An Image Situation

I have been suffering from "poker tournament withdrawal" ever since that black day (May 24, 1989, "a day that will live in infamy") when they banned poker and all "charitable gambling" in Maryland. Prior to that date, I had been averaging about four local poker tournaments a week. Recently, since I'm often away from home and family playing professional bridge, I have been traveling to poker tournaments only several times a year.

The Tropicana in Atlantic City recently started having HOSE tournaments on Saturdays at 11 a.m. in addition to its weekly Friday hold'em tournament at 4:15 p.m. This "doubleheader" is a great incentive to many DC/Baltimore-area poker tournament fans to make the three-hour trek to Atlantic City for the weekend (and it would be even better if Amtrak would re-establish train service between Washington/Baltimore and Atlantic City). Recently, several ex-Maryland poker players and I drove over to the Baltimore Travel Plaza (free parking) and took a Greyhound bus the rest of the way (only $28 round trip and a $15 rebate upon arrival).

In the Friday $115 buy-in limit hold'em tournament, with two full tables remaining (nine players will "make the money"), I pick up "big slick" (A-K suited) in middle position. I am the chip leader at my table with about $8,000 (of $39,000 total in play; 78 players started), and the betting is at $300-$600. I raise it to $600. One of the better Atlantic City players ("Kerry," who consistently wins in the pot-limit hold'em game) cold calls; the blinds fold.

The flop comes 9-9-7. I bet $300, and he raises. Before asking what I should do now, allow me to specify that my opponent has undoubtedly noticed that I have been playing squeaky tight, and that one round earlier I had effectively trapped and checked-raised with pocket kings. Plan my play.

Based on only the above factual information (no "tells"), I formed a plan in my mind and called. The turn card was another 9. I checked, and he bet $600 (he had about $2,000 in chips remaining). What should I do?

Note that he did not reraise before the flop, which he probably would have done with a high pair (to pressure the blinds). And he would not fish in with a low pocket pair – especially being in a critical chip situation – but he might just call with a medium pair. There is no hand with which he could have a 9 and cold-call – although I might have a 9 as part of a "tactical raise." I thought he was most likely "pushing" an A-K or A-Q, which from his perspective might have me beat. So, I raised $600!

He thought about it for a while, then folded his pocket tens! All in all, especially considering his tenuous amount of chips, he probably made the "correct" play. It all depends on how likely it was that I was raising on a hand he could beat. From his perspective, it was highly unlikely that I would be raising without having him beat (and, of course, I might have beat him on the river). Note how these "image" considerations are important in determining what rates to be the best play.

Thus, the answer to the question "What would you do with this hand?" not only depends on what you think your opponent is doing, but also on what you think your opponent thinks you are doing (that is, you must consider your own image).

About two hours later, better knowledge of my opponent's tendencies might have kept me from falling victim to crafty Eddie Aronberg (who claims that he is "not a poker player," but an old-line Miami Beach gin player who also ran gin tournaments in Vegas). We had split first and second prize money and were finishing play for "braggin' rights" and $500. On the final hand, he trapped me nicely by not reraising with pocket queens (although I might have committed anyway with a K-J after flopping a jack).

On the following day (in the $130 buy-in HOSE tournament), I ended up with the "one-out-of-the-money blues," which I might have avoided. I had coasted along to the point where 10 players remained, five at each table, and we were playing hand by hand until one player was eliminated. The remaining nine players would be in the money and form the final table. In these situations, there is much to be said for "sitting on your chips," especially as opposed to getting involved with a "speculative" hand.

Playing hold'em, I picked up pocket tens on the button. An aggressive player in front of me made it $600. My thoughts immediately flashed back to the above hand with pocket tens. I am well aware that pocket tens is one of the most dangerous hands in hold'em. But, I had only about $2,000 in chips (the average stack size was about $4,000), and I would have to win a pot soon. So, I went for it; I made it $900.

The blinds folded, as planned, and the raiser called. Heads up, the flop came A-Q-J (yuck)! But there was hope. He checked. Maybe he would give it up! I bet and hoped. He raised! I folded, and was down to $800 (and hurting). In retrospect, maybe with my lower chip position, I might have just crawled in to see the flop (but then a blind might have crawled in also and flopped a high pair).

Two hands later, it was my $300 big blind. The third player raised, catching me with K-Q suited. Again, it seemed clear to go for it with only $500 remaining (and I might even have a better hand than his), but I lost to an A-9. I was the last "unpaid" player out – very frustrating.

At that point, I was tempted to simply console myself by saying, "Win some, lose some." Then I noted to myself that if I had held bad (unplayable) cards on those two hands, I probably would have made the final table. There may be a message here.