my fate in the second satellite.

I start the two table 10K satellite vowing not to play aces as they have already cracked on me twice today, then I reverse myself and say "Three times the charm, heh?" Anyway, this satellite is a walk in the park with the likes of Barry Shulman (whom I inform I have seen the WPPC tapes and don't even think about raising thirty hands in a row), Stevie D, Spyros (55lucky55 if you play online), Chip Jett, Satish, Robert Varkonyi, and a few others I have put out of my mind. Barry is the first one out at our table when he reraises preflop, gets called by the original raiser David (guy that cracked my AA in the other satellite... me bitter??? just kidding, the smile never left my face) David agonizes but calls. On the flop in a nano second Barry has moved in with a board of KJ8 ? two diamonds (I believe David's reluctance to call the reraise prompts Barry into power poker mode). David calls in less than a nano second. TT for Barry, AQ of diamonds for David. Turn is a Q, river is a diamond.

Stevie D falls when Satish raises preflop and is called in 4 spots. The flop comes T44 (?) don't quote me on the actual cards just follow the concept. Checked around. Turn is a K? Checked around. The river is a 3? The sb bets T50 Stevie D moves in and Satish hesitates and pushes all his chips forward, the rest fold. Stevie D has 3's full, Satish had flopped T's full. Someone asks Satish when he liked his hand? He looks at me as says "I learned that move from her" and tells the table how I flopped quad Aces in the spring super and got all his money by checking and calling. Thanks, Satish for giving me table status with the guys I don't know, be very very careful of the "girl". In talking about this hand later, Stevie remembers it differently, he thought he was the button and last to act and can't believe that Satish checked it down three times (that explains a lot) Stevie was late to the table so he may have been a bit out of sorts. Both Satish and I recall it being Stevie's blind.

There is a guy that to me seems to know tournament strategy and the few playable hands I get, he shuts me down. I am not unhappy when someone else takes him out, so what if they had to suck out! I am getting no hands and blinding away. I remain patient. I finally get AA and raise 3x's the bb from the ten seat. The one seat moves in and it is folded to me and I jam, OK I am the shorter stack so technically I guess I called. What was that I said about folding Aces.... forgeddaboutit... KK against AA and I double through!!!! The K's had also played patiently, brutal. He did build it back though. It gets down to four players, Chip Jett (at the time didn't know this was Chip, only that he seemed to have instinct and a good tourney game) David DiBiasio, Annand Ramdin and myself. David and Chip are the big stacks. I will get pretty good experience here, but it is unlikely that I will win, Chip is aggressive and huge. But, he loses some chips and Annand takes him down. Cool. Annand seems to know poker, but I am unsure that he knows tournament strategy. My confidence now builds. But, I heed Marty's advice and suggests an equity deal...listen fella's we have been playing a long time you want to do a percentage save? They don't really understand the concept, so I explain that whoever wins gives the other two a percentage of whatever they win in the big event. We decide on 3% each. I have almost no chips, but we do an equal save. Did I mention the negotiating class I took from Russell Rosenblum at FARGO 2000? I chip away at Annand raising anytime with anything if I think I can get him to lay it down. He moves in utg while short and since it isn't much more to me I call with Q6 and hit a 6. He had 89o and I am not sure he realized I had to call with anything (as it is only a few more chips to me from the bb), or, perhaps he thought he might as well take a shot here instead of blinding out. And then there were two.

David has great instinct and not afraid to gamble if the situation is right. I believe I have a 50/50 shot at beating him. I ask him if he wants to renegotiate I am willing to exchange a bigger percentage up to 25% if he would like, he can name the percentage. He would like too and chooses 25%. Now I am in the drivers seat. He wants the seat so bad that *I* can taste it on the other side of the table. I can gamble, I suspect he will play too tight and I can force him to make mistakes. If I screw up it's OK, as I truly feel 25% of him would be a very good investment. It's win win for me. He wants the seat bad. We begin the battle about even in chips and we will play for at least 90 minutes. It is also good exposure as other players stop by from time to time and they remember me as the girl that played for a long time headsup (smile).

We see saw back and forth.. at one point he is all in and I am faced with a decision not based on cards. I was bluffing, but now it makes no sense to fold as the rest of what I have to put in the pot makes little difference if I lose. If I win, it's over. The blinds are T3000/6000 with 50K in play. I point this out to him. I want to see his reaction about being called with a piece of cheese, as his reaction will be helpful later on. At one point I am down to 10K, but I battle back. I find this of interest, we had the exact same hands twice, once he laid it down (early in the match) and showed it, later he played it. I think he made the raise both times and I moved in both times, (making him the button on both hands) but I won't stake my life on it. Anyway I moved in with KQ (the first time thinking he didn't have much headsup experience, wanted the seat badly and would fold) He debated for over three minutes, does a deep knee bend but never rises (i.e., kneeling at the table). I don't want him calling so I let him take his time, we don't need no stinkin clock... but I do "Russell talk him"... you know if you lose the hand you still will have 1K... on the other hand if you win it's over. David asks if he folds will I show. No, but I will tell him when the match is over. He folds and shows 88. It happens again (at the end of the match), and again he agonizes but this time he calls.. (he wasn't supposed to CALL... dammit!!!) I hit the K on the flop leaving him with 6K. On his 3K button blind he throws it in there (correct really no matter what he has) but it is a decent headsup hand, A3 of diamonds and I have the T4 piece of cheese and hit a T or maybe the 4 on the river. It was brutal, but I have a seat!!!! Lucky me... have I mentioned lately that I am blessed?

