GSO crew

To come..

2006-01-25T05:01:00.000-05:00

I'm planning on starting to post some tournament reports on at least a weekly basis. I feel that tournaments are one of the strong points in my game. Also, very few people understand how to approach a tournament. Even strong side game players become chip dumpers when they enter a tournament. These reports will give you an in-depth insight into some critical decisions that make or break a tournament.

Plugging the Leaks: Eliminating Costly Mistakes

2006-01-25T02:25:00.000-05:00

It has been my experience that the line between a mediocore break-even player and a consistent winner is very fine. It all comes down to who makes the least mistakes, especially at the low-limit tables. Each mistake you make, no matter how small, will gradually suck the life out of your bankroll. Hopefully this article will give you a glimpse into how to cut-out these costly mis-steps.

Mistake #1: Playing too many hands

This is by far the biggest mistake anyone can make at the poker table. Phil Hellmuth said it best, "If tight is right, then very tight is very right." Everytime you limp in with K-x suited, or even worse, call a raise with one of these hands, you are doing little more than dumping money. Are you hoping to flop a flush draw? These hit only 1 in 3 times that you are "lucky" enough to flop them. In addition, drawing hands can get very expensive, especially in no-limit. The math just doesn't add-up. Stick to the top tier hands, 9's or better, AK and AQs, and you will have a good chance at showing a profit.

Mistake #2: Playing hands out of position

Poker in general is a game of aggression and position. When playing from up front (the first three spots to the left of the blinds at a full table), you really have to tighten up your starting requirements. Your hand has to be able to hold up to the rest of the table. When you raise from 1st position, you leave yourself open to being re-raised from the 8 or 9 people who are still left to act. In a full ring-game, I will often throw away a hand as strong as AQ from up front. If I open the pot and someone pops me back, my hand is not playable and I have just lost money. Limp-calling isn't a viable option because it is just a weak play and most times you will be behind going into the flop. If you are in middle and late position, you can loosen up your starting requirements. Being in position can be a huge advantage if you use it correctly.

Mistake #3: Not understanding the "Gap Concept"

The "Gap Concept," while usually refrenced in a tournament setting, can be applied to cash tables as well. Simply stated, it takes a stronger hand to call a raise than to raise with. The "gap" between callable hands and raising hands is determined by who opens the pot. If a loose-aggressive player opens from the button, I might pop them back with a hand as weak as AT or KQ. However, if the raise is coming from a tight player in first position, I will throw away hands such as TT or AQs. Calling with these hands will only lead to trouble. The following is a hand taken from a local 2/5 no-limit game. I opened the pot from first position with KK, making it $25 to go. A loose-weak player called from the button and the flop came down J-9-2 rainbow. I led at the pot for $45. I was quickly raised for $65 more. I studied and moved in for $200 more and was quickly called by AJs. I raked the big pot, I heard the muttering. "What was I supposed to do, I had ace-jack suited," he groaned. If he had simply understood this concept, he could have saved himself over $300.

Mistake #4: Trying to bluff at a low-limit table

It is a simple fact. You cannot bluff, at least successfully, at these tables. They are too bad and will call you down with a mediocore hand that a good player can release. So save yourself the frustration, and more importanly the money. Play these players straight up. Doyle Brunson talks about this in his Super System. Bad players won't notice subtle set-up plays that lead to well-executed bluffs. So keep it simple with these players.

Playing good poker is all about minimizing mistakes - plugging the leaks. The topics I listed will help you play a basic, solid game, that will win money in low-limit poker. Occasionally you will need to mix-up your play so you won't become predictable, but that's another column. So for now, "tight is right."

Tournament reports and hand histories to come.

Triumphant Return

2006-01-24T04:11:00.000-05:00

It has been entirely too long since this site has seen an update. Many things are going on in the world of the crew and this site needs to be brought back in full force. Crew member Starkey, aka Hovah, as given up on school for the moment and is consistently banking dimes. After making a final table at a WSOP circuit event, he is in Atlantic City playing the Borgata Open as we speak. Crew member DP had a huge December, upgrading the on-line set-up to include a flat screen monitor. I have also been on a recent tear, making 7 final tables in three weeks, including a win in a $100 NL HE event. I've also started in a marketing position with Cardplayer Magazine that should be a good deal. Here are some other things that are going on:

1) the Pascale Poker Club: still in the works but it should be tight when it is up and running. There have already been a few private tournaments but I think it is definately going to expand.

