Thursday, January 3, 2013

Last one for awhile

I won't be playing live poker for the next month. I'm taking my mom to Florida. Last year she had an accident and decided to sell her car (she has a birthday later this month -- 92!). I'll be her chauffeur.

I headed to the Horseshoe Casino Tunica last night for their Wednesday night no-ante tournament. It's an interesting structure. Most players don't pay any attention to Patience Factor, but I do. While examining that, I've noticed that at a certain point in a tournament, the antes paid each orbit become higher than the blinds. I call that the inversion point, but maybe there's a better way to describe it.

Forty-four runners paid the $60 to enter, each starting with 10,000 in chips. Most small-stakes tournaments like this aren't worth playing. The blinds zoom up at the the speed of light. Because there were no antes kicking in, this tournament has a PF of around 9 which is super for a cheapo tournament.

I haven't developed a preflight checklist yet as a certain blogger has recommended. It includes little things like reminding yourself not to be too aggressive early and tidbits like that. Even though I don't have one developed yet, I didn't let it "bug" me.

When we got to the final table, I was third in chips. After three players were knocked out, the players who knocked out others had good stacks, too. Somebody said let's chop and everybody agreed, even the big stack! I had about seven big blinds (they were 4000/8000) so a chop was fine by me.

This was my favorite hand. When they consolidated to two tables, a guy was moved to our table. I had about 30,000 chips and he had about 70K. I always watch a player like that. Maybe they've been lucky, or maybe they are aggressive. After about an orbit, he raised to 3000 (blinds were 500/1000, no antes of course). I re-raised to 7200. Everyone else folded and he called.

The flop was 6-3-3 rainbow. He checked and I checked. The turn was another low card and the villain bet 20,000. Notice anything? He's overbet the pot. There was 14,400 plus the 1500 from the blinds. I moved all in and he started shaking his head.

"I know I'm beat, but I have to call for another 2400," he said.

He turned over Q J. He saw weakness and pounced, just like I knew he would. I showed A A, and he was drawing dead. Ya gotta know your customers, just sayin'.

13 comments:

  1. The success stories continue. : o )

    Have a nice trip. But hey ... there ARE poker rooms in Florida ...

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  2. No biggy -- the hiatus -- right? With those genes you'll be collecting donations in Tunica for a long time.

    Keep it going. All they can do is finally put you down as a dependent.

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  3. Driving Ms. Mojo!

    Enjoy the break

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  4. Have a wonderful trip with your mom (92 wow!). Congrats on the chop! I like that play with AA. Are you skipping the entire WSOPC in Tunica later this month??

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  5. Well, you did qualify your statement: no LIVE poker. Have a warm, wonderful month.

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  6. Congrats on the cash, well played with the AA there. If you're gonna be in the Tampa/St Pete area please let me know.

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  7. Have a good trip to Florida. I know you're not going to play while down there, but at least take a poker book to read in the evenings!

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  8. 92 years old. God bless her heart. Man oh man I would love to spend an afternoon just listening to your Mom as imagine all the things she has seen and observed in her lifetime. What part of Florida will you be going to. Let me know and I will run a Google check for available poker rooms for ya. :-)

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  9. Nice hand! Good luck with your mother; I hope all works out well.

    Since you're in the area, my wife and I booked a trip to New Orleans in March. Are you going to be around that area during that time? I would love to get your opinion on things to do. It'll be during St. Patty's Day, so I believe there's a parade, but what else is there to do?

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  10. if the tourney has no antes, how can at some point the antes become MORE than the blinds?

    and surely this would mean the total cost in antes the entire 10 hands round, not per hand i assume

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  11. Thanks to all who commented. I'm in Florida and getting settled in.

    @Jusdealem: Not sure when I'll be back. Hope I get to play an event or two.

    @Neophyte: I might try to make it over to St. Pete for a Saturday tournament and will drop you a line or comment on your blog so we can meet up.

    @Flushdraw: I'll be out in the middle of nowhere: Avon Park/Sebring area.

    @Sevencard2003: The tournament had no antes. I was explaining why that made it a good structure, even though there were 20 minute levels.

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  12. Welcome to Florida. You came at the right time as our weather has become unseasonably warm. I'm not sure where you are, but if you get up this way let me know. OK?

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  13. @Lowell: I'm in Sebring and the high today is 84! Love it. After I get settled in, I'm going to take some day trips and might head up your way. If I do, I'd like to take you and Lois Ann out to eat if you're interested.

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