Copyright 2006 Full
Tilt Poker
March 20, 2006
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Poker Lessons)
Poker Lesson: Back to Basics
Author: David Grey
I play in some of the biggest cash games in the
world. Usually, these games are loaded with pros - folks who know
the intricacies and advanced strategies of pretty much every poker
game. We normally play a mix of games that can include Hold
‘em, 7-Stud,
Omaha,
and one or more of the Hi/Lo
variations. Most of the time, we play with a fixed-limit betting
structure.
In a recent session, I had a stretch where I was
pretty card dead, so I spent most of my time folding. To my knowledgeable
opponents, it must have appeared that I was playing especially
tight. Then in a game of 7-Stud, I was dealt an Ace as my up-card.
The bring-in bet had been raised and I re-raised.
Then, two top-rate pros with no more than their
antes in the pot called my re-raise. There are only a couple of
hands that might justify their calls. However, as the hand proceeded
with me as the aggressor, it became clear that the callers of
my third-street re-raise didn't have much at all. One held three
unconnected hearts, the other had a middle pair with no kicker.
What were these guys thinking? It's hard to know,
but my guess is that one of them let his desire to gamble get
the better of him. Though that can pay dividends in well-chosen
spots, this wasn't one of them. The other might have thought he
could outplay me later in the hand.
In the end, neither of their strategies makes much
sense. I made it expensive enough that it was a lousy spot to
gamble, and given that I've declared that I have a pair of aces,
there's little chance that I'm going to get bluffed out of the
pot.
I think this hand highlights a couple of the mental
traps that sometimes snag advanced players. As players improve,
they inevitably see more opportunities for profit, and thus, see
potential in a greater number of hands. But it's a slippery slope,
and a player can easily lose the long view and convince himself
that he can make any starting hand work out.
This just isn't the case - especially when playing
fixed-limit games. Even at the highest levels, profitability in
limit poker is largely determined by a player's ability to choose
the right starting hands. If you fail in this regard or somehow
lose your discipline, it's nearly impossible to recover. Fancy
plays and good decisions on later streets cannot overcome early-hand
mistakes. If you're throwing money into a pot when you shouldn't,
you're going to lose money. There's no way around it.
If you find yourself in a stretch where things aren't
going especially well, take a step back and make sure your hand
selection is all it ought to be. Review the previous tips from
the other Full Tilt Poker pros. Jennifer Harman has written on
hand selection in Stud-8, Omaha-8, Razz, and Perry Friedman has
written about third street decisions in 7-Stud.
Always remember that in limit poker, hand selection
is the foundation for your entire game. You can't build a solid
game on a weak foundation.
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