"that Feeling" in the pit of your stomache...

[Newmanseye]

So you are deep in a tourney, Nicely stacked, and you suddenly go card dead for 30 mins to an hour, Suddenly you wake up with KK, and you see there has been a raise before you and all fold to you, you reraise and the dreaded flat call.

Flop is all low and your opponent goes all in, your head says you "have to" call, but your gut is saying, if you call this you might as well bend over and offer the guy extras cos he's pretty much gonna own you here.

What do you trust, the head or the gut?

Ok this is purely based on feelings at the table, reads ect. but what do you trust?

[Indestructable]

I trust my head, but more often than not follow my gut. Just wish I didn't. 

[BTB]

depends what extra's your offering, lol

[Longy]

To be honest im a very mathematical odds based player, probably due to my educational background. I think often that feeling that you describe as going with your gut feeling is a bit more than that, it is probably borne out of some info you have been given during or before the hand about your opponent.

For example if it is live does the guy generally look comfortable does he lead with big hands etc, even online you can get a feel for a player by simple things like bet sizing, timing tells etc.

So yeah im not a gut player but Im probably sceptical about the whole concept. Then again im sceptical about everything.

[suzanne]

"that felling" I get at a live poker table is usually nausea as I still get very nervous when faced with my opponents, I was very proud when I didnt throw up after my last live game for the first time 

As I have started to become more confident I have concentrated more on trying to read players and not give any tells away which brings me to a situation at my last live game.

Its early in the game and I have had an unbelievable run of good cards, I was mostly taking down the blinds and any raise I was reraising without a showdown so I was aware that I was coming across as the table bully even though I did have the goods. Earlier in the game I raised in mid position and the BB went allin which I instacalled with AA v JJ and busted half my stack when the J hit :-( not a problem I thought and I then went into bullying mode and managed to get my stack back up to above average but I was aware that the whole table was just waiting for any decent hand to bust me. Then this happened..

...im UTG blinds are 200/100 and I have AhQc I raise a standard to 600 and a lady (who had only played 2 hands that I could recall and both were monsters which she won) flat calls, as does BB. Flop comes down 8 9 10 of clubs yukkkk, I was watching the flat caller and I could see that she did not like the flop and I was aware that she probably realised that I didnt like it either. I checked and she raised to 2k, the BB folded, caller has about 2k left, I have about 8k so she cant bust me, the brain goes into overdrive, my head is saying shes missed the flop but probably has AA KK or 88 99 TT AK has you beat if the ace hits ... FOLD FOLD FOLD, my heart is saying she hasnt got it and might not have a club and I have the queen  What would you do online im thinking...I would FOLD, im aware that all eyes are on me as I try to decide. "I think im behind" I said as am just about to fold and I see a flicker of relief in her eyes and then someone said "Im allin"..it wasnt me but it sounded like my voice and it came from my mouth f**k noooooooooo pleeeeeeeeease FOLD im thinking as the video camaras zoom onto our table but no shes allin too and im feeling like a right idiot as I turn over my cards expecting to see AA from my opponent...what did she have..KQo and no club..no help from her on the turn or river and shes gone and im left a shaking wreck with a face as red as a beetroot.

I have thought about this hand so much since that game and I come to the same conclusion everytime..I should have folded, I was going to fold and I dont know why I didnt.