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March 11, 2005
I should probably be packed, huh?
NotAPokerBlog: hey guess what?
ThePolemarch: What's up?
NotAPokerBlog: my Spring Break just started, and yours is ending
NotAPokerBlog: *evil laugh*
ThePolemarch: Cruel
ThePolemarch: So cruel
The snow has decided to wait until Saturday after midnight. So as long as I leave Austin by noonish, I should be good. It's 11:30 pm and I haven't packed a damn thing. This is typical for me. Hell, I'm still doing laundry so I'll have clothes to wear next week. It's been in the 80s here...the adjustment to the 20s is gonna be...fun?
Fred is planning all sorts of poker goodness. I am a wee bit scared/overwhelmed. I keep reminding myself that live players are different than online, but still. I know I'm my own worst enemy in these situations; I lose my confidence. I was of course just kidding in my last post about the whole "I'm a pro, I have a blog" thing, but maybe it would be good to take a certain amount of egotism with me. There must be something to be said for the fact that I spend an awful lot of time thinking and reading about the game, right? Plus, it's a pretty blog...it's red...
In anticipation of Sunday's tourney (have you signed up yet???), few of us cool kids spent some time at the Razz play chip tables at Full Tilt tonight. (What? You play this game for money? HA!) I of course bring you the highlights -
TexansBaby: i have no idea what i'm doing
SirFWALGMan: me either
SirFWALGMan: this is lowball texas
SirFWALGMan: flushes and straights dont count
TexansBaby: like at ALL?
TexansBaby: yay you!
GameC: I win one!
TexansBaby: one of us shouldTexansBaby: he won b/c he had an Ace, right?
SirFWALGMan: prolly
TexansBaby: lol
SirFWALGMan: Ace = Low
TexansBaby: you are so freakin helpful
TexansBaby: where is Felicia when we need her?
Dealer: GameC shows 8,7,6,5,2
Dealer: TexansBaby shows Q,7,5,2,A
Dealer: GameC wins the pot (25) with 8,7,6,5,2
GameC: Ship it!
TexansBaby: ummm
TexansBaby: what about quads?
GameC: lol
TexansBaby: they worth anything?
GameC: That's generally bad. . .
TexansBaby: can i take these cards to a NL table?
And that was just us "pros". Although really, it was just Sir and I who were the fishies. GameC there is quite the sharky, let me tell ya.
Then we were joined by some random people (names changed to protect the innocent)-
innocent1: how do you play this game
SirFWALGMan: i dunno
innocent2: low hands win
innocent3: good question i had 2 pair
innocent1: ne one
innocent3: no crap?
TexansBaby: we're all learning together
SirFWALGMan: low = good
innocent2: look at what it said I won with
innocent3: is this a real game?
SirFWALGMan: yes
SirFWALGMan: people hate it cause it has worse
suckouts than holdem
TexansBaby: people play for money even
GameC: This game will kill you.
TexansBaby: should i give the rules of Razz CLub again?
SirFWALGMan: no
TexansBaby: lol
innocent4: razz is made to put you on tilt
TexansBaby: you're no fun
innocent1: how did i win
SirFWALGMan: Texas is wild!
Dealer: TexansBaby shows 6,5,4,3,2
Dealer: TexansBaby wins the pot (359) with 6,5,4,3,2
SirFWALGMan: Are you in collussion with Texas?
innocent5: raising with kings showing
innocent1: hell
TexansBaby: Can a girl get some credit for her nice hand???
SirFWALGMan: its low ball.. lol
SirFWALGMan: that hand rocked
innocent1: what is the object
innocent4: it was vn
SirFWALGMan: thats why I folded
innocent5: haha
TexansBaby: thank you
TexansBaby: see Sir...we're spreading the word about poker
TexansBaby: isn't that what WE DO?
Yea...watch out Sunday folks.
____________________________________________________________
Business should continue as usual here next week, although...expect to see some pictures of snow. Because I am a dork from Texas. But you love me that way. 
Posted by April at March 11, 2005 11:20 PM
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Comments
The easiest way to read a hand in any low game is by making it into a whole number.
So say you are playing Razz, since it is easiest to illustrate in Razz than any other poker game.
Say you start like this: A3/5
Great start, three to a bike, raise it on up, raise any other raiser, unless you think you'll get no action (not likely in today's poker world).
On fourth you brick up: A3/53
But heck, no one knows you paired, and you still have your premium start. Unless you feel you are so badly beat that you have no odds to stay in, just bet your board. Razz is a board game, after all!
On fifth you fare a bit better: A3/534
Sixth you pair again, dang! A3/534A
But no one knows you have two pair with a bike draw, so bet it. Only morons are going to be in there with you, anyway, showing a board like that!
The river...thank God: A3/534A/6
So now to your question, how do you read your hand? This is the time to put it into a whole number. Forget about the two pair, it's the lowest FIVE cards that count.
A3456, excellent, but how do you know what beats what? Turn it around, into a whole number:
65,431, that is your low. Compare it to other lows that might be out, and remember, the lowest low wins.
87,531 is a greater number than 65,431.
75,532 is still a lower number than: 76,321, right?
Don't let that ace fool you. People try to read it from the bottom up, that is incorrect. In all low games (Stud 8, Razz, Omaha 
, it is read from the top down, not the bottom up. Turn the number into a whole number, and you will never be confused!
Good luck
Posted by: Felicia at March 12, 2005 02:28 PM
Best. Comment. Ever. April, if you follow Felicia's advice, you'll do quite well for yourself!!! I used a similar system in O8B to get the best of it, and those 0.10/0.25 and 0.25/0.50 PL tables on Stars are FULL of fish. I've actually published Felicia's little primer to my site. When I get home, I'll shout out to her on her site (live journal is blocked here...)!
Trust me, though, play the O8B tables on Stars--you won't regret it. If you see double suited Ace-rag, push like hell. Watch for the bike draw and see if you can catch a flush for high too. I've gotta get to Full Tilt and play Razz...
Posted by: Tony at March 13, 2005 04:13 PM