Izmet Fekali

Angelina won a qualifying freerol tourney on Paradise last Sunday, but since the account there is in my name (she never had a credit card in her life), it seems I'll have to go instead.

Not that I want to. I hate flying and the $2000 pocket change from Paradise is not enuff fot the ticket from Ljubljana, I have things to do and I can't spell tounaments. Besides, I went to Vegas before. Bellagio high stakes hold'em? Been there, done that. And a licence for a sheep? No minibar? Fuck that.

But.

She said it's a waste of money. No refunds. I get $12000 in Vegas. It's a small car. There are hungry people in Africa.

So I said I'd go.

Then she made me pay for it. I started yelling, she immediately went for tears. Mother came in with the broom and I had to apologize. Then the girl wanted the full amount, $12000. I yelled again. This time she yelled back. Then mother yelled from the kitchen and I agreed pronto. It was too late, no deal this time. She made me play a headsup freezeout match for the ticket AND the tears. So I ended up burning $15000 for a tourney I didn't even wanna go to. It better be good.

-Iz

Comments(4)

An interesting dilemma from 2+2 fora…

-Izmet

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To skp: re. flat call w/2nd nuts
Posted By: J-D
Date: Sunday, 26 November 2000, at 2:47 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Top Players: How Many Re-Raises? (Louie Landale)

In a recent session I was on the wrong end of set-over-set when the
flop came. I flopped a set of queens, to a board of:

King, Queen, Seven - with two clubs.

Five of us capped it on the flop; I was absolutely certain I had the
best hand since I had put in the second (and last) raise pre-flop and
the holder of "KK" was a very aggressive player whom I was sure would
have capped it with "AA", "KK", - probably even with "AKs".

When a blank fell on the turn and he NOW decided to cap it, I was 99%
sure of what he had. I called on the basis of the 1% I was wrong, and
the fact that the fourth Queen would put the flush out giving me
excellent implied odds. (Looking back, I may have even been getting
45-1 without future bets; it was a BIG pot.)

Of course the Queen landed on the river.

I checked, the Ace high flush bet, "KK" raised, sevens full and another
flush just called. When it got back to me, I three-bet it;

I got paid off by everyone EXCEPT "KK", who flashed me his hand before
he mucked it.

There were well over 50 big bets in the pot and he wouldn't pay one
more bet to see it to the end - and his call would have almost
certainly closed the action; this was no group of rocket scientists,
but even they knew they were beaten - none of them were about to cap
the betting.

In order for this to be a good laydown on his part, he would have to be
more than 98% sure that he was beaten.

Looking at it from his perspective, he figured to win this hand
approximately one time in a thousand.

IMO, and I am not a fan of laying down big hands on the river for one
more bet in huge pots, I don't think he could win it that often.

P.S. Having said all that, I would have probably paid off; perhaps the
day will come when I will be able to make such a laydowny, but it
hasn't come yet. It doesn't really matter how good your hand is, or the
size of the pot.

Sometimes even second nut isn't worth one more bet.

Just my opinion,

J-D

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Re: To skp: re. flat call w/2nd nuts
Posted By: Izmet Fekali
Date: Sunday, 26 November 2000, at 7:02 a.m.
In Response To: To skp: re. flat call w/2nd nuts (J-D)

J-D writes: 
> perhaps the day will come when I will be able to make such a laydowny

Aaaarghh!!!

Someday you will make such a fold, it will be a good one and you will
be happy. You will be able to afford a shrimp cocktail at Binions with
the saved bet and maybe even treat a friend.

Feeling like a champ, you will do it again someday. But, this time a
guy with Q2s will drag your pot, buy the cocktail waitress a fur coat
and fuck her blue for a week. Now which guy do you want to be? The
smart one with the shrimp cocktail or the stupid one with the sore
dick?

From an old Albanian song:

"I was told by David Duchowny
ya' won't get rich by good laydowny!"

--
Izmet Fekali (I have a filthy mouth, Mason, please bear with me...)
Burek Experts Ltd.
Catering the World Since 1389!
Albania, Slovenia, Europe

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Re: To skp: re. flat call w/2nd nuts
Posted By: David Sklansky
Date: Sunday, 26 November 2000, at 1:01 p.m.
In Response To: Re: To skp: re. flat call w/2nd nuts (Izmet Fekali)

Unfortunately, when I wrote my Eight Mistakes In Poker and contrasted
the mistake of folding when you should call with its opposite number, I
did not have Izmet's explanation available to me. It will be included
in my next edition.

David Sklansky

Technorati Tags: Izmet Fekali, poker, texas holdem

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From: izmet@siol.net (Izmet Fekali)
Subject: Re: Learning to Win
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 15:05:00 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.gambling.poker

In 7pa8ak$lli@news.service.uci.edu "Gabe" wrote:

Hi. I've just recently started playing poker. I've bought and read (only once so far) Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, and Turbo Texas Hold 'em is in the mail. I also managed to lose $80 in 6 hours my first time out at the Sahara in a 1-4-8 Hold'em game. I live in the South Bay (SoCal) and there are card rooms in Gardena that I hope some of you are familiar with. I'm a disenchanted philosophy major about to graduate who's looking to make a buck in cards/sports/backgammon. OK so that's where I stand…I was hoping some of you experienced players might help me out.

Books: What to read? I think I did good choosing the Sklansky book and will read it often I'm sure…now what? I've ordered Sklansky's Hold'em book (not the advanced one…yet), but couldn't find a comparable seven stud book…suggestions? Other general reading advice?

You can't go wrong with Theory of Poker. The first book on hold'em by Sklansky is also OK. The Advanced edition is not helpful for low limits and tends to confuse beginners.

