Entry #15 (2010-09-02)I’m sad beyond the very limits of sadness. Last night several poker players and onlookers publically accused me of cheating. In a minute, I’ll examine the hand that caused this.
I’ve spent the past 40 years fighting for poker ethics. I won’t tolerate cheating of any kind. That’s why one of my most-quoted blurbs is, “Poker cheaters should be boiled and eaten.” Now, let me explain what happened.
What I’m about to describe is a hand I lost. You can say I played it poorly, I don’t care. Maybe I did, but plays like this are occasionally sprinkled into my game plan. Sometimes they win and look brilliant and sometimes (like this time) they fail completely.
Playing small
Last night, I’m playing in an online tournament. The buy-in is $25, plus a $2.50 entry fee. Why am I playing that small?
We’ll it’s a promotional tournament at Doyle’s Room. And I enjoy poker, no matter what the stakes.
Because of my long friendship with the legendary poker world champion Doyle Brunson, Doyle’s Room is the only online poker site that I currently endorse.
Bounty
So on Wednesday nights, I’m usually a bounty in this weekly tournament, along with at least two other celebrity players and occasional movie stars. Anyone who knocks out a bounty gets $1,000. Knock out two and you win $10,000. Three nets $50,000.
Nobody has ever claimed the $50,000 prize. But $10,000 has been won three or four times – with me personally accounting for the enhanced payoff by being the second bounty claimed twice (including once just two weeks ago).
Of course, these bounty prizes don’t cost me anything personally. Doyle’s Room pays them. I’m just there to giggle and enjoy the events.
Surge
DR management likes it – or so they tell me – when someone wins $10,000. This usually results in a surge of sign-ups. Okay, I’ve set the stage. I’m playing for stakes that don’t much matter to me, for purely promotional reasons. Got it so far?
Fine. But you need to know that I play these events seriously. I make the best decisions I can, just as if I were playing for much larger stakes. Over the past few years, I guess you could call me “King of the Bounties,” being the last one remaining more than half the time and reaching the final table numerous times, including a second-place finish. In other words, I don’t just throw my money away. Opponents get to see my best effort.
Last night I finished 137th out of 314 players, exiting with a daring call that failed. Here’s the anatomy of the hand and why it turned out to be important.
Hand Anatomy
The blinds are $100 and $200. I’m in a late-middle position holding 4♦ 4♥ – sixth seat in a 10-handed game, to be precise, counting the small blind as seat #1. Three players fold — in seats #3, #4, and #5. That means it’s up to me and there are four players remaining to act afterward, including the two blinds.
Most often I will fold this hand in a tournament, but I decide to call, hoping to see the flop cheaply.
Important note: A player immediately to my left in seat #7 folds. That’s “Thuh***” (sorry for the spelling with asterisks, but that’s how the DR hand-history log records it). Why is that important? Because “Thuh***” had already won a bounty and was eligible for $10,000 if he eliminated me, in addition. He had a huge stack, probably triple my own. So now “Thuh***” is a spectator, hoping I don’t get eliminated.
My starting stack for the hand is about $5,900, average for that semi-late stage of the tournament. Players start with $2,500 in chips for their $25 buy-in, each tournament dollar thus representing a penny in real-word value. Are you following me so far? It’s about to get interesting.
The flop
Now “whbo***” in seat #8 also calls the big blind. Seats #9 and #10 (the small blind) fold. The big blind decides not to exercise the special option to raise on his own if nobody else does. So, we see the flop, with three of us competing.
Flop is 5♥ 6♥ 8♠. (Remember, I hold 4♦ 4♥.)
The player in the big blind, “Inna***,” checks. I bet the size of the pot, $700. So, “whbo***” calls and “Inna***” folds. Now we’re heads up with a $2,100 pot.
The turn
The turn card is 3♥.
Board is now 5♥ 6♥ 8♠ 3♥.
