Monday 20 May 2013

Advantages of being allowed to play junk?



I spend most of my time trying to play poker properly, which normally means ditching the poorest of hands.

However I have recently been playing at a level that is allowing me to get in cheaply to multi way limped pots with absolute trash. Whats more this is not currently a losing proposition and is giving me one major advantage .... psychological well being!

How?

Well normally when I play I am raising/re raising with a strong hand and then adjusting through the streets as to how I see the hand playing out. When I win I feel great and justified as the best hand wins ... but when I lose it is generally followed by feelings of ...

"How can you call a pre flop raise with that?"
"How do you stay in the hand with that trash?"
"Typical hit the 2 outer river to win the pot?"
"Mmmm tough fold or tough call?"

... all negative feelings.

However by playing trash I get feelings of ...

"Well didn't expect to hit much there anyway!"
"I didn't expect that to hold up by the river!"
"Thats an easy fold!"
"Oooh set up on the flop of 22A with my 2"
"Whoah ... straight to my 7 on the river!"

All positive feelings.

So why isn't this a losing proposition as it should be ...

Well I must have an edge on my opponents at this level and the players I have been playing tend to:

Not fold top A
Chase flushes and straights
Fold to weak bets if holding nothing

Anyway this isn't going to break the bank if I lose and it isn't going to make me rich if I win. But it has brought back some sense of perspective to my game ... as well as some happiness and fun.

For now I can reserve my tight game (and grumpiness!) for the tourneys I play.

Until Next Time

Keep it tight!