Octopus Overlords

The Meal is pretty hard to shop for, so when I heard that the Red Wings would be hosting their charity poker event on December 16, I knew what he'd be getting for Christmas.

For a set donation amount, each person was able to attend a "strolling dinner" and silent auction with many Red Wings players in attendance, meet them, do pics, get an item autographed, etc. Then, there was a poker tournament where a Red Wing would be at each table of the tournament. 120 players, 12 Red Wings. Prizes for the top 10 finishers.

It may sound disingenuous but I really wasn't certain he'd love it. He's not a celebrity seeker, and I knew that the poker tournament would likely be a terrible structure (and it was) but it was a combination of two of his favorite things so I had to do it.

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Neal and Pavel Datsyuk (#13) at the strolling dinner. Datsyuk apparently doesn't approve of gambling. He didn't play in the poker tournament and wouldn't sign playing cards for people who asked, saying "No gambling!"

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Neal and Justin Abdelkader (#8). I think Neal could take Abby in a fight.

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Me and my boy- Gustav Nyquist (#14), whose jersey I was wearing. Funnily enough, I was wearing #14 and went out in 14th place in the poker tournament.

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Me and Brendan Smith (#2), whose jersey I should have been wearing. Except he's my least favorite player, and Neal told him he was my favorite! He was very hot and sweaty in this picture. Neal said that I'd probably be seated with him, and that he'd put a bad beat on me and really give me a reason to dislike him. Well, guess who sat next to him instead, and guess who lost a huge pot to him? Karma...

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Serious poker face. Jakub Kindl (#4) was in the 2 seat, I'm in the 10 seat. I didn't know who he was out of uniform. He's much cuter IRL than on TV.

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Knocked out when my Ace Jack offsuit falls to 10/5 of diamonds. The guy flopped a flush draw but missed, but he hit a ten of clubs on the river. Sadness!

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Ko the Sneetch wearing his newly signed Red Wings jersey.

Major thanks to Remus West for the ride from the airport. Wish you could have joined us, it was a great night!

Not sure if they'll show clips from this event during tonight's game but maybe- there was certainly a media presence, so keep an eye out for us if you're watching tonight!

Very, very cool.

edit: Very.

A few "very"s short. This is the official recap. Definitely want to return next year.

Thank you sweetie.

SO cool!

I feel kind of bad because it's one of those presents that ostensibly was for Neal but that I got just as much enjoyment from. But only kind of bad!

Awesome gift!

MHS wrote:...120 players...I was wearing #14 and went out in 14th place in the poker tournament.

Nice job!

Grundbegriff wrote:

MHS wrote:...120 players...I was wearing #14 and went out in 14th place in the poker tournament.

Nice job!

Aw, thanks. It wasn't really very impressive- they designed this tournament for speed, not skill. Luck was the most important factor.

If you ever get divorced, will you marry me and convert to a Blackhawk fan?

Sounds like an awesome nite! Glad you two had a great time. The dark side in me is totally jealous!

stimpy wrote:If you ever get divorced, will you marry me and convert to a Blackhawk fan?

Wouldn't you be jealous of us?

Blackhawk wrote:

stimpy wrote:If you ever get divorced, will you marry me and convert to a Blackhawk fan?

Wouldn't you be jealous of us?

Yes, already a fan of Blackhawk!

Great gift and it looks like a fun time all around! Excellent signed Sneetch jersey too.





I got kicked out of the Motor City Casino once...

For the 2016-17 season this is to be repeated on February 6th, 2017. Tonight MHS and I will be trying to figure out if we can participate again.

MHS wrote: Knocked out when my Ace Jack offsuit falls to 10/5 of diamonds. The guy flopped a flush draw but missed, but he hit a ten of clubs on the river. Sadness!

This is why poker is frustrating for part time players like me. You have to play a lot to make up for these type of bad beats. It's also why I shy away from tournaments. They raise the blinds so fast that it forces you to play more hands.

Poker is not English it seems haha. I used to love to play but not for money. Except with my step grandfather who was a member of some place that did. And he kept my pennies dangit. He was GooOoood.

