Calling Big River Bets - What a Bad Habit
Newsflash: I busted out of the EPT Grand Final fairly late on Day 2.
Disappointed: Of course I am!
Did I play well? I will give myself a B for my performance, but since I needed lady luck at one crucial time, that wasn't enough to get the momentum going.
I started out below average and played cautious poker for a couple of hours. Checking flops instead of making continuation bets, limping in position and check-calling top pair on the turn and the river in order to keep the pots small and the risk of busting low.
My strategy enabled me to grow my stack slowly but steadily. Until this happened. I win a big pot against one of my more funky opponents and the very next hand we are at it again.
I raise, he moves all-in and I call with
only to find myself up against
If I can win this one I will be looking at almost 80K and suddenly be a factor in the tournament again. Unfortunately, a king pops up in the window and instead of some well-earned breathing room I am back to where I started the day. In this spot, experience is a good thing, controlling the urge to just push your stack into the middle. I work my way back up to 50K when I make the two biggest mistakes of the day.
The Fatal River Bets
The blinds are 600/1200 with a 100 ante. I open for 3,500 two off the button with
A young guy with over 100K who was just moved to the table calls on the button. It is obvious that he knows how to play.
The flop comes
and I am preparing to let this one go. I check and he checks right back.
Turn:
Top pair, but nothing to get overly excited about. I check again and my opponent bets 3K. I call thinking something is not right.
River:
Again I just check and my opponent now bets 8K. Hmmmm. What is going on? What could the guy possibly have?
I am pretty sure he would have re-raised with AQ preflop and I doubt very much he would value-bet something like QJ. In general, people don't value-bet middle pair, middle kickers at these event - not even the good players. That only leaves scenarios in which I am beat: He could have KJ suited. He could have AJ. Just fold and keep fighting.
Just fold! Fold Gus! Muck it! But Curious Gus has once again sat down. He counts out 8K and slides them into the middle. He shows
OUCH!
Next round: Blinds again 600/1200 with a 100 ante. I open for 3,500 one off the button with
and the guy next to me, a young Canadian player who has been playing impressive aggressive poker, calls. There is now more than 9,000 in the pot.
The flop comes:
I check and he checks right back. I have 34K left.
Turn:
I check and he bets 5,500. I don't get it. I am certain he doesn't have a flush draw since he didn't bet the flop. Once again, the bet doesn't make sense. Under normal circumstances, I would have check-raised all-in, but in this spot I decide to just call and see what happens. He could have a set or he could be drawing very slim.
River:
The third club doesn't scare me. I check again getting ready to call a normal bet from my opponent. He reaches for chips and slides 20K into the middle. A full-pot bet! Wow! What could he have? Again, I exclude the middle pair value-bet, especially with three clubs on the board. And again it means that there is really nothing I can beat. FOLD! There is still time! Instinct Gus - Instinct! But I can't. The urge to see his hand is too strong. I call, leaving me with only 8,500 after losing to his set of deuces.
I bust out the very next hand with A9 vs. 88.
Curiosity killed Mr. Hansen! Or put differently: Two big mistakes cost me an entry ticket to Day 3. Compliments to my Canadian nemesis, but inexcusable that I don't listen to my inner voice.
Fortunately, the WPT Championship is just around the corner. I am not going to make the same mistakes again.
Gus
Gus plays online exclusively at FullTiltPoker.com. Be a part of Gus Hansen's poker community at www.theplayr.com, where among other cool stuff you can check out Gus' blogs, analysis, poker articles, Gus TV, Tips'n'Tricks, "Ask Gus" and even play against Gus in exclusive online and live tournaments.
Disappointed: Of course I am!
Did I play well? I will give myself a B for my performance, but since I needed lady luck at one crucial time, that wasn't enough to get the momentum going.
I started out below average and played cautious poker for a couple of hours. Checking flops instead of making continuation bets, limping in position and check-calling top pair on the turn and the river in order to keep the pots small and the risk of busting low.
My strategy enabled me to grow my stack slowly but steadily. Until this happened. I win a big pot against one of my more funky opponents and the very next hand we are at it again.
I raise, he moves all-in and I call with
only to find myself up against
If I can win this one I will be looking at almost 80K and suddenly be a factor in the tournament again. Unfortunately, a king pops up in the window and instead of some well-earned breathing room I am back to where I started the day. In this spot, experience is a good thing, controlling the urge to just push your stack into the middle. I work my way back up to 50K when I make the two biggest mistakes of the day.
The Fatal River Bets
The blinds are 600/1200 with a 100 ante. I open for 3,500 two off the button with
A young guy with over 100K who was just moved to the table calls on the button. It is obvious that he knows how to play.
The flop comes
and I am preparing to let this one go. I check and he checks right back.
Turn:
Top pair, but nothing to get overly excited about. I check again and my opponent bets 3K. I call thinking something is not right.
River:
Again I just check and my opponent now bets 8K. Hmmmm. What is going on? What could the guy possibly have?
I am pretty sure he would have re-raised with AQ preflop and I doubt very much he would value-bet something like QJ. In general, people don't value-bet middle pair, middle kickers at these event - not even the good players. That only leaves scenarios in which I am beat: He could have KJ suited. He could have AJ. Just fold and keep fighting.
Just fold! Fold Gus! Muck it! But Curious Gus has once again sat down. He counts out 8K and slides them into the middle. He shows
OUCH!
Next round: Blinds again 600/1200 with a 100 ante. I open for 3,500 one off the button with
and the guy next to me, a young Canadian player who has been playing impressive aggressive poker, calls. There is now more than 9,000 in the pot.
The flop comes:
I check and he checks right back. I have 34K left.
Turn:
I check and he bets 5,500. I don't get it. I am certain he doesn't have a flush draw since he didn't bet the flop. Once again, the bet doesn't make sense. Under normal circumstances, I would have check-raised all-in, but in this spot I decide to just call and see what happens. He could have a set or he could be drawing very slim.
River:
The third club doesn't scare me. I check again getting ready to call a normal bet from my opponent. He reaches for chips and slides 20K into the middle. A full-pot bet! Wow! What could he have? Again, I exclude the middle pair value-bet, especially with three clubs on the board. And again it means that there is really nothing I can beat. FOLD! There is still time! Instinct Gus - Instinct! But I can't. The urge to see his hand is too strong. I call, leaving me with only 8,500 after losing to his set of deuces.
I bust out the very next hand with A9 vs. 88.
Curiosity killed Mr. Hansen! Or put differently: Two big mistakes cost me an entry ticket to Day 3. Compliments to my Canadian nemesis, but inexcusable that I don't listen to my inner voice.
Fortunately, the WPT Championship is just around the corner. I am not going to make the same mistakes again.
Gus
Gus plays online exclusively at FullTiltPoker.com. Be a part of Gus Hansen's poker community at www.theplayr.com, where among other cool stuff you can check out Gus' blogs, analysis, poker articles, Gus TV, Tips'n'Tricks, "Ask Gus" and even play against Gus in exclusive online and live tournaments.