2) Google Search Bar: set our website as your default search engine; it uses Google but pays us commision; commission= freeroll tournys and give-aways

3) Google Ads: same as the Google Search Bar, when you're browsing, just give them a look

4) Article ideas: My new position with Cardplayer allows me to submit articles for publication. Any ideas you guys post that get published will earn some nice rewards.

5) Paradise Poker: I've recently discovered some great bonuses and soft play so I've set up an affiliate program that will be run through the site. Be sure and check it out.

I thought of things are going to be happening in the next couple of weeks so keep checking back. The more people we can draw to the site, the more things we can do for you guys (ie. free merchandise, free roll tournys, etc.)

A Way To Approximate The Odds

2005-07-05T17:17:00.000-04:00

It is very difficult to calculate the exact odds of hitting a drawing hand when you're sitting at the poker table. Unless you're a genius with a gift for mathematics like Chris Ferguson, you will not be able to do it. That leaves two options for the rest of us: The first option is to sit at home with a calculator, figure out the odds for every possible combination of draws, and then memorize them. That way, no matter what situation comes up, you always know the odds. But for those of us without a perfect memory, there's an easier way. Here is a simple trick for estimating those odds. The first thing you need to do is to figure out how many "outs" you have. An "out" is any card that gives you a made hand. To do this, simply count the number of cards available that give the hand you are drawing to. For example: suppose you hold Ac 8c and the flop comes Qh 9c 4c. You have a flush draw. There are thirteen clubs in the deck and you are looking at four of them -- the two in your hand, and the two on the board. That leaves nine clubs left in the deck, and two chances to hit one. The trick to figuring out the approximate percentage chance of hitting the flush is to multiply your outs times the number of chances to hit it. In this case that would be nine outs multiplied by two chances, or eighteen. Then take that number, multiply times two, and add a percentage sign. The approximate percentage of the time you will make the flush is 36%. (The exact percentage is 34.97%.) Now let's say that on that same flop you hold the Jd Th. In this case you would have an open ended straight draw with eight outs to hit the straight (four kings and four eights). Eight outs with two cards to come gives you sixteen outs. Multiply times two and you will hit the straight approximately 32% (31.46% exactly) of the time. One important thing to keep in mind is that the percentage stated is merely the percentage of the time that you will hit the hand you are drawing to, NOT the percentage of time that you will win the pot. You may hit your hand and still lose. In the first example, the Qc will pair the board and may give somearticle a full house. In the second example both the Kc and the 8c will put a possible flush on the board, giving you the straight, but not necessarily the winning hand. Still, knowing the approximate likelihood of making your hand is a good beginning step on the road to better poker. Hopefully this will be helpful for those of us who aren't as mathmatically gifted

Redemption in the PokerStars $100 NL HE event

2005-07-04T02:45:00.000-04:00

In my recent post entitled "When is it right to flip it?," I proclaimed that I made quite possibly the worst play I've made in a long time. So when I found myself 2 out of 49 remaining at the 2 hour break I vowed to redeem myself. The tournament began with me taking a 1000 chip pot down with TT on a ten high flop about 3 hands in. From there I began slowly grinding my stack up until I found myself becoming a little bit short stacked about an hour and a half in with 4K in chips. Middle position opened the pot and I looked at 77 and decided that I had to win a race sometime. Of course what I wasn't planning on was being up against JJ. The poker gods, however, smiled upon me as a 7 spiked the turn. Bam!! I have just under 9K in chips. Another huge hand would occur just before the 2nd break. I pick up QdJd on the button. With only the cut-off seat limping before me I pump it up. The BB calls and the cut-off folds. I immediately vow to not overplay my hand and risk a large portion of my above average stack. The flop comes K Q 2 and the BB checks to me. I decide to not follow through with a bet on the flop and check. Then BAM, a queen spikes the turn. I play slow in hopes of winning a bluff bet on the river from the BB. For added insurance, a J comes on the river for a final board of K Q 2 Q J. The big blind leads out for 1200 into 4K pot. I ponder if my opponent is working with KQ but at this late stage I'm willing to risk that. I raise to 4K to go and get an immediate call by T9. Nice call preflop sir, ship it. Play resumes after the 2nd break and I screw down and don't get involved in too many notable pots, minus a couple of shoves with big pairs and no calls. So I basically blind myself to the money and find myself short staked with about 12K in chips and 16th out of 17 remaining. With the blinds at 1K/2K, I shove under the gun with 66 and am called by AT. A T spikes the flop and I am done. Nice hand sir. All and all I am pleased at my performance, finishing 17th out of 247 of the best players on the site, including the great AppSt2004 (who finished out of the money). I do regret that I went card dead after the 2nd break. One big pot and I would have been able to coast to a final table and a bigger chunk of the 15K prize pool. Be sure to check out the new link to TripJax.com. Keep reppin' the GSO poker scene sir! More updates to come...

