Poker (Dominated hands)

In holdem you will play with people who regularly play Dominated Hands. For example someone who plays Ace anything or K anything. They get killed vs AK or something like AQ. Even AQ is tricky to play because you could be up against AK. Sometimes you have to play something like K8 especailly in a short handed situation. The trouble is when you play them from early position. Say you limp in and 2 other people limp and the Big blind calls. That 4 in the hand. The flop comes K J 4 rainbow. Now what do you do. I lead out... (3 bets) two fold and the big blind calls. Turn comes a 7 (KJ47) with two to a flush now and a couple possible straights. That being said I could be out kicked. I checked... check... river 3 and no flush. Ok I figure there is not chance he called with 56 so now you are up against a possible 2 pair or k better kicker. So... I put him on J?. There are two competing ideas I have come accross from my poker playing buddy...

1. If I bet there will be 10 bets in the pot plus my bet so say 15-20 bets... This is a good bluff situation cause he knows my hand is vulnerable or not so strong as I checked the turn (I do that often but he is not observant enough he will just think I am weak)... He could bluff but it will cost him about 20 bets... and cost me 15-20. But he could lay down K better kicker (not likely).
2. If I check and he bets anything less that or equal to the pot I would be in the same positon as option one if he called which I was betting for value not bluffing. If he overbets the pot I can let it go and it only cost me 4 bets.

It just looks to me like a better play to make play #2. The thing is that I don't excpect someone to bluff by putting in a huge overbet. I look at option two as protecting against the raise. If he checks it down I think I win... if he bets I can win and it costs me about what I wanted to bet but couldn't withstand a raise. Option #1 I cannot withstand (catch) a bluff. Option #2 I will catch some bluffs. The downside to option #2 is that I will get milked on occasion for 6-10 bets. What is correct? I don't know.

So you might think you should bet the turn. You should be prepared to let it go if you got too much action on the turn. This is why I hate these hands. They are the classic win a little or lose alot hands. So try to play them as lose a little, win a little hands when you have to play them. --

Poker personalities corrected

ok I was rereading Super System and Doyle in his infinite poker wisdom contradicts me completely. I was talking about good... tight agressive players...

If they were the preflop raiser and you hit then check to them as they will bet...

Doyle says the check raise is a bad idea because they will know to fold. A good player will more likely fold to your check raise. A good player might see your bet into them as a bluff and raise you and possibly get pot committed. So if you hit small trip against a guy playing an over pair then check raise is bad. You want all your chips in and the bet... raise... rerasies is your best bet. Doyle hates the check raise... keep that in mind.

Poker personality types

Play straight forward poker against weak players. They will not pick up on advance strategy and subtle moves so don't waste your time with them

Player types

• Weak calling stations... will only call if they have a draw of have hit part of the flop. Respect their call... don't bluff them they will just call!
• Weak bluffer. Let him bluff... and call him and let him give you his money... if you raise him you will discourage his bluffing... only raise when you have him killed and you can take all his chips... otherwise you will ruin your oportunity to catch this fish later. Doesn't co-exist at the same table with a weak calling station... this results in an all-in fest...
• Weak folder... don't beat on this guy too much you don't want him to start calling your bluffs. You will have to check some hands you would bet in this situation to keep this guy week so you can continue to take down extra pots... over do it and you will get a few extra pots early but cancel your advantage the rest of the nite.

ok the rest of these are my current running theory or mindset when I play... the stuff I listed above I am pretty confident of...

