You know, being a movie star and a television star and a new hot author doesn’t necessarily help you at the poker table.
Wil Wheaton found that out. Here’s just a taste of his story:
We’re on our fourth or fifth hand, playing a no-limit freeze out. I look at my hole cards and find that I’ve dealt myself the Big Slick: A-K, the second best starting hand in Hold ‘Em.
Ryan checks, and I decide to limp in, hoping to get some action on this hand.
If that isn’t a lead-in to a bad beat story, I don’t know what is! Well Wil, you’re invited at our table any time!
**UPDATE**
Wil wants everyone to know that this wasn’t supposed to be a story of his poker prowess… but a story about his relationship with his stepson. I think slothoki is a great way to build a relationship. I can’t wait to deal one up with my Dad next time I’m home!!! I expect to take his money. I also remember the night Otis and I sat down at a table with his Dad. It was a lot of fun.
The Real Deal
Otis is in Vegas.
He had been in Vegas for less than an hour when he unloaded 25 bucks for a seat in a 35-person tourney.
The first hour was limit, before it moved to no limit. He finished 15th, but out of the money.
He spent the next 7 hours at a limit table, and finished down just a buck. Not bad for the first day. I’m sure he’ll return with plenty of stories!
7-2 Offsuit? All in.
Admittedly, it was late. I was hopped up on too much caffeine. Allergy pills, an infrequent necessity, were playing with my head. My night of on-line poker had been interupted several times by football, women, and food. As I sat down for a midnight tournament, I conceded there could’ve been worse interuptions.
It was a cheap, satellite rebuy tourney. I had never played a rebuy before. I figured, “Hey, it’s cheap. If I don’t like it, I might actually get to bed before sunrise.”
I should’ve folded hand #1 the moment it hit my hand. There is little worse than 77 UTG on the first hand. I don’t even remember how I played it. I only know that I eventually folded when somebody went all-in. I wrote it off as an overzealous player happy with his pocket jackets.
Then, as the allergy pills began to work on my synapses, the woman named “soccermom2” hit the chatboard.
“How much is a rebuy?” she asked.
She’s UTG, I’m in middle position. I’m looking at QJsuited. I figure she’s noticed the same pattern as I have. Every hand, anyone with an ace or two face cards is going all in. Sure enough, she’s all in.
At the time, I had half a mind to call her. I was already getting frustrated with the mediocrity of the starting hands held by the All-In crew. With the cheap rebuys available, I kept an eye on the running total. In the first 15 minutes, there had been more than 130 rebuys. There had only been 239 entries in the tourney.
I was ready to call it a night, call the soccermom with my remaining 1300 chips, and let her feel good for beating me with A8. Then, two more people went all in before it got to me. I mucked my QJ and watched two more people go all in. Half of the table was all in.
Here’s the punchline: I would’ve won the whole thing with Kings over Jacks and a Q kicker (the next best hand, seriously, was Kings over Jacks with a ten kicker).
Eventually, I busted out (my cowboys trips getting busted by quad sixes). I thought to rebuy but decided it wasn’t worth my pocket change.
As I settled back into ring game mode and molested a player as loose as the rebuy tourney players, I decided there must be a poker lesson somewhere in the last wasted hour of my life.
It’s one of a few thigs. I’ll let your comments decide which:
*When the buy-in and rebuy prices are cheap, the players will be inexperienced and prone to all-in moves.
*When the buy-in and rebuy prices are cheap, the only way you’ll win is to go all-in with marginal hands.
*When playing a rebuy tournament, sit tight and only play ultra premium hands until the rebuy period is over.
*Only play rebuy tournaments with higher priced buy-ins.
*Just don’t play rebuy tournaments.
By 2am I was in bed, replaying the night in my head, and daydreaming of a life less ordinary. As I drifted off, I was pushing my chips to the middle of the table, staring at quad Aces.