Just a little story...

2005-07-02T14:23:00.000-04:00

Recently while at a 2/4 tbl on PokerStars I find myself in this hand. Middle position, who I've never played with, limps and it then folds to me on the button. I opt to BP-it with 88 making it 16 to go. The blinds fold and now it's on friend limper. He goes into the tank and digs down deep, leaving himself $48 in play. The flop comes down 9 3 2. He checks to me and I feel that my 88 is probably the best hand so I move in on him and he quickly calls. Turn 3, river 7. I muck after he shows Qd9d. I guess I can't argue that I was bad beat becuase the math doesn't lie. But I just fail to understand how you can limp-call a considerable portion of your stack with Q9 suited. I hate getting beat by idiots who make losing calls and get rewarded.

Friends of the crew make WSOP FT's...

2005-06-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

you may have noticed that Johnny Chan won the $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'Em event... what you may not have noticed is that ashok surapenini was the chip leader going into the final table and finished 8th overall.. ashok was my year at Penn, and I played in friendly 1/2, 2/4 NL and PL games with him a couple of times. ashok paid for his college tuition playing 20/40, 40/80, and 60/120 limit hold'em in AC.

Twilight Zone

2005-06-27T17:39:00.000-04:00

The GSO crew needs to clarify the details of crew, anti-crew, and friends. I've seen too many people say their friends but then put a move on this so-called "friend". The crew consists of the members on this website. Individuals that want to be crew and say that they are friends but then put a move on one of the crew members are nothing but "not friends, not friends, not friends." From this day forth, any individual that claims to be friends with the crew but then puts a move on the crew will be considered anti-crew for all eternity. To clarify, there is a difference between someone who is anti-crew and someone who is a poker friend and puts a move on a crew member. There are many regulars that sit with crew members and are friends with them but will still put moves on the crew (and vice versa). This type player is not anti-crew. He/she is just a poker friend/player. Let it be known, anyone who is anti-crew should watch out because their bankrolls are at stake...

NYC Poker Club Stories

2005-06-27T16:50:00.000-04:00

Game: 1/2 NL, Max buy in = $300. We are 3-4 hours in. Avg. Stack at time = $800

Been playing tight all night, couldn't get comfortable with many hands all night given the consistent pre-flop action and overall alck of quality cards. Pick up KhQh in BB, 1 limper in early position, 1 limper in middle position, button limps, SB makes a pointless raise to $10, i call, first 2 limpers call, button who originally limped decides to pretend he limped with a hand and makes it $50, SB calls, I see guy to my left grabbing his chips to call, I decide to call to get 4 way action with KQs... Flop Qc 2d 7d. SB checks, I check, checks around to button... who bets out $200. $200!!!! Did he really limp with AQ KK or AA on the button, no fucking way... I push, $175 on top of his $200. He says "guess I'm pot committed and have to call", calls and flips Q9 off. Nice hand sir. My hand holds up. Nice $950 pot.

Played this game from 8 pm - 2 am, won 4 pots, doubled up in 2 of them, ended up about $450. Not bad given shit cards I got all night.

Next night...

Game: 1/3 NL, max buy in = $400. 6 handed, Big stack has $2,000, avg stack is about $900.

