Bettingboys.com

I'm a blogger over at Bettingboys.com now, you can read my ramblings (in Swedish) here.

This was my first post over at Bettingboys:

Konsten att hjältefolda

Den svenske författaren och pokerspelare och tillika min goda vän Dan Glimne skrev för ett antal år sedan en krönika om hur han foldade ett par i kungar på hand på en flop bestående av en kung och två damer och fick se sin motspelare visa upp sitt floppade fyrtal. När jag för första gången läste den anekdoten bestämde jag mig för att om jag någonsin hamnade vid samma bord som honom så skulle jag bluffa honom vid varje möjlig och omöjligt tillfälle. Något halvår senare spelade jag min första större turnering utomlands och fick för första gången träffa Dan. Trevligare människa får man leta efter och jag bestämde mig rätt snart för att om Dan vill hjältefolda, ja, då får Dan hjältefolda!

Som en hyllning till Dan kommer min första krönika handla om ett tillfälle när jag kanske borde ha övervägt att hjältefolda. Det var en gång för ett par år sedan en turnering, kanske ett år senare, med ett inköp av 15000 i Prag. I slutet av dag ett sitter jag på en ganska rejäl stack på ungefär 50k och blindsen låg, om jag inte missminner mig, på 500/1k med en ganska rejäl ante. Antagligen har jag en ganska lös image eftersom jag som vanligt varit inne och pangat i en hel del potter, både i bra och dåliga lägen. Jag sitter i förstaposition, under the gun, och tittar ned på två kungar. Här ska det bli spelas av och jag standardhöjer till 3 big blinds. Det foldar fram till mellanposition och ett hollänskt proffs som haft bra placeringar i diverse EPTer går all in för strax över 10 big blinds. Jag hinner inte ens bli glad innan en spinkig lite skitunge i nästa säte snappsynar med ett leende på läpparna så brett att det hade fått Mick Jagger att skämmas.

Den unge herrn, från Tyskland visade det sig, ser ut att vara i femtonårsldern och är liten och tanig men har ägnat de sista tv timmarna åt att träffa allt, dra ut folk till höger och vänster och i största allmänhet sprungit som en gud. Hade det inte varit för att de kollar leg innan man får komma in på Casinot hade jag gissat på att han nyss gått ut högstadiet så ingen större vana av live-poker har han då rakt inte. Nu var jag inte någon större fantast på att läsa folks ansiktsuttryck men till och med Stevie Wonder hade nog noterat att lillen var ganska nöjd med sin hand. Det foldar till big blind i form av WSOP-vinnaren Anders Henriksson som tittar ned på sina kort, slänger in dem i mucken och tittar sig intresserat omkring. Tysken täcker mig ganska klart.

Jag bestämde mig lite fort för att jag inte var så sugen på att bara syna. Det var ganska sent på natten och om jag synar är det nästan lika mycket i potten som jag har kvar bakom och min position blir bara ännu jobbigare om jag möter ett bet på floppen. När jag senare pratade med ett gäng duktiga spelare, inklusive Anders, om handen tyckte många att en syn nog ändå hade funkat men att man då fick ta och folda mot flopbets på ganska många brädor. Då jag hade en cashgamebakgrund tyckte jag att den linjen verkade rätt dålig av skäl som har att göra med en massa konstiga termer som matats in i pokervrlden via diverse större pokerforum. Saker som exploaterbart, obalanserat, range flög genom mitt huvud. Till slut kom jag fram till att man inte kan vika kungar för 50 big blinds när det är antes, döda pengar i potten och en fjunig liten fjant från Tyskland i potten.

All in deklarerade jag stolt och sköt in min stack i mitten som en mäktig fallossymbol. Innan mina chips ens är inne i potten har tysken synat, slängt upp sina ess och om möjligt börjat se ännu nöjdare ut. 20 sekunder senare har jag sagt hej då till Anders och börjat knata iväg mot mitt hotellrum. Såhär i efterhand är jag ganska säker på att jag borde gjort en Glimne och foldat, men andra sidan har jag gjort sämre spel både före och efter den incidenten.

Dagen efter samlas vi ett gäng och käkar på en argentinsk restaurang och bad beat-historien utbyts. Där drog jag historien om min absolut första större liveturnering och hur jag även där spelade kungar som en bitter republikan utan sympati vare sig för Carl-Gustav eller Mette-Marit. Anders utbrister; Det där kommer jag ihåg! och berättar att han faktiskt satt vid bordet den gången också. Jag bestämmer mig tyst för att om Anders sitter vid bordet, då ska jag fortsättningsvis openfolda Kungar.

