Riddle me this, Riddle me that (Part 4)

Not too difficult:

You whiz around the corner in your rented moped when suddenly you're forced to come to a sudden stop.

It seems a funeral procession has stopped for a quick breather. Empathy overwhelms you and you offer your condolences to the whimpering man nearby. "Were you close?" you ask, wishing you hadn't.

After a moment, the man replies, "Brothers and sisters I have none, that man's father is my father's son."

That sounds sarcastic, you think to yourself. Maybe the guy doesn't want to tell you, which is fine, but there's no reason to be a smartass about it.

Or, perhaps the clever among can see this is the real answer.

Again, so close

Screenshot:










21st was good for $115. Not bad for an $8.80 investment.

Overall I played really well, got maximum value from some really junk cards. I don't have a screenshot because the table broke once I went out, but I only saw 9% of flop. Flame me if you'd like, but uber-tight is right in these bigger events. I'm on the verge of taking one down. This is 2 deep runs in the past week.

Here's the hand that took me out. If I win this I'm 5th in chips and sitting pretty.


Full Tilt Poker Game #6168616853: $23,000 KO Guarantee (46267253), Table 31 - 1000/2000 Ante 250 - No Limit Hold'em - 4:06:17 ET - 2008/04/25
Seat 1: scoops0 (53,062)
Seat 2: mistyrain97 (76,420), is sitting out
Seat 4: pitdonkey30 (43,746)
Seat 5: MEMPHIS00 (35,462)
Seat 7: rndztrk (87,126)
Seat 8: Grandma_Pinto (78,316)
Seat 9: The Mystical1 (39,572)
scoops0 antes 250
mistyrain97 antes 250
pitdonkey30 antes 250
MEMPHIS00 antes 250
rndztrk antes 250
Grandma_Pinto antes 250
The Mystical1 antes 250
Grandma_Pinto posts the small blind of 1,000
The Mystical1 posts the big blind of 2,000
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to MEMPHIS00 [Ac As]
scoops0 has 15 seconds left to act
scoops0 raises to 5,200
mistyrain97 folds
pitdonkey30 folds
MEMPHIS00 has 15 seconds left to act
MEMPHIS00 raises to 15,000
rndztrk folds
Grandma_Pinto raises to 78,066, and is all in
The Mystical1 folds
mistyrain97 has reconnected
mistyrain97 has returned
scoops0 has 15 seconds left to act
scoops0 folds
MEMPHIS00 calls 20,212, and is all in
Grandma_Pinto shows [Kc Kh]
MEMPHIS00 shows [Ac As]
Uncalled bet of 42,854 returned to Grandma_Pinto
*** FLOP *** [2s 4h Ks]
*** TURN *** [2s 4h Ks] [3c]
*** RIVER *** [2s 4h Ks 3c] [7d]
Grandma_Pinto shows three of a kind, Kings
rndztrk has been disconnected
MEMPHIS00 shows a pair of Aces
Grandma_Pinto wins the pot (79,374) with three of a kind, Kings
MEMPHIS00 stands up


Nothing I can do. And it's a little frustrating.

Weird thing about my deep run in a KO tournament was that I collected no bounties. Zero, zilch, nada.

Gotta love Daniel Negraneu

Check this out

17K -- so close

Could've had it. Nay, should've had it. I was 13th in chips with roughly 28 to go. Then I made the ensuing mistake that cost me the tournament:




Full Tilt Poker Game #6144023574: $17,000 Guarantee (46083386), Table 77 - 2000/4000 Ante 500 - No Limit Hold'em - 4:53:22 ET - 2008/04/23
Seat 1: Back4More08 (28,348)
Seat 2: MattXWitz (155,300)
Seat 3: worldspan (228,096)
Seat 4: tralitrala (48,231)
Seat 5: WelcomeToTheZOO (21,040)
Seat 6: MEMPHIS00 (65,165)
Seat 8: BartWynn (117,899)
Back4More08 antes 500
MattXWitz antes 500
worldspan antes 500
tralitrala antes 500
WelcomeToTheZOO antes 500
MEMPHIS00 antes 500
BartWynn antes 500
Back4More08 posts the small blind of 2,000
MattXWitz posts the big blind of 4,000
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to MEMPHIS00 [Tc Ks]
worldspan folds
tralitrala folds
WelcomeToTheZOO folds
MEMPHIS00 raises to 11,000
BartWynn folds
Back4More08 raises to 27,848, and is all in
MattXWitz folds
MEMPHIS00 calls 16,848
Back4More08 shows [Kh Jc]
MEMPHIS00 shows [Tc Ks]
*** FLOP *** [Jh Kc Ah]
*** TURN *** [Jh Kc Ah] [4d]
*** RIVER *** [Jh Kc Ah 4d] [6h]
Back4More08 shows two pair, Kings and Jacks
MEMPHIS00 shows a pair of Kings
Back4More08 wins the pot (63,196) with two pair, Kings and Jacks
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 63,196 | Rake 0
Board: [Jh Kc Ah 4d 6h]
Seat 1: Back4More08 (small blind) showed [Kh Jc] and won (63,196) with two pair, Kings and Jacks
Seat 2: MattXWitz (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: worldspan folded before the Flop
Seat 4: tralitrala folded before the Flop
Seat 5: WelcomeToTheZOO folded before the Flop
Seat 6: MEMPHIS00 showed [Tc Ks] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 8: BartWynn folded before the Flop


