On Jul 24 2008 10:49 AM, ruylopez wrote:
> Well, that's interesting. I cut my teeth online of course (I think my
> entire learning process is pretty much posted to RGP, hah) and I would
> never think of making a play like this, live or not. So you're trying to
> get reads as they call? Did you? Because you didn't provide us with any
> of the information you skillfully gleaned from this bet when asking us
> about the turn decision.
I play mostly live w/ my online play limited for the most part to late
night when I get home and surf around. I win online but not much. Live
is different for me. It's hard for me to describe how I play live but
besides having pretty good self control I think that I see far more than
almost anybody else. I see every twitch, nod, wince and what-have-you. I
just felt that nobody was very happy w/ the flop so once the BB checked I
realized I had enough to bet even though I might be accommodating his
attempt to c/r. So it could be said that I had my read before I bet.
Once only 2 players called I should've bet the turn also because I'd taken
the lead and the turn card helped me but I also have the 'problem' of
projecting my own thought processes unto others (or you could say 'giving
them too much credit). After all that 10 completed many hands that they
could be holding. I hesitated and once you do that it's tough to look
strong so I checked. btw I forgot to mention that the turn and blank
river got checked thru.
>
> I tend not to trust my physical reads when I play live. I do think you
> end up with more information and that is good, just from the way they look
> / act / talk / drink / whatever. But the way they put their chips in,
> etc? I think I'm as likely to get it wrong and be tricked into a poor
> play as I am to make an especially good one. I'd prefer to just play
> solid poker. I think the average live player places way too much stock in
> these nebulous "reads" when generally all the information you need is
> contained in your opponent's actions. But maybe this is just the clueless
> online player in me talking.
If you play live long enough and play very close attention during play I'm
pretty sure that a serious player would pick up more of a feel both for
how the opponents play but also for the flow of the game, etc. It's so
much different online. Hardly anyone is playing 1 table, there's no way
to see who is steaming, who is distracted, who is drunk etc. We all know
online is different but it goes beyond the tightness. There is FAR less
information available. Tx again for the reply.
Something else: 'Solid poker' is fine but if you play against regulars or
even if you're sitting for 8 hours w/ total strangers your action will dry
up if all you ever show down are really *understandable* hands. IOW, I
think you've got to let them know you're willing to gamble.
Here's a story I like to tell:
When I move to AZ I played at Ft. McDowell. After a month or 2 I noticed
that players were folding to my raises in a 10-20 game. One day one of
them said: 'We see the cards you're playing. We're not going to give you
action.' I realized that I would have to spend some money to 'show them
something different' which is what I still do at every opportunity. It so
happened that the next day that fellow was on my right when a hand came up
that went like this: He open raises, I 3-bet w/ 6-4h. We got HU and the
final board had 3 spades and 2 sixes and a 4 and we went 7 bets. The
entire table was watching intensely. Finally he says: 'The only hand you
could have that you played like that is AKs' and he called and turned over
Q-Js. I tabled my FH, everybody gasped (what a pleasure), he literally
leaped out of his chair and started jumping around the room. I firmly
believe that you absolutely must do things like that every now and then.
HB
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