Quote:
Originally Posted by Gzesh
Fair enough, except you think that when they "put the money in" that inevitably means they have the nuts ?
Do you think they can be exploited by making them overpay for earlier streets than the river ?
What has been your experience in 15 years of playing cash games during the WSOP ?
1) No, I wouldn't go
that far, but I would say that there's a much higher probability that they have the nuts or an excellent hand than there would be with a randomly selected bozo. While I'm sure I've been bluffed by a "reg" now and again during my lifetime, I've generally found that giving them action is a fairly lousy idea.
2) I do think that they will accept unprofitable implied odds, especially with nut draws, so I adjust by somewhat overbetting when I'm ahead. They generally play relatively few hands, and so tend to be "sticky" when they do play, which can be exploited. I also, from a temperamental standpoint, would rather get the money in when I'm ahead (before they make or don't make their hands) than after (I hate paying people off).
3) The cash games have had an astonishing range of skill levels. I've played at very good tables (and gotten the hell out of there) and astoundingly bad tables. I learned, as time went on, to not spend a minute longer than necessary against good or even average opponents. I think I was less inclined to be lazy (and continue to sit in a suboptimal game) once I figured out the relative EV of a fishy game and a game with good players. I'm no expert. But good gravy, I've looked like Stu Ungar mated with Doyle Brunson against some of these dazed, drunken, inbred troglodytes.
I asked my original question because I suspect that everything I've experienced in the past is still happening, except magnified. I've almost been beating myself up for not being there now, even though I've had a lot of personal obligations to attend to that have kept me here. That, and I've had a hard time getting enthusiastic about paying $4500 a night plus resort fee, $600 for a buffet, $38 for a beer, and $8 for a bottle of water to dump on my head as I stagger around in the 800-degree heat. Oh, wait, that's Venus. Vegas is hotter.