Follow Your First Instinct
Second-guessing yourself in life and poker can result in regrets and unwanted outcomes. Many people come up to me and tell me stories of how they should have went with what they initially thought but instead loss cuz they second-guessed themselves. In poker, you must think quickly and act upon that decision. You can not start a bluff, and then half-way through your bluff decide that your read on your opponent is wrong. That is why poker is not as easy as many may think. It is not only a struggle against another player but your inner self as well.
Here is an example that I lived through. I was in a hand on the button with K9o, everyone had checked to me and I had decided as the checks were going on, that I’m going to take this pot and that I’m going to out play this guy on the big blind that has been aggressive towards everyone. So I raise but as I’m raising he takes a look at his cards and says “just because you’re on the button doesn’t mean u have to always raise” I replied “had to do it”. So the flop comes out low cards, no draws. He takes a look and checks to me, at this point I am worried that he may have hit but he would have bet into me to see if I had anything. This is the point where I made the mistake, as I checked it back. The turn comes another low card, this time he bets and I call, rethinking to bluff, I’m hoping to set him up on the river. River comes a brick, and he bets on the river and I re-raise pot size. He thinks about it, and calls. He shows a low pair. And says “if you would have bet on the flop I would have folded”. I was devastated that he made that call, but I thought about my play and realized that by second-guessing myself I revealed too much information. I had a read on him preflop that he was just calling to see a flop with marginal cards and I was representing a big pair but failed to continue my bluff play on the flop.
There are many stories of people second-guessing themselves on tells, but your first instincts are usually the right ones. Treat the game as war, as Winston Churchill once said “If your going to war, keep going”
Here is an example that I lived through. I was in a hand on the button with K9o, everyone had checked to me and I had decided as the checks were going on, that I’m going to take this pot and that I’m going to out play this guy on the big blind that has been aggressive towards everyone. So I raise but as I’m raising he takes a look at his cards and says “just because you’re on the button doesn’t mean u have to always raise” I replied “had to do it”. So the flop comes out low cards, no draws. He takes a look and checks to me, at this point I am worried that he may have hit but he would have bet into me to see if I had anything. This is the point where I made the mistake, as I checked it back. The turn comes another low card, this time he bets and I call, rethinking to bluff, I’m hoping to set him up on the river. River comes a brick, and he bets on the river and I re-raise pot size. He thinks about it, and calls. He shows a low pair. And says “if you would have bet on the flop I would have folded”. I was devastated that he made that call, but I thought about my play and realized that by second-guessing myself I revealed too much information. I had a read on him preflop that he was just calling to see a flop with marginal cards and I was representing a big pair but failed to continue my bluff play on the flop.
There are many stories of people second-guessing themselves on tells, but your first instincts are usually the right ones. Treat the game as war, as Winston Churchill once said “If your going to war, keep going”
posted by The_Gamblar at 7:11 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home