Funnily enough I have a different view. Maybe it's not all best on the forum Dean. Why don't you pull me to one side next time we are both up there and I will talk through how that final table played out from my perspective? For starters, I don't think the scenario was quite as bad as you have painted.
Whilst I will readily accept that the play looked weak, I was getting no hands either. I believe I adjusted to the individuals at the table and didn't just have a pre-conceived plan of how to play xM from yPosition. Card dead and third isn't disastrous. IMHO I never blinded out, exit hand was 30-oddk with 3/6 blinds, which is on the low side for sure, but still more playable than many seem to think at that particular table In particular, you may remember me declining the AQ v TT AIPF gamble with you - other times we are off to the races for sure there, but ducking out of that one left me enough chips to still be in contention, and that's the decision I took. Another time with different cards or different opponents, it could have been very chip-spewy.
Not sure if you were pointing me out as an eperienced player or the guilty button player in your post (or both) but if so we can save the hand specifics for Luton. Yes I've read Harrington, yes I've read Sklansky-Chubukov etc and I feel happy with the theory. The BB on my button was chip daddy and likely to call down light, not sure I would have passed an ace there, although I did pass 44 purely because I could see the player to my left about to move in. The player to my left, I skinned him in all the big pots we played blind on blind and I walked him a couple of times with the worst of my hands. I can live with that.
You might not have agreed with the way that Jim and/or I played it out. We may well have cost ourselves a shot at winning it. But I maintain that if my exit of 99 held against AQ, I have 70k 3-handed and every chance. That's the way I chose to get there. You chose a different method, which I had no problem with. It's a method that gets you more bubbles and more 1sts and with different variables at play, it would have been the same strategy that I would have tried to employ.
Hi Simon
TBH the post was primarily about different ways final tables should be played and Sunday was used as an example of the way idecided to play it ( the general theory is to go after a tight table ) ..i think it was just a bit of frustration on my part coming out because id managed to get myself into a good position without having any cards ( you being one of the few who knew what was going on in the middle part of the night ) and then running into hands nearly every time i made a move.
I wasnt singling anyone out for criticism least of all you ( the button player i was referring to was to Jims right who had more big hands on the final table than i had all night ) and it was you and Jim I was referring to regarding the better and experienced players.
The point regarding Sunday was that everybody including Nic ( chip Boy) was prepared to be so passive,it wasnt you or jim or any one or 2 but the table as a whole. The beauty of the game is there is no definitive right or wrong each form has its own merits...i could have played in a similar fashion and cashed much better than i did..i just decided on this particular night to go after an obviousley tight table. I had no real hands either i just decided to be aggressive with my marginals in an unraised pot..other times ill pass and bide my time.. i think for me it was a kind of experiment with the ethos of aggression with a tight table but as i have learnt before it only takes a couple of occassions of running into hands for the whole thing to become futile..maybe if i came to the table as a big chip leader maybe things would have been different.
You and Jim both displayed excellent patience but do you need cards to play this game ?? I certainly know that most on that table couldnt play post flop so the only weapon they have is the big allin which negates any skill so maybe i was best served with my game earlier when there were flops to be had instead of in a scenario of final table pushing...
TBH my genuine opinion after Sunday might have been to pick fewer spots..but i wonder if i hadnt run into big hands ( and lets be honest no one was playing without a big hand ) and built up a stack would I have terrorised the table ??
Anyway I hope I havent offended you too much Simon nothing intended it was good to play with you and I enjoyed our chats at the table....steam has been vented
P.S. Beware the Celtic
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