10-16-2001, 11:51 PM
Well, FARGO has come and gone again this year, and it was fun as always. I decided to write a semi-quick trip report, heavy on some details and light on others. Mostly due to I can't remember most of it, but some of it I wrote down.
THURSDAY NIGHT
I hosted the second annual FossilMan Invitational Heads-Up Poker Tournament at my home this FARGO eve. 20 players participated. Instead of the nasty experimental method I tried last year, I used a round robin system this year, which everyone seemed to prefer greatly.
The 20 players were randomly divided into 4 groups of 5. With each group, you played the other 4 players, and whoever compiled the best record advanced to the money positions. If 2 players had the same record, the tie-breaker was whoever won their specific heads-up match. You can also have a 3-way tie, or even a 5-way tie, but fortunately we didn't have to deal with that. Here are the results:
Group A
Bruce Kramer 3-1
David Huberman 2-2
Nicolas Fradet 2-2
Steve DelBorrell 2-2
Andy Latto 1-3
Group B
Tim Woodbury 4-0
Greg Raymer 3-1
Steve Daniel 2-2
Joan Hadley 1-3
Alan Schuman 0-4
Group C
Russell Rosenblum 4-0
Matt Matros 3-1
John DeRose 2-2
Marty Stilling 1-3
Greg Pappas 0-4
Group D
Ed Pizzarello 3-1
Mark Oldenburg 3-1
Pete Caldes 2-2
Jerold Gerner 1-3
Warren Sander 1-3
The only tie-breaker issue dealt with Group D, where Ed Pizzarello prevailed since he beat Mark Oldenburg in their heads-up match. It was a good thing, too. The last match of this group was Ed vs. Pete. With Ed winning, the results are as above. If Pete had won, then Pete and Mark would have been the players with 3-1 records, and Mark would have advanced, as Pete's only prior loss had been to Mark. But, Mark couldn't stay, and left while the Pete/Ed match was in progress. If one of the 4 finalists had been absent, we had no idea what we would have done. I'm glad we didn't have to decide.
For the finals, opponents were randomly determined. In the first match, Bruce Kramer defeated Russell Rosenblum and Tim Woodbury defeated Ed Pizzarello. In the 3rd place game, Russell defeated Ed. In the finals, Bruce overcame Tim. I forget the exciting details of all the matches, but those involved can reply to this post and fill them in if they wish.
Everyone was very polite, and treated the house well, which is good, as trashing the place would've certainly resulted in a wifely veto of next year's tournament. As it is, she's quite pleased with us, and shouldn't mind next year's event one bit.
FRIDAY
This is the day for the pairs event. I had agreed a few weeks ago to pair with Mark Oldenburg (more accurately, he graciously accepted my invitation). Mark is a good partner. He's very solid, very tight, and you know he won't burn through the chips. You can't say the same about me.
I played fine, and I'm sure he did also. I made a small profit the first couple of levels, and he did the same the next couple. Then, I took over playing Omaha with about T1775 playing 100/200. I raised from the SB with AA, flopped a set, and lost to a rivered flush. -T500 on that hand. A few hands later I try to steal as the first person in from late position with 234T, and get called by Ray DiDonato in the big blind. The flop is great, A2T rainbow with 2 backdoor flush draws. Ray checks, I bet, he calls (I think). On the turn, the card is a T, giving me tens full with the nut low draw. Ray checks, I bet, he raises, I 3-bet, he 4-bets, and I call. I like it all until his last raise, which led me to believe he had tens full of aces. No low on the river, he bets and I call. He actually has AA in the hole for the top full, and I've just lost all but T175 or so. The math above doesn't quite add up, so I've made a mistake somewhere, but suffice it to say we're less than 10 minutes into my shift, and Mark comes back to see my tiny stack and give me the questioning, disbelieving look. Sorry buddy, shit happens.
I go broke before the level is over, and we're done. I wander around talking to folks, and notice that the big game today is $300-600 rather than 150-300. Odd, it's seldom that high. Then I talk to folks, and am told they've been playing all night long, and a few of them are stuck a combined total of well over $100,000. Plus, I notice that 4 notorious fish are in the game. Man, I've never seen such a soft, profitable game at these stakes. I ask Jeff Caulkins, who plays at these levels regularly, what he thinks, and he declares it the greatest 300 game he's ever seen in his life. In fact, he's dying to get into the game, but he and his partner, his lovely wife, are alive and doing well in the pairs tourney, so he can't abandon her. They end up finishing second, which probably costs Jeff at least $2000 in EV.
