Kazaga's and Lollopalozza's!

I didn't have too much joy at Stars last night.I checked back over Pokertracker and wasn't too surprised to see I'm actually down $240 in cash games there.Now I did lose $186 on tilt back in May with A6 v A5 ( Ughhh) and AA has cost me $32 over 21 hands but overall it's still a tiny sample so I'm not too worried.

There were a couple of total donks ( all in preflop for $20 each with Q7s v j8) but when I did finally get a hand ( 1010) and got it in preflop,the donk called with 22 and made trips.No complaints.That's what keeps the donks playing poker afterall.

Had to laugh at Jerry Sadowitz talking about how dumb online gamblers are."Here's my credit card details,I'd like $100 on red please". "It was black,tough luck,next bet please!".Maybe you needed to be there!

I did play a couple of interesting hands I thought I'd throw out there.The first one was a four handed game at Laddies and I think I'd joined the table just as the fish had left and the table was dying.For once I thought I'd post a hand I felt I played quite well.I'll give my reasoning and feel free to disagree! Normal donkery resumed with the 2nd hand!


** Game ID 782747806 starting - 2007-07-03 01:39:54
** Oakmont [Hold 'em] (0.25|0.50 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money

- wejner sitting in seat 1 with $99.12
- Acornman sitting in seat 4 with $53.65 [Dealer]
- UKENS_A sitting in seat 5 with $75.31
- arsenalsm sitting in seat 6 with $95.96

UKENS_A posted the small blind - $0.25
arsenalsm posted the big blind - $0.50
** Dealing card to Acornman: Jack of Hearts, King of Hearts

>>Don't much like JK but we're 4 handed so I'll see a flop if possible.

wejner called - $0.50
Acornman called - $0.50
UKENS_A called - $0.50
arsenalsm checked

** Dealing the flop: Jack of Diamonds, 8 of Spades, 6 of Diamonds
UKENS_A checked
arsenalsm bet - $2.00

>> No preflop raise means AJ unlikely and as it looks like he'd trying to deny the draw I reckon he may well hold a hand like J10/J9.

wejner folded
Acornman raised - $5.00

>>> If I'm right then my bet will hopefully look like I'm semi-bluffing with a flush draw, and for an extra $3 he will call.If he has a monster here is where I find out.

UKENS_A folded
arsenalsm called - $5.00

>>> Happy he called here.

** Dealing the turn: King of Clubs

>> Bingo I've hit my 2 pair and reckon I'm miles ahead.I want to make it look like the K has scared me and that I'm slowing right down.I therefore bet the same as on the flop.

arsenalsm checked
Acornman bet - $5.00
arsenalsm called - $5.00

** Dealing the river: 8 of Clubs

Another 8 on the board could worry me but my read says that's not what he's on so I'm not bothered by it.

arsenalsm bet - $11.00

>>> I think my ploy worked and he probably reckons his J10 is good as no flush hit and I seemed scared by the King.

Acornman raised - $22.00

>> With no fear of the 8 ,I'm happy to double his bet and get some value out of my 2 pair in a situation where I feel I'm well ahead.


arsenalsm called - $22.00
Acornman shows: Jack of Hearts, King of Hearts
arsenalsm mucks:
Acornman wins $64.00 from the main pot

>> Result! Just a pity I didn't get to see the villains mucked hand!



POKERSTARS GAME #10737776161: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/07/02 - 21:05:31 (ET)
Table 'Glauke II' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: Ghostridahii ($49.75 in chips)
Seat 2: geirakir ($111.65 in chips)
Seat 3: GsOne ($60.65 in chips)
Seat 4: 8ivyleague8 ($33.40 in chips)
Seat 5: zagga ($47.55 in chips)
Seat 6: sightless21 ($56.10 in chips)
GsOne: posts small blind $0.25
8ivyleague8: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to zagga [Ts Ad]
zagga: raises $1.50 to $2

>>> raising A10 utg is marginal for me ,however I've been patiently blinded down by $2.50 without playing a hand and the table seems far tighter than I expected.( I think I got the donkeys seat when he left again!)

sightless21: folds
Ghostridahii: folds
geirakir: calls $2

>> called by the only loose player ( 60% vpip) so not too worried.

GsOne: folds
8ivyleague8: raises $3 to $5

>> Don't like that raise but I reckoned geirakir would call behind giving me decent pot odds to stay in at least until the flop.

zagga: calls $3
geirakir: calls $3
*** FLOP *** [Td 7d 2d]

Hmm top pair,top kicker, the nut flush draw and position over the preflop reraiser.