It is late and I go to bed... NOT.. I email the neighborhood that I just won a seat! The next day I try to capitalize on having a seat and get some cash out of the supers. I don't seem to have patience and follow brilliant moves with bad calls. This is no limit why am I calling anyway??? Also notable I play the 1/2 stud 1/2 hold'em tourney (I want BAAP points, I want a free room next year) but I have a bit too much fun and am not really a stud player. I start joking that my goal is to make it to Noon (tourney started at 10 AM) at 11:59 I find myself all-in in a stud round (after vowing to fold every hand in stud) with Aces under and no improvement and not paying attention to the other board as it is at the far end of the table and numerous other unjustifiable reasons that at the time seem quite justified. I am beat by a straight made in the first five cards. I take a seat by the wall and continue to gab with Andy Bloch (who was earlier moved to my table). I hear Howard K (the guy that beat me) say (he can't see me I am shielded by the guy in the three seat). I couldn't raise her, I have seen her play and she CAN play good (and he did check my chips and determine that I could easily put myself all in without him raising).

I toil and get nowhere. Two nights before the 10K event I buy into a one table satellite thinking that I am willing to put 1K in for a potential pay off of 320K, by researching how named players will play against me. I can learn a lot from the rail, but I really need to know how these guys will play me. It is a table of talent. Carlos Mortenson, Chip Jett, Chris Bigler, Stan Mazza but I still feel I am not totally dead money. However, the only thing I see resembling a hand is 66 and Chris is on semi tilt and is moving in almost every hand on the flop if not before. I do learn much about Mortenson though. I put myself out of the pain when I move in on a raise from the sb on my bb taking a stand at the wrong time declaring that I am not going to blind out??? I can't find the notes.. He actually had a raising hand and I thought that since Chris actually folded a hand he was making a play on me. I sorta had a hand, I don't remember the hands, maybe he had AK and I had KQ? Anyway, I lost sight of my research and let frustration set in (no hands and Chris running over the table) and took myself out. Shortly thereafter, Chris was out, go figured (guess I should have been a bit more patient) That is it for me on one table 10K sat's.. the thing I need to concentrate on going forward is table selection. *BUT* the upside is as I am watching from the rail Scott Byron asks me if I have read TJ's book and am I familiar with how Championship events differ from your standard tournaments? Ah, no. That advice alone was probably worth the 1K I just gave up. I do justify things in my life, just not how I played poker hands (smile). Speaking of advice, I had dragged Russell to dinner earlier and bent his ear. He gave me a lot of good advice the most important being this (paraphrased) "You are going to learn more playing in that event that you realize at this moment. Do NOT *call all-in* with KK for no other reason that you don't want to be out and give up what you will experience and learn. AA you gotta call.. KK you lay it down the first day, even if you are laying down the best hand."

The next day I play another two table with Russell, Kathy Liebert, Spyros, Toby, Jacob, Nicki, Raydon, etc. The first hand I get QJ of diamonds a hand I would normally fold but I am a blind. The flop comes QJx with two clubs and I bet out. Nicky moves his stack in and it is folded around to me. I say "Well I can't be afraid of going broke" (I got a redraw if he hits a flush) and call. A8 of clubs for Nicky with no improvement and I double through the very first hand, fairly certain Nicky isn't gonna bet out big with a set. The funniest part of this satellite is the last longer that Kathy and Toby are trying to put together regarding dinner. They almost have it figured out when they decide to include Jacob (who is seated at the other table). Kathy stalls on a hand asking if they have the terms set as she might want to go all-in. They hastily set the terms and Kathy moves in and loses. It was pretty entertaining.

Miscellaneous thoughts I find myself watching (perhaps staring) at Layne Flack. He looks younger than his years and reminds me of a mix between the two boys that I have helped raised (I am a nanny). I wonder how their young lives will turn out and I am thankful that they never really learned poker (we used to play when they were younger). I don't want them playing for a living. Layne is at times entertaining, somewhat charismatic and most likely content with what he is doing, yet as fascinated as I am, I am happy that "my boys" are not on the tour (they aren't even old enough, that is beside the point) While the big one table satellites are happening they are also tying to get a baby sat off, Oklahoma Johnny's Senior Event is coming up, but anyone can play the satellite you don't need to be at least fifty (like you do for the actual tourney). Daniel Negreanu is mocking the baby satellite, trying to be funny, yet mocking the baby satellite nonetheless. I find that odd. Did he never play a baby satellite? Sure the juice is much worse, but for those just starting out (or on a budget) it is a good way to get experience, cheaply. The two table sat isn't getting off and some players that would normally not play the baby do, not sure if they are bored or making a statement in regard to the comments Daniel is making. I don't know, but I sit down at it unashamed. It I ever have success in poker I hope I never forget where I came from, or that we all should be ambassadors for poker.

Next: The Championship Event
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

Poker Camp WPF 2002