CPMG Podcast Reviews (feat. DeJen, Adam Rhodes & Luckbox Linda)

Before I get into my reviews of CPMG Podcast Episodes 3, 4 and 5, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the hosts of the show and give them their proper due.  Data and Doug Poker are both experienced poker players who have very different playing styles and approaches to the game.  As such, they complement each other very well on the podcasts.  They know their guests well and they do a great job of initiating and continuing conversation which results in a smooth 1hr plus long broadcast.  The CPMG Podcasts are a valuable contribution to the group.  While the podcasts are no longer being produced, my hope is that they will one day start up again as I've found them to be informative and entertaining.  I have particularly enjoyed the 5-Star segment of the week at the end of each podcast. 

Episode 3 - Jen Malensek (DeJen) - Tournaments, Part 1

DeJen is one of the strongest and most feared poker players in the CPMG who excels both in cash games and in tournaments.  She is very competitive, she likes to play many pots and she is one of the best in the CPMG at hand reading and people reading.  A lawyer by profession, Jen mentioned during the podcast that poker has helped her in the courtroom and vice versa, which I found to be intriguing.  Moving onto tournaments, part of Jen's approach is seeking out and targeting players who might be playing over their heads financially.  For example, if I were to play the $200 buy-in CPMG Fall Classic, Jen might target me since she knows that winning or losing the tournament will impact me more financially than it would her.  As true as that stands, I'm not one who is intimidated by the higher buy-in tournaments because I made a living playing them online back in 2005-06.  If anything, I tend to focus and prepare a lot MORE for these games because of the financial impact.  Others may not respond well to the pressure of higher buy-in tournaments, however, and these are the players that Jen will surely take advantage of.

Overall, the podcast featuring DeJen was another great listen.  Jen has always been very nice to me and the challenge alone of playing against her is something I look forward to every time we're at the same table.

Episode 4 - Adam Rhodes - Pot Limit Omaha

I'm a novice PLO player.  I know the basic rules and concepts of the game but I have very little experience playing live PLO.  Since I joined the CPMG back in 2007, I have only played one $40 Triple Pot Limit tournament (NLHE, PLO, PLO8 rotation) and roughly 30 minutes of .50/.50 mixed PLO/PLO8 cash.  I finished 7th or 8th out of 14 in the tournament and took a small loss in the cash game.  Despite my limited experience, I've always wanted to "get up to speed" and play more PLO since the popularity of the game has grown in recent years and it's being featured more and more in the CPMG and casinos nearby.  Adam Rhodes, who prior to having a newborn recently often hosted PLO or HA cash games, offered some excellent tips in this podcast that I will be sure to take with me the next time I play PLO.  Previously, I might have played a hand like QQ56 rainbow, but now I know that those types of hands (two separate hands within one) don't play that well in Omaha.  You generally want to play hands with 3 or 4 coordinated cards that have nut potential.  Aside from hand selection, Adam went on to emphasize the importance of position in PLO.  We all know how important position is in NLHE and that translates to Omaha just as well.  Another topic Adam mentioned was pot control - keeping the pot small preflop and on the Flop.  Since no real hand in PLO is a huge underdog to another, it is important to be aware of how much you are investing early on in the hand.  Some advanced topics were discussed as well, but I'll avoid those.

Overall, this particular podcast was extremely beneficial to me.  It's one that I might even come back to and listen again if I ever decide to make PLO my primary poker focus.

Episode 5 - Linda Eisenstein (Luckbox Linda) - Tournaments, Part 2

Luckbox Linda is one of the nicest ladies in the CPMG.  She is very well spoken and is someone I really enjoy playing against.  Linda is a patient, TAG player who has an excellent track record in tournaments, especially the $75-150 buy-in variety that many casinos offer.  She mentioned playing O8 at The Orleans in Las Vegas, which brought back fond memories of my first live O8 tournament at the same venue back in 2003.  Linda also discussed table image - more specifically, how other players typically perceive her ("a 60+ year old woman who looks like Grandma" - her words, not mine) at the table.  She exploits this perception to her benefit when playing poker at casinos and non-CPMG venues.  I'm glad she brought this up because table image is something I need to be more aware of myself.  What tells am I giving away at the table?  Is the way I'm sitting or the way I'm betting giving my opponents any information?  Sometimes I pay attention to these things and make a great effort to remain consistent in my posture, the way I bet, how much I bet, etc.  Other times - as was the case this past Saturday night at Julie's - I disregard these things completely and often play awful as a result.  Additionally, I need to be more aware of the cues that my opponents are giving me as to what they perceive my playing style to be.  If someone asks me if I'm still awake because I haven't played a pot in an hour, that person is more likely to give me credit for a hand when I do enter a pot and open up my play later on in the tournament.  Linda went on to discuss her preferred playing style and how she is unlikely to change it much because playing loose and more aggressive is simply out of her comfort zone.  Could you imagine Luckbox Linda playing a kamikaze game of poker?  That'd be something.

Overall, another fantastic podcast.  Great guest, great topics.  Probably my favorite podcast of the 5 that I have listened to thus far.

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As a side note, I've been on a roll lately with these blog posts but with Thanksgiving coming up and a trip to Michigan booked this weekend, I don't anticipate I'll be posting anything for a week or two.  That said, I encourage you to visit my archived blog posts.  You'll find running logs of various tournaments I've played in the past - including CPMG tournaments, PokerRoom.com tournaments and the 2005 WSOP Main Event.  As always, feedback and comments are appreciated!