Travel review 2008 and Poker the week of December 15, 2008

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I thought I would take some time and review at a high level DUG’s trips in 2008. With the weakening U.S. dollar I did more trips in the U.S. then I had planned, but with the cost so low it made sense. Plus I got to keep up with a great election cycle.

Vegas – March 2008 – This is an annual trip I take with some long time friends, though the casinos were very profitable for us, this year we spent time outside the casinos. We went to some sporting events, saw a NCAA men’s basket ball game and a NCAA women’s basket ball game. Both games were very exciting, I felt the women seemed to have more heart. We also went to a minor league Ice Hockey game, a lot more fighting the players and fans, then hockey play, but well worth the $5.00 ticket.

Prague and Budapest – May 2008 – This trip was rich in history. It was the first time I had been to an eastern block country, and even though the wall had come done many years ago, it was interesting how events for this culture are much different then for the west. The biggest historical factor was once these countries were freed from Hitler, they were then oppressed by communism. In both cities there were Jewish sections which had a lot of history and this made for a great educational trip.

Crested Butte, Colorado – August 2008 – This trip was part of my marathon training, I wanted to get some altitude training in and this was perfect. Also I got to do some white water rafting. This is a video my nephew “A” put together of some mountain biking we did while in Crested Butte.



Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – August 2008 – This trip was a hiking camping trip, which also helped my marathon training.

France – September 2008 – This was my longest trip for the year, 15 days in France, it was a great trip and I got to see a lot of the French culture.

Puerto Rico – November 2008 – This trip was originally a gift to my nephew “Z”, but turned into a nice family trip, with my brothers and father.

South Beach, Florida – November 2008 – Just great a great place to rest and relax after running a marathon.

Poker this week was very good, one of the best weeks I have had this year. My total winnings for the week were $402.10. I played 4.95 hours which gives me an hourly rate of $81.23 an hour. This is a king’s ransom in Botswana. My hands per hour were a little high this week at 97 compared to 89 and 75 the last two weeks. The reason for this has to do with table selection. I was in line at 2 tables on Wednesday both had the perfect players. It ended up that I got seated at both tables at the same time and got great position at both, so I decided to play at both for a little while and as you can see it paid off nicely. I have listed my worst hand for the session, which you will see I lost on the river the guy had 3 outs 6% to win and he hit on the river. I list two winning hands the second I played it the way I did because of my position relative to ibiza007 he plays many tables, well over 10 and he plays a very specific pattern, which I will explain in the hand and why I played it the way I did.

WORST HAND


BEST HAND



SECOND BEST HAND


WORST HAND
POKERSTARS GAME #22997506661: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2008/12/17 8:52:58 ET
Table 'Lundia' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: Vittinator ($209.65 in chips)
Seat 2: go_fast5 ($122.95 in chips)
Seat 3: bumbabba ($91.30 in chips)
Seat 4: Spooky1 ($327.35 in chips)
Seat 5: DUG ($200 in chips)
Seat 6: msotown ($379.05 in chips)
Seat 7: bigsheng ($260.75 in chips)
Seat 8: voffe21 ($200 in chips)
Seat 9: CK the 1 ($191 in chips)
go_fast5: posts small blind $1
bumbabba: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DUG [7d Kd]
Spooky1: folds
DUG: raises $5 to $7 This is not that good a hand, but I played it for 2 reasons, I had not played many hands at this point, so I had a tight image, if I hit I could win some money, if I missed I should be able to take the pot after the flop.
msotown: folds
bigsheng: folds
voffe21: folds
CK the 1: folds
Vittinator: folds
go_fast5: calls $6 This guy is loose and aggressive so I will only play if I hit.
bumbabba: folds
*** FLOP *** [7c 4c Kh] I hit 2 pair, but there is a flush draw and I have no clubs.
go_fast5: checks
DUG: bets $9 This guy will call no matter what he has so I bet enough so that it is a mistake for him to call if he is on a draw, but I bet low enough not to build a pot for him and I get committed.
go_fast5: calls $9
*** TURN *** [7c 4c Kh] [2s] There is no way this card helped him.
go_fast5: checks
DUG: bets $16 Again, I do not want to give him a free card, but I do not want to build a pot.
go_fast5: raises $16 to $32 He has a K with a good kicker, if he had nothing he would call. He loves top pair.
DUG: raises $48 to $80 Now I am just building the pot he has about a 6% chance to win and I have a 94% chance to win. I put him on KT, KJ, KQ, or AK, he could even have AK clubs which would give him a few more outs and he would have a 27% chance to win.
go_fast5: calls $48
*** RIVER *** [7c 4c Kh 2s] [Qd]
go_fast5: bets $26.95 and is all-in
DUG: calls $26.95 He must have hit his Q, but I have to call as the odds are to good to fold.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
go_fast5: shows [Qs Ks] (two pair, Kings and Queens) This will happen, you must just realize you did something to piss off the poker gods and try to make up for it, so they come back on your side.
DUG: mucks hand
go_fast5 collected $244.90 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $247.90 | Rake $3
Board [7c 4c Kh 2s Qd]
Seat 1: Vittinator (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: go_fast5 (small blind) showed [Qs Ks] and won ($244.90) with two pair, Kings and Queens
Seat 3: bumbabba (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: Spooky1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: DUG mucked [7d Kd]
Seat 6: msotown folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: bigsheng folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: voffe21 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: CK the 1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

