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Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter.

I played the Bellagio $10,400 tournament! Here is the hand I was eliminated on.

Today’s Topic:

This week I was fortunate enough to get to play in a $10,400 buy-in tournament. Over 1,000 people put up five figures to compete in Las Vegas at the Bellagio, for a chance to win their share of the over $10 million dollar prize pool. I had my sights set on the nearly $1.7 million first place prize. Entering Day 2, I was a middling stack with 30 big blinds. That is when this hand came up…

Action folded to me on the hijack and I looked down at Ac3c. With blinds being 500/1,000 and a 1,000 big blind ante, I raised to 2,200. The cutoff and button folded. There was no player in the small blind because he was eliminated the previous hand. The big blind called my raise for another 1,200 chips. There was now 5,400 in the pot and the flop landed Ah 2h 5c.

The big blind checked, I bet 1,500, then the big blind raised me to 4,000. I called his raise to see a turn card. The turn fell the 3d and the big blind bet 9,000 into a pot of 13,400. Action was now on me. I had 25,000 in chips remaining and a strong hand with two pair. I thought over my decisions, which were to either call his bet and leave myself with a half size pot bet, or to move all in. I ended up going with the latter, and moved all in. My opponent called, tabling 4s5s. I now needed to hit an ace or three to make a full house and beat his straight. The river landed the Qs and I was eliminated.

I have no issue with how I played my hand. I am supposed to raise my hand preflop, bet the flop, call his raise, and see a turn card. When I turn two pair, this improves my hand and also hits some of the big blind’s semi-bluffs. I didn’t necessarily want to make two pair, because the range my opponent is representing is pretty weak. I thought there was a small chance he might move all in before the flop with small pairs, such as 22-88, along with 3betting stronger hands such as AJs+ and 99+. When I get raised, he is mostly saying he has two pair himself, or a big draw. If he had a flush draw, or other bluffs, he would likely continue bluffing on the turn. For this reason, we could make an argument for calling, which is also a good play. If I did call the turn bet, I would have 16k chips remaining, into a pot of ~32k. I would still be calling all-in on the river on most river cards, where my price would be 4-1. My reasoning for moving all in on the turn was to get called by flush draws that decided to play their hand this fast. I am now beating a few hands, such as worse two pairs. Since this player decided to check raise their pair and gutshot (45s), we could also see hands like 53, and 32 in their range to play this way. I was hoping to get value and a full double up from this specific range, but I ran into a stronger hand.

Poker is a difficult game to play, and good players are going to put you in awkward situations to apply a lot of pressure. This is one of those hands. If you want to be great at poker, you must understand how the community is playing and what types of plays they are making. After I was raised on the flop, I knew I had a very easy continue and was likely going to be calling more bets. My knowledge on this spot led me to be comfortable in playing the hand. Alas, I was on the wrong end of this situation. Making two pair was the death of me, and had another turn card fallen, I would have been in a prime position to win a nice sized pot. That’s poker!

“The United States has made serious mistakes in the conduct of its foreign affairs, which have had unfortunate repercussions long after the decisions were taken.” – Nelson Mandela

Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter.

In today’s hand I flop four cards to a royal flush and have to figure out the best way to continue against two players…

Today’s Topic:

A royal flush is the best hand you can make in a no-limit holdem poker game. You won’t always get paid when you make a royal, considering it is such a strong holding on a board that is likely to scare most opponents. In this hand, I am playing day one of a poker tournament at the Wynn poker room, in Las Vegas.

Under the gun at a nine hand table raises to 2,800 with blinds being 500/1000 with a 1000 big blind ante. This player has 80k to start the hand. Action folds around to me in the small blind with 60k. I peer down at Qs-Js and call 2,300 more. The big blind, who is the table chip leader with over 100 big blinds, also calls the raise and the three of us see a flop.

