The New & Expanded Definition of "Lucksackery"

In the past when you accused somebody of being a lucksack, it was usually because they got it in behind and "lucksacked" their way to a 2-outer on the river. Or they chased some draw that they had no business chasing. Or they got it all in with a smaller pair preflop, and catch their set. I am cool with all this. You are a lucksack if you perpetually get it all in behind and find a way to get there by the river more than your fair share. It happens to all of us. Sometimes your read is wrong or you are priced in and you end up getting it in behind and lucksack your way to victory.
Times are a changin though. Now you are a lucksack if you get dealt a big pocket pair like AA or QQ. You are a lucksack if you flop a set. You are a lucksack if you get in a "set-up" hand and are not the one getting set-up. And I am not talking about getting AA every third hand like Astin. Once is too many in an MTT. It's like there is no credit ever given for solid poker. I have said here before more than once that you must get lucky to win a big MTT. This is true if you play like me, or the polar opposite. All people who get deep got a disproportionate level of good starting cards and or good situations. You can't win an MTT with air, and I have never heard anyone claim that they can.

So I would like to go over the "incredible lucksackery" that resulted in me taking the 1st break lead the Rebuy Madness MATH (RMMATH). I would call this optimal/solid poker. I would call this getting it in ahead every single time and having it hold up most of the time. I would not define this as "incredible lucksackery", but thats just me.

The 88 Hand

FullTiltPoker Game #4308899043: Mondays at the Hoy (30720363), Table 2 - 15/30 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:07:17 ET - 2007/11/26
Seat 1: Kajagugu (2,105)
Seat 2: cracknaces (2,045)
Seat 3: bayne_s (955)
Seat 4: emptyman (925)
Seat 5: pvanharibo (1,865)
Seat 6: hoyazo (1,150)
Seat 7: JL514 (4,045)
Seat 8: Blinders (1,940)
Seat 9: ck31 (1,970)
ck31 posts the small blind of 15
Kajagugu posts the big blind of 30
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Blinders [8c 8s]
cracknaces raises to 2,045, and is all in
bayne_s folds
emptyman calls 925, and is all in
pvanharibo folds
hoyazo folds
JL514 folds

To me this is a very easy call. This is a REBUY remember. I already know Chad is pushing slim, and I am really just playing him here as emptyman can't hurt me. If I lose I double buy and am right back where I was. If I win, it is close to a triple up. How many people fold this?

Blinders calls 1,940, and is all in
ck31 folds
Kajagugu fold
scracknaces shows [Kd 9d]
hoyazo: nah im not dumbemptyman shows [Td Jh]
Blinders shows [8c 8s]

Punching this in to pokerstove, its a three way coinflip (33% each), but I am 53/47 agianst Chad and he has the full stack. Overall this was +EV so an easy call this early in a rebuy

*** FLOP *** [6h 7d As]
*** TURN *** [6h 7d As] [5s]
*** RIVER *** [6h 7d As 5s] [7s]
cracknaces shows a pair of Sevens
Blinders shows two pair, Eights and Sevens
Blinders wins the side pot (2,030) with two pair, Eights and Sevens
emptyman shows a pair of Sevens
Blinders wins the main pot (2,820) with two pair, Eights and Sevens

The QQ Hand

FullTiltPoker Game #4309174264: Mondays at the Hoy (30720363), Table 2 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:31:09 ET - 2007/11/26
Seat 1: Kajagugu (2,375)
Seat 2: cracknaces (6,465)
Seat 3: bayne_s (870)
Seat 4: emptyman (2,695)
Seat 5: pvanharibo (3,520)
Seat 6: hoyazo (3,175)
Seat 7: JL514 (6,425)
Seat 8: Blinders (4,475)
Kajagugu posts the small blind of 30
cracknaces posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Blinders [Qd Qs]
bayne_s folds
emptyman folds
pvanharibo calls 60
hoyazo folds
JL514 folds
Blinders raises to 300

I raised a little extra here because of the early limper

Kajagugu folds
cracknaces calls 240
pvanharibo calls 240
*** FLOP *** [2d Qc 8c]
cracknaces checks
pvanharibo checks

I really have to not c-bet a monster like this as part of my overall strategy. When I miss a C-bet, monster needs to be in my range for game theory reasons. So I slow play this hand. It realy would not have mattered as I think the chips go in no matter how either of us play this.

Blinders checks
*** TURN *** [2d Qc 8c] [8d]
cracknaces check
spvanharibo bets 630
Blinders has 15 seconds left to act
Blinders calls 630
cracknaces folds
*** RIVER *** [2d Qc 8c 8d] [Ts]
pvanharibo bets 1,260
Blinders raises to 2,520
pvanharibo raises to 2,590, and is all in
Blinders calls 70
*** SHOW DOWN ***
pvanharibo shows [Ad As] two pair, Aces and Eights
Blinders shows [Qd Qs] a full house, Queens full of Eights
Blinders wins the pot (7,370) with a full house, Queens full of Eights

All my money goes in on the river with the 2nd nutz. This is not lucksackery. The way this hand was played, I could have dumped QQ postflop very easy, so this was not getting stacked vs. doubling up. I guess you can call this a set-up hand, but we have slowplayed rockets getting it in on the river unimproved in a three-way pot. Not exactly a complete set-up.

