Ex Poker Pro

I have a problem, well lets say a disagreement with my bladder. For some reason it only remembers that it needs to pee when I am in late position or on the button. Then forgets by the time I get to my blind. I then post my blind and again remember that I need to pee. The last time I was playing I think I had to go for almost 45 min. I don’t really know how to solve this issue, and I am not sure if this ever happens to anyone else but its been happening a lot to me.

Another issue that pisses me off is not taking advantage of reads. Some times I am able to make a read on a player and because I don’t raise or make a bet it costs me the hand to a lucky draw or hand I should have outplayed. I played a hand where I had raised in EP after one limper with AJ suited to single out a player. I got one cold caller behind me so it was 3 way action. On the flop it was all small cards and I bet and the cold caller raised. I was like 80% sure that he was on a flush draw and that UTG cold called with a weak hand or a draw. I only called the flop raise but I should have either three bet or bet out on the turn to make them pay for the draws. Instead I checked and so did everyone. Now that I had played the hand this weak I wanted to induce a bluff by checking, as I would only be called by a hand greater then mine and would most likely be called by any hand better then mine. The river was checked around. UTG turns over AK and I lose the pot. Late position had a flush draw so everyone had exactly what I thought. If I had 3 bet the flop or bet out the turn the AK would have folded. I could have then checked the river and won with a showdown. These are the types of missed opportunity that anger me. Its what makes a pro a pro, winning with 2 nd best hands. Until I can do it every time I am in that situation, my game is not where I want it to be.

Something I have to learn again once in a while, is that you should never talk about poker while playing. Strategy that is. When ever poker theory is talked about you should listen very closely so that you can learn how a player thinks. I will often throw in little comments to get the to continue talking about how they play but only if I can keep from revealing how I play. My favorite lesson to give is an incorrect lesson. Especially if they already think something is right, I will reinforce it.

Today I was playing and I had made a comment that if you play perfect for long enough, that you could win almost every day. Not I know I was over stating it a little but my point was that if you dump your losers fast enough and keep from even getting involved in risky hands, you should always win in the long run. I had said in 8 hours you should be able to come up with a win if you play perfect for all 8 hours. Now its almost impossible to play perfect, but I am talking about no mistakes. Everyone continued to tell me how luck plays a factor in every day but I don’t believe in luck. Anyway after this conversation I played a hand and flopped a set with a 3 flush on the board. I bet it out and two callers, I bet the turn after the 4th flush came and only one caller. On the river the person who I had been talking with bet into me. The board had not paired so I folded. He then went on to tell me that he had the Ace high flush, but didn’t show me. Although I couldn’t really call him I think he also could have made the play because of the conversation we had just had. I taught him too much about the way I play and gave him the opportunity to bluff me. Well either that or he had the nuts. So if you want to play like a professional there should be no poker lessons at the table.

The other day I was in a casino where some of the tables used auto card shufflers. They were just trying them out to see if they would make the switch over. Anyway one had a bit of trouble and a technician came in and pushed a button to fix it. There are only two buttons on it so I am not sure why the dealer couldn’t figure that out. Well what I found out was that each of the shuffle-master card shuffler costs $10,000 a piece!!! That just shocked me. I am sure that they would pay for them selves over a year or so, especially if you use them at new dealer tables.

I also had another little professional poker tip for players. One of the most common mistakes players make, including professional players, is that they call to often in the small blind. One tip to help players with this problem is to make sure that you always put up the exact amount of the SB. If you don’t have change make sure you get change before the cards are dealt. Not wanting to wait for change can be just enough to make you play a hand you shouldn’t play in such poor position. Lots of people think this is silly and a pointless tip, but the skill edge a player has over other players is very small. If you are able to improve every play you make even by just .001% will increase your profits.

I was playing in a lower limit game then usual and one player tried to convince me that the higher game was easier to play in with more people playing like they don’t care. I tried to tell them that it was exactly the opposite. Although there are still some people giving it away, usually the people doing all the raising has a purpose for every one of their bets. He then told me how he saw one guy call a hand all the way down with bottom pair (3’s) with two others betting and raising like crazy preflop and on the flop, and the 3’s were good! I told him it was either a really bad play, or a really good play depending on what he was thinking. If he was not thinking what the other two players had then it was not that smart. But I, having no idea who any of these players are, set up this scenario. I said that the first person raised preflop with AK and the second person 3 bet with AQ preflop and AK capped. The big blind called with a poor suited hand. The flop came out all small cards (I was not told what they were) so the BB and AK checked to AQ which bet. Now he is going to bet a missed flop every time with AQ thinking he still could be good. AK raised because he knows he would always bet. AQ re-raises because he knows the first player is able to make that play without a pair. The BB called one bet then had to call two bets cold. He could be thinking that with all this action there might be a chance they both have nothing. Especially if either of the players would have slow played a big pair to raise the turn.. So the AQ bets the turn and both call then the river he has position and would usually check but he thinks that there is a good chance one of them has AK, which might fold to a bet. So he bets and gets called by the 3’s and not the AK who cant over call without a pair. So my point was that everyone of their bets had a reason, none of them were really crazy but very strategic. Always trying to give the other player to make a mistake and fold the best hand. The other players were then good enough not to fold. So just because someone raises a lot without the nuts does not mean they are not a good player. My favorite player to play against does not raise a lot at all.

Well I have not made a post in a little while. It has a bit to do with the fact that I have not played much over the last few weeks and the times I have played were very uneventful. I think over the 4 times that I did play I broke almost even. I usually play best when I am able to play a few days in a row, as I seem to play better the more days I play. So when I played in a scattered schedule I didn’t play at my best. I wish I had more to post about. I know I have had a number of new readers coming to my blog and I am not doing all that great with first impressions. But what can I say. Life isn’t always exciting. There isn’t always some funny story to tell or catastrophe to share. Its really just kind of blah the last few days. I heard on the news that two days ago was the most depressing day of the year. Maybe that has something to do with it. I am not sure how they came up with that, and would guess that that has geographic limitations. If you are in Australia I think it might be a nice summer day and not as depressing as a cold winter day in north America. So if you were feeling kind of down two days ago then you can blame it on the day. Not only that but you might be able to cheer yourself up in knowing that you celebrated the day correctly. Wouldn’t it be depressing if you forgot to be depressed on the most depressing day of the year? OK, I will stop rambling about pointless non poker related topics. Cheer up, the days are only getting brighter well, until next fall.