Emotion Can Yield Bad Things

This will come as a shock to no one, but let me say it: I am emotional. Or shall I say volatile. Like potassium metal. Poker is a very unemotional game at its heart, but it is easy to get excited during the course of the game. Why do you think tells are so powerful in live games? I can get emotional when any or all of the following happen:

• I get a bad beat.
• I lay a bad beat on someone.
• I get dealt A-A, K-K, or A-K.
• I haven't seen a good hand in a very long while.
  
• I see someone playing horribly, and I terribly want to exploit them.
• I believe I am the best player at the table.
• I believe I am the worst player at the table.
• I get moved to a new table after finally getting comfortable where I am.
  
• A dealer breaks a known rule, and won't admit it.
• The moon is aligned with Mars.
  

Sometimes emotion makes me play horribly (tilt), while other times it drives me. I'd like to think that I get emotional a lot less than I used to, but I can stilll go over the edge without much effort. Tonight it happened. Again.

Usually, I keep a level head, even when I'm dealt a pretty big hand. I try to figure out the best way to play it most of the time, but tonight I didn't think about it enough. I was playing in my usual poker tournament on Tuesday nights at Ameristar in Kansas City, and I was down to just under the starting amount of chips, or about 2400. The blinds were at 50-100, so I had an M of about 17, give or take, but 20 minute blinds will eat you alive. And fast. I was sitting at the table with a bunch of average players, and I didn't feel particularly threatened. The guy under the gun made a standard raise to 300. It folds around to me, about 4th to act behind him in middle position, and I look down at:

A-K

I don't know why, but I immediately threw folding out of my mix of options. I could put 1/8th of my stack in and call, and hope that no one behind me pushes, or I can just push all in myself, as I really can't make a standard re-raise of half my chips. I'd rather put my opponent to the test. So I pushed. "All In." Pretty standard, right?

Well, there was a big tell that I usally would pick up on, but for some reason I didn't. This guy who had initially raised looked at me, and he said, "I want some action." He was under the gun, and raised, which is usually a sign of pretty good strength, but those words probably should have given my pause. But emotion can make a person crazy at the table. So crazy that I didn't really stop to consider what he might have in this spot. I just hoped he'd lay it down, and we'd move on to the next hand.

Well, he instantly called when it got back around to him, and can I tell you that I was really hoping that he'd flip over K-K, as I know I was way behind, and that would have given me the best shot to win (about 32% or so). But nope. It was the cooler:

A-A

My equity is about 15% in that spot, and I got to pack my bags and go home.

This really isn't a bad beat story. It is an anecdote to remember to give pause and truly consider your opponents cards and everything about the play you are making. Don't just shove and pray. It spells disaster about 67.34235254% of the time.

September Las Vegas Trip

So, in between jobs again, I decided to try to go play poker on another trip. After looking around on various travel sites, I decided that trips to Foxwoods and Atlantic City weren't economically feasible on one week's notice. So, a trip to tripres.com and a sense of adventure led me to the Palace Station. Round trip and hotel for 6 nights was $286! That cannot be beat. The hotel even had a free airport and strip shuttle. It definitely was a trip on a budget, but I'm really glad I went.

I woke up every morning I was there, and I took the shuttle to the strip. I then walked the rest of the day everywhere I needed to go, which probably amounted to about 25 miles for the week. The different tournaments I played in included:

• The Venetian, noon, 7500 starting chips, $150 (best deal in Vegas poker)
  
• Planet Hollywood, 2pm, 3500 starting chips, $80
  
• Sahara, 7pm and 11pm, 6500 starting chips, $45 + $20 rebuy
  
• Treasure Island, 7pm bounty, 4500 starting chips, $65
  
• Treasure Island, 10pm, 3500 starting chips, $120 ($50 for bounty

Even though I went alone this trip, as Michaela was very busy with her surgery rotation, I still managed to find a few interesting anecdotes to share.

I played in a Treasure Island tournament at 10pm one night, and I felt like I was playing very well. Ultimately, it got down to the last 9 or so out of the starting 35, and I had a rather drunk gal to my left who pushed all-in with any ace, no matter how many times the original blind/raise was. She would make click (double) or standard raises with pocket pairs, but the push meant any ace, including a whopping 3 to go with it. To top it off, this drunk gal was very beligerant. It was becoming comical, in fact. She told me on several occasions, "I hate you" repeatedly. She was paranoid that those around her were talking about her (they were, and so would you have, but I didn't have the heart to tell her that). Utlimately, I folded hands as big as pocket 9's to her pre-flop all-in antics, and that wasn't pleasant. Especially when I figured to be a favorite against her range. I just wasn't willing to take the chance.

