The poker gods; who are they and how do I get on their good side?
I think these poker gods we hear so much about around the felt rule with a more swift and mighty fist than any god the Christians or Muslims could conger up. I’ve prayed many times to these ‘poker gods’ in moments of weakness. Lately, just one in particular though. I call him Lou. Lou and I have an understanding.
As in any god-worshiper relationship, the higher power knows more, but I feel sufficiently knowledgeable as well...
I understand that poker is all about the long run, and realize that, in that long run - I will witness some amazing circumstances. For example, if I am dead to a one-outer on the river - I know unequivocally that I am staring 1% right in the eye. Now would be a situation that I would call up ol’ Lou.
“Lou! It’s me, I’ve got a situation here. I know that I’m screwed, I mean really dead here. But do I have to bust for this guy? Give me this one! Please, Please, Please !! I had good intentions - who would have thought he would hold onto J-9 off?”
Lou’s pretty predicable right about now. In this 1% situation, he gives it to the prick with the straight about 99 times out of 100. BUT - every so often, let’s call it 1% of the time…Lou gives it to me. Right when I need it the most, just as Mr. Jack-Nine reaches for the pot, BANG. My one-outer turns the tables and I prevail.
That right, the poker gods are big on the math. Perhaps it seems sometimes like the river rats rule the world and chasing straights to the river are sure things, rewarding every schmoe around me.
But I know Lou too well for that.
Just because a shocking river-flush for example, breaks my pocket aces I needn’t worry. It’s not the first time and sure as hell won’t be the last, but on the grand scale I will win more often for every bad beat in the same or similar situations. This session today, this week, this month, this year and next - overall the numbers are my god. They are the only real truth in a game of bluffs, tells, and tilts.
It’s nice sometimes to think that by hoping and praying for that one card in the deck to come out, that it will. But all my prayers will need to be filed appropriately with Lou’s secretary whereas they will be addressed in the order in which they’ve been received. And even then - Ol’ Swift Justice Lou will simply do the math and move onto the next hand.
-Delik
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Jekyll/Hyde Factor
Funny thing about these labels we attach to ourselves with such impermeable closeness that they become a permanent part of our identity. I’ve found in my travels that it is very important to know the distinct differences between them, (as well as their hybrids i.e. tight/aggressive, loose/passive), but moreso, it is important to not tattoo just one individual player-type or even some choice combination of player-type on your poker physique.
When I sit in at a table, be it cash game or tourney - I have no idea what kind of player I going to be.
I liken sitting at a poker table, especially in a tournament, to being on death row. A bunch of people - all shifty-eyed and twitchy. Some will smile to your face, while thinking of felting you before you can blink an eye. Some will just flat out growl at you. So here we have this interesting bunch stuck in the same small space together, nose to nose, just working to keep their time from running out. Doing all they can, every appeal if you will, to just double-up and go on. These ever changing, unexpected situations and personalities will all need to be treated differently.
Example:
I hate the jackasses that always seem to take a 50/100 blind to an All-In Bet by the flop every hand for half an hour. In this situation I just happen to be the tightest, most solid player you have ever seen. I’m going to be folding 99% of my starting hands.
Eventually though, one of two things will happen:
The aforementioned jackass just will bust out because of the law of averages and drift into the poker afterworld.. OR - I’ll run into AA, KK, or AKs and it will be me personally selling the ticket to the aforementioned jackass, to go off to the aforementioned poker afterworld! Still, knowing that my decisions have been limited to such a small scope - I have a lot of free time on my hands. Perhaps now would be a perfect time to work on my Tells.
Although this is one of my largest pet peeves, it also provides one of my greatest joys in life…watching these players go down.
And they do - every…single… time.
In Comparison, I played a tournament a week ago in which I was anything but tight. At a nice little live sit and go, forty players or so with a starting stack of 2k for a $100 buy-in. It was a Thursday night and I noticed immediately that a large majority of the players had come right from work. With drinks in hand the gabbed about politics and weather patterns. And you know what? They were really having fun.
Me too after all - they wouldn’t even defend a blind with the worry of getting kicked out of the little gabfest. I found that a ¾ to pot size bet would move them off everything. Additionally, when I was beat I knew it - quick and with low chip casualties. Throughout the first few levels of play I slowly ate up a large percentage of the each of my opponents stacks. Eliminating only 3 of 8 while leaving 5 others in all-in / fold situations. Now, as I sit back and change back over to tighter play - I’ll wait for the short stacks to knock out and move me into a money position very shortly. I’ll grab a few blinds with my newly formed tight image and take down some big pots with premium hands when the times are right.
Next stop final table… with a whole new scenario and more characters to meet.
