Decision time at Walsall

[RED-DOG]

I played the 300 freeze out at Walsall last night, we started at 9:15, by 9:30 I was on the motorway heading home having played just one hand

Please bear with me, Im no Rob Yong, his thoughts seemed to just ooze out across the page like red wine spilled on a white tablecloth, unmistakeable, stark and vivid, mine are more like gravy stains on your tie, smaller and harder to see. A lot of factors contributed to the way I played this hand, Im not making any excuses, I just need to set the scene

First of all, I have been examining my game over the last few months, I have been worried that I play too tight, and this feeling has been compounded by some recent events, one being Lawrence Gosneys fantastic win in Vegas, another was some of the things Rob Yong wrote in his diary, yet another was tikays recent successes and his admission that he had made an effort to change his game because that he felt he could often go deep into a tournament but always ended up struggling with a short stack.

I mulled these things over at great length, trying to convince myself that I had to make some drastic alterations, and the more I thought about it, the less comfortable I was with changing my game and forcing myself to play looser, its not in my nature, I too often go deep into tournaments and end up on the short stack, but by then I have a good Idea of who is doing what at the table, I have had the time to find some proper cards to play, and if I make a move or two I can often get them through because I have established a rock image. I came to the conclusion that, although my game has lots of room for improvement, it would be wrong to try to change the whole nature of my game, I dont think that T J Cloutier would benefit from suddenly trying to play like Gus Hansen, or vice versa, I have shared a table with Lawrence, Rob, Thewy, and many other renowned aggressive players and I have been comfortable in their company and have sometimes been able to take advantage of their attacking style. I resolved to continue to work hard at improving my game, but I wasnt going to make any drastic, out of character changes, I was still going to play it my way and I was happy with my decision

So, on to Walsall, I love the 300 freeze out at Walsall, 6000 starting chips, 45 minute clock, just my cup of tea. I arrived about an hour early and was surprised when several people came up to me and said, Hello, are you Red Dog from Blondepoker?

 I enjoyed a terrific buffet with a couple of friends who, for the record, are very good players. Their conversation included lines like Got to get busy early and Dont want to come back to a short stack tomorrow. Then, a magnified voice booms out Will all players in tonights no limit holdem competition please go to the card room, We were off.

Seat 3 table 4, I was pleased with my table, one or two unknowns, a blondite, (Kojak) in seat 2 another blondite (Riverdave) in seat 9, and the rest were Walsall faces that I know quite well but cant really name.

I didnt play the first hand, but it is relevant so I will describe it as best as I can. I fold, seat 4 calls for 50, seat 9 (riverdave) raises 200, seat 2, Blondite Kojak, re raises for 700, seat 4 and Riverdave both call. The flop comes 568 rainbow, Kojak bets 1000, seat 4 re raises for 2000, Riverdave folds and Kojak calls. The turn card is a 7, making a board of 5678, Kojak checks and seat 4 bets 2000, Kojak dwells for a minute or so and moves all in, then seat 4 dwells before calling. On their backs Kojak shows KK and seat 4 shows JJ, the river is a blank and Kojak doubles up, exit seat 4.

I think seat 4 can get away from this hand, he would be on a very short stack, but when you think about it, he has to know he is behind, if Kojak holds any pair above with the exception 10s, he is beaten.

I pass my big blind to a small raise and then on my small blind, only the third hand of the night, I find AKo, the action moves around the table and picks up 1 caller, Kojak, on the button, raises 1300 into a pot of 125. This move proved to be the catalyst for all the things I had been fretting about over the last few weeks, What now I asked myself, why would he bet so much into such a small pot, has he got a monster, if so, why scare us off? I wondered if he had AK or possibly AQ, the size of the bet really threw me, I even thought for a moment about putting my AK down but I knew that wasnt really an option, so it would have to be a flat call or a raise, and at that moment all my doubts about my tight game came flooding back, I could see snatches of match reports saying how aggressive the winner had been, I heard again the words of my friends, Gotta make chips early Dont want to come back tomorrow to a short stack I could see Thewy pushing his chips into the middle, I could see Lawrences bracelet, I had to be bold.

