It's a Trap!

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away Admiral Ackbar uttered the classic "It's a trap!" line as the Rebel Alliance attacked a fully operational Death Star. As a kid I loved these movies and I have enjoyed watching them again with my own kids thirty years later. The joy of setting a trap is not just for those prone to the dark side. In poker one of the greatest feelings comes from executing a successful trap move. When I started playing this involved slow playing a set. These days I trap mainly using my old friends aces and kings. In early position at most stages of a sit n go or tournament I regularly limp with super premium hands. Often faced with a raise I then exploit my confused opponents by re-raising big style. In a mixed start to the year I have had one notable success on Pokerstars which developed out of this trapping with kings and aces strategy:

PokerStars Tournament #1099432314, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $13.78/$1.22 USD 
45 players 
Total Prize Pool: $620.10 USD  

Tournament started 2015/01/04 17:56:20 ET 
Tournament finished 2015/01/04 19:11:50 ET 

  1: Kartajana (United Kingdom), $192.26 (31.004%) 
  2: pipiki (Greece), $133.32 (21.499%) 
  3: Matheeeew (Slovenia), $102.31 (16.498%) 
  4: Leviathan74 (Greece), $77.51 (12.499%) 
  5: DrTee28 (United Kingdom), $55.80 (8.998%) 
  6: wondras3005 (Czech Republic), $37.20 (5.999%) 
  7: cockneyboy19 (United Kingdom), $21.70 (3.499%) 


So if you do come across me at the tables limp, three betting you don't need to be a Jedi to work out what I have. Cheers and may the force be with you in 2015.

The Rio Rhyme- Rio Jackpot Sit N Go Strategy

Following on from the great success of my Maui Mantra I wanted to capture my Rio Jackpot Sit N Go strategy in a memorable ditty. So here it is: Get stuck in and use position In level three make a decision Bubble time, push-fold with precision Then be lucky, the win is your mission Strategy is very important in the jackpot sit n go I feel, though arguably you should have a somewhat flexible approach. Certainly adapting to your opponents play is important especially in these six handed games. However I do feel it is genuinely helpful to have a memorable strategy summary. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and play a non optimum style. To translate my rhyme you need to be active early in these games looking for a opportunity to double up. This is the best route to victory. Using position can help here. By the end of level three you make a decision based on the chips you have in terms of playing to win or playing to cash. Soon bubble rules kick in. Later, heads up, a combination of aggression and good luck are needed. If you are brave/foolish enough to take on the Rio games good luck to you, you really will need it to beat the rake and the regulars.

See Maui Mantra:     http://www.kartajana.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/maui-mantra.htm

Rio Challenge Strategy 3: Bubble Trouble

One of the hardest things to do in poker is fold when you are confident you have the best hand. Another really tough thing to do is shove a poor hand knowing that you will probably be called by a better hand. On the bubble in a sit n go is these situations are commonplace and important to master. Weakness in this area is a significant leak for many players, including me. In Hand A we will look at the situation from the perspective of a player with 1000 chips on the big blind with the blinds at 100-200. The other shorter stacks fold and unsurprisingly the dominant chip leader shoves. What hands are worth calling with here? According to ICM the answer is strong pairs only, says nines or better. I would probably only call with Jacks or better. Ace King has to be folded here unless you are playing specifically for first or first and second as part of a jackpot sequence. HAND A 500 Fold 1000 Fold 3500 All In 1000 ? This situation becomes even more complex in the very next hand when the big stack does not push and our player is left with a decision. This is an area I myself struggle with. In Hand B what hands should be shoved in this spot?    HAND B 1000 Fold 3700 Fold (Would expect a shove here around 75% of the time) 800 ? 500 ICM suggests the small blind pushes with 80% of hands and the big blind calls with around 90% of hands. A key clash is imminent. It is the pushing range of the player with 800 chips that interests me here as you can understand the very likely call from the big blind. The math says you shove hands like 84 suited or 75 offsuit here. I think I am only shoving maybe 60% of my hands in this spot, folding these weaker hands to a likely caller. This is a mistake it would seam and something I need to work on and understand more fully. I will try to analyse post game some real examples in the weeks to come and maybe post about the most interesting one. Some poker players have suggested that sit n gos are easy, robotic with few tricky spots and not a true form of poker. But could they fold AK in hand A and push 75 in hand B. I doubt it. Anyway, meanwhile my Rio Challenge position is as follows after 190 games with 60 games to play. I have fought back somewhat over the last couple of weeks and come close to another consolation bonus. Direct Profit -25 150 Rakeback 135 200 Freeroll Wins 14 150 Consolation 300 300 Total 424 800