This leaves me with my pair of fours and an open-end straight flush draw, with no large ranking, threatening cards showing. Certainly, you can argue for a bet here, and that’s the most likely thing I would have done in this situation. But, instead, I decide on an alternative tactic and check.
If I bet, I’m more likely to build a pot and more likely to face elimination. And keep in mind that I need to make a straight, a straight flush, or three fours to feel strong enough to attack on the river. An ordinary flush will leave me vulnerable, because “whbo***” might hold a higher-ranking heart. So, if I had bet, I would have been perfectly happy to see my opponent fold in response.
So, anyway, this time, I check. That’s when “whbo***” bets $1,050 – exactly half the pot size. I’m getting 3-to-1 on this call and decide to do it. Players often take shots at me in these bounty tournaments, and I’ve learned that it’s profitable to call more often than I might otherwise.
Besides, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this call. Even if the opponent isn’t totally bluffing, he might be leveraging high cards, hoping I’ll surrender.
The river
The pot is now $4,200 and the river card is 9♠.
So, the final board is 5♥ 6♥ 8♠ 3♥ 9♠, with me holding 4♦ 4♥.
I check again. This time “whbo***,” who has a much larger stack than I do, moves all-in. It will cost me my remaining $4,168 to call – just slightly less than the size of the pot when “whbo***” bet. Now I’ll be getting a little better than 2-to-1. Normally, I would fold. But not always.
The way the action unfolded, there seemed to be a chance “whbo***” was trying to steal this one. In fact, much of my success in this bounty event can be attributed to making daring calls like this. When they succeed, I get chatted up with “Great call,” and “That’s why they call him the Mad Genius!”
Speculate
If you want me to speculate, I’d say there was a 30 percent chance I would have made the call and a 70 percent chance I would have folded. This time, I called.
It wasn’t close! That’s because “whbo***” held 9♣ 7♥ and had flopped a perfect straight! He had then made an excellent play by just calling my $700 bet on the flop, trying to trap me – and succeeding. He also made an excellent half-pot bet on the turn, when he added a straight-flush draw (from his perspective only, since I held the 4♥ he needed). He won the $1,000 bounty by knocking me out of the tournament.
Now it’s time for you to think back on what I told you earlier. Remember “Thuh***,” who had folded after I called the big blind for $200 ($20 in real money)? He had already eliminated one bounty and stood eligible for a $10,000 payday by claiming a second bounty.
In retrospect, he probably saved himself money by folding, because – unless he raised – “whbo***” probably still would have played in quest of the $1,000 prize and still flopped a straight. Maybe if “Thuh***” had raised, he could have had me heads-up, but then he likely would have lost to my pair of fours, anyway. He might have had another shot at me later, though.
Can’t criticize
I can’t criticize anyone’s play on this hand. “Thuh***” made a decision to fold based on the unknown-to-us quality of his hand. That could have been the right decision. And “whbo***” decided to play 9-7 offsuit, because it gave him (or her) a shot at the $1,000 bounty. Again, I can’t fault that choice.
And my hand? Well, you can analyze it to death and I’m perfectly content if you don’t like the way I played it. But I’ve explained my thought process. If you could create a thousand identical situations, usually, I would have played it differently. But sometimes – as an alternative – I would have played it exactly that same way.
I’m not here to tell you I played it right or played it wrong. This isn’t a poker lesson. This is about what happened after I got eliminated on that hand.
Chat about cheating
The call failed miserably this time, and instead of receiving statements of congratulations and admiration for victory, the chat – after I left the table in 137th place – became something that wounded me deep, deep to my core.
There was chat about cheating. Some of the comments were:
“this hand by mike_caro is bs”
“he is a pro and he shove with that?”
“4s what a great hand?”