I raise, I said, 3000. Before I had finished counting out my chips Kojak had moved all in. By this time I was incapable of rational thought, I hadnt realised how much I had struggled with the idea of making drastic changes to my game until this precise moment, now I had to decide whether to call a 9000 pot for my last 3000 this early in the comp with AKo or lay it down pre flop, I called, Kojak flipped over aces and I was out

Driving home I felt purged, I had exorcised my demons, I now knew for sure I wouldnt be changing my natural game by trying to play in a way that I was uncomfortable with, It wasnt that one hand, That was just the point where it all came to a head, my mind was clear now, I felt free.

 It was still early when I got home, so I entered a multi online and won $1000, and I know I played better than I had for a while, I seemed to know what I was doing again. On Sunday I played another and won $2000. It was nice to get the results, but what really made me happy was the way I felt as I played, I enjoyed it. Im not Devilfish or Crazy Horse, Im RED-DOG, come and get me.

[Foxy]

Nice read Red Dog and unluckey

[tikay]

Tom, we are what we are, what you see is what you get. Try & be anything different, & it will end in tears.

Our style of poker reflects our characters, it really does.

I have made little adjustments to my game, to rectify leaks. But I will never, never ever, be a Galloping Gosney, a Thundering Thew, a Plundering Penly or a Kamikaze Camel - it just aint in my nature, nor do I want it to be.

You are doing just fine with the game you have. Let the Thews & Gosneys do their thing, & you do yours. Chances are those guys are better than us - sometimes we need to keep this in perspective - but we have our days too.

You are doing just fine Tom. Life is good. The Kids are beautiful, the wife loves you, and Poker is fun. It's a delicate equation. It ain't bust, so don't mess about with it.

Now, last night. What would the "Old Tom" have done, holding AK & faced with an over-raise? Probaly lost most of your chips, if not all. Aces are Aces, when we walk into them, we generally get hurt.

Revert to Plan A mate. Theres nothing wrong with it, & you know it. Don't try & be what you are not.

[Hawkeye1976]

Tom / Tikay,

I have done the same analysis of my game, and come to the conclusion I need to become a lot lot lot more patient, not tighter, patient.

Do you believe there is a difference?

I turned up to play the sat for the 300, Saturday afternoon. I grabbed 10 off the bedside table and my cash card.
Got to the casino and went to draw money out.........
Pin number 6331, 6331, 6331 its like when you get lost but won't admit your wrong. I put the same number in 3 times, until I got the "card cancelled" notice.

So, I cant play as I only have 10. No reg fee. I live 30 miles away, so can't go home and return!

So I put the 10 in the bandit, and win 23. At least I can play, but without my usual 5 rebuys and top-up.
Playing super tight I make the final 10 with 12,000 chips. 6 seats and 50 for 7th are the prizes.

There is one guy with 1500 chips and another on about 6,000. Still leaves me in 8th. Blind 1000 / 2000.
I double up with AA vs JJ then watch all the big stacks tangle and piss all their chips away!!!!!!
I then get a seat in the biggest "live" game I have ever played. I have played bigger online, but $500 / $1000 doesn't seem the same when youre clicking a button. (All the short stacks made it, even the 1500. He doubled up 4 times.)

Anyway, it must be destiny that I am here. (Roll on the final). After all the things that happened to me today surely the poker gods what me to win. Or maybe they just want me to have an experience?

"Experience" it was. Built me stack up to 9,000 quickly then lost 7,000 holding A4 in the big blind to a board of AA3. Other player held A10 (I knew I should have thrown it in the muck, but it looked so nice). Built my stack back up to 5,000 by the break then pissed them all away, clearly due to impatience.

I try everything, read a magazine, chat to other players but after 15 minutes of no cards KJ off, looks good to throw the last 1800 in with. I know its not, especially when the blinds are only 100 / 200.

Anyway, thanks for listening.

Best Regards
Steve (Serial Forum Lurker)

[TightEnd]

great post Red Dog, you have been wrestling with the conundrum I expect lots of us instinctively tight players go through. It's seems tight players never win big tournaments, or at least that's what we are told...but it seems to me that you have a formula that works enough to keep you competitive.

anyway, who wouldn't have at least called the over-raise with AK?, so you were going to do a chunk there anyway.....a reasonably inexpensive foray into a different style will probably pay dividends down the line I predict in that you will now have more confidence in your natural game.

but I'm rubbish at predictions

[Maroon]

Great writing, Red-Dog.  Love the Wine-Gravy similes.

