Hand 1

FullTiltPoker Game: Table Santa Monica – $0.25/$0.50 – No Limit Hold’em
Seat 1: 1 1 8 1 1 ($24)
Seat 2: boomhower72 ($25.90)
Seat 3: Mohomafama ($59.70)
Seat 4: jkf79 ($70.55)
Seat 5: bienAK47man ($9.75)
Seat 6: ffcowboy76 ($52)
Seat 7: Hamish6 ($50.45)
Seat 8: vlfflqqkr ($50)
Seat 9: GOPFishy ($49.25)
jkf79 posts the small blind of $0.25
bienAK47man posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ffcowboy76 [Ad Qc]
ffcowboy76 raises to $1.50 – I think I made the correct raise here. I wanted to eliminate players.
Hamish6 folds
vlfflqqkr folds
GOPFishy folds
1 1 8 1 1 folds
boomhower72 folds
Mohomafama calls $1.50 – I can put him on a range of hands here. Using my rules he could have any pocket pair or AK.
jkf79 folds
bienAK47man folds
*** FLOP *** [2d 4d Qd]
ffcowboy76 bets $3.75 – I bet pot here to end the hand right now and take my profit. If I was playing against a loose player I don’t want A3 or A5 to fit their hand.
Mohomafama has 15 seconds left to act
Mohomafama raises to $10 – This should of been a clue to me. I should of considered a small pocket pair, which in the end I didn’t.
ffcowboy76 calls $6.25 – At this point I’ve screwed up the hand and I’m gonna commit more money than I should.
*** TURN *** [2d 4d Qd] [6h]
ffcowboy76 checks – Check for information, which I don’t allow to sink in.
Mohomafama bets $16
ffcowboy76 calls $16 – Horrible call by me, considering what I should of known.
*** RIVER *** [2d 4d Qd 6h] [3c]
GOPFishy has been disconnected
ffcowboy76 checks – Another passive play.
GOPFishy has reconnected
Mohomafama bets $32.20, and is all in – Tells me that either they have a set or a straight, either way my Q’s are crushed. Fold and go home.
GOPFishy has been disconnected
ffcowboy76 calls $24.50, and is all in – This is an example of Tilt. By not letting go of the hand on the flop, I allowed myself to tilt and make a bad call.
Uncalled bet of $7.70 returned to Mohomafama
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mohomafama shows [2s 2c] three of a kind, Twos
ffcowboy76 mucks
Mohomafama wins the pot ($101.75) with three of a kind, Twos

So, from this hand, what can you learn. First and foremost is read what the bets are telling you. If the other player is telling you that you are beat, then fold. It’s easier to make up a small amount then to try to get back a buy in. After this hand I should of quit playing, which I think I did. My mindset will not be right as I try to remake the buy in I lost.

Here is another hand:

