Capture The Flag: Robert Salaburu

Rob Salaburu is a young poker professional from Texas who just had the best year of his life on the felt. The former $5-$10 grinder made the final table of the World Series of Poker main event, finishing in eighth for nearly $1 million.

Salaburu was one of the more colorful personalities at the tables near the end of the tournament, showcased by some hands which aired on national TV. He wanted to win the whole thing, but still managed to make a name for himself in the game and build his bankroll.

He’s still a cash game player by nature and will continue to play those games despite his tournament success. Card Player caught up with Salaburu for an update on where he’s at and for some no-limit hold’em strategy tips.

Brian Pempus: What have you been up to since the final table? Have you been playing any cards or did you take a break?

Robert Salaburu: I have played a bit online. I went down to Mexico for the [Full Tilt Online Poker Series]. I also played a WPT event in Jacksonville and a decent amount of cash, but far from grinding.

BP: What has it been like playing cash after the final table? Does it feel any different?

RS: Getting invited to some higher-stakes games has been a cool experience for sure, and not being worried about losing is a nice feeling.

BP: Are private games sort of where a lot of the money is at these days in the cash game world? It seems like some casino poker rooms have dried up.

RS: I definitely agree with that. Casino games are pretty boring except if there is a tournament stop in town. Home games are where there’s some money. This usually means rich businessmen who play for fun. Sure, they might know what they are doing, but a lot more gambling takes place and plenty of action is given, which allows for huge pots.

BP: Do you adjust your play against people who have a lot of gamble in them and lots of money to spend (as in the “rich businessmen” example)?

RS: Yes, these guys can break your spirit at times. I tighten up my game a bit preflop in multi-way pots, and I try to isolate a lot in position versus the weaker fish. Even though they give a lot of action they are playing a game where anyone can wake up with a hand. So I have to balance myself all the time. I tend to pay them off, which is a leak I need to fix.

BP: So a lot of squeezing? Is that something you would recommend to less experienced players or is it definitely a more advanced concept?

RS: Practice makes perfect. Every concept is advanced if you haven’t tried it. Squeezing out of position is a tough concept. I feel I stay away from that in cash and use it a lot in tournaments, especially versus guys who never fold.

BP: When people squeeze from out of position, is their range normally pretty polarized? They either have their premium hands or their junk?

RS: It’s player dependent for sure. But, yes, that tends to be the case — usually weighted towards premiums, though. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling for most, and people don’t like to leave that zone.

BP: Sometimes it sets up a nice situation where you can call in position and bluff them off big hands on scary boards? If you know a player is only doing it with premium hands.

RS: Very true. Ace and king boards are dream flops in those situations. It just puts you in a high-variance situation, which depending on what you are trying to do could be good or bad for that moment. I say use it more in tournaments than cash.

BP: As for squeezing in position, or isolating, and just for an example, do you typically like doing it from late position with medium strength hands, like nines or tens? What are the pros and cons to playing them like that?

RS: I actually don’t like to isolate with medium strength hands such as those. I’d rather play those hands post-flop in multi-way pots in live cash games, but in tournaments I do that all the time. Pros: I guess you take it down a lot preflop, which is huge anytime in a tournament once there are antes. Cons: You tend to bloat the pot and once the pot grows you want to win it, so you might play later streets poorly because of the extra amount of chips you have committed.

BP: Gotcha. Can you talk about the pros and cons to flatting in late position, after a raise and a call for example, with a hand like queens or A-K? Do you like to sometimes hide the strength of your hand while in position in cash games?

RS: Yes, I tend to flat with big hands in position in cash games. I tend to flat with a wide range in position. I like to control most hands I play and being in position is key, obviously. Pros: People don’t ever give you credit for a monster hand when you strike the flop, and so you tend to get paid more often. Cons: When I let a [garbage] hand out flop my monster, and I lose chips because yet again my hand is disguised. So I feel like I pay people off more than I should just because of the strength of my hand.

BP: This might be a difficult question, but can you talk about when a fish four-bets you preflop in cash games? Does it almost always mean they have it? And what types of hands would you call with in position or out of position if the stacks are deep?

RS: Again player dependent. Two types of fish: weak passive and crazy loose. Most are not four-betting light, so it means in their eyes they have a powerhouse, which could be tens or it could be A-J suited, which are both pretty trashy to four-bet. So, versus the crazy loose fish I’m going to take a wide range to the flop and the weak passive fish just going to fold. And in the moment I guess there is not a set hand or range I want to take versus the loose crazy fish, but obviously versus someone who is passive and is four-betting me I’m going to take a pretty powerful drawing hand to flop. But, like I said, I usually just dump it because versus a fish it’s very hard to make them fold if they feel they have a powerhouse.

BP: So sometimes you have to know when a player thinks A-J is like the nuts preflop? So almost beyond fishy — they just doesn’t really know the game very well?

RS: Yes. Like I said, it’s like a ticking time bomb. You aren’t playing versus skilled players, so thinking leveling isn’t there. They look at their cards and decide if they are pretty or not, and I’ve beat my head into the wall trying to make a player like this fold.

BP: That leads me into a question on running triple barrel bluffs. Sometimes weaker players are just so sticky in cash games that running a bluff on all three streets isn’t a good idea?

RS: Very true. I would recommend triple barreling very rarely in a game like this. Playing ABC poker and showing these guys hands, and they keep paying you off, is the best way to beat them.

BP: Anything you learned strategy wise from going deep in the main event that will help you for cash games? I know they are different animals.

RS: Just taking spots when I see them, instead of passing on them just because you can wait for the next hand.

BP: So, more confidence to take the opportunities when they present themselves? Pushing marginal edges more?

RS: Yes, exactly.

BP: Do you think people are going to play you any differently in cash games now that you are a well-known player in the game? And how do you think you might have to adjust just based on what hands people saw you in on the TV coverage?

RS: Yes, people tend to come after me more, and my coverage depicts me as crazy lunatic who plays any two, but I was actually pretty tight throughout that tournament, so I get paid off a lot, but the speed that I play with has always got me more action. So, I guess a combination of all three. I often have to say “WTF” once we get down to showdown more often nowadays

BP: Just because people are calling you super light?

RS: Yes.