blonde poker forum

After a week of playing Ali Mallu i thought I would try and analyse the unanalysable.

Here's the result

http://www.blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/3581


Interested in your thoughts on a player like this.....

Excellent piece Tighty.

I hate playing against players like Mallu, I just never know what to do.  I have come up against 4 players of this ilk 3 of them also happen to be Asian guys and at first I thought the moves where down to their first to gamble.  The other is Fergus8 who posts on here, others who have played him either in tourneys or cash games will understand the frustration he causes you when you see the muck he plays with.  Moreover, he always seems to win playing silly hands.

I have in the past tried to play this wreckless game, but I can't seem to master it.  Each time I do it I always seem to get caught out by a big hand and never get any help from the deck.

I really don't know what drives people to make these plays.  I once heard Greg Raymer say that when he is playing and has monster stacks he likes to limp with hands like 8 - 3, J - 4, 10 - 5 his reasoning behind this was when he can afford to do it he will flop a monster and come up against a player holding big down cards in the shape of AA, KK, QQ, AK and he may flop trips or a full house and can come over the top and take lots of chips.

Kamikaze Poker I call it.  When we play up in the Stanley in Glasgow in the £10 rebuy the plan is always play your big hands get your chips in the middle because no matter what your opponent has you will get one caller at the table.  At a table I was at other night there was one guy who after about 8 rebuys, seemed to be all in every hand with crazy stuff like Q 4, 2 - 9, J - 7, K - 3 he busted but his game was clearly rubbing off on his mate who at first was playing tha typical ABC poker without much success and eventually his mate started playing the same way and at the break had accumulated a monster number of chips only too loose them all within 3 hands of the restart.

A wonderful piece by Tighty.

Ali Mallu? He's not as daft as some think, his record is awesome.

He categorizes the players on his table, & bullies accordingly. His play against me in the Main Event at Luton last week was typical. He limps, I make it 3,500 with JJ (blinds 400-800), he makes it 29,000.....! He KNOWS I'm a weak player & can be pushed off my hand, & it's his way of saying "your tourney is on the line if you call, Sunshine". Her had the miserly A-T & hit but that misses the point - Plan A was to force me to Pass. If A fails, it's Plan B, "hit"!

By contrast, I played the £100 PL Freezeout on Sunday, & check-Raised a Gentleman with my AK to send him a signal, "I'm not going away, I have a big hand", & he CALLED with A-T! Chalk & cheese.

Ali understands poker, & players, better than most.

Having had the pleasure of sitting down with this man and having albeit short disscusions with him I highly regard his play, although , I think he should  change gear and slow down towards the end when he is massivly stacked, unlike the usualy play in general of one should move up a gear. Ever seen him on Black Jack.. ?

Hes a fantastic chip getter and a thoroughly nice guy.  He gave me a pep talk at Luton
and every word he said was genious :) 

Upmost respect for him

Pep talk..is that what you young un's of today call it 8) :D.

Great reading - thank you !

Maureen I love u :)  you called me young   WOOHOO!!! 

Played with him once, didn't know who he was at the time.

Within half an hour I had him down as a nutter. Within an hour he'd cleaned my clocks with the best hand.

Off to the rail to scratch my head.

Ali 'In Every Coup' Mallu very nice guy who always has a good word or friendly piece of advice. I always enjoy the challenge of playing with Ali and no one should underestimate how good a poker player Ali is on his game, he is probably one of the most prolific players on the circuit. If he had a downshift in gears, at the right time, when he gets the big stack he could easily be the best player on the circuit. I'm sure it's been documented before that DC has him down as the most under-rated player on the circuit praise doesn't come mcuh higher than that. Not sure about the bankroll comments though Tighty, he plays his Blackjack just like his Poker get the lot or go down all guns blazing.

His Q-8 vs Courtney's A-A all-in preflop to take 100k out of his own 250k stack and make Courtney the chip leader was unnecessary beyond belief.

Dave, I hardly know Ali so my point about bankroll is mere conjecture/speculation as I say in the article

I agree with the comments about the need for a slower gear when he has massive chips...I suspect though that for Ali the buzz and adrenalin in continuing to steamroller a table is more important...but again that's conjecture

A wonderful player to watch "up close" though....in my opinion there is a lot of thought in his game that is inderestimated. I tried to bring a sense of that in my article

I think that's the best article you've written so far Tighty.

 :respect:

It's a teriffic article, and very thought provoking. (I think about Ali Mallu a lot)

He is terrifying, the first time i was on his table i was doing ok, chugging along, no worries.
THEN........someone says "he's mad he is"
"who?" i say ???
"Ali Mallu"
"IS THAT HIM??!!"
"yes"
From then on i was literally petrified, just wouldn't play a hand!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was a while back and now i really don't know what i'd do now, i like to think i wouldn't rock up but i think i probably would :D

Any one else having problems saying this  :(

Great Article BTW!!

I have only ever played him in cash and he took my money then on what i thought was a moronic move getting lucky, maybe it was genious....

This definitely comes in the picking a loose aggressive opponent category though.....

I do agree it's a bit mad trying to win the thing with two tables left in this way when you've already got 25%+ of the chips in play.

Still Ali Mallu is a class act and always a gent (unless the dealer somehow gets his back up  ;scarymoment;)

Been fortunate enough (or unfortunate depending on which way you look at it) to play with Ali Mallu many times in the casinos around the North West. Even though i don't play that much live whenever i do pay a visit to the circus or the like when he is in attendance he will always spare five minutes to say hello and have a chat. On the table however he's a right pain in the @r$s (in the nicest possible way) as more often than not you have no idea where you stand with him. Playing in a pot with him during the £50 re-buy a week or so before my trip to Vegas i was involved in a pot with him holding K-Q suited on a K-6-8 rainbow flop. All the money ends up in the middle and it turns out he'd slow played AA - "Aces, your not supposed to have aces...." was my remark but fortunately the dealer gave me another K on the river and i ultimately went on to win the tourney.

I've heard many say (and have thought myself once or twice) that he would win more than he does if he didn't have the occasional kamikaze moment and lose half his stack on an outrageous play when there didn't appear to be any need for it - but then its the same controlled kamikaze playing style that gets him in to so many winning positions and why he is such a difficult opponent at the table. If he changes the way he plays then he probably doesn't get into those positions anywhere near as much. To be honest i wouldn't want it to change as its the prospect of differing challenges on the green felt that make the game of poker what it is and why i keep returning week after week in my quest to become the best!! :)

Nice article Mr. End squire  :goodpost:

Ali playing a rebuy makes Flushy look like Scottish Dave.  :D