Back in Vegas and Super turbo's strategy

I hope you all had a great beginning of 2011. It's been a while since I have blogged and feel a little rusty. I was on vacation with my family for nearly 3 weeks over the holidays and came back a little over a week ago. We went to San Juan Puerto Rico for a few days, did a cruise in the Caribbean and then stayed some more in San Juan . It was so nice to get away and see my family. The cruise part was also awesome, we where on Celebrity Cruises and stopped in a bunch of Caribbean Islands . My favorite island was definitely Barbados . The beach there was by far the most beautiful and I really hope to go back there one day!

I came back and unfortunately found myself sick for almost a week. I was in bed pretty much and did not do too many exciting things. I played a little bit of poker online, but since I was not feeling great couldn't stay on for long tournaments or cash games that are too juicy to leave, so the super turbo's on Full Tilt were pretty much my game of choice. They are fast, easy to beat and pretty lucrative. I was capable of playing some, and then would head back to bed when feeling yucky. Mike and I have been playing quite a lot of them, he plays the biggest buy-in ones while I find my niche in the mid stakes ones. There's definitely quite some strategy to them and a lack of good players. So here's a few insight if you want to give them a try:

Since you will start with only 300 in chips and blinds at 30/15, it makes for a very fast tournament but it doesn't mean you have to shove with crap! Remember a lot of people will play bad hands and bust quickly, there is no rush for you to do the same. You can allow yourself to go all the way down to 5 blinds to find that ideal hand or situation that will hold well in a coin flip so that you can double up. Sometimes it won't come and you will need to gamble, but you have to understand that the money in these comes from quantity, you will lose a lot of them but as long as you win almost as many you will show a profit. I personally like AQ and up and 10's and up in the early rounds to move in with, lowering the range as you get closer to the button. Remember: You want to be the aggressor, not the caller. To call you will need to consider the position of your opponent. The earlier his position, the more you need of a premium hand to make the call.



Position is also really important as you have less people behind to worry about. If I get on the button or big blind vs small blind and no one has acted before me, I will show a LOT of aggression with weaker hands, as long as it's playable, I will go all in. More likely the one or two players left behind won't wake up with a hand to call me with and this will give me another round. It is really important to try and double up in those early round of the super turbo's so those first hand you chose and the position you play really matters.

Once you find yourself on the bubble, you need to be extremely aggressive. This was my biggest leak and Mike helped me a lot with it. I used to play tighter and think: "I don't want to bubble", well, guess what... neither do they! So that is the perfect time to put them to the test. They cannot (and should not) call unless they have a PREMIUM hand. So why not take advantage of it and move in on them every time you have the button or position on them? The only time we need to be careful is if the person we are putting pressure on have a huge chip lead on us, as they might call us since it doesn't hurt them so much.

Once in the money, just keep the aggression level up. You will be surprise of the fold equity these tournaments have. Play your position, attack the short stack, widen your range of cards, at this point all pairs and any face cards have bigger values, and accumulate the chips!

For those wanting to take it up a notch, look up Sit and Go Wizard. Software made to help your call/fold decision based on statistics. You can go to their web site, http://www.sngwiz.com/tiki/tiki-index.php, to download a free 30 days trial.

Good luck!

Happy Holidays!

Well, it's that time of the year again. Thanksgiving just past and we are just a few weeks away from Christmas/Hanukkah. I had a great Thanksgiving myself and surely have a lot to be thankful for this year! For those who know me, you know that I do not eat turkey as I am a vegan. This year, I actually sponsored/adopted 3 turkey’s from Farm Sanctuary. How it works is that for a one time $30 donation, you can save the life of a turkey that lives in the sanctuary. They will send you the picture along with the name and a certificate of your turkey. I am proud to say that I saved Daphne, Harley and Reese! You can go on www.adoptaturkey.org for more information on the sponsor a turkey project.




I was recently interviewed by a ladies poker website called Girls Club Poker. You can see the interview at this address: http://www.girlclubpoker.com/interviews/interview-with-annie-lepage/

International Gaming Awards Magazine also interviewed me and you can view the latest issue of the magazine at this address http://www.gaming-awards.com/magazine. I am on page 19-21.

Obviously being the holidays I have been a bit distracted and have not played as much poker. However, I will be playing at Aria and Bellagio in the coming week. The Five Diamond WPT event is in town and those two casinos should be popping with action. I might also try to satellite my way in to the tournaments.

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving and that you all have a great holiday season!

Deepstack360, Poker After Dark and WSOP Main Event final table

Last week was so busy with many different things that were poker related!



