Today was a day for reflection and to build some of the confidence back that had been knocked out of me yesterday. I have managed to draw a few conclusions and writing this blog has helped me to do that.
My usual game is very tight and very cautious, so I think. The table I was playing at Ceasars Palace yesterday was allowing me to steal alot of pots though. This must have given me quite a loose aggressive image in the later stages of the game. In my mind however I was still that tight aggressive rock. If I am playing a loose aggressive player myself I more than likely will go into trap mode, waiting for a good hand and trying to hit big letting them bet into me or will hammer back on top pair decent kicker. I think my opponents identified this stealing nature in my game and looked in hind sight to have adapted in their own way to get me. It was I who failed to identify that my image to them was quite different from my image to myself. And this, as well as the fact that the cards fell quite nicely for them helped in my downfall.
I only played in the Tropicana today. I started the day with a $50 freezeout with a $10 one time add on. The tournament didn't last long for me as I ended up losing all my chips in the second level to Dave when my pre flop raised AJ hit the J on the turn and the A on the river to give me 2 pair, but was beaten by Daves straight filled by the A on the river; the cards falling harsh and not giving me any respite from my immeadiate poker pain.
I then took a break and went into a cash game with $200. I went below $100 so bought in for another $100. Then the guys returned from yesterday, the ones I gave my respect to and left the table. Well one of these guys who sat to my left yesterday sat to my left again today. His tactic (and I now know is one of his few only tactics) is to straddle the blind of a tight player, i.e. ME!
What this does is blind raise the BB under the gun to twice the amount, in this case the straddle is $4. If anyone limped behind then he would re raise the limpers, thus finding out if anyone has a very strong hand. So I decided as the cards were not being kind I would play without cards against this guy and try to use my tight image from yesterday against him today. He had taken a couple of hits earlier in the session so he was down to about $60.
The first time he straddled I looked down at A7 off suit. The button and the small blind called the straddle as likewise did I. As predicted he raised all in for his $60. The button and SB folded (as he wanted them to) but to his surprise I didn't. I thought for a while then called. The community cards were dealt (I completely missed) but he paired the T of his 9T off suit, he showed me his cards to win the hand and I folded mine to comments of his asking "did you have AK?"
Now this confirmed alot to me, he didn't have a monster. He was re raising sub standard hands, blind and out of position, andmy tight image was there with him. From now on all I had to do was let him straddle my BB, I could flat call and he would do the raising for me. Whats better I could act last after all of the pre flop limpers had made their decisions.
So when I looked down at KQ of clubs in the BB and he had straddled I was prepared to call any bet of his. I called his straddle as had 2 other players. He raised about pot size (about$15), and I flat called after all the limpers had folded (making the pot about $45).
The flop came down 4 clubs 5 clubs 7 diamonds. I stuck with my letting him raise plan and checked it to him, after all a free card wouldn't be too bad a result. He quickley threw in $30, I thought for a little while and announced all in.
He looked shocked, thought for an age, muttering how he would love to call but eventually folded. This slowed him down a bit, he straddled once more after that as I called, he raised, I called and then bet the flop regardless.
So although my figures show a little down today (due to the multi tourney buy in) I have made a great moral victory against someone who I thought was a better player. I suppose it just takes a bit of figuring sometimes.
10 years ago
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