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Server Time: 12/2/2008 6:35:08 PM PACIFIC |
 Cold calling 4 with AKo and other tough plays, Snorbolus, 22. Apr 2003 06:04 | ||
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| I have been thinking about marginally profitable but difficult to handle situations, such as cold calling 4 bets with AKo preflop or playing 96s after many limpers (both discussed in recent threads). It seems to me, that one of the leaks in my game may be, that I am too willing to get involved with difficult hands, which should be marginally profitable for an expert player, but that I am not yet up to dealing with. I think that an important question is "can I play this hand profitably, right now, at this table?" It doesn't matter if somebody else could play it with positive expectation, they are not going to get the chance. Of course I do not advocate taking this idea too far. It is a mistake to forgo profitable opportunities, just as it is accept take unprofitable ones. Nevertheless, those opportunities must really be profitable for you personally, right then. Not for some abstract, ideal player; or even for you, after the game, with the luxury of time and composure to mull over all the options. If you are holding AKo, it is 4 bets to you and you don't know whether or not the raisers are just as likely to be holding AJs as AA then don't play. If you have 96s, the flop comes 923, with one of your suit, there are bets to you and you have no idea where you stand then fold. Poker is full of mistakes but some are more expensive than others. It might be better to make the mistake of giving up a very marginally profitable situation than to accept a significant risk of unwittingly making a catastrophic blunder that you don't yet have the skills to avoid. Even when you do give up on a hand that you think might have been playable by someone else all is not lost. You can think about it after the game. Ask "why didn't I feel confident there? What information would I have needed about each of my opponents in that hand to continue? What sort of things should I practice observing so that I have that information next time?" Snorbolus | ||
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| Re: Cold calling 4 with AKo and other tough plays, shorn, 22. Apr 2003 06:48 | ||
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| I completely agree. "Marginally profitable" by the book standards have nothing to do with actual play. These monikers come up from millions of simulation hands on a computer which does not work in real life (not every hand goes to the river with 9 other callers). My thoughts are to play hands that you are confident in relative to the table that you are on. Especially early in a hand, you can't yet make a catastrophic error by folding, so if you are the least bit uncomfortable with your holding, then fold. The only exception is on the end where the pot is big and making an error will cost you a bundle is it (sometimes) worth it to call when you are completely unsure. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, and study hard to minimize those weaknesses. Sounds like a formula for success to me. | ||
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| Re: Cold calling 4 with AKo and other tough plays, stdioh, 22. Apr 2003 07:50 | ||
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| Indeed, there are hands that Stu Ungar could play profitably that would suck the money out of my pocket faster than anything. Read is everything when it comes to playing weaker cards. That said, never forget the value of advertising. It can be worth a lot to you to make a very slightly -EV play with terrible looking cards just so that if you get to show them down, some yahoo will say, "You played *that* garbage?!?" and go on tilt or pay you off on your good cards. That said too, advertising goes a long was and should be used very sparingly. | ||
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| Re: Cold calling 4 with AKo and other tough plays, Tommy waggoner, 23. Apr 2003 04:29 | ||
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| I run into this same problem quite often. The best thing to do is focus strongly on reading your opponents. If I feel uncomfortable in a situation, I usually just muck it. You have to pay close attention to what kind of hands they are showing down. As for calling 4 cold with AKo, I think that is almost always going to be a bad play. If you are not already beat, and in bad shape, then your aces and kings are probably in the hands of the other players making it less likely that you will improve. | ||
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