Patience is a virtue - so is value calling
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 02:39Evening all and first off I'd like to wish all of you a happy new year and hope that 2009 brings us all more luck and less astonishing bad beats!
Paid a visit to the casino for some $2/$3 NLHE with a couple of friends and would like to share with you some more observations.
I have discovered that with confidence in this game, there is another element that without it, confidence can turn into arrogance and a loss of your once large stack. You it is one thing to be in that zone and getting the cards you need, flopping the nuts and exploiting your opponents, whether it be by skill through reading them or just going through one of those runs where you can't miss a flop. That is patience.
Patience is something that every player needs, and that was confirmed for me yesterday.
For example I had sat down for two hours and not played too many hands. The reason being that my table kept having new players sit down with the standard buy-in and the game was lacking flow and consistency. Finally I looked down at pocket Jacks and thought about the best way to play the hand. In late position and with three callers, I made a raise to $15, hoping I could entice one player into the pot. Two folded, and the short stack shoved for $60. I figured with my hand that I was more than likely ahead and made the call.
The last thing you want to see with two Jacks is what? Yep, two Queens and that's what he rolled out. The board ran smoothly for my opponent and he doubled up.
12 months ago I would have scolded myself and any higher power and my lack of luck. Then I thought about it again and realised that in the long run, it was probably a good call.
Four hands later I picked up JJ again. Three players called my $12 raise and saw a flop of 4 5 7. Check, check, and on the button I put in $25 hoping to take it down. One called and I had hoped he had something like AK, but if an 8 or 3 came, I could probably get away with it without losing too much if he shoved. The turn was a 6. At the time I figured it wasn't the worst card. A check, and I bet out $50 and try and end if once and for all. After about a minute, my opponent shoves his stack of about $130. An aura of frustration filled my head as I tried to analyse the hand. What could he have? Was he really play for a gutshot with something like 7 8 suited, or 8 9 suited and tried to get really lucky? I told my opponent that I was holding Jacks, and he nodded his head, not giving too much away.
I layed down the Jacks after he agreed to show me his cards if I folded. He flipped over pocket 6s, and the table applauded my lay-down. The frustration moved away, and confidence was restored. Again, a long time ago I may not have layed that down.
A couple more hours passed and my stack went up and down until I was left with a little under half of my starting stack. I moved tables to join a mate and first up looked down at J 9. The dealer asked me for a $5 time charge which I was going to argue as I had just paid it at my previous tables, but due to the casino rules I had to pay it again. I guess it tilted me slightly and I raised in early position to $14. One called on the opposite side and the flop came out J 5 2 with a couple spades. I checked and he bet $30 and I shoved my stack. He insta-called and I assumed he had an overpair and I was on my way home. The board ran out and I flipped my cards and began to stand up... when he mucked and uttered that he missed his flush. Stack restored.
A few hands later, my friend sitting next to me was down to $25 and I was trying to help him double up. I raised blind to $25 and he called, and the player from the previous hand called too, to which I asked him if he wanted to check it all the way down. He replied with 'No, I play to win', and I said fair enough. The rest of the table shook their heads. I peeked at my cards and found pocket 4s. The flop came out with K J 4. Good times for me, not so much for my mate, as if he had won the hand, I would've mucked my cards. I checked and acted like I missed, and he bet out $50, but quickly I shoved my whole stack in and told him he should have checked it down. He thought about it and threw his hand away, but I had him on tilt for the rest of the session.
I took the pot and gave my friend some money to play blackjack with. Later on I slowplayed pocket Aces on a very friendly board to collect a $150 pot from two other players. Getting a little tired after very little sleep, I declared that my last hand was this one. On the button I stared at a 2 6 of clubs. Six players called a $15 pre-flop raise from UTG, and I figured that being up double what I started with, I could call and see what would come up. Just my luck, it came 2 2 3. Cutting it short, I began stacking up my chips to show that I was leaving, and the unlucky player sitting two spots to my right raised to $80. Jackpot. How to play this... he had about $50 left and I wanted to get another player in with me. UTG looked like he had a hand, perhaps QQ or KK... so I made it out as if I had a flush draw and said 'all in'. UTG said 'this hand is just too weird so I'm going to let you two dance', and he layed it down. The bettor put all his chips in and I flipped my cards over. To his astonishment he saw my starting hand and began rambling. The board ran out and he mucked his cards. He said he had a flush draw but I doubt it. Perhaps a tilted shove with 6s or 7s.