The first three community cards are pretty good for my hand, As Ks Qc. I have flopped a pair and a royal flush draw. I check. The big blind bets 4,500 into a pot of 9,400 and the initial raiser calls. There is now 18,400 in the middle and action is on me. I raise to 18,000. The big blind folds his hand, the under the gun player thinks for a few moments and, after asking how many chips I have remaining, moves all in. I call all in with my royal flush draw. My opponent rolls over Ah-Qd and the board comes Jc, 5d. I lose the pot and am eliminated.

Most people might look at this hand and say, well why did you go broke with a draw?!? Others might think nothing of this spot because I had a huge hand with a pair and a big draw! These situations can be analyzed by seeing what our percentage to win against made hands is:

Against a made range of sets (A-A, K-K, Q-Q), two pairs (A-K, A-Q, K-Q), and straights (J-To, J-T suited) we are 42.7% to win the hand. The beauty of playing our hand aggressively, when deeper stacked, is that we can apply a ton of pressure to the sets and two pair hands. My plan was to raise the flop and then move all in on any turn card if someone called my raise. At that point, the pot would have been 45,400 and I would be moving all in for about 40,000. If we all had more chips, I could apply maximum pressure to non-nut hands by raising the flop, betting the turn substantially, and moving all in on the river if unimproved or if I made my hand. This would apply a lot of tension to two pair hands or sets, since I am representing the straight.

It is unlikely that the big blind would lead into two players after flopping the nuts, and the initial raiser would likely raise with the nuts on the flop some percentage of the time. So in this exact scenario, we seem to be the player that most likely flopped the straight. It also helps that I have a jack in my hand, which removes some combinations from the other two players for having J-T themselves.

For all of these reasons, the fact that we can have the nuts more so than our opponents, and that our draw is nearly 43% against a very strong range that will continue, there is really no other way to play this hand aside from raising the flop. If someone is willing to commit their chips with two pair on the flop, they still have to fade all of our outs! If they decide to continue and see more community cards, we can continue with our aggression and maybe make them fold a better hand.

Although I didn’t make a royal flush this hand, I was content with my assault on this spot. Being on the offensive gave me the best chance to win the pot outright, and my backup plan was… well you know… just a… royal flush draw!!!

“In the past, people were born royal. Nowadays, royalty comes from what you do.” – Gianni Versace

Exciting News!
Tristan Wade Joins PokerCoaching Platform

Tristan Wade will now be producing poker strategy videos, quizzes, and webinars on PokerCoaching.com! If you would like to signup for the site, use this code https://pokercoaching.com/?ref=tristan to receive a free 30 minute phone consultation from Tristan Wade upon purchasing a membership.

Tons of Poker Content on PokerCoaching.com
Tristan Wade is the newest addition to PC, but there are many other great poker players producing material for the site.

Jonathan Little
Matt Affleck
Alex Fitzgerald
Evan Jarvis
Jonathan Jaffe and more…
With over 200 videos and quizzes for premium members, there is plenty to study and absorb, with more content to come!

Sign up below using the code https://pokercoaching.com/?ref=tristan

Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter. We are back after a short break. Enjoy today’s poker knowledge!

In this edition, I pinpoint my opponent’s range and attack it with a triple barrel bluff. Read about it below.

Today’s Topic:

This hand comes from a 2/5 No-Limit Holdem game in the Encore at the Wynn. I run a bluff against a wide range that becomes narrower as the hand goes on.

Action folds to me on the cutoff (next to the button) and I raise to 20 with Jc-9c and 2000 chips. The button calls with 600 chips behind, and the big blind calls with 1400 chips.

The dealer spreads the flop of 8c 2d 2h. No flush draws present. There is ~60 in the pot and the big blind bets out 30. I decide to raise to 100. The button folds and the big blind calls.

The turn is the Qs, which adds some equity to my complete flop bluff. There is 260 in the pot now and my opponent checks to me. I bet 220. The big blind calls once again.

