Just a few thoughts I've been having lately, especially when getting some comments in tournament chat about my plays, mostly banter of course but usually along the lines of "fish", "spew" etc, and funnily enough only when I've won the hand.
I am not a good player. I know this, and that is a good thing. I know I have many areas to work on in both tournaments and cash games, and for the most part I have a good idea of what areas they are. So I know I can improve and that I will.
But this does not mean I cannot beat better players. If there is one thing I can do it is adjust. I have no strategy entering a tournament. My aim is to find whatever weakness I can in both worse and better players and exploit it to the max. I also know that one of my biggest weaknesses is my heads up play. I get schooled when I'm up against much better players, as has been the case a few times in the OPL. So I have to give myself an edge, a big stack. I want to be chip leader when it's heads up so that I have at least some advantage over even the best of players. This means making some high variance plays where when you get it wrong you look terrible, but when you get it right you can laugh at the abuse you get because you now have a monster stack.
An example hand from last night.
Preflop
3$1,050Hero is BBAJ
r000ts folds, Saper72o raises to $1,400, Hero raises to $4,200, Saper72o calls $2,800
Flop
2$8,6556J7
Saper72o bets $4,327, Hero raises to $28,960, Saper72o calls $24,633
Turn
2$66,5752
River
2$66,5753
Final Pot$66,575
Hero shows AJ
Saper72o shows 7A
Hero wins$66,575 (net +$33,415)
Saper72o lost $33,160
Overplaying my hand? Yeh maybe. But...
Villain's stats suggest he doesn't let go of a made hand post flop. And I'm the only player who can make a serious dent in his stack, so my shove for such a large amount could throw him off into making a bad decision. Like calling with worse.
Villain is the only player that has me at risk going all in. Plus there are so many scare cards on the turn (any spade, 5, 6, 7, 8, K, Q), I don't want to play turn and river against this player, so I have no problem with him folding worse.
I don't think he has an overpair, or two pair. And I don't think he donks a set. Ax with second or third pair has got to be one of the most common donk bets. And there are straight and flush draws out there.
I have everything going for me. Time to take that risk.
"It worked." - I don't often use the chat in play but this has to be my most common response.
I know I haven't been "winning" for long. Could just be running good. But in season one of the OPL I made more money than I had all year from cash games. And despite crushing 4NL in February I've already made more from season 2. If I'm just running good, long may it continue. But if not, I might just pose a threat to the front runners.
PS. After that hand I went on to be chip leader for almost the entire final table. But within a few hands heads up I knew I'd need some luck. I was getting run over and eventually came 2nd.
PPS. I welcome all criticism. I am trying to learn after all.