tilted behaviour

It has now been nearly ten days since I last played a hand of poker!

“That’s not a big deal” you must be thinking, but for someone that has played some form of poker everyday for the past few years . . . let me tell you . . . it is!

On the flip-side however is that I haven’t once felt the urge to play any form of poker. I may be only one click away from loading up a sit-n-go, about a ten metre walk to over twenty different decks of cards I can fiddle with and about an hour to Crown to get a live fix, but even with all these potential poker distractions, I still haven’t veered off course of staying away from the game for the remainder of 2009.

Friends re-runs, dominating FIFA on my playstation and cricket training have keep me occupied in those boring times of the day, but it is my new addiction to a computerised board game of Risk that has kept my ass glued to my chair and eyes firmly set to conquering the world as poker drifts far far away!

For those of you that don’t know, Risk is a strategic board game released in France in 1957. The primary object of the game is world domination by occupying the world or to complete a mission on a board that is divided up into six continents and forty-two territories. Normally played with an actual board, dice, armies and reinforcements, the computerised version was shown to me by my mate James who introduced me to the original version of the game.

Completely addictive due to its varying nature of scenario’s, dilemmas and strategy needed, there is great personal reward when you can capture the world by owning up to seven computer opposition souls; and in the picture below . . . world domination was an understatement!

He just never stood a chance! C’mon Western Australia . . . FIGHT BACK!

If you have something on your mind, download the game, boot it up, and you’ll totally forget about whatever it was once world domination strategy goes swirling through your head at a 100-miles an hour!

There are about fourteen different officially licenced versions of the game, but I think I might try an add a fifteenth . . . Risk: Shuffle Up and Deal*!

* name needs lots of work

As I drove down the highway this morning, I felt refreshed and prepared to take to the felt for Event 12: $550 Main Event of the Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series.

Stationed right near the bar and toilets I knew my table would break early – and thankfully it would – as I had a few aggressive cash game players along with Sam Higgs, Chris Barrett and Ivan Sop. With a deep structure to the tournament due to its 20,000-chip starting bank and 45-minute levels, I normally accumulate some easy chips early on, but in this case it was very difficult.

During the first level with blinds at 25-50 I played seven hands; winning two and fluffing the remainder with A♦ 6♦, 4♥ 4♦, 9♠ 8♠, 6♦ 4♦ and A♥ K♠ to see me finish the level with a tad over 19,300.

A few hands into the next level our table broke and I was moved about four metres across the room to join a table of what seemed like no-names apart from Karsten Kobbing and Joseph Humunicki. Unfortunately for me, Karsten would pick off a bluff from by raising me on the river. In a limped pot I checked my option holding Q♣ 5♥ to see a 5♥ J♣ 10♠ flop fall and a bet of 300 follow from Karsten as both the blinds and another player checked to him. I decided to represent two-pair and made 1,000 to go; Karsten mulled over a decision for about thirty seconds before making the call. I fired 1,700 when the K♦ fell on the turn and when the river landed a 6♣ I fired for 2,400. Karsten asked for a count and made it 5,500 to go. I toyed with moving all in, but it would have only been an additional 10,000 or so, and he probably would have made the call – later on I talked to Karsten about what he had, and he told me he floated with a pair and a backdoor straight and spade draw and got lucky on the turn; so something like K♠ 10♠ is the most likely holding.

I headed to break with a measly 13,000, but was luckily enough to chip up straight away once play resumed. A player that I had played with many times on a cash game level entered the pot with 750-chip raise, and I defended my 100-chip small blind with 8♦ 8♠. The flop fell Q♦ 10♠ 8♣ and I check-called 1,100 before both of us checked the 2♣ on the turn. The river blanked, and I was pretty sure that he had nothing more than Ace-King or something of that nature where he didn’t hit the board. Consequently I toyed with checking to see if he would bluff, but instead fired out a small bet of 1,700. About a minute later he made the call, I tabled my set, and he mucked as I raked in the pot to move to over 17,000.

Seven hands later I was moved once again – this time fifteen metres and two tables away – to join Jim Mastorakos, Stewart Allen, Eugene Poudel, Jesse Smith and Mat Hawker. Early on I raised A♠ Q♣ to 1,100 after four players limped ahead of me with only one limper – an aggressive cash game player – making the call. I flopped top two-pair and led out for 2,100 hoping to get shoved on as he only had 10k-ish in his stack. Unfortunately he quickly folded and I was back to nearly 19,000.

