Bob T. is in the well.

[Bob T.]

[ QUOTE ]
you've likely seen alot of names come and go over that period of time. does any post or couple of posts stand out as "defining moments" in the history of this forum? any personal faves or turning points for you as a player?

who is your fav. 2p2 poster of all time?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I'm pretty much recovered now.

I do remember one hand, where I played a small pair a lot differently than I usually would have, but it seemed right at the time, and Clarkmeister responded 'played correctly on every street'. I printed it out, and have it somewhere in my notebooks.

Clarkmeister, Dynasty, Jim Brier, Louis Landale, are among the oldtimers, that contributed a lot to how I play today.

[Bob T.]

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1. Tell us about your beginning journey as a live player. How long did you stay at what limits and how long before you moved on up?


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When Canterbury opened, I decided that I wanted to win 200 Big bets at each limit before I moved up. I played 2-4 for about a month, and then moved up to 3-6, it took me a while longer to move up to 4-8. About that time, I went out to LV, and played in the employees event in the world series, at the time it was a limit holdem event. 6 people from minnesota went that year, three from Canterbury, and three form mystic, so we had a little friendly competition going to see if the cardroom, or the casino was going to be best represented. One of the other poker players that worked at mystic, but who didn't go, made a bunch of predictions that I was going to do the best of anyone from minnesota.

So we go to the event, and the first two hours, I probably went on the sickest good run of my LH career. If I had a pair, I made a set. I made a straightflush against a nut flush, AK always connected, and by the first break, I had about 6 times my starting stack, which let me pick and choose my fights against short stacks through the day.

When we got into the money, there was one canterbury guy left, and me, and when we got down to two tables, I looked around, and he was gone, so the Mystic guys won that competition. I went card dead for a long time, and had to find a place to make a stand, because I was becoming a short stack. I got into a multiway pot with KT of hearts, and the flop came AJx with two hearts. Four way action on the flop for a bunch of bets, and the flush came in on the turn, and I had enough to get to the final table. Eventually I finished fourth. So I started playing 4-8, and 6-12.

My wife was pregnant at the time, and when my son was born, he had some problems with his insulin balance, and he spent two months in the hospital and had a couple of surgeries before he was able to come home. Between all the bills, my bankroll was pretty much gone, but this was the time that online poker was beginning to get going.

I had played some online before this, but the time constraints, and limit constraints that being a new father put on my, made online a lot more convenient. I think I started playing with the goal of having 500 big bets at whatever limit I was playing at, and moved up gradually over the years. Since then, I have always been able to supplement my income from my bankroll.

Anyway, during that time, I pretty much stopped playing live, and now I have begun again, mostly playing 8-16, and taking shots at 15-30. It was one of my goals to sit in the 30-60 game sometime this summer, but I didn't do that.

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2. What was the limit that you found that there were some good players in the game?


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It was different when I started playing. I think that online, there were some good players playing as low as 2-4, and live, maybe at 6-12. I think that now, there are more good players online at even lower limits, and I don't think that there are very many good players live below 15-30.

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3. Anything about bankroll management wisdom that you can lay on us?



[/ QUOTE ]

First rule of gambling. If you don't bet, you can't win.

Second rule of gambling. If you don't have any chips, you can't bet.

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4. When you took shots at higher limits what did you buy in for generally?

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Live two racks. Online, whatever the standard buyin was for the site I was playing on.

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5. Favorite poker Book?


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Market Wizards. A little off topic. But it is worth reading.

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6. Angelina Jolie or Pamela Anderson?

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Angelina Jolie, and it's not close.

[Bob T.]

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who is your world series pick?


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This year, the Indians. I think their first three pitchers are just scary.

Every year, my dad used to buy a $10 futures ticket for the twins. Needless to say, he was way ahead over his lifetime, because the two years they won it, they were at very long odds. I think in 91 his ticket was for 200-1. So I do the same thing every year just to remember him.

[ QUOTE ]
will the yanks sign arod?


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They seem like a very dysfunctional family right now. It is hard to guess, but despite his postseason woes the last 3 or 4 years, I believe that they should do everything that they can to resign him. I think the one weakness that the yankees have had over the years, is that they sign bats, regardless whether on not the guys can play defense. A-Rod is a huge bat, and is far from the Yankees biggest defensive liability.

