Sometimes it's possible to think too much.

Last night at The Nuts Poker we were still on the first blind level and I was dealt A-3. I made my standard raise and everyone folded except the short stack who called. The flop came down with an ace, at which point I checked and the short stack went all in.

My instinct was to fold - I had a bad kicker and and no flush draw. My stack was far from huge so I really couldn't afford to throw chips at a bad ace.

Still, it was a decent pot so I stopped to think. And managed to convince myself that this was a desperate last-ditch bluff by the short stack, representing the Ace when he only had one person to fool. If he'd really had anything he'd have gone all-in pre-flop. He was probably on random paint like K-J.

That analysis fitted my observation of him so far. Perhaps more importantly it gave me the answer I subconsciously wanted. So I called.

I should have trusted my instincts - he showed A-10 for a better pair.

As it happened I got lucky: a 3 on the river saved me. I felt genuinely embarrassed at putting my opponent out. Still, I paid for it later in the evening when an A-J I was convinced was sound ran smack into A-A. That left me short stacked and I never recovered.

So today's note to self: think hard - but trust your instincts.

Labels: improving my game, nuts, poker

If you play online poker tournaments - multi-table or sit 'n' go - for any length of time you'll come across "Double or Done" (DorD) players. So what is "Double or Done"?

"D or D" could also stand for "Do or Die". It's a strategy for no-limit, no-rebuy tourneys that involves pushing all your money into an early big pot on a coin flip hand. If you lose you're out. But if you win... you've doubled up early, giving you a big advantage for the rest of the game.

My immediate reaction to this is very negative. For a start I don't like that sort of playing style, either in my opponents or myself. I'm also not convinced the maths adds up - it fails to take into account the entrance fee for the tourney. You'd have to play twice as many tournaments to get the same expected result, costing you twice as much in entry fees.

On second thoughts, maybe there is something to it. Tournament structure means that only a minority of players end in the money, the rest get paid nothing. If for example it's choice of four tournaments where you do well and just miss the money, or eight tournaments where you make the final table, then the latter is probably a better financial proposition. Even taking into account the entry fees, perhaps it does work.

There's also the time factor. If you're going to end up with nothing, better to find out before investing a couple of hours of time that could be more profitably spent elsewhere. If time is money then playing a tourney for three hours and going out on the bubble is expensive.

So part of me thinks that maybe there really is something in DorD poker. As of yet I haven't tried it. Even if it does make financial sense (I'm still not convinced) it's simply not the sort of game I want to play. My main motive for playing poker is fun.

On the other hand, there are bills to be paid...

Labels: glossary, poker, strategy

"Don't Go Broke With One Pair" is a line I came across in Phil Gordon's excellent Little Green Book. It's a simple piece of advice that's saved my bacon many times.

A pair is a great hand to be dealt pre-flop, but it can also be a trap. With a decent pair it's easy to get carried away and convince yourself that you've got the best hand. After all, you've been dealt pocket Kings or Aces how could you possibly lose? Especially against that harmless looking rainbow flop.

So you keep shovelling money into the pot, ignoring all the danger signs. Only to find that your opponent actually flopped two pair or hit a straight on the river. Your high pair is beat.

Sound familiar? It is to me, I've lost a lot of chips that way.

Now any time I have a pair - especially a big pair - I make a point of stopping and thinking twice before putting in significant money. Even with pocket rockets.

I think even harder about going all-in. If my opponent makes a bet that'll push me all-in, or close, do I really want to risk it with just one pair?

Pre-flop? If my pair's big enough. After missing the turn? Perhaps. After missing the river? Only if I'm really, really sure. Which is rarely.

Learning when to throw away a pair has saved me a lot of money.

Labels: improving my game