Moliere wrote:

MHS wrote: Knocked out when my Ace Jack offsuit falls to 10/5 of diamonds. The guy flopped a flush draw but missed, but he hit a ten of clubs on the river. Sadness!

This is why poker is frustrating for part time players like me. You have to play a lot to make up for these type of bad beats. It's also why I shy away from tournaments. They raise the blinds so fast that it forces you to play more hands.

I really dont see that hand as a bad beat. The A/J unsuited is about a 2-1 favorite over a suited 10/5 ( 63% to 36% ) The odds were certainly in MHS's favor but with the flop, the 10/5 suited had plenty of outs. Its a bit unlucky but with a flush draw ( and possibly a straight draw? ) sitting there, the 10/5 suited aint going nowhere unless you chase them preflop. Tourneys are tough, with so many hands in play, the odds can easily catch up with you.

rshetts2 wrote:

Moliere wrote:

MHS wrote: Knocked out when my Ace Jack offsuit falls to 10/5 of diamonds. The guy flopped a flush draw but missed, but he hit a ten of clubs on the river. Sadness!

This is why poker is frustrating for part time players like me. You have to play a lot to make up for these type of bad beats. It's also why I shy away from tournaments. They raise the blinds so fast that it forces you to play more hands.

I really dont see that hand as a bad beat. The A/J unsuited is about a 2-1 favorite over a suited 10/5 ( 63% to 36% ) The odds were certainly in MHS's favor but with the flop, the 10/5 suited had plenty of outs. Its a bit unlucky but with a flush draw ( and possibly a straight draw? ) sitting there, the 10/5 suited aint going nowhere unless you chase them preflop. Tourneys are tough, with so many hands in play, the odds can easily catch up with you.

Whether you call it a bad beat or name call the opponent as a donkey, it still sucks to lose with an AJ to even a suited 10 5.

It's a 120-runner tournament which lasts about 3 hours. Regular poker tournament participants recognize that this means it's an "extreme luckfest".

Still, it's a very fun extreme luckfest. The whole package includes an overnight stay in the casino, a dinner and auction with the team (players available to BS with and sign autographs the whole time), and a seat at the table guaranteed to have one player from the team. Last year I got to tell Pavel Datsyuk how much I appreciated watching him play for the Red Wings, and I got to tease Dylan Larkin (19 years old at the time) that they had to sneak him into the casino (21+ only, in Michigan). I also had a few minutes one-on-one with Brad Richards (2-time Stanley Cup winner, including the 2004 Conn Smythe trophy winner) to tell him how much I appreciated his career (if only I knew he was going to score the last-minute game winner in the outdoor game happening in Colorado a few months later!).

Moliere wrote:

rshetts2 wrote:

Moliere wrote:

MHS wrote: Knocked out when my Ace Jack offsuit falls to 10/5 of diamonds.

I really dont see that hand as a bad beat.

Whether you call it a bad beat or name call the opponent as a donkey, it still sucks to lose with an AJ to even a suited 10 5.

The bad beat is the guy with the even bothered to play his hand.

The Meal wrote:The bad beat is the guy with the even bothered to play his hand.

Unless you allow him to limp in.

LordMortis wrote:

The Meal wrote:The bad beat is the guy with the even bothered to play his hand.

Unless you allow him to limp in.

True. No way MHS let him limp in when she had AJo. I'm pretty sure she was all-in preflop.

Let me know if you are coming again. You'll have a ride from airport to hotel and a beer at the bar.

Remus West wrote:Let me know if you are coming again. You'll have a ride from airport to hotel and a beer at the bar.

I posted hoping you'd be joining us at the tables (if we end up making it).

The Meal wrote:

LordMortis wrote:

The Meal wrote:The bad beat is the guy with the even bothered to play his hand.

Unless you allow him to limp in.

True. No way MHS let him limp in when she had AJo. I'm pretty sure she was all-in preflop.