We get to a river of Qc, for the final board reading 8c 2d 2h Qs Qc. The big blind studies the river card, then checks for the final time. I count what is in the pot, which sits at about 700. I think about what my opponent could have, what it looks like I have, and how the board has changed to affect those things. I decide to bet half the pot, 350. After some spoken thoughts and a couple minutes, my opponent makes the call and turns over Ah8s to win the hand.

This is an example of running a credible bluff against a capped range. The best hand my opponent can have is 2-x, such as A2, K2s, Q2s, etc. They have more 2’s in their range than the button and me do. But I doubt the big blind would rarely be betting first if their hand was that strong. Therefore, I think a lot of the time the big blind has 8-x, 33-77, or some random/backdoor over-cards deciding to take a stab at the pot.

Since all I have is jack high, but I have over-cards that connect with one of the cards on the board to increase my potential equity (when I bluff raise the flop, I can hit a 9/T/J/Q/7), I can credibly represent a strong range like an over-pair (99+) or one of the suited deuces I might raise with on the cutoff (A2s, K2s, Q2s, possibly 23s or worse if I’m feelin’ frisky!) When the big blind leads for 30, I decide to pounce. This forces the shorter-stacked button out of the way and puts the big blind on the defensive.

When the queen lands on the turn, it’s a great card for me to continue bluffing. I’ve turned a gutshot straight draw, and the queen will be in my range of bluffs, more than the value range of the big blind. The only hands the big blind has that improves from this turn is Q-8 or Q2s. I will have some K-Q, Q-J, Q-T type hands that could raise the flop as a bluff.

The river doesn’t change things too much. The second queen appearing makes it less likely I have a queen. That doesn’t matter though because I have represented a strong range up until this point, and my opponent doesn’t have many queens either. I can still represent pocket pairs, 99-TT-JJ-KK-AA, the deuce, or the random queen that I have now made a full house with. On the river I can bet anywhere from 300-1000+ and exert the final blow of pressure on my adversary.

I went with a bet that I could see myself making a lot of times with 99, TT, or JJ, and even AA/KK. Half pot. This wasn’t enough to scare my opponent away, but he sure thought it over. This play didn’t work this time, but I believe my story was convincing. My opponent guessed right, and I happened to be bluffing this time!

“I visited many places,
Some of them quite
Exotic and far away,
But I always returned to myself.”
Dejan Stojanovic

Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter. Here is a serving of poker related knowledge regarding on or off the table topics.

In this piece, we talk about what cowboys love to do in Texas… straddle!!!

Today’s Topic:

Straddling isn’t talked about much for live cash games. A straddle is essentially a raise in the dark, normally twice the big blind, from under the gun or the button. Some card rooms allow players to straddle from any position.

There are pros and cons to straddling. The cons might seem obvious. First, we would be increasing the size of the blinds by double. This immediately cuts every stack at the table in half, in terms of big blinds. Most people would look at this as a disadvantage since the deeper we play, the more information we receive during hands. Another negative is if we straddle under the gun, we would most likely have to play out of position unless we were up against one of the players in the blinds. Putting two blinds in with a random hand, maybe out of position, making the game twice as big, doesn’t seem like such a good bet…

To determine the advantages of straddling, we have to analyze the game we are playing in and think a little more outside the box. Straddling can add a different element to the overall feel of the poker match. If players are adding dead money in the pot before cards are dealt, this could create more action in general, and make for a better overall poker experience if players become engaged. This is called FUN! People feel the need to defend their straddle, which will foster a looser image for some. If there are a lot of short stacks sitting at your table, a straddle might be able to apply more pressure. They will have to be very selective with their starting hands and understand how their stack size changes with the straddle. If you have a limp happy table, the straddle can help pick up dead money from limp folders, or let you see multiway flops with decent hands.

