Swedish Tells: Tales from Stockholm

I slept for about 2 hours after arriving in Stockholm from San Francisco. I actually tried to play a little poker on the plane with some new fun friends from the city. Unfortunately, playing poker on a plane is not easy. I'll have to work on a portable table or something for next time.

Anyway, after my brief nap and and a shower I caught a cab to the Kroner Bar in the hip district of Stockholm. Danny and his friends were meeting there to watch an important soccer match. The top two teams in Stockholm were playing each other. We had frosty cold Czech beers and they ordered classic Swedish meatballs and potatoes for me. It was an excellent dinner and we had a great table at a sports type bar.

After dinner we headed to the Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm. We sat down at a 50/50 no limit table. I bought in for $800 US about 5,000 Swedish Crona. Early on I won a nice pot and then got AQ suited. The flop came out Q 4 9. I had raised preflop and decided to slow play top pair. The only guy left in the hand, made it 400 to go. I check raised him to 1200. He quickly called. The turn was a K. I cringed a little and weakly checked. He checked. The river was a 7. I was in weak mode. I checked again. He made it 2200 to go. I went into the tank. I didn’t think he had a K. Could he have QJ? Could he have AQ? He called a preflop raise, a check raise and then slowed down. He stuck his tongue out a little and I smelled weakness. I called and he flipped up J10 for a straight! I was crippled. I bought in for another 2000 crona and grinded my way back to about 4000. In the big blind I looked down at 55. Three guys made it 250 to go. I quickly called. The flop was K95 with two hearts. I thought about slow playing my set for a minute and then came to my senses. I put in 400 and two of the three guys folded. I actually just wanted to take the pot down right there. The turn was 8 of HEARTS. I thought for a moment and put in 500, not a big bet into the pot, a true probe bet. The Swedish guy went into the tank. Either he was a great actor or he had the flush. He went all in for about 1500 more and he stuck his tongue slightly out. I again smelled a little weakness. I thought for a long time and then decided I would try to confirm or deny a Swedish tell. I called and he turned over KQ with only one heart. The river was a blank and I won a nice pot. In general, sticking your tongue out is a “weak tell”. The other guy had stuck his tongue out even when he wasn’t in a hand I had noticed earlier or perhaps he WAS weak before the K made him a straight.

Moral: If you are going to play NL poker, you MUST pay attention and be willing to test your theories.

Great time to start my trip. Many thanks to Danny, Martin and their friends. I'll see you guys at next year's WSOP.

AM

WSOP 2007

World Series of Poker Room

It is almost impossible to describe the size of the WSOP poker room. It is a total poker orgy. There are literally hundreds of tables of guys and gals playing every type of poker from low ball to no limit. Cash games. Satellites. The sound of chips clicking and "blinds please" is everywhere. The rush of adrenaline from being that room is clearly potentially additive.

The chairs, bathroom facilities and food however all suck. More later.

AM Surgical Poker

$1500 WSOP Event 49

It was the third largest field EVER at the WSOP--well over 3000 people. My first table had a couple of European pros who were super aggressive. One guy almost went out on the first hand when JJ beat 99. We also had a super hottie dressed in a halter top who kept adjusting it. She busted out in less than an hour. That helped the rest of us who could then focus only on the cards.

I ran my chips up to $10000 by the first break and thought I was in great shape. Right after the first break, I got queens. I made it $800 to go after a couple limpers. The guy in the big blind called and the others folded. The flop came out 10-9-8 with two spades. The big blind checked. With a straight draw and an overpair, I thought I was good but I didn't want the BB to catch a card. So, I made it $2400 honestly just hoping he would fold. Instead of folding he came over the top and raised me. I went into the tank for 5 minutes and folded thinking he might have had pocket 10s. He flipped up pocket 88s and despite losing $3200 I felt okay. I then waited for 20-25 hands folding everything because I had NOTHING. On the button I got, K-7 suited. I was just trying to steal the blinds with an $800 raise when the BB called. The flop came out 447. The big blind checked. I thought I was good when I paired my 7 and wanted to end the hand. So, I made it $1200 to go. The BB reraised me! I thought he might have been slow playing a high pair so I folded. He turned over 8-4 OFFSUIT......CRAZY. He said he likes to play a variety of hands.

