Playing with Top Level Pros

I’ve been playing tournament poker (not professionally) for one year, mainly around and I’ve done fairly well…Last night, I played at the Orleans Open “Second Chance” No Limit Tournament. Finished around 60th out 254…but that’s not what this message is all about…


At one point in the tournament I had Men “The Master”, Kathy Leibert, and Scott O’Bryan (2001 WPO Runner up to John Juanda) at my table….I was in total awe…I think I started to tighten up for a while. I didn’t want to be in pot with any of them and found excuses to throw hand away….although I did re-raise Leibert’s initial raise and got her to muck preflop….the point I’m trying to make is how can a newbie like me overcome the awe of playing with the high-level professionals. I know in order to take my play to a higher skill level, I have to get past the fact that I’m playing with aura of a pro…it’s like admiring a baseball player….then being in total awe when you see them in person…I know their no different from anyone else I’ve played with it….it’s just they have more experience than me and have accomplishment more…


Another point…I did outlast all three of them…so that made me feel good.


Just curious to see what you think….

That's the same way I felt Saturday night when I faced the famous balt999 at not one but two online tables. hehehe.


I have no answers for you. Maybe picture them in their underwear. It's supposed to work when giving presentations.

Think of this. In my experience, I've found the top players easier to beat than the weak players, in many circumstances.


If you have a table full of weak players, it is a good thing. However, you do typically have to make some hands that hold up, as you're usually getting called or calling, and there is often a showdown. Against strong players, the element of bluff does come into the game, as they can lay a hand down. They are also good at bluffing themselves (some of them), so it's a more intellectually challenging game. However, it is less of a crapshoot.


So, even though your EV goes down at a table full of strong players, you can enjoy the challenge more, and know that their every move (typically) MEANS something, as opposed to being a random decision made out of boredom or ignorance. In other words, it's more a game of skill, and less a game of simply grinding down the unskilled.


Or, to put it another way, your edge and variance both go down against good players, and both go up against weak players.


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Fossil,


As always, thanks for the advice...I'll keep that in mind as I plunge into my first "big" tournament for me....at this Sunday's Orleans Open Main Event...$550 No Limit....The field should be around 300 to 400 people....any advice on how I could waddle my way through the field and make it to the final table...


My goal is to win the tournament, but more importantly, I want to play well...if I get busted knowing I played my best I'll be satisfied...because you have to crawl before you can wake, right?


By the way, are you going to be in Vegas for the Hall of Fame Championships at the Horseshoe??

.. by the coach to his ragtag crew as they were preparing to face the mighty (only in Hollywood!) New York Rangers:


"Don't give these guys too much respect."


In other words, these people are very good, certainly better than you, but a far cry from indestructible.


Try your best to outplay them. When you succeed or fail, learn from it and on to the next hand.


That's all the advice I have /images/smile.gif


M.

Good luck. Without a little luck, you have no shot at winning (not just you, I mean everybody).


No, I doubt I will be at the HoF tourneys. I get just so much vacation time from my job, and I want to spend some of it with the family, so I only get out of town for poker once or twice a year. I'd rather save the time for Tunica, I think.


As for further advice, here's a bit I like. Take your time on every decision other than an obvious fold. And, as you're taking your time, think about the situation as if you were reading a post on here. In other words, do what would you advise somebody else to do if they had posted the situation here. Or, if you prefer, imagine posting your play here after the fact, and decide whether you would feel proud or embarrassed by that post.


BTW, in my book, there's nothing wrong with losing when taking a longshot, if you're still getting way the best of it in terms of EV.


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

They play from the same deck of cards as everyone else- it's just that they're a lot more skilled than you or I.


I've played tournament chess since 1972, and one of the things I'll always remember is facing the then number one player in New England, in 1978, for the first time. in the early part of the game, I was a bundle of nerves, but managed to settle down and play decently for my skill level at the time.


Since then, I've played with strong master-level players and grandmasters, even faced a world champion in quick play, but have had no fear of any them whatsoever- not to be confused with a lack of respect for their abilities.


Like you, I've played in tournies for only about a year and have already played with some strong players, but the transition to poker has been easier because of the past. Good luck!


perfidious