|
Big Fields
By Phil Gordon
This year’s World Series will be the biggest poker event in the history of the world. And I’m not just talking the Main Event, which is a lock to draw more than 7,500 players. Every event will be chock full of players looking to make their mark in poker history. The action will be fast, the action will be furious, and the action will be full of “new” players in town for a week or a weekend, intent on taking their shot. There are an extraordinary number of small buy-in events this year. There are 13 tournaments with buy-ins of $1,000 or $1,500. Those events should be monsters and filled to the brim with inexperienced players. With the blinds starting at $25/$50, and a starting chip count equal to the buy-in, those events are the biggest crapshoots in Vegas.
One thing I’ve noticed during the last two WSOPs is that it is very unwise to bluff during the first four or five levels of these tournaments. Nearly every time I hear a “bad beat” story from a pro, it’s been at the hands of an amateur player who just check/called all the way with bottom pair. “How could they call my all-in?” the pro laments after the amateur calls a pre-flop raise, checks the K.Q.9. flop and then calls all-in with 9-8 offsuit. The pro, on A.J., misses the turn and river and runs off to tell anyone who will listen about his bad luck.
YOU CAN’T BLUFF PLAYERS WHO WON’T FOLD.
If a player is incapable of folding, a bluff can’t work. It’s absolutely vital that you quickly identify these players and change your strategy accordingly. Trying to run a bluff against these folks is, well, just suicide. Bluffing these players and getting called isn’t a bad beat, it’s a bad play.
During the first few orbits at the table in a tournament, I try to categorize my opponents and their skill levels. Against each type of player, I mentally assign a probability that a bluff will succeed – and when a bluff is most likely to be effective.
LEVEL 1 players only consider the hand they’re dealt, not the one I have. They usually play loose, passive poker. Very often, these players will love to play “suited” hands and they’ll go all the way to the river or call off all their chips with a flush draw. They check and call, and very rarely lead at the pot. They limp in constantly, and will call a very large pre-flop raise out of position after they limp. Once they put chips into the pot before the flop, there is little chance you’ll be able to get them out. A pre-flop raise against these types of players should be employed only with the most premium of hands. It is much more effective to “get in cheap” against these players and then overbet the pot with the best hand – they’ll still call.
LEVEL 2 players give some consideration to the hand that I’m representing. They know something about domination and will rarely overvalue suitedness before the flop. These players still love to limp into the pot, but will often give up when they face a substantial re-raise. These guys are still tied right on after the flop with any draw or top pair. Overbetting the pot with the nuts is a great tactic against Level 2 players. Very rarely bluff against these guys after the flop – they are going to call with just about anything.
LEVEL 3 players think about what they have, what I’m representing, and the hand that they have represented. These players are more experienced. Ironically, the better a player is, the more chance you have to bluff them out. They are capable of the “big laydown” and won’t think twice about laying down top-pair decent kicker if they think they are beat. Telling a consistent story with your bets is vital, as these guys will pick up any and all inconsistencies. Post-flop bluffs against these players will be more effective – they will be afraid that you flopped a set or the nuts. These guys are capable of getting away from an over pair to the board on occasion.
So, bottom line is this: when you hear the “Shuffle up and deal,” I strongly urge you to put yourself in a show-them-the-nuts mode and try fewer fancy plays. Save those plays for the bubble, the money, and the final table, when they are more likely to work. A conventioneer from Des Moines who learned his poker by watching Willie Garson and Heather Graham play on Celebrity Poker Showdown is not going to understand subtlety – against that guy, you’re going to have to show him the nuts.
And if you bluff and get called by a weak, inexperienced player, don’t come running to me to tell me about your bad luck: you didn’t suffer a bad beat; you just beat yourself.
|
|
