Hi TK,
Dextroblock here, i managed to make 3rd in primo sun 11/01/10 i was rather dissapinted at trevor harris's annalysis of my game and they way i played on the final table , I wanted to point out that at no time throughout the night was i ever in the top 20 of the comp untill very deep into the night .I never received hardly any hands but just played solid throughout my main objective was just to make the money because bel;ieve you me i didnt deserve to .Because i was steeling blinds when i could just to survive .Once i doubled up and was in the top 10 i altered my game slightly but none of my good play was highlighted on the TV.I was reraising preflop with 75 off suit and betting with absoloutly nothing .I qualified for that tournament through a freeroll the friday night prior beeting 1030 other contestents to book my seat .
My question is this ??
When on a final table we all no who the aggresive players are /on this occasion Hemse was .
Is it better to sit tight early on in the final table as i did and wait for the aggresive ones to be kicked out so we can ladder up (subject to chip stacks ) or are we better to be just as aggresive and run the chance of going out early to a better hand ?
I just wanted to point out that i dont believe Trevor Harris knows what he is talking about thats why i am asking someone like yourself where i know i will get some proper advice. Also if Mr haris wants to slate my play let me see him beet 1030 players to qualify for a tournament then make 3rd out of 538.
Hope that 2010 is good too you TK
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Comments
I produced Winners Journey - to which i think you are referring...
At no point did Trevor slate your play: He only offered up constructive criticism, which overtime you may come to appreciate as invaluable advice.
The laddering strategy can work in some situations, however in the long run you may find that you are being blinded out and subsequently leaving money on the table through "scared" play.
Poker is a game of opinions of course and there is not "right" or "wrong" answer - we can only offer up proven strategies that optimise play.
Furthermore, Trevor does fantastic work at Sky Poker and is a winning player whom I would trust with my own bankroll, therefore please refrain from any personal attacks.
Kind regards
Aisling
Congrats on the freeroll & The primo. I wouldn't really agree that Mr Harris has no idea. I think he has to form an opinion quickly and as such can be wrong after only getting to see a couple of hands. Someone may look LAG when raising with 75 off etc when in fact they have sat tight for 3 blind levels showing only premium to sell a rock image and then loosened up to take advantage of it. As he doesn't have the benefit of watching you from start to finish then his opinion may be based on a few selected hands.
As for you r stratagey, i'd say tighten up against the aggressives and shove against them when you have it............. but what do i know cos i haven't taken 3rd in a primo before
Good Luck at the tables and Very Well Done for taking the Freeroll & 3rd in the Main Event
Chris
Dextro - you da man! £1,429 was it? Very nice too!
I never saw the Show to which you refer, I'm afraid, but as you asked.....
1) Trevor Harris. He's a most competent Player - a cash player rather than a Tourney player I'd say, & a very fine Omaha player, we often share 50p-£1 & £1 £2 Omaha Cash Tables, & he's a right handful, with a good technical understanding of the game.
He was less than fair as to your play? Possibly/probably - the same problem afflicts all of us Analysts & Prersenters, because we only show a very small % of hands played, & it's hard to get a clear view of a player in that manner. It's time constraints, in truth. And it's "lose-lose" for us too, because if we get all cooey-wooey, viewers complain we are not being hard enough, & if we do hardball, the players get upset.
I can tell you thiis though. Trevor is a family man of great honour & integrity, & impeccable manners & morals. The last thing he would ever dream of doing is unfairly critiquing someone's play. It's a thin line we tread. He will be quite distressed to learn you were upset at his Analysis, I'm quite sure.
2) Sit tight early in a Final, or go for it, gung-ho style?
There is no clear cut answer to that - it depends on so many things. Youir stack, the Table dynamic, the prize structure, da de da de da.
In my personal opinion, & if you have a decent stack, personally, I recommend pretty much sitting out the early stages of a Final & letting the others do the work, & the Shorties are FORCED to get busy, of course. If it's a 10 handed Final, I'd not be looking to get busy (obvious plays excepted) until there are 4 or 5 players left. Most established Tourney Pros would do the same, too. The problem with "foot to the floor gung-ho" is it can so often go wrong. And usually does, because the adrenelin messes with your judgement. I'd like a quid for every time I've seen the Chip Daddy exit first in a Final, & then they look & feel rather silly.
Sadly, & inexplicably, the fashion in Finals these days is to applaud "going for it", just being a mindless battering ram, which makes no sense to me at all. I'll happily coast into the Top 3 or 4 every time, as that ensures I can keep the bankroll ticking over. I don't play poker for profit, I play for fun, & playing it that way means I never have to fund my hobby, there's always enough in my Account to play as much as I want.
But each to their own.
firstly well played on your 3d place, just reaching the cash is an achievement i would agree with TK in that there is no set rule when playing as it depends on the table at the time i think you played as you saw it whether you should have been more aggressive could be discussed till the cow come home but doing so may well have knocked you out earlier!
i must also say trever is one of my favorite analysts he talks sense (most of the time except when he talks about footbal lol) i dont think he slated your play just as TK said gave his opinion which is always easier when you can see the cards if you recorded it watch it a few time and see how you feel about your play and his comments in the meantime just keep doing what your doing good luck and well played
DOHH
GB....
just kiddin' well done mate.
In Response to 3rd in Primo:
hi m8 well done,on both results,its a great result winning the freeroll of that size,and then to come 3rd in the primo shows great consistency,
i disagree with you saying you didnt deserve to make the money,because you were stealing blinds and making sure you were not blinded out (the biggest sin in poker imo)
when it comes to the final table i find aggression pays off,pushing with any ace can often induce a loose call,if not you steal the hefty blinds...
i didnt see the show but i'm sure trevor wasn't intentionly harsh on your play.he may or may not of analized it correctly but he certainly knows what he is talking about...
good luck at the tables(not that you need it)
dave
Well for what it's worth I'd say, "Brilliant" and "Well Played" .. not just for coming 3rd in the Primo which in itself is a massive result .. but to have qualified through a free-roll of over a 1000 to get a seat in the first place ! Big well done on both counts ..
However the other points you make about the analyst ( Trevor) who didn't give you much credit for your play, I'd say that's a bit harsh..
Now I don't know Trevor personally and i don't think his job is to 'big up' players but to run a show with his presenter alongside him with producers and camera crew as well as sound people and someone talking through his ear-piece as he tries to keep the whole show going ..
I know sometimes it appears that when a 'face' comes on a table they appear to say what a good player they are and 'yadda yadda yadda, however the way you have come across is that Trevor should have known how you got there and how you climbed into the top 20 places, and then to the final table, he wouldn't have known any of that ..
That all said, on final table advice, my approach to a table of 10 would be different to a final table of 6 .
Lets be honest here when your down to the last 12 with two tables of 6 , luck plays a massive part because when it 7 or 8 player the blinds are massive and it's a struggle for all players to make the last 6 , it's not about skill at that point it's luck , it's survive and hope others exit and you can get to the final ...
The main thing about final tables is this,
Short stack's have to gamble, they cant be anti-ed away !!
Middle stack's have to stay strong and solid, don't gamble , use position of the button !!
Big stack's should lean and pressure others and bully from position !!
So to conclude my advice would be , very well played, but be humble !!
Don't look for praise by slating others and certainly, not someone like Trevor who is obviously a very good player and analyst of the game ..
glk Benny