Again I'm playing tight as shit, after 3 limpers, I make it $35 on button with AsKs, 1 caller... flop Kc 10s 2s. Nice flop sir. Checks to me, I decide to make THE overbet, and push him all in for $260 (he was short stack at table and was getting frustrated). He calls immediately with QsJc. Pulled an A on the turn, blank on river. Outplayed is outplayed. Not a terrible beat, but it pissed the shit out of me... No way he can think he has 8 clean outs.. I either have AK, AA or spades with an A. I tell him that, and he says "dude you could have had KQ".... guess that's why he called preflop with QJ off.. what an asshole.

A little later.. AcKd on button again, i make it $25 after 4 people limp, 2 callers, flop Kc 5c 5d, checks to me, i decide to be tricky and check, turn 7s, checks to me again, I'm getting greedy and decide I can catch one of these overaggressive shits who will stab at the river and check again... river is 10h, complete blank... same QJ off asshole bets out $15 and i decide i decide to make a value raise, $45 straight... he takes a stack of greens and tosses them in, its about $250 on top.. god damn it this sucks, I could have just called the $15...does he really have me beat? TT? 77? 45s? 56s A5s? or does he just know I'm a tight player who checked twice, has bet out his made hands all night, and think I'll fold without a 5 or boat? I think for 60-90 minutes, announce that I'm a big pussy and fold, saying I have a big K and show my A... he flips 5s5h.. whoaaaa. guy on other end of the table turns to him and says "way to win the minimum". 5555 was pissed.

Drunk kid, about 24 walks in around 2:30 am, starts throwing chips around, making it like $30-$60 pre flop with all sorts of trash like ATo and Q4s.... he had caught some hands and doubled up in like 30 minutes... i call $20 preflop bet from big stack ($2000+ in front) with 5s5h, drunk kid makes it $50, i call $30 more praying for a set... flop 4h 6s 7d.. big stack checks, i check, drunk kid goes all in for like $700.. shitty situation again, he did this before with AToff - no draw - so i could be way ahead... but even if he had AA i probably have 10 outs... hadn't been gambling all night and was gonna be really pissed if I played solid all night, but decided to gamble at 3 am and lost my stack... so i show him my cards and ask himif that scares him... im just trying to get a read... and I get a really good one when he flips over QQ.. i fold.. thanks buddy.

QJ off guy from above lost his stack later... he had KdQd raised to $25 under the gun, another idiot made it $75 with KsQs... he pushes for $450 on top... im sure this is KK vs AA or some shit like that... the other guy says, "i think i have two overs and CALLS $450 more with KsQs... two people putting in $525 each preflop with KdQd and KsQs????

Flop: Jh 7d 3s

Turn: 2s

River: 7s

sucks...

Is second pair good???

2005-06-27T11:48:00.000-04:00

Last night at the $2/$5 game I was put in a situation where I had to make a pretty tough call. In the big blind I'm looking at Tc9s with one limper and the SB. The flop brings 3d 5c 2d. The SB checks, I check, and the limper, who has a lot of chips and has been betting out all night, bets $15. The SB calls, so I put him on a diamond, straight draw, or a weak pair, so I call hoping to be able to make a move if the draws miss. The turn brings my T, but it completes the flushdraw. So the board is [3d 5c 2d Td] SB checks, I check, and the action player bets out 15 again. The SB folds, so I guess he wasn't on diamonds, and I still don't figure the bettor for diamonds since he bet that flop out. I call. The river brings a seemingly safe card...the Kc. I check. The bettor reaches down to his stack, fumbles around with his chips and pulls out $50. I hit the think tank and decide there is a good chance he is making a move on me. $15, $15, $50? Did the K really help him? If so, nice hand, but I can't really see him betting out his flush draw, then betting it out when it hit, and betting it really hard on the river. I call with second pair, 9 kicker, and he mucks before I even show my hand. I guess it was good.