“this will be exposed on all the forum”
“rigged”
“need an investigation”
“wtf”
“the only person not complaining is whbonney” (full screen name of bounty winner appeared in chat, but not in the hand histories)
“i probably wouldn’t be complaining, either, but I still find it extremely odd”
“Julius [DR host]… you tell me that hand was not suspicious”
“julius pleads the 5th im sure”
“its one thing to dump chips another to completely to be blatant about it”
“bs”
“i mean that’s basically a slap in the face to anyone playing”
“that is why nobody will ever win 50K… they figure by giving out 10K once by chance already cut into their profits too much”
“Julius, you still there? You got a lot to answer”
“bs”
“rigged”
“Julius, your honest opinion please:do you think mike caro makes that call there if not in this tourney? ever?”
“you tell me that was not suspicious”
“we will let the public be the judge”
“look for it in all the forum”
“almost the same as UB cheating scandal”
Decisions
The quotes above were copied and sent to me by my director of operations, Diane McHaffie, after I left the table. There were a few less-hostile comments, too. Neither the $1,000 winner or “Thuh***,” who had a chance at winning $10,000, commented at all.
The people who wrote those comments are my friends, whether they know it or not. I love them, even if it’s unrequited love, because they’re expressing a concern for the integrity of poker. It’s something we share. And even though their perception of one hand is different from mine, they’re still part of my poker family.
In poker, you make your decisions and you live with the results. But sometimes there is danger in making a daring call. It can have consequences beyond the expected. — MC
the fact that everyone limped in pointed to a rag hand beating your 44
your call was stupid
Hi, nlcatternick —
Of course, 4-4 was likely to be beaten. You don’t fold poker hands because you’re probably going to lose. Whether winning or losing is more likely isn’t a factor in evaluating a decision. It’s a matter of how often each will happen and the associated costs and rewards.
And, even if it were, that isn’t the subject of this entry.
In any case, thanks for your comment.
Straight Flushes,
Mike Caro
yes I have seen 44 win against bluff, but not often enough evaluating a trap is the decision and NOT when it will set off the conspiracy theorists which seems to have got you riled up, which was the thrust of the article
Good point.
Somebody on a now defunct poker forum way back when, after I had posted about my bounty win on that forum, indicated that you had commented about the hand. I thought I would check it out and reply, mainly to those who posted to you.
I had been playing online poker for several years before that game and have played some live limit poker. I would consider myself a pretty good player, mostly playing conservative, and other times changing it up and playing off the wall hands since back then I played against many of the same people over and over, who had played against me in different forum tournaments, etc and changing it up to just screw with their minds, lol. Just depends on if I am tired, feeling in the zone, etc…
I got seated at the table and noticed that Mr Caro was at the table. Yes, the excitement was there. A chance to win the bounty. If I remember right, after I got to the table, a couple of hands went by before the above mentioned hand. I don't quite remember my position at the time but I am pretty sure I was on the button. My stack was nearly 10,000, and I think I was the second largest stack at the table… Blinds were as stated. When I saw what I was dealt, my first intention was to fold, which is what I would normally do in a money tournament. But, I waited to see who was staying in and who was folding at the table. How many chances do you ever get in a bounty tournament to sit at the same table as a bounty?? I played a few bounty tournaments and this was only the 2nd time to sit with one… When everyone folded up to Mr Caro, and he called the bet, then the next seat folded, I decided that with the bet of 200 and with my large stack, it was worth the gamble. Donk bet?? yes, it probably was. Was it because of the bounty?? Yes, I have to admit it was. But with over half the table folding, with my having nearly 10000 in chips, largest stack left of those who stayed in the hand, and only having to pay 200 to see the flop(as long as the small and big blinds didnt outragiously raise), I felt it was worth the gamble to see a flop as it wasn't going to hurt me chipwise.
The flop came in my favor, flopping a straight. I was quite excited but having seen great flops get beat many of times, I figured I would play it slow, seeing what Mr Caro would do. Of course you know the rest as Mr Caro stated above. The only thing that worried me during the turn of the cards was the 3rd heart coming on the turn. I had to really think about it but took my chances with it, plus as he stated, I had a straight flush draw going(not knowing he had the 4) along with my straight from the flop.