Which is clearly very situational. Was MHS short stacked? Was the guy with 10/5 suited, big stack? Both short stacked and making a stand? Just saying, without a lot more info, I dont see it as a bad beat. Of course maybe Im just a bit more fluid on the term bad beat. To me a bad beat is holding a boat when someone hits an inside straight flush draw on the river. Is someone out drawing me when I dont even have a pair, bad luck? Yes. Bad beat, not so much. Just my opinion though, your mileage may vary.

rshetts2 wrote:Which is clearly very situational. Was MHS short stacked? Was the guy with 10/5 suited, big stack? Both short stacked and making a stand? Just saying, without a lot more info, I dont see it as a bad beat. Of course maybe Im just a bit more fluid on the term bad beat. To me a bad beat is holding a boat when someone hits an inside straight flush draw on the river. Is someone out drawing me when I dont even have a pair, bad luck? Yes. Bad beat, not so much. Just my opinion though, your mileage may vary.

For sure, context matters. I am just being bitter about my previously stated situation where my pocket Kings loses to AJ with an A showing up on the River.

Moliere wrote:

rshetts2 wrote:Which is clearly very situational. Was MHS short stacked? Was the guy with 10/5 suited, big stack? Both short stacked and making a stand? Just saying, without a lot more info, I dont see it as a bad beat. Of course maybe Im just a bit more fluid on the term bad beat. To me a bad beat is holding a boat when someone hits an inside straight flush draw on the river. Is someone out drawing me when I dont even have a pair, bad luck? Yes. Bad beat, not so much. Just my opinion though, your mileage may vary.

For sure, context matters. I am just being bitter about my previously stated situation where my pocket Kings loses to AJ with an A showing up on the River.

Yeah, that does suck. Been there!

rshetts2 wrote:Which is clearly very situational. Was MHS short stacked? Was the guy with 10/5 suited, big stack? Both short stacked and making a stand? Just saying, without a lot more info, I dont see it as a bad beat.

All true. Also to consider the quickness of the structure, whether or not there were players at the table over whom the caller thought he had a skill advantage, whether he perceived a skill advantage over MHS, whether he just received a phone call that his house is on fire, how much he prioritizes having equal-height chip stacks, etc. I didn't go into all those details (it was a year ago, after all) but in my estimation the bad beat was that she got called with a junk hand. I don't claim any special authority on the matter, so you're right to identify your own rationale on the validity of the term.

The Meal wrote:

rshetts2 wrote:Which is clearly very situational. Was MHS short stacked? Was the guy with 10/5 suited, big stack? Both short stacked and making a stand? Just saying, without a lot more info, I dont see it as a bad beat.

All true. Also to consider the quickness of the structure, whether or not there were players at the table over whom the caller thought he had a skill advantage, whether he perceived a skill advantage over MHS, whether he just received a phone call that his house is on fire, how much he prioritizes having equal-height chip stacks, etc. I didn't go into all those details (it was a year ago, after all) but in my estimation the bad beat was that she got called with a junk hand. I don't claim any special authority on the matter, so you're right to identify your own rationale on the validity of the term.

Cool. I tend to evaluate bad beats by very strict measure so I dont just dismiss something I may have missed or something I could improve on out of hand because it was a "bad beat". Which is why I said things like "I dont see it as" or "to me, a bad beat is" Im probably a bit hard one myself on that one.
Everyones game is different and hopefully you understand I was merely stating my own perspective. No disrespect was meant to MHS nor her skills as a player, whom Im sure would likely beat the snot out of me on a table.

When I was playing regularly for "legit money" motivation was a bit different (though my response behavior was generally the same), but now that I'm playing against the same general opponents (at "hamburger stakes") I like to evaluate hands in terms of getting inside my opponents' heads and determining the motivation behind their action. As you point out, it's a common occurrence that someone with a lot of chips may call down an all-in with a crappy hand (which, Harrington-be-damned, is generally a clear mistake in my opinion — without some significant external factor, such as skill differences). It's important to me to know which of my opponents has this leak and to put myself in positions to take advantage of this in the future.