• Tight solid... Your advantage is his reluctance to gamble... pay attention to your bets. What he does in reaction to them will give you information. For example... 50 cent pot and you bet 40 cents at it... he calls... on the turn you bet 1.50 at the $1.30 pot... he had a draw.. if he calls you can bet he isn't on the draw... If you are going to bluff this guy you can "value bluff" Say throw 30 cents at a 60 cent pot. You have to make that bluff work 1 out of 3 to break even and with the tight guy you will... If he has you he will most likely raise you and you can easily let it go. You are better off playing against this guy than the weak players because you will be able to determine what he has most of the time.
• Loose agressive... Your advantage is that he will play dominated hands. You have to play the dominating hands and make him pay. EX. You play AK he raises 2x BB preflop and you call... flop comes down A 10 7. Hmmm... He could have been playing A7... He bets... You must raise... don't call or you will not know what to do later... if he hit A7 he will definitely go all in right there... then you have to think... These guys are hard to play with because nobody respects their bets and when they do hit they get paid off like crazy. You have to make them pay when they don't... They love to semi-bluff so don't fall victum to the same bet as the flop on the turn after the 4rth heart thing. I find these guys will try to show a little weakness in that spot if they hit... they won't check it is not in their nature... they rather bet a little less and try to invoke a raise. I play with a bunch of these guys. Be carefull and slap their wrist a few times... They won't back off (usually) it will make them more crazy... when you see that look in their eye be very very very carefull...
• Tight Aggressive... go to a new table. Stay out of their way. Don't play dominated hands... You need to bluff a little more but not in obvoius postions. Play by the rules... ie. if they were the preflop raiser and you hit then check to them as they will bet... this is the only type player I would advocate check raising against... the other types I would bet into if I hit.
• GAMBLER... this guy likes to take risks... just can't stay out of the juiced pots. If the bet is reasonable and the players have chips in front of them he wants in. This guy will overcall a 4x BB bet with pocket 2's without hesitation. Look out for this guy... when he check raises, he has you beat. This guy loves to draw out on people... and will slow play everything good he hits. Check... is definitely in the vocabulary with this guy... this guy usually makes bluffing impracticle... he will call to much... you will have to bet too much to sucessfully bluff making it a negative proposition. This guy is different fromt he calling station because he is less likely to draw to second best... and won't pay you off on the river with 2nd pair as the calling station will. This guy will fold on the river but if he hits... guess what... check raise. This is the guy you will definitely not bet for value against with top pair good kicker... Watch out this guy loves to raise preflop and then check his Ace if it hits... he loves for the next card to be 3rd fiddle making you think he is betting the card that just fell... EX he has A7 you have 10,9 suited... flop comes A,10,3 rainbow. Turn 6. he bets... first time you meet this guy you think... if he had a piece of the flop he would have bet it... he either has a 6 or a 3... I got him... Raise... then he reraises... doh! so if this guy checks to you and you have a piece of the flop bet... this is 2 player thinking here of course you have to consider who else is left in the hand and postion... but... these guys will not check anything on the flop but a Aces or better.. pair of kings...nope betting it... They over-estimate the power of hitting Aces... and they have learned that Ace rag isn't something you should always bet... so they check it and get sneaky. Be ready for it.
• Guy on Tilt play like the loose agressive guy... let him race around... don't give him his comeback... don't become the gambler!

Poker... playing better

Ok I played $.05/$.10 NL holdem last nite and made $12 in 1.5 hours. Really good nite. I played straight forward with little if any bluffing. Just played my cards. Got lucky to catch a bluffer in a big hand that I had him dominated and took down $5 in one hand. Other than that I made it 50 cents at a time.

I have to say I am understanding what is going on more and more now. I see the bluffer as a bluffer because of how many hands he wins in a period of time not in a localized hand or two. I am not playing so many weak/vulnerable hands against these maniacs. I also am noticing how it is profitable to play drawing hands against people who never make the correct size bets.... You know the type of table that has people betting 20 cents at a $1 pot... and they get mad when everybody calls and someone out draws their top pair. On that note... I was overcalling to much in those situations. Especally with a hand like QJ suited... on the flush draw... after a bet and 3 callers I am asking for trouble if my flush does hit.

The point is I am playing better and last nite was a good controlled nite of poker... It is still more FUN to be a maniac... but I would say it was more satisfying to win...

Dart playing

Played with Ryan, Rob, and Steve at our home bar last nite. Played fairly well and even had a 3 bull turn. Towards the end of the night we played golf for skins. I won 13 skins and thew a tun of tripples. I am way better at throwing trip 11 or trip 10 than other numbers... those verticle trips are so much easier for me... Well the point it that I think I am going to be better than I was before my elbow messed problems. I am not quite back to form on treble 20... but I am way more acurate on doubles and have less querky things in my thow... it is more relaxed and repeatable. we will see what happens tommorow at league nite...

Dart practice entry

ok I did some practice today... some warmup... working on a new way to site... I started doing it naturally during league yesterday and I noticed when I tried to aim my normal way I had problems adjusting height... and the dart seams to fly better this way... kind of sighting through my flights and not through the tip... we will see... here is my log... I found my old practice log from before my arm started hurting...

