The fishtank part 12

Lucky you

During the mid-to-late stages of an MTT, I’m having problems accumulating the chips I need to go deep into the money. It’s not that I dribble out, but that if the cards dry up, I’m forced to make some steals, which, I find, frequently get re-raised, forcing me to lay down. Then I usually find myself committed to finding one hand with which to make an all-in push, putting my tournament life in the lap of the poker gods. Is there something I’m missing with regard to betting and winning pots at this stage of a tourney?

Chris Hall

SF: Try to stop looking at your cards and start paying more attention to position and stack sizes. There is never a point in any tournament where I feel like my cards have ‘dried up’. This is just not part of my mindset, and the sooner you come to realise and believe that there is no such thing as a dry spell, the sooner you will begin to play real poker – because poker in it’s truest form has nothing to do with the cards. During the mid-tolate stages of a tournament I play at my tightest. If my stack is large enough (15 big blinds or more) then I’m waiting for a strong hand or a good spot to steal. If I’m in a position where I feel like I’m ‘forced’ to steal, as you call it, then there wouldn’t be a hand that I would raise and fold to a re-raise. I would either push all-in or be committed to call an all-in after my raise. Maybe you’re feeling the pressure too early. You’re probably trying to steal or think you should be stealing when it’s unnecessary.

Early raiser

Is raising under the gun on a very tight table with rags ever something you would do to indicate a very strong hand in a tourney when the blinds are worth stealing, in the hope that everyone will fold?

Tanya Hardy

SF: YES! What you are describing here is what I’ve termed ‘storytelling’. What you’ve found is a good example of a particular ‘spot’ where you know a raise would indicate strength and you would very likely be able to sell your story. This is an advanced and very effective concept and strategy. I am always looking for these situations and acting on them. Some call it bluffing, but I call it storytelling!

Hit or miss?

How should you play suited connectors in short-handed cash games when you miss the flop but you’ve got position? For instance, you raise with 7♣-9♣ and the flop comes 8♥-3♣-Q♦. With only runner-runner giving you a decent hand would you continue to represent strength when it’s been checked to you or is it better to see if the turn card gives you the possibility for a strong finish at the expense of showing weakness?

Paul C

SF: In the hand you described, I’d be more inclined to bet/bluff when I’ve flopped nothing but a runnerrunner draw. However, if I’d flopped something a bit stronger, like a straight or flush draw, I would check and take the free card. In cases where you do hit, you will most likely get paid off because most players will, as you said, have put you on a weak hand, and will assume a river bet is a bluff.

Waiting game

When you sit down to play a cash game online do you always wait for the big blind or do you ante up straight away?

Seth Metcalfe

SF: If you’re in early position, I advise waiting for the big blind. The most obvious reason for waiting is that you don’t want to be forced to play a hand out of position. If you’re in late position when you’re prompted to post, I’d advise doing so because you’re in good position. Don’t think of your post as an investment, it’s just the same as taking a small blind or a big blind, so if the cards or position dictate that you call, fold or raise, then do so.