Folding a Big Pair Pre-Flop

In a tournament, there are times to play opposite of the way you would play at a cash table. Remember there is no reaching in to your wallet and re-buying. I'm not saying I would lay down aces very often, but if there are several loose cannons at your table and they all get in to a pre-flop raising war you should at least consider it. AA and KK are very strong starting hands, but if several players are raising and re-raising their chances of holding up go way down. I was in a single table tourney and got KK the first hand of the game. I re-raised a player who tripled the blinds to three times his bet only to have two more players call behind me. The original raiser then pushes all in when it comes back around to him. I know him and know he can and will make this play holding any pair or any two cards. What I failed to consider was that my call would potentially make it hard for the other two players to fold. We all four were all in and the player that called after I did hit his second pair on the river to beat me with a 5 7 unsuited. KK is typically a great starting hand but it's still just a pair. I'm not saying it won't usually win a race, but a four-way race is not a good proposition if you feel confident that your post flop play is at least as good as most players at your table. I fully expect that several of you will think I'm wrong about this and that any time you can get your chips in a four-way race with the best of it that you would love the opportunity to go for it. Looking back on this hand, I am confident that there is probably not a call if I fold and no one would have picked up much there. Please let me know what you think....

Tunica Trip in February

I am flying to Tunica in February courtesy of The Grand, specifically the 18th through the 20th. If I get there in time on the 18th, I plan to play the tournament at the Goldstrike. The rest of the trip I am focusing on no limit cash tables. I may also go up the weekend before that for a couple of tournaments, but I'm not certain of that trip yet.
I still enjoy blogging, but with the limited amount I am playing these days, there isn't much to blog about regarding poker. My other blog is getting posted to regularly, but I just don't have a lot of poker thoughts right now. Maybe when I get back from Tunica, I'll have some hands to discuss or something.

Friends and Poker

To stack or not to stack your friend. If you are in a game at the same table with a good friend and you have the nuts and he shoves ahead of you, do you call? If you say anything but a loud "Of Course!!!" then I suggest you evaluate why you are playing. Are you playing to win or are you playing for entertainment only. If it's entertainment only then I can maybe sort of understand a decision not to stack a friend, but if you're playing for profit you have to do it.
I suggest if you are going to play with a friend that doesn't know that you will beat them if you get a chance that you set that straight ahead of time.
What if two friends get in a big hand against each other? I suggest wishing them both luck or staying out of it. You don't want one of them to get their feelings hurt over something as simple as that. You can privately congratulate the winner later as well as console the loser. Don't get caught up in the heat of the moment and say something you will regret later.
I try my best to always be a gracious winner and loser and I think I do a good job of not being obnoxious or a whiner. Manage your money well and don't get yourself in a game you can't afford and it makes it a lot easier to control your emotions. I grew up playing all types of games. I love winning but I don't rub it in some ones face if they get lucky and beat me once. I make a note of the hand for future profit. Get excited if someone you play with often lays a bad beat on you; that means you should get plenty of chances to let the odds work in your favor against them. Play enough hands with them and the odds will come to the surface of the statistics so get excited, not mad.

Tunica Trip in Question

Mrs. Surf and I have been presented with an opportunity to work with a friend next weekend and make some really good money so we are considering skipping the Tunica WSOP Circuit Tournaments and going to a different location in a few months. Financially it makes sense, we will make some really good money by not going so it is the smart thing to do I think. We can use the money we make to go somewhere else like Atlantic City or Vegas and play even more tournaments and have a longer stay. The more I think about it the more certain I am that we are skipping Tunica.
I am planning on going to the Goldstrike and hitting the Sunday tournaments in Tunica in February; and I am planning a trip to Evansville to meet up with FastPitch27 in a few months for some fun poker times; and I'm definitely going to Oklahoma City for Okie-Vegas so it's not like I don't have a lot to look forward to if I skip Tunica.
Hope everyone is having a great start to their 2007!!!

New Blog

I mentioned a few posts back that I had some non-poker related goals for this year. Check out my New Blog if you want to see them.