The best book to date on loose games is Lee Jones's Winning Low Limit Hold'em. It's a must. For 7stud, Roy West's book is about best for beginners. When you put some mileage in 7stud, S&M Seven Card Stud for Advanced Players is best.

Get Caro's Body Language of Poker, it will not make you money in your novice period, but it will make you aware of what is going on at the table during a game of poker.

Get Mike Petriv's Hold'em Odds, you will use it repeatedly as a reference.

You do not need anything else currently in print, but if interested, rgp-ers will give you more pointers. There is lot's of good reading out there.

But, the best material BY FAR can be found in past rec.gambling.poker archives. Go to www.dejanews.com and take it from there. Some rgp posters are pretty smart, some are blissful morons, it's up to you to figure out who is who. By doing this, the game will soon start making sense to you. Make your own conclusions, build your own strategy. Listen to everyone. Trust no one. Read rgp FAQ, it's a good starting point for finding more information.

Turbo programs? Get them all. In terms of value, the price is negligible.

Playing: Namely, where? I've got to start somewhere, and I'm hoping the Normandie Casino low limit games in Gardena aren't a bad idea. What's the scoop? I haven't been there yet. I won't come across overwhelming competition will I? How about in Vegas? Where should a relative beginner play (low limit hold'em mostly) when he's in Vegas? Would I be better off trying to make a profit in Gardena or Vegas?

What are your motives? Don't care about the money, have enough and want to be on par with the best someday? Bellagio in Vegas is the place to be. Wanna have some inexpensive fun? Maybe eek a nice steady profit? Stay in California.

Any general advice?

Hold'em is my game, sir, I do not dare giving advice on 7stud. On hold'em, I'm confident enough to offer the following to be brain munched:

When you get some experience, study Abdul's Preflop Openers (http://www.posev.com/poker/holdem/strategy/preflop-abdul.html). This should help tremendously with your preflop game. It will make you understand the underlying mechanics of the game. Learn the preflop game well. It's a rare occasion to call correctly preflop, it's usually much better to raise of fold. Play tight.

Take a look at http://www.fekali.com, you'll find more material on low limit hold'em there as days go by.

Play, play, play. When starting out, play a solid straightforward game, do not waste time with bluffs, slowplays, banks, good laydowns. Do not let them push you off your hand if you started good. Fight. Fight with raises, not calls. Learn when to run. When there's a good (but not 100%) chance of holding the best hand, throw your chips at opponents like there's no tomorrow. Aim for the forehead with a solid swing. Let them fear you.

Try not to call if you cannot raise. It's OK to raise with speculative holdings, but it's a disaster to routinely call with second best hands. You simply have to have a hand to call.

Call when drawing. Even then it pays to stick 'em with a raise sometimes. Know your basic drawing odds down pat. What are your chances with a four flush on the flop? What are your chances of hitting your kicker? What are the chances your kicker is good? Is it smart to chase this pot with a gutshot? What are your chances of drawing dead? For thorough discussion on drawing, again see Abdul's Theory of Sucking Out at http://www.posev.com/poker/holdem/strategy/outs-abdul.html.

It's not an easiest read, but it surely is the most relevant advice published on the subject anywhere.

When surrounded with fish, learn to ram and jam. See http://www.fekali.com for this concept.

When raised, stop, think, reevaluate. A raise is an incoming message. What is the sender trying to communicate? Does he have something to say or has he just pressed a wrong button at the wrong time? Bets and calls are often automatic, not so with raises. When in doubt, fold. If you like winning, you'll have to do lots of folding. Flea and live to tell.

Try to know your players. The correct poker move at any point is a function of the opponents. What are their tendencies, what are their motives, what are their habits? Who is the best player at the table? Who are the suckers? Who is having fun? Who is losing? Who is the village idiot? Who seems always to flip over a solid hand at the showdown? Who hit a gutshot-gutshot straight on the river? Who will you run from, who can you run over?

Examine your motives for playing. Some people play for money, some for fun, some for the excitement, some for the punishment. These are all valid reasons to play poker. Respect the losers, they have their own reasons for playing. They are usually getting what they need from the game. It's OK to be a loser if that is what you need (I'm not speaking with tongue-in-cheek here, this is a fact. Self punishment is the underlying reason for most weird behavior in life). If so, be a loser in moderation.

Know yourself, play within your means, be aware of your motives. Have fun at the tables, there's not much point in doing anything if it's not fun, IMHO.

Build a bankroll. Treat it as a funny money. Have enough to withstand challenges of fate. Do not spend the winnings. After a while, if the game is good to you, buy yourself something out of the bankroll. A shiny gambler's watch maybe. A little token of pride. A mark of achievement. You will feel good about yourself, that's never a bad thing.

Think about the game. Listen to pros, listen to losers. You can learn both ways. Make your own opinions. Make your own mistakes. Re-evaluate. Post. State your opinions. Ask. Comment. Disagree.

Be comfortable at the tables at all times. If not, leave. The game of poker never breaks it just suspends for a moment. You can return whenever you are ready again. Take a fresh start. Maybe a kiss from a woman in love is all you need to come back with a vengeance. There are no blinds to worry about when away from the tables.

Be gracious at the tables. Win with flair, lose with style. Have pride, have strength. Do not steam, cuss, offend, whine, cheat, grunt or sneer. Do not masturbate. I've seen that too.

Be happy if you break about even after a few months. You proved yourself better than most, you have beaten the house. Not everybody can.

That's off the top of my head. Have fun and learn. I hope you'll be giving me advice soon.

Izmet

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