| |
Poker: Can You Execute?
Jared Devlin-Scherer
I'm a devourer of poker knowledge. If a well known pro comes
out with a new book, I have it preordered on Amazon. When
the box arrives I rip it open and lie on my bed reading straight
through without a break. I TiVo every poker show on TV even
if I've seen it before, I skim the Internet everyday for new
poker articles. I'm sure you know the feeling, because you're
just like me. Every article online, every pros video you are
there inhaling. Trying constantly to understand what it is
that makes them better than you and how you can bring yourself
to their level.
One of the most common questions that beginning poker players
have is: what is the most important skill a poker player can
have? I've heard many pros answer this question with: patience,
the ability to read an opponent, or the ability to put pressure
on other players. I think the pros have heard this question
so many times that they script their answers and give up on
really providing a significant answer. Its not patience or
reading ability that makes a player a top pro, because these
are skills that can be learned by most of us. While patience
is important, it is not a skill that really separates you
or me from the best in the world. Most good players are willing
to be patient in the right situations, and know its ok to
continually fold hands in. Hand reading skills are also learned.
If you play thousands of hands it is virtually impossible
not to gain the ability to read your opponents hand. The ability
to read is just ingrained in you because you've been in the
same situation many times before.
Being able to execute is what separates the top players from
everyone else. This means constantly acting on your instincts
and following through when you have a read or a plan for a
play on a hand. It's easy to say "I have bottom two pair here
and if he comes over the top he has me beat I'm going to fold".
It's much more difficult to actually make that fold. It's
easy to say "If I check to my opponent in this un-raised pot
he's going to bet 90% of the time so I should try a check
raise". It's harder to make that play continually in the right
situations. You can constantly see this problem for players
online. A player bets into them big on a later street, and
they know they have the worst hand. The timer is ticking down
and then they make the "I'm not a good enough player to make
this fold" play. This play loses them tons of money in every
session they play. This is a play that the great player doesn't
even think about making. They aren't letting the timer tick
down, because their hand is in the muck. They have the same
instinct telling them to fold their big hand as you do; they
just follow through with their reads when most others can't.
They can execute.
Executing:
A great example of this is concept occurred in a hand on the
High Stakes Poker TV show on GSN (if you haven't seen this,
I suggest torrenting it right now, just stop reading I'll
forgive you). Barry Greenstein raises and Antonio Esfandairi
calls in EMP with AA. The flop comes KQX and it checks to
Antonio who makes a bet and is called by Greenstein. The turn
is a blank and both players check. On the river Greenstein
leads out for a pot sized bet. Antonio thinks for a minute
and throws his hand into the muck, his opponent having KQ
for two pair. Would you be able to make that read?....probably.
I would definitely consider that I had the worst hand in that
situation. But would you make that fold even with that read?
Most people wouldn't.
They don't execute.
Not executing:
Here's a great example of my own failure to execute. I had
reraised this player preflop multiple times prior to this
hand. His play had been to call my repop before the flop and
fold to my flop bet. Obviously he was looking to outflop my
big preflop hand and then felt me.
***** Hand History for Game 3552629530 *****
$100 NL Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, February 14, 07:57:32 EDT
2006
Table Table 85428 (6 max) (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 6: skihood ( $177.12 )
Seat 2: TheJar3d ( $157.45 )
Seat 1: Captain54173 ( $192.55 )
Seat 5: KardPlayer1 ( $179.78 )
Seat 3: AceManhattan ( $98.50 )
Seat 4: cardiac777 ( $155.90 )
cardiac777 posts small blind [$0.50].
KardPlayer1 posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to TheJar3d [ Ah Ad ]
skihood calls [$1].
Captain54173 raises [$4].
TheJar3d raises [$10].
AceManhattan folds.
cardiac777 folds.
KardPlayer1 folds.
skihood folds.
Captain54173 calls [$6].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 6h, 9s, Td ]
Captain54173 checks.
TheJar3d bets [$15].
Captain54173 calls [$15].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Qd ]
Captain54173 checks.
TheJar3d bets [$30].
>You have options at Table 85464 (6 max) Table!.
Captain54173 calls [$30].
** Dealing River ** [ 3s ]
Captain54173 bets [$50].
>You have options at Table 85464 (6 max) Table!.