Hur klantade jag till Kungarna första gången, undrar kanske någon? Det, mina vänner, är en historia för nästa krönika. Tills vidare, må era flushdrag sitta på rivern och era överpar inte bli utdragna!

/Ambjörn "Dustylove" Hedblom

Bloggflytt

Snubbarna på bettingboys.com tyckte att jag skrev roliga saker så nu bloggar jag hos dem istället.

Mina alster hittas numer under: http://www.bettingboys.com/sv/Poker/DustyLove.aspx

A straight flush and the most retarded HU match ever

Apparently they had a team event at Unibet Open Riga because the dutch teams from the last tournament wanted to get revenge on the Finish people. Obviously we needed a Swedish team so I, Dan Glimne and two guys called Daniel payed the 300€ per player and signed up. Then we sat around half an hour waiting for the dutch guys the get out of bed, which they hadn't considered an option earlier due to severe hangovers and general lazyness. And this wasn't THAT early, more like 1600 pm. Finally someone went to the bar in search for a Finish team which they got together and we decided that the dutch teams wasn't going to shove and suddenly it was SWE vs FIN. I would be tilted sitting alone at a table for 45 minutes waiting for a bunch of slow ass poker players to get out of bed but the dealer at my table was really cool so I actually had a fairly good time.

Anyway, the name of the game would be four Heads up matches and the winners would play a 4 handed final table, half of the price money to the guy who won and half to the winning team.

I drew some organizer from Finland and figured that I probably should be the favorite considering how I'm supposed to be a fairly decent poker player and he at least doesn't play full time. My NLHU game is a little rusty, but I couldn't imagine the level of fail and laughter this HU match would bring.

The match starts out and I see that he calls a bit to much from the big blinds and folds to many small blinds. I win a few small pots by cbetting and barreling turn and I'm soon up to having about 65% of the chips in play (we started with 6k each at 25/50) and level 2 with blinds at 50/100 I 3bet Akcc and snaps a ship and lose to Kings. Then I 3bet AQhh a few hands later and he goes allin. I snapcall and he shoves 44. I say “Ace on the river”, the flop blanks, turn is a brick and the dealer turns up Ac on the river. I tip her two lat (that's like 3€ or something) that I happen to have in my pocket. A couple of hands later I raise Q2hh and flop Q73 with two hearts. I cbet and he calls. Turn is a blank and I check since he tends to fold to turnbets and I feel that I could pick up a bluff on the river or vb lightish on most rivers. River is an off suit King and he bets fairly big. I call fairly fast and he has K2o for no pair no draw that hit a king on the river. Tilt.

After that I can't hit anything and he keeps making hands and/or bluffing me with the notable exception of openfolding 43o on KT7r. I tabled 32o to take the pot. Then possibly the most lol-inducing fuck up I've seen happens. I minraise J2hh on the button and get a call. Flop is Ah8h2x giving me a fairly decent flush draw and a pair. I bet 550 or something into 800, he raises, I go allin and he snap calls and tables.... Ks4h and says he has a flush draw. Then he goes “ehh, ohh... I was sure I had the king of hearts!”. His friend who sits next to him is less then amused. I hold and I'm ahead again.

Then back to him winning every pot (and his friend telling him to check his cards before river action, heh) and suddenly we're even again. I minraise T7r on the button, he calls. Flop comes 987 rainbow and I feel that I'm not going no where on that flop. I cbet, he raises and I decide to talk a bit because if I look strong enough maybe he'll get rid of some random 82 or something if he happens to have that. Then I minraise him. He minraises me back. At this point I'm not very happy, but I figure that I have a ton of outs against most stuff so I go allin and he snaps with the nut straight. I turn a T for some outs but fail to bink one on the river and I'm out.

That sucked.

Anyway, here's a fun hand I just played: 

Crappy tournament play

Was hungover after celebrating my girls 25^th birtday the day before so I played day 1 feeling fairly bad.

Also managed to win like 2-3 hands all day. Most hands went something like I raise, flop is good for a cbet and I get raised and folds. Or raise, I hit nothing on a drawy board, I check and someone bets. Tried calling someone down in a huge pot with A-high in what I'd consider a fairly good spot but the river came a horrid card and I had to fold.

