I have gone through a lot of questions and answers w/ many people over the last 6 weeks w/out playing any poker at all. I spent 8-12 hours a day on the net, just reading and trying to find ways to become a better payer. Here is what i came up with!
1) Stop stealing blinds
2) Limp into many pots, I.E. Daniel small ball
3) Save the movers until the chips call for it
4) Take a lot of time to act in a hand and make sure I go over my checklist of information on the hand
5) Keep playing to win all the time
I used this new style in a $200 event when I arrived in Tunica. W/ 131 entries I was at the final table as the chipleader w/ 660k, 2nd place had 65k, 3rd had 55k. I won it and took the $7k 1st prise. Not a bad start.
Next day I won my 5K seat to the main event in a $500 mega.
The main event: 370 players $560K 1st place
Day 1 was a typical start, but I played very tight and established a great table image, I even check called all the way w/ the 2nd nut flush on a 3 club flop and blew people away that I did not raise on the river. Other player also flopped a flush. What do I do if I raise on the river and this player pushes in?
I did find spots to make my moves but it was always a good situation and my image was so good they worked every time.
I end day 1 in the top 10 w/ 70K in chips.
Day 2: I put my money in on a flush draw and hit it on the river, knock out another player when I limped w
and hit top 2 pair, he moves in when I slow play it and i am now a chip leader w/ 300K
I then have my lucky break when I make a move on a guy w/ 24 players to go ( we are in the money):
I have
in middle position and I raise to 30k (bb8k sb4k) , the chip leader rerraised to 90k and I pushed. He called w/ AK, I hit my J on the turn and I now had the chip lead.
I was so sick this entire tournament that I decided after this good luck I would try and not play another hand. At 13 left I had 400k in chips. 1 hour later I had blinded down to 250k w/out playing a hand 6 handed. Then the following hand came up.
2 limpers to the SB who makes up the 8k, I just check my big blind of 16k and we take a flop.
FLOP
, SB leads out for 42K and it is now on me. I think for a minute, this guy has been playing crazy, in every pot, and I decide I am now after about 3 hours of nothing that I am going to play this one . I have
I announce raise, put the 42k call in and start to go thought the math. Here is what I come up with:
1) the other 2 player are going away because they know I have not played a hand!
2) I have 191k left after the call
3) crazy man has 320k left
4) This is the first pot I have played, I have blinded away about 150k in the last 2 hours
5) This guy has put his money in bad and does not know how to get away from a hand. I hope the all in takes him off his hand
6) I am gambling but I am gambling w/ the worst player at the table.
I think about a small raise? I think about a big raise? I finally decide to push to get paid if he makes a bad call or simply take it down now.
I push and he says to me " You must be on a flush draw" and I answer " If thats what you think put your chips in the middle"
He thinks for a minute or 2 and calls. He shows
,
, for a bottom pair w/ nothing else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He says in an interview w/ bluff magazine that I only had a 20% chance to win w/ my draw so I guess he does not understand poker odds.
I am a favorite w/ 2 overs and the nut flush draw, turn is a
, river
, and I am out in 13th place.
I know I have made some wild plays in my young poker life but this call takes the cake in my book. The guy either made the worst play ever or he needs to give Phil Ivey some lessons. What do you guys think and would you have played it ant differently.
Its been a while since I played this well, hopefully 2007 will be a better year than 2006
The Rookie
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