Man, I want to play in this game, but it is just too big for me. A typical buyin for the game is $10,000, which is almost 1/3 of my entire poker bankroll. I work full-time as a lawyer for Pfizer, so unlike a real pro, my bankroll only shrinks through losses, not living expenses (well, I do withdraw from the bankroll for personal "luxury" purchases, but not often), so losing 1/3 isn't the disaster it would be for a working pro. However, I don't want to do it. I ask around, to see if anybody wants to back me for half my action. Unsurprisingly, I get no takers. ;-)
Finally, I decide to go for it. I buy in for $10,000, which I'm either going to play with or go broke with. About 30-45 minutes into the game, I've yet to win a pot, and am stuck about $3,000. Finally, I break my cherry, and am ahead a little. Later, I go on a nice mini-rush and win a few pots, getting a few thou ahead. By the time I quit to call my wife about dinner, I'm up over $10,000, and not minding at all having an excuse to quit. I'm not normally the type to lock up a win, but this is new territory for me, and I don't mind.
I call my wife Cheryl, and she agrees to bring our daughter Sophie with her so we can all eat together at Foxwoods. John DeRose comes with us. The buffet line is over an hour long, so we instead go to the Golden Dragon for chinese and sushi. John has just finished in 5th place in the pairs tourney, getting paid $66 for his time and $65 entry fee. Since he cashed in the tourney and I lost in the tourney, I suggest that he should buy dinner for all. Of course, I had shared with him my results from the big game. ;-) Eventually, he and Cheryl convinced me to pay.
Back to poker, and I lose about $1700 in the PL HE game. I was definitely the source of most of the action. ;-)
SATURDAY
NL HE tourney, my favorite. My first table just sucks. We have Ray Don, Pappas, Russell, and a bunch of other players who are either really good, or at least really tight. I run them over for about T200 before we break. My new table looks pretty good, at least relative to this field. I know almost nobody, which is usually a good sign. Ming is at my table, but he's 2 seats to my right, in good position for me. After a while, he starts running the table over. I know what he's doing, but haven't seen a spot where I wish to play back at him. Finally, after whittling my stack down to about T700, I find the spot. Ming raises to T75 as the first one in, and I reraise to T225 in the cutoff seat. All others fold, Ming calls. To make a long story short, Ming called my reraise with K3o, and flopped 2 pair. Nice hand, Sir; well played.
Time for PL, say I. We eventually get a game started, and it's a nice little game, with myself and Dangerous Dan providing most of the action. He takes something like $1400 from me on the first hand, so I addon for $5000. Pretty soon, we convince the table to make the game half HE, half Omaha high. Yum, yum, but I love PLO. At one point, with Dan and I still providing most of the action (especially preflop), I straddle for $10 (blinds were $5,5). An aggressive local player who has grown his stack to something like $1200 raises in early position, and I reraise with KK. The flop is rainbow and harmless looking, so I bet it, and he raises all-in. I call, and then see an A on the turn. Oh no, I was just about to get unstuck, and this guy is going to suck out on me. Instead, I turn over my KK, and he says it's good.
I end up winning $1000 or so for the game, and leave to go to dinner with Cheryl. We come back and I sit down in the $2-4 HE game with her until she gets bored, and we leave
SUNDAY
Stud. I expect to do well. Stevie D does better. Let's just say three Aces beats three Queens, and leave it at that.
Hey, the big game looks good. Even Cindy Violette is up from AC to play in it. The board is 5 names deep, and I make it 6. The game today is $150-300 HOSE, and we start a must move game 5-handed. Now, this game is nowhere near as good as Friday's 300 HOSE game, but it's not bad. I manage to win about $3,000 in about 2-3 hours, and then the game breaks after one of the donators, er, players, is called to the main game. Cha-ching!
I watch my buddy Vince Lepore finish 4th in the stud tourney, and watch Steve Eisenstein and Marty Stilling battle it out for first. However, they're playing very cautiously, so I give up and go home.