FullTiltPoker Game: Table Jersey – $0.10/$0.25 – No Limit Hold’em
Seat 1: Bull_G8er ($28.75)
Seat 2: AmplifiedtoRock ($12.85)
Seat 3: barington ($71.50)
Seat 4: Brass Stones ($25)
Seat 5: theewee81 ($7.95)
Seat 6: DjJimmyT ($12.55)
Seat 7: triplehearta ($25)
Seat 8: ffcowboy76 ($11.40)
Seat 9: KillaSeason722 ($7.90)
DjJimmyT posts the small blind of $0.10
triplehearta posts the big blind of $0.25
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ffcowboy76 [Kd Kh]
ffcowboy76 raises to $0.75 – A good preflop raise with KK.
KillaSeason722 folds
Bull_G8er folds
AmplifiedtoRock folds
barington calls $0.75
Brass Stones has 15 seconds left to act
Brass Stones calls $0.75
theewee81 folds
DjJimmyT raises to $2.25 – According to the rules I follow he should only be holding AA or KK.
triplehearta adds $0.25
triplehearta folds
ffcowboy76 calls $1.50 – I make the call with KK. I’m 99% sure he doesn’t have AA.
barington folds
Brass Stones calls $1.50
*** FLOP *** [2s 8d 6h]
DjJimmyT has 15 seconds left to act
DjJimmyT bets $3.25 – This action is to show strength, trying to get me to think AA or a flopped set.
ffcowboy76 raises to $7.75 – This was a raise for 2 reasons. 1st I was trying to get information, 2nd I was trying to show strength.
Brass Stones has 15 seconds left to act
Brass Stones folds
DjJimmyT has 15 seconds left to act
DjJimmyT has requested TIME
DjJimmyT raises to $10.30, and is all in – The time he took tells me he doesn’t have a set or AA. He has a pocket pair lower than KK.
ffcowboy76 calls $1.40, and is all in – Because of the read, I make the call.
DjJimmyT shows [9h 9d]
ffcowboy76 shows [Kd Kh]
Uncalled bet of $1.15 returned to DjJimmyT
*** TURN *** [2s 8d 6h] [Qs]
*** RIVER *** [2s 8d 6h Qs] [3d]
DjJimmyT shows a pair of Nines
ffcowboy76 shows a pair of Kings
ffcowboy76 wins the pot ($24.75) with a pair of Kings

What to learn from this hand. There are a couple of things. DjJimmy was given an option to fold. If you have a mid to low pocket pair and you miss the flop and there is actions showing strength, let it go. The biggest mistake I think DjJimmy made was to reraise preflop with only 99. According to the rules I follow for play the only option I have is to call and see the flop. If I hit a set the action is different than if I miss the flop. The other thing to learn is that it is really important to be able to make good reads when at the table. If you doubt your reads, here is an option to help you improve. When you are out of the hand, watch the action and try to put people on a hand. When there is a showdown look at the mucked cards of the showdown players in the hand histories. If someone was fishing on a draw, look back at the action and make a note on the player. If you play a limit alot, you will run into the same players over and over again. Those notes can be the difference between a winning session and a losing one.

There are 2 hands to look at. I will post more in the future for people to look at.

After working with some different sites, I’m proud to announce the formation of a tournament league. The league is being run in conjunction with pokerplasm.com and a few other sites. All of the information on the league can be found at cowboyspokerleague.wordpress.com or you can click here. The league will kick off on Feb 3rd on FTP. For the league on FTP there is a prize pool of $50. League players will be ranked by the amount of money they have won, not with a point system. The top 9 players will be invited to a final tournament game. The top 3 money winners will be paid on FTP. First place will receive $25, second will get $15, and third brings home $10.

We are working with Cake Poker to start an additional league. Hopefully details will be posted soon. I am working with them to get some deals, but unsure if I will get anything.

If you would like to join the FTP poker league visit cowboyspokerleague.wordpress.com and click on the “sign up” tab. It will tell you how to do it. The passwords for the different events will be email out to everyone approximately 3 days prior to the event.

I hope to see everyone there.

If you are looking for information on what hands to play preflop see my post about starting hands here.

On to the odds.

Most newer players make most of the expensive mistakes in poker after the flop. Once the flop hits you have your first “poker” hand. How you act post flop will determine if you will be a profitable player or a unprofitable player. The great part about poker is that there are a certain number of cards left in the deck after the flop that you haven’t seen. The math of it is simple, but here is a chart. In the chart the first percentage column is based on the shortcut method, which I will talk about in a second. The second percentage column is based of the actual math. If you notice at the higher out numbers the shortcut method is off by a fairly large margin. It would be best if you didn’t feel comfortable with outs to reproduce the chart I’ve provided to use while you play.

The shortcut method used in the chart is designed to simplify and quicken the process of determine your percentage to hit post flop. To calculate your percentage to hit on the turn and river take your total number of outs and multiply by 4. For just the river take the number of outs and multiply by 2. Here is an example:

You hold Kh Qh and the Flop is Jh Th 5d.

