Poker News & Reviews » Texas Hold’em

On the Tournament Trail

Reed — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:27:45 +0000

Been doing really good in NL Hold’em tournaments as of lately. Been playing the live tournaments at the casino and have a record of four out of four final tables.

Going to play again tomorrow night and see if I can make it five by five ( thats for all you Buffy fans out there who will get the reference) .

Held My Ground and Took It Down!

Reed — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:26:49 +0000

Played in the morning shoot out at my local casino. It was the normal Monday/Wed./Fri. crowd with only two people out of the eleven didn’t recognize. Didn’t take me to long to size up the two variables and label them both tight/conservative.

I wasn’t getting any really good starting hands but found a couple good situations to raise and take down some dead money just waiting for me in the middle of the table. Then I got a saving grace when I raised with Ace Queen off and pushed on a all low board. Got called by Ace King suited ( two of his suit flopped) and happy to say I hit a miracle Queen on the river to double up. Now I have some chips and gives me some breathing room to play some poker. I run my stack up and down till I get to heads up against one of the local pro’s.

He offered me a deal but ended up turning it down after he wouldn’t budge over leaving a tip. So we played it out. He was ready to gamble but didn’t let him suck me into that kind of no skill coin flip type of pissing contest. We ended up getting it all in four times and every time I had the best hand and amazingly they held up every time.

It was a good win and very satisfying to get the whole thing after the guy wouldn’t make a reasonable deal.

(he lost it all over a dealer tip)

Showed No Mercy at No Limit Hold’em Shootout

Reed — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:26:39 +0000

Played the Morning NL Hold’em shootout this morning at the casino after much debate with the wife. We hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before and had to drag each other out of bed to take the kid to school which just so happens to be just passed the casino. A coincidence I assure you. A convenient one true but sometimes a slight hindrance when other things are getting put off because hell the breakfast there is decent and pretty cheap and might as well go play some poker and make some money while were at it.

As you may have already guessed I decide to play the tournament, while not so much me as the blackjack machine my wife was playing. We do as the machines tell us. She had a set amount to spend and if she was doing well when it was time for the shootout to start then I would play, if not, it’s back home to get something done ( or nap , which ever).

I was playing well, got a hold of some chips and started to push the local heavy table. most of them are push overs and even when they do get a big hand they priced me in or slow played it till I caught up and busted them out. When it got down to three handed I had the chip lead and the lone woman at the table took her stand with no pair when I put her all in with trips on the flop. Yes I raised with Jack three off suit and hit trip threes on the flop, I was running good and I figured they were just going to fold.

Heads up! Most of the time the locals like to chop the pot at this time and either get into a Hold’em game or go about their day. Not today my friend i was here to play and wasn’t about to show any mercy (Slayer is now playing in the back ground). I have played alot with Mr. D. and know his game well. He thinks of himself as tricky but most of the time I see right through him. I pulled off several bluffs and got away clean when he had big hands and in the end I was victorious. I got all the cash and a entry into the end of the month freeroll.

Feeling good.

Casino Arizona Poker Room Continued Post

Reed — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:25:44 +0000

Back home and it’s later, around 10:30pm, and I get the feeling it’s going to be a good night to hit the $5-$150 hold’em spread game at the local casino. So it’s kisses all around and off I go. I’m not letting the days bad run effect me, I have full confidence I’m going to come out a winner. I even tell my wife on the way out that I think I’m going to win $500 tonight.

I get to the casino and get on the list, 2nd name from the top, but I don’t have to wait long. the table has the usual maniacs and a couple unknowns. There is a lot of money on the table and one of my favorites has most it (we shall call him Mr. T and he has what looks to be $2,600+) Mr. T is very aggressive and is raising every pot. It is throwing off some of the non regulars but I’m used to it and better yet I can tell when he’s got it or bluffing.

