A Chip and a Chair

I thought I'd be the one to make the big comeback of the night, once down to 40 bucks in chips. Turns out there was a better cockroach than I. Yep, Will was down to ONE WHITE CHIP -- 10 bucks -- and managed to finish first for the night.

It was supposed to have been a small group that would play at Gino's house that Tuesday night. In the text loop, mine at least, were Kimpossible and Yamashita, Aris, and Ryan. None of the FAPA boys could make it that night. Turns out Aris and Ryan had RJ "Gabby Concepcion" and Carlo "Pusoy with the Po-Pos" and his constant companion Borgy with them, Gio had a few friends there already, and he had also texted Franco who in turn texted a few more guys.

All-in-all, 19 playahs showed up at Gino's beautiful house. Man, even before stepping in, I was already envious of the 3 Mini Coopers parked in the garage! Inside, Gino's Interior Designer mom had done a fab job with the place.

Anyway...

At teh 100/200 level, Will was down to a solitary white chip. I had just had several successful all-ins, and managed to get my stack up to more than 1,200.

With that white chip, he was on the button, me on the small, RJ the big, then Ryan, Yamashita, Carlo. I had 9-2 of hearts. Ryan called, as did Carlo. Will of course, went all-in. I, thinking I wanted to conserve the chips I had just made back, folded on the small blind. I was also wary of Gabby Concepcion on my left, thinking that he'd raise after everyone just limped in.

Flop came out 7.8 and 10, pairing thte 10 Will was holding together with a K. Turn was x. River was a 6, giving me what could have been my straight. Will quadrupled up.

Several all-ins later, Will already had 1,200 in chips. I didn't realize we had the same stack at that point, and when he was small and I big, everyone folded to us. he called the minimum, and thinking I was ahead of him, I put him all-in. he turned up Q5o, and I had 10-8. the board paired his 5, and none of my cards. He took me out.

Two hours later, Mr. Chip-and-a-chair had won the 19-seater.

Wow. Damn you Will! lol

Hats off to you bro. May you serve as inspiration to everyone who's down to one chip.

...I could have taken him out...

...and he take ME out!

...sob...


Looking forward to Kimpossible's authentic Vietnamese pho tonight.

Back to Basics

*SIGH*

Recent events have created new beings -- lost poker players. People who knew what they'd do and where they'd go most nights. Knew with absolute certainty that Tuesday and Thursday night, they'd be at the River Room, knew they'd have a tough time waking up the next day, but knew that the night of fun Poker and hanging with friends would be well worth the extra shot of espresso.

A couple of these lost souls got together Friday night at my place: The Gentle Giant (there is no dousing the poker fire in this guy!), The Rock, Tournament Director, Haba-Haba, Kimpossible and her hubby Yamashita, The Professor/GRO/Tighty-Whitey, Ricky Re-Raise, Ryan (Man, we gotta come up with a nick for you), and myself.

We were supposed to play a one-winner satellite to December 17, but nixed that idea in favor of a 500 buy-in and 3 places paid. Split the first round with Professor/GRO/Tighty-Whitey, with Yamashita coming in 3rd. The second round saw several re-buys and a mucho grown prize pool. Came in 3rd on that one, with Tournament Director and Yamashita splitting first.

That night was also SUPPOSED to have Ace coming over, but who got waylaid by some urgent matter. Man, Tournament Director brought a WHOLE CASE OF SUDS just for you!!! We were really looking forward to having you over. Really looking forward to it. *SOB*

So its back to home games for now, rounding the houses and offices of the River Room regulars. In a way, its comforting to again play small games with a tight bunch of friends.

Again, I must say that the River Room did profit us with a bigger group of people we can count as part of the tight bunch of friends.

Ace my man, just say when, and there'll be another case waiting for you.

The Denis

Look on top, and you’ll see I’ve renamed this blog “Pinoy Poker – The Denis.” I'm re-branding this blog in honor of my power pocket cards: Jack-7.

Scoff if you will, but J-7 has won me many a hand. You deal me J-7, and I’ll hold on to it, raise it even. I just gotta. The times I doubted them, and folded, flop comes out with at least one of them, turn and river either two-pairing it, and sometimes filling out a set or a straight.

I play it so often, that the River Room Regulars have come to call those pocket cards “The Denis.”