Rio Challenge Strategy 2: Fight For Those Inches

In the film "Any Given Sunday" Al Pacino, playing the role of a tough, but maybe a little past it football coach, gives one of the best motivational speeches ever in film. If you have not seen it follow the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4tIrjBDkk The reason I mention it is that his approach "fight for those inches" is a mantra that can be very easily adapted to the Rio Jackpot Sit N Gos I am currently playing. To win long term in these games, to beat the high rake and the variance laden structure you have to play your very very best poker. You cannot go on tilt. You cannot make mistakes. You have to play like your life depended on it. You have to fight for those inches. If Al Pacino was a poker coach trying to motivate students playing the Rio Jackpot games his speech might go something like this. Right now I am in this group looking for inspiration in my Rio Challenge. Sometimes a little motivation can go a long way. "We are in poker hell right now gentlemen, facing the toughest battle of our poker lives. We can either stay here or fight our way back into the light. I mean, I have made every wrong choice a poker player can make. I have called when I know I'm beat, chased draws I should not chase and gone on tilt so many times I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror lately.   When you get old in life you find out that life is a game of inches. So is poker because in either, life or poker the margin for error is so small. One loose call and you don't quite cash. One moment of indecision and you come second not first. One slow play that backfires and your out in fifth. The inches we need are everywhere around us, in every hand of the game, every minute, every second. Winning jackpot sit n go players fight for that inch. They claw with their finger nails for that inch because they know when they add up all those inches, that's going to make the difference between winning and losing. Between living and dying. That's poker guys. That's all it is.

So, what you gonna do"

Rio Challenge Strategy 1: I'm A Believer

An important aspect of strategy for the Rio Jackpot Sit N Gos is whether you give credit to your opponent for the hand strength they are representing. Here I am thinking about the early and mid game prior to the push-fold late game phase. For the most part I'm a believer. If someone three bets pre-flop more often than not they have a monster. A raise in a multi-way pot, especially a small raise on the flop usually means a very big hand. My default position in these games is to be a believer until proven otherwise. Erratic, tilting play or an unexpected hand shown down are the only things that change this assumption. The main reason for this approach is the lack of manoeuvrability in these games. The structure of blinds and chips makes it difficult to call a big pre-flop three-bet and still get value without a premium hand. Only in the first level or two can you effectively set mine for example. Not giving someone credit for a big hand on the flop or turn can be very expensive by the river unless you are getting reasonable odds for some kind of significant draw. Chips saved are very much just as important as chips lost. Occasionally I will call a river bet, believing it to be a bluff if I can't see the logic in it over the various streets of play. Overall though, be a believer in these games or say goodbye to your chips. The early sessions of my challenge have proved interesting and overall I feel I have played well, making only a few significant mistakes. Importantly around forty games in I made some important strategic tweaks which have helped. Too often I was cashing in third without giving me much chance of winning. In addition I listed the main mistakes I need to avoid. I also must to remember how tough it is to beat the rake in these games. Over the 250 games I will pay $875 in fees to the network which is a massive amount to overcome. At the same time I am hoping to generate $150 in direct profit. It is clear to me that some of the regulars in these games who are say operating at -10% are pretty reasonable players. My results so far are:   Username Games Played Av. Profit Av. Stake Av. ROI Total Profit Form Ability /100 Network Filter Kartajana   76 $0.03   $20   0% $2   - N/A iPoker 5/1/2012 5/15/2012 SNG Only To Date Target Direct Profit 2 150 Rakeback 63 200 Freeroll Wins 0 150 Consolation 300 300 Total 365 800 I have failed to cash in around six freerolls that I have played this month. There is a good opportunity for me on both Saturday and Sunday night at present. In a couple of weeks my reward level based on this Rio activity will increase and I will have a very good Friday night freeroll to play as well which has less than a hundred players competing for a £1000 prize pool. Time to stop Monkeying around and make some more dollars!

