The Well - gergery

[Phil153]

- What are the odds that the author of this passage is a homosexual?

Sometimes you just feel like you're on a tiny sailboat in the middle of a raging storm, where you have done everything right but there is still nothing you can do except hang on as you get pounded unmercifully, where just when you think it can't get worse, it does -- again and again. As I feel after having gone thru the biggest downswing in $$ terms of my poker career.

And other times, it feels like you are are on top of the world, with beautiful sunshine falling on you, where everything comes effortlessly and you foresee your opponents moves and easily counteract them, and they bounce off of you like gnats.

- Are you really Wintermute's brother?

- An evil genius kidnaps you and forces you to play a high stakes PLO8 game for your life. If you can make 20% by the end of 300 hands, you get to live. He gives you the option of playing for yourself or having Wintermute play on your behalf. Who do you choose?

- What is the one quality a PLO8 player needs above all others?

- Do you like pickles?

- Are you a sucker for beautiful women?

- Do you consider 23xy hands to be playable in PLO8 where xy is not a pair or wheel card?

- Do you enjoy life as a poker pro? Are you going to miss it?

- What is the lowest pair you will play in MP/LP (regardless of side cards)?

- What is your opinion on the short and medium term future of internet poker?

[gergery]

[ QUOTE ]
1. Why can't I see the hand histories on your site anymore?

[/ QUOTE ]

I took them down, as people convinced me I was giving away too much good info for free

[ QUOTE ]
2. If I go to Bay 101 on a Thursday night, will the 10/20 O8 game be going?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think its Lucky Chances that has that game going. Thats what Dennis, their floorman told me a few months ago. And Markgritter played there last week. I think the bay101 10/20 goes less frequently

[gergery]

[ QUOTE ]
1. How will the ongoing destruction of online poker by the morons in power impact you? (ie back to full time work, more live play etc)

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll be heading back to the real world at some point in the near future. Being a pro poker player was always going to be a relatively short-term thing for me. Recent events have accelerated my timing tho, which definitely sucks.

[ QUOTE ]
2. What adjustments would you make from your standard cash PLO8 game to something like this year's WSOP event? (ie play tighter/looser, more/less aggressive, more/less drinking & strippers with wintermute...)

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll play slightly looser and more passively preflop. I expect the general caliber of play to be terrible, so i'll want to see lots of situations vs. typical tourney NL types, and play a bit more passively to reduce variance. Its all relative tho you don't want to overdo it. Definitely more drinking and VIP rooms too...

[ QUOTE ]
3. Planning to play any events at the WSOP this year?

[/ QUOTE ]

Would like to. Depends on whether i end up working a real job, and how much i win playing online before then. Its very likely i will be there for at least short while, likely around the PLO8 event on June 25.

[gergery]

[ QUOTE ]
Just want to watch and learn that's all.

[/ QUOTE ]

Watching high stakes players won't help you much. Most of my decisions are opponent specific, dependent on recent history at the table, based on reads (bet timing etc.), my image to them, and rely on mixing up my play with correct frequencies. All of which will be different for you when u are playing. you are better off posting hands, running equities, thinking thru lines yourself and so on to learn.

[ QUOTE ]
Edited, some advice on short-handed Lo8 please (other than the common bull [censored])?!

[/ QUOTE ]

Shorthanded poker in general is more about playing the player than the cards. and more about adaptation as play goes on. you want to be more aggressive and somewhat looser as general principle.

but it sort of sounds like you want me to say, "oh, well, hold down the control key while you bet and you always win, just don't do it too much or they catch on". there isn't a secret we havne't told you yet, lol.

[davebreal]

1) When you hung out with davebreal, were you in awe of his greatness?

2) 4-handed aggressive online $5/$10 PLO8 game, you are UTG with A67Kss... call, raise, or fold?

3) which site is/was your favorite online poker site to play on, and why?

4) how many tables do you usually play when you play online?

5) how are you coping without NeTeller?

[Split Suit]

1. Knowing ur extremely aggressive bankroll management/shot taking, what is the minimum ammount of buy ins u will play in a game with? (say u have 20K roll...biggest game(s) u will play and how many tables?)

