It all started because the Horseshoe was giving away a nice personal blender and my kids wanted it. In addition, Horseshoe was offering me money in free promotional chips, so while I planned on being there anyway, I may as well get that reward. Finally, I planned on hosting my brother-in-law, his wife & kids, as well as my in-laws, to a nice Mother's Day dinner. I don't know how to cook (nor do I care to even try), so what should I plan? BBQ, of course! The final part of my plan was to take some of the $400+ in comp rewards that I've accumulated from my play at the Horseshoe since I rarely use the money, and pick up a little Guy Fieri's BBQ catering while I'm up there. I got a few pounds of pulled chicken and pit beef - and it was great!
Well, while I'm all the way up in Baltimore, I may as well get a little play in, no? It would be a waste to drive all the way up there only to turn around and go home! I decided to play for an hour and a half... no one would notice, would they? (Side note: of course my wife noticed. She let me hear about it, no doubt!) It was an interesting session, if, for nothing else, the craziness of the seat to my right.
So as you may or may not be already aware, I'm the talkative guy at the table. If I'm winning, if I've had caffeine or sugar, or if I'm bored, I start up conversations. Seldom are the conversations about poker, but most are about inane things - [basic] economics, cars, sports, etc. People are usually interested in those things, and it helps me pass the time when I'm card dead (which is my real angle for doing it). When I got to the poker room, there was a 10 minute wait - management decided to open a new table. I immediately got dealt high card and was awarded the button. (The process for opening new tables is the dealer will deal out cards corresponding to the amount of players at the table. High card takes the button, and in the event of ties, first high card clockwise from the dealer wins.) I'm already ahead in my short session! Free poker for 8 hands!
As we're getting settled in as a table, adjusting to each other's tendencies, etc., I start developing an aggressive image for anyone who's paying attention. After folding the first 2 hands, I flop a set on a PF raised pot with 4's on an all spade, Ten high board. 5 ways, I donk bet for $50 and take it down without a fight. The PF raiser was an older black man with whom I had played previously, so I imagined he would not auto- cbet into that many players without an overpair, but was capable of PF raising a reasonable range including broadway. My thinking was that I don't want to let my opponents see a turn card and catch up for free.
A few hands later, another opponent raises to $10 and we see a 4 way flop of 2 T Q, 2 spades, except this time with 78ss. PF raiser checks to me and I lead for $22. Older man from prior hand flats and turn is a 3(?) of spades. I bet $40 and he fiddles with his chips as if he's going to raise, though eventually folds. Bummer.
The payer in the seat to my right finally sits down after "forgetting" where he was seated. I welcome him to the table and he looks me in the face and says: "Who the F* are you?" I'm taken aback, but say "Welcome to the table, sir." He's bought in for $100. He turns about to be a bit of an a-hole, chips up to $170 in about 2 orbits, gets up & leaves to another table. I know exactly what he's doing - going south; pocketing the $70 and starting at a new table for $100. I don't even have to look. Low and behold, I turn around, and there he is at the table behind me with $100. The rule at the Horseshoe is that you cannot "go south." Now ordinarily, I would not care about what other players around me are doing. In the direct sense, I am not affected by the action at another table, nor do I work at the poker room and enforce the rules. I will, of course, bring rule-breakers to light to the management when it directly affects me, but I will also occasionally call out egregious offenders of the going south rule when I've seen them do it as a habit. This guy, though, is a dick. I presume he also know the rules, since I saw him playing with his iPhone, tracking his poker play through the Poker Income app (and he had numerous logged sessions). I let the management know about the issue - and the rule-breaker is quickly brought to justice... my table genuinely applauds me, as the guy was a dick to everyone there.
Next guy who takes the seat arrives as I'm talking with the guy to my left about the Big Mac Index. Now I've played with this new guy before, not too many times, but I definitely remember he's a loose, bad player. While we're mid-conversation (the guy had also folded), I look up to see action has completely stopped on the new player. The dealer points out that action is on him, and he says - I kid you not: "I'm waiting until The Poker Meister is done with his conversation. I want to hear what he's saying, because everything he's saying is absolutely wrong. It couldn't be more wrong." This guy just. sat. down. I stop my talking immediately because I, as well as the whole table, would like to move the game along. He finally folds. I continue my conversation. At the earliest opportunity, he chimes in and "corrects me" by using a different country as an example of how the Big Mac Index works, rather than the broader "Europe" that I used... Claims he's spent 2 years in a higher degree program, and "he knows." The whole table, including my conversation mate, are trying hard to stifle laughter, as they realize "isn't that what the Poker Meister just said?" Anyway, dick #2 proceeds to donk off $300 in $100 buy in increments in the span of 20 minutes. I got none of it, but was quite amused - clearly he didn't master probability nor game theory within his 2 years of higher education...