It started with the shooting of the DeepStack360 video camp featuring Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi. It was the first ever internet camp done by him and first ever live stream poker camp in 360 degrees. Mike "The Mouth" Matusow and Tristan "Cre8ive" Wade were also there as players and commentators. Everyone was playing at one table starting with 30k, as they would at the WSOP Main Event and the blinds would increase rapidly to give a feel of each level and how to adjust. Micheal would go over each hand after each round and point out the right and wrong of how each person played. We shot for a full day and students watching from the comfort of their homes got a full 5 hours of Michael's view on the game. They also took breaks from time to time to give out tips and strategies for the upcoming level. They will be doing more of these camps in the future as this one was a huge success. The introductory price was $50, with satellites running on Full Tilt for as low as $5, but they will be charging somewhere around double in the future. Which is still an amazing deal considering the amount of information each student got.




The shooting of Poker After Dark is also going on right now and I was invited to go on the set to watch them play. I cannot talk about any results, but I can say is that the cash game edition is going to be very exciting to watch! Huge pots, great poker and awesome action. They have been shooting at Aria this year which in my opinion is the coolest hotel on the strip. The set looked absolutely fantastic. Hopefully in the years to come, I will be one of the players! *smile*



The WSOP Main Event was also going on over the weekend, and the fact that I knew 3 of the players made it so much more exciting! A few of us went to watch it in the VIP section right behind the stage in hopes that Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi would make history with the winning of the Poker Players Championship and hopefully the main event. He would have become the highest tournament money finisher if he won it and WSOP Player of the Year. As most of you know by now, he took 5th... no win, but still a great accomplishment! We were all wearing red "Go Grinder" shirts and the energy in the Penn & Teller Theater was incredible! Everyone was cheering and chanting for the player of their choice taking turns in doing so. It was an incredible day! After Mizrachi lost the title, the Quebecoise in me was obviously rooting for French-Canadian Jonathan Duhamel who ended up capturing the Championship. He played great and his win was well deserved. He surely made the whole of Quebec proud! He will be a great ambassador for poker as he is very charismatic and outstanding player.



This coming week is all about the Deep Stack Extravaganza Series at Venetian and cash games. No more excuses... back to the grind!

Being distracted

What was I saying in my last blog about being focused? Yeah... right. With friend's visiting last week followed by Halloween parties I have totally been exhausted and my poker has not been as lucrative as it usually is. Hopefully by the end of the week I can find my "mojo" again and start kicking butt at the tables like I usually do!

I have to admit, I did have a great time last week though. Sometimes it is needed to take a break and have fun. As long as it is not an everyday thing, there is nothing wrong with that!

I had a friend visiting during the middle of last week and we went to see the show "Elvis" at Aria by Cirque du Soleil. I actually thought it was a fantastic show. It was not like the other cirques, most of the costumes where 60's era looking and it felt more like a musical. Some of the scenes had outstanding acrobatic performances and the staging was really phenomenal. It is in my top 3 favorite shows in Las Vegas for sure.

Halloween was also over the weekend. I went with Mike Matusow to his friend’s house party. He was dressed as the crazy cat lady (For those who do not know, Mike now owns 4 cats, so the costume was just absolutely appropriate!) Three of us girls were dressed as his sexy kittens. We had a limo taking us around and we had a really fun night. Halloween has to be my favorite holiday of all. It is just so fun to see all the costumes and it seems like because people are dressed up, they are in a better mood. Everyone forgets about their problems and makes it a point to have fun on that night!

I was gonna go to L.A. this week and play the NAPT, but had a change of heart. For me to satellite and play in big buy-in tournaments, I need to be extremely focused. Unfortunately, as much fun as last week was, I do not feel like this week is my best week for that! So I am gonna stay in Vegas, which is fine since the Deepstacks have also started at the Venetian, therefore the cash games are gonna be pretty good. I will also probably play a few of their tourneys in the coming weeks; starting with the one this Thursday. Good luck me! :-)

Feeling good

I can't help but wonder how some people can be so unhealthy when playing poker. I totally understand that it is probably convenient as we sit at the table for hours to order food to the table and eat there. I see guys that are way overweight, drinking soda, eating burgers and fries on a daily basis. Even though they might be successful at the time, I do not see it as a recipe for success in the long run!

It is proven that a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise increases stamina and focus. Not only that, I also believe that heart attacks, high cholesterol, some diabetes & some cancers are directly related to what someone eats. If you are going to eat bad and eventually get sick, how are you going to produce at the poker table?

It just takes a little of willpower and very little time to eat right and stay active. I personally eat a vegan diet, which I believe to be the healthiest of all. But while you might not be ready to go 100% that route, eating that way a few times a week or adding veggies to your menu will definitely make a difference on your health! When ordering at the table, there are plenty of salads to chose from, soups or anything that is low fat & has a side of veggies would work. Please stay away from fried stuff, greasy fast food and simple carbohydrates (sugar, white pasta, white bread). Also, it only takes an hour of your day to exercise! There are so many fun ways to do it too: Hiking, yoga, walking, jogging, gym or any sports such as tennis, baseball and hockey. The hardest part is actually putting your mind into it! Once you find something you like, it's actually fun, it feels good and gets you out of the house.

