The League of Ordinary Gentlemen

In 2009 we created a league with a prize pool and a point system. We play tournaments every other week, twice a month, with part of the buy-in going to the nightly prize pool and part going to a bigger pot. In here we will eventually have thousands of dollars to use to send the top four players to Vegas in May of 2010 to play in the World Series of Poker. One percent of the winnings go to each member of the league. Last year the first prize for the $1500 No Limit Hold'em event was nearly $700,000. One percent would be $7,000; or a 15.5-1 return on my total dues. It's still a crap shoot but everyone in the league is a decent enough player to have a shot, some more so than others. If one of them does win, I too will win. Any gambler would tell you that that's not a bad bet.

I fear that it will not be me going to Vegas in May, because I am stuck in the middle of the pack with only 9 games left. I need to final table each time to maintain and place 5th or higher to move up. My friend (and our host) believes I can move up if I play tight ABC poker. I did not believe so because tight play is too predictable and exploitable. I do not consider myself loose but I am very aggressive with my calling hands; usually with suited connectors, two big cards or pairs. Having played with most of the people in the league for the last three years I feel that my ability to read them is significantly above average. Also, my image in these games is that of a wild, loose, aggressive player who cannot fold top pair.

I now realize that my friend is correct. Tonight, in a non-league tournament, I played much tighter than I am comfortable with. I was raising and betting with Big Slick (Ace-King for you non-pokering types) and pairs of 8's or higher. I was calling with suited connectors, Ace-Queen, Ace-Jack suited and Ace-Ten suited. I'll be damned if I didn't get paid off every hand. There were only 19 people there but I finished in 5th. There are 21 people in the league. I hope I don't need to accentuate my point.

I still prefer cash games. My friend tells me to avoid the casinos and the raked games in the area, that my strengths are in tournaments but I feel like it's the opposite. I walked into his basement with $150 in my pocket and plunked down $60 for the tournament. After being knocked out of the tournament in 5th place (and no prize money) I sat at the cash table. It's a fairly small stakes game that fluctuates from .25/.50 all the way up to $1/$2. Lately we've more or less agreed to keep the stakes at a friendly $1/$1 and nobody ever buys in for more than $50. I had $90 in my pocket so I bought in for $50, and in 5 hands I was reaching for my other $40. Soon after I was down to only $27. I was very upset, but I focused and waited. I was dealt Ace-Jack in middle position and was allowed to see the flop for a small raise. It came Jack high and one player led out for a bet of about the pot, nearly $10. I shoved and she called, showing me King-Jack. I proceeded to double up and then started to clean up, eventually topping out at nearly $230. I reiterate, I feel like I'm better at cash games. Regretfully my biggest problem is my love for the game and my inability to leave while the game is still going on. I was put in an awkward situation while holding King-Jack on a board of King-Queen-Five with two clubs. I held the Jack of clubs but that was not important. What was important was the all-in bet of the host for $21. It folds to me and I think of the two people behind me. I decide to raise $40 more, making it $61. One of the two people behind me, one we affectionately call "Tuna", shoves for $87 more. I tank (deep thought) for a minute or two and call, expecting him to show me Ace-X of clubs. He instead shows me Queen-Five for bottom two pair. The board did not improve for me and I lost most of my profit, leaving with $140 when my big blind came around. I need to learn when to leave, and when I do, I will be considerably richer.