My new nick name ‘OneAWayValdez’

As promised the story of how I got my new nick name "OneAWayValdez".

First of all I got a little distracted and apologize for the wait. I know a lot of you have been waiting anxiously for this =/

While in Laughlin I had a couple of bad tournament showings there, and when this happens to me I like to take a break and do something else. Just like if I'm having a bad couple of tournament runs online I will just not play for a couple of weeks. Helps me clear my head and forget about the bad beats. Like I always say "every tournament I get knocked out of ends in a bad beat"

I been wanting to spend some quality time with my lovely girlfriend and since she decided to go "watch" me play(for about 20 min) I figured I owed it to her and would do something she likes to do.

Let me start by saying her game is intense. There are more bad beats in one session then I have ever experienced in a week in poker. They have more one-outers and runner-runners then you can imagine. The crowd will get on you like you've never seen when you make a mistake, so the pressure is on for you to make the right call. The excitement of winning is enormous, and the loosing just as devastating.

Craps? naaah lady luck rules there. Blackjack? Bunch of drunks and you can always change tables. Try BINGO!! Whoot whoot! Yes my friends I took the BINGO challenge. Off I went armed with my daubers in hand, $10 Bingo Packet, and pride in my back pocket. After all this was for my wonderful girl friend, to spend quality time, get away from poker, etc etc etc.

We sit down, and all the blue hairs and snow leopards are in effect. Sometimes armed with a basket full of daubers. I have a lot of card protectors that I have purchased through a various casinos, but have never even came close to the daubers collection some of these Bingo players have accumulated. As I am sitting down I watch them closely as they start to pre-mark all the Bingo games from the odd/even, pointed arrow, inside box, outside box, straight bingo, bingo the hard way, easy bingo that turns into a two-way then a three-way bingo, etc At this point my head already hurts and not even hung over. Wait! What’s that? I see relief! yes! A BAR with BEER! ahhhh that helps some.

The announcer calls of for a balls check (I sure the hell hope he wasn't talking to me) and let the games begin.

First game starts off with a bang. I quickly get 4 out of the 5 first balls called to make a bingo! Whoot! All I need is the dreaded O74...non-suited of course I think. I double check my number, then triple check. I do NOT want to yell BINGO in this crowd and have it be wrong. These old timers have a look like they are out for blood and are not going to take any Bingo newbie screwing up their morning! Another ball gets called and I miss, G64, N45, I32, O73, O75 *augghhh*, I28, I29,... This whole time I am on pins and needles and with every miss I my anxiety is through the roof. B1, B5,... then I hear the dreaded "BINGO"!!!! Followed by the enormous sigh from the whole crown and the fake "good game" shout. The whole time I made some friends across from us and they wanted me to win more than themselves. They wanted the newbie to win! Nice old couple.

Second game 5 around the corner is called out and starts. The numbers begin to get called out and just like the first game I start to dab all over!! YES! YES! I got that! Whoot whoot got that one as well. Then again I’m ONE number from my bingo. Again, a bunch of numbers get called out. I zero out the board and whalla "BINGO" gets yelled out and I again miss my one outer!!! That’s when I heard it the first time from my new found friends "You were ONE A WAY again"

The third game down pretty much the same way but this game was a double bingo and I need 1 number to get both my bingo's done. I missed a two outer this time and again ONE A WAY!!! Now my girlfriend says GO GO ONE-A-WAY-VALDEZ!!! And it stuck!!!

I had a total of 6 games of a 10 game set where I was ONE A WAY! by the end I was exhausted, my nerves were shot, and I walked away feeling like I should have played Russian Roulette for much more relaxing time.

In the poker world I'm still known as GiJoeValdez, but don't be shocked if some old timer calls me out by my new name and alter ego "OneAWayValdez". Yes, I'm a Bingo player and I like it!! 

Angel 'OneAWay' Valdez

Going To Play In A Major Tourney?

Going To Play In A Major Tourney?

I was asked "I think u should write a first time article about newbies going to play in major tourneys. Advice", so with that said here it is.

