[ZBTHorton]

So I was sitting last night about 5AM, playing some poker. I start up a conversation with a buddy of mine who plays exclusively SNG tournaments(109's and 215's) with a decent ROI and is definitely a +EV player.

He is a occasional lurker of 2p2. But knows many of the big name posters here either in real life, or because they play a ton of SNG's. He also has several friends who are either regular 2p2'ers or regular high stakes poker players.

This particular person is one of those 'math guys'. Everything is black or white. It's a push or a fold. It's +EV or -EV. It can't be debatable. It can't be read dependant.

We begin talking about ZeeJustin's J9s hand from last month

He begins to tell me how -EV this play is. How no 'world class player' would agree with this play and the such. Being a MTT'r who thinks a little outside the box sometimes, I naturally disagree. Since if ZJ's READ were that good, of course it could be +EV. Anything can be +EV if your read is perfect.

The conversation spawns into live vs online play. With me using my hand from the 11R as an example of an 'online read' to which he states that it's the worst hand he's ever seen. Fair enough.

We argue back and forth for a while. I talk about ZJ winning 110K the other night. I talk about Gigabet and his Q4s push in a SNG, and he basically blames all of that success on short term variance. Bigslick789, JohnnyBax, etc. All short term variance. Because if they make -EV plays(basically any call or push that is not substantiated by math. ie: reads, bluffs, etc)., they must be donkeys in the long run.

This brings about some interesting questions to 2p2.

#1. Do you honestly feel like many of the big name tourney players out there are simply one hit wonders who accidentally won a couple of big tournaments?

#2. Do you think it is possible to have an 'online read' on a tournament player so strong in order to make -EV calls?(see my call from the 11R)