Got a poker question, Ask Biz (and Dreilly when he's in)

[bizwzubi]

Hey Wassers', new and old,

With the recent influx of poker questions, I thought I'd bring back the old Q & A area Dreilly started way back when (and I co-opted).

This is a place for any questions, poker related, you are seeking advice and answers on. No poker subject is taboo, and all the answers come free of charge.

I think my advice is sound and worthy (and evidently Wassers' did too in 2007). I included Dreilly without asking because he has some good input as well, and it just wouldn't be right not to include the fellow who started the first one.

So shoot me your queeries, I usually have a computer around, so the answers should come back fairly quickly.

[crazyfish3r]

Alright as a old member who do comback here at Wass, i start of. I played for 3 years so i got alot of knowledge and i mainly play NLHE. I have a question of ur thoughts about tournaments final table.

i got no problem with early,mid,bubble. but some questions about how u play the final table. You played for 3 hours and u got around avg stack att the table. 9players left and u are itm etc.
I know all depends on avg stacks, blinds, reads and all of that stuff duo poker is situation based. But most ppl have an plan or at least some tactic going into the final table. so any tip's or any tactic for that mather is welcome.

ps: sry for the spelling.

[bizwzubi]

Thanks crazy,

You should have a plan, but just like your play, it should never be the same plan every time, nor does it need to be adhered to.

When getting to a final table in a Wass game, I look at who is on that table and the notes I have on those players, it helps me determine where and when I am going to attack the table, more so than any cards I might be dealt.

If it is a table of unknown players, I'll resort to attacking the table more in late positions or solid pockets and try to get a read on players as quickly as I possibly can by paying close attention to the first round or two of the table. If I'm pretty confident I'm making the final table, I start paying attention to the other tables whenever possible to start developing those reads.

As always, being aggressive at the tables whenever you can is a good plan, whether it's position, cards, or player, push when you feel the advantage.

An average stack can actually be a nice position on the final table as the short stacks have to get choosy and pick a time to push and too many big stacks will either sit back and let the short stacks knock each other out or ignore the odds and try to eat them up with big stack poker.

As an average stack you have the luxury of enough chips to make a bully think twice about getting involved and enough to make the short stacks pick something better than an Ace-rag to go all-in with.

All-in-all, the goal should be to maintain or improve your position as an average stack as each player drops off the final table, this way when it gets down to the last two or three players you won't be the player with a chip disadvantage.

Just don't get too anxious if you drop below average stack or too aggressive when you catch a windfall, stay smart on the table, every pot on a final table has the ability to completely change the scope of the game.

If there is one key "tactic", it's the awareness you utilize to develop and adapt your tactics, keep your head in the game and you'll likely keep your chips in the game, get inside the head of your opponents and you'll get your opponents chips, but take your focus off the table once...

Hope that helps,

Biz

[clare1982]

Hi biz

I was a huge fan of the original thread.

Ok here's my question:

What should one do when a particular poker site hates them?

[welshy77]

Originally Posted by clare1982

Hi biz

I was a huge fan of the original thread.

Ok here's my question:

What should one do when a particular poker site hates them?

If you didnt play like a donk you may just win then

[clare1982]

Or maybe if I play like a donk I may just win

[bizwzubi]

Hey clare, I didn't give up, I changed my bankrolling, not that I have much online bankroll, and am attempting to play my way through it. This keeps me looking into new and different options, and gathering more and more information that only helps out later on.

I also stress my preperation. I try to get a mental fix on how the game is going to go, dig into as much of my player notes as possible, and set on a course of play I can believe in.

I have also played on another network that I perceive to have more "professional" play at, a bit more than I usually do, just to keep a perspective on where my play level really is at.

I'm still going to play WassPoker (just guessing this is the site you refer to, lol), I'm loyal, but I've had to make more adjustments lately than normal.

And Jupi, as far as my secret thread (secret answer), I've put allot of intel on what to do in these situations on the forum in the past. Just gotta dig up some old nuggets.

[clare1982]

Thanks biz

What a brilliant reply, you never fail to amaze me with your knowledge

p.s. yes the site I was referring too was Wass poker...how did you guess? lol

[clare1982]

Ok Biz

I do have another question it is a bit more serious this time .

When I am playing a freeroll or a tournament and no-one knows me I generaly play in a loose aggressive style, and I find myself placing in the money more often than not.

But when I am playing a more important tournament or one that means a lot to me ( like say the BRL for example), I find myself playing really tight and I can easily get bluffed out of big pots, and I nearly always fold the winning hand because I am constantly doubting myself.

I really want to play these more important tournaments using the loose aggresive style that so often gets me better results, but how do I get over my fears of going out too early?

[bizwzubi]

Originally Posted by clare1982

Ok Biz

I do have another question it is a bit more serious this time .

When I am playing a freeroll or a tournament and no-one knows me I generaly play in a loose aggressive style, and I find myself placing in the money more often than not.

But when I am playing a more important tournament or one that means a lot to me ( like say the BRL for example), I find myself playing really tight and I can easily get bluffed out of big pots, and I nearly always fold the winning hand because I am constantly doubting myself.

I really want to play these more important tournaments using the loose aggresive style that so often gets me better results, but how do I get over my fears of going out too early?

First thing that came to mind, don't limit yourself to one style in any game, you should be flexible and adaptive, especially when you seem to be on the down side of a game.

But I get a feeling this is a question more about style preferences and why they may be more successful or less successful.

Loose Agressive is not a bad idea when facing a table full of new faces, as the first tendency for most new player meetings is to tighten up and judge the play, then attack. The few other players that are playing against you with the same style will have to make their own judgment call, and it usually winds up first bet or first caught takes the pot. This may be why you find some success in these new games.

As far as the games where you know your opponents, my feeling is they likely have you pinned on a particular and tight style. This constricts your success in two manners, first not playing enough hands to build up a chipstack for the latter stages and secondly not getting called when you do play because your table image says you probably have a hand.

So my advice would be to shift gears on your less successful game. Throw in a couple bluff and shows to make your opponents think you have changed your style, erratically shift your betting sizes and patterns even if your style hasn't changed, or even stretch a couple suckout chases to help stall your oppositions best attack of raising anything against you.

But beware, this can't happen overnight, it sounds like you're gonna have to invest a couple games into changing your table image and it may be a frustrating first few games back.

Lastly, the mental preparation part. Tightening up is an instinctive bankroll protection habit, whether you have the bankroll or not, whether the game has a heavy cost or not. Something has you thinking you have to make the money.

There are two ways to combat this. Go into the game thinking I don't need to make the payouts or go into the game thinking this doesn't cost me anything. Whichever makes you more mentally freed up to play the game you want without going to far over and playing it as if you plan to go to bed in 5 minutes.

The key is to combat whatever mental trigger makes you run to a default mode of tight survival play. To be perfectly honest, it could be something as simple as not wanting to look like a fool in front of your friends, whatever it is, you're gonna have to figure it out and then prepare yourself before each of the games.

Hope that helps, Biz.