Date	Time	3 Dart Avg	1 Dart Avg	Throws	< 60	100	140	180
9/15/2005	23:03:26	53.35	17.78	20	60.00%	2	0	0
3/13/2005	23:46:09	45.5	15.17	20	70.00%	0	0	0
3/10/2005	14:23:04	55.6	18.53	20	55.00%	2	1	0
3/9/2005	20:13:41	43.1	14.37	20	80.00%	2	0	0

Poker Axioms

• Weak players tend to bluff closer to optimal than solid players.... therefore you are better off playing at a table full of solid players who bluff far less than optimal than you are against a table of weak players that all bluff near the optimal rate.
• If someone bluffs way too much or bluffs not enough... do not try to induce or stop a bluff from them... in other words if someone bluffs not enough... keep them bluffing not enough... if someone bluffs too much don't discourage that...
• If there is a tight player that is bluffing and taking a few too many pots you want to discourage the bluffing as they are probably bluffing just a hair less than they should
• If there is an aggressive player bluffing too much you want to induce more bluffing...

WHY... you ask... if someone is bluffing too little they are predictable... when they bet they have a hand... you know what you are up against... also they are not taking extra hands... if someone is bluffing too much they WILL take a few extra pots BUT you will get a big payday when you do hit. OK one last axiom The value bet with no cards to come, heads up in last position... to do or not to do is based on the the expectation of winning if you are called. Example... you hold Jd Jc in holdem and the board is Ad Jd 7s 4c 3d ... your oponent checks to you... do you bet? No chances are the only had that could remotely justify a call that you would win whould be if he had A... and then again the board has a 3 flush and a 3 to a straight... if your oponent calls a river bet they will most likely only do so with a flush or straight. So lets say you bet this for value 10 times... 1 time you catch someone who has A7 and thinks you are bluffing... so what... and 7 time the guy folds and 2 times you get Raised... you can't call the raise so you fold.. or you could call and cost yourself more money. A more obvious example is 7 card stud... lets say you have JJJJ showing after the last card you bet... you will never ever ever ever get called ... you will only illicit a fold or a raise... a huge percentage of the time the other guy folds... your net profit on your bets is ZERO... same as checking... 1 in some big number the opponent will raise... and beat you with the straight flush... of course you have to watch if there is a tun of loose calls with no cards to come then go ahead and try it but ask yourself this question when you do... if I don't bet am I pretty certain I'll win... if not then bluffing rules apply so I'll leave that alone but if you think you will win the showdown.. then ask yourself... if he comes over the top with a big reraise what will you do... heck bet it for value if you have a lock but if not... be carefull...

Poker... learning

ok I know how to play well against loose passive, tight passive, and balanced players... its the aggressive folks I am struggling with... getting better... have to remember it takes a better hand to call with than to bet. against agressive players... think fold or raise... loose calls will dwindle your stack... play made hands and super draws against these folks... no chasing...

Darts... ok.... elbow hanging in there

Ok I thew last friday Tournament Trails (CDC) I got killed in my singles match. I drew the guy who beat me as my partner. The guy really didn't play well against me. In fact, it took him 15 darts to get in for our x01 double in double out game... no prob for him though cause it took me just as many to get in. He played awesome and we came in second... I played ok... 2 darts a turn... so in x01 I was poping 45's and 41's with the occasional tun... in criket... I was hitting fat ones... and my partner was poping tripples... I was closing and he was scoring... BTW I saw 308 taken out in 6 darts by one of the guys on a team we played... 180, (DB,T14,D18) crazy! Ok so against that guy he has some big out and hits tripple, tripple, wire on the double 18... then I took out 74 in 3 darts... 10, d14, d18... I know the first dart was a complete miss... I forget what I was aiming for... I know my partner after the 10 wanted me to hit 14, double bull... but I flinched and hit a double giving me the double 18... and :-) Also I played yesterday and whoooped... in my singles games I think I played 10 games and won 8... I even beat my friend I always play with at Cricket. I was playing good but he was completely off. I think I might have beaten him even if he was throwing well... well at least once or twice... I hope he gets it together because next wed is the start of league... had 301 game last nite that I didn't hit under 60 a turn until I was doubling... (except one turn I hit 57... 19,19,19)... took out 72 second try... trip 20... miss miss... next dart pow double 6