7 2 BLUFF...Diary of a poker player

Currently reading the Zen of Poker and it’s main premise is learn how to fold and to emotionally disassociate yourself from the game and it variance. It is a good book as I realise that I haven’t quite yet learnt to detach myself from the game. There is a Zen level for me to attain where I will have no emotion just mastery and I look forward to it.

1. Regard patience as a central pillar of your game
2. The long run is longer than you think
3. To win at poker you must embrace the idea of breaking even
4. See poker as a continuum that goes on forever
5. Detach yourself emotionally from the game

You never go home cursing that you left value on the table, but you do go home miserable when you slow play your big hand and get outdrawn. Save yourself the heartache. Admittedly Vicky Coren wouldn’t have folded pre-flop but this is an example of the concept, get the majority of your chips in good is my advice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQBx6wKdrk0

The Poker Hall of Fame this is where every player dreams of ending up as it shows you have arrived in the game.

The requirements are as follows:

Never fold Kings pre-flop as this video shows you’ll often be wrong and  up against aces you still have 20% equity against aces…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEcwtzfEU_E

When people are bluffing they blink excessively sometimes….pretty sure this is what David Kitai picked up on with these calls against Andrew Chen. Pay attention to Andew Chen’s blink rate at 3:40 on the second video it is out of control, this is why I wear glasses…it’s not a sick read it’s a simple one check it out next time you are at the tables…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TTpWqbluzA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5-jtShi60M

Get your copy here

I bought Jeff Hwang’s book a long time ago but it may be time to learn Pot-Limit Omaha, it is a gambler’s game as Isildur shows here. The days of the $1.3M pots are surely over…Interesting article about Patrik Antonius’ 5 biggest pots.

It’s refreshing to see how hard Doug Polk is finding making money in poker… 20 days in up $68 on his initial $100, I don’t feel so bad.

https://www.upswingpoker.com/doug-polk-online-poker-bankroll-challenge/

Brad Booth  is famous for a $300,000 dollar bluff that got Phil Ivey to lay down Kings on a 3 7 6 board with two diamonds holding 2 4 of spades.  When you see a play like this check out what happened to the player…normally they’ve become extinct.

It looks cool when you do it but “Yukon Brad” hasn’t got a result since 2013 on Hendonmob and has lost $4.2 Million since 2008. He once sat down with a cool million in the cash game, as always Doug Polk gives expert analysis on the guy who stiffed him for $28K. Erik Lindgren also has fallen on hard times which with $10.2M of live poker ‘Winnings’ just goes to show the game isn’t all it seems at times…

Brad gives his view below years later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1qPLGms5B4

Tight and straightforward players who refuse to 4-bet bluff can be exploited by 3-betting a lot, and not 5-bet bluffing at all. You can 3-bet a ton of bluff hands, and when they finally pick up a hand good enough to 4-bet, you fold all your bluffs and ship a tight value range (sometimes as tight as {KK+}). Just keep an eye on the other players to see if they are trying to exploit your loose 3-betting (tighten up a bit if they do), and you’ll do very well in this spot.