Never, Ever Take ALL What You’re Told to Heart!
If I was confident in MY game, I would not have felt the need to buy into not one, but TWO WPT BootCamps. I learned so much in the 1st one, at the Beau Rivage. As I’ve written earlier, all of the pros/instructors were in agreement as to how to play what hands in what position with the same chipstack. Then, I go to the BootCamp in the Bahamas. There, my major complaint was that we had about 8 or 9 pros teaching us, in ‘live labs’ each day. A ‘live lab’ is a tourney simulation. Each pro gave of DIFFERENT advice regarding the same hands, the same position, etc. One of the things I took home (and NEVER to use again), was the following piece of advice, “I always any two cards if they’re cheap enough and the starting stacks are large.” A pro told us this and today in the Ladies’ Event, we had $10,000 starting stack and 40 min blinds. After the first break (3 blind rounds) we had to ante $25 with $200-$400 blinds.
I took this female pro’s advice in this instance and found myself involved in too many hands with a piece of the flop. Invariably, I would fold, knowing I could be beaten by any other cards on the board, if my opponents’ had paired of them. So, I lost a few races and my $10,000 staring stack quickly became $5,000. I put the brakes on this pro’s advice and played my tight aggressive game. Unfortunately, EVERY time I had a middle pair, the same gal would come over top of me post flop. I did fold every time. While it was relativly cheap to see the flop, I just never connected. Now, by playing my game, I wasn’t hemorrhaging $$, but I couldn’t get anywhere, as this one gal seemed to always have a better hand. Sure, she could have been bluffing; but, chances were, she wasn’t when all 3 of the cards in the flop were higher than my crappy mid pair. I could win pots against ANY of the other gals, but this one just seemed to know when she had me beat. At no time did I ever get A with anything higher than a 7. Not one of my pocket pairs was higher than 8s. I finally got A-10 suited and she calls me. A 10 flops, I’m all in. A King had also flopped; l she had A-K. I was out. It was probably the worst poker day I’ve ever had and that includes those tournaments I played when I didn’t know I wasn’t a good player.
No Limit Lessons I learned today: No chipstack is so big that you should EVER see any two cards, even in an unraised pot. There are always going to be people at the table you can beat. But there may be someone at the table you can NEVER beat. Just fold your hand and wait for a hand that nemesis isn’t in.
No Limit lessons that have carried over from other all Female Events I’ve played in: women, when playing only against one another are callers, not raisers, as a rule. If they raise, even when it looks like they’re just stealing, probably do have an A with any other card. I didn’t see ANY A-rags played today, but I saw a lot of limpers. I never just limped in after I quit playing the pro/instructor’s game and began playing my game. However the limpers will flop monsters; so even if your opponents aren’t raisers, if you’re going into a hand, RAISE! Only those hands that can win will call you. Women aren’t big bluffer, either; when all the hands that went to showdown, showed each of the players had SOMETHING. No ‘just two overcards.’
Next year, next time, I may try again. But this does show me I am not ready for the big time. Relatively cheap lesson ($230). I’ll keep reading and learning. No sense in quitting, now, when I have so much to learn!
© Copyright 2009
25 comments
Great Blog, you will make just one step at a time.
GOOD LUCK !!
you continually improve lady I've personal experience watching and playing across from you - you will work out your best sttategy of play I am confident!
Good luck on the tagbles!
Jon Merlin333
Well, congratulations on making the attempt. I wish it would have worked out for you. Shake it off and get them next time.
Your blog is a great piece of work and I thank you for it. You seem so capable so I'm a little confused on the second 'camp' but at least you learned a lesson.
Play your game when it's your time and you will succeed.
I have only been playing seriously for a year or so and if there is ONE single piece of good advice that I have picked up that has considerably improved my game in tournament play, it was the following:
ALWAYS fold crap, Including A-rag offsuit, QJ (looks so pretty)................
It looks like everyone missed the main point of this blog.....
SHE WAS IN THE BAHAMAS!!!!!
I want to be somewhere warm!!!
Jane, sorry it didn't go well. With your re-confirmation that your old solid game was the way to go, I'm sure you will have much more success in your next tournament.
Better luck! Mo
you wonder if those pros in the Bahamas screwed us all up on purpose...
I can see em now.....chuckling on their way to Atlantis...hehehehe I told them I play any two cards if it is cheap enough.....