After 5 or 6 levels I was down to half my start stack or a little less and I have the big blind. UTG raises to 2.5 which he does a lot, two calls and back to me and I make the call with K3ss in spades. Flop comes QJ3 with two spades and I have one pair and the 2^nd nut flush draw. Good enough for me and I check hoping to God or any other higher power that cares to listen for a cbet. UTG bets a little over 1k which is very close to pot and UTG+1 calls, a Danish gentleman raises to 2.5k or something and I decide that with all the dead money in the pot it's worth it to get my 9-14 outs in for about 8k here despite not really thinking that I'll get them all to fold very often. Only thing I'd hate to be up against would be the nut flush draw and a strong made hand but more often then not I think people will have some other combos. If two people have sets or top 2 and I get it in 3way I'm in very ok shape too. Thus I ship and UTG and UTG +1 folds. The Danish guy thinks for a little bit, says something I couldn't really hear and shrugges. Then he calls me with top two and turn is a blank and river a Q and I'm out. I kind of hoped that he had Ts9s when he tanked but no such luck.

Board: Qs Js 3h

Dead:

equity win

Hand 0: 50.932% { QJs, QJo }

Hand 1: 49.068% { Ks3s }

That's fairly close to a flip.

Going to play a team event with Daniel, Daniel and Dan (I kind of stand out as far as names goes, don't you think?) today for 300€ per head and I guess that could be fun. Gotta get some more live experience anyway, this year I've played something like 4 tournaments and that's just not enough. I will do probably like 5-6 bigger ones and hopefully a few small ones next year and maybe go to Vegas. Feeling fairly good today after haveing breakfast and saying godbye to Micke Norinder and a couple of retired soccer players (one scored a few times back in 94). Might actually play good today.

The casino is located next to a strip club so the room where the tournament play took place looked a little funny sometimes: http://twitpic.com/7mlclw (NSFW kinda). And you should just see one of the WC's. There's pictures of naked ladies with really big boobs who looks like they've been on a diet of one broccoli/day for the last 20 years.

Anyway, overall this has been like most poker weekends, except that I had two in a row. Good food, too much to drink, reckless spending on weird stuff (I can't wait until dad sees his christmas present) and a whole lot of tilting on different things.

Might actually launch a fairly cool thing with my blog sometime in the somewhat near future. Keep on reading.

Scary security guards and stuff to do in Riga.

Too long in Riga

I've been here too long. While the city is beutiful and I enjoy the people I hang out with it's to small and untill I teach my girlfriend to play something decent enough to stake her for SNG's or something at the Casino I can't really grind while I'm traveling with her. Did anyone say the rake of life? It's not that bad, I've only spent about 500-600€ or so on crap I don't enjoy so far, but I really itch to play a bit. I guess it's just a buy in or two down the drain but yea, I wish I'd have time to grind a bit without feeling like a super crappy boy friend. Anyone knows how to solve this? I'm thinking making a schedual or something.

Went to a good resturant or two. http://www.fellini.lv/ was really good but a little expensive. I think I spent 120 lvl (that's like 160€ or something) including tips on a dinner for two, but the food was really good and I loved the service. It was really relaxed and the wine list was nice. They had a Amarone della Valpolicella I wanted to try out but I can't really bring myself to spend 100€ on a bottle of red wine a tuesday evening. Had some sicilian Nero wine that I can't remmember the name of but I kind of liked. The Swordfish was the 2^nd best fish I've ever eaten.

Yesterday I had a really bad Kebab-plate for lunch and then me and the girlfriend went to some resturant I think was called ”province” with Dan and his wife and then took a trip to the Casino. Glimne went into a private room and played with a chess board and the really big Russian security guy that informed us that we couldn't be there and that it was a private room looked somewhat confused by his actions. I think he was somewhat unsure if Dan was just too rich to give a fuck or old and not 100% clear in the head. I found it hilarious. I'm not useally intimidated by security people but the guys at the casino, while very nice, are among the biggest and most scary looking security people I've ever seen. Most of them make me think of the Russian mecinaries in ”Rock'n'rolla”. To put it in short: I won't mess with this people.

I'm going to upload some picture of the casino when I get home. It looks really cool and overall it feels like a good place to play poker. I saw Lex ”Raszi” Veldhuis in the casino bar yesterday. That guy is scary as fuck, I hope I don't end up at the same table with him tommorow.

Going to go to a resutrant called ”Gastronome” and with my girl tonight and then take a trip to the sky bar at Radisson. She's turning 25 today. Glimne managed to say that she turns ”a quarter of a century” which may or may not have been the best thing he's ever said.

Wish me luck tommorow.