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if you had to pick one piece of poker advice to give experienced players, what would it be?

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It's a game. Have fun.

[Bob T.]

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What games can you usually be found in at Canterbury? How often do you play? Do you play online?


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Usually the 8-16 on Tuesday mornings. Maybe one other time during the week. 3500+ hands per week online.

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Do you plan on moving up anytime soon?


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Online, I think it is going to be harder and harder to move up, unless the UIGEA gets repealed.

Live, I hope so.

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My participation in the forums is a result of thinking that I was better than I actually was for a long time. I ran well for a solid year, built a bankroll and several months ago finally went broke. It has been a long haul, but I now recognize my leaks and I feel like I have really turned a corner in my game just in that I am here participating everyday and trying to get better. Do you have a story like that at all? What got you into poker and and how has your game and poker career changed and fluctuated over the years?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm, a lot of factors go into my game.

When I was in high School, I played Chess, I was average at it, because my brain just didn't work well for the type of analysis that Chess required. Eventually, I started playing tournament bridge, and I was very good at that. Somewhere along the way, I started playing some poker, also. Bridge players sometimes like to play games where it isn't there damn partner's fault . My sophomore year at college, my summer job fell through, and I ended up paying for that year playing poker in the dorms. Even though I went to a private college, I was able to get a huge edge in those games, because noone else went through the trouble to do a lot of arithmatic, that let me develop strategies that were a lot better than my opponents strategies.

After college, I played in occasional home games, just because I like games. There was one other period, where I was unemployed, and supported myself in home games.

Somewhere along this time, I decided that I could play card games when I was older, but I wanted to become a lot better soccer player, so I stopped playing bridge and poker, and just concentrated on soccer. I played and coached soccer for about 25 years.

During this time I got a job in the research department of a major corporation, doing experimental design, and analysis, and also some interface design and other human factors work. During a downturn there, I got laid off, and went to work for a consulting company. A couple of years later, both of our major clients had a simultaneous downturn in business, and we were back to square one. At that time, one of my friends from the bridge said that he thought that I would make a good trader, because people that play games well, frequently could trade well. So I leased a seat on the Minneapolis grain exchange, and traded for my own account for a year. The good news, I survived for a year. The bad news, the size of my trading account, and the size of my nut, meant that I had to make a very large return on my account every month. After about a year, some volatility got me, and I was out. But I learned a lot, and I also survived a lot longer than the average undercapitalized trader.

I started working at Mystic, and about that time, I realized that my knees no longer were going to allow me to play soccer, so I started playing in home games again. Sometime after that, it was announced that Canterbury was going to open a cardroom, and I decided that I better learn this 'holdem'.

When I started playing HE, I learned that tight kept you out of trouble, amd so I played really tight. I learned a tight formula, that worked, especially in really loose games. Around this time, I found 2+2, and as a result of this, I started finding a lot more places where I could find value. I would say that over the last seven years, I have been constantly changing my game because I am learning more, and because the game is changing.

[Bob T.]

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@ CP What levels which you have played lately have been especially juicy, which have been dry? I play everything up to 8/16 with most of my time being spent @ 4/8 but lately I've been playing 3/6 bc the games have been amazingly good where the 4/8s have been way tight.


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I haven't played the 3/6 or 4/8 for a while. But it seemed to me, that the 4/8 usually had a lot more GAMBOOL! in it.

For some reason, when I play in the 6-12 game, I find that it plays a lot tighter, and nittier than the 8-16. A lot of the time, the 6-12 violates one of my guidelines, which is 'don't play in any game with 8.5 old white guys in it.' ( I count myself as .5 old white guy.)

[ QUOTE ]
)With the current rake structure @ CP are games like 3/6 and 2/4 beatable long term?


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Probably, because there is a lot of HORRIBLE play at those levels. But I can't imagine that you could make much more than $10/hour there, so you have to be playing for the entertainment, and not just the money.

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3)In regards to live play what are the most recent changes you have made in your game to increase your winrate


[/ QUOTE ]

Showing up.

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4)At what level @ CP do you think solid LAG play is a winning style. I don't think it could ever work @ 2/4 3/6 and even some lineups all the way up to 8/16 bc you get looked up way to much.