I digress, though. Final notable hand of the day: I steal from the cutoff raising A8o to $12. SB & BB call - SB is the older black man from above who's now re-bought and is sitting on around $200. Flop comes J 8 6 rainbow. Checks to me and I lead for $20. SB calls, BB folds. Turn is an offsuit A, completing the rainbow. Checks, I lead for $35 and SB calls. River is a 6. I lead for $40 hoping to get a little more value out of my Aces up, pretty certain SB would call down with a 6. SB tanks. SB says to me: "Either you got an Ace or you got nothing..." This could not be closer to the truth. I tell him exactly that: "Sir, you are 100% correct." He's surprised when I respond, and confused. I clarify that he's 100% correct; I have an Ace or I have nothing. This tanks him even further. He finally folds, and says he had nothing, but thought that his nothing beats my nothing - he was considering calling. I made the correct read; put him on KQ, QT, perhaps a gutter and remotely a Jx hand. I wanted him to look my up light, but in the end, he nor I could talk himself into calling... Oh well - a lot to write about a one and a half hour session...
Poker isn't nearly as fun when the poker gods are crapping on you - lol. I chuckled at "going south." I usually use the term to mean ... umm, is this a family-oriented blog? And I get a big kick out of hearing about all the talking you do at the poker table. I'm sure that most people who know me will tell you that I basically talk and don't shut up ... until I am at the poker table. I am usually the quietest guy there.
ReplyDeleteGreat short session!
I think I give away a small bit of information by talking at the table, but it more than compensates for the removal of the boredom element. If you're card dead, strike up engaging conversations - so long as you can pay attention to the action and talk at the same time, you're good.
DeleteOne thing I do have to work on is shutting up while I or other people that I'm talking to are involved in a hand. I do realize I sometimes continue it too far.
talking at the table, but it more than compensates for the removal of the boredom element
ReplyDeleteI think it's good for the table. It loosens people up and they're more likely to splash around making for bigger pots. That's exactly what you want, no?
I may as well get a little play in, no? It would be a waste to drive all the way up there only to turn around and go home
I've used that one, too, lol.
That's the idea, MOJO - loosen up the table to make it feel like a home game.
DeleteThat's why I carry around earbud headphones. If I'm not in a mood to talk/listen the earbuds are instant privacy. One question, did he say your real name or TMP? So he reads the blog?
ReplyDeleteNah - he said neither name; he said "I'm waiting until this guy [me] finishes..." I don't imagine he reads the blog since he was a particularly poor player...
Deletexex7-
DeleteThese people are your customers. You want them to drive through and have a nice day. Why wouldn't you amuse them instead of being a non-participant? The greatest compliment I've ever had is when a total fish seeks me out because he or she likes sitting at my table! To me, that's money in the bank - all the hard work paying dividends...
PM:
ReplyDeleteJust curious as to your take on talking politics at the table. I enjoy political discourse and I'm fine with it at the table - I know some folks get very emotionally attached to the topic and feel like it's not appropriate. Is that ever a topic you encourage or engage in at the table? I would imagine it's something that could be used strategically, trying to goad or tilt someone who is emotionally attached to a particular idology.
s.i.
SI -
DeletePersonally, I try to keep away from politics at the table. Despite wanting to tilt the hell out of the other players, sometimes personal feelings and religious views become intertwined and feelings get hurt. I'm not out to hurt my opponent's feelings, and I want them to be happy losing their money to me. Therefore, I usually limit my conversations to light topics. That said, there was one time where a lady got really upset with conversation in what I felt was an over the top reaction: https://lowstakeshands.blogspot.com/2016/03/its-like-kissing-your-sister.html
Regardless, I think my banter at the table does sometimes rub people the wrong way; they may get irritated at my non-stop talk and start to target me (which I love BTW). Most of the time, it makes the table more friendly and looser. It's also served to, on the rare occasion, compensate a would-be large lost pot when my opponent thinks we're "friends" and does not value bet or just calls a river with the nuts.
A couple of thoughts.
ReplyDelete#1. Do you tend to win more when you are talking? You may be doing more than killing time when you are card dead. I notice that I play better when chatting. I think part of it is that by engaging with the other players, you begin to learn their baseline and personality, so you can pick up on things (subconsciously or otherwise) later when they are in a hand. Also, by creating relationships with the other players, I think some tend to play softer against me. Even when my chatter gets people angry, at least I know how they are reacting and can act accordingly. A silent table is a lot trickier though, since there is less info to read.
#2. When a player is chatty during a hand. like you were when the guys suggested you had an Ace or nothing, the chattiness suggests comfort. By answering him in a joking manner, he may have picked up your strength (again, subconsciously or otherwise).
1. Yeah - I think I play better with the chattiness. I'm able to watch the players that are still involved in the hand while simultaneously carrying on a conversation for the simple fact that most of the conversations are inconsequential. In other words, the words and thoughts I'm using for talking don't require much brain power. Phrases like "Oh! I love that new car," or "Those [insert team here] are terrible this year, aren't they!!!" are pretty much the extent. Also, like you point out, I get to create a picture of where my opponents are coming from; are they serious players or are they there to gamble? How important is the money to them?
ReplyDelete2. Yeah - it's possible that my response led him to believe my hand had strength. However, if it looks like he's folding, I really should stab at any reason to give him to second think his fold. If nothing else, it's a last ditch effort to get him to make the call. Nevertheless, it's a good point for keeping my mouth shut while in a hand - so as to not accidentally project strength or weakness.
I agree that if an opponent looks like he is folding, there is no harm in getting chatty at that point, because you have nothing to lose. You and I share a lot of common traits/theories on these sorts of things.
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