JTs and AKs in the blinds

Tommy Angelo · #1 01-31-2003, 01:12 PM

A few months back I took a week off from playing poker and it turned into a few months off. Last two days I've been playing long and stacking high and racking up big. $20-40 mostly, and some no-limit. One hand at $20-40 I had JT suited in the small blind and it wasn't raised and I folded anyway without even the slightest misgivings. Another hand I had AK of spades in the big blind. No one raised and I didn't either. It was fourway. The flop came Q-J-x with two spades. I checked and called. Threeway now. Turn, blank. I check called. Headsup now. River, blank. I checkfolded.

Did I play it good Andy? lol

Then there was the hand I had pocket fives and made quads on the turn to win a, no kidding, 37 big-bet pot. (The guy next to me told me so, and he looked like the type to accurately keep track of such things.)

And then there was the no-limit hand where a guy opened for $200 (minimum $40) and one player called the $200 and I shoved all-in two grand and the guy who opened thought and thought and thought and finally called. The other guy folded. I turned over my pocket sevens and they held up.

Hold'em is so easy. Sometimes.

Tommy

Matt Flynn · #2 01-31-2003, 01:47 PM

Look out, Tommy's hucking red meat in the water. Shark frenzy coming. Last time with the 95s he got called inexpert, not good and a mediocrity for expressing a small negative EV preference.

Now Tommy done gone went nucular. My advice to you Tommy is don't open any sealed packages from 2+2....

andyfox · #3 01-31-2003, 02:44 PM

"Did I play it good Andy?"

Check; check-call; check-call; check-fold. You're sacrificing The Raiser's Edge.

Sounds like you're Running Good.

JTG51 · #4 01-31-2003, 02:50 PM

Sounds like you're Running Good.

lol That's exactly what I thought, Andy.

I've had times where I've folded hands I probably should have called with in the blinds or early position and thought, "I'm up a bunch, running good, I just don't feel like putting the effort into playing this hand out of position."

I think most people feel like they have a license to call more when they are up and going well. I feel like I have a license to fold more in those situations.

Kevin J · #5 01-31-2003, 05:50 PM

"I'm up a bunch, running good, I just don't feel like putting the effort into playing this hand out of position." And.. I feel like I have a license to fold more in those situations.

Sorry, but that's just lame. What you're saying is, "you don't feel like working". If that's the case, you should just rack up and go home.

I guess it shows how well Tommy must play other aspects of the game, that he can just throw away profitable hands without a second thought.

I think it's a sin though. Kinda like when an adult used to tell you about all the starving children in the world when you balked at eating your vegetables when you were a kid.

There are good players in this world (who might have bankroll problems which prevent them from playing higher) that would LOVE to have all the JTs in the sb that Tommy throws away.

mikelow · #6 01-31-2003, 07:53 PM

Playing too tight. Loosen up!

Zeno · #7 01-31-2003, 08:43 PM

Tommy, are you having fun stirring up the pot?

Your money. Your Cards. Your entitled to play as you see fit. That is the first rule of poker in my book.

Of course, that does not always fly around here and the shotguns are going to blaze away to knock you out of the sky. Time to put on the afterburners and make them miss. Sometimes it is so easy.

Difficile est saturam non scribere - Juvenal
(It's hard not to write satire)

Zen-[img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img], Zen Master

Tommy Angelo · #8 02-01-2003, 01:24 AM

"Tommy, are you having fun stirring up the pot? ... Your money. Your Cards. Your entitled to play as you see fit. That is the first rule of poker in my book."

We agree is spirit, but not spiritually. Entitled? I don't buy that. The only way any of us plays is exactly how we play. No entitlement there, just inevitability. Are we "entitled" to tee off with a sand wedge? Are we "entitled" to start a chess game with P-R3? Are we "entitled" to never fold 7-2 before the flop?

Tommy

Zeno · #9 02-01-2003, 12:54 PM

"Entitled? I don't buy that. The only way any of us plays is exactly how we play. No entitlement there, just inevitability."

It is most pleasent to have you posting again Mr. Angelo. The forum emits a warmer glow when you are here. Thank You.

-Zeno

gnawk · #10 02-01-2003, 12:54 PM

My comment is not how Tommy plays his hand, but with the fact that all the regular posters who would lambaste anyone else if they had played hands this way, really refuse to criticize Tommy for what are plays that clearly incorrect. I'm not saying that he can't do whatever he likes, but this is clearly a case wear athe emperor has no clothes.