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Date: 28 Nov 2006 20:24:04
From: RussGeorgiev@aol.com
Subject: Player Locates Russ G
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A few weeks ago I posted I had started playing in Casino's since the
online fiasco. I grew a beard and went out to an Indian Casino. Since
I'm in Washington State, I'm limited to games. I am in the process of
selling my house and moving. Meanwhile, I receive an email from this
person. He had deduced where I was playing a couple of times a week. I
gave him a membership and introduced myself. I was fairly sure he
deduced who I was. Below is the post he made on the site.
_____________________________________________________________
So about a week and a half ago, I was scanning through some old PaulP
Posts on RGP. I don't contribute to the site, and I only very
occasionally visit it. I was reading phillips posts 'cause I find the
man to be utterly hilarious. While I was at RGP, I desided to see what
was brewing with Russ G, what pot he had been stirring up. My first
exposure to RGP was to read about some scandal or another about Russ,
and I have to say that I've never really viewed poker the same from
those first posts I read. They were, shall we say, eye opening? Anyway,
I read his posts in the caro poem thread ( don't quit your day job,
mike) and then I read a post entitled "small stakes NL". Other than the
scandal posts, I loved Russ's Strat posts on RGP, and clicked on the
thread. Russ went into detail about a game with a very odd blind and
buy in structure that was very familar to me. It was 5-5 nl with 10 to
bring it in. 100-300 buy in, and if you bust, you can buy in 500. He
also stated that he was playing in washington state. This hit me like a
thunder bolt, as a local casino spread this game, and Wa state has very
few NL ( well, spread limit) games indeed. So I shot Russ an email,( as
i figured he didn't want me outing him to RGP as playing at this
casino) asking if this casino was indeed the one he was playing at. He
neither confirmed nor denied that it was in the post, but said he would
say something to me ( as I described myself physically, I'm a rather
unique looking guy, as I've very tall, very broad and have a huge head)
if he saw me at he casino.
So on thursday I headed out to the game. As far as I know, there is
only one pciture of Russ that is anything near current. And there was
only one man at the 5-5 game that came close to this picture, a non
descript looking bearded man wearking glasses ( The only other option
was if russ had grown a giant beard, started wearing very dark sun
glasses, and put on about 200 pounds.. which I considered till I saw
the man play, and instantly knew that it couldn't possibly be Russ).
So I was in the 1-2 game, and I went to get some coffee. The bearded
5-5 player stood up and said " you getting some for me?" I replied,
with a grin " You take cream or sugar'. He laughed, and gave me a
knowing smile, and said "Live.. and in person". It was such a wierd
moment for me. When I sat back down at the table, I literally had a
shiver up my spine. A famous ( and infamous) world class poker playr,
and world class cheat was actually playing at my local casino. I soon
moved to the 5-5 table. Perhaps it was questionably table selection, as
the 1-2 game certainly had no WCP's at it, but I had to watch Russ, I
had to watch him play. I've never had a chance to see a WCP up close,
and while his play is "dumbed down" for the structure of the game, it
was still a marvel to watch. Russ eventually moved to the seat next to
me, and starting telling me some fantastic stories, gave me an amazing
tip about how to fly for a fraction of the cost, and in general was
very, very personable.
What I noticed first about him was how very, very tight he played.
Extremely tight. I was only involved in one pot with him. I was on the
button with KK. Russ raised to 25 ( maybe 20) in the cutoff seat in an
un opened pot. I knew from his posts on NL what his range of hand were
to open, and while they opened up a bit in late position, they didn't
open up much. I figured he was on a big pocket pair, or AK AQ and that
I was in very, very good shape against that kind of hand. I figured if
I would make a big re-raise, it would only define my hand, and allow
Russ to either get away from his hand, or just crush me if he truly had
a monster. So I called his small raise, as did the small blind. The
flop came QJ9. This was an absolutely terrible flop for me ( I thought)
as this was right in the wheel house of hands Russ could have. JJ, QQ,
99 kill me and 10 10 is drawing quite live. The big blind checked, as
did Russ. This sent a few bells off in my head. A typcial player would
perhaps check if they hit the flop huge. I hightly doubted russ had
K-10, but the other hands were definate possibilites. Perhaps he had
something like a smaller pocket pair. Perhaps he was slow playing his
set, though I thought that was unlikely as a set is vulerable to that
board, and I know from Russ's posts that he beilives in building big
pots when you flop big. SO I couldn't figure that check out at all.
