Rake Feeder

Home, Mohegan, and a new paint job for my car

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:08:00 +0000

My R&R odyssey was completed last Saturday in just about the minimum time possible for the mid tour leave program. I would like to say a very big Thank You to the passengers on the Atlanta to Hartford flight who gave up their first class seats for soldiers coming home on leave. We all had spent about 4 days in transit, including a 15+ hour flight from Kuwait to Atlanta via Germany. Your kindness is certainly appreciated.

Saturday afternoon was spent running errands, re-stocking my condo with the essentials, and a new iPhone - yay.

Sunday morning I called Wonka, asking where everyone was watching football, and we decided Mohegan Sun was a good place to both watch the games and play some cards. We arrive about 1pm and get seats at seperate tables after a short wait. I hover between +100 and -100 for a couple hours until I run Aces Full into Aces Full. I had played with my oponnent before, and we both knew it was going to be a split pot on the turn. The board was A3A3 and after a series of value re-raises we both said "Ace" with the intent of moving along to the next hand. Both hands are tabled and there was no more action. Funny thing is neither of us were paying attention, nor was was the dealer. She split up the pot and was about to pass it to each of us when she flipped the river. She was about to muck all the cards when someone from the other end of the table who was not in the hand said the other guy hit his low card and has a bigger boat. -200 for me, ouch.

I take a break and reload up to full buy in. I still had a little over a hundred left, but want to have a full stack to play with rather than play a short stack game.

After the Pats game, Wonka moved over to my table. I had planned on leaving early but a few more hours passed and it was after midnight - 8am Iraq time. I made some good reads vs a couple of AK donkeys building my stack to about 1200. Wonka had been drinking Crown and Cokes all day. I finally dragged him away from the table about 2am, thanks for the nice streak of puke out my window on the highway.

Coming home

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:38:00 +0000

I am coming home on leave for 15 days sometime next week. I should be back for a few days before Thanksgiving, and for a week or so afterwards.

Almost no poker for me where I am at. Managed to walk into a random game with some of the PRT cats a couple weeks ago, but it was very social, and an extremely deep structure. 8 players, 2000 in chips and 1/2 blinds to start. Everybody was seeing every flop and calling the entire way down. 6 players to a showdown, and you can imagine how frustrating that type of play is.

We talk about getting a regular game going with a select group, but never manage to get the game off the ground. Something always comes up - there is still a war going on after all...

I see there is a Winter Vegas event scheduled, but unfortunately I will be back in country by the time it kicks off. Too bad, I am so jonesing for Vegas. I doubt that I will be able to play any online poker while I am home. My house has been closed up and everything shut off. That being said, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are both on my target list.

Booom!

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:32:00 +0000

No, not that type of Boom!

Played in the Free MWR game this past week and came in second place. No prize for first.

As expected with no reward and no investment the game was horrendous. I would imagine the low stakes / free online games would play better than this. 30 minutes into the game 4 players call a 4 bet and go to the flop. 872 rainbow. Check around to the 4 better. He pushes (AK donkey), next player pushes (QQ), third player pushes (77), 4th player pushes (22); last player calls (85o). Turn is an 8, river is a 5. The result is me and my linguist friend are now 3 handed versus SGT 85o. Too easy.

Still no poker

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:45:00 +0000

I have not played any poker since the "for fun" game a couple weeks ago. There have have been a few whispers of a game, hopefully I can get myself an invite. Work has been business as usual for the most part over here, although things are definitely changing post June 30th. You wouldn't know it from the media, but the Iraqis are definitely taking the lead and moving forward. Overall this is an entirely different experience than last time I was here.

Broke my camera a couple days ago, the view screen is cracked limiting the functionality of it. I am probably going to get a new one at the PX, I just hate shelling out cash for something that is sure to get messed up in this environment. The sand and dust gets into everything.

. . The Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders were here for an appearance.

This is the last photo taken before my camera broke:

Poker in Iraq

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:51:00 +0000

Getting a real game going is probably going to be impossible. There is a Sunday night game at the MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) tent. Last week I walked over there and there were only 6 names on the list and no prize for the winner other than a certificate. During my last deployment the MWR game had prizes such as a $50 PX card or phone card. Not that I ever had time to play.

