Doubt
Yes, I’m afraid it’s another dour title. I know some would have me pegged as very loose/aggressive but some days it just feels like dreadfully weak/passive.
I went out in level 5, with 7000 chips at 150/300. I made it 850 with J-J and got swiftly re-raised by Norbet Holting, the tight guy. I re-pushed and there was a momentary glimmer of hope when he dwelt and even after the call with Q-Q, I picked up more outs on the 9,10,Q flop, but a fourth queen sealed the deal.
I bumped into Andy Black on the beach yesterday morning and ran it past him.
‘Down to 7000 I was looking for a spot’, I said.
‘Why were you looking for a spot’, was his reply.
I enjoy our occasional chats, Andy comes at the game from a different angle to most and I always go away with something new to mull over.
The real damage was done when I just called a Barry Greenstein raise with K-K. He led for 1200 on the 2,6,8 flop, 3000 on the turn and 6500 on the river. The board was ten high and I guess having played the calling game all the way I wasn’t about to pass on the river. Result; I got to see his set of 2’s.
I dunno, barring a pre-flop re-raise, if I do raise him on the flop I'm really not sure if I believe his inevitable re-push, so maybe by playing the hand so meekly I lost the minimum.
The one other hand that could have been played better was a pair of nines. Again I just called a raise from the aggressive Dutch player on my right, Peter, who’s surname escapes me. The flop was ten high, I called his 1200 bet and when he checked the second club on fourth street I bet 2000. He called, we checked the red jack on the river and his Ac-Jc scooped the pot.
There were other hands of course and pots that went my way but looking back the overall fault appears to be a lack of pre-flop aggression, especially when, in the above situations I had position. I don’t think I was overawed by the moment, I just took a too cautious approach and perhaps a lack of pre-match focusing was the root cause.
A real shame as this event is set on the most spectacular of stages; the card-room is breathtaking, with eleven of the biggest, most beautiful, glass windows I’ve ever seen, separated by mirrored columns that gently taper into the room, all allowing a dramatic panoramic view over the bay to Monte Carlo. Oh and as you can see, the roof comes off, James Bond style, at the push of a button.
Finally, I feel duty bound to mention Barry Greenstein’s jumper. I’m sure you’ve seen it on the telly and believe me, it don’t improve much in the flesh. Think Alan Partridge on a bad day. Perhaps it’s a decoy, there to distract and pacify his foe; whatever, it seemed to work as I wasn’t alone in donating a nice chunk of chips over to him.