Jackpot Sit N Go Strategy: Winning The Final Jackpot Game

So you have won a series of Jackpot Sit N Go games on the trot and now need just one more to win a big pay day. What is the best approach to win it? Here is my ten point plan.

....................................Hang on a minute Kartajana you have not won one yourself yet.

Very true. Whilst I have won several consolation bonuses totalling over $3000 I have yet to win a Jackpot. So why am I posting about how to win one? Firstly, having played these games on and off for nearly six years I know them inside out. Secondly and more importantly I have been in the key situation six times, where I needed to win just one more game to take down a big pay day. Three times I have come extremely close. Thirdly, I have read a lot on this subject and put a fair amount of work into this post. Fourthly, this blog is for me too. When my lucky seventh opportunity comes around soon I want to be ready to give it my very best shot. Therefore, I believe I have a good insight into the issues, pressures and wonder surrounding this unique poker opportunity. Here goes:

1. No distractions. You need to be totally focused to give this opportunity its fullest potential. Play when you are unlikely to be disturbed and can give it total concentration. In my case that's when the rest of the family are in bed and it is too late for anyone else to get in touch by phone or any unexpected house callers. Shutdown your Internet Explorer, switch off the television and focus.
2. Assess opponents. It makes sense to monitor the players for this key game as they register, using Sharkscope. Really I am looking to avoid a game with a lot of solid regulars and ideally target a couple of terrible players to double up through.
3. Tell no one. I think a big mistake I have made on my previous six attempts is to tell my wife. The prospect of a big win is exciting but the money is being spent while I am playing. This has added to the pressure of the situation. This is not really a criticism of her as she is pretty...........................understanding about my poker and the variance it involves. She also reads this blog! Next time I plan to keep my opportunity secret.
4. Play when ready. I would not play this game as the first game of a session, nor would I play it when feeling too tired, unfocused or even slightly on tilt. Play a couple of warm up games. Go though the hand histories of the previous winning jackpot games focusing on the key decisions that led to victory. Then go for it.
5. One game only. Again a mistake I have made in the past is to play other games at the same time. They can only reduce your winning potential. Having a full view of how others are playing may help in one or two critical spots. Probably pretty obvious but still worth a mention.
6. No Chat. The final game in particular will be assessed for collusion or any other failure to comply with terms and conditions. Swearing or abusing other players for example could be very expensive. I suggest simply closing the chat box.
7. Play to win. My biggest regret in my final games to date was a Rio opportunity for $45,000 where I played almost no hands and cashed pathetically in third giving myself no real chance to win. If good cards don't come you have to be aggressive with what you have. You cannot win without aggression.
8. No consolation focus. Just to reinforce the previous point there is genuinely no consolation in coming second and winning a consolation bonus. Even the prospect of hitting $750 for second at the Fort Knox level should not affect your decision making.
9. Key moment - go with your instinct. It is very important to have no regrets. In my first Rio opportunity my tens lost to the chipleaders queens in a pre-flop battle that I did not shirk. Despite this being a tough spot calling an all-in re-raise I feel happy with the decision. The worst feeling is to loose knowing your played poorly or made one poor decision.
10. Be lucky. The reality is that in these variance filled sit n gos luck plays an important part. So in this final game you need it more than ever.

Hope this helps.

Comments of your own experiences would really help this post as a genuine resource for jackpot players so please comment away.

If you are about to play the final jackpot game: be prepared, be aggressive, be lucky but most of all just bloody win the thing! (especially you Kartajana).