Who do you think was a better poker player - Jekyll or Hyde?
When I sit in at a table, be it cash game or tourney - I have no idea what kind of player I going to be.
I liken sitting at a poker table, especially in a tournament, to being on death row. A bunch of people - all shifty-eyed and twitchy. Some will smile to your face, while thinking of felting you before you can blink an eye. Some will just flat out growl at you. So here we have this interesting bunch stuck in the same small space together, nose to nose, just working to keep their time from running out. Doing all they can, every appeal if you will, to just double-up and go on. These ever changing, unexpected situations and personalities will all need to be treated differently.
Example:
I hate the jackasses that always seem to take a 50/100 blind to an All-In Bet by the flop every hand for half an hour. In this situation I just happen to be the tightest, most solid player you have ever seen. I’m going to be folding 99% of my starting hands.
Eventually though, one of two things will happen:
The aforementioned jackass just will bust out because of the law of averages and drift into the poker afterworld.. OR - I’ll run into AA, KK, or AKs and it will be me personally selling the ticket to the aforementioned jackass, to go off to the aforementioned poker afterworld! Still, knowing that my decisions have been limited to such a small scope - I have a lot of free time on my hands. Perhaps now would be a perfect time to work on my Tells.
Although this is one of my largest pet peeves, it also provides one of my greatest joys in life…watching these players go down.
And they do - every…single… time.
In Comparison, I played a tournament a week ago in which I was anything but tight. At a nice little live sit and go, forty players or so with a starting stack of 2k for a $100 buy-in. It was a Thursday night and I noticed immediately that a large majority of the players had come right from work. With drinks in hand the gabbed about politics and weather patterns. And you know what? They were really having fun.
Me too after all - they wouldn’t even defend a blind with the worry of getting kicked out of the little gabfest. I found that a ¾ to pot size bet would move them off everything. Additionally, when I was beat I knew it - quick and with low chip casualties. Throughout the first few levels of play I slowly ate up a large percentage of the each of my opponents stacks. Eliminating only 3 of 8 while leaving 5 others in all-in / fold situations. Now, as I sit back and change back over to tighter play - I’ll wait for the short stacks to knock out and move me into a money position very shortly. I’ll grab a few blinds with my newly formed tight image and take down some big pots with premium hands when the times are right.
Next stop final table… with a whole new scenario and more characters to meet.
Who do you think was a better poker player - Jekyll or Hyde?
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Dirty Little Secret About Tells
New players are often wooed by the promise of riches when following the ill-contrived notion that 'tells' are the key to successful poker. Sounds kinda cool right? Just look over at your opponent and... Oh! He scratched his ear! All-In!!!
Sorry to break it to you; it just doesn't work like that.
If you do however, find yourself in the magnificent position of honestly being able to say to yourself, that you have a solid tell on a particular person - a real tell - it would be hours or perhaps sessions and sessions you will dedicate to studying, memorizing and comparing the slightest tick of each opponent until you feel you can rely on it... then-Enjoy every short and ever-fleeting second of that rare enjoyment. After all, despite all your work, an opponent could always be of the strategy for false-tells, waiting for the big hands to use your information against you... what then?
So why spend all your vital juices and brain energy watching every move, every player makes?
Easy answer: Don't.
The mere act of sitting at a table with anyone for an extended period of time will cause you to pick up on clues, mannerisms, and a general feel for the strength or more importantly - the weakness of their hand.
Let these subtle clues sink into your subconscious, where you may draw on them if and when you can. In the mean time, pay closer attention Betting Patterns or the Math and less attention to who's ear is the itchiest.
Wishing you Big Flops and Bigger Pots.
Delik James
Sorry to break it to you; it just doesn't work like that.
If you do however, find yourself in the magnificent position of honestly being able to say to yourself, that you have a solid tell on a particular person - a real tell - it would be hours or perhaps sessions and sessions you will dedicate to studying, memorizing and comparing the slightest tick of each opponent until you feel you can rely on it... then-Enjoy every short and ever-fleeting second of that rare enjoyment. After all, despite all your work, an opponent could always be of the strategy for false-tells, waiting for the big hands to use your information against you... what then?
So why spend all your vital juices and brain energy watching every move, every player makes?
Easy answer: Don't.
The mere act of sitting at a table with anyone for an extended period of time will cause you to pick up on clues, mannerisms, and a general feel for the strength or more importantly - the weakness of their hand.
Let these subtle clues sink into your subconscious, where you may draw on them if and when you can. In the mean time, pay closer attention Betting Patterns or the Math and less attention to who's ear is the itchiest.
Wishing you Big Flops and Bigger Pots.
Delik James
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