Head Games: You’re So Money. Now What?

Sometimes it’s hard to get a straight answer from a professional poker player. Ask three players a question and you’re liable to get three different answers. Why? Because. It depends: on the situation, opponent, stack sizes, table image, tilt, metagame, etcetera.

Head Games will peer deep inside the twisted minds of today’s top players. We’ll reveal why they do what they do in sticky situations, especially when it comes down to making a critical decision for a major tournament title or calling a check-raise all-in on the river holding only ace-high for a $500,000 pot. Let the games begin.

The Pros: Ty Reiman, Steven Merrifield, and Ben Wilinofsky

Craig Tapscott: What kinds of adjustments do you make in your game and why, after the money bubble has burst?

Ty Reiman: Once we’re in the money I don’t open as much because people are reshoving a wider range now that they are guaranteed cash. I think people start to really focus once they are in the money because every little bit of information can be huge when it comes to making a decision for your tournament life. I tend to get into more wars towards the end of a tournament and play big pots with the chipleaders because I like to try and take the roll as table captain. If I’m towards the top of the leaderboard I play even more aggressive and really try to put pressure on my opponents.

Steven Merrifield: I would say the easiest and most obvious answer is that my calling ranges vs. short stacks definitely opens up once the bubble has burst. Most of the short stacks (generally fewer than 25 big blinds depending on the structure) will have been desperately holding on to make the money. Then, once the bubble has burst, these short stacks will be shoving a ton more hands and the number of these short stacks at my table determines how much my play changes. I will often tighten up my opening range in the first level or so after the bubble bursts to re-establish a tight image at my table. I will have more than likely been hammering the short stacks during the bubble, and they will be much more apt to re-shove on me. My table image is a major factor in determining if I will change gears once the bubble bursts. If I have a solid image, I may open up after the bubble bursts. Sometimes players get very relaxed and they begin to play poorly. I will open up and try to play pots vs. these opponents. Some recreational players will feel a sense of accomplishment upon cashing and get out of the zone they were in. Some may become stations, others may try to pull bad bluffs because of the “at least I cashed mentality”. In conclusion, I will either tighten up or open up my game after the bubble bursts. The number of short stacks at my table, my image, and table strength are the factors that determine how I change gears.

Ben Wilinofsky: I think the kind of adjustments you need to make after the bubble bursts are very table dependent. At tables with lots of people who have been avoiding confrontations in order to make the money, there will be an effect where people who have been inactive for a long time and are also short-stacked are ready to go with a hand. These are also the tables where it’s correct to be raising a lot before the bubble bursts, so I will usually have a very active image. The combination of these two factors means people are going to be getting chips in very light against me right after the bubble bursts, so it’s correct for me to tighten up a lot. At other tables, where there are a lot of tough players trying to remain active on the bubble and attack the weaker spots at the table, the dynamic is very different, and harder to predict. It depends on how the chips have been flowing prior to the bubble bursting, but basically the players who have been accumulating chips will have more momentum, which is basically something like perceived toughness combined with confidence. When someone has momentum, they will be more active and tougher to play against. It’s a psychological thing that plays both ways, but it’s very important to be aware of.

Craig Tapscott: At the final table how do you use the pay jumps to your advantage? And how does your position and stack size affect any strategy you employ in that regard?

Ty Reiman: Whenever your down to the final two tables things get a lot more serious and people start paying attention to the pay jumps. If you are at the right table with chips you can really open your game up because people are less likely to make a play or bluff you being that everyone is so close to the final table. Position is everything when it comes down to the final few tables. If you have chips but have a couple of good players behind you with re-shove stacks, they can make your life a living hell because they will just continue to shove over your opens because they know you’re opening light.

Steven Merrifield: At almost every final table, there usually are players that are trying to move up the pay scale without risking any chips. Once identified, I will try to hammer these opponents by opening more, but calling them tighter. Table strength is the most important factor determining my final table play. At softer final tables, I will play very aggressive but safe when it comes to taking high-risk lines for a high percentage of my stack. I will try to hammer the weak opponents and not risk large portions of my stack on high-risk plays. At tough final tables, I will be more likely to take a high-risk line because the percentage of times I can win the tournament with solid play is much lower. Those strategy approaches are both under the assumption that I am comfortably stacked. I almost employ an opposite strategy if I’m short-stacked at a final table. If I am at a soft final table, I will be shoving my short stack more often because I generally will get called less. When short-stacked at a tough final table, tight is sometimes right. Opponents will be calling with correct ranges and I will be playing solid hoping to find a good spot and regain traction. At final tables, I am constantly evaluating how each decision will affect my likelihood of winning the tournament.

Ben Wilinofsky: At big final tables where the money might be life-changing, be aware of anyone who is desperate to move up the money ladder and apply lots of pressure to their stack, especially in spots where their range of really strong hands is limited or when there is an extremely short stack at the table that they are waiting to bust first.

Positionally, you need to be aware of the stack sizes to your left, and how willing they are to get chips in before and after the flop. This is going to be the first tool in determining how much you can open pots at the table. With big stacks that are capable and aggressive on your left, you will have to tighten up preflop. Similarly, with short stacks that are capable and aggressive and who will jam over your opens a lot if you open too light, you’ll have to tighten up. The deeper the stacks of less aggressive, less competent opposition, the more you can open wide and get involved in more pots. If the good aggressive players are stuck at awkward stack sizes and are aware of how bad it is for them to bust before the other stacks, you can open a few more pots. As a shorter stack, keep an eye on any players that are too willing to get chips in. There may not be much glory in it, but there’s a lot of money to be made by passing on marginal spots to accumulate chips in order to move up the pay ladder. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. ♠