I then went into a total tight mode hoping to get a decent hand. Just before the end of the fourth level I looked down at K10 suited. My stack was now back down to $3000 and the blinds were about to go up. One guy called and I was in middle position. So I tried to make a move and went ALL-IN. Everyone else folded around to the first position limper. He studied me for a couple minutes and then called. I knew I was in trouble when he called. He was fairly tight. His AQ sent me to the rail.

I was steamed for several hours and upset that I didn't wait for a better hand. I probably shouldn't have played with K7 or K10 suited. They just aren't very good hands. They were, however, the best I saw and the blinds/antes were brutal with only $3000 in starting chips. I went out somewhere between 2200 and 2400. They don't post the numbers when their that high.

Overall, a great learning experience. I must admit I was fairly nervous and didn't read people well at all. I made one big mistake as well. I was in position 10 in the big blind. I thought everyone had folded over to me and I looked down at KK. I was disgusted to get a walk on such a great hand so I flipped them up. I didn't see the guy under the gun had made a $600 raise. The dealer looked at me and informed me of the raise. I immediately went all in. The guy folded and showed AK. He only had $1500 left at the time but that could have been mine.

Many lessons learned. I will be back next year

Next time how I got amazing cards in a cash game......

AM

Poker VIP and Royalty Rooms

I arrived at the WSOP on Friday and played a little cash game and then bought in for Event 49, the $1500 buyin. I tried my luck at a sat. game and took third for NO money. Then my luck changed. Phil Hellmuth sent me a text and asked me to dinner.

On the way to dinner he took me to both the Poker VIP room and the Poker Royalty room. They have a high Wii System inside the royalty room and we played a little of the bowling game with Daniel Negreanu watching and Greg Raymer in the next room. That game is addictive....

We then went to the VIP lounge and saw Doyle Brunson playing chinese poker. I tried not to gawk and didn't take any pictures but it was amazing. We then went to dinner at Gaylord's. Not a bad beginning to the WSOP.

Next time: The WSOP's third largest field EVER. I felt like I was at the BIG HOUSE (Michigan's Football Stadium). Also, I met a nice pro from Sweden and a super HOTTIE at my first table.......

AM Surgical Poker

Off the World Series of Poker

I am leaving Friday for Vegas and the World Series of Poker. It should be an amazing time.

My plan is to play in the $1500 no-limit event starting Saturday. Via this blog, I will send in updates. Stay tuned........

AM

Bubble Boy AGAIN

I just played in the Bay 101 Saturday tourney as a tune up for the WSOP. This time I finished 13/89 players. Please comment on how I played my final two hands. We were down to 15 players and I was in the bottom three at my table with about 20,000 chips. The blinds were 2000/4000 so it was almost desperado time.

I was in the big blind when the guy under the gun went all in with his last 17,000 in chips. A tight and strong player two to his left came over the top for his last 25,000 in chips. All other players folded to me. I look down and see AJ off-suit. Finally, I paused and thought about it for several minutes. I concluded that at least one of those players could/did have AQ or AK or perhaps QQ/KK. With two players going all in before me, I decided reluctantly to fold. I evacuated my bowels when the flop came AJ5 rainbow and one guy flipped up A6 diamonds and the other guy KQ offsuit. The A6 held up and I was disgusted because I could have TRIPLED up and sailed into the final table.

Two hands later, I fortunately got two black nines on the button. One guy put in 15000 before I had to act and I insta went all in. He grinned and insta called with wired queens. His queens were good when no nine, straight or flush hit the board and I was on the rail in 13 place.......

Suggestions>>>>>>>>>>>>

Phil Hellmuth with Beatles LOVE Show Cast Member

Cirque du Soleil has a new show in Vegas called LOVE with all Beatles music. It is simply amazing. It is at the Mirage. Check it out if you get a chance......

Surgical Poker

Bathtime at TAO

Usually, I like to take showers. But at TAO, a bath looks much more appealing....

TAO Beach Party

Saturday in Vegas was CRAZY. Here is one of the several pix from that night. I think these girls will be on Howard Stern next week.

Blue Man Group gets ready for WSOP

Let's see if anyone can read me
if I wear this at the World Series of Poker!