The Comeback

2005-06-24T21:56:00.000-04:00

So I'm in a midday $20+2 tourney at Pokerstars, courtesy of a day off at the new Crew hangout, Tripps. See AK in middle position, sitting with a decent amount of chips. One limper in front of me, and I make it 300 to go with the blindsat 50/100. One guy in the blinds calls, as well as the limper. The flop came J high; I don't remember quite how the betting went, but I ended up pushing all in - and getting two calls, as the guys had QJ and J 10, respectively. Bam, tournament over. Down to 90 chips. Next hand see AK again; great! So I call, without enough chips to raise, and it folds around to the big blind, who has 3 7. The flop comes 7 high, a great way to end my day. But the turn brings a K, and hope. I take the 230 chip pot. Next hand: JJ. I push all in, of course, and get three callers. Great, no way it holds. But the flop is 6 high, very friendly. A3 flops a pair, but can't pull out an A or 3. Now I have almost 1000 chips. Who knows, might be able to do something. Next came a push with 77; J9 called, and my coinflip held up. The hands, and chips, kept coming. I dodged badbeats all the way back to a decent position, and went from there, at one point sitting 1st of 14. So in the end I netted a 5th place finish in a $20 +2 tourney. The payout was certainly welcome, $500. Coinflip victories at the final table let me finish that high, instead of 7th or 8th, and make a couple hundred more dollars. Now onto other matters. The most interesting character in the tournament, who I was at a table with several times in the latter stages of the tournament, was a guy named Anthony (plus some numbers or letters or something; typical Pokerstars username). The guy was no good, but he somehow found a way to stay in the tourney. I watched him call an all in over half his stack with 44, holding up against AK. Then he called one with JQ off, again for about half his stack, and beat A9. Later he pushed with 56 and rivered a straight against A 10 to keep himself alive. At the final table he was the constant agressor, pushing all in sometimes 3-4 times in a row. He always managed to win, despite behind behind on numerous all ins; the victories were always enough to cover occassional losses. So, this newb, blindly pushing time after time, ends up winning the tournament, and over $2000. This got me to thinking: as much as we hold to the theory that skill is more important than luck in poker (as does any decent player), which seperates it from other forms of gambling, luck seemed to be awfully important here. I've been in many big tournaments on pokerstars, in good position, only to have a suckout or two demolish my stack. Whereas in this tournament, I get down to 90 chips, somehow avoid drawouts several times in a row, win several crucial coinflips, and get to the final table. And characters like Anthony repeatedly get in with the worst hand, play little skillful poker, and yet blunder all the way to the final table. Just makes you wonder sometimes.

Rolling with the punches...

2005-06-23T15:39:00.000-04:00

In a $2/$5 NL game last night this hand occurred at the tail end of a winning session. The result put me in the red and led to a very disappointing finish after having been up big prior to the hand.

It's about 4 A.M., close to the end of the game. I have 4s4c in late position with only one limper, so I get in there, ask the dealer to bring it in 16 times, and promise him a healthy tip. What else does The Franchise do but bring in this flop:

[Ks 6d 4h]

The first position bets out. He is a tight player so I immediately put him on some sort of King. Second position smooth calls - He's a pretty loose and aggressive player so I don't really know what to think. I contemplate raising in an attempt to move him off any garbage he might have but I just smooth call and hope for a safe card on the turn. The Franchise does it again and brings in probably the safest card in the deck: Tc. So the board is [Ks 6d 4h Tc] No hopes of a flush draw, and maybe someone made their two pair. First position (who I'm 100% is on a K) takes a sip of his Mountain Dew and leads out for another 15. Question mark to my right just smooth calls again. Alright, no need to smooth call twice. Whatever draw this guy is on needs to be pushed out, and I figure any two pair may pay me off. I make it 50 more to go. Kx folds and the guy to my right asks the dealer how much is in the pot. He calls. River brings a 3s. So here's the final board. [Ks 6 d 4h Tc 3s] He checks it to me. I don't think at all, and bet out 75. If he was on a draw, the 3 has to help him, but he checked it, so I thought I was good. He just calls and flips over the pure nuts: [5 7].

Do I check that river? I guess against Eric I can, but I think if I just check I may be losing value on the hand in the long run, especially since he checked it to me in first position. Who chases that draw, hits it, and checks it in first position heads up? I guess he hates implied odds, even though he kinda got them with my big bet on the river.

Oh well. You can't play as much poker as we do without seeing some big hands get cracked for a lot of money occasionally.

When is it right to flip it?