Reading things like that from you fellas with more experience is leap-frogging me along the learning curve nicely.  Thanks.

Maybe this ties in with the question I posed about why learn more when we all seemed to earn more when we first started.  Maybe it's not that we are learning more but deviating away from what comes natural when we read books or watch others play.

[snoopy1239]

RED:

I disagree with some of the comments made here.

Personally, I think as committed poker players we should always be striving to improve our game, and if that includes experimenting with unfamiliar styles, then so be it. When we become accostomed to a certain style of play, it is often difficult to adapt to a more agressive approach, so any transformation is not going to happen overnight. This can often feel like a drastic change in our game, and so it is not unusual for you to experience discomfort. However, just because you have temporarily placed yourself outside your comfort zone, doesn't mean you should concede and swiftly return to your original approach. You can't expect an agressive style to feel comfortable and appear natural to you when you have been used to playing a restrained game.

Therefore, my advice is, give it another chance. True, we are what we are, but how do we know we are a certain type of player until we have tried all the options available. It costs money to find yourself in this game, but, you never know, you may well find that you can feel comfortable playing the 'agressive' game. You merely need time to adjust. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If it doesn't work out, you can always revert back to your current approach, which, from what I've witnessed, is pretty darn effective anyhow.

Good luck bud. 

[RED-DOG]

Snoop, I think you missed my point a little, I will always try to modify and improve my game, I will try new things and experiment, but I will always have a certain "type" of game, I think we all do.

[snoopy1239]

Snoop, I think you missed my point a little, I will always try to modify and improve my game, I will try new things and experiment, but I will always have a certain "type" of game, I think we all do.

I understood the point, it's just that in my opinion, I see a player's 'type of game' as merely something that they have become accustomed to rather than a style that is natural. If that makes sense.   

[snoopy1239]

I sometimes don't put myself across to well. 

I should have payed more attention to my English teacher. 

[TightEnd]

I understood the point, it's just that in my opinion, I see a player's 'type of game' as merely something that they have become accustomed to rather than a style that is natural. If that makes sense.

I think I disagree, we all have inclinations towards optimistic/pessimistic, melancholic/happy, active/passive, gambling/conservatism whether in poker or in life and it is these natural traits that shape the way we play the game and why playing at styles outside your comfort zone seems so tough, because it doesn't suit your natural character.

[RED-DOG]

We agree to disagree then snoop, but thats ok, I always enjoy your posts and appreciate your comments

I think you put yourself across very well, I can dig where your coming from 

[AdamM]

I'm a believer in playing style being determined by your personality. We all know Tight aggressive is meant to be the optimum style and know the theories that back that up. so why do super loose aggressive players seem to dominate sometimes? because they're playing their natural game and it scares the hell out of most of their opponents. loose players love the action and are happy to take the swings that go with that style. tighter players like myself don't deal so well psychologically with swings  so play a game that minimises that. this is not to say that I don't strive to have gears in my game. If I pick up chips early I will become steadily more aggressive. also once I've finalled (often short stacked) and I get to a payout I'm happy with I'm quite comfortable totally flipping my game to loose aggressive. One advantage I have is that I've got quite good at playing a shorts stack (I've had to) so if I do take a hit at any point in the tourney I won't press the panic button too soon.

[snoopy1239]

We agree to disagree then snoop, but thats ok, I always enjoy your posts and appreciate your comments

I think you put yourself across very well, I can dig where your coming from

It would be a boring site if we all agreed with each other and I'm not the sort of person who cowers away from an opinion just because it differs to everone else's.

It's an intiguing thread though and I'm glad you started it. 

I can only imagine the vast amounts of chips I've lost with AceKing. It's the devil's hand! 

[The Camel]

Excellent post Tom.

Everyone's game must evolve or we never improve.

As for the hand in question, flat calling was never an option. You are calling about 1/4 of your chips and have about 65% chance of missing the flop and being out of position.

Reraising is ok, but he has already doubled up and will probably gamble with a pair here.

I would almost definitely pass though. You have only invested 25 in the pot and it seems a very aggressive player has alot of chips. Plenty of time to trap him when you have a better spot. AK is a drawing hand after all.

Trying to change your game 180 degrees will never work Tom. And how could I nick your blinds if you did change so drastically?