Playing with a Pro

I had my first opportunity to play with a pro last night on Full Tilt Poker.  I played a $5 HORSE SNG with Richard “Quiet Lion” Brodie.  He’s been on a few poker shows and he invented Microsoft Word.

 

NOTE: Yes, it is quite possible that I played against someone who may have had access to his account.  My guess though it was really him.

 

When I logged on to Full Tilt last night, I saw that the $5 HORSE SNG was red, which indicates that a professional was in the game.  There were about three players already registered so I figured that I would enter as well.  Not everyday you get to play a pro and my HORSE game is not that bad.  So why not.

 

HORSE is a game that changes every level.  You’re playing the following games: Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, Razz and Omaha and Stud 8 or better.

 

I had the following goals:

 

1. Not to look like a donkey.
2. Not to look passive
3. Make it to the money
4. Play heads up with Mr. Brodie
5. Win the damn SNG

 

With the exception of 4 and 5, I did pretty good.

 

My strategy was to play tight and when I was in a hand play aggressive.  So in the first level I was dealt A-To, A-Jo, Pocket 10s.  I could win with none of these hands.  Already I was down, but I was fortunate enough to fold early and only lose a small amount.  Thanks to the small 15/30 blinds in the first level.

 

It was here that I just waited for a hand to some my way.  I was also watching was Richard was doing.  He was just sitting back until the blinds got high and waited for hands to play.  We never really tangled much.  I was playing stud and I bet in late position with a good looking up card and he folded.  I bluff in razz with a good up card.  He reraised me and I folded.

 

Basically we didn’t tangle until the end of my run.  When the blinds were high enough, I doubled up in stud with my opponent showed Aces up and I had two pair.  I then crippled a few players with a wheel in Razz and I soon became the chip leader.  I was then crippled in Razz when my 1-3-4-5-6 was beaten by the wheel.

 

I was pretty close to losing at this point with 5 players left.  I’m just looking for a hand to get aggressive with.  Anyway, being patient pays off.  While I’m the severe short stack.  I’ve got three player shoving all in and by the time the hand is over, two players are knocked out and I’m in the money.  Two hands later I shove it all in on a drawing hand against the Quiet Lion and lose.  As I register my $4 profit, the get a GG from Mr. Brodie.

 

Cool.

November Poker Progress

Let’s talk November.  I’ve written before that I was on a bad roll and I was.  I know understand the term “grinder” because I grinded my way back to $450 just this week.  It helped that I was sick and could play a lot of poker in bed.  I was able to move up to the $10 SNG and do well there.  I was actually able to win one which comes with a $45 top prize.

 

I’m now at my highest level ever in poker and it feels good.  If I can avoid any major losses this month, I will have parlay $100 into $450.  If I can do it I’d like to make it to $500 by the end of the year.

 

Keys to success.  It’s the adage “never give up”.  I can’t tell you how many times I was short stacked and I threw away hands that I just did not want to go broke with.  I was down to 6 big blinds on the bubble, only to see the second place chip stack lose it all to a stupid all-in.

 

Yesterday was the first time I lost on the bubble and I was so frustrated.  I had pocket 2’s at one point and could have called a small raise.  I would have flopped a set and would have tripled my stack when two players shove all in with top pair.

 

Then I’m short stacked on my way to make the money only to see the chip leader double my closest opponents with stupid calls.

 

Gotta go.