Perhaps he had AK, and checked also. I figured I was either way ahead,
or way behind, so a free card couldn't hurt ( though a 10 would hurt
some if he had AK). On the turn came a 9 ( I beileve.. perhaps the
blank came on the turn, and a nine on the river, really doesn't matter
to the hand). The big blind checked again, and then Russ bet 30. I
found this bet to be very odd as well. It screamed a value bet from a
lesser player. Being that it was Russ, though, It seemed more likely
that it was a "slow down" bet like with AQ or AJ or 10-10. I figured
again, I was either way ahead, or way behind. THe blind folded. On the
river came a blank. Russ bet out 40. Again, a very wierd bet, and I
said aloud " Oh god, what did you flop. " I figured either I was
smoked, or he had AQ. Then russ said "if you're thinking this long, you
should fold" and I said" yeah, but I have a big hand." I called,
primarily to see if I could trust Russ. It turns out that I could. He
turned over AA, and I laughed a bit, and showed him my KK. At the time,
I felt like I had dodged a serious bullet, thinking that if I had
pushed pre flop or on the flop that I would have stacked off. However,
in retrospect, I think I played the hand poorly. I think that I was too
worried post flop about Russ trying to trap me. And I think just smooth
calling pre flop is disasterours. I just should have put in a big
raise. If he has aces, he has aces. I shouldn't have tried to "out
play" a WCP post flop. BUt, since I did call, hiding the stregth of my
hand somewhat ( I was playing quite tight, and Russ had to know that I
only would have called his raise, his raise in particular, with a very
big hand but not nessisarily that big). If I had raised russ big on the
turn, if I would have put him to the test that a "slow down" bet would
warrent, then he would have had a very hard time calling my push. QJ 9
is just as bad a flop for AA when a tight player smooth calls your
raise as it is for KK. If I pushed on the turn, I don't know that russ
would have folded, but I would have protected my hand against AK, and
10-10, and would have put AA to a serious test. But this was the kind
of thing I was looking for, hands I could learn from.
Russ played that table like a maestro that night. There was an
aggressive and "tricky" asian player who sat down in the game, whom
russ got posistion on by sitting next to me. By "tricky" I mean that he
likes to bluff alot, and push with nothing, but when he has a big hand
he plays it slow, one of the stupidest NL strats around, I think. If
you're going to be a bluffing, aggressive player, part of the VALUE of
that is to get action when you have a big hand. Often when you slow
play hands like aa and kk you only trap yourself, and you lose value
you would have gotten if you'd played it like the rest of your marginal
hands you push. So the AZN player limps in middle position, and Russ
makes it 35 to go in mid-late position. The pot becomes heads up The
flop comes 8 high, un connected with two diamonds The Azn player
checks, russ bets 75, the player callsd. Instantly I knew that the
player had to have a realitivly big hand, as he wouldn't have calle
such a large pot bet with nothing, and would have played a draw more
agressively. The turn comes a blank, the player says " You" pointing at
Russ, meaning "check" and russ says "no, you" and checks instantly
behind him, lightening quick. On the river comes a lowish diamond that
also paired the board The Azn player reaches for his chips, and Russ
reaches for his, Azn reaches again, russ reaches again and says " you
know that trick, I know it to." Egging the guy on So the guy then,
being fooled into thinking Russ was weak, pushes in his entire stack,
which Russ calls instantly. THe AZN showed KK, and russ showed AK of
diamonds, stacking the guy off. In another hand, I don't really
remember the action, but the gist of it was that russ had AK, flopped a
king, bet it big the whole way and stacked the guy off when he was
holding K-10 one pair. It was like he used a jedi mind trick on this
guy to get all his chips. It was pure art to watch.
As tight as russ plays, he plays very aggressive and th eother players
at the table seem to be gunning for him. He gets AMAZING action on his
hands that I can't figure out still how he gets, since he plays so
tight. Some players just can't get away from their one pair hands, and
russ PUNISHES them like you wouldn't believe.