As far as cries of cheating, etc at the table after the hand was over with, I thought it was quite uncalled for. Yes, it seemed strange, even to me that Mr Caro played a pair of 4s to the hilt, but then I have watched enough poker on tv to have seen this happening a lot with many of the top players, basically bluffing out other less seasoned players. Sometimes it works, other times it doesnt. As far as my lack of comments on the table after the knockout, I was more interested in continueing the game than worrying about what everyone thought…
Anyways, I thought I would finally say something out here about what my thought process was during the hand and why I did what I did. If my stack had been much smaller, yes, I would have folded. Even today, I still see large stacks playing every hand looking for those great flops, whether it's online or in live tournaments…
I just got lucky…. It was an honor to knock you out of the tournament Mr Caro. I do not play much at all anymore so having done so is probably going to be the only time I will ever have knocked out an outstanding professional player. Thank you.
JJ (whbonney)
Hi, JJ — I'm glad you read my entry about the hand (which was played in 2010). Thanks for posting your first comment and joining our Poker1 family. Your first-hand perspective on the hand adds great value. Straight Flushes, Mike Caro
Respect to Thuh*** for not commenting about a hand that could have cost him $9000.00.
The only thing I see wrong with this hand is why didn’t Thuh*** shove all-in pre-flop and hope you have a hand to call him with? His risk is $25 and his reward is $9000 – he could have 72o and you could call with AA and he should still be happy. He takes away your advantage of being a better player and gives himself good odds, it isn’t poker but as the object is to win money perhaps he should have gone after you at every oppertunity?
No, it’s ridiculous to say it’s cheating but that river call is still awful. Especially in a tournament. This hand alone is a sign that you should stick to live poker if you ask me, even if it’s about advertising as well.
Did you even consider what range you might be up against, since you’re not mentioning anything about it in the blog? It’s the most important part of this hand analysis if you ask me and it’s very likely that he had either a straight or flush draw (two hands that both hit either on the turn or on the river in case he didn’t have the hand made already), and that you basically can’t beat anything but a stone cold bluff.
Did you really think he was floating (from middle position) on the flop to setup a bluff with something like A-high? In a $25 tournament? It is definitely over-thinking things.
Hi, CD —
I think it was a reasonable call, and one I would have made quite often — perhaps about 25 percent of the time.
You’re right that it had to be a bluff for me to win. But keep in mind that the spectrum of hands I’m usually facing as a bounty includes much pure garbage. That’s because players believe (often rightfully so) that they should call small, medium, big, and even all-in bets with almost any hand, hoping for a favorable flop. Under that circumstance, players often have improbable hands at the river and frequently bluff out of desperation.
Just so you know, I’m the so-called “last bounty standing” (or “sitting”) more than half the time. They call me “king of the bounties.” LOL.
Straight Flushes,
Mike Caro
Seems to me you were a victom of the structure of the bounty pay outs. Had the payouts been a flat 2k for each bounty there would be no discussion. The world is full of paranoid conspiricy theorists, and they never shut up.
whbo must have had the 9 of spades. Mike only had one out, the 2 of hearts, because whbo had the seven of hearts.
“It wasn’t close! That’s because “whbo***” held 9♣ 7♥ and had flopped a perfect straight!”
If that’s how it went down, I’d be suspicious too.
“So, the final board is 5♥ 6♥ 8♠ 3♥ 9♣, with me holding 4♦ 4♥”.
It would seem that there were two nines of clubs in that deck. :-D
Hi, Renamon —
Great catch! I checked with Diane’s notes (my director of operations). That didn’t fix the problem, because that’s exactly what she had recorded — two instances of the 9 of clubs!
So, I’m changing the final board card to 9 of spades in the entry above, pending verification from the hand histories.
Thanks!
