Archive for the 'Have Fun' Category

Hole Card Reactions

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

One thing that anyone who knows me will tell you is that I am not a patient poker player. This influences all aspects of my life to some extent, and casino games and poker is no exception. For the first few years that I played poker, I would eagerly snap up each card as it was dealt to me, and immediately start planning my next move. After a while, though, I realized that I was cutting off one of my supplies of information.

One of the earliest ways to get a read on your opponents is to watch around the table as everyone looks at their cards. As you look around the table, take note of how the other players react to their cards and then compare it to how they bet. If the hand plays out and you get to see their hands, make a mental note attaching their reaction to the strength of that hand. The more you pay attention, the better you’ll be at reading hands before the flop.

Your cards aren’t going to get any better or worse if look at it a bit later, and when you do, you’ll have a better idea of how to use them to rake in a few chips. Being selective and aggressive

Exploiting Tight Play as the Bubble Arrives

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Often, late in poker tournaments, and especially as the bubble arrives to decide who and who will not get paid, amateur and less ambitious players will begin to tighten up to protect their stacks and their ideological pocket books to make sure that they at least ‘get their money back’ on the event. Even in poker games where the buy in was two bucks or something paltry, while the first prize is something much more significant, in the many hundreds or even thousands, these players will tighten up and begin to play less aggressive poker, in the mind set of waiting until after they’ve made the money before they put their tournament life on the line, no matter what.

I always find myself quite confused over players who will fold and fold their way trying to make a couple bucks. Are they really that desperate for coffee money?

In the face of this kind of give away, players who are more interested in going deep than in merely cashing are presented with a great opportunity to not only steal blinds, but to push harder than they might with a wider range of hands. Knowing that your opponent is only going to show down with a huge hand, and the slim odds of that hand arriving, not to mention the highly escalated blinds that are usually in place by the time the bubble is eminent, make stealing during this time a great time to essentially pick up free money. Being more willing to raise more often, especially in position, and to apply pressure in the face of weakness, with an equal conception that when you know you’re beat, becomes a great tool for the more ambitious rather than the meek.

Thanksgiving Chutney Recipe

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
Not sure what to serve this Thanksgiving. This cranberry chutney recipe is great to serve with turkey leftovers on sandwiches or year round but it makes a great addition to any Thanksgiving dinner menu.
Ingredients
  • 1 Granny Smith apple
  • 1 medium lemon
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 3 cups fresh cranberries
  • 3 tbs white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne
Steps
  • Halve and core the apple (peeled first, if you prefer) and dice it into small pieces, about 1 1/2 cups.
  • Pare 10 or so thin strips of peel from the lemon with a zester or paring knife, then trim off the ends and cut the lemon lengthwise into quarters. Cut each quarter into thin (1/4-inch) triangles.
  • Pour the orange juice and cranberries into a sturdy 2 or 3-quart saucepan and set over medium-high heat.
  • Add the apple and lemon pieces, the strips of lemon peel, vinegar, and seasonings, and stir all together. Cover the pan and bring to the boil over high heat.
  • Stir the ingredients, reduce the heat to medium, and cook covered for about 5 minutes, until all the cranberries have burst.
  • Uncover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer for another 4 or 5 minutes, until the chutney is thick. Taste and stir in small amounts more vinegar, sugar, salt, or cayenne, as you like.
  • Cool to room temperature before serving. The chutney will keep in the refrigerator several weeks, or longer if you freeze it.

Friendly Poker Jousting

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

There are many things I like about online poker, most notably its convenience. You don’t have to travel to a brick and mortar casino, which could be several hours away depending on where you live, and can instead play on the comfort of your own couch sitting in your boxers.

But one thing I like about playing in a online casino is the camaraderie you get with some players while sitting at the table. My usual poker session at a casino is about 8 hours, and during that time one can engage in a lot of witty, funny banter with other players, provided you are at a table with good people.

I’m reminded of one notable table friendship I struck up playing poker at a casino a few years ago. Me and the guy sitting to my left, whose name I forgot long ago, each lost several hands with pocket jacks over the course of a few hours. It became a running joke during the course of the afternoon, each of us intermittently losing with pocket jacks and laughing about it.

There was one hand near the end of my playing session where me and this fellow were the only two in the hand. We got to the river and I was holding pocket tens, I don’t remember what was on the board, but they were all lower cards. Anyway, he bet and I called. I turned over my tens, hoping I would take down the small sized pot. My table acquaintance had a small grin on his face and turned over, what else, but pocket jacks.

Though I lost a small pot that hand, the good laugh we had at that almost made it worth it. Almost.

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Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

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