8ivyleague8: bets $8

>> What now? I reckoned that even if he had JJ-KK, ( AA less likely as I had an Ace) I may still be slightly ahead.I briefly considered shoving here and putting him to the test.He could have had an AK/AQ/KQ type hand, but seemed a solid player, and his reraise of my bet suggested more strength than a Big slick type hand.I wondered if he would/could laydown JJ-KK if I shoved.If he had a diamond at all the answer seemed to be no ( he wouldn't know his flush would have been no good v my Ace flush if it had hit).

zagga: calls $8

>> Felt a little weak just calling here but it was $8 into a $23.75 pot and I felt any Diamond,10 or Ace would put me ahead.

geirakir: folds

*** TURN *** [Td 7d 2d] [3h]

8ivyleague8: bets $20.40 and is all-in
zagga: calls $20.40

>>> Was this call an error? Had to call $20.40 into a $52.15 pot with an ( aprox) one in three chance of hitting on the river.I suppose strictly speaking I needed the pot nearer $60 to call but there's not too much in it.


*** RIVER *** [Td 7d 2d 3h] [6h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***

8ivyleague8: shows [Ks Kd] (a pair of Kings)


>> Interesting to note that with the King of diamonds in his hand,the villain was 51.11/48.89% fav on the flop.If it had been two black Kings then I was 51.62/48.38% fav.


zagga: mucks hand
8ivyleague8 collected $69.05 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $72.05 | Rake $3
Board [Td 7d 2d 3h 6h]
Seat 1: Ghostridahii folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: geirakir (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: GsOne (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: 8ivyleague8 (big blind) showed [Ks Kd] and won ($69.05) with a pair of Kings
Seat 5: zagga mucked [Ts Ad]
Seat 6: sightless21 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Sticking to the poker and I always enjoy reading Hoyazo's posts as he obviously puts a ton of work into them and it shows.His quote however, "I am the fourth-best poker-playing poker blogger" did remind me somewhat of the baseball so called "World Series" where it has a grand name, but only US teams actually playing in it!

I don't doubt Hoyazo is a fine player ( better than me I'm sure, especially at mtt's).Perhaps adding "On this side of the pond" would have calmed my frenzy (more of a smile than a frenzy tbh) but he didn't and I'd love to organise some kind of cross-pond game which would prove nothing but could be fun.

I was in touch with Jordan about resurrecting the US V ROW games a while back, but we were both too busy ,and as usual the starting time was the major stumbling block.Not sure we could overcome the latter issue even by having say teams of 10 with substitues for those that couldn't make it, but if anyone has any ideas or is interested please let me know.Maybe a one off "cross-pond donkathon" would be a better option.Hmmm.


I mentioned yesterday I'd be calling out Amarillo Slim over a seemingly fabricated story in his "World full of Fat People" book.No big deal really as he seems full of tall tales but for anyone interested it was his "Kazaga" story which caught my cousins eye.( he pointed it out to me).

Slim claims he was playing Omaha hi-low in Texas when a player he called Tiger kept raising and raising a pot.When the pot got to a thousand Slim called and announced his wheel.Board was 3-4-5-9-10 and Slim held A2 giving him the low straight.Tiger had the same and Slim reckoned it was a split pot until Tiger said "you've got a Kazaga". "I've got a what"? Slim replied.

Tiger said "You can't win a hi-low split hand with a duece of diamonds in your hand.That's a Kazaga and it's in the house rules"

A few hours later a similar situation occurs and this time the other guy holds the duece of diamonds but declares a split pot.

"Yeah but you got a Kazaga,or whatever the hell ou guys call it" says Slim.

"Didn't we tell you " says the guy holding back a grin "but we have just one kazaga per night".


The book "Pokers strangest hands" by Graham Sharpe recounts the tale from 1896 ( before Slim and just about when Mias Dad was born) about the "Lollapalozza" hand.A card sharp joins three hard-bitten prospectors for a game and soon the sharp ( cheat) deals himself four Aces.He makes a fair sized bet and all fold except one old timer.At the draw the sharp counted the old timers cash and bet an equal amount.The old timer didn't bat an eyelid and called.

The sharp spread his four Aces and went for the pot."Not so fast sonny" said the old boy,laying down three clubs and to diamonds.

"What do you mean ,not so fast?" said the shocked sharper. "I've got four aces".

"Sure you do but in this town a Lollapalooza beats any other poker hand and thats what I got-three clubs and two diamonds."

Of course later on the card sharp deals himself the "Lollapalooza" and grins as he goes to rake a huge pot."this time I can't lose-I've got the lollapalooza".

The prospector rakes in the pot and says the now familiar line "Sorry pardner.You should be sure of the rules before you play.The Lollapalooza can only be played once per night".


Ok before I go, I mentioned the Glasgow public taking no nonsense when those pathetic failed terrorists attempted to ram a Jeep into Glasgow Airport last week.

Here are two quotes from an eye-witness,John Smeaton. John surpassed himself on the national news channels. The interviewer asked “What message do you have for the bombers?” He replied “This is Glasgow, we’ll just set about you.”

John took part in an interview on CNN and they asked how he restrained the guy and he said “me and other folk were just tryin to get the boot in and some other guy banjoed him!”

Buy him a cyber pint over at this site.!