The bluff that roared, redux

Full Tilt Poker Game #_: $110 + $9 Sit & Go (Turbo) (_), Table 1 - 15/30 - No Limit Hold'em - 1:28:58 ET - 2008/08/20
Seat 1: (1,485)
Seat 2: (1,470)
Seat 3: villain (1,500)
Seat 4: hero (1,500)
Seat 5: (1,500)
Seat 6: (1,545)
Seat 2 posts the small blind of 15
villain posts the big blind of 30
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to hero [Qs Ad]
hero raises to 105
Seat 5 calls 105
Seat 6 folds
Seat 1 folds
Seat 2 folds
villain calls 75
*** FLOP *** [6h 3d 4c]
villain bets 150

We have rockets (wink wink). Let's act like it.

hero raises to 450
Seat 5 folds
villain calls 300
*** TURN *** [6h 3d 4c] [4h]
villain checks

Well, let's continue the charade. I can't believe he'd be here if he didn't have an overpair. Maybe it's a small overpair and I can drive him off it.

hero bets 945, and is all in
villain calls 945, and is all in
hero shows [Qs Ad]
villain shows [8d 5h]

what what WHAT?

A straight draw?!

You called a pre-flop raise with an 8 and a 5 at the beginning of the SnG?!

Of course, the other question is, what's with the hero bluffing his whole stack at the beginning of a SnG? What kind of donkey shit is that? :)

*** RIVER *** [6h 3d 4c 4h] [6c]

None for you!

hero shows two pair, Sixes and Fours
villain shows two pair, Sixes and Fours
hero wins the pot (3,120) with two pair, Sixes and Fours
villain stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3,120 | Rake 0
Board: [6h 3d 4c 4h 6c]
Seat 1: (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: villain (big blind) showed [8d 5h] and lost with two pair, Sixes and Fours
Seat 4: hero showed [Qs Ad] and won (3,120) with two pair, Sixes and Fours
Seat 5: folded on the Flop
Seat 6: didn't bet (folded)

In San Mateo, Poker < Prostitution

You'll recall I blogged about San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies busting a home poker tournament. I've found yet more proof that law enforcement priorities are messed up in San Mateo County: The SM County Sheriff and his undersheriff were recently busted in a Las Vegas massage parlor raid by Las Vegas Police.

Chris Hanson says, "So, what are you doing here?"

Send it... a little...

6th out of 477. $50+$5->$1192.50. Fastest turn-around time between MTT cashes either online or B&M.

I hate this fucking game

That graph is my SnG finish positions for the last two days. 27 percent of the time, I've cashed. 27 percent of the time, I've come in fucking fourth. Makes me want to cry. I can't identify any mistakes at all. I've just gotten totally ass-raped.

Depressing

You know, it's cold decks like this that make me second guess myself so constantly. I spent quite some time building up a nice little stack. And then shit like this happens:

Full Tilt Poker Game #_: Turbo Hundo (_), Table 7 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 3:18:17 ET - 2008/08/12
Seat 1: (1,920)
Seat 2: (1,170)
Seat 3: (1,880)
Seat 4: (2,350)
Seat 5: (1,890)
Seat 6: (1,705)
Seat 7: villain (2,100)
Seat 8: (1,735)
Seat 9: hero (5,250)
Seat 3 posts the small blind of 30
Seat 4 posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to hero [As 5s]
Seat 5 folds
Seat 6 calls 60
villain calls 60
Seat 8 folds

Ok. There are a couple limpers. With a suited ace, the idea is to try and flop at least a flush draw and then see if you can finish it cheaply.

hero calls 60
Seat 1 calls 60
Seat 2 folds
Seat 3 folds
Seat 4 checks
*** FLOP *** [4c 4s Qs]
Seat 4 checks
Seat 6 checks
villain checks

I like to semi-bluff. It disguises the draw so nobody has a clue what it is. A check-call is a dead giveaway.

hero bets 330
Seat 1 folds
Seat 4 folds
Seat 6 folds
villain calls 330
*** TURN *** [4c 4s Qs] [Ks]
villain checks

And there it is. At this point, the villain is pot committed if he has any sort of hand. If he called the flop, I can't see him folding here.

hero bets 4,860, and is all in
villain calls 1,710, and is all in
hero shows [As 5s]
villain shows [4h 4d]

I mean, he sure isn't going to fold having flopped fucking quads.

Uncalled bet of 3,150 returned to hero
*** RIVER *** [4c 4s Qs Ks] [Qd]
hero shows a flush, Ace high
villain shows four of a kind, Fours
villain wins the pot (4,410) with four of a kind, Fours
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,410 | Rake 0
Board: [4c 4s Qs Ks Qd]
Seat 1: folded on the Flop
Seat 2: (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: folded on the Flop
Seat 7: villain showed [4h 4d] and won (4,410) with four of a kind, Fours
Seat 8: didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: hero showed [As 5s] and lost with a flush, Ace high

Tonight has been just a series of either bad beats or coolers. It just drives me fucking bananas.

Send it!

2nd out of 448. $50+$5 -> $3472.00.

That's my best online tournament cash, both in percentage beat and cash. I've done better a couple times at Bay 101, but never online.

Heads-up was brief. We started the last hand almost exactly equal and I went all-in with a king and was called by AJo and neither of us hit. Oh well.

