[what would you have done? (nl mtt)]

harrington goes through an example similar to this. i don't have the book with me, but here are the things you should be thinking about: if we push, what hands are calling? AA, KK, and AK. against those hands, we're 41.2% to win. 16 AK combos, against which we're ~57%, 6 each AA & KK combos (12 total) against which we're 20%.so 41.2% of the time our EV is +2075and 58.8% of time our EV is 0for an EV of 854.9if we push and he folds, our EV is obviously 1250.starting from our original stack of 1000, we see that if he calls we lose about 150 and if he folds we make about 250. that means he has to fold 40% of the time for pushing to be +EV. with your stack size, i like calling and letting the flop dictate the action.as a side note, this is a great example of why paying extremely close attention to every hand early in a mtt is so important. you absolutely MUST have a read on this player by level 4.re-raising a small amount is the worst play here because of your stack size. you're now pot-committed and you have no fold equity preflop.if you had a larger stack, a re-raise would be the correct play. someone holding AK would be making a mistake calling your raise. do you see why? three words: reverse implied odds.

This post is worded nicely, reasoned nicely, and is ridiculously off in typical party tourneys, especially 20s. Somebody else said something similar, but...You will get called by a ridiculously larger range of hands than just AK/AA/KK. The range of hands increases directly proportional to the size of the initial raisers stack.You could get called by AK-AT easily, any suited ace if the guy is a moron, which there are a lot of. PP's down to 99 for sure, and down to 55 depending if it's the "gambling" type, who deludes himself into thinking any raise means 2 overcards and he's likely a slight favorite, so let's gamble. Also possible are the even worse (in a way) calls by KQ and KJ (suited or not).I tend to play a really fast game, and wouldn't think a second before pushing here. If you only get the blinds and his raise, so what, that's a solid plus to your current stack. And so so often you'll get a race or far better for the chance to double up.Obviously you don't have to play this fast if you have a bigger stack, but you have only 20 big blinds, and the next level will put you in definite jeopardy of needing to double pretty soon.It's not the harrington's reasoning that's off, it's the range of hand assumptions that's off here.

[an old discussion/argument on completing]

I had a discussion with KramitDaToad about completing in small-blind and if raised should you ever fold.I was basically saying there were times where it was possibly you would and he disagreed. We debated it a bit, and then because it happened to be in Smash's thread on his experiments Smash told us it had all been decided a million times before by pros and stop trying to reinvent the wheel and I was clearly wrong.Other than yelling at Smash for being thought police I dropped the matter (it was in his thread after all). But when I was reading a slightly outdated cardplayer issue, I came across an article that basically gave my exact example senario, which is 15/30 where they use a 2/3 instead of 1/2 blind structure, and in his example he says it's one of those few times when it is correct to complete in small-blind and fold. I just felt like sharing since I felt slightly vindicated. Not because this proves me right, there are few black and white rights and wrongs in poker I feel, but at least it shows I wasn't crazy to think about it.The article is from a couple issues ago and written by Jim Brier:http://tinyurl.com/72ags

[xbb/hour winnings..]

Yeah, talking good streaks is kind of pointless on a BB/100 hands thread. But it's fun. The huge streaks balance out your bad beats. I've won around 100 BB in 100 hands before, but it's not like that's meaningful. Those dream days don't come very often, and they just balance the days the fish hit every improbable draw against you.

[sklansky's reply to daniel's comments (long)]

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=...word2=spiderman

Jesus, it givs the votes online people have given on Batman vs Spiderman as 6.74 mil to 4.4 mil? That proves how much crack the average webbrowser is smoking.Our forum here gives much better opinions and stats to back up our claims that spidy is a favorite.

[poker magazines]

I subscribed for a years worth of Cardplayer, then found out you can read them on their website for free. It's got good stuff in it but no point in paying if you don't have to. I don't mind though, gives me something to read in class.

Yeah, it's fine not to buy it and just read online, but some of us get tired of staring at the screen 24/7 if you know what I mean. If I'm going to play endless hours of poker, sometimes I like to sit in my easy chair or couch and read a magazine without looking at my damned computer screen.

[multi table help]

Yeah, you should either get a monitor/laptop capable of 1600/1200 resolution, or play at UB, Prima, or one of the other ones that have mini-table view for multi-tabling.I can't leave the fish at party so I go the 1600/1200 route, but even with that I think I'm gonna get a second monitor. It's hard to scan for new tables or chat or look at a webpage while 4tabling.