How many outs do you think you have? Do you have 9 outs, 12 outs, or 15 outs? The correct answer is 15 outs. How did I get this you ask. It’s a matter of counting the cards that improve your hand to make a better hand. In this case you have an open ended straight flush draw, straight draw, and flush draw. In every deck of cards there are 13 cards per suit and you see 4 of them. This leaves 9 Hearts left in the deck to give you the flush. On the open ended straight draw you have 8 cards that will give you the straight (4 A’s and 4 9’s). Here is where you can run into trouble. Remember when you counted the flush out you included the A of hearts and 9 of hearts in the 9 remaining hearts. That means for the straight you only have 6 other cards that improve your hand. If you add 9 for the flush and 6 for the straight you get a total of 15 outs. Now to put into context of a game. You are playing $1/$2 NL and there is $15 in the pot. The first player to act bets out for $3 and it folds to you. What is your action, do you fold or call? The correct answer is to call. You are getting “pot odds” to make the call and draw for your improved hand. You are putting $3 into a pot of $18 which is 1/6th of the total pot or 17%. You are 54.1% (60% via shortcut method) to hit your hand on the turn or river. Now, you missed your draw on the turn. There is $21 in the pot now and the aggressor bets $8 into you. What now? Lets look at the odds. You are putting $8 into a pot that now has $29 in it. You are getting pot odds of 27.5%(8/29). You have a 32.5% chance of hitting your hand. You still have a better chance of hitting than what you are putting into the pot so call. Now if you miss on the river and he bets into you again, it would be in your best interest to consider folding, unless you are sure you can beat him. Please don’t call just because you have put money into the pot, cut your loses and play another hand.

What we went through above is another part of the big odds equation, called pot odds. When you get your percentage of hitting your hand, you need to compare that to what percentage of the pot your call is. If you play limit the math is a lot easier than for the no limit player. If you are unsure, take the amount bet into you divided by the total dollar amount in the pot. If you have to call $2 into a $4 pot you should be 50% to hit your hand.

There is one more level of odds and that is implied odds, but I will save that for another day. It’s a bit more complex and requires a good understanding of the general odds described above.

Now, you have learned about what the odds are and how the can help justify a call. Use this same information when you flop a big hand with a bad board. Here is an example:

You hold 9h 9s and the flop is 5c 9c Jd.

This is a REALLY bad board of a set of 9’s. There are a lot of draws with that board that can hurt your hand. QT, T8, or any two clubs are all threats. When you decide how much to bet when the action comes to you, remember that people drawing to a flush are looking for pot odds of 35% or better. If you only make their call 15% of the pot, you are asking to get drawn out on. If there is $3 in the pot, you want to bet at least $2 if not more. With a $2 bet the pot odds are 40% to the next player to act. Remember it is always better to pick up a small pot than to lose a big one, especially if you give your opponents the opportunity to draw out on you.

Hope this information is helpful and you have a profitable time at the tables.

Hope to see all of you in the league.

Cowboy.

UPDATE!!!!

There is currently a league set up with Full Tilt Poker. For more information click here. Hope to see everyone there.

They are currently offering Poker Tracker V3, I use V2, that I haven’t fully checked out. The screen is really tough to figure out at first, but if you play 100 or so hands and have them imported into the software it makes it easier to figure stuff out. To get an idea of what it displays, check out the tab labeled “Poker Stats” on my blog. That is one of the reports the software generates. Seeing as I have no shame I will point out a flaw in my game. If you look at the AKo listing you will see that I’ve been dealt AKo 158 times in over 10,000 hands. With those 158 hands I’ve won 53.7% of those hands. On the flip side, I’ve lost $95.80 with those 158 hands. That shows me a glaring problem. How is it I can win almost 54% of the time, but still lose almost $96. The software saves EVERY hand you import, meaning you can have the hand replayed for you showing who bet when and how much. You can go back and recheck pot odds, implied odds, and many other things. As well as checking odds you can develop betting habits for your opponents. The report also shows that when I saw a flop I only won about 43% of the time.

