Tao of Poker

Karma Bums

"And the Dalai Lama says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consiousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice." - Carl Spackler, Caddyshack

It's been a weird couple of days on Party Poker.



My brother detailed his thoughts on a profitable the weekend on his blog Poker in the Weeds. On Saturday I sweated Chris Halverson as he outlasted the other bloggers in the $5 morning multi on Party Poker, daily at 10:30am. For $5 + $1 it's a good way to practice your tournament NL skills... for next to nothing. On Sunday, I cheered Maudie on after an impressive 246th place finish. I was tooling on one guy who lost with Big Slick to Maudie.

Over the weekend, I also got to play with Daddy from Snail Trax. He's into some similar interests (music and poker) and we got to meet at the Phish concert in Deer Creek. I'll be seeing him in Vermont in two weeks. Check out his blog. He posted a good review of The Dead show last week. Anyway, I got to play with him for the first time this weekend. I took down a big pot with QJ when he had KQ and I flopped two pair.

But the real action happened yesterday afternoon on Party Poker. Ugarte grinded his way to the money in a $5 multi, which he detailed in his latest entry: Ugarte's Poker Grovel #34, or Earning Minimum Wage.

I sweated Asphnxma from Riding the F Train. He's been a regular at Ferrari's home games this summer at the Blue Parrot. And he has the best poker blog you are not reading. Enough pimping. Mr. F Train had an impressive match in a $30 SNG where he came from behind with the smallest of short stacks to win the entire thing. At one point, when it was three way, I actually accussed one guy for dumping chips to the third player. It was odd. I think he was trying to pick her up or something. It didn't matter. Asphnxma kicked ass and took down first place.

Straight Flush Avenue

I found a NL ring table and quickly Daddy joined me. I went back to my hit and run strategy and limited my play online. Within a few hands, Asphnxma joined the mix to witness a rare feat.

Dealt to Dr. Pauly [ 3d, 5d ]
TarXXX calls (0.50)
SnailTrax calls (0.50)
Dr. Pauly calls (0.50)
CoyXXX calls (0.25)
Jaqxxx checks.

My brother tooled on me for limping in on the button with gaping low cards, because that would be something I'd get on his case for doing.

** Dealing Flop ** : [ 4d, As, 7d ]
TarXXX bets (2)
Dr. Pauly calls (2)

I have no idea why I called. I guess I put the guy on an ace and knew I had a few outs. Before the card was dealt, I realized I had an inside straight flush draw. I wasn't paying attention to detail and caught that after I called on the flop. I screamed for the 6d.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ 6d ]
TarXXX checks.
Dr. Pauly checks.

My investmment in good karma paid off after I gave the bum on the subway $1 on my way home from Ferrari's on Monday. This is the perfect time to sand bag and hope he catches a good river card.

** Dealing River ** : [ Td ]
TarXXX bets (5)
Dr. Pauly: i think u are bluffin
Dr. Pauly raises (15) to 15
TarXXX calls (10)

I put him on the Ad. He got the flush but I think I goaded him into calling with that stupid comment of mine in the chat. With two poker bloggers at the table, I dramatically let all my time click down before I raised. I was afraid that he's have the Kd or Qd and if I push it all-in he would have folded, thinking I had the Ad.

** Summary **
Board: [ 4d As 7d 6d Td ]
TarXXX lost $17.50 [ 9d Ah ] [ a flush, ten high -- Td,9d,7d,6d,4d ]
Dr. Pauly collected $34.70 [ 3d 5d ] [ a straight flush, seven high -- 7d,6d,5d,4d,3d ]

Oh yeah! At the time I thought he had the A high flush. It wasn't until today that my brother pointed out that he made even a worse call with just a Ten high flush. I made the proper size bet, as Phil "Gordo" Gordon would say.

Afternoon Quads

Upon hearing about my Quads this afternoon on Party Poker,Al Can't Hang sent me this IM: Which poker gods were you praying to today?

NL ring table. I called a preflop raise from the button. I only had A8s, but he was loose and I put him on a position raise. The LB called.

Dealt to Dr. Pauly [ Ac, 8c ]
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 7d, As, 8s ]
MerXXX bets (3)
Dr. Pauly raises (6) to 6
MerXXXcalls (3)

** Dealing Turn ** : [ 8d ]
MerXXX bets (3)
Dr. Pauly raises (6) to 6
MerXXX calls (3)

** Dealing River ** : [ 8h ]
MerXXX bets (0.50)
Dr. Pauly raises (20) to 20
MerXXX calls (19.50)

** Summary **
Board: [ 7d As 8s 8d 8h ]
Dr. Pauly collected $67.50 [ Ac 8c ] [ four of a kind, eights -- Ac,8c,8s,8d,8h ]
MerXXX lost $34 [ Ad Jd ] [ a full house, Eights full of aces -- Ad,As,8s,8d,8h ]

I should have pushed her all-in on the river. I only bet $20 because I thought she was going to move all-in.

Call it karma, divine intervention, luck of the Irish, or sheer genius... I caught some cards in the last 48 hours on Party Poker. I hoped to end July on a positive note and this might be it. Just like Keroauc said...

"Yeah man, you know to me a mountain is a Buddha. Think of the patience, hundreds of thousands of years just sitting there bein perfectly perfectly silent and like praying for all living creatures in that silence and just waiting for us to stop all our frettin and foolin."

Give your local homeless person a $1 today. Karmic flops to follow.