However I would soon hit two road blocks after Stewart made it 525 to go from early position with only Mat making the call. I bumped it to 2,100 from the cutoff with A♥ K♥, and once Stewart was out of the way, Mat made the call to see a 10♥ 2♣ 6♠ flop fall. Mat led out for 1,500 and I felt that Mat had a pocket pair like Queens or Jacks and I decided to float him with two overs and backdoor hearts. I decided not to raise, as I’m fairly certain he would come along with me. The turn landed the 7♥ and once he checked, I quickly checked behind to see a free river. Unfortunately if landed the J♦ and when Mat fired out 3,000 I quickly mucked and he flashed me a set of rivered Jacks.

The following hand Mat opened to 550 and I made the call holding J♥ J♣, and Stewart joined us also to see a 9♥ 7♥ 5♦ flop land. Stewart checked, Mat bet out 1,100, I raised to 2,600 and Stewart pushed a stack of about 30,000 into the middle. Mat quickly folded to put me with a decision for my last 11,000. I think I only beat a hand like 8♥[5h or something like that, but most likely he had two-pair or could even be doing that with something stronger like a set or a straight. It took me about three minutes, but I eventually folded as we jumped into the 100-200 with a 25 ante level. I finished the level with 11,000 and during the break Stewart told us both that he had flopped two-pair in the Jacks hand.

Exactly one orbit into the fifth level the player under the gun opened to 1,100 with blinds at 150-300(25) and after Eugene called, I shipped my additional 9,000 into the pot from the small blind holding A♠ A♥. The original raiser folded and as Eugene deliberated, he said, “I think I’m ahead Tim . . . I call” and flipped over pocket Tens. However, in continuation of the way I’ve been running recently, a ten-ball landed on the flop. I turned a gutshot to the wheel, but alas I was out the door and back on the highway home!

Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series – Main Event Chip Stack Graph

Apart from the bluff I ran against Karsten, I don’t think I did too much wrong, but it just caps off a terrible weak of bad luck and close calls.

Consequently I’ve decided to take some time off playing poker until 2010 – that includes cash games, tournaments, live, online, home games, play money, everything!

Hopefully you guys will stay loyal to Tilted Behaviour as I continue to take a few minutes of your life every time I make a normally useless post!

I was hoping that today would be a long day of poker as I was playing two events . . . and boy was I right!

Arriving at Crown for the midday Event 6: $125 No Limit Holdem, I took my seat in the main side of the tournament floor grouped with some real obvious amateur players – and with a 10,000-chip starting bank and 20-minute levels – I was hoping to exploit this.

Early on I raised to 325 holding A♣ Q♠ after three players limped in for 50. One limper plus the big blind came along, and on a A♠ 10♠ 2♠ flop the big blind checked and the limper fired out 500. I made it 1,375 to prompt a fold from the big blind and a call from the limper. I really was unsure where I sat in the hand after he called the raise; maybe he had two pair or possibly Ace-King, and when he checked the 9♦ on the turn I checked behind. The river fell a repeating deuce, and I totally missed value here when he rolled over A♦ J♠.

Now up to 12,000, that would soon rocket to 20,000 after playing a fairly sizeable pot with Aces against Ace-Queen and King-Queen on a Queen-high board. I then moved up to 24,000 after eliminating a player holding A♥ Q♥ after all the money went in preflop against his 10♠ 8♠.

I went fairly card-dead and was unable to squeeze or do anything due to the limp and stack-off happy players on the table until I found a double with Ace-King against Ace-Jack with 120 players remaining. ‘Carwash’ George Cotaidis was moved to my table, and thankfully it livened things up as I had someone to exchange friendly banter with while the cards remained . . . dead!

As the structure jumps speed up, I found myself with just eight big blinds, and pushed after finding J♥ J♣ under the gun. Carwash made the call next to speak with A♦ Q♠, and when the A♥ landed on the flop I was eliminated from the tournament in 78th/257 place.

I only had an hour break before the next tournament began and decided to grab some dinner before taking my seat in Event 8: $340 No Limit Holdem Terminator.