2. What is more profitable for u? playin 8 tables of 50NLHE on FTP, or 3 tabling 100PLO8 on FTP? (assume given normal grinding hours of 2pm-6pm EST on a weekday)

3. How much of ur profit is coming from grinders? how much from random fish? (%-wise is fine)

4. How much of the PLO8 fish tank is americans (%-wise is fine), and what ramifications will the Neteller fiasco have on the game in its current state?

thnx in advance...

[gergery]

[ QUOTE ]
How much better were the PLO8 games on Party over Stars at high/mid/low stakes?

[/ QUOTE ]

Games at Party were much softer than at Stars or FT, no question

[MegaDisgruntled]

I was not a big fan of party, but I can tell you that my datamining between FT and Party always put FT as the much better games at 1/2 and 2/4. Higher than that I did not play at the time.

MegaDisgruntled

[gergery]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you give some tips for playing heads up O8 SNGs? Which hands would you be willing to pot reraise preflop?

[/ QUOTE ]

Its about position and aggression and adapting to your opponent. raise hands like A5QJ and 2446 in position

[gergery]

[ QUOTE ]
- What are the odds that the author of this passage is a homosexual?

[/ QUOTE ]

Copyright infringement and libel lawsuits have already been filed. As an American, you are definitely getting sued now.

[ QUOTE ]
Are you really Wintermute's brother?

[/ QUOTE ]

If I were, I certainly would never admit it publicly

[ QUOTE ]
An evil genius kidnaps you and forces you to play a high stakes PLO8 game for your life. If you can make 20% by the end of 300 hands, you get to live. He gives you the option of playing for yourself or having Wintermute play on your behalf. Who do you choose?

[/ QUOTE ]

Obviously me. Mute is good enough to win the 20% by hand 200 but would make sure he chucks it all away by hand 295 simply for the sheer pleasure of watching the evil genius kill me.

[ QUOTE ]
What is the one quality a PLO8 player needs above all others?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, good question. Its hard to pick just one. Aggression, patience, discipline, tilt avoidance, knowledge of equities in different spots, hand reading, balls/courage are all important. I guess it depends on what level you are talking about. at lower levels i think the differentiator is knowledge of equities vs. a range of hands. at higher levels probably hand reading

[ QUOTE ]
Do you like pickles?

[/ QUOTE ]

I hate pickles. Never could stand them.

[ QUOTE ]
Are you a sucker for beautiful women?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, my 16-year old live in prostitute is drop dead gorgeous

[ QUOTE ]
Do you consider 23xy hands to be playable in PLO8 where xy is not a pair or wheel card?

[/ QUOTE ]

Generally no, but vs right opponents with position and better end of the range, maybe

[ QUOTE ]
Do you enjoy life as a poker pro? Are you going to miss it?

[/ QUOTE ]

good question. Overall yes. I definitely will miss it, its been a great 9 months doing it full time. flexible hours, great pay, your own boss, no politics/hierarchy/bureauocracy , enjoyable work

but there are drawbacks for sure. running bad really sucks. its socially isolating. i wonder if it doesn't do strange things to your personality spending your work day trying to hang out with the people you respect least. the non-structure of no 9-5 job makes it easy to slip into bad habits - odd sleep schedule, lack of exercise, little split between work/non-work, etc.

[ QUOTE ]
What is the lowest pair you will play in MP/LP (regardless of side cards)?

[/ QUOTE ]

probably KK/QQ, depending on table conditions.

[ QUOTE ]
What is your opinion on the short and medium term future of internet poker?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm very pessimistic. The US market is basically going to be wiped out pretty soon, except for a few hard-core players. The remaining games will have that traffic removed so likely will suffer as well. The DOJ is very serious about cracking down (incredibly misguided, but thats diff post). and thats just regulatory. then internet poker has really only been hot enough to make real money at for 5 years or so, so bots will get better as well. poker won't be the fad it is now. but that hurts players -- the sites are enormously profitable so the big ones at least will still exist and print money.

longer term it all depends on when US will regulate, and legalize, and tax. there is too much money involved for it not to happen at some point so just like state lotteries horse/dogracing, riverboats, etc. it will occur when politicians/government get their cut of the tax revenues and lobbying fees and voters in their districts get jobs. but that could be a long time. if partypoker had offered to put a calling center in Frists home state all this never would have happened [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]