Nick Lane Talks Poker

Thoughts on poker, life, and everything

  1. 2008-03-05 08:15:27

    Bankroll Bulletin: Weird Situations

    Date:11-15-07
    Where:La Center WA
    Game:4-40 Spread limit

    Hey how is the poker playing for everybody? La center again playing some 4-40 coming off a damage control loss, now I am looking to see how everything is going today. I came in looking to play not as tight as previous sessions, I was sitting at the usual crowd table with everyone thinking I am a donkey. I was getting bad cards for awhile, (Not even good enough to come in on) I think my problem with this session, I was limping in to much and not establishing a table image.

    I eventually picked up pocket pairs, I was to focused on limping in with small pairs, to hit a set and win a big pot. I picked up 3 TIMES!! nothing then I picked up once I was just to concentrated on trapping people with flopping big hands, today my 1/8 chance of flopping a set was looking right in a odds perspective. this is how my session was going I had in BB and the flop was . I made a small bet on the flop to build a pot, the turn comes so I really have any diamond, an A 9 or 2 to most likely take the pot. The river was a I couldn't believe I didn't hit.

    I ended up switching tables down 80, I run into a hand that I wanted to talk about. It was my third hand at the table on the BB. I am looking at - the player under the gun limps the button also limps as well the SB folded. The flop is I think this is definitely a safe board to lead out and see what happens. I bet out 15 the person under the gun, calls button folds. The turn is a still no flush draw so that turn card made be believe that he had KJ or QJ on a pair and a straight draw so on that thought I was correct to lead out for 30 guy calls.

    Out comes the river it is an so how can I not think that my hand is not the best hand. With no under the gun raise and no re raise at all in the hand just calling. I bet out the max and he considers for a bit and finally calls I turn over my hand thinking it is good and he shows . ( I was very surprised to see it) It was a very weird hand how it was played out. I would of thought if he was thinking if his hand was good he would raise on the turn. Then It could of been easier to put him on KQ and most likely throw it away. Maybe he was thinking differently that is the beauty of this game.

    I went down to the respirator and came back up to 120 with trip 2's on the flop with 72 in the BB lol. My last hand is make it 15 to go and a highly aggressive player is the only player to call. The flop is bringing me top and and a flush draw. He bets out 40 and I raise him making it 80. He puts me all in and I call cause I am well pot committed. He ends up showing down a set of 4's. Upon which I didn't catch up with no spade on the river I was sent packing. By the way I look at that move at least 6 out of 8 times that re raise works. He would fold cause he didn't catch his set but that time he just happened to. There is absolutely nothing I can do except knowing that I played well but a couple or weird hands. With this session it just set me back another 200 now the bankroll is at $1,118 and will do my best next time.

    Tune in next week on my adventure into 4-40 spread

    Again special thanks to the staff at Poker Soup. Please give as much feedback as possible on how this session went.( I really hope I am giving everyone an idea on how this game works playing frequently as I have been)

    Posted by Nick L at 2008-03-05 08:15:27 | permalink | Discuss (3 comments)

  2. 2008-03-03 04:07:58

    Freeroll Tournament for the Vancouver Poker Tour

    Beginning Stages

    This is it the end of season tournament. If you checked the point standings I had time to sit around for a little bit and wait for my spots. With others having to rush things just a bit quicker. With the blinds starting out at 2/4 and 35 minute rounds we were expecting some good play. In a very unfortunate hand Victor ran into when he was holding and finished in 6th place. That is what happens, none the less not to often you run into AA with KK but still a very unfortunate situation. My intention was with my stack to win small pots in the beginning. When the blinds went up then be more aggressive and it seemed to workout very well despite getting really bad cards. I was going into the 3rd blind round of 8/16 with just about what I started with.

    Queen Jack of Clubs

    With the blinds being 4/8 and going up in the next few minutes. I limped on the button with into a 3 way pot. I ended up flopping top 2 pair the small blind which was Josh. He bet out 15 the big blind folded I just called looking to set the bear trap. The turn brought a a meaningless card until Josh checked raised my bet of 20 on the turn with 40 more on top of that. After careful deliberation my conclusion was what can he have out of the small blind that can have me beat. With . When the river brought a 3rd diamond that made me a little bit worried that he had a random diamond draw and hit when he bet 50 into a pot of 174 it looked like a value flush bet. I just called to see if my initial assessment was correct, with what he could of had in the small blind it turned out he had . With that hand it put me into the chip lead then with the blinds going up it put me in good position to really have a shot to win this thing.