Straight Flushes,
Mike Caro
I see nothing here to indicate you were seeking an advantage for anyone but yourself.
It’s the “stupid” moves that are often recorded as “brilliant”, and vice versa.
Accusations of cheating indicate to me that folks don’t always understand the game.
Mike,
One of the funniest things about online players is they say and do things they wouldn’t say or do in person. All that scenario was, was fellow players with sour grapes. They were hoping to be the one to get the cash. When you made what seemed to be an inappropriate call (to them), the only thing they had left was to spout out showing what smart poker players they are.
If that were a live tourney, I’d bet not a single word could be heard.
No matter how legit any online poker room is, there will always be some whiner out there that just wants to stir up some contraversy.
Refer them to your “Law of loose wiring” or tell them your cat jumped on the mouse inadvertantly making the call. :)
lol about the cat
Well Mike they should not complain about a mistake.. You thought he was being over aggressive with an Ace maybe looking to get your bounty or at least for u to fold hand.. Anyways i would take it as a lesson on how to maximize profits against you in this tourney if i were to make a donkey call and hit nuts.. lol good luck all..
I grind
I’m afraid you’re always going to be a “target”, Mike. A target when you play as a bounty, and a target for criticism everytime you make a good call or raise that isn’t understood or a bad call that is recognized as such.
Whiners have to have targets, and your celebrity and stature (definitely not the same thing) always mean you’re going to the battlefront on a white horse while most others are afoot.
So, enjoy being a target when that means you can reap enjoyment (or profit) from it, as in the tournaments where people will make unprofitable in the long run stabs at you, and shrug off the bullets of unwarranted or jealous criticism that go with that.
Heck, I play in a biweekly $20 +$5 bounty home tournament with around 8 people, and those of us who choose to buy in on the bounty can see people doing weird things for just that extra chip.
Hi Mike,
I’m still learning the game, but I consider myself a very fast learner at most things. I picked up poker very quickly and within months was regularly cleaning out players in local tournaments and home games who had been playing for decades. I am fanatical about most things I participate in. I’ve been studying and playing for about 5 years now and over the years I’ve followed you a lot amongst others professionals. I’m hoping to be able to consider myself a ‘decent’ player in about 5 years from now.
I really like you because you’re a mathematician and programmer and I can relate to your play and would say my own play style is more like yours than any other professional player I have studied.
If I know anything about you I know these things:-
1. You are known for making strange plays and mistakes. Your worst hand ever (http://www.poker1.com/archives/6177) is testament to this statement.
2. You like to mix it up – a lot. This helps advertise and promote your ‘Mad Genius’ handle. It works – advertising mad/bad plays only helps you get called or bluffed into by people who don’t understand the complexities of your play style. From my own experience, this extra action, works greatly in building big chip stacks.
3. You over think and contemplate the consequences of your actions a lot – sometimes too much – but unlike a machine you are fallible. Recently I read something about you making a play whilst considering how it would look if you lost with this ‘Mad Genius’ call because it would affect book sales, etc. I think you we’re lucky that time though and won with a King High. I also know that over-thinking can cause twisted perspectives when playing hands and unless people observing the hand also think like you then they will never understand your perspective. In this hand you had convinced yourself that he was trying to bluff you – all his actions confirmed this – so you made the call. You got suckered that time – no one is perfect – we all make mistakes – sometimes those mistakes pay off – sometimes they don’t – it’s no big deal – people should forgive you for doing so.
4. Your over-thinking makes your integrity airtight. You help set-up organisations to prevent cheating. You are quoted for saying outlandish things about cheaters. Anyone who calls you a cheater is more concerned with themselves than you. Like Maggie Lee said “The person calling you a cheater already had the scenario in their head of them being interviewed on 60 minutes” as the discoverer of Poker Room scandal and was not cat all oncerned about you only what they could get out of it. They didn’t know you… they didn’t know your play style… The more experienced people at the table, the people who knew you well enough to beat you and the player who got the first bounty didn’t even comment – because they knew better.