Obviously, drugs and/or alcohol on a regular basis are also a bad idea. There is no way your brain can function properly if you are affected or on the after affects of drugs or alcohol. Even if it seems like a no-brainer, I keep seeing it and sadly those people eventually come out losing.

Feeling good is everything when hitting the tables. If you feel good, you will make the right decisions, you will be focused and in the end you will be a winning player.

Cash games: Table selection

Remember the real state saying: Location, location, location? Well, I couldn't agree more in regards to poker. Table selection is everything in cash games if you want to show a continuous profit.

Since the WSOP, I have been focusing back on what I do best: cash games and I’ve been on an amazing winning rush this whole time. I started to think I was indestructible. However, can you be that lucky for that long or is there something that you do that others do not?


I know that I am really good at selecting the right game. I usually play small to medium stakes game, anything between 1/3 NL, 2/5 NL and 5/10 NL. I strongly believe that I was not "lucky" for two months straight, I just picked the softest game and kept showing a profit in the end. When doing so, one must leave the ego at the door. Let me give you some examples:

-If you sit in a smaller game while waiting for a seat in the bigger one and start winning very easily, when the seat does open up in the bigger game, there is NO reason you should take it. If you are running over that lower stake table, stay there. You are in it to make money, and you are.

-If you are playing in a game and you know all the players and they are all solid, why would you want to play that game? You want to pick a softer one. It's OK if there are a few solid players at the table, but you need a few that are weaker so that you get paid off when you do get a great hand. There is nothing worse than flopping a monster and having a great player making a hero fold with the 2nd nuts!

-Look around the casino... which table is having fun, drinking, gambling & playing big pots? That's the table you want! No matter what the limit is, as long as it fits your bankroll, jump in!

-If things are not going your way, do not hesitate to ask for a table change. If there are no good games, you are not doing great and it doesn't look like it's going to improve: Quit! Come back later, go to a different casino or take the day off, poker is not going anywhere. There's always tomorrow!

So that's why I get seen playing different size games. If you call yourself a 5/10 NL player and are not willing to lower your limit to pick the right game, you will encounter many losses on days that could have been lucrative if you had not let your self-esteem get in the way.

Time of the day is also important. Weekends can be good but you have to think that ALL the pro's are out playing. It's important to keep a log of your winnings, but also a log of where and when you play; to know which hours are the best for you.

I personally think that weekends are good in the afternoon. Most man at the table have dinner plans with their wife at around 7pm and only have a few hours to play. This makes them willing to gamble. They will overplay hands to try and make fast money, which unfortunately for them, is not the way to go!

Also on the weekend, most tourist go clubbing, they do not hit the tables before 2-3am, before that time, you will most likely (of course not always) find yourself with pro's waiting for the action to start. Sometimes after 2-3am the game can get really juicy.

Sundays are excellent! If you are not grinding online, you should hit the casino. It's usually most people's last day off and they are willing to play and gamble! There won't be as many games, but they should be great!

Weekdays can be hit or miss. Therefore you must be even more vigilant in your game selection and even more willing to play lower stakes.

Look for casinos with big conventions, after 6pm when their show is over, many business men will play for fun. Look for schedules online and follow the big ones.

Promotional tournaments (WPT, Deepstacks, etc.) also bring great action! They can also be great to follow.

I hope these tips helped you. You don't run lucky for so many months straight; you just pick your spots better than most.

WIPHOF and stuff

I haven't blog much lately; I’ve been spending the end of the summer taking a lot of time off. My daughter was visiting for a few weeks and I didn't play while she was here. I just enjoyed the time I had with her. She went back to Canada last week where she is studying. I am very proud of her.

I went to the Women in Poker Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony last Friday. This year's inductee's were Jennifer Harman, Kathy Leibert, and Billie Brown. The ceremony had a great set up at the Golden Nugget and was hosted by 2009 Women in Poker Hall of Fame inductee Jan Fisher who did an amazing job. That woman could definitely be a stand-up comedian! They had a silent auction benefiting Poker Gives and a great dinner followed by music and dancing. Ex-commissioner of the World Series of Poker Jeffrey Pollack was the guest speaker. He’s speech was great on women in poker and his thoughts on men crashing the ladies event, which obviously he did not agree with!

I have mainly been focusing on live cash games this week. I have been hopping around to pretty much every casino in town doing what I do best: playing cash games! I have had a VERY lucrative week! My win rate in cash games is extremely high; I sometimes wonder why I even bother playing tournament. Oh wait, I know why, prestige and big prize pools! At the end of the day, cash games are my money maker and I am definitely gonna be putting more focus on them in the months to come. I am not saying that I won't play any tournaments; I just won't play as many.

WCOOP is also going, I cashed in one event but nothing crazy. I will be playing more this week and keep you posted on how it goes. I am also planning on playing the charity event for Poker Give on the 17th at 1pm at Aria. It's a great charity and they have tournaments all month long across the U.S. You can look up the schedule on this link: http://www.pokergives.org/nationalpokermonth.shtml.