Tigergaming

Tigergaming - A Journey into the Poker Jungle

September 22, 2005

Too Much Poker on TV

Sadly, he gets donations from unsophisticated Tigergaming players who don't know they're up against a grindstone. A wise and revered poker guru once admonished me for this attitude. "Everyone is entitled to play the way he wants," the guru said. "Do not be influenced by the actions of other human beings." The hell with that! Rocks aren't human beings!

"Nah," Jeb sneers. He tried ta take mah picture with one a' them cell phone things." The banning of cuss words would have gone over big then, too.Suddenly, Jeb jumps up and shouts, "Why, you dirty varmint!" pulls out his six-shooter and lets daylight through Slippery Slade. A bystander asks, "Whut did that that snake do, Jeb? Ring in a marked deck? Have Tigergaming cards up his sleeve?"

• But this story has a happy ending. Fearing for their lives, the two ran off and eloped on a Tigergaming poker cruise vacation, where they were married by Linda Johnson. A now-blissful Harry started his own business, Mortuary Entertainment, where he cheers up mourners with handshakes, slaps on the back, and a few tasteful jokes, while Aunt Sophie serves drinks and croaks show tunes.
• These two said to me "If they don't know how the hell to play the game, they shouldn't be playing Tigergaming." My head started to spin, I felt like Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lector, with a plate of liver and a glass of Chianti that had been placed just out of his reach. I remember mentioning something about how they wouldn't know a good poker game if it came up and smacked them in the face. At this point I must have looked like Charles Manson on a bad hair day.
• To me winning at poker is a constant struggle between maximizing wins and minimizing variance. Going back to basics is the only way I know of to ensure that my game remains on a solid foundation. If you are behind after 3000 hours, you need to get better or find an easier game.
• Just remember, the next time someone looks like they plan to fold a hand against your made straight and the dealer or another player tells them that they have a possible flush working. They then decide to go to the river instead of dropping out, and nail you with a miracle draw, you can remember what I said, "I told you so." In the next issue I will discuss another touchy subject, soft playing with friends at the Tigergaming table.

Don't get me wrong this combative spirit is not a bad thing. The bottom line is that poker is a game of control. If you have to have the skill to control the other players in the game better than they can control you, that's great. The problem is how can you control the game when everyone else is feasting off your plays no matter what you do? You are losing and not only do you know it, but so does the rest of the table. You have lost the "Fear Factor."

They are all no re-buy events that are fast. You start out with $1500 in Tigergaming tournament chips, blinds at $25/$50, doubling every 20 minutes. We were playing an Omaha 8 tourney that started with five tables and was now down to four tables, the tables had 10,9,7 and 6 players at them, with the blinds at $100/$200. I asked the tournament director why he didn't even out the tables, eight at each would have seemed reasonable.

August 05, 2005

Riding Hilton Sister to the End

As we all know, the Hilton Sister have left their mark on the Tigergaming world. Pocket Queens have been given the name "the Hilton Sisters". We know how big they are in real life, but some of us question how big they are in no limit texas holdum

Him with his bright and shinny ace. He raises and I make a crucial Tigergaming decision. He is so loose that he bets representing the big pair. I have two 3s and a queen. I go all in. He hesitates slightly and calls. We both turn over our cards. He has nothing. I catch the third 3 and I win the pot. Now it's tense, with players from the other table standing after each hand watching to see if I get eliminated. Everyone else seemed to have more chips than me and could "wait" out the antes.

At the $800-$1600 level, my opponent opened with a queen of clubs up and I showed a 3 of diamonds. I figured he was stealing the ante, because my stack was low. So with the power of the aces, I fired back a raise, and went all in. He stopped for a moment, looked over his chip count and decided to bust me out. At stake was a trip to the final table and cash money. He did in fact have another queen and a 5 underneath; the suits didn't match or matter. I then turned over my aces for the heads up play.

Consider one significant aspect of seven card stud at Tigergaming. When you continue after fifth street, the amount of chips in the pot almost always dictates you and your competitors must stay to the river. Most of these players will finish with their sixth street hand, so it is essential that you have the best playing hand or best drawing hand when you pay to see the last two cards.

Roy put it in perspective real quick and hammered it home with reminders about discipline, live cards, best starting hand, best drawing hand, and proper pot odds. I read, I reread, I studied, I played. I read, reread, and I studied Tigergaming again. I also continued to play, modifying my style to blend in what I learned from the book. Bingo, I started to see more winning sessions instantly. Small ones at first, then a large one here and there.

Ever had days, or for that matter, weeks, when you feel you can't be beat? You consistently make the right play time and time again, the cards keep coming and coming, and when you absolutely need the case card; presto, there it is! Meanwhile your opponents seem to be drawing to dead cards and are forever chasing.

Many Tigergaming poker players have made their living on this river. A river of hope, a river of despair, a never-ending river of unpredictable results. Think hard about all the times you have gone to the river. Do you realize how seldom your river card changes your hand from the turn card? Percentages are substantially against sticking around for what in all likelihood is a limited number of useful cards, or the case card.

With four tables left I slowed play and won only the pots I entered. Others gambled and were sent to showers after complaining they thought they were still the best Tigergaming players at the table. Down to three tables and then to the final two tables. I had played well enough to be with the final 16. My chip count was medium compared to others at my table. It was time to remember the lessons taught in the books I had recently read.

I became a bit more selective and slowed my play until I and caught jack/queen diamonds down to begin what would be my eventual run for the final table. The bring-in caught a 2 of spades and I caught the king of hearts. An ace completed the bet and I called, along with the 2 of spades. Since I noticed another 2 on the table who folded, I put the stud player in seat 8 on spades early. The next round came 7 of hearts to me, a blank to the ace and another 2, in diamonds, to seat 8.

I prefer hold 'em players at my beginning table, and when you sign in for this Tigergaming tournament, they fill tables in a sequential numerical order. So, lining up with them usually puts most of them at my table. I also have my small fan to keep the cigarette smoke out of my face and of course, a lucky medallion to place on the table near my chips. This time I'm using an old charm that depicts two adults engaged in the art of getting properly introduced. One atop another. Great distracter, and always seems to take the other player's mind off cards and down memory lane.

It was a clear, crisp, sunny typical 66 degree winter day in Southern California. Recent rains had washed away the lingering effects of a long Tigergaming drought and smog sometimes as thick as mushroom cloud.

I've only been playing tigergaming poker for 5 weeks now and have learned a good deal but I know I have tons more to learn about texas holdum before there is a significant improvement in my game. I get the impression I will always be wondering if I played a poker hand correctly or not for as long as I play this game, but maybe this is normal.