The Road to The Metro Main Event

Since The 3,000,000 Guaranteed Metro Main Event has been moved to January, I've been trying to get a seat. For this week, I've been playing everyday.

Monday
I played the Pokerstars freeroll at home. There were around 122 players and I placed 17th.

Tuesday
I played the Pokerstars freeroll at Joey's place. There were around 211 players but I forgot what place I finished in.

Wednesday
I almost didn't play the Pokerstars freeroll because I was at The Metro but didn't bring my laptop. It just so happened that Paul had a laptop with him but he didn't plan on playing so I borrowed his. I don't know how many players there were and I don't know what place I finished in.
On the same day, I played the Metro 75. There were 78 players because DirtyIceCream was going to stake the winner for the Metro Main Event. I busted out while there were still 4 tables. Although it's important to point out that my play while I was still in my first table was great. That first table was great. The players knew how to play properly. The downside was that because only 2 people who busted out, there wasn't a lot of chips going around and when our table collapsed, our chip stacks couldn't compete with those from the other tables.

Thursday
I played the Pokerstars freeroll at The Metro. There were 260+ and I finished 151st. I blame this on Lou who was hovering around me while I was playing because he busted out early (haha).
On the same day, I played the Php 500 buy-in Metro Main Event Satellite. I busted out on the 2nd deal. I was UTG with QQ. I raised to a total of 200. (Blinds was at 25/50 and I had a fresh stack of 3000). Next 2 people to act called my 200. 3rd person raised to 1400. Next 3 people folded. Button thought about it but folded. SB and BB folded. It was my turn. Re-raiser probably has a great hand AA or KK or hopefully but less likely QQ or JJ. Button probably has big cards, good enough to call a small bet but not to call a re-raise. I don't know what the 2 callers after me had but if they weren't good enough to raise my 200 bet, they're probably going to fold after a re-raise. It was only up to me and the re-raiser. If I called, I wouldn't be able to make a move after the flop with only 1600 left. If I folded I would've lost a very small amount compared to the blinds and the stack. As Mike McDermott said, "The move was folding; I couldn't lose what I don't put in the middle."
But then again, there's that slight chance that he might fold if I bet and even if he called, I can still hit a set. Besides, there were a little less than 60 players and I didn't feel I had the strength to outlast them all. So I raised all-in and as expected, my QQ was up against KK. And that ends that tournament.

Friday (today)
I got off work at 530pm and I won't be able to get home in time because it's a Friday, rush hour and I'm in Makati so I looked for an internet shop. So I played the Pokerstars freeroll again. There were 287 players and I finished 270th.

Superstitions

Remember Lucky You with Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore? The man seated at seat #3 I think was this old guy with a toy on the table. It was of a tiger with the head nodding which reminds you of those trinkets cab drivers put on their dashboards.

A lot of poker players have their own toys they bring in to the table to serve as card protectors. Most popular are commemorative coins or chips which several players protect their cards with. I've seen Del with his, well I don't know what the little gold thing is exactly. I first used a small toy of Superman flying, then I used a lighter to cover my cards. At the time I couldn't play if I didn't have the Superman toy or the lighter with me. I would even opt to go home and not play at all just because I don't have it.

Then there's some superstition about the chip stacks. Some like the lines on the sides to be in line. Some like all the stacks to be even.

Then there are the cards. Those favorite cards you couldn't quite resist playing. I would play with J9s or J9o even with a raise. I've heard some would always play 32 or whatever random hands they'd won with once and never forgot.

Then there are some mannerisms people do either out of habit but often because it somehow makes them feel lucky. John knocks on the button everytime it's on him. I actually feel that when the cards are dealt and they're on top of each other, it's a good hand; if the dealt cards do not touch, they're probably rags.

Then there are superstitions about dealers. I would most likely call with a draw if Sonny is dealing rather than, say, Dainty. A lot of people have their preferred dealer, mine is Sonny.

But I'd like to share my experience yesterday. I was smoking outside of our building when I felt something drop on my shoulder. It felt like a drop of rain but the sky was very clear. I looked up and there was this bird right above my shoulder. I had bird crap on my shoulder. Now it's never a good feeling to have crap on your shoulder even if it is just from a little bird. However, they say that it's lucky to have a bird crap on your shoulder. If a little bird can give good luck, imagine what an ostrich can do.

So the day went by uneventfully until we were in a bar having a couple of beers. I felt my hand itch terribly. Elders say that when the palm is itchy, money is be yours. I figured, I have bird crap on my shoulder, my palm is itchy, and I'm in Metrowalk. So I went to the ATM, withdrew 1 buy-in for the 25/50, then headed to The Metro.

