Online Poker : Poker Value
So here I am at the 2004 World Series of Poker. Binion's
Horseshoe has been taken over by new owners... at long last.
That is not the most obvious change that greeted me though.
America has gone Poker mad, mad, mad. An astonishing 343
have just paid an amazing $25,000 to play the main event
at the Bellagio. And yesterday I walked into Binions satelitte
area and couldn't believe my eyes. Last year there would
have been maybe 3 or 4 tables running. This year there were
23 or 24 tables buzzing with excitement. Hordes and hordes
of new players. God bless America, god bless the WPT on
the discovery channel, and god bless Chris Moneymaker. This
is Poker heaven!
I managed to win a seat for the $2000 No Limit Hold em
event in a one table satelitte. I got lucky when I slow
played pocket Kings catching both blinds who both flopped
top pair. As an added bonus, I was given a poker lesson
by a very attractive young lady with a large bosom. She
explained how dangerous it was not to raise with Kings before
the flop. Bless her! Anyway I tripled thru and managed to
outlast the rest to gain a seat in the NLH event for a paltry
$230.
It can be very annoying playing you play tournament poker
and you have waited two hours to pick up a hand. You finally
look down at a pair of Kings, raise 3 times the Big Blind
and everyone passes. Doh!... So what is the correct thing
to do?
In the majority of cases the correct thing is exactly that.
If you raise 3 times the Big Blind with AJ in mid to late
position, then you must raise 3 times the Big Blind with
your Kings (regardless of position). That way your eagle
eyed opponents wont be able to tell what cards you play.
If everyone passes, it's not the end of the world. At least
you didn't lose with them.
In the satellite I mentioned above, I picked up the Kings
in first position in a 9 handed aggressive one table satellite.
I figured if I flat called, someone in a later position
would raise, and then I could re-raise and get all my chips
in the middle before the flop. A cunning plan... that didn't
work. Everyone passed around to the blinds who smooth called.
The flop came Jack high and they both decided they liked
it. So it was just a matter of crossing my fingers and hoping
neither had two pair.
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