Laughlin and my cash game attempt

This past weekend I took a trip to Laughlin for a nice adventure/poker vacation. Laughlin is a lot of fun. For those that never been there it’s a mini Vegas that sits on the side of the Colorado River. Tons of places you can rent jet skies from, BBQ and enjoy some beers on a beach. I stayed at the Harrah's and they comp'ed me the first night and $45 for the other 2. How can you not take that offer?

I never played a cash game in my life and wanted to get my feet wet, so I made up my mind that the next time I was in a casino I would take the plunge. But sadly, Laughlin, like Vegas, is taking a big hit in this economy, so there weren’t many cash tables opened at all. At most, I saw 2 tables in any casino open for cash and they were playing 3/6, or 5/10 HNL. Once I found a 3/6 HNL “Kill” game. Can someone explain to me what the heck that means? I was looking for a $1/2 and I didn’t want to make those limits my first. So my cash game devirgination will have to wait till next time.

I did find that Harrah’s had a descent tournament with 30 min blind levels for $100 buy in. I signed up for it and by start time there were 40 players with 12 on the waiting list, and all were able to get in. The starting stack was 5k so off we went. Started doing my thing and began to chip up steadily to 7500 when in level 3 I got smacked out of the tourney.

Blinds were 100/200. I had AQs on the button. UTG player makes it 600, the Hijack smooth calls it. I love these opportunities because it lets me squeeze and put pressure on the table, so I reraise 4x to 2400, the BB comes a long and so do the other 2 players. *haaaah?*

The Flop is AKQ rainbow! YES!! With 9700 in the pot it got check around to me. I have top 2 pair and about 5100 left in my stack. I take my time getting reads on players. It gives me time to torture them and see what they are all about while intimidating them at the same time.

My standard half the pot bet would only leave me with about 400 so I shove all my chips. Well the BB calls and my first thought is that I am screwed. Dude has AK or JT and just checked raised me. Then UTG also calls!!! What? I am really screwed now. For sure one of them has the above hand. Then to my horror Hijack calls the all in. At this point I stand up and start getting all my things ready to leave.

I flip my cards over and BB moans as in pain and flips over KQo. UTG flips over pocket 9’s, and then the Hijack flips over his mighty pocket 4’s!!!

I am not a poker instructor or a professional but I did stay at the Holliday Inn one time, and do know someone that knows someone that is really good at poker. And calling two all ins in front of you with 99 and 44 on a over card flop is just plain… Dee Dee Dee.

Well at this point I am ok and way “ahead”.

The turn a 6 and that is good news so far. I am ahead and only need to dodge one more flip of the wrist from the dealer.

The river a 9!!! Bam. I am out!!! Oh well…

I got a few more fun stories to tell that I will post in later this week.

1. Tournament #2 – What do you do when you flop bottom 2 pair?
2. Air tank old timer - I almost killed when I flopped top pair/top kicker
3. My new nick name ‘OneAWayValdez’

The pre-flop Re-raise of a Raise Naked Bluff Move

The pre-flop Re-raise of a Raise Naked Bluff Move

As part of my learning strategy I been watching a lot of Online poker’s bigger buy in events. There was a move I wrote about “How to Turn the Small Blind Into The Button” That particular move when in the Small blind, faced with a raise, you would shove all your chips. Its a moved that works well when at the bubble stages of a tourney or when tournament life means something.

I started using that move quite a bit with great success in Live games as well as online but with out the shoving. Then I decided to take advantage of it and go one step further.

I was playing in a $220 buy in tournament at the Commerce Casino and decided I was going to try my new found moves and be super aggressive. I finished the tournament in 35th place our of 220 players.

I not only used this move from the small blind, but anytime some one would raise in front of me. I was always in good position either middle to late.

Open up your range to 70% of possible playable hands. If the opportunity comes and all you are holding is 72o then do it. Play the player and not the cards.


The key is to act strong. Look around at all the players as to say you are looking for action. Don't go in the tank and try to hide your tells. You want the players to see you. Look at the raiser and the players left to act. Look at their chips, pretend you are counting them, and count yours. Add up what the pot would be if a player would call and get your 1/2 to 3/4 of the pot bet ready.

Don't shove while using this even if you are holding a hand like JJ. Players are very smart now a days and in live tournaments they will call that. It is a sign of weakness. The good player is going to want more chips from you when holding the nuts.

