Thank you to those of you who left a comment on my last post. Several of us have attempted to define why we write these blogs, often times stating that we write them for ourselves. While it may start out that way, the very fact we publish our thoughts on the internet for the world to view belies that. We are writing for an audience - we may not know exactly who that audience is, but we are writing for a separate set of eyes than our own. This blog started out as an experiment which has brought me several rewards, chief among them new friendships and a rich bounty of inspiration. But this blog took on a new purpose when I decided that I wanted this to be for my niece and nephew and their families who, someday, may want to know more about their aunt ('ant' as they once spelled it) then what could be told in the family photo albums. So, from time to time, content other than poker will find its way here.
Back to some poker content.
A pair of nines. That's what I had during a recent $25 NL blogger table game when I went up against Mr. 'World is my Oyster' Big Stack Otis. I'd just sat down in a seat vacated by the Iggster and I think some residual vibes influenced how I played the first few hands. I didn't mess around and received some comments which indicated some surprise at such aggression coming from meek little Maudie. The fact of the matter is, the first couple of hands I had the goods. Additionally, at the blogger table, passivity will get you to zero faster than you can say "rebuy." I know. I've been there many times.
Then I got the nines. UTG I made it $2 to go, Otis
called and LordG
called from the BB. The flop was 4h, 2c, 6c. I haven't played
with Otis
(or LordG,
for that matter) enough to have a handle on his style. I know for a fact, though,
that Otis
is a much better player than I am and I had zero confidence in my ability
to finesse play on the flop - plus I was out of position. I put him on over
cards. In hind-sight, pre-flop I can see a call with tens, but if he had jacks
on up, no doubt there would have been a re-raise. If I checked, I figured I'd
be losing this pot. I could have put a pot-sized bet out there to see how he
or LordG
responded, but...I pushed all-in instead. Otis
thought for a while, typed in the chat "dang, maud... i think i may have
you beat...". But he folded and so did LordG
. I asked him why he didn't call and he said "my pp wasn't quite big enough
to double you up." Huh? Color me confuzed. Don't know what that
meant. For you monday-morning VVPs out there, feel free to tell me how dumb
flawed my actions were - what would you have done? Or was it a brilliant move?
(choke) I'm here to learn.
A-Q is a crappy hand. REPEAT A-Q is a crappy hand. The queen and her consort are nasty little cards. They are the couple down the street who lure you to their party with promises of salacious hot tub buffets, strawberries dipped in chocolate, and private sessions with a masseur whose name is Adonis and looks like one, too, who, right when you're lathered in oil ready for your ruuuuub down, then whip out their badges, yell "Vice Squad" bust you and you end up spending the night in a cold cell with a woman called "Bubba" for a roommate. Yeah, they are baaaad cards.
I've seen those two more times than I care to in the last week. And do I learn from my mistakes? Apparently not. I keep going to the party with them, and I keep getting busted. Someone tell me to stop it. NL is where those two will get you into the most trouble. It's tempting to think you can call an all-in or big raise with these cards, but, don't - throw them away. Toss 'em. Turn down the invitation. In limit they are more playable, but, with much caution. If you just can't resist, in both games, you have to have a bead on your opponent in order to get anything out of these two. Heed the caveat. You heard it here. And in many of the books out there written by far, far, far, greater players than I.
Alrighty, that's it for this post. Get over to Iggy's or the new WPBT website for the particular's on the next tournament. And, heads up folks, Maudie and friends may be heading to Vegas in March.... yeee haw!