I think the blind-steal with K10 is justifiable, but to call an all-in for 16K more is horrendous. I HAVE to play better to win one of these. After I went out with A9o vs AQ, I wasn't happy with my play for the entire tournament. Even now, 25 minutes and a cigarette later, I'm still fuming with my call.

To take the next step, to make the leap from almost-there to the next level, you need to take these lumps. You need to have these mess-ups so you learn from it and don't repeat the same mistake again.

Honestly, I should have made it further in this tournament. And one brain-fart later I'm forced into the position of "what could have been" and it frustrates the hell out of me.

Anyways, shoutouts to pushmonkey72 and JDSchellnutt for railing. Schellnutt actually made a quick appearance at my table in the mid-way point of the tourney before -aggro to my right got all his chips in the middle with J10 vs JD's AK. J10 is a monster, in case you didn't already know. Here's some screenshots of the tournament that could-have-been.

























See you in the Mook tonight. Repeat?


edit: I went back and looked over my HH for the entire tournament. The call didn't cost me the tournament, I still had 30K in chips. I lost my composure after making a bad call, and THAT is what cost me the tourney. Better luck next time.

FLYERS WIN, FLYERS WIN

Bring on the Canadiens!!! 3-2 overtime win in game 7 against the capitals. Booooooom.

a fun screenshot

Why I hate playing MTT

Full Tilt Poker Game #6126693022: $32,000 Guarantee (45958000), Table 54 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 20:49:19 ET - 2008/04/21
Seat 1: 57steve (5,950)
Seat 2: bizaaar (5,825)
Seat 3: shotmaker61 (3,073)
Seat 4: smitdog15 (8,460)
Seat 5: 2GreenAces (9,890)
Seat 6: JOKER WIN (6,830)
Seat 7: malva22 (2,680)
Seat 8: MEMPHIS00 (4,075)
Seat 9: eat da fish (3,360)
malva22 posts the small blind of 40
MEMPHIS00 posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to MEMPHIS00 [Qd Qs]
eat da fish folds
57steve folds
bizaaar raises to 160
shotmaker61 folds
smitdog15 folds
2GreenAces folds
JOKER WIN calls 160
malva22 calls 120
MEMPHIS00 raises to 660
bizaaar folds
JOKER WIN calls 500
malva22 folds
*** FLOP *** [3s Jd 7h]
MEMPHIS00 bets 1,000
JOKER WIN calls 1,000
*** TURN *** [3s Jd 7h] [8d]
MEMPHIS00 checks
JOKER WIN bets 3,640
MEMPHIS00: set?
MEMPHIS00 has 15 seconds left to act
MEMPHIS00 has requested TIME
MEMPHIS00 calls 2,415, and is all in
JOKER WIN shows [Td 9d]
MEMPHIS00 shows [Qd Qs]
Uncalled bet of 1,225 returned to JOKER WIN
*** RIVER *** [3s Jd 7h 8d] [3c]
JOKER WIN shows a straight, Jack high
MEMPHIS00 shows two pair, Queens and Threes
JOKER WIN wins the pot (8,470) with a straight, Jack high


I probably shouldn't have made this call, with pocket 7s a real possibility. But I thought he had AJ, so I went with my gut. But 10-9? I mean, seriously? He called off 20% of his stack with an gutterball and backdoor flush draw.

HH -- Do you make this call?

I'm in a 3+.30 DS 6-handed tourney as I type this. I'm 20th in chips with 160 left. I've been fairly tight, but every time I bet I get 3-5 callers. This hand just happened, I want your take on it.


