Copyright 2005 Full
Tilt Poker
October 24, 2005
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Lessons)
Poker Lesson: What I learned at
the WSOP
Author: Jay Greenspan
This past summer, I had the good fortune to cover
the World Series of Poker for PokerWire.com and Full Tilt Poker.
For six weeks, I watched world-class players ply their trade and,
in that time, I learned a ton about poker. What follows are three
lessons I learned from watching Full Tilt Poker's pros during
their long days of play.
Never Rush a Big Decision
Even in the top ranks of poker, there's a tendency
among players to act rashly and blurt out an action – "All
in!" or "I call!" – without having taken
nearly enough time to carefully consider the situation. Of course,
a player shouldn't delay while holding the nuts. But I was often
surprised to see the time the pros took to mull over situations
that seemed to have only one clear-cut action.
One of the best examples of this came in the final
hand of the WSOP's first event. Allen Cunningham was heads-up
with Scott Fischman. Fischman bet the flop of T-6-3 and Cunningham
raised. Fischman called, then checked the turn, a 4. Cunningham
made an aggressive bet, but Fischman then quickly check-raised
all-in. Cunningham stopped and thought. He had two-pair, 3s and
6s - a hand that usually requires a call in heads-up play. But,
he didn't rush the decision. After a few minutes of thought, he
called. When Fischman showed 4-5, it was clear that Cunningham
made the right choice. The river, an Ace, gave Cunningham the
pot and the bracelet.
I was impressed that after 13 hours and 300 hands
of play, Cunningham didn't automatically put his faith in a fairly
big hand. He took the time to stop and review the conditions in
their entirety. This sort of thoroughness is one reason the pros
are less likely to make big, costly mistakes.
Never Talk During Play
In one of the early WSOP tournaments, Mike Matusow
was playing very aggressively. He had a huge stack and used it
to bully the table. In one early orbit, he raised on the button.
The big blind re-raised all-in.
Mike had spent most of day chatting up the table.
He turned to the man and asked, "You gotta hand?"
The man replied, "Best hand I've seen in hours."
"Best hand in hours," Matusow echoed,
"That means you don't have Aces… I only have King-five,
but I think I have to call."
And Matusow was absolutely right. The big blind
had pocket 10s, and given the size of the pot, Matusow correctly
determined that with one over-card, he was getting the right price
to call the bet.
Through a seemingly vague and innocuous statement,
the big blind had given Matusow vital information, which he was
able to use to make the best possible decision.
The lesson here; when playing, keep your mouth shut
and don't do your opposition any favors.
Bet Your Hand
The great players – Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel,
Chris Ferguson, etc. – usually err on the side of aggression.
That is, they sometimes find themselves betting with hands that
are underdogs to win. But, in my time at the WSOP, I can't remember
a time when I saw a top pro miss a bet in a vital situation.
By contrast, many novice players in this year's
WSOP seemed determined to check-raise or slow play their hands.
They were trying to be tricky. But often, their failure to bet
was disastrous. Opponents were permitted to check down hands with
which they might have called bets, and others were allowed to
draw for free.
The best players are aggressive, and by following
their lead, you're less likely to make mistakes that could cost
you valuable chips.
We've all heard that poker is a game of skill rather
than luck, and watching the top pros play – either live
or on television – only proves the truth of that statement.
Watch how they act at the poker table, and it quickly becomes
clear why the same players consistently finish in the money. Follow
their examples, and it's a good bet that you'll pick up a few
tips that can improve your game.
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