Started to really dig these. The $5.50 18-person sit n go's are either super-duper-fishy, or I'm simply on a heater. I swear, though, something has "clicked" in my tournament play, and I wish I could put my finger on it. I've cashed in the last 5 or 6 18-seaters I've played, including one win, 2 2nds, 1 4th, and the other 2 or 3 were 3rd. I took one seriously awful beat last night; an uber-aggressive guy holding about 70% of the chips in play was big-betting everything; when I was shortstacked and he shoved in the SB, I figured my J10 was probably already ahead, but either way I couldn't fold at that point. Here's how the hand played out:
Alright, I'll spare ya the details: dude had like 20K, I had like 2500, he bet 3K I called with J10o; he's got 8 3. Hits an 8 on the turn and a 3 on the river (or vice-versa). Thnx, gg.
I've found one of the strategies I use is to basically let people make mistakes, and then capitalize on them. There are so many players that will play and overplay hands like 2nd pair that I just wait for opportunities where they overplay a hand and I take it from them. Bunch of the players around this level don't know how to bluff at a pot: they'll min-bet 100 on the river into a pot of 800; I have anything I'm calling but most likely I'm raising. Too many players over-use the check/raise too, which I'll use to my advantage when I have a big hand and when I have a drawing hand (I swear if every player I played at this level lost the check/raise from their repertoire, they'd get more chips from me - honest! I'm willing to pay a certain amount for certain draws, but if they bet me out they don't stand a chance to take more chips from me on the turn).
Look, I'm not saying don't check-raise: in fact I actually use it slightly more today than I used to (I used to almost never use it), but it's got its places.
Anyway, the poker playing is going well for me lately. Even ventured back into the $10 stt world last night (where I used to almost exclusively play), and took 2nd. As usual, one boneheaded move heads up crippled me, but I was happy with the 2nd. I think I'm ready to tackle the $10 18-seaters next. Just hope I don't run into Riggstad, but I guess that's expected since I think he spends most waking hours in those games.
I'm tired; I'm going to bed real soon. I forgot about the MATH; hopefully one of these weeks I'll remember. Wednesday is The Mookie:
When: Wednesday. 10pm ET
Game: NLHE Deepstack
Buyin: $10+1
Password: vegas1
Don't forget to visit my writing blog as well; not much creative-stuff flowing recently but some thoughts (and questions) about Life, the Universe, and Nothing. Comments are always welcomed.
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1 comment:
I enjoyed reading your post. You mentioned a couple of things that I wanted to comment on:
"Bunch of the players around this level don't know how to bluff." You are absolutely correct. Not only do players not understand how to bluff at the pot, but many of the players at this level are not thinking about their opponents cards, so they wouldn't understand what you are trying to communicate through a bluff anyway. At the low level sit 'n go's it is better to play straight, patient poker and let the fish knock themselves out.
Also, you mentioned at the start, "Something has clicked in my tournament play, and I wish I could put my finger on it." Keep trying to put your finger on it. Unless you know the things that you are doing right, you won't be able to know what to correct when things are going wrong.
Good luck at the tables!
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