There is this policy in Iraq called General Order Number One. It prohibits all sorts of activities, including gambling. I am sure there are games going on here and there but the risk is far greater than the reward. I would rather not face a letter of reprimand (or worse) for conduct unbecoming than play in a $5 game.

A few nights ago one of my neighbors had a small for fun only game in his trailer. We had 4 players (which sucks), 2 of whom had never played before. They were all US-Arab linguists, and there was no chance of enforcing the "English only at the table" rule.

One of the players is a regular in the San Diego area card rooms and plays in Vegas on a frequent basis. So he and I were teaching the new players about the game. We played for a couple hours NLHE tournament style. Of course the 2 players who had never played won the games. I did make a nice laydown in a hand vs the experienced players. Action as follows:

I over bet the pot pre-flop with AA in the BB. Everyone calls. Pot the flop JT2 and only the experienced player stays. I look at him and figure he is strong, but lead out for 2/3 on the turn. He says all-in. I tell him his 2 pair was good, and fold my aces face up, he shows his 2 pair JT.

At least I was able to play a little, even if it was just for fun. Maybe I will check out the MWR game again tonight.

Shamal

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:49:00 +0000

For the past few days there have been some minor shamals or sandstorms in the afternoon and evening. Normally the sky would turn orange-ish and there would be a fair amount of sand flying around, just enough to be an annoyance. Yesterday afternoon it seemed a little stronger than the previous days. This picture doesn't do it justice, but from from the time we entered the chow hall and finished eating the sun had been blotted out and you could not see more than 5-10 feet in front of you.

What is normally a 5-10 minute walk took about 25 minutes blind, and everyone was coated with a thick layer of dusty sand. Think about your normal north eastern snow storm and change the nice fluffy flakes to flying beach sand. Some of the local Iraqis said they had not seen one like that for 20 years.

Greetings from Al Anbar

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000

I finally made it to what could be called home for my second tour in Iraq. So far I have spent a week living in tent city in Kuwait conducting mandatory in country training and briefings. Follow that up with another week in the transient tents at Camp Victory coordinating with higher and waiting on a helo.

Last week I arrived at the place where I can dump my duffel bags out and begin a year of groundhog days. Welcome to Camp Ramadi. This is what it looks like:

All we need is a some neon lights, a few casinos, and someone to hand out flyers for hookers to make this place the Vegas of the middle east!

Welcome to Kuwait

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:13:00 +0000

I have been here for a few days now. Imagine feeling the rush of hot air when you open an oven and that is how it feels all the time here. Over a 100 degrees before 8am.

So far it has been Army business as usual here. Training on various military tasks, much of it death by powerpoint, and of course drinking water like a horse. Everyone is looking forward to heading up north as soon as possible.

This is my new transient quarters:

Tents like this are lined up in every direction.

Does anyone know when exactly the BBT4 TOC is? Will we be auto magically registered for it?

My new pad

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:54:00 +0000

This is my quarters for the next month or so. A stylish 10 x 10 room fitted with 2 double bunks, a couple of lockers and chipped paint peeling from the walls. A first class upgrade compared to the open bay WWII-era barracks I lived in last time. Luckily my roomate has a Sprint Internet card so a crossover cable allows me to leech his bandwidth.

No, I do not have to make my bed.

Justification for my bad play

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:28:00 +0000

As I said in game chat. My apologies in advance for all the gross suckouts I may inflict before I leave this weekend. As Smokkee put it, I have been running like Zeus.

There is never really justification for terrible play but I do have other things on my mind.

In a few days I will be back on active duty preparing for my second tour in Iraq.

I expect to be at Fort Dix NJ for about a month before going overseas. If I can somehow manage a weekend pass, I do plan on heading to AC, since I have never been there.

When I am over there I will try to post some updates within the boundaries of OPSEC.

Got a letter in the mail ...

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:23:00 +0000

You are ordered to Active Duty as a member of your Reserve Component unit for the period indicated unless sooner released or unless extended. Proceed from your current location in sufficient time to report by the date specified. You enter active duty upon reporting to unit home station.

Operation Iraqi Freedom tour of duty number two coming up.

