Some More Cash Game Thoughts Continued & WPT Final Table

Finally you are sitting down at the table. There are a couple of choices to make initially which may seem trivial, however your initial "tell" will be determined by these items. First of all most games these days you must post a big blind to come in. Some players, excited to start playing, will post a big blind in any position so they can start seeing hands as soon as possible. I have noticed over the years that a players eagerness to come in correlates with their eagerness to play hands and even skill level. By this I mean someone who posts a big blind UTG to UTG + 3 instead of waiting to take the blind or come in behind the button, is someone who will continue to make bad decisions while playing. Think of it this way, in a 9 handed 10-20 game you are paying $30 to see 9 hands or $3.33 per hand. If you come in let's say UTG+1 for $20 then the first two hands cost you $10 each. If you post behind the button then you are again down at $3.33 per hand. It may seem trivial, but most good players either take the big blind, or post behind the button and don't just post from anywhere. The patience that you show at the start of a session correlates with the patience while playing. Also, there is the player that sits down and plays the first or second hand aggressively. There is one very good player I know who always plays his first hand aggressively. I caught on to this and when he sits in a game I'm playing in I exploit this. My strategy when I first sit in a game is to raise the bar on what situations I will get involved in, be more selective; try to get a sense of the game and the players before charging into the fray. If you are for the most part unknown to the other players you can establish a solid table image, which can be used later.

How to enter a pot, calling versus raising, what hands to play, position, and my opponents physical tells are all elements I consider when taken in combination with the preceding action, and any clues about the action which may follow. Now let me break this down. In general, I would say there are two broad types of players. The first is a "card player" who pretty much plays their hand almost in a vacuum. They have obtained little, if any information about the players in general, and the specifics of the current situation. The second is a "poker player" who could play pots without ever looking at their cards. This might be extreme, but you'd be surprised how many times I've seen players do this and win pots. The first time I look at my hand, is when it's my turn to act. This permits me to follow the action and not miss any clues I might obtain from watching the players before me act and those who look at their hands after me and give off signals as to their proposed action and prevents me in giving away any tells about my proposed action. More specifically, someone who limped in early position who looked like they wanted to raise but only called, may be signaling strength and hoping for a raise so they can re-raise. Some players who look at their hands early will sit up look interested, and touch their chips, perhaps even begin to get a bet ready. This would prevent me from playing a speculative hand, or on those rare occasions when you look down at a monster, I might limp expecting a raise from such a player which will allow me to either re-raise or even hesitantly call, disguising my hand. When I'm not involved in a hand I spend a fair amount of time observing those players in a hand. Particularly when a hand goes to showdown, or when players are dumb enough to show their hand and I can correlate my physical observations with their actual hands. This is tremendously valuable when you are in a hand with them.

I am happy to report that I have two close friends, Lee Markholt and Zach Hyman, at a tough WPT final table in Reno at the World Poker Challenge. I have on many occasions played with both of them and think they are among the best in the game. Many people don't know either player that well, but I'll assure you Lee Markholt is one of the best, if not the best cash game player in the world and is no slouch when it comes to tournaments, and Zach is a great tournament player, having won the main event at the Wynn just a year ago, and is a winning cash game player as well. As I write this David the Dragon was just eliminated, and they are now 3 handed. Good luck to both.

http://www.cardplayer.com/players/results/Roy-Winston/36778

The Oracle