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Old 07-04-2017, 09:40 PM   #121
proximity
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trooper and harry colluding at rio?

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29...p-rio-1674245/

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Old 07-05-2017, 07:10 PM   #122
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Without commenting specifically on this, I have a general comment.

The poker world is full of sleazy people, including famous, respected, sleazy people. The game attracts sleazeballs, because it offers the promise of not working for a living (ha!), because I think gambling in general attracts some non-stellar characters, and because there are simply a ton of marks among the general public that doesn't understand the mathematical principles of gambling games.

Some examples:

A WSOP main event champion was one of the prime movers of the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal.

The best cash game no limit hold 'em player in the world tried to cheat major casinos out of millions of dollars by colluding on a edge-sorting scheme in high stakes table games.

Numerous famous poker players have been prosecuted by the federal government on various fraud, tax, and white collar crime charges.

There are legendary stories of good poker players skipping out on debts.

The late Amarillo Slim, one of the true legends of the game, was infamous for shorting pots in cash games.

Some major pros were caught up in the wrongdoing and ponzi schemes at Full Tilt Poker.

The author of one of the best books on limit hold 'em was cheating in online games by multi-accounting.

So nothing surprises me. This isn't a vocation full of choir boys.
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Old 07-05-2017, 09:38 PM   #123
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Without commenting specifically on this, I have a general comment.

The poker world is full of sleazy people, including famous, respected, sleazy people. The game attracts sleazeballs, because it offers the promise of not working for a living (ha!), because I think gambling in general attracts some non-stellar characters, and because there are simply a ton of marks among the general public that doesn't understand the mathematical principles of gambling games.

Some examples:

A WSOP main event champion was one of the prime movers of the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal.

The best cash game no limit hold 'em player in the world tried to cheat major casinos out of millions of dollars by colluding on a edge-sorting scheme in high stakes table games.

Numerous famous poker players have been prosecuted by the federal government on various fraud, tax, and white collar crime charges.

There are legendary stories of good poker players skipping out on debts.

The late Amarillo Slim, one of the true legends of the game, was infamous for shorting pots in cash games.

Some major pros were caught up in the wrongdoing and ponzi schemes at Full Tilt Poker.

The author of one of the best books on limit hold 'em was cheating in online games by multi-accounting.

So nothing surprises me. This isn't a vocation full of choir boys.
Why is Amarillo Slim the only "cheater" that you've bothered to mention by name? Do the rest of them deserve the "protection" that you've provided them with?
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Old 07-05-2017, 10:38 PM   #124
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Why is Amarillo Slim the only "cheater" that you've bothered to mention by name? Do the rest of them deserve the "protection" that you've provided them with?
He dead...can't sue...no libel...
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Old 07-06-2017, 12:47 AM   #125
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Below is a trip Journal of some shots I took over the holiday weekend. Was a big deal to me. Sent it every day to my regs back home. Enjoy or skip. Your choice.

June 30, 10am
Greetings from fabulous Las Vegas.

1 hour to game time. About to head to the Golden Nugget to reg the 570 BI 500k guaranteed tournament. Ready to get this grind going.

Did a lot of readying myself for the long days of these shots. Getting myself in physical condition, but still look like a somewhat overweight middle aged random. For an hour a morning 4 days a week, 5 weeks ago I started out being able to jog one block, then walk two. Not long after that was reversed. I kept progressing til this last week I effing jogged 6 miles in an hour 5 days. Hoping it will pay off in the form of longer focus over more days. Struggling with circadian rhythms currently. The pros I'm facing all get up at 9:30 or 10. I get up every day at 5:30. I tried my best to make a late rise today and the best I could do was 8. Advantage pros. Maybe tomorrow.

TMI. Update at day's end.

5:45pm.
Dinner break. Started with 25k. Have 70k now. Level after dinner is 400/800/100a. Not among the chip leaders but above chip average. Crazy hands to talk about when I get more time. Table full of pros. Everybody putting everybody in shit spots all game long.


July 1, 1am
And I'm out. I don't feel bad about it at all, except for the $570 hit to the wallet. I got it in good pre flop as the fave and got passed to cripple me down. Then I had a hand with too much equity and two streets to go to fold for the rest of it. Back to that in a minute.