This must be why I have been running like Zeus.

Close but no Cigar

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:24:00 +0000

I have had jury duty all this week. #75 on the list, and the damn lawyers manage to excuse 61 people just so I could be the last one to sit. Lucky seat #7.

In the Skillz game I made the FT but got KOed in 4th place. I managed to put a bad beat on Don when he limped with 33 5 handed. I complete the small blind with 87. Flop 773, and we 4 bet the turn when a deuce comes. It's not like I am folding without a fight here, but the 4 bet had me concerned. Of course I run like Zeus (Thanks Smokkee) and another duece saved me on the river.

It was all downhill after that, though I managed to KO F-train with Ace-rag vs QJ in a battle of the blinds.

Mookie tomorrow (today) night!

The big pot I took off of Wonka

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:19:00 +0000

I wasn't going to say anything, but since Dave asked here goes:

On Thursday of last week, Wonka called me about 7 pm and twisted my arm into going to Foxwoods. At first I said no, but my arm is made of rubber. 23 minutes later we were on the road headed south.

We arrive around 8:30 which is essentially the beginning of prime time for a week night. There is open seating and I pick my table. I am initially in the 7 seat and Wonka is at another table. There are 2 solids to my left, with about $500 each and a big stack with about $1000 to my immediate right. There is a crazian at the other end of the table losing large pots on missed flush draws every other hand. I made the mistake of buying in short for $150 before I doubled up with AK. 5 players to the flop after a $15 raise by me. Flop AK3 rainbow, 3 players call my $40 bet on the flop, big stack pushes on the turn when another Ace comes. Aces full of Kings vs Aces full of Threes. Yay, I now have $400 something instead of $700 something if I had bought in for the full $300.

Wonka moves to my table and the players change out during the course of several hours. We both have chipped up to about $550 for him and $650 for me. 6 limpers around the table to the BB who raises to $12 which of course gets 6 callers incuding me, Wonka, and some nice lady.

The flop is 8h6h2s which fits in very nicely with my 97h =)

Initial raiser leads out for $45 into a $84 pot.

This is normally enough to send all but the strongest of holdings flying for cover at a $1/2 table. People are more than willing to limp-call ten bucks pre flop but unless they have an over pair or smack the flop really hard they fold.

Wonka flat calls $45 <-- He does not flat call $45 without a very good hand. He probably has a set. I should fold.

Some nice lady flat calls $45 <-- she has been calling big bets to the river all night and losing. I was more concerned with the set that Wonka probably had than her.

I had been considering raising the initial bettor until 2 players flat called in between.

Let us see. There is now $219 in the pot, and $45 to me in position with an open ended straight, flush, straight flush draw. Flat calling $45 is not normally in the book of plays I like to make but I am up $500 and decide to peel another card off.

I make the comment of "What is there like $300 in the pot now?" (there was $264) before the turn is flipped.

The turn brings a nice off suit Ten to complete my straight. Initial raiser plays with a stack and a half contemplating leading out again for $150 but unfortunately he checks. Wonka looks and him and says "$300" and puts 3 stacks of reds into the pot. Some nice lady folds, and I look at Wonka and ask how much he has left.

Of course I am going to move in with my straight, and I am actually hoping Wonka will fold (since he is my friend and it may make for a long ride home if I stack him). Initial raiser folds and Wonka makes the call with his set, he still has 10 outs. The river is a brick and I win a $1300 somethingish pot. Sorry dude.

The initial raiser had T8c and said he would have stacked off with top 2 until I re-raised.

Some nice lady said she had a Queen high flush draw but she didn't want to go all in with just a flush draw and one card to come.

KKKK

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:46:00 +0000

Is there a worse Omaha H/L starting hand than this?

Big Game Victory

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:55:00 +0000

I should feel guilty for my lack of posts, but it would feel even more wrong if I didn't post after my Big Game win...

Good game to RecessRampage and Hoyazo, 2nd and 3rd respectively. And thank you to Al, and whomever else is running the BBT4.

