Paul Phillips, $2-5 Mirage

[The Ram]

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What a strange perspective. It is they who end up waiting for good hands... which is what gets them in the end. Not that this table was loaded with bad players, just players with a lot less experience.

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Having also been at that table, which I transferred to given that it's rare to get to play with a big name player at such a low limit and I'm a reasonable player and bankrolled enough that I could take a whooping at 2/5 and not be upset, I think the thing that I picked up most about Paul's play is his ability to make rapidfire equity calculations. Now, I say this with a degree of embarassment given that I've played online professionally for almost 18 months and still don't know enough of these numbers, but I'm fairly confident that most of the "crazy calls" Paul was making were no worse than marginally -EV, and those that were in fact "bad" were largely made in the hopes of getting a big pot with which to play bigger stacked poker.
In general however, I think Paul played a pretty conservative game. Now, before you all balk at that comment, once he got bigstacked he was still ramming and jamming a lot PF, but postflop he no longer was getting his money in w/ smallish hands/draws looking to make a big score (unless he got it in first, at which point fold equity easily balances out any lack of pot equity) but instead playing a pretty solid game based on punishing the weak and avoiding the strong: in short, he bullied everyone around to the absolute best of his abilities.
All that said, and Paul I say this with every ounce of due respect because I do admire your talent, I think you could afford to be a little less forward about how badly you intend to crush a low limit game like this. As only a decent player myself but quite likely one of the top two players at the table after you, I thought it kind of rude that after I cashed out a reasonably big stack then came by the table on my way out to just introduce myself and tell you it was great playing with you, all you could say to me was that you couldn't believe I left with money before you got to take it.
To repeat, I do respect your game and you seem like a nice guy, but that was (in my opinion) totally classless. I don't say this with any air of grievance and would welcome the chance to play at your table again, but I think you're a better man than that and should consider acting accordingly.

(for your edification paul, if you're reading this, i was the guy w/ 6c5c vs. your AcKc).

[Paul Phillips]

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All that said, and Paul I say this with every ounce of due respect because I do admire your talent, I think you could afford to be a little less forward about how badly you intend to crush a low limit game like this.

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I intend to crush every game. Call it a positive attitude. I don't know exactly what I said that bothered you but I'm sure it was good-natured.

You wouldn't want me to patronize you by pretending I had any other ambition but taking your money. It's a poker game; that's why I'm there.

[Fnord]

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Someone earlier talked about throwing a party. Just the other night I played in a $.50/$1NL game online. It was mainly to blow off steam after a crap run at $25/50NL. But that didn't mean I didn't want to win. I always want to win when I play, and I imagine that's the same for you. Even for low stakes, it's not fun for me to just give away money like an idiot. In that game, I played and min-raised 100% of my hands pre-flop. And early on, I gave unlimited action to all the short buys at the table. But I played great post-flop and was busting people left and right. I left the table w/ about $650, up about $450. And every pro $.50/$1 player there was talking about the idiot lucksack fish.

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How does one learn to play this g00t? Why aren't players like this owning the game?

[Ulysses]

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Someone earlier talked about throwing a party. Just the other night I played in a $.50/$1NL game online. It was mainly to blow off steam after a crap run at $25/50NL. But that didn't mean I didn't want to win. I always want to win when I play, and I imagine that's the same for you. Even for low stakes, it's not fun for me to just give away money like an idiot. In that game, I played and min-raised 100% of my hands pre-flop. And early on, I gave unlimited action to all the short buys at the table. But I played great post-flop and was busting people left and right. I left the table w/ about $650, up about $450. And every pro $.50/$1 player there was talking about the idiot lucksack fish.

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How does one learn to play this g00t? Why aren't players like this owning the game?

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Because they move up in limits.

[SCfuji]

no worries about the people that double through you just being satisfied and leaving?

id get up and leave as soon as you lost one of your early gambool buy-ins to me.

[Shaman]

Michael Jensen:

What specifically were the differences in his approach pre-accumulation and post-accumulation?

You say, "Once he had ammunition, he played exceptionally well". Can you please elaborate? How exactly did he utilize the "blocking bet"?

[mr. shred]

How do you think spirit rock wins on ub. the same way. people will criticize his play on certain hands but in the big picture he is looking to take stacks not win hands. he will play from behind knowingly and gamble. It takes a big bankroll and a lot of nerve. thats how you win money.

[Fnord]

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he is looking to take stacks not win hands. he will play from behind knowingly and gamble. It takes a big bankroll and a lot of nerve. thats how you win money.

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Please, explain this line of thought. I'm trying to learn how to be better than just another nut peddler in fishy games. I've been searching through archives but can't really find anything direct. Anyone care to share a link?

[anduril]

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I thought it kind of rude that after I cashed out a reasonably big stack then came by the table on my way out to just introduce myself and tell you it was great playing with you, all you could say to me was that you couldn't believe I left with money before you got to take it.


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I don't know exactly what I said that bothered you but I'm sure it was good-natured.


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Doesn't sound good-natured to me. As a fellow decent NL cash game player, I agree that was not a cool thing to say, be it to a true fish or a polite player who thinks (or thought) highly of you. No one said you needed to patronize, but a simple "thanks" or "good luck to you" would've sufficed. I mean, geez, you would not have appreciated it if a better player did the same to you before you became a great player. Being a good poker player doesn't give you the right to be rude.

[Paul Phillips]

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Doesn't sound good-natured to me.

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Oh yeah, I forgot you were there too. Another expert comes out of the woodwork! For some reason, your post captures everything I hate about 2+2 so perfectly that it has inspired me to stop posting here indefinitely.

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a simple "thanks" or "good luck to you" would've sufficed.

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I'm so sorry I didn't have time to consult with you on how to exist in the universe. I've been inept at it so far and I hear you teach such wonderful classes.