I hope everyone has a very safe and happy holiday this week. I am going to relax a little, enjoy my family and enjoy the festivities.

Have a happy holiday!

Curtis III AKA “Curtom”

I am still grinding away day to day. Nothing has changed since the last time I chimed in. I have been doing a lot of writing in preparation for my vacation next week. I plan on playing a lot of live poker and look forward to doing well in the up coming local tournaments. The Horseshoe Poker Classic is also coming to Indiana next week. Maybe I will check that out.

Who knows?

What I do know is that my birthday is going to be a lot of fun. Family, BBQ, and Poker. That’s hard to beat!

Things have been going well in the poker world lately. I have been playing well and hands have been holding up overall. I am a little more busy than normal but enjoying the new assignment with Oz Poker. Took some time out to update WordPress a few days ago too. Other than that not much has changed.

I am looking forward to the PokerStars WCOOP and playing for the first time. For some reason I just have a really good feeling about this one. I am not sure why but I do. I will be posting a book review on Warwick Dunnett’s Poker Wizards shortly. It has been a really good read.

I recently closed a deal with Oz Poker to be one of their featured poker writers. This is yet another great opportunity to share my passion for the game and be part of a fantastic new online poker community. I will be posting a couple of times each week. Oz Poker is a new Australian poker community that I believe will be one of the premier poker forum / communities on the web.

So stop by and take a look around. You can find my posts at www.ozpoker.net.au (Click Online Poker)

It looks like I may be playing the Sunday Millions this weekend. I plowed through thirty-six players for the one guaranteed seat and took it down after a little more than two hours. I got to the Final Table with half the average stack and I was kind of surprised at some of the careless play by the Big Stacks at the table. At least two of them could have easily played down to final four players but each of them made really careless mistakes. Fortunately I was able to take advantage of that and I got really lucky when my Pocket Eights hit a Set against Pocket Aces and Nine Ten off-suite.

Heads-up took about thirty minutes as I was facing an extremely aggressive player that had me out chipped three to one. Once I doubled up I felt very confident that if I hit any kind of hand I was gonna get paid off and that is exactly what happened when I hit my straight. I immediately un-registered from the tournament. I am seriously considering playing a large buy-in tournament with far fewer people. This will give me an opportunity to play a Deep Stacks tournament with around 300 to 1000 people depending on which tourney I play.

I just got bounced out of the tournament at the Majestic Star. The tourney was well run as usual and I managed to build my starting stack of 6k to 10k in the first hour. I busted out holding [As][Js] and the flop came down [Ac][Jc][8c]. There was a raise pre flop and I simply flat called hoping to hit a flush draw or better. Anyhow, I decided that I was going to push and I got insta-called with my opponent holding [Ac][Kh]. A [9c] came on the turn and a blank on the river. Off to the rail I go.

A little frustrating but that’s the way it goes sometimes. As long as I get my chips in good I am OK with the outcome even if it is not too favorable. This is one of those times I had to suck it up.

The big weekend is just about here. The Main Event of the Pokerstars SCOOP is right around the corner. I gotta admit that I am extremely excited about this tournament. I don’t know why but enthusiasm has got to be a good thing. Right? Anyhow, there are likely to be at least ten-thousand entries in this tournament if it isn’t maxed out. Those are some lofty numbers but I have fared well in these kinds of tourneys in the past. I figure First Prize has got to be worth around 200k+. That is one heck of a pay day and certainly worth the two days of effort to win it.

The other reason I am excited is because the Super Satellites for the Heartland Poker tour begin next week on April 10th. I have budgeted for at least two shots at this thing to win a seat in the $1500 Main Event. They are paying the top 10% in the satellite so I figure that will be about 30 entries. Not a bad deal for the $130 buy-in. The structure is pretty good too so I will be getting plenty of play. Of course I will keep you posted as to how I do in both of these tourneys as they progress.

Take care!

I had another good weekend at the poker tables. There were two tournaments that I played particularly well in but I got railed when I lost to a larger set deep in both tournaments. Not much I could do about that. On the other hand the proliferation of All-In pushes pre-flop was bizarre to say the least. I mean any time a player had pocket Aces or Kings he would simply re-raise All-In. I saw this move in $20 tournaments as well. Most times players would fold but every now and then someone would call with Ace King or a medium pair. I still have no idea of where the value is in making this play when a healthy re-raise will accomplish the intended task of keeping your opponent in the hand. Why would I want to push my opponent out of the pot pre-flop with Aces or Kings?

Apparently I am one of the few players that thinks this way because it was very prevalent.

I did make the Final Table in the 180 player tournament and took down 5th place. It was a great lesson in short stack play as I picked my spots and continued to survive until I could pick up a few hands to get a few chips. I even surprised myself by making that Final Table. With 17 players left I took a beat and only had $83 dollars left in my stack. After consecutive All-Ins I managed to build it all the way back up to over 22K with a LOT OF LUCK. I just refused to give up and I hit some cards at just the right time several times in a row. Once I built back up to 5K I picked up Aces and tripled up.