Every player had a $100 bounty on their hand, but with a 15,000-chip starting bank and 30-minute levels you would think it would be hard to accumulate terminator buttons in the early going . . . however the action was quick and fast.

My starting table featured Vic Champs Champion Albert Amato, The Poker Star contestant Sally Snow and Steve Topakas. So right off the bat I had something to look at (Sally obviously . . . and not Steve LOL), and people to talk too.

The play early on was terribly! Players opening to 8x and getting six callers etc. Both Albert and I just looked at each other shaking our heads. I just tried to remain tight and solid early due to the loose nature of the table, but managed to chip up to 16,900 when I called a preflop raise with A♥ 8♥ and check-raised an Ace-high flop in a multi-way pot.

It wouldn’t be until the sixth level until I found a hand after a player limped for 400 and I made it 1,500 with Q♦ Q♠. A player that had been playing very loose and seeing a lot of flops then made it 5,000 from the button to put the action back on me. I only 12,700 left in my stack and was unsure of where I sat in the hand, but felt that I was ahead most of the time. I decided to ship it in, but when he rolled over Kings, I was sick to my stomach . . . well until a Queen-ball landed on the flop . . . bad play, but a bit of luck doesn’t hurt!

Then – like most tournaments of late – I decided that peddling an eight big blind stack would be great fun, and proceeded to peddle for about three hours. Paul Rochford and Nobbi Tanaka were both moved to my table with a substantial chip stack each and played with ruthless aggression. With forty-odd players remaining a player in early position shoved all in holding Ace-Queen and I made the call from the big blind with Ace-King. We both flopped an Ace and I raked in the pot only to leave him with a single 500-denomination chip as I chipped up to 52,500 – of course someone else would take his $100 bounty with some junk hand two hands later.

An orbit later I looked down at A♦ A♠ under the gun and made it 7,500 to go with blinds at 1500-3000. Albert was the only caller, and when the 2♠ 3♥ 5♠ flop fell I thought for a little before pushing out a bet of 9,500. Albert called, and when the 6♦ landed on the turn I paused for around thirty seconds before checking. Albert pushed all in, and I quickly called to be ahead of his 10♠ 10♦. The river blanked and I had soared to 106,500 in chips.

However once we were just a table away from the money, play really began to stall. Nobbi played super aggressive and three-bet anytime I opened lightly. With just twenty-five players remaining play stalled for about ninety-minutes, and that was also timed with a dead run of cards. Now with just twenty-two players remaining – and just two spots off the money – the fellow short-stack on the table pushed all in. I had 8,000 committed in the big blind and only 30,000 or so behind and decided to make the call holding 6♦ 6♠ knowing that I would be unable to limp to the money. Unfortunately he rolled over Jacks and I was unable to catch my two-outer like earlier and exited the tournament in 22nd/213 players at the ripe old time of about 5am in the morning – all just to bubble and receive no terminator buttons!

With a Twenty20 Cricket match that day, I decided to drive back to Geelong to get some rest in my own bed.

I believe that the evolution of a poker player reaches an end when they are highly skilled at all forms of the game – cash, tournament, holdem, stud games and mixed limits – and today I’m hopefully taking a step to proving to many that I am well down that road.

I’ve always enjoyed playing mixed games, with seven card stud being the first I learned when I was in Las Vegas back in 2007. However the five games that make up HORSE take more than their fair share to learn before you can think of yourself as a skilled mixed game player, but over the past six months or so I have been playing my fair share of these games online.

Consequently, with the help of some ChipMeUp backers, I took my seat in Event 4: $550 Mixed Event which plays the five games of HORSE plus No Limit Holdem and Pot Limit Omaha.

On my table I had Rob ‘JacksonTens’ Campbell, Ash Gupta and Abel Cabrera along with some players that I knew were solid. My strategy was to try and accumulate most of chips in the two holdem orbits, stay clear of big pots in Omaha and play solid in the stud games.