2005-06-23T06:18:00.000-04:00

I was recently in the later stages of a $100 NL HE event on Poker Stars. I was 4th out of 40 with about 14K in chips when this hand arose. With the blinds at 200-400, the cutoff seat (10K in chips) makes it 1200. I hold AK in the SB and, operating under the assumption that I am behind to only a few hands, I decided to shove. The original raiser goes in to the tank for about 40 seconds and calls, showing JJ. I was surprised to say the least that this player would risk his tournament life, and healthy stack, with a hand that was most likely a coin-flip at best. The outcome of ths hand would leave me crippled and unable to recover. I have been replaying that hand in an attempt to discover what the best play with my hand, and with his JJ, would have been. Is it the right play to risk the better part of your stack when you know you are facing a probable coin flip? The obvious answer would be that it depends on the situation. If you are working with a short stack and are in push mode, any pocket pair or ace will do. But what about from my position? If I would have been somehow able to know that my opponent was holding JJ, should I have pushed? The answer that I have come up with is a resounding no. I have been kicking myself for my play in that tournament. With my chip stack, and that of my opponent, there was no need to risk a coinflip. The better play in my mind would have been to simply call, and later fold after my opponent shows aggression on a ten-high flop. I save about 8K in chips and my hopes at a win and $6K payout are still alive. That one mistake cost me that tournament. After evaluating that I played that hand like a complete fish, I then turned to my opponent's play with his hand. The raise is a no-brainer, but what is his action after I moved in on him? He was obviously a player, spending most of his time bank in thought. But I would tend to argue that his call was a bad play (although I have no room to criticize bad plays). He knew at best he was facing a coin flip. I would not have moved in on him with a hand like 99 because of the size of his stack. So the possible hands are narrowed down to QQ, KK, AA or AK. He has a 25% chance of being 54% to 46% favorite, and a 75% chance of being a 4 1/2 to 1 dog. That does not paint a pretty picture mathematically. So I would tend to argue that the correct play with JJ would have been to fold, saving the chips for a better position. All in all I think the moral of this story would be that under optimal tournament conditions, all-in plays should be avoided when facing a probable coinflip. As long as you are in a good position to cash, why risk the money? After making the money there is more room to gamble, but survival is key when in search of a cash.

Bad beat rants

2005-06-21T16:24:00.000-04:00

I know everyone has felt this pain. You're in the mid to late stages of a rebuy tournament. You are not picking up any hands and you are slowly blinding away your stack. You pick up AK in the cutoff seat and decide that you should shove. The big blind goes into the tank and finds a call with AT off. The flop comes 9 high rainbow. The turn brings a harmless deuce. Then it comes, a T spikes on the river. After one of those moments, no consolation can be found. Leave all your bad beat rants here, maybe it can ease the pain.

Monkeypalooza

2005-06-21T04:08:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess AK is no good against AQ anymore in the 3:15. I tried to bring in the final table for fellow crew members Wrenn and Franchise, but it wasn't happening, being that the Q hit the river. Outplayed is outplayed and, well, cock is cock.

On a lighter, less phallic note, I like where this site is going. There is no better way to get the word out about GSO Crew. Special thanks to friend Gank who personally recommended this idea to Wrenn. We are the new crew (not the jew crew), and Gank respects that.

Remember: "GSO CREW: We flop boats, we don't row 'em"

Tune in next time for other great stories in our trek to pad the roll one bill at a time.

Monkey Poker

2005-06-21T02:44:00.000-04:00

I love getting called by Ace Ten off!!!!!!!!

Welcome

2005-06-20T17:28:00.000-04:00

The first post on this new site well serve to give a basic overview of what this site was created to accomplish, to let our viewers know what we are all about. With the recent rise of poker, your are hard-pressed to find a young person who hasn't been swept away by the new craze. But what I want to distinguish between is the "home game player" and the true card player. Almost everyone I go to school with plays cards and 90% of them think they are the best. This is a huge source of frustration for those of us who are serious players. My friends and I consider ourselves to be serious players. Our only source of income comes from playing cards, whether that be through online gaming, local live games or trips to Atlantic City. While poker might not be in our future career plans, this blog will allow us to reach how to others that play for a living. Hopefully this site will serve as an outlet to share strategy, success stories and the occasional bad-beat rants.