Tampa Bay Poker Group

This may be a little RBT, but I'm gonna blog it anyway. I played a tournament recently in which winning the tourney did not offer life changing money, and cashing would be a matter of bragging rights only. Deepstack turbo tourney, slow at the beginning and fast at the end, not the preferred structure by any sense of the imagination. The LAG's are easy to spot as they push a lot of the action. They also usually wear their game on their sleave, just look at their shirt and figure out their hand. So I get into a hand with the LAG at the table.

Recently joining SpadeClub has been an experience, but I'm not sure it's for everyone, and I'm sure it's not for me. Playing with points, instead of dollars, makes it very hard to take the game seriously. It makes it very hard to think out decisions, play correct poker, correct position, reading betting patterns, opponents, using all the mechanics and tools of trade of the game I love and hate.

So I'm running bad. Really bad. It seems any game whether ring, sng, mtt.. whether hold 'em, omaha, or Monopoly Deal. I just can't win. Anything. Ever. Yeah I'm still steaming, and ready to take some time off from the game. I've passed over the idea presented by the "real" poker pro's, or Tampa's Angry Jacks poker pro's alike, but without giving it too much thought. Until now anway. Too addicted? Perhaps. Too stubborn?

Interesting read. Partial script taken from: "Easy Money" by David Apostolico, Card Player Magazine, May 7, 2008.

"...What happens, however, when you are the one on a rush? We tend to be aware of going on tilt when things go badly, but players can also go on tilt when things are coming too easily. Even a hardened player can start to feel an air of invincibility when sitting behind a mountain of chips.

Calling a raise preflop generally means facing a C bet. Whether you've hit the flop or not, and whether the PF raiser hit the flop or not, the C bet is often.. check that LIKELY.. going to be there. Consideration must be given to the size of the bet in relation to the pot, to decide whether to continue or fold, and whether or not you feel the PF raiser is capable of slowing down on the turn. Point is, expect it. Now what.

Here's what I've found has worked with good success, both online and live, AJ games excluded (since no one slows down, ever! lol):

Of interest, has anyone else found themselves more 'in tune' with opponents and their hands after you fold? Why is this? Fold, then catch the BB exhale and raise. Or the 'hand over the mouth' and/or holding breath bet on the river. Or the stare and bet. Or the overcall. Or the player who looks at his cards and immediately his chips. So why don't we always catch this info. while IN the hand?

Perhaps we spend too much time planning our next move, instead of observing?