I added about 2,000 to my starting 20,000-chip bank in the limit holdem orbit before getting scooped in the limit Omaha orbit when my opponent caught running cards to crack my low and weak high hand. During the first orbits of the stud games there were no major hands until we hit NLH where I took a down a nice pot to make up for the chips that I had leaked during a fairly card dead stud and stud-eight orbits when I was dealt Q♣ Q♦ under the gun and opened with a raise to 750 (blinds 150-300) and after finding two callers, took down the pot with a 1,325-bet on a ten-high flop. I three-bet Abel twice with King-Queen and once we switched to PLO I had played half of the eight hands dealt and won three of them before deciding to sit out due to the aggressive nature of our table.

We hit limit holdem once again – and just like during the NLH orbit – I played half the hands only losing Ace-King to Aces before picking up a nice pot with 8♥ 6♥ on a J♦ 3♥ 7♥ J♥ 3♦ board. My next major hand came during the Stud orbit when my A♦ 4♠ / 10♦ 6♥ A♣ A♠ / 4♣ outdrew Ash’s nut-flush on sixth street to take me back to over 25,000 in chips. The table broke and I moved to be seated with Marwan Nassif, Joe Cabret, Vic Thornton and Trung Tran before being joined by Michael ‘TheBigSiCkO’ Guzzardi and Abel Cabrera once Marwan was eliminated.

I chipped up to over 32,000 when I value-bet eights and fives against a fish in Stud before going against my initial strategy of not playing PLO. With blinds at 600-1200, Guzzardi raised the button to 2,400 with 9♣ 9♦ 7♦ 6♠ and I called from the small blind with A♦ 2♦ J♣ 10♣ along with Abel defending his big blind with Q♣ Q♠ 6♣ 3♣. The flop fell down Q♦ 9♠ 6♦ and I fired out a pot bet of 7,200 before Abel announced re-pot. Guzzardi pushed his 45,000-chip stack into the pot, and after thinking for a little bit I decided to gamble and pushed my 40,000-chip stack into the middle with Abel soon to follow. Unfortunately for me, the turn landed the 10♠ and river the 5♣ to see Abel pushed a 120,000-chip pot with the next best sitting on around 80,000.

Although I put my tournament on the line with a draw, I felt that it was a decent spot to do it in, especially with the fact that it was PLO. Winning that pot would have seen me hold the chip lead, and if I continued to employ my solid strategy, I would have been a near lock to make the final table and take a crack at the $9,000 first prize.

Finishing 18th/43 was a little disappointing, but I thought I played extremely well throughout the twelve-hours of tournament poker.

After seeing my ChipMeUp shares sell out in less than two hours, I was looking forward to the Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series, and putting up some big results.

Recently I had been running horrible in cash games – $1-2 and $2-3 NLH at Crown and differing limits on different sites online – but I always have faith in my tournament game not letting outside influences effect the way I play.

With a big Sunday of poker on the cards, I made my way to Crown early and picked up my ticked for Event 1: $230 No Limit Holdem. The field was capped at 500, and with a 15,000-chip starting bank and 25-minute levels it was no surprise!

My eleven-handed table looked fairly tame with only Paul Rochford a player to note. I chipped up 2,000 in the first level holding J♥ 10♠ against K♠ Q♠ on a final board of K♦ J♦ 10♣ 8♣ 4♠ and then with 5♦ 2♦ on a 5♣ 10♦ 4♠ K♦ 2♣ against the same player. I dropped around 3,400 in the next level after three-betting pre with tens and being forced to fold a paint heavy flop, then missing with a few opens before running a small bluff with a pair and a straight-draw against top-pair and a gutshot.

During the 100-200 level I played a weird hand with Paul when I called his 600-chip raise with 7♥ 7♦. We, along with another player, checked the Q♦ K♠ K♥ flop before Paul led for 1,600 when the K♦ fell on the turn. I’ve played with Paul heaps and decided to make the call knowing that I’m ahead in this spot at least 50% of the time. However, when he fired hard when the river blanked, I eventually gave up my hand slipping to 9,000 in the process.

I found some action with Queens and chipped back to over 12,000 before playing easily the most retarded hand ever recorded in poker history! I opened to 1,600 from under the gun with 3♣ 3♥ during the 300-600-50 level and found a caller in the big stack from late position. I planned to check-raise the 6♠ 5♥ 2♠ flop, but when he checked behind I decided to give up when the A♦ landed on the turn. Faced with a 2,000-chip bet, I made the call for some reason before open shoving 5,625 when the 3♠ came on the river. My opponent folded and I was back to over 14,000, but when reviewed, played every street as wrong as anyone could!