    Four Handed

    After Josh was crippled in that big pot that we played he was knocked out soon after. When we were 6 and 5 handed I was just getting cold decked and not seeing anything just happy to take small pots. Then 4 handed came and I was getting quality hand after quality hand. I took down a nice pot against Kalib with by flopping the turn was a which brought my straight. I then moved all in after his bet on the turn, Kalib folded. I took out Matt by turning a full house with against his by limping from the small blind. With back to back Ace with a quality kicker. I won the 1st hand by raising triple the BB and took it down. The very next hand in the big blind I pick up Jonas raised and made it 64 to go (with the blinds at 16/32) I re raised him all in getting low on chips and holding I don't fault his call after deliberation. After knocking Jonas out I was an overwhelming favorite to win the heads up match with Kalib. Holding pretty close to a 5-1 chip lead I didn't see how I could lose in the spot I was given.

    Heads Up

    There wasn't really much to talk about during the match just a bunch of blind trading there was a coin flip Kalib has vs Kalib ended up winning the race but the bad part for him the blinds went up to 32-64 the next hand. It was just a matter of time to get those chips back and get him all in when he was forced to. Kalib went all in out of the small blind with I ended up getting and he didn't catch up. I was very relieved to win. But none the less very ex citied for next season stay tuned we will be implementing some really cool stuff for next season.

    Food for Thought

    Overall my strategy seemed to work just be patient and wait for the blinds to increase and not have to much resistance in the beginning stages. It also helped to have better cards in the later stages of the tournament. With this win the bankroll has soared to 1,401 which is a big change from just over a month ago when I was looking at under 900. Stay tuned for more posts, play well and may all your be monster.

    Posted by Nick L at 2008-03-03 04:07:58 | permalink | Discuss (3 comments)

  3. 2008-02-27 20:06:42

    12th Tournament of the Vancouver Poker Tour

    Hey everyone Saturday was the last tournament before the freeroll. There was some drama between 6th and 7th place. With Addison eliminated in 7th that ended that situation. Keep in mind with my position already in tact, I played like a donkey, because it didn't matter what I did really. You will laugh on some of the suck outs that I put out there.

    Q7 Suited

    I was just over even and felt like calling a 400 chip raise with when the blinds were 50/100 for no reason what so ever. The flop brought me a flush draw I felt like that was what I wanted to see in a 4 way pot. Matt bet out 600 I raised all in he called and had my bet covered. Thinking I had the pair he thought he can draw to his flush with I was like shit!! Now I am screwed. Only a Q or a 7 can win the hand for me, a spade would be deadly. The river brought out a and I won. Here I am with no business in the pot and go all in on a draw and suck out with my pair I thought it was funny cause he had me just crushed with my spades drawing dead and my pair won.

    Pocket 9's

    Soon after that suck out here is another one to tie a pot. I pick up a couple hands after the hand. Matt raises I move all in to isolate with him, that move ended up working and the shortest stack that was Matt called with much to my supraise. The flop brings 3 diamonds (neither of us has a diamond) The turn brought out another diamond. The river ended up being the lol. My chance to win that hand outright was almost impossible. I only had the other in the deck to win that is a 2% chance to win and maybe an overall less than 20% chance to even tie. But despite me being in a terrible spot I escaped and tied with that river diamond. Just too funny here I am giving away my chips pretty much and I am sucking out on the river to either stay alive or not to lose chips lol. Too good.

    The result

    I ended up getting 2nd place after Kalib knocked out both Matt and Josh the two shortest stacks which benefited Kalib and Victor . I took out Victor by flopping a pair of 2's with on an all in preflop call. I ended up losing the tournament. By flopping bottom pair to Kalib's top pair and I received a much needed 50 points for just a bit more comfort going into next Saturday.

    Food for Thought

    The freeroll is Saturday for anybody who is not playing. You can come and watch the final table action it should be hard fought with some good poker play. If I win, it would be my biggest tournament take down ever. 100 dollars more than my previous. Stay tuned for my next league post about how the freeroll went it should be exciting. Play well and may all your pots be monster.

