Finding and Fixing Problems

So in preparation for the 2009 WSOP, I’ve been really trying to determine where my problems are, and obviously fix them.  I’ve been reading and practicing, and analyzing, and practicing, and discussing, and practicing.  Did I mention I’ve been practicing?  I’ve tried to plan time for cash play, in order to keep increasing my bankroll, time for reading, and time for practice.

One of my problems has to do with the differences between limit hold’em and no-limit hold’em, or more specifically, tournament play.  Limit Texas Hold’em is my game; that’s where I make my money.  I’m averaging about $15 per hour right now, which is actually a ridiculous amount for $3-$6 and $4-$8 limit Texas Hold’em, except I’m playing with incredibly poor players.  Some of the things I get away with in the cash games I’m playing right now would likely cost me money against better players.  I’m able to value bet on the river with most players because on average, my hands are so much better than my opponents.  That’s not vanity; I am simply a lot more selective about what hands I play.  If I’m in the pot, I am usually either way ahead, or on a really good draw that has a decent chance to beat what I believe my opponent has.

I am very comfortable playing a long-term game.  In other words, I’m pretty sure that even if I am beat when somebody draws out on my set of Aces to make their straight or flush, over the long run I’ll win more often with my hand than my opponents will.  By finding ways to protect my hand – I can do my best to force my opponent into a situation where they don’t have pot odds.  Mistakes that my opponent makes, is, over the long run, profit for me.

In a tournament this concept is not very beneficial.  The thing about a tournament is, it is absolutely NOT a long-term game.  It’s a tournament, and I don’t have the benefit of getting more money out and bringing more chips to the table, except under certain circumstances (as when rebuys are allowed).  But for the most part, once I am eliminated, I’m finished.  At the same time, once my opponent is eliminated, they are finished.

It is precisely the very thing I am most comfortable with; knowing and playing the long-term odds, which is taken away from me in tournament poker.  For this reason, when I sit down at a tournament, I begin to feel very uneasy.

So one of the concepts that has helped me to ground myself in some theory at a tournament table is the concept called “The Gap” which is described in one of the Two Plus Two books:  “Tournament Poker for Advanced Players.”  This concept gives you a framework in which to reconcile the conflicting concepts that, on one hand, I want to play conservative because once I’m out of chips I’m finished – but on the other hand, I want to be aggressive because once my opponent is out of chips, they’re finished.  According to gap theory, there is a range of hands that you would initiate a raise with.  Because of this, a good player will want to have a hand that is better on average, than a hand they would normally raise with, in order to call a raise.  It’s a concept that most poker players know intuitively.

So against other players, especially during periods where your opponents are playing tight, as in when everyone is on the bubble (just about to make it to a paying position), you will want to raise with your hands more often – to take advantage of your opponents tendency to fold.

So this brings me to a hand I played in a tournament last weekend.  I had the 2nd largest chip stack; the person with the most chips was to my immediate left.  I had made it to the final table, and was already in a paying position.  Based on chip sizes, I was well on my way to at least 2nd place; all I had to do was cruise on in and play smart.

We’re down to 6 players and everybody is playing pretty tight.  I look down at pocket 9s after everybody up to me folds.  I’m on the dealer button which means that on the flop and later rounds of betting I’ll get to be last to act.  Now being 2nd in chip stack isn’t that significant – I only had about 10 big blinds.  I couldn’t just limp in with my pocket 9s; I had to raise, but how much?  I went ahead and raised to 3 big blinds.  To my surprise, the person to my left (small blind) reraised – almost putting me all-in.  Big blind folds, and I have no real choice but to go all-in.  I had hoped my opponent had Ace King or something like that, but in fact, it turns out he had pocket jacks.  Just enough to knock me out of the tournament.

As it turns out, after some checking and talking and asking for advice, my mistake was that with only 10 big blinds, I should have shoved all-in immediately.  It might have caused my opponent to fold (probably not) but any other action would eventually lead to me going all-in anyway.  My action was based in-part on fear and a desier to play my opponent post-flop.  In tournaments I have to put that fear away and make my plays based on my chip stack and my opponents.