Lets look at a different report.

This one is from my new copy of version 2, so it only has a few hundred hands. Currently I’ve played 4 sessions on a $0.25NL table. I’ve made profit in all 4. Over the 4 sessions I’ve voluntarily put money into the pot only 16.95% of the time. Pretty tight. That stat doesn’t include money’s placed in the BB. I’m currently up $25.85 over 400 plus hands. I’ve made approximately 18.5 BB/ Hour and 24 per 100 hands. This tells me that this is currently a profitable table level for me.

On top of tracking myself it tracks everyone I play against. Let’s take a look at Pokerplasms leader after his short stay at the table.

He played 8 hands at a $0.25NL table. He lost his deposit, voluntarily put money in the pot 50% of the time (really loose), and lost when he went to a show down. He raised preflop 25% of the time. Based on the definitions provided, he would fall some where in the loose aggressive area. Mind you 8 hands isn’t enough to provide any guidance against him.

Lets look at a second case study.

I played against a player named Street 3 on FTP. Let’s take a look at his numbers and see what we can learn about his play. I played 118 hands with Street 3 this evening. During those hands he put money in the pot voluntarily around 32% of the time. When he saw the flop he won money 42% of the time. Of the hands he saw the flop with, he went to a show down 12% of the time and won 60% of those show downs. He turned almost 46 BB/100 hands, for a nice profit over those 118 hands. His total aggression factor is just over 2, which is moderately aggressive. The aggression factor is figured by a complex math problem that looks at every chance for action. He raised preflop around 2.5% of the time. The system rates him as Loose – Passive / Aggressive. Now, what does all of that information tell us. His hand selection is wide and he doesn’t push hard pre-flop. A raise is definitely a cause for concern. He is willing to bet hard post flop with top pair or a good draw. He takes a lot of pots before show down and usually takes a strong hand there. You need to be concerned if there is a possible flush or straight and Street is still in the hand. However, you can use a smooth call as a slow play method against him. He might slow down on the turn if he doesn’t improve drastically.

There are two examples of what kind of information is provided by the software. If you would like to see more, flip over to the tab labeled “Poker Stats” and take a look. Those are my REAL stats from before my computer crashed. Unfortunately, all of that data was lost.

I will post another review of Poker Tracker 3 after I’ve had a chance to play with it. I just downloaded it today and have barely scratched the surface of what it can do. If you would like to try Poker Tracker 2 before you buy it, they offer a 30 day free trial. I’m not sure if you are limited to a number of hands or tournaments. Check out the software and see what it does. I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

On a side note, I have no financial gain by promoting this product. This information is being place here for you to improve your game.

First off, if any one out there is looking for a new computer, DON’T buy an Emachine. There tech support is the worst around. After 4 years of perfect service they wouldn’t help me one bit. “Sorry your computer is out of warrenty.” They then told me “You can contact the 1 900 number for tech support, but you will be charged.” After hearing this, I lost my patience and cool with the tech. After slinging multiple insults about the whole commpany I asked to talk to a supervisor. 2 days later I was called and told, “Sorry, it’s out of warrenty.” I calmly explained the whole situtation, while throwing in multiple compliments about the quality of the computers they build and what not. Again I was offered the 900 number. I asked to speak to another supervisor. 2 days after making that request a second supervisor called and I started on a fishing expidition. I figured that my computer was shot and was going to see what they would offer to make me happy after the only experience I had with their tech support. Not only did they offer me nothing in the way of a “make you happy” package, they told me that if I changed out the motherboard and processor chip I would need to install a new op system.

The only thing I will say about Emachines is that the price tag fits the product and support you get.

Over the years I’ve experienced every possible bad beat and given my share too. This blog isn’t going to be about the bad beats I’ve experienced or any that you have experienced. It’s going to be about how to cope with the beats that you take when you play on the felt. I’m not in the process of becoming a head doctor, nor am I one, so I won’t use the big words that they use. I’m going to write about how I cope with the endless bad beats that get taken. It has taken me many years to learn how to cope with bad beats, just ask a few select members of pokerplasm.

