Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir S A Lot
Well if you saw him in person, you would def think he has an advantage with his ''gut'' instincts...
I already think that now, after the three big plays he made to Barry Greenstein this last week. The first two folds, the third a call. He also played aggressively to be only the 2nd player to knock out all opponents on that show. I wish they would put together a DVD of 'Director's Cut' shows cause I think it would sell, due to us being able to study their thought processes when making the big decisions that are highlighted and discussed on that program. If I had a VCR or DVD recorder, I'd be recording them in order to study later. Right now, much of what they say is over my head. It would make more sense once I've studied more.
The announcer didn't mention it, but when Smith picked up three stacks of $5K cash each, and in his words, did a 'stare down,' (it wasn't much of a stare down, he just paused and may have barely glanced at his face), Greenstein, who was bluffing, blinked his eyes nervously and swallowed. Don't know if Smith noticed those tells or not. But he acknowledges that that is the point that he decided what to do. I've seen players, in the midst of their decision, stare at the other player in a showdown for a few seconds, and less often, actually pick up their cash, hold it, and see how the other person reacts. I don't know if that move, the holding of the cask, is intentional to get the person to act nervous, but I see bluffers acting nervous all the time. A savvy move to me, would be to do an acting job of something nervous when you aren't bluffing to get someone to call. When Phil Helmuth bluffs, he sits up in the chair, leans forward at the table on his elbows, (even more than usual), and covers his mouth with his two cupped hands, another nervous combination of moves that people like Matasow have never picked up on cause they keep folding to him. He might as well be saying, "Please call my bluff, please call my bluff you idiot donkey." I've never played for a dollar in my life and I can see it. Don't know why they can't. I guess that means that once I learn, I should be pretty good if I can learn to study boards and odds quickly. I'm not a fast thinker and don't have a good memory for specific cards that fell 15 years ago like Helmuth can. (Although I have a pretty good memory for historical events, that doesn't translate to a good postal exam test taker when they give you one minute to study addresses in boxes, then take it away and make you sort addresses in Box A, B, C, or D. Such a memory can only help evaluate players and remember what they did, a big part of the game. I've always liked my gut instincts in other facets of my life. And I'm usually right. And when I'm wrong, I don't usually regret my decision. I don't think most poker players have gotten past the beginner holdem books that try to tell you that you need to always determine the nuts, whether or not you have it, what it would take to get it, and how many ways your opponent can beat you heads up if you commit to this pot. I think most people just 'wing it' based on if the flop hit, and whether or not they feel bold enough to bet many chips to hit their card on the turn and river. I don't even think they're figuring outs either. But the black guy, the amateur Oceans 11 actor who lasted longer than the other two amateurs, hit the nail on the head when he said that if you don't have the nuggets to keep throwing chips in the pot and take a chance all the way to the river, and one hand after the next, you can't compete with the top level guys who can. Both Barry and Gavin were doing that. Barry was doing continuation bets like they were going out of style, daring Gavin to keep up. Gavin did, and as he said later, the luck was in 'the deck hitting me over the head' which I guess is his lingo for 'the cards fell the right way for me.' I still think there was more to it than that. The same cards could have hit a lessor player over the head and they wouldn't know what to do with them. I guess I started this post cause I had never seen him play before and liked his routine. The first player who played like that to get my attention was Phil Ivey. I had never heard of him either. Then I noticed Negreanu doing it. They both kept leading with calls or raised with marginal hands at best. When no one calls, they keep doing it, hand after hand, til someone does. Then in reading Harrington on Hold em last week where he talks about playing styles, sure enough, he confirms that Negreanu and Ivey are very loose. I don't know that Gavin starts out a hand with that intention, but if you challenge him, he won't hesitate to put the peddle to the metal. I've heard it asked, "What player would you most fear, heads up?" After seeing Gavin, I think he would be my answer. I'd feel like I wouldn't have a clue what he was doing or what he had. He doesn't give off tells. He never looks nervous like the cat that just ate the canary. You have no clue.
Some glossaries define 'flat call' as just 'a call without raising,' which seems pointless. Others define it as 'a call when you'd expect a raise.'
Last edited by machaut; 09-06-2009 at 08:22 PM.
