PokerNeal
09-14-2004, 05:12 AM
Hi All:
I won the tournament tonite (Monday, $100 NLH, 453 entrants) for the first prize of $11,325. I guess I was due for this win as I have been having a rough time after winiing the last tourney a couple of weeks ago that secured me a trip to Estonia to play in the World Speed Poker championship.
There are a couple of highlights that I feel is worthwhile sharing for the benefit of the forum readers. Here they are in no particular order of priority:
1. PATIENCE. Played Skalnsky top rank hands from early positions and took chances with rank 2 and 3 hands from or near the button. Almost always folded hands in SB because I have gone in with the minimum bet, partialy flopped, found it hard to get away from the flop, and lost a bundle. Folded several times even when I had the high pair with the high kicker when I smelled a set or 2 pair. Like Phil Helmuth said "You won't win a NLH tourney if you can't lay down what could be a winning hand!" This brings to point #2.
#2 Respect your opponent's bet specially if he has been around a while, played well, and has a decent stack. He did not accomplish that without having merit.
#3 Do not (I cannot emphasize this enough!) worry about having to maintain a benchmark of stack size close or above average. Many players feel the pressure to keep their stack size close to average and make bad moves. Be aggressive but not stupid.
#4 Every time I have been at the final table I have seen players making what I call "Gus Hansen" moves. In other words with a lower pair and the board screaming otherwise these guys push their chips all-in. (no disrespect to Gus, he is a great player, but his tactics don't work for everyone... his tactics seemingly silly at the surface have a lot of merit given that he does it only after getting an amazingly accurate reads on his oppoents) Do not succumb to the temptation to push all-in at the slightest provocation. Step back. Think. Deliberate. Move. Patience! Patience! Patience!
#5 You are never out of the race. I entered the final table as I usually do with the lowest stack. Then I sat back and waited for opponents to make mistakes and then capitalized on them. I sometimes sat for two/three rounds with the blinds eating my stack but did not play because I did not have the cards. When I had the cards I played them to maximum advantage.
I hope this is helpful. Thanks for all the great posts on this forum. They are improving my play everyday. Good luck all.
I won the tournament tonite (Monday, $100 NLH, 453 entrants) for the first prize of $11,325. I guess I was due for this win as I have been having a rough time after winiing the last tourney a couple of weeks ago that secured me a trip to Estonia to play in the World Speed Poker championship.
There are a couple of highlights that I feel is worthwhile sharing for the benefit of the forum readers. Here they are in no particular order of priority:
1. PATIENCE. Played Skalnsky top rank hands from early positions and took chances with rank 2 and 3 hands from or near the button. Almost always folded hands in SB because I have gone in with the minimum bet, partialy flopped, found it hard to get away from the flop, and lost a bundle. Folded several times even when I had the high pair with the high kicker when I smelled a set or 2 pair. Like Phil Helmuth said "You won't win a NLH tourney if you can't lay down what could be a winning hand!" This brings to point #2.
#2 Respect your opponent's bet specially if he has been around a while, played well, and has a decent stack. He did not accomplish that without having merit.
#3 Do not (I cannot emphasize this enough!) worry about having to maintain a benchmark of stack size close or above average. Many players feel the pressure to keep their stack size close to average and make bad moves. Be aggressive but not stupid.
#4 Every time I have been at the final table I have seen players making what I call "Gus Hansen" moves. In other words with a lower pair and the board screaming otherwise these guys push their chips all-in. (no disrespect to Gus, he is a great player, but his tactics don't work for everyone... his tactics seemingly silly at the surface have a lot of merit given that he does it only after getting an amazingly accurate reads on his oppoents) Do not succumb to the temptation to push all-in at the slightest provocation. Step back. Think. Deliberate. Move. Patience! Patience! Patience!
#5 You are never out of the race. I entered the final table as I usually do with the lowest stack. Then I sat back and waited for opponents to make mistakes and then capitalized on them. I sometimes sat for two/three rounds with the blinds eating my stack but did not play because I did not have the cards. When I had the cards I played them to maximum advantage.
I hope this is helpful. Thanks for all the great posts on this forum. They are improving my play everyday. Good luck all.