blonde poker forum

As a follow up to my recent thread entitled, "When is it time to start worrying?", I played last night in the £20 f/o at Circus Nottingham. Needless to say it is now 28 conscutive non-cashes and elimination in my usual 25th-ish place.

To cut a long story short, I am setting a new record in card dead-ness. I have been sat down for three levels and haven't seen a single ace, no suited connectors, and a paint card, well, no chance. I haven't even had a pair. The table is hitting some big hands and the chips are flying in all over the place. It's a fun table, but for me, only through the inane table banter.

I am on the button and nearly fall off my chair when I see pocket sevens. I know it's all a matter or relativity and perspective, but these cards seem massive right now. Wow, I might get to see a flop.

The guy to my right raises it up 4 x BB. He looks very comfortable, very confident. His body language screams "monster". I get this very strong gut feeling that I am way behind. I sigh (inwardly) and fold.

He gets a caller and of course I watch the flop come down with a seven.

I am now in a funk. I have missed the only opportunity I had to make some progress. I might as well get up and leave (I don't of course, but that's what it feels like!)

I don't get to see what he has because his opponent folds, but this situation has got me thinking.

Obviously I should have at least called (maybe even re-raised due to having not played a hand all night as much as anything else), because I had position and there was still a lot of poker left after the flop. It is easy to be wise after the event seeing the set materialise, but pre-flop I just went with my gut feeling that he was very strong and it put me in a sulk! (Well not for long really, but you know what I mean!).

I think it clearly shows that when your confidence is shot and you are convinced that the cards are against you, you can start doing some very strange things. Someone give me a slap.

I really wish he had shown A,K and then I could kick my own arse.

If I think someone has a monster, and I have a medium pair, I find all the more reason to call and set-mine providing the stacks are deep enough...

I know, I am repeatedly kicking my own arse right now.

what were the stacks, and the blinds?

for 4x bb you can't see a flop there?

Reading through I think you've got to change your mindset quick. Forget about the past 28 comps, play a new comp on its merit and each hand on its merit (*obv subject to prior play with the foes)

Secondly, if you are really playing that tight/that card dead, then try a steal or a re-steal. If you get one through then it gives you breathing space stack wise and confidence playing wise. Obv try it versus the right type of opponent

Couldn't agree more TightEnd, that's why I posted really, I already knew the answer. Still kicking my own arse though lol

clearly on odds if you have him on an overpair to 77 then fold is correct, but implied odds are massive, possibly whole stack if you hit set and he has overpair to board

Also you have position and you never know you might get a chance to have a pop at it

oh, and alternatively re-raise there and watch whole table gasp. I like the "the last time I re-raised Thatcher was prime minister" line after too, just to re-inforce!. If he then shoves it back at you then you'll know he has a monster

I prefer flat call line though

Forgot to mention that the blinds were 100/200, approaching the break, I had about 3500 I think. He had me covered easily.

Right choice then, not deep enough to call, push or fold, don't beat yourself up about it, put a 'tick' in the 'correct play' box...

Actually, thinking about it I might have had nearer 4000. Anyway...

Before you even sit down to play you need to stop reminding yourself about this - otherwise you spend too much time worrying about whether you are going to cash or not and not concentrating about playing your A-game throughout the tournament. If your game is good enough you will cash, just concentrate on the game!


FYP

with the blinds at 100/200 ideally I want both myself and the raiser to be sat on close to the 10k mark before I think about making this call.

the 20xbb you're on here is way too shallow to make this call and deep enough to not worry about panicking yet

the cards will come

p.s. hindsight is a wonderful thing - but if we all had it then the game would be a little predictable

shouldnt let a result affect whether you made the right decision to start with

wise words from a monkey there. a decision in poker is right or wrong at the time it's made, nothing that happens after changes that.

we've all sat there fed up 'cos we passed  2d 4d to a raise and the flop came  Ad 3d 5d but nothing changes the fact that the pass is correct all day long

Unless its level 1 on pokerstars in a tourney with 3k starting chips and everyone passes to the button who makes it 20 with 20 and i'm sat in the big blind with 20 already invested and another 2980 in reserve - then i'm calling ready to bust his @r$e!! :D

p.p.s. you don't always need cards to acrue chips in the early stages of tournaments.......

(disclaimer - monkey doesnt know usual standard of £20 f/outs in nottingham :D)

Well, yes and no.

The standard is like anywhere, some good players, some bad ones.  But saying you don't need cards when other people are getting them can be a frustrating comment because while it's true up to a point, if the situation allows it, there is no way you can push people off made hands, especially at this level. Some of the cards I see being turned over for a made two pair amaze me given that they call out of position with rags.

I saw a lot of made hands last night and on every occasion if I had tried a move I would have bluffed all my chips away, as I saw one other guy do twice. Ok, so I didn't do any beter than him in the long run but at least I was reading the situation well and not giving my chips away.

I think the solution for me next time is to not look at my cards. Seriously. It worked for one chap on my table who pushed in blind twice, both times having a pocket pair...

Might go up to DTD tonight and play an STT and not look at my cards. Should be fun.

hence my little disclaimer notice ;) when i used to play the £20 rebuys at the circus manchester you soon learned who the better players were who could lay a pair down and who the calling stations were who would call with any pair no kicker - its all a matter then of picking your spots and making your moves.

Very true