Another great FARGO. Thanks to all, and see you in a couple of weeks at the World Poker Finals.
Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)
THURSDAY NIGHT
I hosted the second annual FossilMan Invitational Heads-Up Poker Tournament at my home this FARGO eve. 20 players participated. Instead of the nasty experimental method I tried last year, I used a round robin system this year, which everyone seemed to prefer greatly.
The 20 players were randomly divided into 4 groups of 5. With each group, you played the other 4 players, and whoever compiled the best record advanced to the money positions. If 2 players had the same record, the tie-breaker was whoever won their specific heads-up match. You can also have a 3-way tie, or even a 5-way tie, but fortunately we didn't have to deal with that. Here are the results:
Group A
Bruce Kramer 3-1
David Huberman 2-2
Nicolas Fradet 2-2
Steve DelBorrell 2-2
Andy Latto 1-3
Group B
Tim Woodbury 4-0
Greg Raymer 3-1
Steve Daniel 2-2
Joan Hadley 1-3
Alan Schuman 0-4
Group C
Russell Rosenblum 4-0
Matt Matros 3-1
John DeRose 2-2
Marty Stilling 1-3
Greg Pappas 0-4
Group D
Ed Pizzarello 3-1
Mark Oldenburg 3-1
Pete Caldes 2-2
Jerold Gerner 1-3
Warren Sander 1-3
The only tie-breaker issue dealt with Group D, where Ed Pizzarello prevailed since he beat Mark Oldenburg in their heads-up match. It was a good thing, too. The last match of this group was Ed vs. Pete. With Ed winning, the results are as above. If Pete had won, then Pete and Mark would have been the players with 3-1 records, and Mark would have advanced, as Pete's only prior loss had been to Mark. But, Mark couldn't stay, and left while the Pete/Ed match was in progress. If one of the 4 finalists had been absent, we had no idea what we would have done. I'm glad we didn't have to decide.
For the finals, opponents were randomly determined. In the first match, Bruce Kramer defeated Russell Rosenblum and Tim Woodbury defeated Ed Pizzarello. In the 3rd place game, Russell defeated Ed. In the finals, Bruce overcame Tim. I forget the exciting details of all the matches, but those involved can reply to this post and fill them in if they wish.
Everyone was very polite, and treated the house well, which is good, as trashing the place would've certainly resulted in a wifely veto of next year's tournament. As it is, she's quite pleased with us, and shouldn't mind next year's event one bit.
FRIDAY
This is the day for the pairs event. I had agreed a few weeks ago to pair with Mark Oldenburg (more accurately, he graciously accepted my invitation). Mark is a good partner. He's very solid, very tight, and you know he won't burn through the chips. You can't say the same about me.
I played fine, and I'm sure he did also. I made a small profit the first couple of levels, and he did the same the next couple. Then, I took over playing Omaha with about T1775 playing 100/200. I raised from the SB with AA, flopped a set, and lost to a rivered flush. -T500 on that hand. A few hands later I try to steal as the first person in from late position with 234T, and get called by Ray DiDonato in the big blind. The flop is great, A2T rainbow with 2 backdoor flush draws. Ray checks, I bet, he calls (I think). On the turn, the card is a T, giving me tens full with the nut low draw. Ray checks, I bet, he raises, I 3-bet, he 4-bets, and I call. I like it all until his last raise, which led me to believe he had tens full of aces. No low on the river, he bets and I call. He actually has AA in the hole for the top full, and I've just lost all but T175 or so. The math above doesn't quite add up, so I've made a mistake somewhere, but suffice it to say we're less than 10 minutes into my shift, and Mark comes back to see my tiny stack and give me the questioning, disbelieving look. Sorry buddy, shit happens.
I go broke before the level is over, and we're done. I wander around talking to folks, and notice that the big game today is $300-600 rather than 150-300. Odd, it's seldom that high. Then I talk to folks, and am told they've been playing all night long, and a few of them are stuck a combined total of well over $100,000. Plus, I notice that 4 notorious fish are in the game. Man, I've never seen such a soft, profitable game at these stakes. I ask Jeff Caulkins, who plays at these levels regularly, what he thinks, and he declares it the greatest 300 game he's ever seen in his life. In fact, he's dying to get into the game, but he and his partner, his lovely wife, are alive and doing well in the pairs tourney, so he can't abandon her. They end up finishing second, which probably costs Jeff at least $2000 in EV.
