Has anybody seen this guy on PokerStars??

[Pokergood]

Just last night, I played in a 2 table 10$ NL Holdem sit-n-go at Pokerstars.

The players were some that I have played with and some I had not. One of these players totally dominated the game.

I must first add that his stack was down to about 550 on two river folds and a flop fold, before the domination began.

He played both agressive and tight in the same. It was almost fun to watch.

I am new to online poker, I didn't feel that I had any chance to win. At one time in the tourney, he had about a 5-1 lead on 2nd place. He then folded 10+ hands in a row. Out of the 18 players, he probably knocked out like 12 of em.

Anybody here know anything about him? His handle on PS is "KidIchiban" If I saw him again, should I play with him to watch?

any advice would be helpful,

Jason Gulliard
Tacoma, WA

[Greg (FossilMan)]

First of, you don't need to play to watch. Just click open the table and observe.

Second, when you say he had a 5x lead and folded 10 times in a row, did you mean that they were heads-up? If so, it is pretty unlikely that those were 10 correct folds. If there were multiple players, then folding 10 junk hands in a row is obviously fine, given his chip lead.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[Pokergood]

update: for clarification....

There were about 7 players left during that folding streak.

It just seemed that when anybody would play, he was in. and won..

one example:

100/200 blinds. (im watching at this point)

Player x "JJ"
Kid "??"

player x has about 1400 chips, in late position and Raises the blinds to 500. "Kid" w/10K calls the bet from the button.. everyone else is out.
---Flop: 10,5,2, rainbow.
player x bets about 250 with his pair of jacks.
Kid re-raises him to about 750, player x goes all in..

Kid calls him and flops over his trey 5's..
no turn "J"
no river "J"

Kid wins with 3 fives to 2 jacks.

Is this good play? Did Kid play this correct?

[Greg (FossilMan)]

Maybe. I don't know what player X has been doing at the table, or his past history.

Calling a raise with a small pair and position can't be too horrible of a play. If the opponent is short-stacked (as here), you're not risking too much. If the opponent is deep, you can play for a set or fold. In this case, Kid probably figures he might be a small favorite against AK or the like. Plus, he can see how X plays the flop before committing any more chips. If the flop is all rags and X bets, Kid has to make a decision whether X is pushing AK or has the overpair. If the flop comes with an A or K and X bets, Kid probably folds. If X checks, Kid now decides if X is trapping, or if X has a pair lower than A/K and has become bluffable.

While this type of play is MUCH easier to make correctly in person (where you can read the reaction of X when he/she sees the flop), it is not necessarily wrong online. As it was, the hand became easy to play postflop since Kid caught his 5.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)