Liz Lieu Poker Diva Blog - PokerListings Poker Blog

Coolered in Today's $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em

2009-11-23 18:24:35

Just a quick update on the $1,500 donkament I played this afternoon. Just like all these events people are going to stack off with a ton of hands.

Unfortunately for me my opponent today "stacked off" with the stone nuts.

I lost a big pot early in the day, folding a baby flush on a paired board after some serious strength from the other player in the hand.

On my last hand I called a raise to 300 with T-7 in the big blind and the flop came down Q-9-6. I checked and he bet out just 200! I called and an eight hit the turn. It looked like a great card but ...

I checked, he bet 500, I check-raised to 1,500 and he shoved. I made the call and he turned over ... J-T obv.

I don't think there's any way to get away from it, especially in a short event like these $1,500's.

I'll be back on the felt soon so make sure to check back for more updates!

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Liz Lieu's LAPC Main Event!

2009-12-16 16:00:04

Several weeks have passed since the Asian Poker Tour Main Event in Manila, and after taking a short break from poker, I was refreshed and eager to get back on the felt.

The LAPC at the Commerce Casino is a special event for me because it's where I started my high-stakes poker career. It attracts not only many players from around the world but many top professionals.

And with the new structure that tournament director Matt Savage put in place, the tournament saw a lot of action that no doubt satisfied everyone.

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New Year's Advice

2009-12-16 16:00:19

I'm writing this from Vietnam, and I hope everyone has had a great holiday and New Year's. I know most people make New Year's resolutions.

I try not to make promises to myself that I can't keep, so I don't. One of the most common questions I'm asked is what advice would I give to young amateurs trying to make the leap to playing higher stakes.

I almost never answer the question, because most people aren't really asking that question.

Most people really just want to cut corners and find some hidden secrets that will somehow get them playing $5/$10 and $10/$20 NLHE.

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WPT Five Diamond Part 2

2009-12-16 16:00:23

Editor's note: When we left off last time Liz had lost a chunk of her stack when an opponent got lucky and turned a set. Today she'll take us through the rest of her tournament at the WPT Five Diamond main event.

But what a great way to end the night! Chino and others were prop-betting the Chicago-Philadelphia NFL game, and Mike never shut up the entire hour we were together. I love Mike Matusow!

I ended the evening with $60,800. It's never good to end the day with half the chips you started with, but I feel I played well.

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WPT Five Diamond Part 1

2009-12-16 16:00:23

I busted out just short of the money in what I think was the toughest field of 2008, the Five Diamond World Poker Classic.

You might not believe it, but it was a terrific few days for me. My confidence is sky-high for next year.

I've avoided the tables most of the last few weeks as I just haven't felt as motivated as I should be. It hasn't been easy to do, just to stay away rather than jump back into the cash games here and try and play my way back into normalcy.

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Warming Up in the Online Arena

2009-12-16 16:00:29

I am primarily a live cash-game player, but even I see the advantages of playing online poker sometimes.

For some poker professionals it's their primary source of income. For me, it's how I prepare for the live games and live tournament action.

The benefit you have playing online is the ability to go back and review the hand history. It's much easier to find the leaks and holes in your game. You are not relying on your sometimes faulty memory.

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Who You Callin' a Hamster You Turkey?

2009-12-16 16:00:35

OK, enough of this hamster crap!

I have been having this running debate with some tournament poker players as well as cash-game players for months now. There is a big misconception about Limit poker.

The common belief held by many No-Limit and tournament players is that NL Hold'em is a much more intricate game than Limit Hold'em. They say that Limit Hold'em doesn't require much skill and No-Limit Hold'em requires much more skill.

Now I'm not talking about a bunch of Internet whiz kids who have never actually played a live hand of tournament poker.

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David "Chino" Rheem, Poker Pro

2009-12-16 16:00:46

I'm rooting for Chino, but the reason is a bit complicated.

When I first heard about the long delay with the Main Event final table at the WSOP, I was more than skeptical.

I didn't like it at all, and my biggest problems were the risk of something happening to one of the players (which didn't happen, or hasn't yet, anyway), plus the change in the players.

With the final table about to start, I think the biggest problem is that no one really cares.

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No Poker, Just Six-Pack Abs to Caress

2009-12-16 16:00:56

Sadly, no poker for me here in Las Vegas right now. Just the six-pack abs of some Thunder from Down Under to caress!

One of the not-very-fun parts of bouncing all over the world is when all the mail drops in your lap for the past three months.

I've spent the last few days dealing with FedEx billing errors, wading through hospital bills, and just trying to make sure my accountant is up to date on all of this.

Of course, that means a lot of time on the phone, listening to some jazzy elevator music while I wait for a human to finally pick up the line.

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Preventing Tilt

2009-12-16 16:00:59

I had a terrific time in Cabo San Lucas with my three best friends, Cathleen, Jackie and Tiffany, plus their families.

It was a great, relaxing time for me, lounging by the pool, horseback riding on the beach, falling asleep at the spa. I'm so glad I snuck away last weekend, even though the game at the Commerce was so good.

I received a ton of feedback from my last post, so I wanted to share a bit more about my views on tilting and how I work to avoid it. Here are some characteristics of tilting:

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