I had to stay home due to illness today. So I sat in front of my computer and played a little poker this evening. I made one Final Table and went deep into a 2000 player tournament only to get my Aces cracked by Tens pre-flop for a 56k pot! It was tough beat to take but it is what it is. No bitterness on my part but I sure would have like to have won that hand. I finished up 237th in that tournament with a small cash.

It was nice to get back to playing tournaments. I have been so focused on cash games lately that I really felt fresh again after a few hands. I am trying to play enough tournaments to stay tuned up for the Heartland Poker Tour when it comes to Indiana in April. I am also working on a new web site too. Do or Die Poker is not going anywhere. However, I do have a few ideas for another poker related site that I am working through. I hope to reveal the site over the summer.

I just got back from playing at my local casino and boy am I happy! I played the .50 / $1 No Limit table and made an absolute killing. I was unable to play in my typical $2/$1 NL game because a tournament was running and they only had two tables spread at this limit. The waiting list was a mile long. The electronic table made the game move fast and the players were mediocre with the exception of one lady sitting at the opposite end of the table from me and another player to her right. We basically took every dime at the table for an entire two hours.

I flopped a full-house in the big blind but there was a straight draw and the guy hit the straight on the turn. He pushed all his chips in thinking it was a chop and dropped his head when I showed him the boat. None of the players ever gave any thought to how the betting went or what their opponents may have had. The bad players would simply continue to bet until they were beat at showdown. I am not sure it gets much better than this in a cash game. I will be stopping by tomorrow for more action. Hopefully the same crowd will be around again and dump another $200 in my lap.

After a bit of time away from the tournaments I am back in action, cash game action that is. You may now follow my journey at the cash game tables on Pokerstars as I play the .25/.50 tables and grind away. I have decided that playing every night is not in my best interest. I will likely have most of my sessions on weekends when I have more time. Last night proved to be a learning experience. I started out with a $50 max buy-in and ended my session (-$2.15) after ninety minutes. I won a few pots but nothing big. The play was extremely tight and the standard raise was $2 dollars. While I am quite stoked by the idea I also realize that grinding is nowhere near as appealing as tournament poker. However, it does require a high degree of focus which keeps me zeroed in.

On the other hand I have decided that I will be buying into the SCOOP $109 Main Event. Although the field will likely be around 8000+ players it will be an incredible opportunity to make a big splash on the tournament scene and put a few hundred thousand in your bankroll should I take it down. The structure is 15 minute levels and $10000 starting chips with blinds starting at $50/$25. I would have liked to see the blinds start at $25/$25 but this is a two day event and clearly they want this tourney to move along. I figure if I can triple up early and start to put some pressure on the table I will be in good shape.

I will keep you posted on any other events I may be playing in as far as the SCOOP goes. Lastly, I will begin playing WSOP satellites soon too. I have done extremely well in satellites over the past few years winnings seats in the PCA but having to pass and take the points or cash. Not this time though. When I win a WSOP seat I will be on that plane to Las Vegas with a quickness folks. That’s about it for me. There are plenty of challenges ahead for me and my poker game and I relish the opportunity.

Wow! The hustle is on folks. This month I have made 6 Final Tables out of 42 tournaments. Not bad at all sans the fact that I finished no higher than 5th in any of them. Nothing earth shattering has taken place lately. I am still playing well overall and for the most part have avoided the bad beats. The online tournaments are still have quite a bit of variance in them though. I am seeing pre-flop pushes with any pocket pair starting at level 1 so the games hyper-aggressive nature continues.

In order to counter this kind of foolishness I have been playing some Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud 8/OB. I enjoy both games and it slows the pace down considerably from my typical holdem tournaments. I spoke to friends on both the east and west coasts and they tell me the cash games have tightened up with the economy. The games still have plenty of players but the pots have become noticeably smaller. Very interesting stuff indeed. I still believe we have a shot at reversing the UIGEA in the senate. Plus, with the rulings in Kentucky and Colorado it certainly helps our case.

Do or Die Poker has hit the ground running this year and has done very well in January. Our readership is growing each month and the e-mails continue to pour in each day. The podcast will begin again starting next month. I have been so busy with the holidays and my wife’s birthday that I just did not have the time to squeeze in a couple. So, from here on out I will try and have at least 2 podcast per month as they have done extremely well for us and helps to get the word out.

Take care of yourselves and have a safe weekend.

I gotta tell you guys about a really crazy scenario that I was involved in a couple of nights ago. After a long day at work I decided to get the weekend start right by playing a little poker. I logged into Pokerstars and jumped into the 90 player Sit n Go. after about thirty minutes I am getting short at around $1200 chips and then proceed to pick up a few hands and build my stack to around $5700.