I had to wait for a seat to open for the 25/50, when it did, I sat down and played. I basically played my normal game. And went to win twice what I bought in for. I never had bad beats, nor were there any hands with hard decisions. Everything went smoothly.

My point is this, I've seen people really on luck to win. And although there really is no harm in believing, there's so much to be lost when the view narrows because of a superstition. Believe all you want but never make it decide for you.

What a way to start the year...

Last night I joined The Metro's Metro 75 tournament. I arrived in 4th level and I still had around 9000 stack (90% of original stack). I figured it wasn't so bad and I'd still get to play with 30x blinds. Problem was that everybody was playing their game and I was there trying to find mine and trying to read the mood of the table and stuff. After around 15 hands, the table collapsed and I had to move to a different table with a whole new set of players.

I never had a chance. Everything went on like I wasn't there. It came to a point when the average stack was around 15000 and I had like 3000 with blinds at 400/800. I never got my groove. Lesson learned.

Lesson 5: Never join a trounament too late.

I even busted out on a bluff. (Now that's just bad poker) Now I realize that by posting this I lose all hope of having someone stake me for bigger tournaments, but in my defense, in all the time that I've joined tournaments, this is the very first time I've arrived late. I'm sure everyone who knows me can attest to that.

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Then I decided to make up for the buy-in on the cash tables. There wasn't any 25/50 seats open so I bought in on the 10/20 table instead. I already know what's going to happen there and I really shouldn't have bothered. After 2 buy ins I called it quits and went home and wasted my time watching the lava lamp I got for Christmas instead.

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The night only cost me Php 4,200 which is small for the usual stakes I play but it really got me down. I never played as bad before and now I'm practically a fish. I vow never to let it happen again and good luck to anyone who happens to be at my table the next time I play.

Metro Main Event

Near the end of Jan 2008, The Metro will be having the first major tournament for 2008. Buy-in is Php 30,000 + 3,000. I feel that this is going to be big. I'm hoping that the final table will be televised and that I'm on it. Bryan said that watching a video of yourself play is priceless and that there's no other feeling like it. I couldn't care less if my friends see me play, I just plainly want to see myself.

I know I can finish well in that tournament. It's going to be a deep stack tournament and I know I do well in those. I have the patience and discipline to outlast majority of the field. Skill-wise, I can go toe to toe with more than half of them. I'm trying to psych myself into the having the winning mentality. However, what I don't have is the stake. I can put up Php 33,000 but the problem is I'd be thinking about the amount too much that it'll definitely affect my decisions.

The event is still a few weeks in the future. I'm hoping I can get enough scratch together that I can buy in to the main event. If I can't, I'll just content myself with being at the sidelines.

Wish me luck.

I am google-able!

Just this past Saturday I played the 1st UNO Magazine sponsored poker tournament. I finished 2nd among 40 players. I've placed in tournaments before but this one was particularly special. This is the only event which made me google-able!

Go to Google.com then type Ross Del Rosario. You have to filter it a bit because apparently there are a lot of Ross Del Rosarios out there. You can also search for Ross Del Rosario Poker and it's the first search result.

The reality of Filipino players...

Here’s what happened last November 7, 2007 during the Metro 75 Tournament. Because of the Beyonce concert, the Metro 75 turn-out was less than normal. The Metro had to overlay the pot to meet the guaranteed amount. The tournament started with 4 tables with several seats for late entries.

My first table had approximately 7 players. I was always average or little below average stack. Each time I would raise, I would advertise. I would always advertise premium hands. AKo, AJs, and the like.

All late entry seats were removed after the 4th level. The field collapsed from 4 tables to 2 tables. In my table there were 9 players. There was a need to advertise again as there are some unknown players. First hand, I raised 4 times the big blind, no one called, I showed KK. A few hands after, I raised and got 1 caller in a later position. Flop was all diamonds, check, bet, call. Turn was an Ace, check, check. River was I think another Ace or another diamond, check, bet, fold. I advertised JJ no diamond. A few hands after, I raised, no callers, advertised AA. This table was tight as hell. We saw probably 2-3 flops in 2 levels.

Scenario
Metro 75 Tournament (Php 75,000 guaranteed)
Blind level: level 6 100/400/800
2 tables left
Buy-in: Php 2,200
Hours of play: Almost 2 hours
Sobriety level: 2nd beer
Chip count: Approximately Php 8,000
Position: Small blind
Hole Cards: 44

So, UTG folds, folds, calls, folds, folds, calls, button folds, then it's my turn. There was the big blind who hasn't acted, 2 callers then me. I put first caller in the A9s range. Possibly even 55 or 66. I put the second caller in a worse hand. Probably A5s or A8o, something in that range. I could push for them to add around 7,000 more to their committed Php 800. My stack was big enough to hurt anyone who called. So I pushed all-in. Big blind folded, first caller folded, second caller (last to act) thinks. Then he calls. He was stacked around Php 13,000, a decent stack to play with even if he folded.