    Posted by Nick L at 2008-02-27 20:06:42 | permalink | Discuss (3 comments)

  4. 2008-02-26 21:18:44

    Bankroll Bulletin: Damage Control

    Date:11-8-07
    Where:La Center WA
    Game:4-40 Spread limit

    How is everyone doing? I am here to give you my new update today. When I sat down I noticed a table full of mainly regulars, I knew I had to play my best. One hand I want to tell you about was about 45 minutes into my session (playing tight). I have , a player in middle position makes it 14 to go, I called. The flop was , I bet out 18 to steal and he calls. The turn is a , we both checked, then the river is a . This is a non scary board and looks like a stealing situation, I bet out 35 and he thinks for about it for about a minute and called my bluff with . It was a good call on his part. After that was a mixture of bad cards and trying to limp then it would get raised every time. Frustration was beginning to set in but I tried not to let that get to me.

    Now I have two situations that I want to ask about feedback on how you would play these scenarios.

    First Situation

    I have and made it 15 to go, the most aggressive player at the table re raises the max so now it is 55 to go. Now what I was thinking if I re-raise, I pretty much have to risk my whole stack on this hand, with max bets before the flop and on the flop. So my question would be? Is my hand really worth it? Against a player where he can be holding anything? I decided it was not worthy of re-raising him and I folded. He ended up showing I think that was the correct lay down against a Kamazie. How would you play that hand against someone when he can be holding anything?.

    Second Situation

    My next situation I came across was I have I made it 15 to go with one caller. This player seemed like he wanted to see a lot of flops. The flop is 9 high with 3 hearts on board My question here is, do I slow play this? Or do you not want to risk to be in a sticky situation with a big bet against you when you figure that your behind. But then again you have and it is that hard to pitch the hand. I ended up with a continuation bet on the flop and took it down. I feel it is better to win a smaller pot then be stuck in a big pot with aces. That is the conventional theme with but none the less it is difficult to pitch this hand. In situations like 4 to the nut flush but when you have to put out just to much money when your pot odds are not in your favor to hit your flush looks like a bad decision. What do you guys think?

    After those series of hands, I was on the decline and pressing. Today I was just not on my A game. I overplayed after flopping an and lost to which cost me quite a bit. One hand I played well after switching seats: I had in the small blind and made it 13 to go 6 PLAYERS CALLED!!!! The flop brought out I tried an attempt to steal - this was pretty risky and knew it, I bet 30 and everyone folded. Granted, that time I got lucky, but felt it was a necessary play. One hand I outplayed someone was the same player that took me when I had . This time I have off suit I made it 15 to go, everyone folds to this player that re raises to 35. I decided to spend a bunch of money pre-flop here and pretty much gamble in this situation, I decided to re raise the max 40 more and made it 75 to go. He ended up folding and told me he thought I had KK or AA. I showed him my hand and he was very upset cause he had the same hand.

    So overall I felt like it was more of like a damage control session I ended up down 142 and the bankroll is at 1,319 - a little bit disappointing but it is better than going broke right?

    Tune in next week when I write about my next experience. Big props to Poker Soup play well and may your pots be monster.

    Posted by Nick L at 2008-02-26 21:18:44 | permalink | Discuss (8 comments)

  5. 2008-02-19 19:06:07

    Palm Springs and Poker Pro

    Hey everyone after getting home just after midnight last night I am back from my trip. Besides seeing my grandparents swimming and catching some rays. Playing golf with my Dad, Bro, and my Grandfather there was poker Friday and Saturday.

    Fantasy Springs

    Friday night at Fantasy Springs Willie Nelson was playing. Bad part no parking, We had to park at the top of the garage good part, Fish central with the average Joe playing mostly. When I walked into there very small poker room I noticed no dealers and no chips and come to find out they newly remodeled there poker room to use the Poker Pro system. I will get into this towards the end of the post.

    Queen Ten of Diamonds

    I sat down at a 1/2 NL table with 200 the max buyin. The buyin closest to me was 100 the minimum was 60. The other 3 players bought in for the minimum amount. The very 1st hand I pick up was it was a limp pot I ended up . I bet out 5 dollars and got two callers. The turn brought an pairing the board and bringing a second heart for a possible flush draw. I bet out 15 this guy minimum raises (He bought in for the minimum) So I put him all in and he called with of hearts praying for a heart to hit the hit sending him packing on the 1st hand lol. From then on I was on bluff mode I had a flop which I played aggressively with upon which I was open ended with a flush draw I bet out on all 3 streets and didn't have to showdown.