BEST HAND
POKERSTARS GAME #22998889011: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2008/12/17 10:14:09 ET
Table 'Orestes V' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: ibiza007 ($211.20 in chips)
Seat 2: DUG ($243.35 in chips)
Seat 3: Frank DeG ($216.20 in chips)
Seat 4: fylhtq123 ($183 in chips)
Seat 5: dymarko ($40 in chips)
Seat 6: Seinedsofaul ($81 in chips)
Seat 7: toluschev ($199 in chips)
Seat 8: darou ($134.25 in chips)
Seat 9: FULLABULL123 ($80 in chips)
ibiza007: posts small blind $1
DUG: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DUG [Kd Kh] I like getting KK and AA when I am in the blind as the other players have no idea what you have when you just call.
Frank DeG: folds
fylhtq123: folds
dymarko: folds
Seinedsofaul: folds
toluschev: raises $4 to $6 This guy is fairly new to the table so I do not have much information on him.
darou: folds
FULLABULL123: folds
ibiza007: folds
DUG: calls $4 Since we are already down to just two players I only call. The reason to raise with KK or AA is to reduce the players down, but in this case that has been done, so why give my hand away.
*** FLOP *** [6c 4h Kc]
DUG: checks
toluschev: bets $8 Most likely a continuation bet.
DUG: raises $8 to $16 I make a small raise as I want to build the pot, I am giving him about 3 to one odds so he should call with just about anything.
toluschev: raises $20 to $36 Wow this is great. He must have something, maybe AK. He might have some wacky like AJ clubs, of AQ clubs and going for a flush draw. He could even have pocket 6’s or pocket 4’s but the raise preflop does not fit that. He could have AA, but if that is the case I will get all his money.
DUG said, "bluff" I make him think I have nothing and tell him I think he is bluffing and I make a huge over bet.
DUG: raises $201.35 to $237.35 and is all-in This way he should fold a draw and call if he has top pair of a lower set.
toluschev: calls $157 and is all-in
Uncalled bet ($44.35) returned to DUG
*** TURN *** [6c 4h Kc] [Jc] I hope he did not have a flush draw
*** RIVER *** [6c 4h Kc Jc] [Ad] I hope he did not have AA
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DUG: shows [Kd Kh] (three of a kind, Kings)
toluschev: mucks hand
DUG collected $396 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $399 | Rake $3
Board [6c 4h Kc Jc Ad]
Seat 1: ibiza007 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: DUG (big blind) showed [Kd Kh] and won ($396) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 3: Frank DeG folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: fylhtq123 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: dymarko folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Seinedsofaul folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: toluschev mucked [4c 4d] Wow he had a lower set. His play was good if I had AK and not KK.
Seat 8: darou folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: FULLABULL123 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)


SECOND BEST HAND EXAMPLE OF POSITION

I will only play with ibiza007 if he is on my right. This way the majority of the time he makes his decision before me. One of his patterns is, if a lot of players are in the pot preflop and he is in late position he will make a big over bet like he has AA or KK. If he gets any callers he will then do he same thing after the flop. As you will see below this information paid off big time for me.

POKERSTARS GAME #22999741922: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2008/12/17 10:57:06 ET
Table 'Orestes V' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: ibiza007 ($280.45 in chips)
Seat 2: DUG ($427 in chips)
Seat 3: I_h8_p0ker ($195.80 in chips)
Seat 4: DonKaleone ($200 in chips)
Seat 6: marbru7 ($248.10 in chips)
Seat 7: xaponet ($211.75 in chips)
Seat 8: pennyyy ($37 in chips)
Seat 9: FULLABULL123 ($77.10 in chips)
I_h8_p0ker: posts small blind $1
DonKaleone: posts big blind $2
semmlgeist: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DUG [Ac Ah]
marbru7: calls $2
xaponet: folds
pennyyy: raises $8 to $10 This is good, and ibiza007 should raise if he follows his pattern.
FULLABULL123: folds
ibiza007: raises $14 to $24 Perfect
DUG: calls $24 The reason I only call, if I want to get the second bet from ibiza007. I expect marbru7 to fold and pennyyy is a short stck only $37 in chips so I am not worried about him.
I_h8_p0ker: folds
DonKaleone: folds
marbru7: calls $22 Wow must have some kind of pair.
pennyyy: raises $13 to $37 and is all-in Wow, must have a high pair.
ibiza007: calls $13 He has to call at this point it is so little money.
DUG: calls $13 I tried to raise, but I guess there is only 3 raises per betting round.
marbru7: calls $13 Again, must have a pair.
*** FLOP *** [7c 6s 3c] Great flop, unless someone had a pair of 6’s, 7’s, 3’s or has 4 5 for a straight. Most likely not.
marbru7: checks
pennyyy said, "AK all plz" He is hoping we all called with AK
ibiza007: bets $76 This is what he normally would do.
DUG: raises $314 to $390 and is all-in I assume Marbru7 will fold if I raise most likely will fold even if I call. Ibiza007 is the wild card so I want him out of the hand. If I just called I might get more money from him, but the chance of him hitting and him getting all my money is to high to risk. Greed can kill.
marbru7: folds
ibiza007: folds
Uncalled bet ($314) returned to DUG
*** TURN *** [7c 6s 3c] [3h]
*** RIVER *** [7c 6s 3c 3h] [7h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DUG: shows [Ac Ah] (two pair, Aces and Sevens)
DUG collected $152 from side pot
pennyyy: mucks hand
DUG collected $148 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $303 Main pot $148. Side pot $152. | Rake $3
Board [7c 6s 3c 3h 7h]
Seat 1: ibiza007 folded on the Flop
Seat 2: DUG (button) showed [Ac Ah] and won ($300) with two pair, Aces and Sevens
Seat 3: I_h8_p0ker (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: DonKaleone (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: marbru7 folded on the Flop
Seat 7: xaponet folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: pennyyy mucked [Js Jd]
Seat 9: FULLABULL123 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Cheers,

DUG

P.S. The picture is of the road from the airport to our village it is about 90 km and takes 3 - 4 hours to travel.