Well, when it got down to 4-handed, the beligerance became nearly unbearable. The rest of us were simply trying to find a way to take her out, though this was unspoken. Finally, I took out the other two people, and it was down to me and the drunk chick. Oh, and she was getting drunker. She then asked if she could use the bathroom, but when I asked the floor if they would stop the clock, they ruled no, so I said, "Sorry. I'm not going to let the blinds go up while you are gone. You'll have to stay until break." I thought she would blow a gasket. I knew there was about 45 minutes until the next break, and it would be damn near impossible for her to wait that long.

She finally gave in, and while she was gone, the dealers quickly dealt a few hands that I got to win uncontested. That put us back to even chips, and from there, I simply outplayed her, and I won outright. Trust me, her pleas for a chop prior to her restroom break were tempting, especially considering her A-anything antics, but I held out, and I was rewarded, with about $200 additional dollars. For some reason I felt bad afterward, and I offered to buy her a drink at the bar right next to the poker room. She brought her friend, Tyler, and introduced herself as Marla.

Tyler plays a bunch of poker, and it was really cool to chat with him about his passion for the game as well. The ends often justify the means, and although it was a hell of a journey to get to this future friendship, it was worth it. Tyler and I hung out together a lot of the rest of the week, in fact, though Marla had to go home.

Tyler invited me to play in my first bounty tournament the next day at Treasure Island. It was different, as I received a $50 reward for knocking any player out of the tournament. I did so once, but unfortunately, Tyler was sitting directly to my left, and his high level of agression got me aggrevated quickly, and I soon was out of the tournament. Emotionality is usally a bad thing in poker, and although I attempt breathing excersises and avoiding confrontation, I still cannot control it 100%. Oh, well.

There were a lot of Brits that I played with that week, but there was particular guy named Daniel that I met that was very memorable. I played with him on day 2 at the Sahara, and he was sitting to my right. I try to make friends with those around me at a poker table, both to pass the time and prevent major clashes (or induce them, if they are the hyper-drunks I talked about earlier). But Daniel was different. He was a good player. He was very thoughtful about parts of the game that most players aren't, like players to act behind them, chip stacks, etc. I knew I didn't want to clash with him, and fortunately, I didn't have to do so, at least that night.

I then saw Daniel at a subsequent Venetian tournament, and we were at the same table again. Again, my strategy remained the same. This guy limps with a lot of big hands, but it seemed he did it more out of fear than from some kind of trapping mentality. Again, I didn't have to butt heads with him, and I ended up bubbling in that tournament.

Well, the third time I saw him was at a Planet Hollywood tournament, and he was seated to my immediate left. I wasn't thrilled about the prospect, but he wasn't going to be the source of my chips at that table anyway, so I decided not to worry about it.

My activity increased, though, and I think he started to paint me as a loose- or maybe even crazy-aggressive. I try to find as many stealing opportunties as possible in tournaments, and I think he was starting to pick up on that and get frustrated. And then the blow-up occurred.

I was the small blind, and he was big. As soon as he posted, he looked at me and said, "I'm going all-in no matter what on this hand." I guess he was simultaneously frustrated and feeling short-stacked. The action folded around to me, and I looked down at A-9 offsuit. I knew Daniel hadn't looked at his hand, and I thought two things could happen:

1. I'd go all in, and he'd call blind, in which case I would probably be at least a 60% favorite.
2. I'd go all in, and he'd fold, and his frustration would increase even more.

I didn't have enough chips to make a standard raise, so I went ahead and pushed. Daniel instantly called, and he flipped over 2-7 offsuit. Classic. Total tilt. Luckily, A-9 held up, and I raked a pretty substantial pot.

Later, at a break, he was still there, as his dad was also at our table earlier, which I think was getting him off his game even farther (this despite his line of "Nothing gets me off my game." No one is immune). Ultimately, all three of us hopped in their car and went to the Orleans for TGI Friday's and another tournament. We discussed hands along the way, and I tried to explain my logic of why I went all in on that hand. I then got a glimpse into the powerful thing that is poker psychology. I really learned that both Daniel and his father are insanely pessimistic about their results. Here are a few of the thoughts I heard (paraphrased):

• You should never push all-in when you suspect your American opponent has a flush draw on the flop, as they'll always call (even though you are a 66% favorite assuming they have no other outs).
  
• Pocket aces always get cracked.
• The river is always where your awesome hand gets sucked out. We should just play with four community cards.

I told them that their pessimistic thinking was probably causing them to play badly, and that they needed to read the Psychology of Poker to learn about these mentalities that are wearing on them. They were extremely nice people, though, and I was very glad to have met a few new friends in Vegas. I hope to run into them again someday, as I'm positive that if they can get over this chronic pessimism and easy tilt, that they'll end up as great poker players as well.

Every night, after I was finished for the day, I would walk back to my hotel. Here's a tip: don't walk on Industrial Rd or Highland when it is about 2am alone with lots of cash on you. The low-class strip clubs combined with the thuggish druggies who wander the streets generally yield bad things. I did make it back to the hotel ok, but I gradually started walking the more safe route of using the well-lit strip most of the way, and taking Sahara all the way over to the Station. I put a lot of miles on my legs, and I lost about 8 pounds in a week. Nice.

