Winning Wisdom

At only 27 years old, Gavin Griffin already holds one of the most impressive collections of poker's most prestigious titles. The former poker dealer won the $3,000 buy-in pot-limit hold'em event at the 2004 World Series of Poker, a win that, at the time, bestowed upon him the record as the youngest bracelet winner in history. Since then, he has accumulated more than $4.5 million in live tournament winnings, and made history again by winning the European Poker Tour Grand Final Championship, which boasted the biggest prize pool in EPT history, more than $2.4 million. Griffin continued his quest for major titles at the 2008 World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Classic, where he snagged a triple crown by winning the coveted WPT title and the $1.4 million first-place prize.

Now, Card Player is giving its readers a chance to send questions directly to the poker prodigy.

Poker fans can send Griffin their questions to [email protected]. The questions can be about anything from poker strategy to his opinions on certain aspects of poker or his life as a poker pro traveling the circuit. The best questions will be answered by Griffin and published in Card Player. If your question makes it into print, we'll send you a free Card Player T-shirt.

To LAG or Not to LAG … That is the Question

Hi, Gavin:

I've been playing for a few years now. Influenced by the Harrington books, I was a tight-aggressive player in both cash and tournament play for my first couple of years. In the past year or so, I've loosened up my ring play to be much more loose-aggressive (LAG), and my profits have soared because of it. I still can't seem to bring myself to make the transition to a LAG style in my tournament game. I assume that playing more of a LAG style should produce better results for the same reason that it works in a ring game.

That said, here's my question: Do you recommend playing loose-aggressive throughout a tournament, or do you play a lot tighter in the beginning and/or other stages of a tournament?

- Ron

This is a really good question, Ron. There are several factors involved in figuring out if you should play that tight-aggressive style (TAG) or loose-aggressive (LAG), and when/if you should change between them throughout a tournament. First of all, if your opponents aren't paying attention to what is going on, it isn't really necessary to change your style, because the effect will be lost on them.

Second, let's look at some of the reasons or situations in which you should play a TAG style:

1. The beginning of a long, well-structured tournament, like any main event these days. This is a good time to figure out how your opponents are playing and set up an image for yourself. If you start off playing loose, you lose a bit of an edge when your aggression is more valuable, like when you have a lot of chips or the antes kick in.

2. When you have 20-35 big blinds. This is a weird stack size for a lot of people. When you have 5-15 big blinds, you can move in when you are first in with a wide range of hands. When you have 12-20 big blinds, you can liberally move in on a normal preflop raise without severely overbetting the pot, while still having plenty of fold equity. However, when you are in the 20-35 big blinds range, you have enough chips to call and see flops, but you have to be fairly committed to getting your chips in on favorable boards, so your hand has to be strong enough to win in a showdown.

Finally, here are some situations in which being a LAG is appropriate:

1. Early in a moderate to poorly structured tournament. In these tournaments, you have to build chips early and increase your stack at a high rate in order to have a chance. The best way to build chips is to put the pressure on other players, especially those who seem to be playing tight. Don't be afraid to commit chips preflop when you are in a coin-flip situation, or after the flop when you have a big draw.

2. When the antes kick in. If you've been cultivating a tight image up to this point, the antes are a great incentive to up your pressure level. Here's an example: In World Series events, the blinds go from 100-200 to 100-200 with a 25 ante. If the table is ninehanded, there is another 225 in the pot. Every time you win the blinds and antes, you have increased your stack by 75 percent more than you would have the round before.

3. On a significant bubble. This is one of my favorite times in tournament poker. The bubble in big buy-in tournaments is severe, and can be exploited considerably. One of the best examples I've ever seen of this was Peter Feldman at the World Series of Poker Circuit event in Rincon last year. He was raising 90 percent of the hands for the two hours we were on the bubble, and nobody except me was playing back at him. He often raised without looking, and everybody at the table knew it. It was an impressive display, and it helped propel Peter to the title in that tournament.

Just remember, Ron, that the best way to know if a LAG or TAG approach is appropriate is to pay attention to the situation you are in and your opponents' mindsets. Good luck!

Chip Accumulation Strategy

Gavin:

This is Jeff Early from Fort Worth. We used to play in that small limit game back in the day. Congrats on the huge success. I have worked my way to become a winning live $5-$10 player, and play in the smaller events at the World Series every year. I always seem to get ahead in those big tournaments, but aggressive players with more chips than I have always outflop me or catch their draws to eliminate me. Do you use the technique of reraising with marginal hands and flat-out bullying people to acquire chips in the middle stages of tournaments? It seems that this gives these ultra-aggressive players a huge edge later in tournaments, in that they can lose hands later and not be eliminated. Congrats again, and I hope to see you at the World Series this year.

- Jeff E.

Hi, Jeff:

I don't often reraise before the flop with marginal hands in the middle stages; I prefer to see flops and play from there. That said, accumulating chips by playing in marginal situations is a key part of winning tournaments. If I get a lot of chips in on a semibluff with top pair and a gutshot, or an overcard and a flush draw, and get there, those chips are going to help me in the later stages because, as you said, I won't be the one at risk when the money goes in. The other reason that these situations are so profitable is that the other player might fold. If I can win the pot without a showdown, that is obviously so much better, because I don't have to actually risk the chips on a draw to build a stack. Finally, the people who are playing in a lot of tournaments throughout the year also have an advantage, because there is always another tournament. There are more than 50 events at this year's World Series, and countless other large buy-in, large prize-pool tournaments, so if you bust out today, you can always play the next one. Good luck at the World Series, Jeff!

Acting Like a Professional

Gavin:

What is the most misunderstood aspect of poker among amateurs? Is it position, betting amount, reading opponents, or something else?

- Brian, Phoenix, Arizona

Hi, Brian:

I think the most misunderstood aspect of poker among amateurs is that poker is a game and it is supposed to be fun. Too many people take the game way too seriously. It's a social game that encourages interaction, and should be treated as such. There is no reason to berate someone for making a bad play or rub it in when you win a pot. Smile, laugh, and treat others like you want to be treated while you are playing. I sometimes lose sight of this fact myself, especially when things are going bad, but I always try to catch myself and correct it. Yes, it's great to win, and it's more fun when you are winning, but learning to lose and win like a gentleman will go a long way toward helping you enjoy the game. And here's one more thing: Do you think bad players like it when the game is super serious and nobody is having any fun? The more fun they are having, the better the chance they will come back and continue losing! Good luck, Brian, and, of course, have fun!

Visit Gavin's website at www.gavingriffin.net.