With around 300 of the 500 starters remaining in the field, the level made a big jump from 400-800-75 to 600-1200-100 – and having 11,500 at that change – it really hurts. On the first hand of the new level I shoved my short stack from the cutoff to pick up the blinds and antes before shoving one too many times a few hands later with A♦ 2♦ and running into Queens.

I busted a disappointing 280th/500, but alas, there are another four events over the week, so hopefully I can find that big result.

On a side note: Congratulations to my mate Nobbi Tanaka who ended up taking out this event and its $20,000 first prize. Great result for Nobbi who has been having a great run online recently after being picked up by the Insane Poker Crew stable.

The third instalment of the highly successful Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series is back upon us with an incredible twelve events ranging from $120 to $1650.

Having both a regular Saturday cricket match, along with a Twenty20 one midweek, it was going to be hard to play a solid schedule during the series, but currently I am locking away five events to play. For those Tilted Behaviour reader’s that are keen to buy a piece of my action over the series, then check out my profile at ChipMeUp where you can buy small percentages of each event.

Event 1: $230 No Limit Holdem (15k starting bank)
Event 4: $550 Mixed Event (20k starting bank, HORSE plus NLH and PLO)
Event 6: $125 No Limit Holdem (10k starting bank)
Event 8: $340 Terminator (15k starting bank and $100 for every KO)
Event 12: $550 Main Event (20k starting bank)

For as little as US$3 you can grab a piece of my action just by heading to ChipMeUp where you have a chance at staking immortality!

I made my down to the poker room a little after midday and took my seat on a $1-2 NLH table.

I sat down, got comfy and chucked my iPod on in preparation for the beginning of a solid few days of cash game grinding . . . but that wouldn’t last long. After a few limps, a raise to $20 and a call, I looked down at 10♦ 6♦. Now the re-raiser had been inclined to raise with garbage, but also was willing to fold and seemed scared of money. Consequently I saw this as a good spot to add about $46 to my $100 stack and decided to move all in from the big blind. The limpers folded, and after about three minutes of umming and ahhing, the raiser made the call. The preflop caller spent a further four minutes in the tank, eventually announcing his intention to gamble as he pushed his chips into the pot.

The board ran out Queen-high and after the preflop raiser turned over Queen-Jack offsuit, the pot was pushed and I rebought. Although the play seemed stupid, I didn’t mind it as it nearly worked. Either way, I slowly grinded my rebuy up to over $200 before hitting a few hiccups that included some busted draws and unlucky turns and rivers. Before too long my remaining $100-odd would be all in preflop against three players after committing most of my chips to a four-bet shove over a straddle and re-straddle.

I actually held the best hand with Ace-Jack, but even after flopping a pair, turning the nutflush draw and a gutshot to Broadway, I still managed to go down to the all powerful King-Jack offsuit! My third rebuy went fairly quickly when I was all in on the flop with two pair, only to get turned by an opponent who hit his three-outer to make a bigger two-pair.

Feeling like gambling, I decided to heat to play some Baccarat, but just like in the poker room, that wouldn’t go too well either as I quickly lost $450. I grabbed some dinner, had a rest, a little nap, surfed the net before returning to the poker room later on in the evening.

I took a seat on a $2-3 NLH table and found four $500-plus stacks, along with a $1700 one. The first hand I witnessed I saw the big stack grow to over $2400 after flopping top two-pair. After about an hour – with the table only six-handed – I had moved my stack to over $360 after taking a sizeable pot down with top-pair. I then was forced to top-up another $100 after having my two-pair flushed on and then getting involved in a big pot with a live straight draw.

Then holding K♠ 10♠ I lost a big pot against a donkey when on a board of K♥ J♥ 4♣ 10♥ J♠ he rolled over A♥ J♣. I topped up another $100 only to have that same donkey then flop a full house out of the small blind when I made the nut-flush on the turn and we got all the chips into the middle.

Left with only $106 there was a straddle to $6 and everyone called to me on the button – and being on tilt after the last hand – I made the call holding J♠ 4♠. The big blind then gave everyone option by making it $40, one call, another call, another call and another call, saw the action back on me. Knowing that my all in shove would be at least called by three of the players in the hand – as two had over $1000 in their stack while one had only $100 – I decided to ship it in.