Desperation, Fear, and Implied Collusion

Here's a scenario that every tournament player should always be aware of: blinds and antes are constantly going up, and they are often rising faster than the average stack in the tournament. Eventually, especially if you sit back and wait for pocket aces to play, you'll ultimately have all your chips swallowed by the inevitable costs to play.

Well, there is something else to consider. In a tournament, you never want to enter a desperation stage, as that is when the wolves at the table will circle around you and silently collude in order to watch you croak. When Dan Harringon talks about "M", or the number of times you can go around the table paying only blinds and antes before you fall out of the tournament, he talks about different zones, or levels of M, where you should act differently for proper tournament strategy.

Well, I think a lot of it boils down to this: installing fear in your opponents is very, very important. It is always easier to win a pot uncontested than to win one that goes to showdown on the river. Therefore, you want to avoid that situation as much as possible. So, establishing a tight image and pushing with any two cards while the chips still scare opponents is a very important concept. They don't want to lose their chips, and when your M gets too low, the cost to them will be insignificant. Never reach this point. It is very important that you consider pushing with a very, very wide range of hands when your chips can still intimidate and you are short, stacked. An M of 3 is often quoted as the desperation point, so well before then, you need to start pushing.

The risk of being knocked out of the tournament is obviously present, but your risk is enormously greater for waiting and hoping for a favorable result with your inevitable short stack shove and subsequent call by a vulture. Be proactive. Push your opponents out of pots while you still can.

Vegas Wrap Up

I never did get a chance to post the end of my experiences in Vegas. So, here goes.

Here's a tip: No matter how cheap the price is, never, ever stay at the Golden Gate Hotel on Fremont Street, especially in a non-smoking room. I needed to book an extra day or two so that I could play in the Binion's monthly qualifying tournament (if you won any tourney during the month, you got to play in this freeroll for a jackpot consisting of a dollar or two from everyone's entries for the month). Well, I booked the Golden Gate, and since I had stayed at three different downtown hotels, which aren't notorioiusly the nicest and/or cleanest, but still remained unbothered, that I'd go for the cheapest I could find on short notice.

Well, the Golden Gate only has a few non-smoking rooms (like 4, maybe?). I had called the night before to confirm a non-smoking room, and they said yes, but when I arrived, they said they had none left. I insisted that they give me one, and finally they did, but only after some arm twisting. I got to my room, and it appeared fine. In fact, I thought I had gotten a real bargain! The fixtures were a bit outdated, but come on! I'm in Vegas. Who cares, as I'm only going to be in my room for about 9 hours a day. Right?

Wrong. Once I tried to fall asleep, I heard a repeating, very loud thunk outside, about every 15 minutes. All night. Turns out that there was a garbage dump and chute system right below my window. Wonderful. It made for a fabulously tiring last couple of days in Vegas, and it probably helped me to lose miserably. But no sleep is curable with a shower. Right?

Wrong again. Since the plumbing of the oldest hotel in Vegas is approximately 100 years old, it makes for some wonderfully unpleasant fluctuations in water temperature. Any sink, toilet, or shower that was used in another room instantly changed the water temperature around 100 degrees. It was awesome! I would wait for it to dip to near room temperature and quickly attempt to rinse my face, only to have the water scald my scalp at 200 degrees. Oh, and the pressure would change as well. I hated it.

My Binion's freeroll was a joke, as we only had like 2000 in starting chips with 15 minute blinds and about 70 players. Everyone was pushing chips around like they weren't meaningful, as it was a freeroll. I was out about 1 hour into it, when my 10s didn't hold up against another player's A-Q. He had been raising constantly, and I finally just took a stand. And then I lost. Oh, well.

I then drove home and started my search for a job. Needless to say, it was disappointing to leave, as I really enjoyed it, but Vegas can really wear on you after a short while, and since I was there until May 5, it was a lot longer than a short while...

The blog is back!

Good things come to those who are patient. Today, alanvoss.com became available (after some advertising page ass swallowed it for the first part of the year). It is now mine. All mine. God Bless America.

Well, after obtaining the domain from wonderful domain registrar godaddy.com, I decided that I needed to bring back my blog, as I hadn't posted in a while, and my previous poker blog site, mypokerblog.net, had to close down due to excessive spamming. The guy who runs the site, Stefan Klopp, was really cool and sent me all of my posts for which I didn't have backups (thanks to Bryan Cox as well for sending me his RSS feed copies). Between the two, I was able to piece together pretty much everything but the comments, which unfortunately are permanently history, I think.

Google's blogger is better anyway, though, as I can do my domain hosting and have automatic web-crawling of my site, which can do nothing but good things for my publicity.

So, here's to the new blog!