A few weeks back, when Erika had first visited the River Room, she comes up to me and says: “Hey, I heard there was a hand called The Denis.” Oh, my substantial ego grew with that recognition. And a few weeks later, she comes back to tell me that she always plays The Denis, and wins!

Gino, Will, and a few other guys often raise a hand, saying to me “I just gotta raise this for you Denis.” Oh what sweet compliment.

Kix later tells me that according to a chart he saw, The Denis is the middlemost of all the possible pocket cards.

No doubt, they are marginal cards. But most hardly call with a Denis, though some would raise with the A-J. Coming into a pot though, where no one is holding the J, and the J comes out on the flop, you can be sure that someone will call you holding the over cards (or at least one). And as long as the turn and river stay low, you can be assured of a profitable pot.

Yes, I can just imagine that someday, the commentators of the WPT and WSOP will include in their lexicon, along with:

…Pocket Rockets…
…Big Slick…
…Sigfried and Roy…
…The Dollies…

…THE DENIS!!!

Fold

He never should have been allowed to get a piece of the game. But he did, and poker here might never be the same.

I was shocked when I got the text message at almost 3 a.m. Saturday. But it was bound to happen, and likely moreso now that a sleazebag was involved. That was it, we were closing, no ifs, ands, or buts. Even before we came together Sunday night to make things formal, it was already decided. Pack up and change gears.

It saddened me that at least two of the River Room regulars got caught in the crossfire. Two very nice guys, buddies who, even without the GAME, we’d still probably have beers with. They just wanted to play, and weren’t aware of the sleazebag, and the shitstorm he was about to bring on the game.

I’d like to think that in a big way, the country’s first ever NLHE MTT we hosted last April sparked what the game is today (or what it could have been?). It felt great to put together that event and the next: 30+ friends coming together to play a very enjoyable game, respectable types – young students, entrepreneurs, and executives. In a sense, a very genteel gig, no sleazebags. The first tourney Nick G hosted was even more genteel: free beer, wine, and get this… ORDEURVES! (did I even spell that right?)

As much as the excitement of playing, more than the cash I’ve won (am I even up?), I will always be up just for the friends I’ve made over the past few months (incomplete, and in no particular order: Ace S (man, we never got to buy you as many beers as you’ve bought us!), Nick and Barbie G, Skippy, Dirty Ice Cream, Pit Boss, and the rest of A55 (the first crew we came across who loved the game as much as we did); K, Gentle Giant and Mr. “This here’s the BIG BOY table” Sean; Grant and Kimpossible (you still have to cook us some Pho. Oh, I forgot, I gotta find the ox tail first); Gino “I got bad beat, parrrrrrre,” Will, Jacob, Joseph, and the rest of their gang; Ryan, Ron, and RJ “Gabby Concepcion” (I will forever be wary of actors!); Big Han and Little Han; The All-in Attorneys, Aris “I LIMP in”; Kustom Kowboys; and the Queens who’ve graced our humble little hang-out: Kath and Erika A (Always play The Denis!)…and many, many others.

Though that sounded like a farewell litany of thanks, this is by no means the last you’ll hear of us. This was just as good a time as any to recognize the people who’ve turned us a profit – not for their buy-ins – but for their friendship.

Remembering them also helps mitigate how pissed-off and depressed I am at the moment.

Ironic how that now, when we’ve been overflowing with players, we’ve got to back away a bit from the game. As they say, “thaaaaat’s Poker!” – when you’re holding pocket aces, and scheming on how to make the most of it, the flop shows a better hand for somebody else, and you’re left with nothing to do but suck it in and walk away.

The Pot's A-Growin! (part Un)

To my loyal readers (that would be all TWO of Ace and Skippy), here it is, an update of my Blog. Lucky you if you placed a bet on this day when I, Denis, finally update my long-hibernating poker blog.

Its almost a year since we high school buddies started getting together to play poker. Back then, it was 7-card Stud. I don't even remember if it was limit, pot limitt, or no limit. All I remember was that the betting was crazy, especially on nights following payday. Then, SportsPlus started showing the WPT, and we gamely took to NLHE. From the time we picked up our first pocket cards, we were hooked! As in at least 4 nights a week we were playing, either at my house or Kix's place. Come together at 9, and by 3 a.m., we'd have gone through 3 rounds of 7 or 8 -handed SNG.