[buy in amounts in limit poker]

I don't think any of this matters very much at all. I personally think stop-loss stuff of any type is kind of pointless, but I'm utterly fine that other people want to do them. If I'm playing poorly, tilting, or strangely there are really good players at a table, I leave. Up or down. If I lose 25 or more BB due to monster suckouts, running into AA with my KK, or missing 8 straight flush draws, so be it.If the table is good, stay, if it isn't, leave. Only if your play is off from too many bad beats or you have a prior engagement or something, should you really leave for reasons other than good or bad table.I personally do buyin for 50 BB instead of 25, but that's a weird holdover that became habit from when I played on a party skin called Eurobet. On Eurobet, (dunno if it still is this way, this was a number of months ago) they seriously do not have the rebuy button. It's a party skin, but if you run out of cash, you'd have to waitlist the table again, so I got into the habit of double the standard of party's 25, and it stuck. It doesn't really matter to me, I could change it back down farther, but I don't think it matters one way or the other.

[revolutionary idea]

What about three pair?  That would be a much better rule.  You would have had aces over kings over dueces.  A hell of a hand indeed.

That is related to this idea, but not where I got it from.When you hold AK and flop comes A K 4 4 8, the 4's are worthless to you. However, they help a guy with 2 4. I just don't see how this protects the better hand? I'm not saying to call this "three pairs". I still want to use only 5 cards, but I want to protect the stronger (in this case) pre-flop hand.EDIT: Maybe I haven't proven yet how this will help the better players (us forum members, hopefully), but you guys have not proven how it will hurt good players. The only pure argument here would be that you guys don't want to "change the game", which I totally understand. I consider myself a purist and I'm not out to "change the game", but I also consider myself a good player, and this is a money game...therefore, if I can devise a way to protect the better players against fish, then why not? What's the problem?? If you guys are truly good this will help you.

Geez you really are persisting with your logic on this? Are you just trying to argue or do you really believe this?We'll ignore the fact your rule change is bad and destroys postflop play. Postflop play which uh, well, helps good players? I bolded a statement above. It hurts the good players because fish either stop chasing (which you don't want if you have a clue), or the fish continue to chase, bust out, and stop playing poker. The second is another thing you don't want.

[revolutionary idea]

It just doesn't seem like it's protecting the better players.

what makes u assume the guy playing AK is a "better" player than the guy playing 24 in your example?it may protect the tighter players who play higher cards... but whats the point of that?

Just away to minimize the luck a little more, and maximize skill. Maybe you need the luck, I don't know.

You need a proper balance of luck and skill in poker games or that sub-game of poker tends to die off. For a while Omaha was very rarely spread because the fish won so rarely at it. It's only since the poker boom that Omaha has gotten really hot again. If the fish never win from being lucky, they will stop playing. If there are no fish (or at least people a solid amount less skilled than YOU) you won't win at poker.If you want a more purely skilled game where fish are punished, play NL cash games, Omaha of any type, or 5 card draw. Good luck finding that last game though.

[online poker]

"A lot of the 'pro' poker players play atleast 8 tables at the same time"Maybe four, but very very few, if any play 8.

I totally agree that the number is small who do more than 4-table, but it's not non-existent as you're implying. And it's not "maybe four" either, tons and tons of people do 4-5 tables. I have 2 friends who 8-table and a few people on 2+2 talk about doing it regularly.But all this said.... yeah it's a rare guy who 8-tables compared to the general population.

[where do i find the hand converter?]

Yeah, as he said you can just click on the converter link. But here, I'll give it to you anyway.http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconver...hhconverter.cgi

[just bad luck?]

Your really worried about this? Or is this a joke? It's easy to basically cap with QQ on that flop, but you woulda had to slow down a bit after that, until you hit the nuts on the turn. And then on the river you're asking if you should have worried your 2nd to nuts would lose to the nuts?No. go crazy on that river every time. If you're playing where there are infinite raises HU then slow down after 5-6. If you're playing a "normal" 3 raise, 4-bet-max cap system, then cap that river just about every time.[edit]My comments were based on assuming it's normal online play. You cap the river because 77/55/22/52/57/5Q will be raising with you. Only one of those hands beats you. Even A5 might be going crazy with you on that river, though he wouldn't have been on the turn so that's less likely. But still!

[how i cleaned phil hellmuths clock again]

Hellmuth is one of the best players around when he's facing the best players around. When he's up against mediocre competition, like folks who go all in on 8 high flush draws, he's lost. It completely flummoxes the poor guy that anyone could play that badly on purpose.