Right off the bat I get involved in several hands but must lay them down. In one hand I had Jack, seven of diamonds on the button and call a small raise along with six others in the hand. The flop comes seemingly perfect with seven, four, two and two diamonds, so I got top pair and a decent flush draw with position on everyone. Well everyone else must like it too because they go crazy with betting and raising. I may have the best hand now, I don’t know, and a nice draw but I’ve got a bad feeling and lay it down without putting anymore in the pot. Mr. T makes a straight, nobody believes he has anything and he gets paid off with a huge pot and best of all I didn’t let myself get trapped in the hand and lose a lot of money.

Now I’m down a bit but I’m still feeling good. I win a couple pots, with pocket Jacks no less (made a set) and squeezed as much as I could out of the players. I got nervous in one hand when one of the tighter players kept calling my big bets (I was on a Queen high flush draw and trying to win the pot without a show down) and I really couldn’t figure out what he had but he seemed determined to stick with it. My flush didn’t appear but I hit my six kicker for a pair, bottom pair but a pair no less. I can feel he wants to bet after I check on the river but thankfully he can’t pull the trigger and I take down a healthy pot. The guy told me he had an Ace high flush draw, no pair. (Glad that spade didn’t come). Another hand I have pocket two’s in my hand and call a raise in late position (come on deuce I pray). Bam! right on the flop, Ace , eight, two… beautiful. There is two to a flush so I raise Mr. O to try and narrow it down to heads up. We end up getting all his money in when he makes two pair on the river (Aces and Kings) and I take down a six hundred plus dollar pot. Mr. O is a restaurant owner and doesn’t seem to care much about money, he bought everyone breakfast soon after that hand.

I call some big bluffs from Mr. T and make some really good value bets and now I am the big chip holder at the table. I play till about 5:30am miss a flush draw and decide it was a good time to cash out my $1,200 and book a bad ass win.

Went Back to the Casino Arizona Poker Room

Reed — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:09:17 +0000

Well, took another Wednesday trip to C.A.P.R. (Casino Arizona Poker Room) and then swung over to the Vemma store in Scottsdale on the way back to pick up some people’s orders ( and raid the samples in the refrigerater).

I got into the $1-2-250 fairly quickly lost about fithty dollars and then was called for a seat in the Omaha 08 game, so I switched over ( and did I mention it was my wife who busted my pocket ten’s and took my money….oh I didn’t…ok then …moving on….). I make the nut straight the second hand I sit down, get paid off and things are starting to look like their going to be pretty good. There is several people from the other week at the table and I recognize another from playing here a long time ago. Lots of calling stations, not real aggressive, and just waiting to give me all their money. At least that was the plan….until……… (you are now entering Omaha HELL!!!!!)……..I flop the nuts, turn even better hand and slammed on the river and i get nothing. One premium hand after another. Hitting like crazy and they just can’t hold up, straights are ripped, flushes down the drain and all my boats are sunk (and did I mention how my wife saw I was giving so much away that she came over from the other table to join the party and take all my money…….no, …..ok….)

So I guess I trying to say that it didn’t really go well and as horrible as it sounds I still had a pretty good time. I do love the game and like I tell other people when they are getting run over…”..you can’t just love it when your winning …if you can’t find anything good even when your losing you really shouldn’t be playing this game…” ( people give me the finger alot, and tell me to shut the f@%ck up).

Now, after busting out a couple times, here comes the moment of grim truth that all poker players must face, do I or don’t I re-buy again. I had already started considering this as my chips were dwindling and the table was using me as their personal ATM machine and here it is I’m in a hand that was capped pre-flop with the raiser to my left and I just flopped the nuts. Well I think I’m about to get my answer. Win, and keep playing and turn it around, or lose and cut the noose before the losses become any worse. So sure enough the river pairs the board giving usual donator a full house. Got my answer, I listened and got up. They will bring my money back another day and I’ll get it back, this I am sure of.

I then proceed to play some of the ancient video poker machines the newly renovated casino have provided while I wait for my wife (and hope she cleans them all out). I recommend not doing this. They have these machines cranked down so tight it was a miracle just getting a qualifying pair, which then only gives you your bet back. Now this was torture.