In the early days (10 months ago), we had to content ourselves with the cheap plastic chips Pobs had, or Kix's mom's mahjong chips. We didn't care then, though I do remember spending a a fruitless day scouring 4 major malls in search of adequate chips. When we stumbled on a great deal on e-Bay for first set, and it finally got here, boy, it was like Christmas! Imagine a bunch of 29-year-olds drooling over a case of poker echips as if it were their first train set!

We now had the real-deal chips in our hands, and it further fueled our addiction. Our long poker nights were now filled with the clatter of 11.5 gram chips on my grandfather's long narra table.

It wasn't long after that when we decided to host our first MTT. We weren't quite sure we'd get a good number of players, but we did. And boy-oh-boy it was a tough field. Yes indeed, it was a tourney full of sharks! Yep, a certifiablr toughie... :)

From those days, we now have a quasi-legitimate poker scene, with a number of places you can regularly get a game, plus at least one MTT a month.

(I gotta go and take a nap before hitting the River Room. More to come. Hope it doesn't take me another 3 months for Part Deux)

Busted

I'm OUT.

Kaput.

12:30 a.m. when my luck ran out.

Still and all, I'm pretty happy with myself that I got this far. have to admit, I put more pressure on myself than I should have, if at all. had the "Defending Champion" crap get to my head. boy oh boy, did it affect how I played.

didn't help that I put myself in low stack position early, with a bonehead mistake. had 9/J, and the flop came out a straight draw. I had raised pre-flop, and somehow I got it in my head that only one other guy had called my raise and it was heads up. when 4th came out Q and I got my straight, I raised and one guy folded. I was already thinking that the pot was mine, so I threw my cards to the muck pile.to my consternation (at myself), there was one other guy who was in the pot. By then, my cards were dead, and so was the other raise I put in on the turn.

Was fuming at myself at that point, and put my anger to good use, channeling all my psychic energy at my pocket cards. Which sensing my anger, decided to cooperate and gave me a couple of good deals including pocket rockets, and a Q/K clubs which resulted in a royal flush. Too bad the pot was small when I got the RF. Now have to wait another 100,000 deals to get my royal flush.

A few deals after we had cut down to 19, I had 2/7 at the BB with the blinds 200/400. I know, I know...throw em away every time. But at BB, with only one guy calling and the small lind folding, I saw the flop, which came out 7-8-K. Ok now, I've got a pair, so i've at least got to bet and see if the other guy (Ray) had anything. So I pitched in 800 hoping to represent the K, which he thought about a long time before he called.

Turn came with a 2, and I was thinking "Hallelujah! My trash turned into gold!!!" I was thinking, if he called with a pair King, I have him beat with a two pair. I threw out another 800, which he again thought about at length, but called, probably thinking that it didn't help either of us and I was just bluffing at the pot.

Looking back, I see that my mistake wasn't going all in with the two pair on the turn. I tried to get cute and not scare him away when I knew I had him beat. Damn damn damn...

Again I'm being taught by the game not to get cute.

River comes with an 8, pairing the one that came out on the flop. Now I'm thinking, shit...if he had the pair Kings, the two eights on the board just gave him two pair, beating what I made on the turn. 1,200 and change in chips, with the blinds about to go up to 300/600. Do I take my chances now with something, or wait for the blinds to eat me up? If I waited for the next round of blinds and it hits me with nothing, that would only leave me with 300 after hitting SB and BB. All-in now and hope to scare him away.

That all-in with 1,200 wasn't enough to scare him away with hime already invested 2,00, and little did I know that he made trip 8s. I tried to get cute again by asking him before he showed if he had the K, to which Ray replied "no, but I have the 8."

Damn, damn, damn...don't get cute Denis. Ever.

Really shoud have gone all-in on the turn.

Did I do the right thing? Let me know. Leave a comment.

35 Minutes to Go, and Counting...

Registration started at 8:30, and already there are more than 20 signed up. Actually were already 10 guys here, apart from the FAPA boys, at 8. Nice to see players raring to go.

On the downside, Eric of the Solar crew came down with something, and according to Chum, looks like none of them will make it. Neither will Ken of the Tamarind Road gang.

