Teaching Poker
10/05/08 15:48 Filed in: Poker
My brother in law recently visited.
While he was here, he saw me playing poker. So, I showed him how I played. He later opened up an account and started playing on his own.
During his play, he would ask me to come over and take a look and give him advice. It was actually kinda cool, because it forced me to articulate why I made certain moves, played cards certain ways.
For example, he made a strange play and I called him on it. He held AJ. He limped and caught the nuts. AAJ. He then decided to go all in. Before he could give me an explanation, the opponent called his all in with A2.
He happened to get lucky. His play could have easily resulted in a small 2 big blind win. He could have wasted that hand. I had to take the time to explain to him why he made a mistake even though it paid him off.
When you get a big hand, the goal is to extract as much as you possibly can. He got lucky. Very lucky that a player would call with such a weak holding.
When I started to talk to him about his plays, it made me think of my own. Why do I make a play when I do? Why do I go all in on some hands? Can I articulate the reason why?
In many cases, I can. For example, in a SnG, I might move all in as a smaller stack. My stack is big enough that I can wound another player. This gives him pause to call. It also allows me to steal and make my stack bigger.
Sometimes, I do donk off the chips. For example, in my last SnG, I made a stupid move. I went all in with AJ. The blinds were still relatively small to my stack (50-100). I went all in and was rightfully called by KK. The KK held up and knocked me out.
However, even when I know why I am playing something, it doesn’t preclude someone from telling me how bad my play is. Here’s the hand:
Full Tilt Poker Game #8374769603: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (63719579), Table 1 - 100/200 - No Limit Hold'em
Seat 3: chipset0316 (6,740)
Seat 8: StolenBase (6,760)
chipset0316 posts the small blind of 100
StolenBase posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to chipset0316 [7s 9s]
chipset0316 raises to 400
StolenBase raises to 1,000
chipset0316 calls 600
*** FLOP *** [6c 8s 3s]
StolenBase checks
chipset0316 checks
*** TURN *** [6c 8s 3s] [7d]
StolenBase bets 1,500
chipset0316 raises to 5,740, and is all in
StolenBase calls 4,240
chipset0316 shows [7s 9s]
StolenBase shows [Ks Kh]
*** RIVER *** [6c 8s 3s 7d] [7c]
chipset0316 shows three of a kind, Sevens
StolenBase shows two pair, Kings and Sevens
chipset0316 wins the pot (13,480) with three of a kind, Sevens
chipset0316: gg
The blinds are now 120/240
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 13,480 | Rake 0
Board: [6c 8s 3s 7d 7c]
Seat 3: chipset0316 (small blind) showed [7s 9s] and won (13,480) with three of a kind, Sevens
Seat 8: StolenBase (big blind) showed [Ks Kh] and lost with two pair, Kings and Sevens
The hand is heads up. I play a lot of hands heads up.
I called the big blind, putting 400 into the pot. When he raised on the flop, I could have put him on literally any two cards, including overcards. So, I call his 400 into the 800 chip pot.
The flop is actually very good for me. I have flopped a straight draw and a flush draw. This gives me 9 spades, 3 tens, and 3 fives for a total of 15 outs.
He checks the flop. This gives me a free card. I decide to point, as well. Hopefully the spade comes. The turn brings me a 7.
This adds 2 more outs, giving me a total of 17. Add in the ability to win with 2 pair, my 9 gives me three more outs for a total of 20.
He bets. I decide to semi-bluff. I go all in. If I get called, I can still win by catching one of 20 cards in the deck. I like my odds.
I can also win if he decides to fold. He doesn’t and I need to hit to win.
I hit the 7 on the river. This gives me trips and his KK is now dead.
Of course, he was lambasting me about my play. But in the end, after the flop, I had all the outs I needed to call. The turn gave me more. Hence the semi-bluff.
I can articulate some of my moves and why I play them the way I do. However, I need more practice on others.
While he was here, he saw me playing poker. So, I showed him how I played. He later opened up an account and started playing on his own.
During his play, he would ask me to come over and take a look and give him advice. It was actually kinda cool, because it forced me to articulate why I made certain moves, played cards certain ways.
For example, he made a strange play and I called him on it. He held AJ. He limped and caught the nuts. AAJ. He then decided to go all in. Before he could give me an explanation, the opponent called his all in with A2.
He happened to get lucky. His play could have easily resulted in a small 2 big blind win. He could have wasted that hand. I had to take the time to explain to him why he made a mistake even though it paid him off.
When you get a big hand, the goal is to extract as much as you possibly can. He got lucky. Very lucky that a player would call with such a weak holding.
When I started to talk to him about his plays, it made me think of my own. Why do I make a play when I do? Why do I go all in on some hands? Can I articulate the reason why?
In many cases, I can. For example, in a SnG, I might move all in as a smaller stack. My stack is big enough that I can wound another player. This gives him pause to call. It also allows me to steal and make my stack bigger.
Sometimes, I do donk off the chips. For example, in my last SnG, I made a stupid move. I went all in with AJ. The blinds were still relatively small to my stack (50-100). I went all in and was rightfully called by KK. The KK held up and knocked me out.
However, even when I know why I am playing something, it doesn’t preclude someone from telling me how bad my play is. Here’s the hand:
Full Tilt Poker Game #8374769603: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (63719579), Table 1 - 100/200 - No Limit Hold'em
Seat 3: chipset0316 (6,740)
Seat 8: StolenBase (6,760)
chipset0316 posts the small blind of 100
StolenBase posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to chipset0316 [7s 9s]
chipset0316 raises to 400
StolenBase raises to 1,000
chipset0316 calls 600
*** FLOP *** [6c 8s 3s]
StolenBase checks
chipset0316 checks
*** TURN *** [6c 8s 3s] [7d]
StolenBase bets 1,500
chipset0316 raises to 5,740, and is all in
StolenBase calls 4,240
chipset0316 shows [7s 9s]
StolenBase shows [Ks Kh]
*** RIVER *** [6c 8s 3s 7d] [7c]
chipset0316 shows three of a kind, Sevens
StolenBase shows two pair, Kings and Sevens
chipset0316 wins the pot (13,480) with three of a kind, Sevens
chipset0316: gg
The blinds are now 120/240
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 13,480 | Rake 0
Board: [6c 8s 3s 7d 7c]
Seat 3: chipset0316 (small blind) showed [7s 9s] and won (13,480) with three of a kind, Sevens
Seat 8: StolenBase (big blind) showed [Ks Kh] and lost with two pair, Kings and Sevens
The hand is heads up. I play a lot of hands heads up.
I called the big blind, putting 400 into the pot. When he raised on the flop, I could have put him on literally any two cards, including overcards. So, I call his 400 into the 800 chip pot.
The flop is actually very good for me. I have flopped a straight draw and a flush draw. This gives me 9 spades, 3 tens, and 3 fives for a total of 15 outs.
He checks the flop. This gives me a free card. I decide to point, as well. Hopefully the spade comes. The turn brings me a 7.
This adds 2 more outs, giving me a total of 17. Add in the ability to win with 2 pair, my 9 gives me three more outs for a total of 20.
He bets. I decide to semi-bluff. I go all in. If I get called, I can still win by catching one of 20 cards in the deck. I like my odds.
I can also win if he decides to fold. He doesn’t and I need to hit to win.
I hit the 7 on the river. This gives me trips and his KK is now dead.
Of course, he was lambasting me about my play. But in the end, after the flop, I had all the outs I needed to call. The turn gave me more. Hence the semi-bluff.
I can articulate some of my moves and why I play them the way I do. However, I need more practice on others.