Calling Chad for Value

FullTiltPoker Game #4309272305: Mondays at the Hoy (30720363), Table 2 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:39:45 ET - 2007/11/26
Seat 1: Kajagugu (2,255)
Seat 2: cracknaces (2,000)
Seat 3: bayne_s (1,680)
Seat 4: emptyman (4,330)
Seat 5: pvanharibo (2,300)
Seat 6: hoyazo (3,025)
Seat 7: JL514 (12,145)
Seat 8: Blinders (8,265)
emptyman posts the small blind of 30
pvanharibo posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS *** Dealt to Blinders [Qd Ks]
hoyazo folds
JL514 folds
Blinders raises to 180
Kajagugu folds
cracknaces raises to 2,000, and is all in
bayne_s folds
emptyman folds
pvanharibo folds

If you notice, Chad has exactly 2000 in chips. This is becuase he was jamming light, and getting stacked a bunch. KQ is easially ahead of his range here, and I am extra priced in as I have already raised. Not an automatic call, but a pretty easy one given the conclusion on Chad's range. The lucksackery continues.

Blinders calls 1,820
cracknaces shows [Td Kd]
Blinders shows [Qd Ks]
*** FLOP *** [Qh 3s 5c]
*** TURN *** [Qh 3s 5c] [9c]
*** RIVER *** [Qh 3s 5c 9c] [7d]
cracknaces shows King Queen high
Blinders shows a pair of Queens
Blinders wins the pot (4,090) with a pair of Queens

The AA Hand

FullTiltPoker Game #4309293620: Mondays at the Hoy (30720363), Table 2 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:41:36 ET - 2007/11/26
Seat 1: Kajagugu (2,255)
Seat 2: cracknaces (2,000)
Seat 3: bayne_s (1,680)
Seat 4: emptyman (4,660)
Seat 5: pvanharibo (2,210)
Seat 6: hoyazo (2,935)
Seat 7: JL514 (11,965)
Seat 8: Blinders (10,295)
JL514 posts the small blind of 40
Blinders posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Blinders [Ah Ac]
Kajagugu folds
cracknaces folds
bayne_s folds
emptyman folds
pvanharibo raises to 240
hoyazo folds
JL514 folds
Blinders calls 160

This is an unconventional play, but LJ was playing some very agressive poker. Since we would be heads-up I thought I would disguise these rockets, and see if I could get them paid.

*** FLOP *** [9h Jd 8s]
Blinders checks

Still disguising them

pvanharibo bets 520
Blinders raises to 1,040

Too scary of a board. Time to reveal my strength

pvanharibo raises to 1,970, and is all in
Blinders calls 930
pvanharibo shows [6h 8h]
Blinders shows [Ah Ac]
*** TURN *** [9h Jd 8s] [Qc]
*** RIVER *** [9h Jd 8s Qc] [Jh]
pvanharibo shows two pair, Jacks and Eights
Blinders shows two pair, Aces and Jacks
Blinders wins the pot (4,460) with two pair, Aces and Jacks
pvanharibo: can't win against you

So I played this hand in a way that bottom pair crap kicker pushes into me on the flop, and that makes me a lucksack? I may be creating some of my luck here. A standard play does not get paid off like this.

Trapping Chad Preflop

FullTiltPoker Game #4309475161: Mondays at the Hoy (30720363), Table 2 - 50/100 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:57:26 ET - 2007/11/26
Seat 1: Kajagugu (4,670)
Seat 2: cracknaces (1,185)
Seat 3: bayne_s (5,280)
Seat 4: emptyman (4,750)
Seat 5: pvanharibo (2,000)
Seat 6: hoyazo (3,675)
Seat 7: JL514 (11,455)
Seat 8: Blinders (11,985)
Kajagugu posts the small blind of 50
cracknaces posts the big blind of 100
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Blinders [Ad 3h]
bayne_s folds
emptyman folds
pvanharibo folds
hoyazo folds
JL514 folds

Normally you just pop it up with any Ace when it folds to you on the button, but we have Chad in the BB. I figure he will jam over my weakness. I just limp with the intention of insta-calling his push with my weak Ace.

Blinders calls 100
cracknaces: so now you people want to play a re buy right
Kajagugu folds
cracknaces: wtf
cracknaces raises to 1,185, and is all in
Blinders calls 1,085
cracknaces shows [9s 2s]
Blinders shows [Ad 3h]
*** FLOP *** [Kd 2c 4d]
*** TURN *** [Kd 2c 4d] [Qd]
*** RIVER *** [Kd 2c 4d Qd] [Th]
cracknaces shows a pair of Twos
Blinders shows Ace King high
cracknaces wins the pot (2,420) with a pair of Twos

These were the hands that got me the chips in the first hour. I see this as playing optimal poker and being rewarded for it, and not lucksackery. I got it in ahead every single time, and won most of the time. Sure, its nice to catch AA and QQ in the first hour, but I played them well and tricky and got paid. I pretty much only play premium hands, and I only play big pots with big hands. When I win a big pot with a premium or big hand this is normal and part of how I play MTTs. Some luck helps of course, but to dismiss everything as lucksackery seems to take away a bit too much from those who play consistantly well. Everyone has there runs of good and bad cards and situations. The good players make the most out of the good runs, and minimize their losses during the bad runs. Does this make them lucky when they finally get a big score or simply good?