Early on it's 200/400/25a and a late 50's aged white pro opens under the gun to 1300. I started the hand with 30k, Two players called him. On the button I have two red kings. I 3 bet to to 6800. Opener min 4 bets me. I'm not going anywhere. Flop comes out 8 high all black. He c bets the pot. It's exploitable to think this, but he only has aces. It's the only thing that makes sense. I cussed and said" It's a ****ing cooler. I know it." Thought about it for a couple minutes and folded on the flop. When he was eliminated later I grabbed him on the way out the door and asked what he had there. He said " I had Aces. You had Queens or Jacks." I believe him 100%. It's ok to be exploited from time to time. But really only an amateur folds there. That's me.

A level later There's a raise by the same pro from 2nd position and a call from the 'reg' and '3-bet' geared to the nines pro to his left. In the bb I have AK off. I balance that spot with squeezes and calls. It was a call this time. The flop came out 10 high all clubs. I have the ace of clubs. I checked. As I knew they would, the opener cbet half the pot. The other pro called him. I decided to check raise them so if there's one caller I have a pot sized shove on any turn and I was gonna call off if they put me in. Took me about two minutes to get the math right. The opener folded the caller called after a long tank. The turn was the 8 of hearts which changed nothing. I paused 15-20 seconds, looked at the dealer and said, " All in." Dude took about three minutes to fold. Very very proud of this hand. It's a professional line of play and I was fine if I got eliminated by a heroic call.

Later I lost 75% of my stack all in pre at 800/1600/200a w AK. I was 3 bet shoved by a loose aggressive player and I called. He had AQ and flopped broadway. I said, "Nice flop" and proceeded to ship most of my gambling discs over to him.

I lost the other 25% when I opened under the gun with KK and the bb defended. The flop came out TJQ all hearts and I held the king of hearts. Villain check shoved on me and I had two streets to realize my equity. I decided to call knowing I'm sometimes behind to a flush and other times he has the ace of hearts and possibly hit an under pair to the king. He had the 65 hearts and I couldn't pass him.

Tomorrow's another day. Get 'em at the Wynn.

10:30am.
Noon start for the Wynn 600 BI 100k guaranteed game. Felt going into the trip that today's game offers my best chance at a deep run. Remember the formula. The online BI & guarantee multiplied by 10 equals the live class level. I've won these online and top three finished a few times. Just gotta run good and I'll be around at the end.

July 2, 2am.
Tournament Poker can be a cruel and excruciating beast.

There were 237 entries today and the prize pool exceeded the 100k guarantee. It paid 37k for first and a min cash was worth a 670 profit from the BI. The money was to be reached at 35 players.

There's 39 of us left and despite taking three horrible beats over the course of the game, I managed to rebound from them each time and I was well above chip average. The blinds were at 2000/4000/500a. From a starting stack of 15k, I'd built up to 170k. 42 bigs. Then this hand happened.

Table chip leader is a twenty something euro with glasses and a hoody. Very tight aggressive player. Solid, but with a low 3 bet percentage. He has 270k & is in the big blind. It folds to me in the cutoff holding JJ. I open to 8500. Button and small blind both fold. The big blind 3 bets me to 22500. I don't spazz and decide to just call him. There's 52k to the flop. The board comes out 38J unsuited. He c-bets 30k. Because it was a 3 bet pot, and because too often it goes check check turn, check fold river, I raise him to 70k and he snap shoves and I snap call. He has AA and I'm a 91-9 favorite to win the hand and have a 350k stack on the bubble. Yay! Then the turn ace sent me back to my room. It hurts so bad right now, and it's difficult to give the whole rah rah tomorrow's another day self affirming pep talk.

I love this game. I hate this game.

10:30am.
Nothing like a soul crushing defeat to finally be the key to more than 9 hours sleep and feeling rested for a change.

Noon start at the Venetian. It's the third and last flight of day 1's for their 600 BI 300k guarantee game. Day two restart will be at 11 tomorrow and I think I'll bag 'em tonight with a stack to splash around on day two.

Yesterday's game had a soft field. Very soft. At the Nugget everyone was putting everyone in shit spots all game long. Did my part in making them hate theirs too. At all tables I was in the minority as an amateur. Yesterday, at Wynn, I believe in my heart and mind it was 90% amateurs & I was almost always the one putting them in the shit spots. It's entirely why I took four beats as the heavy fav, the final one being the death blow.

