Online Poker Strategy Articles
John Stolzmann
First off, I can't start my first article without thanking the PokerTrails.com editor, Jon Eaton, for allowing me this opportunity to write for such a great new website. The Pokertrails writing staff is top notch, and I am honored to have the chance to offer my views on the game along with all of them. I should also say that this article may seem a bit late, as the Jack Binion's World Poker Open happened over four months ago, however, my rags-to-riches success story of winning my first ever 10k event is the most interesting material I've got!
My dad convinced me to skip a half-week of class to go to the WPO with him, since he had won his entry to the main event online and wanted some company on the trip. I don't think my mom thought he was being a good influence, but I couldn't complain. My dad had bought my action in Costa Rica for a tournament before (where I took fourth and $15k), and put me in the $3k event. I busted out of that early on, and he put me in a $1k super-satellite. I won my entry and we were set to split the profits 50/50.
For three years I had been playing limit ring games exclusively, semi-professionally (my "real" job was being a full time student at the University of Wisconsin) at limits ranging from $30-60 to $100-200. I had played a few tournaments online with mild success, with my best finish being eighth place out of 1,350 in a $215 tournament on Party. Costa Rica had been my first ever larger buy-in live tournament. Still, I knew I had a lot to learn.
I couldn't even believe I was there, sitting across from T.J. Cloutier in the main event in Tunica, Mississippi. "This sure beats sitting in lecture," I thought to myself, feeling a little bit guilty for missing class. I started off playing very cautiously. Even though I only recognized Cloutier and Derek Tomko, both sitting across the table, I was very nervous that I would be outclassed in this field. After all, I was just beginning to play in no limit tournaments.
The first hand I was involved in didn't give me much more confidence. The unknown player in position 2 limped in and I looked down to the Qd-Jd in the cutoff. I limped along for 50 and Cloutier checked in the big blind. The flop came K-T-4 rainbow, with one diamond. It was checked to me and I bet 150 on a semi-bluff. T.J. called and the other limper folded. I thought it was very likely that he had second pair, a weak king, or maybe even a hand like A4 or AJ if he thought I was just betting my position. The turn card was a blank and again he checked to me. I thought there was a good chance I could win with a bet. The pot was 475 and I fired 425 into him. T.J. asked, "How much is that'" The dealer started to say 425, but fanned my chips out to reveal that one of the chips was actually a 1k chip. "1,325 is the bet." Whoops. T.J. asked me if that was intentional, and I tried to give nothing away even though the whole world knew it was a mistake. "I have to call you," said a confident T.J. The river was another blank and T.J. checked again. I felt this was no time do make another stupid mistake, so I gave up on the hand. T.J.'s K-Q won the pot and I was red with embarrassment and down to 8,400.
Luckily, just after that hand, and only about ten minutes into the event, I was moved to another table. I was glad to get away from that table where everyone "knew" I was the sucker! After about two minutes I could tell I was going to like my table. I recognized no one (David Plastik and Dan Heimiller were there, but I didn't know them at the time) and the player to my immediate right was obviously clueless. The four seat was empty, and a few people were commenting that the game would change when Phil arrives. I didn't like to hear that Phil Hellmuth would be coming (he's notorious for being late), but at least he would be across from me as I was in the nine seat. I didn't get too many hands early, and was hovering around 9k when Phil arrived near the end of round 1. To my surprise, however, it was a Phil Ivey, not Hellmuth.
"Well, that's no better than having Hellmuth," I thought. I wasn't happy when Phil had 22k in a matter of about 15 minutes, busting a guy with a queen-high flush against a 7-high flush and winning a big one off of the clueless gentleman to my right. It's very intimidating when someone as good as Phil Ivey has a lot of chips early.
In the middle of round two, I was involved in two key hands with Phil. I was in the small blind with sixes and four players, including Phil, limped in. I limped along and the big blind checked. The flop was a delightful T-6-2, but two clubs were on the board. I could make a pot-sized bet here, not wanting to give a free card to a hand like 9-8 or a club draw. However, I was fairly sure that one of the five limpers would have caught enough of the flop to bet it for me, and if a disastrous free card happens at least the pot is small, so I am not giving up too much. Everyone checks to the button, who bets 500 (Whew!). I don't want to mess around with any draws at this point, so I make an almost-pot-sized raise of 2k. To my surprise, Phil makes it 6k. The button folds and my only choice is to go all-in for about 9k total. Phil instantly calls the extra 3k with the Ac-9c. I was rather surprised that Phil would risk so much on a semi-bluff there at a weak table, but I suppose he thought I was trying to protect a vulnerable hand like K-T that I would get away from, or he could also put me on a lower flush draw than his. The turn and river blanked and I was cruising with about 19k. I was starting to feel a little bit more confident. Everyone looks like a genius when you flop a set. 'What skill'' I jokingly thought.
The second hand happened nine hands later when I was in the small blind again, in virtually the same scenario. This time there were 3 limpers (Phil again among them) and I had the Th-Td. A lot of people would make a big raise here, trying to pick up what's there, or get heads-up with what is most likely the best hand. While I think that play is a good one, I am of the philosophy that early in tournaments small and medium pairs have more value in busting people than they do picking up blinds. That is, the goal with pairs under kings or queens should be to flop a set and hopefully get action on it. It won't happen very often, but when it does you will win a very large pot (remember those sixes'), as opposed to the blinds, which are not much in the grand scheme of things. I limped along and let the other limpers see a flop for free.
The flop wasn't so good for my hand: Q-9-3 with two hearts. I was ready to give up on this pot, but it checked around. An innocent-looking 7s rolled off on the turn. I thought there was a strong chance that I had the best hand, as anyone with a queen would have probably bet to protect their hand against the draws. I made a pot-sized bet of 500. The two people folded to Phil who raised the pot to 1,600. The player behind Phil folded and it was 1,100 to me. I thought for about ten seconds and called. I don't like to think long; I truly felt this was a bluff or semi-bluff. He certainly would not check a queen on that flop with only one limper to act behind him. He would practically be forced to bet out. He could have pocket sevens, which would be the only hand that could beat me that would make sense based on the action. Upon reflection, I probably should have put in a third bet here to not let him see the river, since I was confident I had the best hand and he could be on a draw. An offsuit six came on the river and I checked immediately. There is no value in a bet since he probably can't call anyways, and if he can he has me beat. He thought for about 20 seconds, glancing back and forth from his chips to me. "I'm all-in," he said rather nonchalantly.
The bet was 4,300 (he had lost another pot to the clueless guy) and I had him quite covered. This time I thought longer, about 30 seconds. "Would Phil Ivey bluff all his chips away'!' Maybe he does have a set..." I stopped myself there. I had made a read and had to stick with it. I put him on a bluff. He just shook his head when I called and that was the end for a great player. Now, perhaps, I had reason to be confident.
Check back next week to see how the rest of the day went, and then my continuation into day two!
note by gank: John Stolzman won nearly 1.5 million dollars by taking 1st in the Jack Binion World Poker Open No Limit Holdem Championship in 2005. The final table had famous players like Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, and Michael Mizrachi. His brick and mortar tournament skills are very good and he will undoubtably continue to have a great deal of success.