Free Rolling Forever at Bodog

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:41:00 +0000

Not quite but close enough. Earlier this week I donked out of the Bodog Blogger II, but eeked out a 3rd place in their November 9 special. Thanks for the T$109 bonus and about 3x more cash than my first in the Blogger game a couple weeks ago. Tonight I came in second in the Blogger game adding to my pile of T$ which should be enough to cover the rest of the Blogger Tourney.

I had a 2-1 chip advantage heads up and it seemed as if Salex77 wanted to flip for it early on. Call it aggression or short stack strategy, I prefer small pot poker heads up with small blinds and eventually shifted the game to what I liked. It took about 30 minutes for me to chip him down to 20k and a 4-1 advantage for me. We were heads up for quite a while, at least 3 levels. The two important hands where we got it all in preflop were both Asian Jews (CK would be proud!). AJ vs T9 and he doubles up gaining a slight chip advantage. With the stacks about even we get it all in preflop AJ vs AT and a Jacob on the turn gives him a straight. Good game Salex!

If you were a superhero, what would your special power be?

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 07:41:00 +0000

Mine would be getting knocked out first in home games that I should crush. Tonight was the HPT live game hosted by a good friend of mine. 20 players, 2 tables and for the third time in a row I go out as the gigli. I don't know (or really care) how any of the action went after being exiled to the side game. Always a bridesmaid Byron came in second, and I believe PokahDave came in fourth - a nice showing for the Boston Bloggers.

In any group of friends there is always someone who stirs the pot. Much like Manny being Manny, Wonka was being Wonka. The quote of the night comes from Air Force Steve when he said to Wonka:

"If you were a superhero, agitation would be your special power..."

Byron and Dave did nearly talk me into making the trip to Vegas in December. I'll check my bankroll and might just see everyone this year.

HPT Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Tonight is the first HPT live event in several months. The host called me earlier this week and asked if I was up for a little pre-HPT practice at Mohegan Sun for the 7:30pm nightly tourney on Thursday. My rubber arm twists very easily and 4 of us made the drive down. I arrived early, planning on playing a few hours of cash games before the tourney started.

I have my choice of several open tables and scout for familiar faces. Several tables are stacked with regulars and players I know, and one table appears to be touristy. There are no big stacks, and I take the first pot with air on a 3 flushed and paired board. There is a shorty across the table that reloads a hundo at a time until he finally decides the drinks are not really free if he is losing. I lose a big pot with AK when an older gentleman calls me down with A2 and catches a deuce on the river. I lose another pot to him with 99 vs his 88, again he called me down to the river with AJT on the flop and catches an 8. He didnt even bet his set when I checked to him on the river. The nice woman to my left gets stacked for 300 when her set of 8s runs into a younger guys set of 5s and he rivers quads. I overplay JJ from the straddle and lose a large pot to AK, leaving me stuck 200. My friends show up in time to rescue me from donkey tilt and we head over to the tourney tables. Wonka has an emergency at home and has to borrow my car.

There are 3 plays where I was favored by the poker gods, which could have crippled me or sent me to the rail. At my first table I raise from MP with 99 instead of making it 325 to go, I drop a 500 chip by accident and try to catch my mistake. I said 325 but dropped 825 but I don't bother arguing. The shortstack says all-in for 3K and I think about it for a minute. I decide that it is either a conflip or a small pair and make the call. He has TT vs my 99, but a 9 on the flop sends him home.

At my 3rd table I raise with a sooted A9 and my friend in the SB goes all in. I have him covered and we would basically just swap stacks if I lose. Getting 3-1 I make the call and he flips KQ suited. He spikes a Queen on the flop but I catch a backdoor flush and my friend has to wait chauffeer me home.

Again at the 3rd table I raise with a crappy sooted Ace-poop and get re-raised all in. At this point in the game there are 2 tables left and I need to chip up. Only 9 places pay, and I am not playing for 9th place. I make a very bad decision vs a tight good player and run into Kings. I knew she had me crushed but called like the donkey that I am anyway. An Ace on the flop double me up and cripples her. She manages to rebuild and makes the final table.

At the final table there are 3 big stacks and the rest are short or average. It doesnt take long before the chips are flying and there are several multi-way all-ins. When the dust settles it is me against the woman I sucked out on and she has the lead. We play heads up for about 40 minutes, at one point I was down 5-1. Once the stacks evened out she agreed to chop, which I was happy to take. It was 1:30am and my two friends had been waiting for a couple hours.