Mike, don’t let this get you down. Think of it like this: ‘It’s great advertising’ for the Mad Genius :-) You’ll now get more people pushing into you with weak flushes and the idiot end of straights just thinking your going to call with under pairs the whole time :-D
Four of a Kind Regards, Keith
I agree it could be a very bad play in a cash game but in a tournment with small buye in there is a lot of arguments for this play don’t worry genius
I’ve dealt to Mike Caro for 18 years and to EVER think of him as a cheat is one of the MOST ridiculous thoughts I have EVER heard!!!
Carry on~
Hi, Bob —
I appreciate the sentiments.
And thanks for making your first comment and joining our Poker1 family!
Straight Flushes,
Mike Caro
Forget cheating!!!
Maybe Mike Caro is just an unskilled player????
Great teacher, brilliant mind, but too rigid and not instinctual enough to be a champion.
A three cards to flush on the board, a potential higher end straight, and Mike holds only a pocket fours. Pocket threes is enough to beat the 4’s.
No he did not cheat, it is clearly a poor play, and no amount of raionalizing will make it a god play…except for one thing, he was playing a new player who does not know whether a flush beats a straight, and a set plus a pair equals a full house.
In plain, english, can I play at your private game next time, I need pocket change.
Noticed the spelling mistake of ‘eliminated’ too late… :)
Fascinating. I’ve always wanted to play in one of these, however, the timing and money hasn’t worked out yet. It’s sad that the perception of a bad call is that online poker is rigged. It makes even less sense that you as a bounty would make a bad call like this, I would think that you would be playing harder as to not get elimated, as you’ve stated.
The above says everything I also think of your integrity. I’ve been reading you for years, and nobody could have written the things you have without a platinum integrity level.
My only question on the hand is you saying “30% chance I’d make that call.” I totally agree that it is the minority decision, but I think that 30 is still too high. I’m thinking more like 10%. On the other hand, I’m inclined to trust your judgment more than mine, for obvious reasons.
I recently made a similar bad call, against someone I was pretty sure was taking shots at me after I had been (knowingly) too aggressive. Another player proceeded to berate me for three or four hands on what a donk I was. I told him that I was just goofing around, “It’s not like this much money means anything to me.” Of course, both statements were untrue, but no reason for him to know.
Anyway, I turned on the aggression several times against the obnoxious player, but with some cards, and he could only remember the time I had done so with very little. He called me down repeatedly with mediocre holdings and I cleaned him out four times before he finally left the table.
Your a class act Mike. Allot of people make an all-in bet on the river. . . not to extract value, but to bluff with a missed hand on a ‘dangerous’ looking board. I just hope that you keep playing the tournament. Your the better man in this situation. Considering that some people like to view this game as a sport, I think that allot of players were being un-sportsman like. Maybe that is the defining difference.
Spelling mistake not OR but OUR
It would be interesting to check what ORAC would have done.We all have or crosses to bear BUT to even contemplate that you would cheat is absurd.To the knockers Do not pass Go,do not collect $200, go straight to Jail.Your friend from Australia.OziRay
Hi, Mike:
Don’t sweat it. Most of the rail-birds only have a very vague understanding of poker, and look for any reason to cause conflict.
Regards,
Adam B
Mike,
I don’t know you except through your articles, but as far as I can tell you are one of the most intelligent, and kindest people I know. That’s your nature and it shines through your writing. You are such a positive person that you even say they are your friends and you love them. I just want to give you the message that no one who understands you at all would ever doubt your ethical standards in poker. I’ve thought a lot about what to say here, sometimes it’s difficult to communicate the way one feels. I hope this has done an adequate job.
Sincerely,
Jacob
Oh, Mike, they aren’t concerned with the integrity of poker. They are 5-year-olds who think the whole world is all about them.
RIGGED! is the standard whine in all games where variance does not favor them. Play Razz for a while, this kind of chat is so standard.