We finished up with getting rid of all the pesky extra money we had, and now it’s off to the Vemma store. The candy land of liquid nutrition. It’s really funny how goofy and kid like this place makes my wife and I. Laughter is contagious and healing. We pick up some Verve, Vemma, and Verve shots for some people my wife knows who work at The Center for the New Age in Sedona.

And now it’s back up the mountain for the return trip……..pick up our daughter…….family time…….and wait a second ….the night is still young and there is a casino right down the next exit with people just waiting to give me money.

To be continued……………………

Cashed Out a Winner

Reed — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:51:20 +0000

Well my trip down to the new Casino Arizona turned out great. My wife and I were going to take a trip down to Scottsdale to pick up some Vemma products at the store for a bunch of people in the Sedona area.

So on our way we swung on over to the casino and checked out the new facility. It’s really nice. They really put alot of money into this new building. The only problem is you can’t hear them call you for the poker games unless your in the poker room. You would think they would want you wandering around throwing money away into the slots while your waiting but I guess not.

I got into a spread limit 1/2 250 hold’em game (blinds are $1 & $2 while you can bet anywhere from $2 to $250 at anytime). The play was really weak and obvious. The second hand of the game I called one of the guys hands exactly (pocket tens) and freaked the guy next to me out. I won a little there then went over to a $4/$8 Omaha H/L game (with a half kill….don’t ask me why its only half). It was a kinda slow game till I got there and livened things up. Put in a bunch of raises to try and shake the table up. They were splashing the pot with $100 an hour at selected tables and I took it down uncontested.

All in all a good day with the wife, picked up our Vemma products and cashed out with a nice win of $320 up for the day

By the way if you would like more information on Vemma check out http://lifeforce13.vemma.com/.

Takin’ a Little Trip

Reed — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:12:52 +0000

Going down to the poker room at the newly re-done Casino Arizona Casino, which is the largest poker room in the state. Everyone send the good luck my way in hopes of some big wins. Probably see how the Omaha H/L is and maybe if that goes well or if the Omaha is dead go over and play in their higher limit Hold’em spread games.

Finally Booked a Win Baby!!!

Reed — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:52:53 +0000

Well after a long and extremely frustrating losing streak I played in the $5-$150 spread limit hold’em game at the local casino on Wed. night. It turned into a very late night (didn’t get home till 4:30 in the morning) but it was worth it. Not really for the money I made, because it wasn’t really that much, but for the boost in confidence it gave me. So after a long night of being on the edge of broke I talk one of the players into not getting up after several people left the table short handed ( just the three of us left). Then BAM! I went from down a couple hundred to forty five dollars up in a span of about fifteen minutes…..and at that moment I was back! I weathered the bad luck storm and came out a winner because I didn’t lose faith.

So I got to play in the $5-$150 Hold’em game this past Sat. and it went alot smoother. Now it wasn’t clear sailing seeing as I got pocket: Jacks, Queens, Kings all busted and then no action when I got pocket Aces. I didn’t let these set backs bother me. I knew if I listened to my intuition and played the best poker I could I would end up a winner. So I booked a $355 win and look forward to many more.

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Gus Hanson Hold’em Strategies

Reed — Mon, 17 May 2010 01:25:44 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoBZ4r8jqqY

How not to play pocket jacks video

Case Ace on the River

Reed — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:27:24 +0000

Played in the $25 NL Hold’em single table shootout at the casino on Monday. Was only a couple hands in when I picked up pocket 10′s in late position. Several people limped in putting in alot of dead money in the pot so I was ready to go all in and take it down pre-flop with out a fight. Then a semi-loose aggressive player pops it up four times the big blind. I was hoping he was just trying to steal the pot or maybe just had a Ax something hand. So I push all in and it gets folded to him. He makes some comment and calls flipping over pocket Aces.

This was about the worst hand he could have had for me making him about an eighty percent favorite to win. But then the flop comes giving me my miracle ten. Now I’m feeling pretty good and looking to almost triple up………but then on the river wouldn’t you know here comes the Ace.

That is when I find out someone had folded a ten which meant I hit a one outer and of course the same for his Ace. Set over set both hitting one out.