See everyone at the HPT tonight!

Bodog Blogger Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Yay, I actually won one of these things. Last season I squeeked into the top 10 with a plethora of final table appearances and a few cashes. Tuesday night I donked out with the hammer far from the points. Good game to Chad, Riggs, and whomever the other guy was that insta-called with King high.

The Bodog Blogger Tournament is every Tuesday and Thursday night at 9:05pm EST, you need to pre-register on their website in order to get into the tournament.

I Love Mohegan Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:20:00 +0000

Did I mention how much I like the new Poker Room at Mohegan Sun? Probably not since my posting (and playing) has been somewhat erratic as of late.

Life is good. I am finally coming to terms with my post deployment woes. I no longer drive down the street and worry that the side of the road will explode. Aggressive drivers no longer make me look to my gunner for defense. Loud noises (such as fireworks) still set me off, but fortunately the 4th of July is 9 months away. It sucks that my favorite holiday is difficult to endure.

During my first few weeks in Iraq I rarely slept. The concussion of an incoming mortar or rocket attack will keep any normal person awake for hours. After a while you get used to it, and unless it is close, you can practically sleep through it. I can remember my first combat patrol thinking what the fuck did I get myself into? The city streets look like you took the town dump and spread it around. Small fires of burning trash are everywhere. People are going on with their lives.

When most people think of Abu Ghraib the prison is the first thing that comes to mind. For me it is the surrounding area, a western suburb of Baghdad that I covered. After a few weeks, you get used to it, and re-program to deal with daily events in a combat zone. You begin to learn where the worst areas are and take measures to mitigate. You establish rapport with the local populace and begin to become effective. You can read your mens minds and they can read yours. Then it becomes an everlasting groundhog day. Drive around, talk to the Iraqis and then come back and prepare to do it again. Sometimes it is weeks without any action, then suddenly there is more than you could want.

Finally after a year in country and 19 months on active duty I get home safe. All my fingers and toes. I party like a rock star. The simple things that we take for granted in America mean so much more after a tour at war. It has been over a year now and I still feel out of touch. Poker is my adrenaline rush.

Not sure why all that came out, but it is all typed up so I might as well post it. Back to the topic...

Yesterday I made the trip to the newly opened Mohegan Sun Poker Room. This was probably my 6th or 7th trip since it opened. The room is nice, with easy access to the valet entrance. They have comfortable adjustable chairs which remind me of the Venetian. The tables are poorly designed, no drink holders and a very small chip well. The staff says the wrong tables were delivered and new ones have been ordered. I hope they have the extra-large cup holder like the Venetian. There are plenty of television monitors to watch the game. Go Sox!

Many of the dealers are still new and inexperienced, but in time they will be fine. The dealers keep their own tips and the good ones seemed to have bigger piggy banks than the bad ones. The 1/2 tables are raked which is a nice change from the $5 per half hour time charge. I don't see a noticible difference in play between Foxwoods and Mohegan games.

I bought in for $200 about 6pm and stayed until the table broke at 2am. I sat in the 9-hole between two friends who were nice enough to school me on who could play and who couldnt. We had a good time taking pretty much everyones money for several hours. A nice little old lady dropped $1200 in $200 increments, paying off every flush and straight with marginal hands like KJ and second pair. A woman in the 1 seat had come to the table with a rack full a white chips. This is 1/2 NL, why not use the dollar chips? She called everything and caught building up to nearly $1k. Any bare Ace, Face or piece of the flop and she was in it until the end. All sick runs must come to an end, and eventually she gave it all away one pot at a time. The kid to my right went from $73 to about $800 mostly from the little old lady. The kid to my left doubled up three times in a row to build up to $650 or so. They rack up together about $1500 and new blood comes to the table.

I played my normal game, suited connectors and small pairs raising in position. Limping out of position and making bleeding calls when 8 players test the waters. I slow played a couple big pairs KK and QQ, once for a nice win and once for a sizeable loss. My over pair vs top pair vs bottom pair vs flush draw. Bottom pair boated and I saved my stack by getting out.