My second table was the effing dream, because there were two gigantically stacked fish in seats 2 and 7. Neither understood simple concepts like showdown value. These were the ag fish who you like to play from any position and just keep letting them bet. I doubled through both of them and then finished one of them off. Thanks to them I had a stack. Then in the following six levels I proceeded to get villains to go all in way behind pre and on the flop, only to pass me on the turn or river. I took the JJJ death blow at my third table. It's a shame as it was Pete's game to win. Yeah I just referred to myself in the 3rd person, cuz I stink. After the KO, I was talking to a TX based pro buddy of mine who coaches me from time to time, and he said, "Good players bubble a lot." He's right. I just have to take my lumps, shrug it off, and move on as if it never happened.

Playing well. The mistakes I'm making are minor when they happen. Really too bad I only have three shots here. Thinking today will be the day I'm on the right side of variance. Today's the day I go in with queens and crack aces. I can sense it. Deep run coming.

July 3, 2:30am.
Unfortunately I went out late day 1 at the Venetian.

It was level 13 of the 15 levels scheduled to be played day 1. 1000/2000/300a and from a starting stack of 20k I had built to about chip average at 75k. 37 bigs. I'm in the cutoff holding AK spades. I open to 5k and it folds to the bb who 3 bets me to 14500. He's a serial light 3 bettor. He's been caught by the table at showdown a few times doubling up short stacks or getting lucky and busting them and getting lucky to cripple bigger stacks with running cards. He four bet earlier with QTo and flopped a straight. All that made it feel like a 4 bet shove. He snap called me with KK. Of course he has a top 1% hand the time I go in. Of effing course. Very standard spot. No ace ever came. There was a sweat for him when a Q & J hit the flop, but alas there was no help on the turn or river. I felt in my heart and mind I would be on the right side of variance today, but alas it wasn't meant to be. I'll play some dailies or bet some horses for the next couple days, lick my wounds and go home humbled by this humbling game.

I can take away a lot of positives from this experience. I enjoyed it, with the exception of the death blow at the Wynn. I made a few missteps, but they were minor. I can steal and resteal with the pros to build a stack. I can 3 bet light. I can follow through on bluffs. I can figure stack to pot ratios if I give myself time to do it. I'm not currently capable of 4 betting light, and it felt like there were spots to do it, but it takes more guts than I have right now. I can induce shoves when I'm a heavy favorite. I can take big pots with both value and air. I can exploit fish. I can hang with many pros. I can balance the ways I play identical spots with different lines of play in order to keep villains confused. I can switch gears. I can identify which opponents to play which way. I can wait for hours when I'm card dead. It's why you build a stack. In the end it's just three shots, and the feeling is that I'm better than the average villain, but I can improve a lot. Top 20% villain, but they only pay top 12.5.

Honest assessment. I'm not a fish, but I'm not a shark. Closer to shark than fish, but I need to work at it.

12:30pm.
It's too bad I took the death blow at Wynn, cuz I had a plan on how to abuse the bubble. Maybe Mike, if he's reading this can tell me if this is sound bubble strategy as chip leader.

At home when I play online I have screen grabs of the following ranges, purely for when I have a big stack and we're approaching the money. They're to remind me if I'm playing too tight. I tried hard to commit them to memory for live games like the one I was about to win. The premise is: the closer to the button you are, the wider your stealing range is. But with the bubble in play it gets even wider. I was gonna open the following ranges from the following positions.

Button: top 50%

Cutoff: top 40%

Hijack: top 30%

All other positions: normal

If they fought back at me I'd fold with anything but top 5% range.

3:30pm
Here's a hysterically heroic hand I played yesterday at Venetian that worked out, but I don't recommend this play versus many villains.

At 150/300/25a I caught and stacked an Asian twenty five year old on a bluff with top pair third kicker.

Starting with 30k, I opened to 700 from middle position with KQo. There were two callers. Button and small blind. 2650 to the flop.