Man, I want to play in this game, but it is just too big for me. A typical buyin for the game is $10,000, which is almost 1/3 of my entire poker bankroll. I work full-time as a lawyer for Pfizer, so unlike a real pro, my bankroll only shrinks through losses, not living expenses (well, I do withdraw from the bankroll for personal "luxury" purchases, but not often), so losing 1/3 isn't the disaster it would be for a working pro. However, I don't want to do it. I ask around, to see if anybody wants to back me for half my action. Unsurprisingly, I get no takers. ;-)
Finally, I decide to go for it. I buy in for $10,000, which I'm either going to play with or go broke with. About 30-45 minutes into the game, I've yet to win a pot, and am stuck about $3,000. Finally, I break my cherry, and am ahead a little. Later, I go on a nice mini-rush and win a few pots, getting a few thou ahead. By the time I quit to call my wife about dinner, I'm up over $10,000, and not minding at all having an excuse to quit. I'm not normally the type to lock up a win, but this is new territory for me, and I don't mind.
I call my wife Cheryl, and she agrees to bring our daughter Sophie with her so we can all eat together at Foxwoods. John DeRose comes with us. The buffet line is over an hour long, so we instead go to the Golden Dragon for chinese and sushi. John has just finished in 5th place in the pairs tourney, getting paid $66 for his time and $65 entry fee. Since he cashed in the tourney and I lost in the tourney, I suggest that he should buy dinner for all. Of course, I had shared with him my results from the big game. ;-) Eventually, he and Cheryl convinced me to pay.
Back to poker, and I lose about $1700 in the PL HE game. I was definitely the source of most of the action. ;-)
SATURDAY
NL HE tourney, my favorite. My first table just sucks. We have Ray Don, Pappas, Russell, and a bunch of other players who are either really good, or at least really tight. I run them over for about T200 before we break. My new table looks pretty good, at least relative to this field. I know almost nobody, which is usually a good sign. Ming is at my table, but he's 2 seats to my right, in good position for me. After a while, he starts running the table over. I know what he's doing, but haven't seen a spot where I wish to play back at him. Finally, after whittling my stack down to about T700, I find the spot. Ming raises to T75 as the first one in, and I reraise to T225 in the cutoff seat. All others fold, Ming calls. To make a long story short, Ming called my reraise with K3o, and flopped 2 pair. Nice hand, Sir; well played.
Time for PL, say I. We eventually get a game started, and it's a nice little game, with myself and Dangerous Dan providing most of the action. He takes something like $1400 from me on the first hand, so I addon for $5000. Pretty soon, we convince the table to make the game half HE, half Omaha high. Yum, yum, but I love PLO. At one point, with Dan and I still providing most of the action (especially preflop), I straddle for $10 (blinds were $5,5). An aggressive local player who has grown his stack to something like $1200 raises in early position, and I reraise with KK. The flop is rainbow and harmless looking, so I bet it, and he raises all-in. I call, and then see an A on the turn. Oh no, I was just about to get unstuck, and this guy is going to suck out on me. Instead, I turn over my KK, and he says it's good.
I end up winning $1000 or so for the game, and leave to go to dinner with Cheryl. We come back and I sit down in the $2-4 HE game with her until she gets bored, and we leave
SUNDAY
Stud. I expect to do well. Stevie D does better. Let's just say three Aces beats three Queens, and leave it at that.
Hey, the big game looks good. Even Cindy Violette is up from AC to play in it. The board is 5 names deep, and I make it 6. The game today is $150-300 HOSE, and we start a must move game 5-handed. Now, this game is nowhere near as good as Friday's 300 HOSE game, but it's not bad. I manage to win about $3,000 in about 2-3 hours, and then the game breaks after one of the donators, er, players, is called to the main game. Cha-ching!
I watch my buddy Vince Lepore finish 4th in the stud tourney, and watch Steve Eisenstein and Marty Stilling battle it out for first. However, they're playing very cautiously, so I give up and go home.
Another great FARGO. Thanks to all, and see you in a couple of weeks at the World Poker Finals.
Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)