Before you can cope with a bad beat there are a few things to do to help lessen the effects of them on your bankroll. The biggest thing I can stress is don’t play over your bankroll. If you can’t put the recommended amount on the table without destroying your bankroll, don’t play at that limit. Yes, I know the bad beats happen more at the lower limits, but that can be lessened by changing your style. The lower the limit you play the tighter you need to play. The turn over in players doesn’t allow anyone to start to label you as Tight Aggressive (TAG). Don’t try to force hands, if you don’t hit and get bet into, consider folding. You are not playing to out play all of your opponents, but rather to MAKE MONEY.

Now, on to dealing with bad beats.

The first thing to do after taking a bad beat is breathe. Take a couple of deep breathes and calm down, if it means folding or sitting out, then do so. The second thing to do is learn from what went wrong. Look at the hand history and checking the betting that happened and compare it to the outs the player had. Did your check raise with 2 other players in the hand make the pot big enough for them to have the odds of chasing their draw? Did you misrepresent the strength of your hand and let them think they might be ahead? If you can’t find anything that you might of done wrong, sum the action up in a short sentence, “Chased double gut without the pot odds.” Add it to the notes you have on that player. Most sites allow you to see the hole cards of anyone that goes to showdown as long as you were dealt into the hand. If you have a player that is chasing alot or playing foolish, start checking histories of hands they lose at the table. Develop a profile on that player and use it to your advantage.

If you make a bad beat a learning experience, over time you should see them decrease as you start making fewer mistakes. As long as cards are being dealt somewhere, someone is taking a bad beat. Bad beats are not personal and shouldn’t be taken as such. Sites don’t rig games so that one person has a disadvantage, it isn’t good for their image nor is it profitable for them. Bad beats are caused by two factors, one you can control and one you can’t. The first factor is you making a mistake, even if you don’t realize it. The second factor, the one out of your control, is the skill and knowledge of your opponent. The best thing you can do to avoid this is document your observations when ever you can.

Please, if you take a bad beat don’t go on a tirade at your opponent calling him ever name you can think of. Not only does it make you look childish, it increases the odds of people attempting to make moves against you. They figure you are starting to tilt and they will hammer on you with or with out cards.

So remember, when one takes a bad beat there are 3 things to do. First, remain calm, take a deep breath and relax. Second, look at the hand and see if you did something wrong. If you did, take note of it and work to correct it. If you didn’t take notes on that player. Third, take your beats like a man (or woman) and don’t cry and whine at the player that sucked out. Enjoy your time playing at the felt and make some money.

Cowboy

How many of you out there have tried to enter a H.O.R.S.E. tourney, but don’t feel comfortable playing because of the Stud elements of the game? Well, fear no more, here is a beginners guide to Seven Card Stud.

HOW THE GAME WORKS

Seven Card Stud is played with a maximum of 8 players per table. To start, each player posts an ante and is dealt two cards face down, your hole cards, and one face up, your door card. After the deal is completed the player with the lowest door card has the forced bring-in, usually the bring-in is half the small bet. If multiple low cards of the same rank are exposed, then the bring in (in most cases) defaults according to “suit rank.” Diamonds are considered to be the lowest rank, followed by clubs, hearts, and finally spades being the highest ranking suit. The other way to handle this “tie for the bring in” would be the first person (with the shared low door card) to the left of the dealer will be the bring in. Instead of blinds, stud uses antes and a forced bring-in to establish its pot. Do not feel committed to your hand just because you have money in the pot, in other words, don’t protect you “blind.” After the forced bring, all the remaining players have the option to call the bring-in or complete the bet. I will discuss more later on when to complete vs. when to call the bring-in. One card is burnt and 4th Street is dealt to all the players in the hand face up, with first action on the highest showing hand. 5th and 6th Streets follow the same as 4th Street. 7th Street, or the river, is dealt face down after burning a card, with action starting with the highest showing hand. IF there are not enough cards for every player to get a 7th card, the final card is dealt face up in the center of the table. This card is used as a community card for all players. The showdown goes the same way as Texas Hold’em, with the highest 5 card hand winning.