Full Tilt Poker Game #6088700749: $3 + $0.30 Tournament (46252646), Table 33 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:09:31 ET - 2008/04/18
Seat 1: 1slash66 (5,151)
Seat 2: semloh2 (3,141)
Seat 3: MEMPHIS00 (9,545)
Seat 4: phane_23 (670)
Seat 5: eliek (3,509)
Seat 6: JPBRUGGER (8,514)
eliek posts the small blind of 40
JPBRUGGER posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to MEMPHIS00 [9d 9c]
1slash66 calls 80
semloh2 folds
MEMPHIS00 raises to 280
phane_23 calls 280
eliek calls 240
JPBRUGGER calls 200
1slash66 folds
*** FLOP *** [3h 2s 5s]
eliek checks
JPBRUGGER has 15 seconds left to act
JPBRUGGER checks
MEMPHIS00 bets 800
phane_23 calls 390, and is all in
eliek raises to 3,229, and is all in
JPBRUGGER has 15 seconds left to act
JPBRUGGER has requested TIME
JPBRUGGER folds
MEMPHIS00 has 15 seconds left to act
MEMPHIS00 has requested TIME

What kind of hand do you put him on? I put him on his exact hand, but had the chips to pay and see...

Baseball, Poker, Video Games, and Egg-salad

The name says it all. This is what the Friday night of a Jewish college student is like the day before Passover. So far today I've eaten all the bread-products I've been able to get my hands on. Potato chips. Sandwiches. Pita & hummus. The list goes on.

I was planning on making some egg salad tonight for dinner, but my dad called me to tell me that on his way home from work he would pick some up from StupidFresh. Honestly, I prefer homemade. Maybe its mixing it myself, or just the satisfaction of making something other than spaghetti or ramen noodles, but I prefer the egg salad that I make. Not this crappy store-bought type.

Phillies vs. Mets on right now. Who's pitching, you ask? Cole Hamels and Johan Santana. This is what baseball is all about. 2 dominant pitchers, in division-rivalry game, pitching well against good lineups. And I gotta say, as much as I love Cole Hamels, Santana is nasty! 9 strikeouts and 1 hit through 5 2/3.

I know you bloggers love your poker, but if you do happen to have an Xbox360, grab Call of Duty4. Good stuff.

Not good stuff is David Wright being 3-3 with a single, double, and triple with 2 RBI. Or the web gem Angel Pagan just had. We're headed to the top of the 7th, 2-0 Mets.

Update: Phils lose 6-4. BOOOOOOM! Oh wait, thats what every Mets fan that made the drive said.

Update: After some investigation I have figured out why I don't like store-bought egg salad (and by investigation I mean I read the label.) They put onions in it. And I HATE onions.

Win a Blogger Tournament -- Check!

At the beginning of the new year, I made some personal poker goals for myself. Play better, build bankroll, win a MTT with 500+ entrants, and win a blogger tournament. Well, boys and girls, memphis rolled into the mook last night and took it down. Biggest hand of the tournament was the first hand after we got in the money. I changed tables and saw that fuel was sitting 2 seats behind me. Now I know he's not a big tournament player, but he is easily one of the more experienced bloggers and sits down at tables with more money than I have in my bankroll ( last night he wwas playing a $25/50). So, heres the hand.

Dealt to MEMPHIS00 [9s 9h]
UnTiltable15 folds
GScottW folds
heffmike folds
MEMPHIS00 raises to 1,500
rmbj494 folds
kevin_with_AK calls 1,420, and is all in
Fuel55 raises to 6,590, and is all in
dnasty13 folds
NewinNov folds
MEMPHIS00 calls 4,974, and is all in
Fuel55 shows [Qc Ah]
MEMPHIS00 shows [9s 9h]
kevin_with_AK shows [Qh Kh]
Uncalled bet of 116 returned to Fuel55
*** FLOP *** [Ks Ad 9d]
dnasty13: im trying to fold to 15th then
*** TURN *** [Ks Ad 9d] [Jc]
*** RIVER *** [Ks Ad 9d Jc] [Qs]
Fuel55 shows two pair, Aces and Queens
MEMPHIS00 shows three of a kind, Nines
MEMPHIS00 wins the side pot (10,108) with three of a kind, Nines
kevin_with_AK shows two pair, Kings and Queens
MEMPHIS00 wins the main pot (5,460) with three of a kind, Nines
kevin_with_AK stands up

Is this a good call? Fuel and I were practically even in chips. In fact, he had me covered by a few hundred chips. So, should I fold here with 99, an all-in and a jam to isolate? I felt it was the kind of situation where I was probably going to be a coinflip. Win the hand and I'm 2nd in chips. Lose, go home, but $10.20 richer. Or $0.80 more broke. However you want to look at it.

Thanks again to Mookie for hosting, BDR for constant entertainment, Surflexus for being there every step of the way, and also PokerEnthusiast and InstantTragedy. I told you 3 the pick would not be in vain!


So here's to the TOC and hopefully the WSOP. [If you spell them out it sounds like a cool rap. Add in a gangsta-lean and you're almost at my level.] God I hope this image doesn't do anything funky when I add it in. This is my longest post to date.