Sensei’s Poker Dojo

I ran pretty good tonight.

This was the best hand, and by best hand I mean I was absolutely crushed preflop but managed to get there:

FullTiltPoker Game #9419204887: Table Equador (6 max) – $25/$50 – $2,000 Cap Pot Limit Omaha Hi – 4:50:22 ET – 2008/12/10
Seat 1: Gabor64 ($4,350.50)
Seat 2: ByTheBy ($5,513)
Seat 3: baDONKaD0NK88 ($4,420.50)
Seat 4: KudelyKQ ($4,457.50)
Seat 5: DJ Sensei ($13,116.50)
Seat 6: Que1620 ($5,032)
KudelyKQ posts the small blind of $25
DJ Sensei posts the big blind of $50
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DJ Sensei [Jd Js Ks Tc]
Que1620 folds
Gabor64 calls $50
ByTheBy folds
baDONKaD0NK88 raises to $150
KudelyKQ raises to $550
DJ Sensei calls $500
Gabor64 calls $500
baDONKaD0NK88 raises to $2,000, and is capped
KudelyKQ calls $1,450, and is capped
DJ Sensei calls $1,450, and is capped
Gabor64 calls $1,450, and is capped
baDONKaD0NK88 shows [Ah 8s 5s As]
KudelyKQ shows [Ad Kc 2h Kd]
DJ Sensei shows [Jd Js Ks Tc]
Gabor64 shows [Jh Td Ac Th]
*** FLOP *** [4d Jc 9h]
*** TURN *** [4d Jc 9h] [6s]
*** RIVER *** [4d Jc 9h 6s] [3s]
baDONKaD0NK88 shows a pair of Aces
KudelyKQ shows a pair of Kings
DJ Sensei shows three of a kind, Jacks
baDONKaD0NK88: i hate this game
Gabor64 shows a pair of Jacks
DJ Sensei wins the pot ($7,997) with three of a kind, Jacks

If I’m not mistaken the only ways I had to win outright were hitting the case jack or making a QT9 straight (which would require the case T).

Oh yea and this hand was fun too, hit the case Q and also set over set him:

FullTiltPoker Game #9419553674: Table Dogwood (6 max) – $25/$50 – $2,000 Cap Pot Limit Omaha Hi – 5:40:07 ET – 2008/12/10
Seat 2: BOLORD ($4,107.15)
Seat 3: theASHMAN103 ($7,442)
Seat 4: KudelyKQ ($3,500)
Seat 6: DJ Sensei ($9,266)
DJ Sensei posts the small blind of $25
BOLORD posts the big blind of $50
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DJ Sensei [6d Qs Qh Qd]
theASHMAN103 folds
KudelyKQ folds
DJ Sensei raises to $150
BOLORD calls $100
*** FLOP *** [4h Qc Th]
DJ Sensei bets $250
BOLORD raises to $1,050
DJ Sensei raises to $1,850, and is capped
BOLORD calls $800, and is capped
DJ Sensei shows [6d Qs Qh Qd]
BOLORD shows [5d 2c Ts Td]
*** TURN *** [4h Qc Th] [Ks]
*** RIVER *** [4h Qc Th Ks] [3s]
DJ Sensei shows three of a kind, Queens
BOLORD shows three of a kind, Tens
DJ Sensei wins the pot ($3,998) with three of a kind, Queens

I hope I don’t lose it all back tomorrow

The games were very good, but I was less than fortunate. Finally managed to get back in the black and had my autopost unchecked so I could quit as soon as the blinds came around. This was my last hand:

FullTiltPoker Game #9386280770: Table Equador (6 max) – $25/$50 – $2,000 Cap Pot Limit Omaha Hi – 9:17:01 ET – 2008/12/08
Seat 1: Gabor64 ($6,540)
Seat 2: kerendream ($1,975.25)
Seat 3: DJ Sensei ($11,456)
Seat 4: kid pokers kid ($5,768)
Seat 5: Richard Ashby ($1,767.50)
Seat 6: OlliPolli ($5,322)
Gabor64 posts the small blind of $25
kerendream posts the big blind of $50
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DJ Sensei [Kd As Ah Kc]
DJ Sensei raises to $175
kid pokers kid folds
Richard Ashby raises to $600
OlliPolli raises to $2,000, and is capped
Gabor64 folds
kerendream folds
DJ Sensei calls $1,825, and is capped
Richard Ashby calls $1,167.50, and is all in
OlliPolli shows [3c Ts Ad Ac]
DJ Sensei shows [Kd As Ah Kc]
Richard Ashby shows [Kh 5h Ks 6s]
*** FLOP *** [Tc 5d Qs]
*** TURN *** [Tc 5d Qs] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [Tc 5d Qs 7h] [6h]
OlliPolli shows a pair of Aces
DJ Sensei shows a pair of Aces
DJ Sensei ties for the side pot ($232.50) with a pair of Aces
OlliPolli ties for the side pot ($232.50) with a pair of Aces
Richard Ashby shows two pair, Sixes and Fives
Richard Ashby wins the main pot ($5,374.50) with two pair, Sixes and Fives
OlliPolli adds $1,445.50
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $5,842.50 Main pot $5,377.50. Side pot $465. | Rake $3
Board: [Tc 5d Qs 7h 6h]
Seat 1: Gabor64 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 2: kerendream (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: DJ Sensei showed [Kd As Ah Kc] and won ($232.50) with a pair of Aces
Seat 4: kid pokers kid didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 5: Richard Ashby showed [Kh 5h Ks 6s] and won ($5,374.50) with two pair, Sixes and Fives
Seat 6: OlliPolli (button) showed [3c Ts Ad Ac] and won ($232.50) with a pair of Aces