STRATEGY
Seven Card Stud is a game of observation. With most of your cards, as well as your opponents, being exposed, it becomes imperative that you learn how to read the hands and habits of those you are playing with. For those of you who will be starting out playing online, I would recommend not playing more than a single table at a time. There is simply too much going on in a single hand of stud to pick up on everything if you are multi-tabling.

People have asked me what the best starting hand in Stud Hi is and I give them two answers. The theoretical best starting hand is AAA, rolled aces, but I also say that any 3 cards that work well together can beat rolled cards. The best starting hands are (in no order): any rolled card, any high pocket pair, any 3 suited cards (use common sense), any 3 connected cards, and any other pocket pair. As I stated before, there is a lot of information that can be gained just by looking around the table. When deciding on whether or not to play a hand, take a look at the door cards. If you see more than 3 cards that would help your hand, you probably don’t want to play it, even if it’s AKQ. All you are doing by playing your hand is decreasing your odds to win, making all of your bets and calls donations to the winner.

Here is an example. You hold [Jd 4d] Jh. You see the following door cards: 9c, 8h, 7h, Kd, 10h. Should you play this hand?

Yes and no. Proceed with caution, just calling the bring-in.

There are a few things you should have picked up from the door cards. First, you possibly have 2 Jacks alive in the deck. Second, your flush draw, though it’s a long shot, is alive and well. Third, you shouldn’t be playing to make a straight. If you see an opponent starting to show a straight, use caution and consider folding.

Earlier I mentioned the option to complete the bring-in after the deal. I don’t recommend to a new player to even consider completing the bring in unless you are holding rolled cards. Stick to just calling the bring-in and play your cards vs. what your opponent is showing. The best wisdom I can give you is to not be afraid to fold if you feel your beat. I know the image of Stud is that it’s a drawing mans game, but use the information given to you by reading the table. Don’t try to draw out on players, fold, save your chips for a better opportunity to get them into the middle.

FOR THE ADVANCED PLAYERS
I’m going to touch briefly on when and why to complete a bring-in. Obviously when you are holding rolled A’s, you’re going to want to push hard. Your hand, unless you boat, is very vulnerable to being beat by a straight or a flush. You have two options on how to play the hand after the deal. If you know your table and can expect someone behind you to complete the bet, just call the bring-in and re-raise when the action comes back around to you. If you don’t think someone will complete the bet, do it yourself. You will push people out of the hand, which improves your odds of winning. Either action works well for establishing the fact that you have a strong hand. In my opinion, displayed strength goes a long way to helping you push players off of draws.

This is a start to the knowledge needed to play Stud Hi. I am always available to answer questions about Stud. Don’t hesitate to ask me a question; after all, the dumbest question is the one you didn’t ask.

I’m going to attempt to gather some info. Tell me the sites you like to play on and I will try to get games set up on those sites. I’ve been considering making the weekly game rotate between sites. I think Doyles should be locked in, but I’m willing to add 3 more to the list and make the game rotate between the 4 different sites. Now, this being said, if I get the input and get these games created, I would hope to see a bigger turnout than what has been seen so far.

I want to run down the upcoming schedule really quick so everyone knows what is happening.

On the 12th at 1900 EST we have the second game in the Tourney League. We are playing Pot Limit Omaha Hi and I’m expecting some great competition.

On the 26th at 1900 EST the third game of the Tourney League will kick off. 7 Card Stud is the name of the game. I will post a bit about 7 stud under the tips section.

I’m hoping everyone is enjoying the league. If you have found this page and want to join the league, sign up here and at www.pokerplasm.com. Shoot a private message to the Tourney Director and you will receive info about where to find the password.

Enjoy all

Scott