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  #1  
Old 05-31-2005, 08:29 AM
NYCNative NYCNative is offline
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Default A question to the mechanical SNGer

From what I have read here, regular OTT players win by being very mechanical. This makes sense when you're playing several tables at a time. Mathematically sound play will win more often than it loses.

That said, the beauty of poker is that it's not all about math, it's about playing the people.

Pro players and B&M players will tell you to mix up your play, which is good advice when you're playing at one table with the same people for hours at a time or they are people you play with often, but neither situation is common on internet SNGs.

As such, how often do you go against your "standard" actions because of reads? How successful have you been when you have attempted to do this?
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  #2  
Old 05-31-2005, 08:32 AM
treeofwisdom7 treeofwisdom7 is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

i think this is a serious question.





IT DOESNT MATTER IF YOUR BLACK OR WHITE
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  #3  
Old 05-31-2005, 09:04 AM
lorinda lorinda is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

That said, the beauty of poker is that it's not all about math, it's about playing the people.

It's all math, some of the math is just not the math you think it is.

Lori
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  #4  
Old 05-31-2005, 09:09 AM
Degen Degen is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

hard to make reads when in 4+ tables at once

IMO a straght forward approach is all that is needed to get the money at the 33's and below...beginning at the 55's there is a need to be conscious of your image due to the fact that you will be seeing a lot of the same people.


Andre
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  #5  
Old 05-31-2005, 09:10 AM
gasgod gasgod is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

[ QUOTE ]
That said, the beauty of poker is that it's not all about math, it's about playing the people.

It's all math, some of the math is just not the math you think it is.

Lori

[/ QUOTE ]

Enough meat here for an article in the magazine?

GG
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  #6  
Old 05-31-2005, 09:16 AM
NYCNative NYCNative is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

You're being presumptuous, with all due respect. You'e saying that you make decisions based on mathematical propabilities while also taking reads into account, which is understood.

I am talking about situations where you disregard the math because of a read exclusively. For example, there are situations where pushing 72o make mathematical sense. There are situations where it won't but you do it anyway because of...

Maybe it would help if I gave you some background on what prompted the question. I watch the poker players on TV and I wondered to myself, "Self, could Gus Hansen use his style and make money at SNGs?"

Yes, I realize that his style is exacerbated through a small sample size of hands that make TV. However I am also aware that pro poker players will often make moves that are completely read-related that make no sense. Pure bluffs. Obvious "fold preflop" plays that instead were key in winning a tournament for someone.

Does this kind of play that is heavily dependent on reads and post-flop skills counterproductive to money-making SNG play? If not, how often can one make those kinds of moves and expect them to work?
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  #7  
Old 05-31-2005, 09:20 AM
lorinda lorinda is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

All a read is is something that alters the math.

If there is a 57% chance my opponent has AA but that goes up to a 94% chance when he starts to shake and whispers "Do not shake" under his breath, it's still math.

Most reads are also made based on betting patterns rather than someone screaming "I don't have aces" when they have aces, or their eye starting to twitch.

There are reads made based upon body language, but even the Gus Hansens make their reads based on all available data, and the vast majority of that data is previous betting history.

The answer is yes, they would still win. However, the people you are referring to would have a higher ROI in live games than online as online would remove some of their 'bonus' ROI.

Lori
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  #8  
Old 05-31-2005, 09:43 AM
Wes ManTooth Wes ManTooth is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

[ QUOTE ]
Does this kind of play that is heavily dependent on reads and post-flop skills counterproductive to money-making SNG play? If not, how often can one make those kinds of moves and expect them to work?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is highly dependant on an each individual situation. In regards to how often these kinds of moves can be played off and be expect to work also depends on the situation but it can easily happen that you may have a ITM finish in a SNG and find that you are not in a hand situation were a pure bluff makes sense, regardless of opponent reads.
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  #9  
Old 05-31-2005, 09:48 AM
Wes ManTooth Wes ManTooth is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

[ QUOTE ]

That said, the beauty of poker is that it's not all about math, it's about playing the people.


[/ QUOTE ]

Also a quote like this one said on 2+2 is like playing with fire. This is like committing 2+2 treason.


just joking...sort of...
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  #10  
Old 05-31-2005, 09:55 AM
Pepsquad Pepsquad is offline
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Default Re: A question to the mechanical SNGer

[ QUOTE ]
hard to make reads when in 4+ tables at once

IMO a straght forward approach is all that is needed to get the money at the 33's and below...beginning at the 55's there is a need to be conscious of your image due to the fact that you will be seeing a lot of the same people.


Andre

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this. At the lower buy-in's people make such consistantly poor mathamatical decisions that deviation from "mechanical" play (on all but the most rock-solid of reads) becomes -EV. The problem with playing the player at the lower limits is that even my opponent doesn't know exactly how he'll proceed from one moment to the next.

Also, Lorinda made a great point. What we often refer to as "playing the player" really is just suble alterations in percentages.
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