    The Bluff Machine

    Later I flopped top pair with a straight draw, facing a tight player but I won on the river with a 30 dollar bet with him calling my flop and turn bets. Also I noticed very easily there was 1 guy that had no idea what to do. Still couldn't figure the system out after and hour of play lol. So I bluffed him twice once pretty good with off suit in the blinds I flopped an open ender with the flop being . I bet out on the flop and turn after missing my draw on the turn. The river brought a 7 putting two pair on the board, I bet 50 on the river with 8 high he folded. By this time I was up more than double my buyin after pulling off another bluff on the same guy just before I got up. I picked up of spades and raised it to 13 dollars before the flop and had just the one caller. The flop brought out giving me a straight draw and I put him on nothing. I bet out 15 and he called still thinking that he doesn't know what universe he is in. The turn brought a he checks I bet out 40 and he thought the bet was 10 when everybody told him it was 40 he folded I showed my bluff and walked away from the table up 306.

    Saturday night

    The next night I was back for more but this time they only had a 3/6 limit game going but it was something I guess. I was up and down but just after an hour of play I was only down 10 bucks. When they said who wants to play NL there was enough to start a table. I moved over playing something I am more comfortable with, we started with 5 players and soon we started one was knocked out. After that we played 4 handed for over an hour and a half (Now I can see why the main event takes so long when playing 4 handed for hours) During most of the time I went from 295 to all the way down to 60. I doubled up by floping top pair and he missed his open ended straight draw. After I turned a straight with an open ender to this guys set of 3's on the flop he was under 100. He was saying "I am just going to go all in no matter what" By doing this I really wanted to get involved even with a hand like JQ. He did this for 3 hands in a row and I couldn't pick up anything. Then finally I picked up he went all in again and I called him for his last 95 dollars. He wasn't even looking at his cards his hand was off suit and ended up catching a flush with 4 clubs on the board I was super pissed about it.

    Good things about Poker Pro

    • You can see hands quick
    • You only get 60 seconds to act on each move so the pace is quicker
    • It tells you everyone's name and there chip count
    • The screen in the middle is pretty big to see the community cards
    • When ordering food you don't have to stop or worry about getting cards dirty with food cause there is no cards
    • To buyin all you do is give them the money they put it on your players card swipe it into the system enter your pin and your good to go
    • Is highly used on cruise lines and would be good fun on a setting like that
    • The normal player will not pay attention in the areas when needed on a system like this so if you know what your doing then you can take advantage of the situation at hand

    Bad part of Poker Pro

    • 1st off your not playing poker without chips and cards your not playing real cards your playing online hold em live
    • You have to relay on betting patterns to read people and most people have no concept on that, It is hard to put people on hands when you have nothing to relay on to pick stuff up on people
    • You also have to pay more attention because you have to figure the damn thing out and for some people that is to much to handle all in it self,
    • You have to cup your hands over the cards to see your hand the bad thing about this is the average person can get casual and an ass to the right or left of you could glance over and see your hand if your not careful
    • There is no excitement seeing a big hand on here but when you squeeze out or it is more exciting then just cupping your hands and seeing it.

    Food for Thought

    Overall great trip up 260 and now the bankroll is 1,106 and ready for Vegas next month to go on the ultimate bankroll odyssey. Sorry for such a big post there was just so much to talk about. Next Saturday is the big freeroll tournament tune in for that. Play well and may your pots be monster.

    Posted by Nick L at 2008-02-19 19:06:07 | permalink | Discuss (6 comments)

  6. 2008-02-15 00:17:35

    Bankroll Bulletin: Short But Sweet Session

    • Date: 11-02-07
    • Location: La Center, WA
    • Game: 4-40 spread limit

    Hey everyone, I hope you are all enjoying my blogs. I'm here today to give you a quick update on a quicker session than usual. I sat down and it was six handed because of a new table. In a 20 minute span, I flopped a flush with no action, turned a straight with no action, and picked up with only getting a 10 dollar call on the flop.

