Page 13 - February 2008 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Jim Mercurio: Poker
ALn y T w o C a r d s C a n L o s e
ast year, I detailed my meteoric rise in the .01–.02 at Pokerstars online and said that I would, when I could quell my adhd, get back to playing at every level. So here is my report on the .05–.10 no–limit game along with some cold, hard facts.
e ten-cent players tend to pay o too much on hands that look pretty. If you have K4 on an AKKQ9 board and someone shoves all in, what can you beat? But their most fundamental problem is not understanding the importance of position. Consider this your mini bootcamponposition.Youcanrefertomygraph,below.
Ihadn’tplayedpokerforacoupleofmonthssoIwent onlinetogetmistakesoutofmysystem,sowhenIplay at the casino this month, I will be sharp. I played 8,100 hands(thesolidline)at.05–.1.Iwasnine-tablingsomy play wasn’t optimal, but look at how I was pro table in
every position except the blinds. It should make sense. If you willingly play a hand, you should choose ones that are pro table in that position. But even my $67 in pro t on the button could not alone overcome my $97 loss in the big blind.
I got a little bit cocky in the next 1,300 hands (the dashed line) and, lo and behold, a disaster of proportionate proportions. I was up $20 in the non-blind positions, but I lost $60 (equivalent of six full buy-ins) in the blinds by merely ignoring the fundamentals of position for a few hours.
Look at the di erence between my Under the Gun (utg) pro t of $13 and my button pro t of $78. I am exactly six times more pro table on the button.
And remember, I play much better cards utg than I do on the button. If AA is about a 4.5:1 favorite over 72, could it be that 72 on the button is
“better” than AA under the gun?
I looked at my stats and slapped myself and began to fold pretty-looking hands like KJ and KQ and 56♠ in the
blinds. Not only did I stop hemorrhaging money in the big blind, I actually made a bit of a pro t over the next 3,600 hands (dotted line) in the small blind. It’s a fact: 99.9% of players will lose in the blinds. It’s the nature of the game. If you want to x a leak in your game, stop defending your blinds. Playing only AK and pocket
pairs in the blinds will prevent you from a ton of losses, guaranteed.
I know my $93 isn’t anything to write home about. But consider this: I will go on record and say that the 10-cent Pokerstars game is probably as competitive as a weekend $200 buy-in game with 3–5 blinds in Los Angeles. If you can beat the Pokerstars game for a similar amount and factor in the disadvantage of playing nine tables at once, you are on your way to a $20/hour hobby.
I will end my column with a quote from myself in my upcoming poker book, Screw Your Neighbor: If you are going to play out of position, assume the position.
is is Jim’s column 1 of 2 on Position. Look for the next Position column in the March issue.
February 2008 Table Games and Slot Tournaments
HARRAH’S RINCON CASINO & RESORT WEDNESDAY, February 23th at 12 p.m. Weekday Rewards Slot Tournament
Tournament is open to all Total Rewards members. Register from 10 a.m. to noon at the Promotions Center. Awards from $50 to $500 announced at 5 p.m. at the Promotions Center, and must be claimed by
11:59 p.m. or else they will be forfeited.
TUESDAY, February 26th at 4:30 p.m.
$10,000 Rincon Riches Slot Tournament
Tournament is free for all Seven Star, Diamond and Platinum Total Rewards cardholders, and $20 entry fee for Gold cardholders. Cash prizes awarded to the top 20 players, plus a “player in the middle” prize. Register at the Promotions Center from 4 p.m. t0 7:30 p.m. Space is limited. Prizes awarded at 10 p.m., and must be claimed by 11:59 p.m. or else they will be forfeited.
SOBOBA CASINO
DAILY THROUGH MARCH 21st
Final Four Fantasy Tip Off
Start earning entries February 4th at any table game with qualifying hands to win an all-expense paid trip for two
to the NCAA Final Four from April 5th–7th, plus a share of $10,000 in cash. Drawing will be held on March 21st.
TUESDAY, February 26th
$20k Hearts & Diamonds Slot Tournament
$50 buy-in or 3,000 Club Soboba points. Cash prizes and gift cards for Zales Jewelry. $20,000 guaranteed.
WEDNESDAYS at 5 p.m.
$1,500 Weekly Blackjack Tournament
Registration begins at 3 p.m., rst qualifying rounds at
5 p.m. $20 buy-in/$10 re-buys. $1,500 guaranteed in cash prizes. One bonus payout per hand and per player only.
TUESDAYS from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Fat 2’s Days Bonus Payouts
Receive up to $1,000 in bonus payouts for qualifying hands containing 2s on select table games from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
THURSDAYS from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Diamonds are a Player’s Best Friend
Receive up to $500 in bonus payouts for hands suited in diamonds on all Blackjack games.
VIEJAS CASINO
SUNDAY February 3rd, 17th and 24th at 11 a.m.
$1,500 Pai Gow Free Roll Tournaments
Earn entries playing Pai Gow, Baccarat and Double Baccarat through the end of February. Earn up to two entries for free seat and bonus chips good for Sunday’s tournament. Win up to $525 each freeroll. Registration from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in the Pai Gow Pit.
FRIDAYS from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
$5,000 Fridays
Two lucky players will win $500 every hour from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Ask your blackjack dealer how to qualify.
SATURDAY and SUNDAY, MARCH 15th and 16th
50,000 Lucky Clovers Tournament
Begin earning entries February 1st with live blackjack play. Ask your dealer for details.
Win $2,500 with a $1 Side Bet
New SuperSplit 21
Play Blackjack and win with speci c combinations of aces and/or face cards. Increase your payouts by splitting a pair of aces and getting face cards as your hit card.
February 2008
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Page 13
Poker: Wired Aces and River Rats Tournaments