not another bad beat story

i am pokermax

My name is Vic de Guzman. I am an amatuer poker player from the Philippines. Though I play a lot of poker, both tournament and cash games, I still do not consider myself as a professional player. However, I consider myself a student of the game, eagerly learning and appreciating this mind-blowing card game. I am known in the Philippine Poker scene as POKERMAX. Why POKERMAX? A lot of people say that I bring so much action at the tables. I've had some Poker Tournament success in my 5+ years playing poker, namely, Champion of the 2nd season of the POKER BAR TOUR (2006), 2009 Filipino Poker Tour Champion wherein I bested a field of 667 (the biggest field in Asia) with a prize pool of 6 Million pesos, Champion of the 1st Rotary Charity poker event, 48th place in the 2009 Asia Pacific Poker Tour in Cebu, and several other tournaments wherein I placed in the money. I am currently a regular player at the Manila Bay Poker Club at the Mall of Asia and The Big Ace Poker Club in Mandaluyong.

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You Make The Call - World Series of Poker 2008 WSOP
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Poker - Insane first hand!

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Life is like Poker
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A really, really bad day at the office
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Tweeks and Fixes before the Big Dance
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3 Million Tournament - DONE!

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High Stakes Poker
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
4:52 PM

I've had several opportunities to play in what I consider as High Stakes poker. I often play the 50-100 or the 100-200 blinds. Normally, the buy-in would be between 10K to 30K. I find myself comfortable in these games. I particularly choose my seat so as to avoid acting before the aggressive players. So far, I've had good success in these games.

However, last weekend, I was invited to a high stakes poker game. Blinds 200-400. Ok, I thought, "how could this be any different from the games that I've been playing". I'm thinking that I will just buy-in for 50K and play my usual game. And so I thought it would be so. Just when were about to start, one of the players suggested to have a 200 ante. Hmmm, this sounds like an action filled night. When we started (8 players), 5 of the players bought in for 100K. The game started well for me. In 2 hours, my 50K was now 110K. However, everytime a player loses 10 to 20K in a hand, that player tops up his stack with 50K. I figured that this game was designed for someone with deep pocket to win, coz even though I was winning, everyone had me covered. I sensed that if ever I was dealt a bad beat, all my chips would vanish. I had to be really careful. And the inevitable happened. I had JJ at utg +2. I raised to 5K. 4 players called. Flop shows J, 9, 7 no flush draw. I have top set. I bet 15K. Only 1 player folded. WTF! Turn showed a 2. I figured that its Take Down time, so I made a bet of 30K. 1 player called, the 2nd folded, and the 3rd guy pushes All In for 55K. I had about 60K behind. Top set with no flush or straight draw, so what am I suppose to do? I went All In! The 1st guy folded. With over 200K in the pot, the dealer ask for the players to show their cards. Still top set for me and the other guy shows 88! What?! And now the river card. Burn, flip and a 10 on the river! Whoa! He just made a straight!!! Ouch!.

I re-bought for another 50K. However, at the back of my mind, I thought that this game was not for me. I would probably break this game if I had a million with me. The players were all gamblers and I am suppose to be loving it. But one thing I learned from this game is that no matter how high the skills level you bring to the table, it would be equalized by a gambler with very deep pockets. With just one beat, you can easily be felted.

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