Bodogery and more

The Bodog blogger tournament was last night. For once I actually remembered in time to sign up and play.

Before I get into the tournament I have to say something about the Bodog software. There are some things about the software that I rather like. They've been fairly consistent in the notion that while poker in the real world is played around a table, online is not the real world and there's no reason the game display has to emulate a table with people sitting around it. Bodog has tried a number of different designs over the time I've played there. The most recent one is pretty good.

But Bodog has had one consistent problem with every rendition of the interface. The interface is obviously programmed by a bunch of 20-somethings who have absolutely no concept of how difficult it can be for those of us on the back side of the hill to read small print. Part of the problem is my laptop which has a native resolution of 1920x1200. Setting it to anything else produces a horrible looking display. With most other programs there's some way for me to make the print larger so I can actually read it. Full Tilt and PokerStars both now allow me to make the game window big enough that I can see it without any trouble. Not so the Bodog software. There's no adjustment I can find for font size and I can't make the window larger. I can't partake of chat because I can't read it. The type is too damn small. I had a headache after the tournament last night from squinting at the screen for so long.

I wrote to Bodog about this ages ago and got a reply stating this was a common complaint. They've made dozens of updates to the software since then, completely redesigned the interface, and still most of the print is too damn small for my presbyopia-plagued eyes to read. Bodog, if you want me and others like me to play on your site, you have to fix this. There are few places left to play for those of us from the land of the formerly free. I'd love to spend more time playing at Bodog, but I can't read the damn screen!

Okay, enough ranting about Bodog's minuscule font. I was on fire during the first few levels of the tournament last night. I kept getting decent starters and the flop just kept hitting me. My stack had grown by 50% in very little time at all. And then the cards stopped coming. I went from being obvious table captain to some guy in a little dinghy being towed behind the real boat. And in shark-infested waters like these, you have to be extremely careful about going into the water without some weapons at hand.

From the end of my rush until I finally busted out, I don't think I won but maybe four very small pots. I was basically a spectator, watching my stack slowly disappear. I busted out in 23rd of 41. It was very disappointing because at the first break it looked like this was going to be a great tournament for me. So it goes.

Having busted out fairly early I still had plenty of evening left to join The Quest. Sadly, I should have just gone to bed early. I took a bit of a hit early due to a flopped second-nut straight where it took me a bit too long to realize there was a higher straight possible. I manged to recover to the point of a small profit. Then I got carried away with QQ, running headlong into a three-way all-in against 66 and KK. The kings and I both ended up with sets. At least I wasn't the fool pushing in with 66 against a raise, a re-raise.

I was able to turn a small profit with the second buy-in but still finished the night down $1.61.

There was one hand after my re-buy that kind of bugged me. I know here in the shallow end it's pointless trying to find logic in the play of many of the participants, but I just can't help myself. There's the occasional hand where I just have to sit back and ponder, what the hell was going through this guy's mind?

I get AK in the cutoff. It folds to me and I make it 3BB to go. I don't mind action, but I don't want all of the remaining four players to call either. The SB calls, everybody else folds. Perfect. AK plays great against one opponent. Flop is JTx, rainbow. I c-bet half the pot, SB calls. I'm thinking maybe I need some help here. Turn is a K, just what the doctor ordered. I figure I'm in the lead, but now there are two diamonds on the board. I bet two-thirds the pot. SB calls. The river brings a Q and the SB insta-pushes. Of course I call. The SB tables A9 for a split.

So let's review. Holding A9o, the SB calls the cutoff bet because, well, he's got an ace and he's defending his $0.01 blind. He calls a half the pot bet on the JTx flop because, uh, he has a runner-runner straight draw, and he's still got an ace. On the turn he calls a two-thirds the pot bet because now he has an inside straight draw. And, of course, he still has an ace. Those aces are like gold, you know.

I'm sure he thought he played this hand perfectly. I know I should stop trying to find logic where I know there isn't any, but sometimes I just have to scratch my head and wonder what possible thought process lead to these decisions.