first *real* post (long)

[subblime]

My first real post in this forum. My friend had asked me about a 40/80 hand where he could not lay down bottom set against unimaginitive players betting strongly. He wanted to know how he could become a winner in big games. Here was my reply. Please let me know what you guys think:

For me, the most important aspect of excellent players is being truthful about their game. This is beyond even "I know what to do and have the courage/conviction to do it." Excellent players don't necessarily know what to do, but they know why they are doing what they are doing.

For example, you might find yourself on the river with top pair and no reads. A flush comes out, your opponent bets and you call. A decent player will call because he "has top pair", or because the "pot odds are good." An excellent player will call because he either thinks there is a decent chance the other guy has a smaller kicker, is value betting middle pair, or is bluffing. But if the expert has no reads, he will call because he has no reads and top pair. You see, he always knows where he's at even when he doesn't. He can admit when he is lost in a hand.

Sometimes an expert pays off when he is probably losing, just so that he won't get pushed around. He's not really giving his money away, but rather investing a fraction of a bet. But he knows he is calling without the odds.

I have seen people push this to the extreme by writing notes on every street of every hand that they play. That will only get you labelled as a nit, but I think someone who aspires to be an excellent player has to know why he is making each decision even if he doesn't write it down.

I think that many decisions in hold'em are debatable (many more than the books say). It's better to know why you do what you do rather than aspire to play "perfect poker."

So if you know you can't lay down to a 3-bet, sometimes don't raise when you are supposed to. If you have no idea where you are, pay off with top pair. Later, you can think about your play and try to improve your game.

So XXXX, why did you call the turn and pay off the river? Is it because you weren't sure if you were beat, or because you knew but were curious? Or did you think to yourself "if I am good and lay down, I will go on weeks to tilt and lose $5,000 so paying off here just in case is cheaper"?

Understanding your play is necessary before you can take
responsibility for the consequences.