Fortunately I’m not a degenerate, so I quit after that, even though technically I’m back in the red.

Ever since making Triple the Gold I’ve been excited to learn how to play badugi, too. Sadly there were no online badugi games, and its only spread in live mixed games in LA or vegas, but pokerstars just recently opened up some games. At first it was only very small stakes games so I didn’t bother playing, but now they have games as big as 10/20 running. 10/20 limit, that is, so its still a pretty small game for me, but big enough that I actually feel motivated to sit and play. Tonight I played my first session. I only played for about half an hour on two tables, which worked out to about 60 hands, but I won $710.¹ I’m sure I was running good but I felt like I had a pretty solid idea of what kind of ranges I should be working with, and managed to make some good valuebets that other players might not have made, at least not in their first session ever.

The biggest thing I’ve learned so far is that most players tend to over-value making badugi rather than making the best hand. If they make a weak badugi early, they tend to pat immediately and take it to showdown no matter what.

Dealt to DJ Sensei [5s 2s 8d 6h]
DislikeJacks has timed out
DislikeJacks: folds
DislikeJacks is sitting out
SSSHIP_IT: folds
DeathDonkey: raises $10 to $20
Ahen0910: calls $20
DislikeJacks has returned
Splonk: calls $15
DJ Sensei: calls $10
*** FIRST DRAW ***
Splonk: discards 2 cards
DJ Sensei: discards 1 card [5s]
Dealt to DJ Sensei [2s 8d 6h] [5d]
DeathDonkey: discards 2 cards
Ahen0910: discards 2 cards
Splonk: checks
DJ Sensei: checks
DeathDonkey: bets $10
Ahen0910: raises $10 to $20
Splonk: folds
DJ Sensei: calls $20
DeathDonkey: calls $10
*** SECOND DRAW ***
DJ Sensei: discards 1 card [8d]
Dealt to DJ Sensei [2s 6h 5d] [9c]
DeathDonkey: discards 1 card
Ahen0910: stands pat
DJ Sensei: bets $20
DeathDonkey: folds
Ahen0910: calls $20
*** THIRD DRAW ***
DJ Sensei: stands pat on [2s 6h 5d 9c]
Ahen0910: stands pat
DJ Sensei: bets $20
Ahen0910: calls $20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DJ Sensei: shows [5d 2s 9c 6h] (Badugi: 9,6,5,2)
Ahen0910: mucks Q73A badugi
DJ Sensei collected $217 from pot

Once I bet into two opponents after the second draw (one of whom is already pat) and then pat myself (well, duh) on the third, his Q badugi is never good and he should break it and try to catch up. If he was holding something like QJ3A then he should just fold (but if he shows up with a hand like that in this situation he’s got bigger strategic problems!). Its also worth noting that my range is pretty rough due to just flatcalling predraw and drawing one, so his 73A draw is very likely live. Whether I played the hand optimally myself, well, I’m not entirely sure but I think I did alright. If my opponents are making mistakes like this on the big-bet streets, then I’m definitely +EV in the game!