Yeah I play at UB as well. Phil doesn't censored at the micro limit tables. But you should watch him play the $80/$160 2-7 Triple Draw games. Especially when Spriit Rock/Mahatma is in the game. 'How can you check raise with a 456 with one draw left?'Good stuff.

Yeah my friend plays these games too, they are fun to watch. And there are reasons to checkraise or bet and 3bet with a rough hand with 1 draw to go.Like if you have a T low, and you can get a 8 or 9 to break his hand and draw. You're the favorite over basically any draw with a made T low.Not that I know a ton about TD, but I've played a bit, and the betting lets you be pretty creative if you have a good idea of how your opponents play. I've seen people break a 87542 when 3bet with 1 draw to go, because the other guy stood pat with a crappy "made hand", they draw and get a pair or a broadway. They then go ballistic. It's great fun. :)For any of this crap to work you almost have to have position and have set it up the draw before. Then you can see if he DOES draw after your play, and can stand pat.Of course if you these fine plays constantly -- bye bye bankroll!

[ladbrokes]

Does anyone know if Ladbrokes sports betting is legal for U.S. citizens?Thanks

Bah, may as well ask if Online Poker in general is legal for U.S. citizens. That's in doubt too, but the government does nothing about enforcing it. I would hazaard a guess that Ladbrokes sports betting is illegal in the US, but you won't get taken to task for it.But maybe somebody will post next who actually knows for real.

[what?]

This post is better if the flop is 333.

Then I renounce online poker forever =)

I hope not, it'll happen eventually, or an equivalent.

[best and worst bob dylan song (album)]

nope, Bob Dylan wrote Knocking on Heavens Door ... which was made much more famous by Eric Clapton. hmph.He also wrote a ton of other famous songs. Forever Young, uh.. All Along The Watchtower.. tons.But if you like the smooth stuff, yeah Tangled Up In Blue is great. Like A Rolling Stone is still one of his best. And Rainy Day Women

Yeah I knew Dylan had originated a lot of the songs, though I'm a come-lately to Dylan myself. I'm 29. I knew he did Knocking on Heaven's Door and some others, but I didn't know he did Forever Young, I thought like Alphaville did that first, hah.I had 1 song on a playlist by him somebody recommended to me a few years ago -- Desolation Row which I loved, but then didn't bother getting more of his stuff until l ike 6 months ago when I went crazy and got like 12 albums.

[strategy for sng]

Your minimum should be 30, I go for 50. Regarding the above replys, it doesn't matter how good you are, short term variance determines that 20 buy-ins is nowhere near enough. 10 is just ridiculous

I second this, 10 is too small. I know some very good SnG players who have had 8-10 SnG losing streaks multiple times. At least 20, and more likely 30 buyins is more likely a good amount (for a minimum).But I mean it doesn't really matter if you have another 10-20 buyins to redeposit on the spur of the moment. I'm talking if this is your whole bankroll for poker and you don't have an easy way to put more money in.Or if you're talking 200 or higher buyin SnGs (for most people). Most people don't just have an extra 2-4k sitting around for if they have a bad streak while playing 200+15 SnGs with their 2k roll.

[ace-queen is a solid hand.]

i hope you know aqos is a coinflip against 9tsuited, and therefore is not as good as you think althoguh AQsuited in most instances desrves a raise preflop AQ off suit does not as always....idiots

I hope you know you are an idiotAQo v. 910s is NOT a coin flipsomething likeA3o v 910s....thats more like it

Shrug, to you and Blaze, he's just using the TV definition of a coinflip that they overuse. As someone else pointed out, it's like 57/43 for AKo vs QQ.Just to give an example I'm sure blaze already knows, but I'll give it anyway.This is AQo vs T9 suited.http://tinyurl.com/64n5dEV is 59/41JJ vs AKo:http://tinyurl.com/4xg7oEV is 57.3/42.7So yeah, I don't see how it's such a huge thing to call T9 suited as a coinflip when you're calling AK vs JJ a coin flip. It two cases are very similar. AK is a bit less of a dog, but a lot? Sorry.So basically I don't know why you bother to call him an idiot. This only applies to allin preflop of course, the JJ and the T9s play quite differently postflop, but it seems people are giving stats for if all 5 cards are dealt, so....

[quads beat quads?]

