My style depends mostly on my odds of making money. Tonight I am playing a free poker tournament with 30 players where 10 get paid. With a 1 in 3 shot of making a profit I tend to take it easy for the most part. That’s not to say that I won’t be chip leader tonight it’s just mostly going to depend on the cards for the first hour or so.
During this article I am going to tell you some of the better hands that I get and what I do with them. Keep in mind the real game is far from starting at this point. 77 I flat call and get a 2x bet back to me and call. Flop comes 6d,3h,4h first player to act moves all in on $165 pot with 3k. I fold, most likely he had better pockets or a nut flush draw/str8. Although I had a good shot at having the best hand at the time its way to early for something that insane.
99 I flat call and the same player from before pushed all in on flop 8d,2s,2h at this point I am starting to think maybe I was wrong the 1st time but fold anyway. He shows me J2 now leading me to believe I was in fact correct the first time as well. KJ off I flat call only because someone before me called as well increasing my pot odds. About 15 minutes in now I have $2,900 of my original $3,000.
AJ I slow play A,6,9 flop and a player bets $350 the pot at this point was only $115 and the blinds $20/$40 so I fold. This player gave to much away with the size of his bet, if it were only me and him I would have reconsidered but I would like to think he wouldn’t try that with more players in the hand. I put him on a higher kicker, A6 suited or A9. Just in case I mention that he “should start showing a few to make it more believable.”
By doing this if he was being sneaky he may start to think about what I said and believe I know his game. It’s a no lose situation as if I’m wrong he will be wondering if I think he’s blagging & could call if he continues. The truth is as explained I’m just making remarks to keep him in check.
A good twenty mins on the same guy is making a move with K8 on a K66 flop when I have A6. Well as you might have guessed I ensure I double up & gain some vital info. He has in fact have hands when he makes these trivial gambles, however the cards he’s playing it with are very defeatable.
I will now employ a method of waiting for this player to make his next error. A different opponent to my right gambles before the flop- who seems to be on the same wave length as me, however playing it completely off the mark. The problem is he’s forceful with his cards and not stupid. I continue with the six grand double up here at first break 1hr into the game. At this point there’s still twenty two players at the table.
About 1 hour and 41 minutes in I catch the same player again slow playing AK for an even 9k bringing my total now up to 12k with 7 players left I am in 3rd place. So although this player was able to amount about 18k in chips with aggressive behavior he finishes in 8th place while the low stack at the previous table is now in the running’s for 1st place. Finding a target and sticking with it can pay off in the long run but be sure to find another means of making money to keep yourself around long enough for the big pay out.
AA I gamble the smallest I can as I don’t have much to play with. The second hr is now in the books and I’m in last. Forth place with six grand so I will go all in blind regardless. The nearest opponent has sixteen grand and blinds are six hundred / one thousand two hundred. Fifty five and flop comes Qfive hundred and ten- a bit of good fortune never hurt anyone. I put down a AQ off to a gamble that would go in all in. I didn’t feel I wanted to lose my new chips so quick. Went out third place with A4 suited against K10 off. Not to shabby for a free poker tournament where I won some dollars although could have been WSOP from top table!
I look forward to playing you in a free poker tournament soon!