I ran several nice bluffs against a guy who was identifed early on as easily out-playable. To his credit he got away from vulnerable hands vs my check raises and scare card bluffs. Most of the other players would have called me down not knowing where they were in the hand.

New Right-guy and I have been friendly and staying out of each others way for the most part. The problem is he was on my right and taking my plays away before I had a chance to make them. He was culling the low hanging fruit before I was able to harvest it. He did show me some serious respect laying down pocket Kings when I raised on a double-gutter. He showed his KK so I showed him my 45 on an A37 board. He said that was a ballsy raise with nothing and I tell him if you can't raise on a draw then poker is not the game for you.

My biggest pot of the night came near the end of my session. I raise with QQ from mid position dropping 4 reds and saying I only meant to bet $15 but the extra $5 should stay in the pot. Four players come along for the ride. The flop is Q67 with 2 hearts. Check to me and I bet out $40 hoping someone has a Queen. Player on my left calls (he has a flush draw), one player drops and the player on my right check raises another $100 on top. There is $320 in the pot at this point.

Right-guy goes out of his way to tell me that he is strong, thinking he is doing me a favor and he is ahead. I announce raise, toss 4 greens in to cover his raise and count out my remaining $280. He says he thought we were being friendly and I say we were until you check raised me. I slide my stack across the line and he begins to tank. $700 in the pot now. The flush draw guy on my left wants to come along but changes his mind even though he has less than $100 remaining. Right guy has about $1100 behind and decides to call with Q6, top and bottom pair.

The turn pairs the 6 giving him Sixes full of Queens and me Queens full of Sixes. The river is the 4h, flushdraw guy would have got there and lost. A $1000 pot on a 1/2 table. I Love Mohegan Sun.

Rigged!

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:08:00 +0000

Beautiful third hand in a KO tourney this morning ...

Bodog Royal Flush Bonus

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:29:00 +0000

I mentioned in my last post that I hit a Royal in a 1/2 cash game on Bodog. Smokkee was kind enough to reply that Bodog is paying a bonus (50xBB) whenever a player hits a Royal! Aside from the medium pot I won, Bodog sent me an extra hundo. All I had to do was sort through the hand history (albeit a daunting task) and send it to them.

http://www.bodoglife.com/bonuses/royal-flush-bonus.jsp

Thanks for the reminder Smokkee!

Lack of Posts = Lack of Play

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:36:00 +0000

While I have never been an every day poster like many in the poker blogger realm, my writing activity has been seriously delinquent for several months now. What is that matter you ask? I have not been playing anywhere close to what I was last summer and fall. Lately my play has been curtailed to maybe a single cash game while watching TV, or perhaps a small buyin or blogger tournament. I still make several trips to Foxwoods each month, but much like my online play, not nearly the frequency that I had been playing.

I played some 1/2 on Bodog tonight, MiamiDon was at the same table for several hours. Early on I hit a Royal with QJd in the SB for a medium sized pot. I think that is my 4th Royal this past year. That stack eventually slide across the table when I overplayed a small pair vs someone who slow played pocket Kings. Net result down a buyin and a half after a few hours.

My live play has been mediocre. Home games have been slow this summer, and the competition seems to have gotten better. Foxwoods seems to have turned a bit for me, I had been getting shelled for a while but have had some solid sessions my past few trips. I am looking forward to Mohegan Sun re-opening their poker room at the end of the month. I expect it to be packed with Foxwoods regulars looking for a change of scenery.

It has been a while

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Wow. It has been 3 weeks since my last post, and since the last time I played. Yesterday morning an Army buddy called me up saying he was headed to Foxwoods, and I immediately roll out the door. When I arrive JB is already seated, at what appears to be a friendly, loud, tourist laden table, half the table has less than 100 in front of them, yay $60 minimum buy-ins. There is no list for 1/2 NL, and after a quick recon of the room I take an empty seat at the next table over with a few regulars and some deeper stacks. I am right behind my friend which is nice, we can talk in between hands and not have to play against one another.

