Texas Holdem Poker

Robert K · Guest

Here�s the situation in a live tournament, 10 players at the table. Blind was $200/$400. I was the big-blind. Before the flop, Player A (first on my left to act) went all-in, $5500. Player B (right next to Player A) also said all-in, about $4500. Every one else folded. I was last to act and I had a K Q suited. Should I call?

Other info:
I was new to that table (my original table got closed and got sent to this new table). I had $8,000. My chip count ranked in the middle. The highest was about $18,000 and lowest was about $3,000. Most players chip count were between $7,000 to $10,000. Player A seems loose. Haven�t seen Player B played a hand so I don�t know if he�s loose or tight. 180 total players and about 70 left when this happened. Should I call or fold?

Robert K

webmaster · Site Admin Joined: Nov 26, 2003 Posts: 668

Its a fold, but only because you're new to the table. At 5500 there not yet short stacked. On a table of 10 you have to put one of them on AA or KK. If you don't know the table or the players calling such a move would be gambling. KQ suited is a nice hand but there are many better. If you'd said they went all in for 1k or 2k then it would be a call with the average stack at 8k.

Close one though. KQ suited ranks 7th out of 169 possible starting hands. With so many chips on the table it's fair to assume someone has hand 1-6.

Guest · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:15 pm Post subject:

I know I shouldn't call and risk 2/3 of my chips. Plus I have to beat 2 all-ins. One all-in I would call but not two. I wasn't worried about the 1st guy. It was the 2nd guy worried me. At the end I folded. It turned out the 1st guy had A 10 and the 2nd guy had A J. The flop was K and 2 small cards and no A on the turn and river. I could have won that hand and tripled up. With $17K chips, I could last much longer in the tournament. That hand was the curcial point of the tournament for me.

Instead, I got chipped away and in about 8 hands later, I went all-in with a Q J suited and one guy had A 9. The flop was A Q 2. Then a Q came on the river. I was like yeah! Then a damn A came on the river and busted me out. I didn't show angry (although I was) and shook that guy's hand. That's poker.

webmaster · Site Admin Joined: Nov 26, 2003 Posts: 668

It sounds like one of your problems is that you are looking only to play the best hands. Once your opponents know that, your unlikely to maximise your best hands.

Find opportunities to look like a fool at little cost. Start with your player name. Most people operate under either their real name or some sort of boast. I prefer "Bluffoon" because it sounds dumb.

Second use the opportunities that present themselves to appear like an idiot where you get the chance for minimal loss. Sitting in a tourney there are plenty of these. I'm thinking here of the very short stacks who you know will go all in, and most likely with ace high. When they do and everyone else folds (knowing it's at least AX) call it. Even with 72 you have a 30% chance of winning. Winning is not the point here - its to set a table image. Whether you win or lose, if you're the only caller of an all in everyone else will see your cards and those of your opponent. You'll look like an idiot who'll either get lucky or deservedly lose.

So you lose 100 chips say. What you gain is a reputation which combines well with the incompetent sounding name.

Come your AA or KK, flush or straights (everyone gets them) you'll maximise the return because the rest of the table has written you off as a fool. Only by the end of the tourney will some people realise you know what you are doing. Even then, many will put your success down to blind luck !

Sounds like your problem is credibility - everyone knows you play good hands hard which means you need to find another good hand to get a decent return.

Certainly there's no point regretting your fold. It was the right play and had you called it you'd have been underdog. Only a marginal underdog because none of the other players had a matching card.

With an average stack of 8, I would be looking to go allin if my stack hit 3000. I'd be allin with nothing to begin with (if I've been quiet the whole game everyone will be assuming I've got AA). You can sometimes get away with that twice in a row. The hope is you get big cards shortly after and have your 2nd or 3rd allin called.

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