Dealt to DJ Sensei [3h 2d 4c Kh]
Splonk: folds
NoRevolution: folds
SSSHIP_IT: folds
FatsoFat6969: folds
DeathDonkey: raises $10 to $20
DJ Sensei: raises $10 to $30
cal42688: raises $10 to $40
Betting is capped
DeathDonkey: calls $20
DJ Sensei: calls $10
*** FIRST DRAW ***
FatsoFat6969 said, “BEEFCAKE LOVES BADUGI”
DJ Sensei: discards 1 card [Kh]
Dealt to DJ Sensei [3h 2d 4c] [Qs]
cal42688: stands pat
DeathDonkey: discards 2 cards
DJ Sensei: checks
cal42688: bets $10
DeathDonkey: calls $10
DJ Sensei: calls $10
*** SECOND DRAW ***
DJ Sensei: discards 1 card [Qs]
Dealt to DJ Sensei [3h 2d 4c] [Qd]
cal42688: stands pat
DeathDonkey: discards 1 card
DJ Sensei: checks
cal42688: bets $20
DeathDonkey: folds
DJ Sensei: calls $20
*** THIRD DRAW ***
DJ Sensei: discards 1 card [Qd]
Dealt to DJ Sensei [3h 2d 4c] [9s]
cal42688: stands pat
DJ Sensei: bets $20
cal42688: calls $20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DJ Sensei: shows [3h 2d 4c 9s] (Badugi: 9,4,3,2)
cal42688: mucks QJ2A badugi
DJ Sensei collected $227 from pot

This is another example of the same thing. Note that I made a Q badugi myself on the first draw, but broke it to try and improve because his range of dealt badugis (which I have to assume he has, unless he’s snowing from the get-go) is for the most part crushing a Q, and of course my draw is very smooth. When I get there on the end, I correctly valuebet, and he pays off (even though he probably shouldn’t, as it would seem to be a stupid spot to bluff). I think his best play is probably to just fold here preflop facing a 3bet cold (or call and draw to the A2 if it was just a raised pot).

It also seems that most players believe anyone who pats and will fold too much on the end unless they’ve made badugi. I haven’t quite figured out how much I should be snowing as a result, but I suspect the answer is “much more often until they catch me”. I also am not quite sure what to do about calling bets on the end with a 3card badugi when my opponent is pat. If nobody is snowing then its clearly wrong, but I have no idea the frequency that its happening. I bet when higher stakes games open up there will be a lot more snowing and a lot more calling light. Doesn’t seem to be the case at 10/20 though. Fortunately I have access to an expert (the one and only deathdonkey, of course) and will probably be bugging him a lot in the coming weeks to teach me how to keep shipping it.

1. or, in limit terms, 35 big bets, which I think is a pretty good brag [↩]

I played at Lucky Chances today. It was a pretty unremarkable session, I finished down a little bit, but there were a few awesome hands. For instance:

With $10-10-20 blinds and a $40 bringin, I overlimped with black 33. A big oaf-type dude in late position raised to $220, and somehow everyone else folded back to me. Well, we were about $5k deep effectively and he didn’t seem like somebody I should be too concerned about, so I called. The flop was 962ccs, and I gave an intentionally long consideration before checking. He quickly checked behind. So he’s got big cards, probably ace high. Maybe a low-mid pair like 77-88. Turn was the Ks. I checked more quickly to represent weakness and encourage him to now barrel it with his whole range. He picked out a large stack of black $20 chips¹ and bet out $500. This was an unusually large bet, most live players rarely bet that close to the size of the pot. Certainly not a sign of strength though, not in this situation at least. So I called, hoping that a wide variety of scare cards would lead to him often giving up. The river was the 9s, pairing the board and completing the backdoor flush. I thought for a while again, and checked. I would rarely bluff in that spot with either a donkbet or a checkraise, because its just an awkward situation to do so, so I wanted to encourage him to sweat it out and then make it easy on me. He immediately became uncomfortable, looking at the board and the pot and his chips, and his chips, and again to the chips, playing a little with them. I soon decided that he was probably mustering up the courage to bluff again, and planned to snap off a bet in the $700-$1k range. Might have thought and folded to an overbet or an underbet though. Well, in the end, he begrudgingly reached for his cards and I knew he was giving up and showing his hand. I prepared myself to look like a baller when I turned over the winner and everyone caught on to what I had done. He weakly flipped AsJs and tossed them towards the middle of the felt. I asked aloud to no one in particular if that was in fact the nut flush, and the dealer vocally confirmed that it was. I was off the hook of having to show my hand, though I would have probably enjoyed privately revealing it to some compatriots before mucking. I had a good laugh, and the rest of the guys at the end of my table, who were serious players and regulars in the game, enjoyed it with me. Thankfully I was protected by my location in the 9 seat (the villain was in the 1 seat) and I could laugh visibly without him seeing it.

The villain then weakly defended his play to his table-end mates, mumbling something along the lines of “well what was I supposed to bet, $1000?” or “the board paired!”. Later I realized that it was/is the only kind of hand that I actually enjoy losing: the kind where I own somebody completely and they somehow get there, but they fail to obtain any of the massive value that was available on the end. Sklansky would be so proud.

1. the primary chip in the game (along with white $100s), and a chip style that is unique to Lucky Chances [↩]