As some might know I've only been playing Hold'em since July 2008. Like most I watched it on TV for a couple of years. Then one day, a buddy of mine while at a casino encouraged me to play a tourney. The experience was awesome and have never looked back. It helps to make the final table your first time but thats a whole different story.

Before I knew it I had a library of poker books, became a member of a poker forum, signed up to play online, and continued to play live tourneys with some success. I wanted to learn and master the game of Texas Holdem.

After 6 months in to this new found hobby of mine and still green as can be, the WSOP Circuit came to Harrahs Rincon in San Diego. In which I took a leap of faith and played a few events.

I figured if you want to learn the game right you need to play with the big boys. So off I went with money in my pocket and a stomach full of butterflies.

My advice before playing a major tourney:

1. Learn to play something else other then Holdem such as PLO H/L, or Stud H/L. This will actually make you a better player. They will improve your hand reading ability. Even if its online for play money. Invest some time in them.

2. Play a lot of live tournaments. Online is ok but you need to get used to being at a table and seeing the cards. The more table time you have the better.

3. Take a WSOP Academy class or Deepstacks Live event. Its a well worth the investment that you need to make. Thats if you really want to compete at a high level. It will break down the game and teach you a ton of things to look for.

4. Play the single table Satellites or the Mega's. Its part of the experience and the same dealers that deal during the tournament will deal at these tables. Its a great way to get to know them, and also get to know the other playes.

5. Play more then one event. The WSOP Circuit has great buy in's of $230, $560, $1080, and their main event of $5k. Its a bargain compared to the WSOP where their buy ins start at $1500. Last year I played in 2, and this year I plan on playing 5 or 6 and tone of satellites.

6. Leave the ipod at home. You are not that good as it its. You don't need any other distractions. I even think a lot of the pros that wear headphones might not even be listening to music, but rather have them on so you don't talk to them. Leave the distractions at home.

7. Bring a backpack with you and make sure you have water, snacks, lunch, etc. During the tournament when everyone breaks for lunch guess where they all go? yep, the the restaurant or the rest room. And trust me there will be in line in both and only one of them is worth the wait. Be smart, pack a lunch and relax.

8. Make sure you bring a card protector. A lot of players like to think they are all that and say "I use my chips" yeah well like a lot of us saw this past WSOP where this player went all in, put ALL her chips in front, then the dealer mucked her cards! This was the main event of the wsop! She goes all in and the dealer still took her cards? yes it happens. First time caught on TV but you don't want to be that person that looses a lot of chips because you were careless. This happens a lot so be ready.

9. Get a reservation at the casino where the tournament is at. You won't have to worry about getting a cab to your hotel, and you can focus more on poker.

10. Enjoy the experience. If you get knocked out on a bad beat be professional about it. The poker community is a small place. I met so many players in those events that I keep crossing paths with in other tournaments. I had a very good player knock me out of one event, since then I have played him twice and knocked him out once. That was my "revenge" but most important I made a friend that respects me and likes my style. In this game all you have is money, honor and respect. You loose your money and you're still welcomed. You loose your honor or respect, and I can guarantee you won't be.

11. Update your twitter on your breaks. You don't need the distraction while at the table.

12. Go with friends that you can turn to for advice. Its always nice to have that support you can count on when you have a bad beat. Trust me, all of my lost pots end in a bad beat =)

13. When you are done with the tournament don't play any cash games. You might be on tilt and in a bad mood. Go out and enjoy a few.

Thats all I have for now. If I missed something please let me know. I will add more as I recall them.

Tournament 2 – What do you do when you flop bottom 2 pair?

The second tournament I played in Laughlin was a $40 buy in MTT with a $20 add on. You got 2000 starting chips +3000 for the add on. With 15 min blind levels you have work faster then normal.

I paid the add on. Who wouldn't do so? In an add on tournament I always pay it. Here is my thinking of it and its not that I am giving up, or don't believe in my skills, but Au Contraire Mon Frair. I know I will double up, and 10k is much better then 6k don't you agree?