When playing for "legit money" (I spent almost a year playing around 15-20 days/month as a tournament pro in the local casinos) the motivation was to better understand the general groupthink in my population of opponents (though since I normally played weekday dailies, there was also a significant portion of the population I considered regulars). It's important to stereotype (and be good at it) when at the tables when you play an exploitative game (the clear winning strategy at that point in time at the sub-$1000 buy-in tournament level).

Deciding something is or is not a bad beat is fairly irrelevant. Sometimes, after considering all the other factors, you do have to chalk an occurrence up to "shit happens," but it's important to work your way through all those other factors to decide if there's a better course of action when confronted with the same situation in the future. Short-stacked call vs. 3-bet all-in with mid-pocket pairs in the blinds is a great fer-instance. It's easy to kill yourself for shoving with 88 preflop, getting called by AT, then having your opponent hit an Ace on the turn or river. "I shouldda just called pre and shoved on any innocuous (generally a non-Ace) flop." Reminding yourself to go through your checklist as for how the initial raiser handles a missed flop and letting that factor into your preflop decision-making process is a lot more useful than just chalking it up to a missed flip.

rshetts2 wrote:

The Meal wrote:

LordMortis wrote:

The Meal wrote:The bad beat is the guy with the even bothered to play his hand.

Unless you allow him to limp in.

True. No way MHS let him limp in when she had AJo. I'm pretty sure she was all-in preflop.

Which is clearly very situational. Was MHS short stacked? Was the guy with 10/5 suited, big stack? Both short stacked and making a stand? Just saying, without a lot more info, I dont see it as a bad beat. Of course maybe Im just a bit more fluid on the term bad beat. To me a bad beat is holding a boat when someone hits an inside straight flush draw on the river. Is someone out drawing me when I dont even have a pair, bad luck? Yes. Bad beat, not so much. Just my opinion though, your mileage may vary.

Everyone was short-stacked. With only 14 players left, I think we all had about 10-12 big blinds left. Since only first place won money and the next 9 people got "prizes" like signed hockey sticks, pucks, tickets, etc., I had no interest in finishing anything but first. 14th through 2nd was the same to me, so I couldn't afford to dick around. I shoved pre-flop and the Big Blind defended with his 10/5d, and he only had me covered by a very small margin, so he really had no choice.

MHS wrote:

rshetts2 wrote:

The Meal wrote:

LordMortis wrote:

The Meal wrote:The bad beat is the guy with the even bothered to play his hand.

Unless you allow him to limp in.

True. No way MHS let him limp in when she had AJo. I'm pretty sure she was all-in preflop.

Which is clearly very situational. Was MHS short stacked? Was the guy with 10/5 suited, big stack? Both short stacked and making a stand? Just saying, without a lot more info, I dont see it as a bad beat. Of course maybe Im just a bit more fluid on the term bad beat. To me a bad beat is holding a boat when someone hits an inside straight flush draw on the river. Is someone out drawing me when I dont even have a pair, bad luck? Yes. Bad beat, not so much. Just my opinion though, your mileage may vary.

Everyone was short-stacked. With only 14 players left, I think we all had about 10-12 big blinds left. Since only first place won money and the next 9 people got "prizes" like signed hockey sticks, pucks, tickets, etc., I had no interest in finishing anything but first. 14th through 2nd was the same to me, so I couldn't afford to dick around. I shoved pre-flop and the Big Blind defended with his 10/5d, and he only had me covered by a very small margin, so he really had no choice.

It makes total sense that he stayed then. 10/5 suited has lots of outs with a bit of flop help, which he got. Being short stacked, you take the shot at doubling up. Once he committed, he outdrew you and that's just bad luck. You couldn't have done anything differently to change the outcome.

I hope you both get a shot to do that again, it sounds like a blast. Out of curiosity how do you get into the tourney?


Nevermind: I found it here: http://redwings.ice.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=85276

$400 entry fee. Thats pretty reasonable for the experience. Wish I wasnt on a fixed income.

Guess what I got for Christmas again this year. Thanks hon.

The Meal wrote:Guess what I got for Christmas again this year. Thanks hon.

Socks?

Yeah, but those were from my sister.

The Meal wrote:Guess what I got for Christmas again this year. Thanks hon.

Very Cool!