    Two people sit down, I waited for a bit to figure out the table. My assumption is that they are a little bit tight, I pick up off suit under the gun and made it 12 to go - 3 people call. The flop is . This is a great flop for my hand under the gun. The big blind checks, I bet 15, which seems like a smallish bet into over a 40 dollar pot, and I get two callers. The turn is a , I figured nobody showed strength by re-raising me on the flop, so I can't really figure that AK would be showing up with that thought in mind I bet out 30. I still get two callers and the river brings a , which I thought was a good card - unlikely straight card and had not much affect on the hand so I bet out 40 and the lady called with . This was a realistic hand after her thinking for a bit and It made me more convinced that my hand was good and won a nice pot.

    Overall in just over an hour of a session I won 190 and now I'm up to 1,506 and feeling pretty good about it. Come back next week I will be going up there and playing 4-40. Why the same game u ask? It is great action, you can protect your hand at least a little bit more than 3/6 or 4/8, and there is plenty of money to be won with pots as big as 10/20. You can't go wrong with this game.

    Special thanks to the PokerSoup staff for making this all possible! Play well and may all your pots be monster.

    Posted by Nick L at 2008-02-15 00:17:35 | permalink | Discuss (1 comment)

  7. 2008-02-11 20:18:08

    10th Tournament of the Vancouver Poker Tour

    Hey everyone how is the cards going? Saturday was another tournament for the league and most important me going for 4 in a row!!. Thank you to everybody for coming out we had our second biggest turn out with 9 people.

    Knock out Stages

    After winning a small pot with pocket 8's I sat around and watched big pot after big pot happen. When I was not even seeing good cards to enter a pot . After trying to raise with medium cards and trying to hit flops that players couldn't put me on. Even with doing that I wasn't able to hit much at all. I had to go all in 3 times with no one calling just to pick up the blinds because I was below the 4,000 chip mark with the blinds increasing. With 7 players left I picked up with the blinds at 200/400 I raised to make it 1,200 to go Josh was the only caller. The flop brought me an 8 but with an ace out there. I bet out 500 to see what he does Josh just called. The turn brought my 3rd 8. I bet out 500 again to get action and he raises 1,500 more I re raise all in and after deliberation he ended up folding. It turned out I actually hit a 1 outer on the turn with Jonas having an 8 that he folded preflop.

    Pocket 6's

    With that pot that put me in decent position. With the blinds going up soon and two short stacks that can get eaten up by the blinds if they don't act fast. I pick up under the gun with the blinds at 200/400 and just about to double I raise it to 1,500 one caller. The flop was I checked Weston bet out 1,000 I called. The turn brought out a I was not really scared of the board. also, who I am up against I bet out 2,00 Weston called. The river brought out a blank I went all in with under 2,000. Weston folded which puzzled me to commit that many chips. To have no hand to showdown. It was good for me though and brought me into pretty good position with the blinds going up to 400/800.

    Pocket 7's

    This hand determined my tournament before I explain what happened this was my thought process. I just knew I had one of the two players dominated. But, The other I figured it was a coin flip. For the amount that was in the pot and how significant this pot was. Plus, being tired with having to at work at 6am the next morning. I decided to call and be involved in this really big pot. With being under the gun the blinds are at 400/800 I made it 2,000 to go with Weston after being down below the 2,000 mark goes all in with action folds over to Chris who is unpredictable, he goes all in as well with pretty much if I call and lose I am pretty much out of the tournament. With having 1,300 left. I ended up calling After the flop bringing an that pretty much sealed my fate and not being able to win 4 in a row. With that pot it could of brought me my 4th win in a row but that is the way the game goes.

    Food For Thought

    All good things must come to an end. To everybody who has been following my blog posts I screwed up with Saturday night that was only the 10th tournament of 12 so there is still two left to go. I apologize to everybody thinking that this Saturday is the last tournament before the freeroll. The good thing is that it gives two more weeks of growing the freeroll into a great win for the big winner in 3 weeks.

    I will hopefully not get unlucky in big pots and hope to write you a good post about 1/2 NL when I go on my trip. Tune in for my next post about the trip take care and have your pots be monster!!.

    Posted by Nick L at 2008-02-11 20:18:08 | permalink | Discuss (5 comments)