Fort Knox Jackpot Sit N Go

The Fort Knox Jackpot Games are the highest buyin with the biggest potential rewards. The format is the same as the Rios but the six players pay $50 plus $9 rake to win $150, $90 or $60. This is the game I have played the least. I am uncomfortable at this buy in level yet I have a good record albeit with a small volume. During a good spell in 2009 I won two consolation bonuses for $750 each. Combined with the results below, this is gives me by far the best rate per game and yet I do not play them much. Ultimately a bad session can easily cost £200 which is more than I am relaxed about. I have never had a shot at the main Jackpot which starts at £50,000 and often rolls up to some very big numbers. It is currently $125,000.

Kartajana

229

$2.85

$50

5%

$653

-

N/A

iPoker

S50-50 SNG Only

One thing I do differently with the Fort Knox games is apply strict game selection, analysing my opponents via Sharkscope prior to signing up for a game. If two poor players are signed up I will jump in. I would also only play a couple at once when playing at this level. I have played a few games this year but my strategy is still a little off, though I am getting there slowly. Below are the opponents I played in a game I won in January.

need80kfast          7,074 -$4.28   $63   -6% -$30,305   - 70 iPoker SNG Only x pawn147       386 -$24.14   $115   -25% -$9,316   Tilt 66 iPoker SNG Only x PokerGrafter          20,838 $1.08   $54   3% $22,438   - 82 iPoker SNG Only x prepare4glory          88 -$4.03   $15   -33% -$355   - 53 iPoker SNG Only x shnores          118 -$2.9   $13   1% -$342   - 54 iPoker SNG Only There is a big range of talent in this game but despite one very solid regular and another experienced player there is value from the weaker players. In this game I doubled up early against Pawn147 who was playing way too loose. When I three bet his fourth consecutive opening raise we ended up all in (my AK holding on to beat his AQ). This double up set me up for the win. The key in these games is controlled aggression. You need to be active early to get the chips off the poorer players. The use of position can be crucial here as the structure restricts ones options before too long. All in coin flips however need to be avoided until needed later on. The hardest part is playing to win when instinct often edges you towards cashing. The fear of losing must be avoided at all costs. Cashing here is fine but third only wins you $1. Regular firsts and seconds are needed to be successful.

I have the bankroll to play these games. I have a good record in them. I could win a lot by playing them....................

Time to go for gold?

Maui Jackpot Sit N Go

Thanks to my challenge last year I have played more Maui games than any other type of sit n go. See my record below. Each game has ten players at one table paying $5 plus $1 fee aiming to be first($25), second($15) or third($10). Winning five on the trot pays at least $15000. Five top twos pays $200. Playing six games at once which I find around optimum I can make on average $4 per hour. I also feel the possibility of a jackpot win is real, especially following my close call last February. See blog archive. Statistically I should have a shot at it (after four wins) every 3000 games and win a consolation bonus every 800 games. This makes the Maui games an attractive option for me. The hourly rate is pretty good, I get a small shot at a big win and the high rake allows me to earn a decent amount of rakeback and freeroll opportunities. Kartajana   4,918 $0.64   $5   11% $3,132   Tilt N/A iPoker E10-10 S5-5 R1-1 SNG Only I have played such a lot of these games I believe I have a good strategic approach which has served me well.  If anyone is interested in a fairly detailed approach I have produced a two page strategy document which outlines my approach at the different stages of the Maui game. It is not perfect but it would help any player who might be struggling with elements of their game and be of some interest to anyone who plays the Maui Jackpot games. I have it as a PDF which I will send to the first few players who request it. Either e-mail me at jasontomlinson44@btinternet.com or comment below with your player name and e-mail and I will send it on.    If I ever do win a Maui Jackpot I should really go there. It looks awesome. Good Luck

The Maui Mantra

Without giving too much away about my Maui strategy I try to follow this poetic approach:     STAY OUT OF TROUBLE     GO FOR A DOUBLE       MANAGE THE BUBBLE       BE LUCKY LIKE BARNEY RUBBLE (His wife Betty is hot!)