I played with him again on that saturday, against the man Russ
mentioned was dark raising all the time. Though Russ got stuck, he got
rather unluckly to be stuck ( it seemingly takes a great deal of bad
luck for russ to lose at this game, as he's been crushing it since he
started playing it) He's the thing, the thing I didn't realize about
playing in a full ring game with a WCP. While there are still plenty of
fish, when russ gets one of their stacks, it's like it's now gone into
a black hole, never to return. The money might as well be in the drop
for as much chance as I have of getting it at that point. THat is the
real disadvantage of playing in a game with a player you know is great.
It doesn't matter that you stay out of his way, stay out of pots with
him. Other players don't stay out of his way, and get PUNISHED for it.
I doubt I'll be playing in this game too often while russ is still in
town, though I may. There are still a great deal of weak players, and
what I give up in equity from having him in the game, I gain from
watching the man play, and the amazing stories and insite that he has.
Russ is also very talkative, and very bragadocious, and though trying
to maintain a low profile, will still make crypic refrences to how much
he's made playing poker, and about various players in the poker world.
I think the other players in the game just think he's nuts and a
braggart, having no clue that Russ actually has played huge limits and
actually does know about the people he speaks of. I think his gerneral
chit-chat only makes players dislike him more, which seems to have
worked nicely to his advantage. I honestly can say, Russ isn't the norm
when it comes to psychological make up, and I really have no idea how
much of what he says is true or not, as I have no persoanl experience
with the high stakes poker world. What I do know is that Russ
absolutely smashes my local 5-5 nolmit game, and seems bored while he's
doing it, like he's in cruise control. It's been a pleasure watching
you Russ, and I look forward to more watching in the future. Thanks
again for approaching me in the casino, and thanks again for the
membership to your site ( I"ve absolutely been eating up the strat
posts with a spoon.).
-Juinor Dectective and Juinor poker player.
_________________________________________________
To be truthful, I was fairly sure of my position and didn't want to
beat this person.
Russ Georgiev
www.pokermafia.com
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Date: 28 Nov 2006 23:52:39
From: Paul 174
Subject: Re: Player Locates Russ G
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On 28 Nov 2006 20:24:04 -0800, "RussGeorgiev@aol.com"
<RussGeorgiev@aol.com > wrote:
>Russ is also very talkative, and very bragadocious, and though trying
>to maintain a low profile, will still make crypic refrences to how much
>he's made playing poker, and about various players in the poker world.
>I think the other players in the game just think he's nuts and a
>braggart,
Very nice piece of fiction. How much did you have to pay to have them
write it? William Coleman probably did it.
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Date: 29 Nov 2006 02:53:02
From: eleaticus
Subject: Re: Player Locates Russ G
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"Paul 174" <Paul174@aol.com > wrote in message
news:7gbqm2p6tngc0vni1mhk7tlb5vungjbl3k@4ax.com...
> On 28 Nov 2006 20:24:04 -0800, "RussGeorgiev@aol.com"
> <RussGeorgiev@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >Russ is also very talkative, and very bragadocious, and though trying
> >to maintain a low profile, will still make crypic refrences to how much
> >he's made playing poker, and about various players in the poker world.
> >I think the other players in the game just think he's nuts and a
> >braggart,
>
> Very nice piece of fiction. How much did you have to pay to have them
> write it? William Coleman probably did it.
That wasn't Russ and it wasn't the virgin (excepting prostitutes) Coleman.
William could not write that, and neither could Russ.
--
eleaticus
ee-lee-AT-i-cus
eleaticus@bellsouth.net
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Date: 29 Nov 2006 01:30:55
From: OrangeSFO
Subject: Re: Player Locates Russ G
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RussGeorgiev@aol.com wrote:
> Below is the post he made on the site.
Nice job, Russ. I especially like the parts where you have your main
character compliment you over and over again using the exact language
we've come to expect from you for years.
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Date: 29 Nov
From: AtticusCole
Subject: Re: Player Locates Russ G
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-gives Russ the attention that he wanted for posting this-
WOW! This post has been eye-opening! I never knew you were a world class
player that could OWN the 1-2 games. This changes everything. I respect you
enormously now.
Good boy. There's your cookie. Now sit.
_______________________________________________________________
New Feature: Mark All As Read! - http://www.recpoker.com
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