Value-calling. Never under-estimate it. If you're in a good position close to the button, the worst thing that can happen is you lose a few dollars. The best thing is you catch out someone who believed that there is no way you could play a 2 6 suited, or anything like that with all those callers in front of you. It's a fantastic way to win big pots. Yes you need some luck, but money is money friends.
To all of you once again have a great new year and I will see you in 2009!
Comments
I have a problem with this:
"A few hands later, my friend sitting next to me was down to $25 and I was trying to help him double up. I raised blind to $25 and he called, and the player from the previous hand called too, to which I asked him if he wanted to check it all the way down. He replied with 'No, I play to win', and I said fair enough. The rest of the table shook their heads. I peeked at my cards and found pocket 4s. The flop came out with K J 4. Good times for me, not so much for my mate, as if he had won the hand, I would've mucked my cards. I checked and acted like I missed, and he bet out $50, but quickly I shoved my whole stack in and told him he should have checked it down. He thought about it and threw his hand away, but I had him on tilt for the rest of the session."
Wrong on so many levels.
Also, the quote under your name (at the top of the page) makes no sense.
Sincerely,
LR
I see you've fixed the quote at the top of your page. WTG.
Now please explain your unethical behavior as described in your blog post above.
How exactly were you planning to "help your friend double up?"
Also, you do understand that asking another player to "check it down" is illegal? It is a form of collusion and collusion is against the rules at any casino, at online poker sites, as well as good old home games.
Your thoughts?
Best wishes,
LR
LR,
Thanks for you comments.
After playing the hand I did realise that some of the play was perhaps unethical and against the rules. I suppose in trying to get heads up with someone I know to give them a chance of doubling up is UNETHICAL, though not against the rules.
Your statement about asking a player to check down to the river, however, I don't understand how this is against the rules. I have heard it many times at casinos and never heard a dealer or another player say anything against it. Theoretically speaking, it is like clicking the CHECK box in advance on an online site, is it not?
Shouldn't it be common courtesy though?
Pardon my ignorance!
MrAvvy
Mr A,
Here's a portion of "Robert's Rules of Poker" that speaks to proper poker etiquette. Bear in mind that every casino, online site and all tournaments may have variations on the theme.
The following actions are improper, and grounds for warning, suspending, or barring a violator:
• Deliberately acting out of turn.
• Deliberately splashing chips into the pot.
• Agreeing to check a hand out when a third player is all-in.
• Reading a hand for another player at the showdown before it has been placed faceup on the table.
• Telling anyone to turn a hand faceup at the showdown.
• Revealing the contents of a live hand in a multihanded pot before the betting is complete. Revealing the contents of a folded hand before the betting is complete. Do not divulge the contents of a hand during a deal even to someone not in the pot, so you do not leave any possibility of the information being transmitted to an active player.
• Needlessly stalling the action of a game.
• Deliberately discarding hands away from the muck. Cards should be released in a low line of flight, at a moderate rate of speed (not at the dealer's hands or chip-rack).
• Stacking chips in a manner that interferes with dealing or viewing cards.
• Making statements or taking action that could unfairly influence the course of play, whether or not the offender is involved in the pot.
• Using a cell phone at the table.
Many times players will "check it down" but this must happen w/o any communication beforehand that serves to establish an agreement between both players to actually, "check it down".
It's always a grey area in poker, as are many other "rules". Collusion and the discussing of hands while the hand is still in play are always argued over and filled with controversy, depending upon how you view and interpret the rules. Poker ain't for the faint of heart, for sure.
(I feel a new blog entry coming soon that discusses this strange and oft debated part of the game.)
Hope that helps.
The value call is a great weapon to felt your opponent with. You can't do it all the time but when it works, you're opponent will be so lost in the hand that his stack will become your stack.