Wha...?

This was very, very early in a 400 player MTT. That, in and of itself, should say something about the result of this hand.

Full Tilt Poker Game #_: Turbo Fiddy (_), Table 25 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 1:21:13 ET - 2008/08/08
Seat 1: Mario (2,037)
Seat 2: (2,685)
Seat 3: (2,610)
Seat 4: hero (4,040)
Seat 5: (2,020)
Seat 6: (3,290)
Seat 7: Luigi (2,460)
Seat 8: (2,165)
Seat 9: (1,670)
Luigi posts the small blind of 40
Seat 8 posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to hero [Kc Jc]
Seat 9 folds
Mario raises to 280
Seat 2 folds
Seat 3 calls 280

Raised in early position and called. Bye.

hero folds
Seat 5 folds
Seat 6 folds
Luigi calls 240
Seat 8 folds
*** FLOP *** [7d 3d 6d]
Luigi checks
Mario bets 560
Seat 3 folds
Luigi calls 560
*** TURN *** [7d 3d 6d] [5c]
Luigi checks
Mario bets 1,197, and is all in

This has to be a big pair or a straight protecting himself from a diamond draw, and the other guy either has the flush or has a flush draw.

Luigi calls 1,197

Mario shows [9h Ah]
Luigi shows [Ts Jd]

Really? There are more than three hundred fifty players remaining. The tournament pays 45. I could almost see Mario representing the big hand. But what's with Luigi? He called with the jack-high flush draw. Setting aside the fact that he's likely a 3:1 dog to make his flush, who says that the jack-high is going to be the best one?

*** RIVER *** [7d 3d 6d 5c] [Qc]
Mario shows Ace Queen high
Luigi shows Queen Jack high
Mario wins the pot (4,434) with Ace Queen high
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,434 | Rake 0
Board: [7d 3d 6d 5c Qc]
Seat 1: Mario showed [9h Ah] and won (4,434) with Ace Queen high
Seat 2: didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: folded on the Flop
Seat 4: hero didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: Luigi (small blind) showed [Ts Jd] and lost with Queen Jack high
Seat 8: (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 9: didn't bet (folded)

Piracy boosts popularity, film at 11.

According to this /. article, the music industries own studies have affirmed the idea that it is better for bands and for the music industry to just give away MP3s and let the resulting increase in popularity drive concert ticket sales.

Gee, you think?

Isn't this the exact same concept as allowing music to be played, more or less, for free on the radio (yes, radio stations pay for music rights, but the amount that they pay is virtually negligible - it certainly pales in comparison to the amount of money spent in promotion) spurs concert ticket sales? According to everything I've ever read about the music industry, bands pretty much just make records for free in the hope that album sales drives concert ticket sales, which is where the average band actually makes their money. What they get out of the "big record deal" isn't money from album sales, it's promotion from the record company that, yes, drives album sales for the record company, but also drives concert revenue for the band.

As for me, the last CD I bought was National Lampoon's "That's not funny, that's sick," which was actually a record first released in 1977. I bought it about 3 years ago, promptly ripped it into iTunes and filed the plastic in the garage. Apart from that, for about the last 5 years or so all the music I've bought has been either DRM-free iTunes plus AACs from iTunes, MP3s from Amazon, or when absolutely necessary iTunes DRMed tracks (but only when there is software available to easily strip the DRM. And, no, burning a CD and ripping that doesn't count).

TV reception and black magic

Well, I spent some more time fiddling with the antennas. I've actually turned the VHF beam southeast to try and pick up KSBW and KCBA (Salinas) from Fremont Peak. Here's where things stand:

DTV stations that come in perfectly, with no issues: KPIX, KQED, KBCW, KICU, KCSM, KTEH, KKPX, KCNS, KSTS, KTSF, KGO, KMTP, KBWB, KFSF, KNTV

DTV stations that are marginal - most of the time they're fine, but sometimes they pixelate or drop out: KRON, KTVU, KDTV.

DTV stations that come in at least sometimes, but are not 100% coverage: KSBW, KCBA, KRCB.

DTV stations that don't come in at all, but I don't see why not: KTLN, KTNC.

If I go up to the roof and aim the UHF a little bit more northerly from where it is now, KRCB, KTLN and KTNC seems to come in a little better, but KTVU and KRON start getting more marginal. We're talking about maybe 5 degrees, with an antenna whose half power beam-width is more like 30 degrees.

The only thing I can think of is that perhaps the pre-amp is being overloaded and that it's pushing the weaker signals down a little. If that's the case, then the analog shutdown next February will help somewhat.

The shutdown will certainly help KSBW and KCBA, which currently suffer co-channel interference from KXTV-TV and KOVR-TV. We also will likely be able to pick up KAXT-LD. At the moment, KAXT-LD is co-channel with KTNC-TV. One worry is that KRCB-DT is going to be co-channel with KMUV-LP, but fortunately it will be in the opposite direction, so the antenna's front-to-back ratio should bury it. The bad part about that is that we will have no chance at all of picking up the other UHF channels from Fremont Peak: KQET and KSMS. But KQET is redundant if you can receive KQED and KTEH already (KQET-1 is the same as KQED-1, KQET-2 is the same as KTEH-1 and KQET-3 is V-Me, which is on KTEH-5), and KSMS is a Univision affiliate like KDTV.