The board came out K93 two spades. Small blind Asian leads 900. 1/3 pot. I know what this is. It's a blocking bet so he can realize his equity cheaply. I can raise here, but I'm only getting called by hands that beat me or strong draws that can improve to pass me. I want to keep all his bluffs in there and seek to control the size of the pot. It feels like 80% flush or straight draws, 15% A9, Q9, JT, J9 4% random crazy bluffs. 1% 3's. I call, button folds. 4450 to the turn.

Turn is the 8 of diamonds which changes nothing. K938, two spades. He barrels again 1125. 1/4 pot. My opinion hasn't changed. I call. 6700 to the river.

River is a pretty tough card. An offsuit 9. K9389, no draws got home. He announces, All in for 17,800. More than twice the pot. The size of the bet doesn't make much sense for value, but a ton of sense for bluffs. I stood by my ranging and hated my spot and I took waaay to long to follow through with the decision. I talked to him and he gave me nothing. I got clock called on me. I said, " I think I'm good here 4 of 5 times." I called and was right. He had A5 spades.


July 4, 10:30am.
OK. This is the last hand I talk about. Promise. The rest of them were so standard and predictable, they're not worth repeating. I'm giving you the highlight show.

After I picked off euro's bluff at the Venetian I was extremely card dead. For the next 120 minutes I didn't see a flop. All I did was fold fold fold fold fold fold steal fold fold fold fold fold steal fold fold fold fold fold etc. I went quiet, so to speak. The hand I played was very villain dependent. There was an Indian born 30 year old silicon valley semiconductor engineer under the gun. In middle position there was a 60 year old Israeli army officer. Both of them had fold instincts stronger than most. They kept seeing monsters that weren't there for them. Anyone else but those two and I never play the hand this way. I was under the gun + 1.

250/500/50a. Started the hand with 54k and have them both covered by quite a bit. Under the gun opens to 1100. Holding A4 diamonds I 3 bet to 3250. Middle position calls, opener calls. 11k to the flop.

The board comes out 47T rainbow. Under the gun checks. I cbet 4400. Both call and both look very very uncomfortable. Things are starting to get tippy for their shorter stacks. They probably have hands like AQs AK KQs 88 99 ATs. I thought there was an outside chance one of them held JJ. I got it in my mind If I could muster my inner oscar winning actor I could get folds from those hands with a turn barrel depending on the card. I really don't want to see paint. 24200 to the turn.

The turn is a 2. 47T2. Under the gun checks. I barreled 11,500 and when I knew that both were watching I did something players do when they're very strong. I leaned back in my chair, reached for my water, unscrewed the cap, took a measured sip, replaced the cap, returned it to the coffee table on my side, resumed an upright position and stared motionless at the felt. They told me what they folded. Under the gun folded JJ, middle position folded QQ. Since I had both an ace and a 4, it was the perfect opportunity to play the "I'll show you one card" game. I said, "Left or right, which one do you wanna see?" I flipped over the 4 and both thought they avoided disaster. The reality: I was going to give up if anyone called the turn.

I hope you've enjoyed the updates. I've tried to make them thoughtful and informative, but in ways that are inclusive to novice learners of the game. I appreciate all the support. Thank you.
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Old 07-06-2017, 12:56 AM   #126
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Why is Amarillo Slim the only "cheater" that you've bothered to mention by name? Do the rest of them deserve the "protection" that you've provided them with?
I actually think he was a bigger sleazeball in a certain way, because he's the one of them who cheated at live poker. Most pros at least conduct themselves honorably at the poker table. That's why I named him.

At any rate there's no libel issue- everything I said is easily verifiable.
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Old 07-06-2017, 01:26 AM   #127
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OK. This is the last hand I talk about. Promise. The rest of them were so standard and predictable, they're not worth repeating. I'm giving you the highlight show.
I've got to start working out more, as your "highlight show" wore me out.....I just don't have enough internet stamina anymore. Thanks for the entertaining post though, you definitely have the chops to hang with the big dogs, you might just be one yourself.....Good luck in your future tourneys, Pete.
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Old 07-06-2017, 05:05 AM   #128
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Below is a trip Journal of some shots I took over the holiday weekend. Was a big deal to me. Sent it every day to my regs back home. Enjoy or skip. Your choice.
.
.
.
I hope you've enjoyed the updates. I've tried to make them thoughtful and informative, but in ways that are inclusive to novice learners of the game. I appreciate all the support. Thank you.
I thoroughly enjoyed your "update"...and I couldn't have read it at a better time. The thought had recently occurred to me that perhaps I should venture into a tournament or two...as an antidote to the boredom that I often feel during my cash-game marathons. Your wonderful narrative has cured me of that notion...hopefully for good.

