# Poker players: comfort me, tell me I did right **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 9, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-players-comfort-me-tell-me-i-did-right/273860 "2004-11-09T17:43:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-players-comfort-me-tell-me-i-did-right/273860/21 "2004-11-12T15:36:11Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I’ve played with the BB probably more than anyone else in this tourney series so I have a decent handle on his play. If it’s cheap he’ll take a flyer on stuff like K-8 os or mid-level connectors that he wouldn’t play in the face of a big re-raise, and he’ll also let stuff like 77 go if the raise is big enough. The only seven hands I was really worried about from him were AK, AQ and a pocket pair 10s or higher. Here’s the thing. Basically, your main goal in this hand was to get this guy out of the game on this hand, right? His stack is peanuts, so you’re not really looking to get a huge advantage in chips yourself. You’ve been dealt a somewhat marginal hand. So what was the main benefit to going all in as you did? I understand what you are saying about trying to get the BB to fold, but is opening yourself up to get shelled if the BB has the better hand worth the risk given the hand you were dealt? If the BB folds, and you win, you get $50,000. But, if the BB has one of those seven hands you’re worried about, he’s probably not going to fold and now you risk losing $200,000 and more importantly, you’ve no longer got a large chip lead. In fact, you may not have a chip lead at all. So if you just call/raise, instead, you don’t have to gamble quite as much. If he calls you can probably guess he’s got a marginal hand and you can play it from there. If he re-raises, then you can guess he’s got a pretty good hand and you can fold. The other benefit is that if the BB has a good hand, it means he busts the short stack and your main goal on that hand is accomplished with not as much damage to your chip lead. > [@](#): > > Thinking about everyone’s advice and fighting my conditioned response to the DEATH HAND, I raise to 125,000. 2nd stack calls. Good play so far. But, out of curiosity, did you suspect the 2nd stack had after he called your raise? ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-players-comfort-me-tell-me-i-did-right/273860/22 "2004-11-12T15:36:23Z")
IMO you were giving too much information away about your own hand while not getting the chance to learn about his. Are you typically a Sklanskyan raiser of premium hands or an Abdul limper and does your opponent know this? Against an unknown I would have assumed you were attempting to isolate. I also think pre-flop all-ins brings in a bravado element that can’t necessarily be predicted based on the player’s typical tightness/looseness. I’d have bet 60k. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-players-comfort-me-tell-me-i-did-right/273860/23 "2004-11-12T16:15:41Z")
For the hand in the OP: If you’re ahead of EP, you’ll usually be _roughly_ 1-1.4 (vs. KQ) or 1-2.4 (vs. A5). If you’re behind (assuming no AA or 99), you’re roughly 1.2-1 (22-88), 2.6-1 (TT-KK), or 3-1 (AK-AT). Considering that the BB is yet to act, are you getting your odds? Depends on EP, I guess, but if I knew nothing about him I’d want to come in. I don’t think flat calling is a bad play here. Obviously you’ve got a marginal hand out of position and, while BB is likely to come along cheaply on any number of decent holdings, he’ll probably ditch the large majority of his hands because, if for no other reason, you’re the one person at the table he doesn’t want to tangle with. I can see the benefits of a small raise, as well. It’s a close decision. I don’t like pushing, for the reasons mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-players-comfort-me-tell-me-i-did-right/273860/24 "2004-11-12T16:27:05Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Good play so far. But, out of curiosity, did you suspect the 2nd stack had after he called your raise? A-10 or better. Not a pair and certainly not a crap little pair. I eliminated A-10 when he didn’t bet the turn; I haven’t played much with this guy but I have noted he tends to check the flop and bet the turn if he hits anything on the flop. No bet=no 10 so I’m thinking AK, AQ or AJ are the only possibilities. Oops. It’s OK though, I beat him up after in the parking lot. Not really. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-players-comfort-me-tell-me-i-did-right/273860.md?page=1)