My table is playing awfully weak and I was picking up pots with absolutely nothing and eventually built my stack to $7000. This is when things got crazy.

The blinds are $150 / $75 and I pick up [J][J] in the Big Blind. There is a big raise of $450 from middle position. Everyone else has folded and the action is on me now. Of course having Pocket Jacks in this position it is best for me to simply call and that is precisely the poker strategy I would employ in the hand pre-flop.

The flop comes down [Ts][Ks][Js]

Of course I check knowing that my opponent at the least has [A][K] and could have a big pocket pair. He obliges my intuition and makes a bet of $400. In most scenarios this is more of a peek-a-boo kinda bet meant to cause your opponent to overreact and possibly push his chips in with the worst hand or chasing a flush draw. My opponent has $5000 in chips and I do not want him to fold by any means. It is possible he could have [A][Q] but not likely as he would have pushed his chips in the middle. It is also possible he has a set but unlikely because it would have evoked the same action and his chips would be in the middle.

Ultimately, I put him on Ace King as I had originally thought with the very small possibility of him having a flush draw. I know I am in good position in this hand and I even have redraws if he does have the flush. I feign “thinking it out” as I hit the Time Out button for his benefit only. After it beeps one time I push my chips in the middle. My opponent calls immediately and turns over Pocket Queens! (but does not have a spade)

Are you kidding me?!!!!

Not only am I not happy I am puzzled that he even called my push. Yes, I am ahead in the hand but my friend is still 32% to hit his hand and isn’t quite in tears just yet. The turn brings a blank and the river is no help either. This is when things got stupid. For the next 30 minutes I get railed for being a donkey. While the table found his rants to be amusing I was even more amused when he said, “I was a 4 to 1 favorite!!!” The guy hurls profanities at me non-stop. I have to admit that some of them were actually rather amusing but its always better to be quiet and let people think you are a fool than to open your mouth and prove it beyond all doubt.

I almost fell to the floor laughing at my new friends lack of understanding of how the percentages work. Clearly his thinking would only apply pre-flop with all the money in the middle and no cards having been dealt. He simply could not comprehend that after the flop he was a 3 to 1 dog against my set. After I pushed my chips in he never thought anything through. Never gave me credit for possibly having a flush or having hit a set. Over and over again he kept saying how he was a favorite. Math is a wonderful thing to learn and understand but in the mind of a donkey it can be very dangerous.

Heeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The continuation bet is a topic that is constantly being tossed around poker forums. I belong to about 5 forums and I see this all the time. The thing about the continuation bet is that it is all relative. There are just too many variables to simply say, “I am always going to bet after a raise. No matter what!” That kind of thinking costs you money in the long run because it does not allow you to adjust to your environment.

Most of the time it does make sense to make the continuation bet. It especially makes sense against weak opponents. However, if you happen to be sitting at an aggressive table where chips are flying it might behoove you to shelve the continuation bet in lieu of check calling. This allows you to use your opponents natural aggression in your own favor by allowing them to take the lead when you have the best hand. Obviously if you flop big you have an incredible amount of leverage moving forward with the hand and are in position to get maximum value for the hand.

Sometimes less is more.

Over the past 6 months there has been a noticeable change in how online tournament poker is being played. No longer is the standard raise 3 – 4x’s the big blind. Those days are now gone forever. In some ways this is a good thing but in other ways it is very bad. The standard online tournament raise is now simply a minimum raise from any position. Maybe this is because I rarely play above the $30 tournament level but it is a tactic that is extremely annoying despite my being able to take advantage of it time after time again.

I know I have written about this phenomenon previously and how to defend against it but it still shocks me why anyone would want to raise the minimum in a full ring with pocket Aces from under the gun. I just do not understand that kind of thinking. Over and over again I saw hand after hand get cracked and then the player that minimum raise ask the question, “How could you call me with that crap?”, not realizing that a minimum raise prices in almost any hand you can be dealt.

Another strange change to online poker is the advent of the minimum raise after having made your hand on the flop. Probe bets are now being met with minimum raises and causing the min raiser to be sent to the rail more often due to the fact that the min raise, once again, prices in your opponent to make the call to see fourth street.

Bam!!!!

Another min raiser throws a fit wondering how his Ace King could get cracked by a set of Two’s when the board showed [A][K][X][2]. The idea of players not folding is fine with me. I understand in low stakes tournaments players are not going to fold and the variance can get pretty crazy because of this fact. However, when I got called pre-flop for 5k by [7][6]os and my Ace King goes up in flames because the flop came down [3][4][5] it really makes me wonder if I am playing poker or bingo. The concepts of playing poker no longer hold true in the online tournament world. It is a very difficult adjustment to make if you can call it an adjustment at all.

Yes, I ran good for a while and I continue to play good poker and cash but the game has changed again and not for the better. Players no longer use logic or even math in their thinking. It’s all about the excitement of getting your chips in the middle even with the worst hand.

That’s a scary thought indeed.