Monumental mistake by Wasicka in the ME?

[WaimanaloSlim]

I'd call.

I actually posted this problem in another forum and wasn't happy with the dialogue as it was dominated by a nit, who just wanted to be right and wasn't really thinking out the alternatives.

I think the math also supports a call. I tried to reconstruct the hand from the Card Player logs, but their numbers, it looks, are inexact. I'll post what I got if anyone wants. Barring a big mis-description of the hand though, I'd call after a long time of trying to figure out the math.

Wasicka is being offered a little over 1.5 to 1 on the rest his money - but 2 to 1 if he guesses that Binger - who led at the flop with 3.5M and has 5.5M left over - would call.

I'd call because I think I'd get 2 to 1 on a hand that I believe is the favorite, I'd still get 2nd if Gold busts us both, and I'm not really scared of a higher flush draw being out there.

I certainly understand the psychology of the fold and the difference between 2nd and 3rd place money.

But the angel and devil on my shoulders are arguing, and it's the angel that's saying, "Call!"

[registrar]

[ QUOTE ]
I understand what you're saying. But why would your financial ambitions be satisfied if you won 2m? Because you can buy a house, live off interest, create a hefty retirement account? What do millionaires do with millions, most of the time, is create millions more. 6m is three times that of 2m. duh.
I agree all I need is 2m. But with that 2m my goal would be turning it into more, with little risk of course. A lot easier turning 6m into 10m then 2m into 10m and so on.

[/ QUOTE ]

As I say, it's a personal thing. If all I could think of doing with 2m is make more millions, I think I'd be pretty depressed. My observation of people who make lots of money is that it is the process and not the ostensible reward which counts. They like making money. That's fine. I don't - that's fine too. I left the world's most famous university with a good degree and could be making millions now. I didn't. I travelled the world, pratted about. I don't regret that. When I got my girlfriend pregnant and had to settle down, I had the opportunity to get well paid jobs and I didn't take those either. I don't regret that either. Most of my college friends are now becoming very rich. They work very long hours and have very short holidays whereas I get paid quite well, do bugger all, and have long holidays. I don't regret that.

I am sure that I wouldn't regret coming third, and losing out on $2m guaranteed, if I'd taken the chance at first. But I would regret missing out on a good chance to become world champion, immortalised forever.

I don't know much about the ME FT. I was on holiday, blowing my poker bankroll on long days of summer leisure. But I do know that if I've played 78s and flopped the right end of an OESFD, I'm putting all my chips in, particularly against a player as aggressive as Jamie Gold because second and third are both nowhere and when I've got $4m already, $6m is going to mean precious little more.

That's me though. A lot of people think differently, which is why a lot of people have a lot more money than me.

[registrar]

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Binger insta-called after Wasicka folded. I think if I was Wasicka I instacall given the hands Gold was playing and the good chance to double or even triple up, but given the money at stake I could have seem myself folding. Gold hit his straight on the turn but the Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] would have given Wasicka the winning flush (not being results oriented just explaining what happened).

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. I'm presuming Binger insta-folds TPTK if the other guy called Gold's push?

[seke2]

There's no question that, ignoring the implications regarding personal utility and everything, Wasicka has to call that.

His decision to fold there, if not based on personal utility of money, desire to move up a payout slot when that slot is worth a few million dollars, etc., is awful.

If the extra money is that meaningful to him, then I really can't fault him for folding.

Did he do any interviews where we discussed that hand? Because I'd love to hear what he had to say about it.

[2Fast]

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[ QUOTE ]
Binger insta-called after Wasicka folded. I think if I was Wasicka I instacall given the hands Gold was playing and the good chance to double or even triple up, but given the money at stake I could have seem myself folding. Gold hit his straight on the turn but the Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] would have given Wasicka the winning flush (not being results oriented just explaining what happened).

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. I'm presuming Binger insta-folds TPTK if the other guy called Gold's push?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think so, but it's 3-handed and that hand looks ok in that situation with the draws on the board, but I would guess he would have folded.

I was suprised that Wasicka didn't tank for like an hour (at least on ESPN he didn't). He thought about it briefly and then threw his cards away after not a ton of deliberating.

[SleepOnIce]

During an interview on "The Circuit" he said that the push by Gold(and the speed that he did it) lead him to think that Gold was on a higher flush draw, and that's why he folded.

[registrar]

I don't get ESPN [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

I mean, in Binger's situation, if Wasicka pushes, he's got to think TPTK on a draw heavy board is not looking good and that his best chance of winning is to fold, however crippled that leaves him.

As for Wasicka, he's clearly not unaware that his hand is a favourite over almost any other possible hand (what was the pre-flop action?) and I wouldn't berate him for being a nit. He's made a choice, and if he had a reasonably healthy stack, then it's all still to play for. It's just not a choice that I would have made. That's just me. The more money's at stake, the looser I get.

[APipeDream]

He pussied out, but if you felt like you could make a few million dollars in just a few minutes, would you fold that hand? Obviously a contradiction of poker sense and feebleness, but I honestly don't know what I would do in that situation. Seems like an easy call based on the +EV, but would you? Really...would YOU?!?

[illegit]

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Seems like an easy call based on the +EV, but would you? Really...would YOU?!?

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I'll never know cause I'm leading this flop 100% of the time and therefore I won't be put in that spot. I lead flop, Binger pushes, Gold folds, i call, i win ME shipitholla.

[APipeDream]

If you can get to that final table, yes, that would be the proper move in the first place. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]