In this tournament Gijane decided to sit close by to watch me play. It was the first time EVER so I was kind of happy. I been playing very well in all my tournaments so it was nice to have that support. At first I though she would get bored. Was I wrong! I barely made it to level 2. I think she had just opened her magazine lol

Blinds were 50/100. I was on the big blind holding 57s. 6 limpers came a long so I checked. The flop 57K rainbow! Flopped bottom 2 pair. With 750 in the pot I make a nice pot size bet of 750. It gets folded to the button where he calls. So I start thinking of what hands he could have called my bet with AK, KK, QQ, or AA? Naaah to many limpers in front of him. He would get them cracked if he did that. Any sane person would raise with those hands to eliminate donkies. KJ, K10, K9 maybe, 77, 55, A7, or A5. Didn't put him on K7 because he would have raised my bet and been more happy to see flop.

I put him on one pair and I have him beat so far.

The Turn is a TEN. I take my time and get my reads. I don't put him on K10 because he's not interested in that card, so I make another pot size bet to get him off the hand. He smooth calls that bet! oh! oh! Was my read wrong? I still think he doesn't have K10.

The River a Jack. Now he sits up and his eyes look like they are going to pop out of their socket. I check to him and he only has 900 so he shoves, and I call. At this point I am pot committed and its 900 to win 7k, and I really want to reaffirm my read more then anything.

He flips his cards over and shows me KJ!! After I throw my cards into the muck I am left with 800 or so.

Went out few hands later with AQs vs K7s when he rivered his flush. =) good times.

I made so many mistakes in this hand I don't even know where to begin, but if you see something else let me know.

1. I should have shoved on the turn. I was 75% favorite to win the pot. It's the tourney and as much as I want to start building chips I should have been happy with taking it down right then.

2. Should have folded to his river bet. I knew I was beat. I wasted 900 chips so I could re-affirm what I already knew? Calling there left me short stacked. 1700 in chips is a descent stack to work with.

3. Lost my patience when I needed it most when I knew I was beat. I should have stayed the course and not got frustrated.

Wince then I been reading a bunch of stuff on how to play bottom 2 pair and most say to get all your money in on the flop, but that hand is so easily counter fitted that a fold is ok. Your only two options are fold or go all in.

Had a WSOP instructor said he never liked playing the blinds because that's were he lost most of his chips. I can see how this hand fits in with that.

Next blogs:
My new nick name OneAWayValdez

Old timer I almost killed when I flopped top pair

Here is my part 3 of my Laughlin trip and I wanted to tell you about something funny that I saw at the tables. Well its funny NOW, but back then it got very serious.


I was playing  a MMT and doing well with a nice stack. I was on the button with about 8k in chips when player Under the gun limped in, then the Old man sitting on the Hijack position limped in as well. I looked down at AJo and raised 3x the big blind. The blinds and first limper got out of the way, but the old man sitting on the hijack was VERY quick to call. As a matter of fact, was shaking when he put his chips in. I knew something was up with him.


So the flop comes J84 rainbow. My first instinct was to bet half the pot. I have top pair with top kicker, but as I started going through my routine I noticed the old man continued to shake more and more. You could tell he was ready to pounce on any bet that I had. Both palms down on the table and a nice lean forward. As I waited to sweat him out I noticed the color of his skin began to change. Normally it takes 45 seconds for me to get this kind of read on someone, but 20 seconds was way to fast. 


I check the flop and sure enough he shoves all his chips with a squeaky all in! I know he's got something really good in his hand so I start to take my time. I know at this point I am going to fold but wanted to sweat the old man a little, but his condition didn't look good. He was shaking more and more. He began to hunch down slowly while reaching for something in his lap.  I decided I wasn't going to put him through the torture and I folded.


He flips over Pocket Kings and as he starts to gasp for air, he reaches for the pot of chips and brings them closer,  and THEN grabs this hose sitting on his lap and puts it over his nose. As I stood up to see what he was grabbing to his side I noticed an air tank. Its one of those tanks that the old smokers use and wheel around.


Once he turned it on and sucked in some air he said with  a smile "No risk, no reward. I took a chance limping in with Kings". lol He was more worried about the hand and chips then his health.  At that point it went from serious to everyone laughing. 


I felt like I was in an episode of ER and was playing against a person on their death bed!! 


Anyone ever seen anything like this before? If so share.