Seat 1 is old-old-regular-guy sitting on 1k, Seat 2 is bald-glasses-guy with about 800, seat 3 is crazy-asian-old-guy with about 250 (isn't there always a crazy asian guy?). Seat 4 is young-regular-kid with about 800, seat 5 is a regular with about 1200, seat 6 is a player from New Hampshire with 300, seat 7 is the cursed chair with a steady stream of play a hundo, lose it, reload and then lose it and leave players. Seat 8 is a 2/5 regular who says he is grinding back after getting stuck 1800, but he is sitting on about 1k, I am in seat 9 with 200 (shorty), and seat 10 is New Hampshire player #2 with 300.

Early on I get into it with the big stack old guy with top top + nut flush draw on an ace-high all club board. He calls me down with A5o - no clubs, my flush doesn't hit, he spikes a 5 on the river and my AK is no good. I add a hundo to bring me back to 200. For a while nobody can play since there is a lot of action at the other end of the table, seats 1,2,3 and 4 are trading big pots back and forth with crazy asian building up to about 1200. Seat 4 changes out to a new regular kid with about 300, and with the exception of seat 7 the table remains the same for about 5 hours. I build up to 300 or so and then get stacked with 57s. The board was 7c4s3s. Top pair, gutshot and baby flush draw, I lead out for about 35 on the flop with 2 callers. A 6h on the turn completes my straight and half my stack goes into the pot. Again 2 callers, the river completes my flush and it is set vs flush vs bigger flush. Change 300.

The table dynamics finally change with several of the bigger stacks racking up and leaving. New regulars take the empty seats and I consider calling it a day and licking my wounds, or changing tables. I take a break and look at the 4/8 Omaha Hi/Lo Kill game but it is the same 10 people that are always at that game. My Army buddy has to go, and I (being the degenerate that I am) decide to stick around out for a few more hours.

With new blood at the table, I earn several decent pots with scare-card re-raises and aggressive play. Since I can't possibly be catching that many big hands I get paid off when I do actually have a hand. New young aggro-dork sits down to my right and gets stacked twice within 20 minutes. He has been making it 20 to go with nothing in the pot with craptastic hands like KTo. I make the call with 88 as does my regular friend W across the table. J82 rainbow on the flop, aggro-dork bets 30 which I call and so does my regular friend. Ace on the turn is my money card, W bets out 30, kid calls and I put 100 on top. W calls leaving about 100 behind, and the kid folds. The river is a Q with the board J82AQ, W puts the rest in and I of course call. He has A8s for 2 pair on the turn and I take a nice pot. The kid would have hit his gutshot.

I manage to get away from QQ pre flop on the cheap. Seat 6 limps UTG (it is as common for everyone to limp as it is for everyone to call 15 at this table). Agrro-dork goes all in for 37, new guy to my right calls 37 leaving about 65 behind. I was going to raise to put them both all in, but decide to call the 37 and it folds around to seat 6 who puts 100 on top. New guy puts the rest in and I consider my options for a minute or so. I have been playing with him for about 9 hours now, and his stack has gone from 150 to 1400 and now is back down to about 400. Since I am nearing the end of my session, finally unstuck and in the profit zone I decide that now is not the time to stack off against someone who can hurt me. My QQ hits the muck and seat 6 flips AA (of course). Seat 6 later says that he was initially going to raise, but he noticed aggro-dork moving his chips in so he limped instead.

Final tally, +180 after being stuck 500 early on. It could have been worse.

Hammer is Good!

noreply@blogger.com (Rake Feeder) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:09:00 +0000

This morning I have a strange urge to play some SnGs on Full Tilt. I generally don't play many SnGs, and most of my play has been at Bodog for the past few months. At 9AM most of the players at my tables are Europeans. Some of the play makes me want to vomit.

At one of my tables I decide to punish the plethora of limpers by raising pot from the button with AKs. Late position frenchy-limper decides to call. K82 on the flop, frenchy checks I bet pot and he calls. The turn gives me a flushdraw to go along with my top-top, I bet about 3/4 of the pot and frenchy calls. The river is a seemingly blank 7, frenchy decides to bet out half the pot. I of course make the call and lose the pot. He then typed "Hammer is good!" into the chat box, which I thought was quite amusing. The Hammer is a raising hand, not a limp-call, check-calling hand.