He probably put me on a weak hand. Which to a certain extent was true because I only had a 13% chance of winning but the bet was strong and if my reads were true, they really didn't have good enough pot odds to call my all-in bet. Even if they had AA which I'm sure of, they didn't they didn't have pot odds to call all-in. The problem is, he was holding K8s. His read was correct but he doesn't hold freakin' cards. No one in their right mind would call an overbet with K8s.

But... as I will never be able to change the way another person plays, I will just focus on what I can do to improve my game.

Lesson 4: Never think that other players think the same way you do.

Players nowadays play too much cash games. There are not too many tournaments here and half of the tournaments' structure focus on luck more than skill. Probably the most common thought is that pre-flop, any hole cards have the potential to be the nuts. I know that that's wrong especially on a tournament but people think differently and I have to adjust and play smarter.

Thing is, the more I think about that hand, I just tilt. I'll just end it here.

Classes start...

All throughout this Blog, I’ve went on and on about how I’m a better tournament player than a cash game player. I know that my cash game skills are not worth crap and that if I want to make poker work for me, I need to learn to play in the cash game or quit playing the cash game all together. But it seems I really can’t avoid it so there’s no choice but to learn.

So now I will play, pay my tuition, and learn everything I need to know about the cash game.

Scenario
Stakes: 25/50
Players: 6
Total buy-in: Php 12,000
Hours of play: Approximately 4 hours
Sobriety level: 2 beers drank before playing
Chip count: Approximately Php 11,000
Position: Straddle (Php 100)
Hole Cards: QQ
Dealer: Rudolph

Here’s what happened. I straddled the big blind and posted Php 100. UTG folds, next player folds, button calls Php 100, small blind folds, big blind calls Php 100, action comes to me with no raise. I have Queens in middle position and Php 325 in the pot. I raise Php 300 more. Button calls Php 300, big blind calls Php 300.
Pre-flop: 3 players, Php 1225 total pot
Flop comes T, 9, 4. T and 9 are suited (diamonds or hearts)
Big blind checks, I bet Php 600, button calls, big blind calls.
Flop: 3 players, Php 3025 total pot
Turn comes Q. Q is same suit as 4 (I think)
Big blind checks, I bet Php 500, button folds, big blind raises to Php 1,500 total, I think I raised to Php 2,500 total then he went all in, I called. His stack got me covered.
River comes J.
I have a top set of Queens, big blind has a straight with J, 8.

Analysis

My pre-flop raise was all right. It was enough to keep players in but still get more money in the pot.

The bet after the flop was too small (half the pot), with 3 players and a possible straight and possible flush against an over-pair. The button only needed 25% pot odds to call and big blind only needed 20% pot odds after button called. If one of them was in fact on a flush draw or open-ended straight draw, they would have had 35% and 31% pot odds respectively. For me to be able to protect my over-pair and to make sure they pay for their draw, I should have bet at least Php 1,500 with the pot at Php 1225. A flush draw would’ve reasonably called Php 1,400. With 2 other players, there was a chance one or both would be drawing. If I bet at least Php 1,500, the button ideally would not call unless he had an open-ended straight draw with a flush draw or any draw with more than 36% odds. The big blind needed to have the same odds if the button folded. If the button called Php 1,500, the big blind only needed 26% odds to validate a call.

Lesson 1: Always make opponents pay for their draws; never give a cheap or free card.

The card on the turn made my over-pair into a top set but would’ve also completed a straight. What happened was that I’ve failed to see that although it made my pair better, it made my chances of winning worse. If there had been an opponent drawing to a straight (which there could’ve been because the flop bet was cheap), I became an underdog and would’ve needed a pair on the board to win.

Lesson 2: Do not get blinded by a set when there’s a made flush or made straight on the board.

The big blind checked and I bet Php 500 with Php 3025 in the pot. The bet was small but it actually didn’t matter as the opponent had a made hand. He would’ve called if I bet Php 50 or Php 3,000. Although his hand was not the nuts (KJ), it was the second best. When he raised my Php 500 bet to Php 1,500, I should’ve just called. I had 22% odds to beat a made straight and his Php 1,000 raise required me to have 17% odds to validate a call.

Lesson 3: Beware of raises – think before acting.

If I had just called, the pot would’ve been Php 6025 on the river. And although I had invested Php 2,600 in the pot, I would’ve been able to fold when there was only one card to a straight when the Jack fell. I would’ve still had a reasonable chip count of Php 8,400.

That ends this day’s lessons. These lessons cost Php 11,000 and should always be remembered.