When faced with a call from the raiser watch the player when the flop comes. Don't even look at the cards. The player will tell you a great deal when the flop hits or misses the instant the cards are turned over. If he shows weakness and you don't see a problem board, then fire off a bet.

Pre-flop players folded 7 of 10 times. Post flop they would fold 2 out 3 with my flop bet. The one time it was called, it got checked to the river and I showed my 72o. Well not really 72o but any 2 cards will do. You get my point.

This allowed me to chip up often and strong. Players feared me in late position. Every bet from them was a tough one because I put them through the ringer. I never had so many of my blinds get a pass. One time I got a pass I was holding QQ and I flipped them over to show them they are playing "smart".

I didn't know what to call this move since in some books it says to re-raise with AA or KK. Well its a new era and you need to be creative. Thanks Mitchell Cogert for coming up with the name. It made me laugh and inspired me to write this blog.

Have fun and let me know how it works out for you.

Morongo Casino - What would you do?

September 3rd, 2009.
Morongo Casino


I played in a good size 200 player MTT at Morongo Casino. It was a $48 + $20 rebuy event. I finished in 5th place which made me very happy to get my game going again. There was a hand that came up that I been thinking about since.

With blinds at 4000/8000.

The UTG players raises to 20k and has about 130k.

The player in the Cutoff moves all in for his last 18k.

The SB moves all in for 150k then thinking the UTG player folded he SHOWS HIS KK!

At his point everyone is shocked and dealer tells him there is still one more left to act and UTG has not folded yet, and he gives out an *AUGHHH*.

Now the UTG player looks at this and goes into the tank, then finally FOLDS face up AJs.

Cutoff player shows A3o.

What would you do? Do you make the call against KK or fold?

You can guess what the flop brought but it doesn't matter.

Commerce Casino - Sep 15, 2009

So I went back last night to the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles to play some sats. I jumped into the $80 ten player and chopped it with 1 other for a cool $360. This allowed me to buy into the $220 tourney that they have.

This tournament was a 6 handed MTT and started you with 3k in chips. The blind levels were 40 min and had a very good structure. Started with 25/25 and went up the normal way. Structure PDF

I asked a couple of pro's that I know how to play it and they said open up your range big time, and that my post flop moves would make or break me.

It turns out they were correct. The good players know players make a move on the flop, so the turn was where the real action went. With this in mind I was able to raise pre, bet the flop, and check raise the turn to win a LOT of big pots holding doodoo =)

Against the really good players I made that move holding the nuts.
There were a few hands that I was able to make the right read and call and others I folded, but the most memorable is the one that got me knocked out.

I finished in 35th place but again was the chip leader for most of the tournament.

so here it is. I had about 45k and was the SB. Blinds were 200/400 with 50 ante.

I got dealt JJ

Player on the Cutoff raises to 1k. This player when faced with a re-raise was the type that would fold if he didn't have the nuts.

Player Highjack raises to 2400. He's got about even chips with me. This player was very aggressive out of position. When raised he would call all bets. Bluffed a lot and his range was open like mine. We been playing at a different table and been head butting for a couple of hours.

I moved all in - It was the first time I had shoved all night. I wanted him to think I was weak.

Cutoff folds of course.

The highjack goes into the tank for about two minutes. Seemed longer but I was nice and relaxed. I had a very good hand. Thats what made it tough on him. He tried it all, asked me for my count, how many chips I had, etc He counted his chips which came up to 48k. I was right or close to it. So he had me covered by a little.

Highjack moves all in shows AsQs and says "I know you have a good hand but I have to take a chance" I know what he meant.

The winner of this hand would make the final table and would be in great shape to win it considering the average stack was 12k and there was no one else that came close to our stacks.

FLOP: 9s9c2d - very nice flop for me.

TURN - 3s Yikes. Not a good card. Now he has a lot more outs to help him out. Any spade, any Ace, and any Queen.

RIVER - 4s!!! OUCH! I am done. I knew it the moment it hit.

After the fact I am thinking what a bone head move on my part. I risked it all for no reason. I should have kept playing the way I was. Called to see the flop, made my bet, saw the turn made a bigger bet, etc I don't know if he would have called the post flop bet. Maybe the turn but I would not have been knocked out. Dunno.