TheJar3d calls [$50].
Captain54173 shows [ 6s, 6d ] three of a kind, sixes.
TheJar3d doesn't show [ Ah, Ad ] a pair of aces.
Captain54173 wins $209.50 from the main pot with three of
a kind, sixes.
On the river my opponent makes the obvious, lead in because
I want my big hand paid off and I am out of position. I sat
there and let the timer click down, my read saying I should
fold and then I called. I didn't execute.
Another great example:
***** Hand History for Game 4239100812 *****
$100 NL Texas Hold'em - Thursday, May 11, 01:46:49 ET 2006
Table Surf Rider (No DP) (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: elmerfuddpi ( $99.85 )
Seat 3: Spazz233 ( $122.68 )
Seat 5: Metygl ( $104.60 )
Seat 6: BottledFly ( $110.70 )
Seat 4: TheJar3d ( $146.40 )
Seat 2: fzilco ( $106.95 )
Metygl posts small blind [$0.50].
BottledFly posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to TheJar3d [ 9c 9d ]
elmerfuddpi calls [$1].
fzilco raises [$4].Spazz233 calls [$4].
TheJar3d calls [$4].
Metygl folds.
BottledFly folds.
elmerfuddpi calls [$3].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Qs, 9h, Ks ]
elmerfuddpi checks.
fzilco checks.
Spazz233 bets [$4].
TheJar3d raises [$20].
elmerfuddpi folds.
fzilco folds.
Spazz233 calls [$16].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 2c ]
Spazz233 checks.
TheJar3d bets [$40].
Spazz233 calls [$40].
** Dealing River ** [ Kc ]
Spazz233 bets [$40].
TheJar3d raises [$80].
Spazz233 is all-In.
TheJar3d shows [ 9c, 9d ] a full house, Nines full of kings.
Spazz233 shows [ Kh, Qd ] a full house, Kings full of queens.
TheJar3d wins $21.32 from side pot #1 with a full house, Nines
full of kings.
Spazz233 wins $251.86 from the main pot with a full house,
Kings full of queens.
Sure I have a near nut hand here. There's a lot of money in
the pot. But I had an exact read on his hand, I knew it was
KQ. This is what I like to call the "fuck you! You outdrew
me now here is the rest of my money play". I knew this was
a situation where I should make the river fold, or at the
worst just make the call. There is just no reason to give
him the rest of my chips when I have the right read. As a
great player you need to be able to execute on your instinct
in every situation. The majority of players would just look
at this situation and say "well you had a great hand and lost...it
happens" These are solid players who don't realize how much
money they are losing each session because they can't execute
on their instincts.
The reads that really matter are the ones that let you fold
a great second best hand. Folding that AA in the right situation
makes you more money then folding ten high after the flop.
Why? Because your opponents can't make the same fold. The
money you make in poker is from situations that if they were
reversed your opponent would lose more money then you. If
you are going broke every time your opponent out flops your
AA, then you aren't really making money when you out flop
their AA. Folding a good hand that is beat or calling a bluff
with a marginal hand is how you make money off other solid
players. If you are making folds that they aren't capable
of making you will come out on top. You need to be able to
execute on this play, because it's your bank.
When you get down to the fundamentals, poker is just a game
of comparing your hand strength to your opponents. All experienced
poker players can read hands, and can compare hand strengths.
The difference between the people who wins 5PTBB/100 hands
versus the person who wins 10PTBB/100 hands is their ability
to constantly execute on their reads and instincts. This is
the most important poker skill out there. To guess what your
opponent has in each situation then follow through, being
able to execute on your read, make that big fold, or fire
that second barrel when you know they are weak is what will
make you a great poker player. It doesn't matter if you have
all the poker knowledge is the world, or if you can make the
great read in every hand if your chips aren't backing up your
read.
For more great No Limit Holdem articles visit: http://www.pokerdynasty.net
We offer No Limit Holdem articles and strategies that are
guaranteed to increase your poker profits. Our forum has some
of the most intelligent No Limit Holdem discussion online.
Come join us if you are ready to make serious money at poker.
Article Source:
Content-Articles.com - The Premier Web Site Content Article
Directory
Return to The Mental Game
of Gaming Articles directory.
|
|