Kix's Tournament Director is all spun up and ready to go. Impressive I must say. thank God though it doesn't come with a fat lady calling out the commentary like on the WPT.

Had my cup of coffe on the way, so I'm wide awake and ready to roll. Hope it came with a shot of Mojo.

4 Hours to Go, and Counting...

4:30 p.m., Saturday the 11th. 4 hours to go to what Nick G is calling "the Bel-Air Classic."

The barbecue that'll be served tonight is now cooking on my grill, and the incomparable aroma of manang's special recipe is wafting through our house. I guarantee it, after you've tasted this bbq, everything else pales in comparison.

I've just gone through Nick G's blog, and thanks for the birthday greeting buddy. You've put so much in since last time. Seeing all your posts is making my blog feel like the short stack 1/10th heads up. Even after all the online clients I've tried, which I promise to review in the coming weeks, and all the games I've played the past few weeks, I still haven't to add much meat to this blog.

About these past weeks...Kix has created a monster!!! Yes, I'm talking about Nik. Not Nick G, who was already a monster when we met him, but our very own Nik T(no C, just the K) from FAPA. Ever since he paid his tuition fee to the Kix school of Poker, he's been damn near unbeatable. I'm talking coming back from 70 bucks in chips to split the pot with Kix in Thursday night's tournament at Joel's, winning the 14-handed game at Pobs', to moneying in all the other sessions in between. Man, the way he's betting, you never know what he has. Be afraid. be very afraid. I know I am.

Tonight's tourney is actually the second we've hosted. Had to take a long break before putting together this one as Pobs Hansen was over in the US of A trying his luck at the Atlantic City. The first was a mild success, with all thirty seats filled, though a few were autofolded for a good amount of time with some players coming in late.

This evening, we'll have a whopping 40 seats, which, if you think about it, is the biggest Hold 'Em tourney this country has ever seen! (echoes seen...seen...seen...)

Ok, it doesn't sound as epic as I'd want it to. And the Stateside tourneys would laugh at this figure, but hey, we gotta start somewhere. Until PAGCOR or somebody else gets their act together, this is as good as it gets boys.

I'm glad the FAPA crew decided that we can participate tonight. As of the last planning pow-wow, the inclination was to sit this one out. that would have been a wast. Really, we're not making money out of this, and the only satisfaction we get is playing against a diverse crew.

Yep, tonight is gonna be a whopping good time. Nick's Alabang Crew, Ken's Tamarind Road gang, the boys and gal over at Solar Sports, the Pinoy Rounders, and a whole bunch of other afficionados. Gonna be mondo fun.

Too bad Ian's not here. How are the tables over at Macau's new Sands bud?

5:30. 3 hours to go and counting...

Evolution

When the FAPA boys started playing NL Hold 'Em some five months ago, used to be that we'd go through three, sometimes even four rounds of table stakes a night, averaging just under two hours for a round.

You'd have Ricky more often than not being the early big stack, and pushing people out of most pots. Nik would be the "tighty-whitey" and play infrequently, and betting small at that. You'd have calls and raises on all sorts of pocket cards, few of them counting among Phil Helmuth's Top 10 Hands.

That was then.

Now, we'd be lucky to get two rounds in a night. Everyone seems to be playing better, playing smatter. People are questioning their play, questioning the play of others too. Chan even had his existential episode last weekend, which I'm sad to have missed.

That's what poker's all about. Playing, learning, playing some more.

We're glad to have come across Nick G's South Metro Group, and the dude's (and babe) at Solar Sports too. Our wider (and widening) poker world here in Metro Manila now gives us the opportunity to match wits with a diverse group of players, with skills ranging from absolute beginner to expert (BarbieManila's online playing career is an inspiration to many of us. If only we could be that successful online -- and if they'd only take our credit cards!).

More than anything, its playing against people outside our crew that has contributed to our poker education.

Imagine if we never got the chance to play against others, we'd still be raising on 2/4 suited!

We may have lost against our new friends, and we'll probably lose to them again, but that's all part of our tuition fee. Though sometimes, I kick myself for losing as much as I sometimes do. Oh well, tuition fee...

As WPT Champ Antonio Esfandiari says: "If you hit the target every time, that target's too damn big or too damn close."