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I just play kind of nitty poker, until I notice that I don't get looked up. I think most of the regulars in the yellow chip games, think I am a value betting machine, so usually there is a point in the session, where I think they give me a licence to steal, and when I get there, I use it.

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5) I'm going to Mille Lacs today and probably will be playing 3/6 full kill how much will I win or lose in terms of dollars... :P

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You would probably win more if you played in the 2-10 game.

[Bob T.]

[ QUOTE ]
Clarkmeister, Dynasty, Jim Brier, Louis Landale, are among the oldtimers, that contributed a lot to how I play today.

[/ QUOTE ]

And GuyOnTilt.

Not to mention that anything Tommy Angelo has written is usually worth reading and thinking about.

[One Outer]

[ QUOTE ]
For some reason, when I play in the 6-12 game, I find that it plays a lot tighter, and nittier than the 8-16

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That's absolutely right. As soon as I'm comfortable with a roll to get out of 6/12, I'm getting. The reason for this is that a lot of the nitty white old guys don't like the GAMBOOL!!! in the 8/16, and they're not comfortable with or can't afford 15/30. This frustrates the hell out of me, which is why I don't play during the day on weekdays anymore. The games get more GAMBOOL!!! (much more!) at night and on the weekends.

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Usually the 8-16 on Tuesday mornings.

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Are you telling me that you're one of those guys that specifically shows up for Aces? Really?

[James.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Clarkmeister, Dynasty, Jim Brier, Louis Landale, are among the oldtimers, that contributed a lot to how I play today.

[/ QUOTE ]

And GuyOnTilt.

Not to mention that anything Tommy Angelo has written is usually worth reading and thinking about.

[/ QUOTE ]

can't argue with any of those.

fwiw, this is one of the most thoughtful, well-spoken "wells" to date. good job, bob "the balla from naha".

the story about the MN futures tickets in memory of your dad is neat.

do you ever play with any of the other MN 2p2ers? schneids, pokerbob, etc. if this has been asked, sorry.

[Allday Everyday]

Hi Bob T. Thanks for going into The Well. I've recently been clicking on links to old 2plus2 posts, and I see you in there giving awesome advice back then in the early years. You're still around today doing the same thing. I think you're awesome. I have some questions if you don't mind.

What are the biggest BB downswings you have had at a couple limits? How did you feel about them?

What do you think your VPIP is in your live and online FR games?

WITHEG recommends default open-raising from the button with a certain 41% of hands (22+, A2s+, A3o+, K2s+, K9o+, Q5s+, Q9o+, J7s+, J9o+, T8s+, T8o+, 97s+, 98o+, 86s+, 75s+, 65s+) in full to 3 handed games. What do you think of this?

Beyond standard continuation betting, how often do you 'autobet' with any two cards? Do you have any favourite situations to do this?

Earlier in this thread you mentioned Jim Brier amongst posters here. I think I've got some books by him. Was he a 2plus2 poster years ago?

Have you read Mathematics of Poker? If so, what did you think of it? Did it improve your game?

Who is your favourite intellectual figure of all time?

What is your favourite non-sport television program?

If you could be any other person in the world, who would it be?

[Bob T.]

[ QUOTE ]
do you ever play with any of the other MN 2p2ers? schneids, pokerbob, etc. if this has been asked, sorry.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe three years ago, I had a 2+2 homegame, with schneids, BK, PB, whiskeytown, and a several others. If I can remember names, I will. We played a modified dealers choice, and the rules were that you could play any game, except limit Holdem.

One notable hand for me, 1-2 PL holdem, BK opens for a raise, and I call in the SB with QQ, I smooth called, because I knew vehn wanted to outplay everyone on the hand, and he was in the BB. My plan was to checkraise any good flop, and the flop was something like 952, but it got checked around. Turn was a J I think, and I bet out, Vehn folded, BK raised, and I reraised all-in, but it wasn't a full raise. Its a 2+2 game, so BK does his analysis out loud. He counts the pot and the bet, and does what any good player would do, he puts me on a hand that he has the odds to call. So he calls, and we turn over our hands. Then he says 'I've done some very bad arithmatic.' I figured that that was one of the nicest poker complements that I could hear.