After weeks of bad beat after bad beat, I admit, the frustration level has reached a new high. The quality of play has become so abysmal, it's a wonder how any thinking player on the American sites can't make a good deal of money. Between the constant runner runners, K559/2239/49JQ type hands pulling ahead of good hands, it's become obvious I just need a good break, or perhaps switch to live for a bit (that's a whole other story all together though)

However, this play I recently saw by a reg, who is not that good in my mind, but still a winning reg, is beyond a head scratcher, and would love to possibly hear some input as to what he could have possibly been thinking.

The tournament was about an hour into play, with the standard two hour re-entry/late reg on Merge. Blinds are 125/250, and I'm in the small blind with AhK6h7 and roughly 5,000 chips. A player in middle position (4k-ish) limps, I limp, BB (4k) checks. The flop comes AsKh3s. I lead pot (750), BB smooth calls, MP folds. Turn comes 5s (standard), I lead pot again, he goes over the top for just a little more, I call. He flips over 267J rainbow, and of course the river is a 4 to quarter me. Now, I don't want to get into whether or not my bet sizing/betting was the correct play. My question is this, why in the world would anybody, especially a winning player, have his line?

deep breath.... go grab a beer. Who is it?

Ha, that's definitely what the plan is tonight. Maybe after a few beers I'll speak Honestly, I would say there are 3-4 regs on Merge/Revolution who's play I actually respect.

Assuming he was putting logical thought behind his decisions, the only thing I can think of is "deception." That is, perhaps he wanted to cheaply show trash, so as to collect another time when playing better hands. And then, as it turned out, perhaps with him not expecting it, he lucked out and won.

A better explanation is he was tipsy from drinking alcohol, took a chance he wouldn't have taken if sober, lucked out and won.

Another possible explanation is we don't all play or think at the same high level all the time. He could be an overall winner because often enough he thinks at a high level, but sometimes (as here) he doesn't.

When you're a two to one favorite, your opponent will win roughly one time in three, and that's what happened to you here. Take it with a grain of salt when it happens.

Buzz

LMAO! Was this me?

No, Sumando

Oh ok, I remember you going off on me for something similar a few days ago but I didn't remember it being that ugly. Cheer up man you're one of the best out there. It will turn around.

Nah, you're definitely one of the best as well, and we've had some good chats in the past. I was probably equally frustrated then but I rarely, if ever, see you make a god awful play like that ha.

pokerstars.com

merge? right? hes a reg? hahahaha.

First time I ever saw sumando at my cash table I thought he was a complete moron, who was going to go broke. I've seen him play better since, but he still has sessions where he refuses to fold way too much. Not sure if he sometimes plays drunk, or while watching TV or has other mental issues with his game.

This is one of the "things he does", calling assuming a bad low draw is good and hoping you'll check a turn low and he can semi-bluff shove you off the high (or maybe just shoving anyway if the turn is a high and you check). Works "great" when he's right, and he hits.

i just realized i play with u guys on merge. hahah. im the donkey fish learnign the game with a fish avatar.

Excellent response! Thank you. (I'm not being sarcastic).

We all probably face opponents seemingly with their our own idiosyncrasies who make mistakes. It's always possible a mistake is a mis-click or something of the sort. But more usually, when an opponent makes a move that may not immediately make sense to us, I think there's some logic behind that move.

And whatever the move and the logic behind it is, can also occur in our own games.

One of the reasons I read responses in this forum is to learn how other people think about the game. (I know everyone doesn't think the same as I do).

I appreciate your insight into the thinking of this opponent. Even though I'll probably never face this particular opponent, I may well face another opponent with similar patterns of behavior and thinking.

Thanks again. Much appreciated.

Buzz

i play on carbon. if i post my name can someone give me a honest answer about my game and what i need to improve on/

i know i have a ton of leaks. if not its cool ill keep lurking this sub.

Might be better to post in:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/44...-regs-1149840/

...instead. The responses might be a bit generic, and/or hand specific like "look at XYZ hand I saw you play and think about why your line sucks". But it's unlikely to hurt.

I have thousands of hands on Su...know his playing style real well. IF I were to guess on his line here I would definitely say playing agressive with rags/trash. He will bet hard with air on goofy boards if he thinks your holdings are weak and has no problems getting stacked as in his mind you will fold more often for it to be profitable in the long run....just a guess though. Damn spaniards.

Thnx man.

Honestly, this is what bugs me the most. You've got to have a screw loose to play on Merge if you are not an American.

And also, I'm a little disappointed none of my awful lines have been bad enough to deserve a thread like this from you, Suiteddeuces.

Why would you moan about how bad someone plays? I know it is commonplace but their mistakes = your profit.

I hope you don't find it condescending of me to suggest reading the last part of Todd Brunson's Stud 8 section in Super System 2 and listening to The Eightfold Path to Poker Enlightenment by Tommy Angelo (DeucesCracked).

Hey Lucius! You've been missing for a year or so. Nice to have you back. Welcome back.

(Sorry for the side track, suiteddeuces).

Buzz

I wouldn't necessarily say I was back. I have no bankroll, been dealing and saving up money living with my gf. The most poker I am playing is freerolls on PokerStars. Honestly I haven't even lurked on here for about a year till now. Played some freerolls in the past 2 days and felt like coming on here to see what's changed, saw this and had to suggest a change of mental approach to the OP.

And if anyone remembers me ripping a staker off for something like $500 (went outside the agreement and lost around $1200), that whole story, I still owe the money, and I still can't pay yet and I still feel guilty about it and the fact I don't remember the guy's name. But FWIW I have had other staking agreements before and after that that were all successful and properly executed.

Anyway back to the thread. If you wanna discuss anything w/ me further, PM; I don't wanna derail.

He's a very good player that just snapped one day. Sometimes the chatbox just doesn't satisfy In my beginning days of poker, I would literally text my poker friends bad beat stories because I thought they actually cared (no one ever cares about anyones bad beat stories ever, if anything I have found they secretly enjoy your misery).

GL in keeping your word to whoever you owe. Never too late to make right.

Well put.

Buzz

Sangaman. We're PM'ing about it now.