my days at the office

My warped views on poker, politics, and life

And In This Corner...

23rd-Jun-2006 10:14 pm

I have not read Matt Maroon's book, Winning Texas Hold'em. I will be, soon (I do have it)--I just haven't gotten around to it. So I have no idea if the book is good, bad, or otherwise. Matt himself has noted that the publisher added so many typographical errors (especially in the first part of the book) that he will never have anything to do with that publisher again. That's background item #1.

Last year, when Matt Maroon's book came out, Mason Malmuth criticized it on the 2+2 forums. That's background item #2.

Last week Matt Maroon posted on his blog that the short-handed section of Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players gives terrible advice (see http://www.thepokerchronicles.com/archives/000794.html). That's background item #3.

Now, for the entree. Take a look at this thread on the 2+2 forums. Talk about a war of words....

My most recent live session was another at the Bike in the $300 - $500 nlhe game ($5/$5 blinds). I have been card dead, and remained so today. I did almost double up early, when I held aces and re-raised a LAG from $30 to $65 pre-flop. He then moved in for about $400 (total). I called, and the aces beat his jacks. I should have gone home then, as I held two more pairs in over five hours, and only two other AT or greater hands. The game got incredibly loose towards the end of my stay, but I never had anything...just a string of K3, Q4, 82, etc. hands. Still, I'll take my positive session today.

Here's an example of the looseness towards the end. My rho was incredibly LAGgy. On a hand where I'm in the small blind (he has the button), UTG raises to $15. Four call, rho makes it $115. I fold my junk hand, original raiser shoves all-in ($300 more), only rho calls. The hands: rho--TT raiser 99. The tens held up. If I only had a hand....

If you get Conjelco's Intelligent Gambler, you'll see our favorite poker authors on the front page (

scottro and myself, of course). I should know on Monday the real release date for Why You Lose at Poker.

Mood:tired

Comments

24th-Jun-2006 07:33 am (UTC)

terrencechan

I haven't read Matt's book either. Never played with him either. I have read the shorthanded section of HPFAP. I've played with Mason, albeit scarcely. Yet, for some reason, I'd wager quite a bit of money that Matt would win more money from a given mid-limit shorthanded game than Mason.

I don't know what that means.

25th-Jun-2006 01:07 am (UTC) - I have to agree

themaroon

with your challenge to him on their site. I was recommending what I thought was a moderately tight number at 80%, just based off my own experience. It was just kind of a guestimate, but I can't imagine beating any decent player when only playing 45% there.

25th-Jun-2006 03:41 am (UTC) - Re: I have to agree

terrencechan

There are even people who defend 100% of the time who I'd consider moderately tough opponents, despite being too loose. There are no opponents defending 45% who I would consider remotely tough.

25th-Jun-2006 07:20 pm (UTC) - Re: I have to agree

themaroon

For sure. If he does decide to take your challenge for higher stakes than you're accustomed to and you need some help funding it please let me know. I'd back a chimpanzee over someone who only defends 45% of big blinds heads up.

24th-Jun-2006 02:20 pm (UTC)

luckylefty

What is a LAG?

When you reraise preflop, I'm surprised you only reraise $35 more into
a $70 pot. Doesn't that let an opponent with suited connectors or a smaller pair have sufficient odds, including implied odds, to call and draw out on you? I'd tend to make a pot-sized raise here, reducing my opponent's odds to 2 to 1, and reducing his implied odds because the stacks are small, so that he would be making a mistake to call here.

24th-Jun-2006 05:07 pm (UTC)

rcfox

LAG = loose, aggressive

For my rho, he had to call $35 on an effective $65 pot ($4 rake, + $1 jackpot drop). I'm giving him a little less than 2 to 1 (1.85 to 1, I believe). There's another big factor -- his aggressiveness.

My play screams one of two things: big strength or big weakness. We have played against each other before, and he knows that I'm at least a decent player. I haven't raised as much as he thinks I would normally raise. Why? Perhaps I have suited connectors, and want to just drive the blinds out and still have position. Perhaps I have an AK type of hand. He's seen me make pot-sized re-raises with AA & KK before. I was trying to get him to re-re-raise here, and I thought that a small re-raise might get him to throw in a re-raise of $100 or so. I was shocked when he moved-in, but I still managed the call.

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