I've seen some of the hand histories from the bad beat jackpots, but I personally have never:1) Lost with quads period2) Lost with a SF period (and yeah, I have had the "dumb end" of a SF before"3) Beaten a boat or better with a SF/royal, best I've done is beat a set/tripsI have beaten boats with quads numerous times of course.I've lost with Ace high flush to a 1 or 2 card SF about 5 times, sadly.Oh, and I've also beaten Ace high flush with SF at least a couple times.The closest I came to 1) was to flop quads with 99 after raising UTG. Flop came down 99T, 2 diamonds. A guy was really playing against me, turned out he had JQ of diamonds and was drawing live. He did miss his SF but hit a flush and paid me off.Btw after posting this I fully expect to lose with quads within 24 hours.

[what do you think?]

Button: semi-loose/passive. Like's to check/raise bluff.Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed) converterPreflop: Hero is MP2 with [Kh], [Qs]. 3 folds, MP1 calls.Flop: (7.50 SB) [Ah], [3s], [Jd] (3 players)MP1 checks, Hero bets, Button calls, MP1 folds.Turn: (4.75 BB) [5d] (2 players)Hero bets???Should I bet this turn?Final Pot: 7.75 BBIf he folds 1 in 5 times I show a profit. But this player likes to c/r bluff, if i'm c/r'ed here I have to fold. Do I see the river cheap or continue with my aggro.

This is just a judgement call on the player. Continuing to bet is very logical if he often calls the flop with little and releases on the turn. You obviously have nothing and almost have to fold if he raises, even if you know he often raises as bluffs. Or are you thinking he has a pair of Js or worse and your two cards are valid overcards to his likely holding, along with your gutshot? Since this guy bluffs a lot, it makes your turn bet really rough. Of course if you don't bet you're effectively giving him the hand, since he's almost for sure gonna bet and you don't have odds to call at all.

[should i keep playing serious poker?? (very long)]

You had a good first day, and kinda went crazy on trying everything regardless of limit or game type. It happens a lot. Why would you deem 1/2 beneath you at that point? You'd played for a day or two, and had 700 bucks. You "should" have 500-600 bucks to play 1/2 anyway. You also were constantly playing new games to you, which is ok, but you should be playing them at the lowest limits to start, not jumping in on 3/6 or 5/10 because you didn't see any games you liked at low enough.It's fine to take a stab at a higher limit if the game looks juicy, but it's a little dicier if you've never ever played the game before at all. The short term deviation on poker is huge, you saw both sides of it, you won 700+ from 100, and then lost, then won again, then lost huge. That's why regardless of how good you think you are (even if you're right) you need to have something resembling a proper bankroll for what you're playing.You can be the best player in the world, but if you only have 75BB for what you're trying to play, you can have 1-2 bad sessions and then you're busted. Now you can't play again until you get staked. It happens all the time in the poker world, or so I read time and again.It's fine to occasionally play outside of your bankroll, but if you do it consistently you won't likely have a good time long-term.Oh since you're new: Normal bankroll required for limit games is usually 200-300 Big Bets. So at least 200-300 for .5/1, or double that for 1/2. For 10/20 you want 4k-6k. If you multi-table I like to say 400 BB, but pacific doesn't let you multi-table anyway.

[whither wrto?]

good luck and good riddance

why the hate?

Because he's smallminded and bitter? Perhaps he got cheated once or because he never made a mistake in his life. Who knows which.Who cares either.

[while were on the subject(kinda)]

What the hell. You're right, and it doesn't even say "censored". Is this forum turning stupid that quickly? Or did some admin just decide to be silly?It seems silly, but if they're going to start banning words like che.at, then that's probably enough FCP for me, I don't mind moderated, in fact I almost prefer it, but censorship to the point of saying we can't say che.at? That's utterly ridiculous.

[opinions on this hand w/ pocket kk]

Yeah I agree with the guy who posted a response first. You weren't getting away from this hand really at all. JJ would have called your raise if it was allin also, you would have looked desperate. I still would have gone allin for how low you were I think, but it isn't a huge deal. KJo just might have folded to your allin preflop, but you still would have lost this hand.

[avatars, moving and blinking ones]

Is there a way to disable seeing avatars entirely? I wouldn't do this normally, because I find a lot of them amusing/interesting. But the ones that constantly move or blink or whatever -- they really irritate me.Call it a pet peeve, call it whatever. Without naming any names, seeing Homer constantly moving up and down or some chick acting like she's disrobing over and over, it all just really gets on my nerves while trying to read a thread. The movement keeps catching my eyes. It's like advertising crap on normal web pages, but without even the point of advertising.So my question to the admins, is there any way for me to set it up so I don't see any avatars at all? I looked in "My Profile" but I didn't see any way to disable them.Thanks in advance.