I am eagerly anticipating any follow-ups that you'd like to share with us.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:29 AM   #129
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Why is Amarillo Slim the only "cheater" that you've bothered to mention by name? Do the rest of them deserve the "protection" that you've provided them with?
I also noted that several of those tidbits have a another side to the story. I could find hundreds of CEO's going rogue that would make these poker stories look like child's play. Bad actors exist in every profession.
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Old 07-06-2017, 02:10 PM   #130
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I also noted that several of those tidbits have a another side to the story. I could find hundreds of CEO's going rogue that would make these poker stories look like child's play. Bad actors exist in every profession.
Of course bad actors exist in every profession, but gambling attracts more of them, because it presents itself as a way to beat the system, make money without doing legitimate work, etc. Plus there are a lot of marks and suckers in the ecosystem.

You could make a longer list of CEO's simply because there are far more people doing legitimate work. But given the population of professoinal gamblers (probably a rounding point on the population as a whole, .1 percent or something), the number of scandals in poker is ridiculously disproportionate. And that's not surprising at all.
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Old 07-06-2017, 02:42 PM   #131
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Of course bad actors exist in every profession, but gambling attracts more of them, because it presents itself as a way to beat the system, make money without doing legitimate work, etc. Plus there are a lot of marks and suckers in the ecosystem.

You could make a longer list of CEO's simply because there are far more people doing legitimate work. But given the population of professoinal gamblers (probably a rounding point on the population as a whole, .1 percent or something), the number of scandals in poker is ridiculously disproportionate. And that's not surprising at all.
The really sad part about "cheating" is that some "professional poker players" consider this to be just, "maximizing their edge" in the game. And then, with their next breath...they'll declare that, "the most valuable asset of a gambler is his reputation".

I remember Johnny Chan's comment when he was asked on TV about the relative "honesty" of the poker community, when compared to the rest of the "business environment" out there:

"I'd rather lend $10,000 to a poker player, than to anybody else"...Chan remarked.

I've spent almost as much time around poker players as Johnny Chan has...and my opinion on this matter couldn't be more dissimilar.
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Old 07-06-2017, 03:27 PM   #132
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Below is a trip Journal of some shots I took over the holiday weekend. Was a big deal to me. Sent it every day to my regs back home. Enjoy or skip. Your choice.
sorry you didn't win, but I enjoyed it.
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Old 07-07-2017, 12:14 AM   #133
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The really sad part about "cheating" is that some "professional poker players" consider this to be just, "maximizing their edge" in the game. And then, with their next breath...they'll declare that, "the most valuable asset of a gambler is his reputation".

I remember Johnny Chan's comment when he was asked on TV about the relative "honesty" of the poker community, when compared to the rest of the "business environment" out there:

"I'd rather lend $10,000 to a poker player, than to anybody else"...Chan remarked.

I've spent almost as much time around poker players as Johnny Chan has...and my opinion on this matter couldn't be more dissimilar.
I agree. Chan's statement is ridiculous, and lots of pros think that doing shady things is a legitimate part of their edge.

I will say one positive thing about poker players, though. And it really is true, despite my general negative opinion about their honesty.

If you gave me a choice to leave $3,000 of my money for 30 minutes on a church pew in a crowded church, or at a poker table in a crowded cardroom, I'd choose the poker table.
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Old 07-07-2017, 12:35 AM   #134
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I agree. Chan's statement is ridiculous, and lots of pros think that doing shady things is a legitimate part of their edge.

I will say one positive thing about poker players, though. And it really is true, despite my general negative opinion about their honesty.

If you gave me a choice to leave $3,000 of my money for 30 minutes on a church pew in a crowded church, or at a poker table in a crowded cardroom, I'd choose the poker table.
Even without the dealer there?
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Old 07-07-2017, 12:36 AM   #135
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If you gave me a choice to leave $3,000 of my money for 30 minutes on a church pew in a crowded church, or at a poker table in a crowded cardroom, I'd choose the poker table.
Nothing like the sage wisdom from a beloved attorney....
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