But I understand that you feel really hurt, because no one who has followed you for years needed any explanation. Not me, not most who post here. Mike Caro couldn’t cheat. I really think “couldn’t” is more correct than “wouldn’t.” I believe it just is so antithetical to who you are that you can’t even imagine doing it.
I had to LOL at the “this will be like the UB cheating scandal!” He’s already imagining himself on 60 Minutes.
Anyway, set your options to auto-muck losing hand in future and don’t take it personally, (I know, stupid advice when you feel your integrity has been impugned) because the whiner has no idea there is any person in the world but himself.
Take care, Mike.
Lis~
one time i made a bad decision at poker. fortunately it hasn’t happened since. all i can tell you michael is live and learn.
“Rigged” is an application of Godwin’s Law to poker chat, and its authors should be taken just that seriously.
Mr. Caro:
I have always enjoyed your writing and have learned from it in my time in poker.
The accusation is unwarranted based on your long history in poker and stand in the sometimes unfortunate shady activities of the game we enjoy.
However, this is not one of your best plays. I think to go broke on an unraised pot with an underpair is not a shining moment on your tournament tactics and could be misinterpreted as not giving a damn or dumping chips.
I think that there are other lines that could have been more profitable or less costly but that’s perhaps a separate discussion.
May you run goot!
If you’re folding everytime you don’t hit your set on the flop, then you’re allowing yourself to be bullied/bluffed far too often. The way the hand played out, it was conceivable that the other player was simply trying to get Mike to fold. It’s definitely not the best call in the world, nor is he claiming such. He is merely demonstrating a deeper level of thinking. And show some class, no need to insult someone just because you disagree with them. Poker is NOT an exact science.
PS- If it turned out that he had the winning hand, all would be singing a different tune. Don’t be result oriented.
This is the WINNING perspective needed to win “long term” in poker and life. Well put. As for Mr. Caro, poker would still be “a sham” game for “gypsies” if not for him , Mr. Brunson and the “folks” they ‘”run with”. Thanks for the “Clear Head” thinkin’…..
Hey Mike, I was playing in tonight’s bounty, and watched that hand go down, I’m terribly sorry you were accused like that, I was probably the ONLY person in that chat trying to defend you. You made a bold call, and that is what poker is about, I made several bold calls throughout that tournament, and guess what… I took home 3rd place ($848.92). Had my bold decisions held up a LITTLE bit more, I would have won my second 1st place tournament, NEARLY back to back, I won just a week or so back, 1st. I want you to know I admire your love for poker, and for the people that play it, you showed nothing but respect for the people that wrongly accused you, and that is big of you. I cannot wait to play some more with you in the future bounties, and hopefully earn my respect amongst you pros. I will see you in the next bounty tourney Mike, take care of yourself. -Ryan
ps As you will know, the key to successful poker tournaments is A. Building a Big Chip Stack and very closely followed by B. Surviving being Knocked Out. You risked your whole tournament life with just a pair of 4s by Calling an All In on the River. I don’t think you should have even gone beyond the Flop when you missed your Set. You simply didn’t have the stack to make such Calls and chase your Straight or Set.
Definitely nothing to do with being “rigged” LOL
However, just because you are getting close to mathematical odds, does not make it correct to call. You were clearly behind from the Flop, if not before. Calling the All In on the River was simply awful.
I generally respect your play, but you played this hand like a Donkey Calling Station.
Mike don’t let those those people who don’t understand you get you down. It shows the inexperience of some poker players who don’t have the knowledge of strategy in a poker game. You keep doing what you do and ill keep reading what you write.
Hi, Jason —
Thanks for making your first comment. Welcome to our Poker1 family.
I think it’s good that players are willing to speak out if my plays ever make them suspicious. So, I really have no complaint, in that regard. The misunderstanding simply makes me a bit sad.
Straight Flushes,
Mike Caro