I did indeed get three callers, and even though I was put through a sweat on the 8♠ 7♥ 6♦ A♠ 8♥ board, I was unable to outdraw the pocket tens, nines and a random holding, and consequently called it a night.

After a great night’s rest I returned to the poker room and sat down on a new $2-3 NLH table along with Vincent ‘Wonky’ Wan.

Wonky had been helping me out a lot recently when I headed in to play as we have been discussing both live and online hands during our live sessions at Crown. He quickly chipped up and headed to a $2-5 NLH table while I just plodded along.

I was forced to lay a big hand or two down, and eventually had topped up to be in for $400. I was sitting on around $260 when I was dealt A♣ K♣ in the cutoff and made it $20 after three limpers. The player on the button who had seemed to be fairly solid made it $50 to go as the big blind – a relative donkey – made the call too. I was fairly certain that the button player held a pair like Jacks or Tens, and since I too had been solid, I decided to four-bet to $180 to rep Aces or Kings.

The button player then went into the tank for about four minutes. He cut down the amount to call, as well as asking me how much I had left (around $80) and whether or not I had it (nup). Eventually he announced he was all in as the big blind folded and I tossed in my last $80 or so. The board bricked out, and his Queens held up, but after reviewing the hand, I wasn’t at all fussed with the way I played it.

I decided to cut my stay in Melbourne short and drove back to Geelong for cricket training to see the week out at home before returning for the Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series on Sunday.

The car was full, the boot packed and the esky filled with alcohol as I began my drive from Geelong to Doncaster and then to Traralgon for a weekend with the boys.

We ended up leaving Melbourne around 7:30pm once everyone had finished work with three cars including James, Mat, Brendo, myself, James’ brother Adam and his four Irish back-packer mates along with some of James’ soccer buddies.

Arriving at the Monash University Gippsland campus, we all checked into one of the on-campus residential dorms that had six bedrooms for us twelve guys. We settled in, grabbed some food, and began a long night of drinking, kicking a soccer ball up and down the hallway, Bluff and Kings.

After a 4am end to the previous night debauchery we were all woken relatively early due to the soaring heat that seeped into our rooms.

James had to coach a soccer match in Moe – the main reason why we all came down as he gets very very lonely – and had left early along with a full car of followers, while the Irish and Adam began drinking. Mat, Brendo and I headed into Traralgon to grab a pub meal, scoop out what the town had to offer and also let Mat place a bet or seven on the races.

The town, although small, still had everything that we needed as none of us managed to finish our pub meal. Mat was unable to gamble up riches, but still managed to keep some money in his pocket as we returned back to the University to play a six-on-six half pitch soccer match.

The blazing heat continued to beat down on us as the Irish, along with Adam and Brendo, were no match for the ‘home’ team. We all returned back to the dorm to shower and prepare ourselves for a huge night out!

Our first stop was Star Bar and an order of Jagerbombs! We all settled around the pool table as the place was fairly quiet. Eventually the ladies started pouring in – and what surprised us all was the fact that out of the whole place there were only about twenty blokes; with us making the majority of that number up. More and more alcohol began to be consumed as we all hit the dancefloor to show these country-folks what us city slickers are made of.

Probably the funniest part of the night was when I organised a funny photo with James involving two bridesmaids on a Hens night. They both had these blow-up dildo’s and I asked them to spitroast him for a funny Facebook photo.

”Do you want to do him from behind or from the front?”
“I take it from behind, but I won’t give it to you from behind!”

We all burst into laughter and snapped away at scene before making our way to the second stop of the night – Inferno / Saloon Bar.

If any of you have been to Cheers on Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, then you would know exactly what this place was like. Two different dancefloors with different music, pool tables, multiple bars and a young crowd overfilled with guys. We all went from room to room dancing and drinking the night away before a few of us ended the night early at around 4am.

Waking up around midday to find a few of the boys returning home early due to prior commitments, the rest of us packed up the dorm and grabbed some lunch before making our way back to Traralgon to catch the last match James had to coach for the weekend.

A favourable 3-1 scoreline ended our weekend as the Irish and Adam headed to Phillip Island while James and I made our way back to Melbourne.