My favorite type of straddle comes from the button. This way we have ultimate position no matter what. It is the most beneficial way to straddle. People will not be able to easily define your range, and if you are playing in a poker game with weaker opponents, straddling can increase your win rate significantly.

Strategically, you have to be careful when and where to straddle. But by being selective, I believe straddling creates more action, builds bigger pots, gets people outside of their comfort zone, and makes the game more engaging and entertaining. The straddle becomes another weapon in your preflop arsenal. It is a win for everyone! Except maybe the nits who hate you for making the game bigger… but get them on board and have some fun! Best of luck.

“Opportunity never sneaks up on those who straddle the fence of indecision.” Napoleon Hill

Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter. Here is a serving of poker related knowledge regarding on or off the table topics.

In this edition, we tackle a big bluff in a 5/10 NLH cash game.

Today’s Topic:

This situation comes from a shorthanded 5/10 no limit holdem game at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. We are playing four handed. The cutoff folds. The button is an unknown young player with a 2400 stack, he raises to 30. The small blind folds and I call in the big blind with As2c and ~1300 in chips.

The flop lands Ad Qs 8d and I check. The button bets 30 and I call.

The turn is the 4s. I check and the button checks as well.

The river is the 5s. Final board reads Ad Qs 8d 4s 5s. I bet 50 into a pot of 125. The button raises to 250. I go all in for 1250. He thinks for a couple minutes and eventually calls. He turns over the second best possible hand, Ks8s, for a king high flush and wins the pot.

This hand really gets interesting on the river. Defending A2o from the big blind to a button 3x 100bb+ deep in a cash game is the standard play. Same with calling a bet on the flop. This keeps my range open and undefined. My opponent doesn’t know if I hold 8x, JT, J9, 9T, KJ, KT, Qx, Ax, or a diamond draw.

When the turn falls it changes the texture of the board. Now a second flush draw and a few gutshot straight draws appear. The action going check, check, says more about the button’s range than mine. I will be checking my whole range on the turn (when I check call the flop). If the button had a strong hand like a big ace, two pair, a really big draw, or even wanted to double barrel a stone bluff, we would see bets almost all of the time.

The river brings a straight and a flush. I bet the river for value with a pair of aces, since my opponent can call with worse. Hands he might have are Qx, 8x, some 4x combo hands like 46s, 47s, or even king high. When I get raised, especially with this sizing, it is usually a flush or a straight bluff. If my opponent had KsXx or JsXx I could see a play like this. A straight is the worst holding I would normally expect to raise here, although some good players will be able to identify my range (being one pair a lot, two pair sometimes) and raise their two pair on the river. If they ran into more aggression from me, those hands turn into cheese. The button has to consider what I would call 200 more with, into a pot of 175, on the river. If I had a flush myself, I likely wouldn’t re-raise unless I had the nut flush.

Another thought I considered was that the button would often bet QsXs, KsXs flush draws and some jack or ten high flush draws on the turn as a double barrel semi-bluff. This would make me somewhat uncomfortable if I had an 8, or a Q, and would set up a third barrel, where the pot would be bigger if the button did connect or wanted to continue bluffing. With these assumptions, I decided to move all in. I am risking 1250 to win 425 and think I can apply a ton of pressure on a strong range here, getting a lot of flushes to fold and maybe even getting the king high flush to fold.

Even though my opponent had the second nuts, I put him in a situation where he had to consider letting this hand go. If I am rarely bluffing here he is making a losing call. A lot of people wouldn’t be bluffing in this spot either. Who suddenly risks 1250 when they’ve only committed 50 with the last action!?! A crazy, cre8ive player, that’s who!!!! This hand is a great example of range building, attacking that range, and doing so with the nut blocker. This seemed like the perfect spot to run a big bluff, which almost worked!

“Just dream big. Go for it. There’s nothing holding you back. You can have ups and downs, but if you believe in something, keep the faith; keep fighting. And don’t let people put you down.” – Geraint Thomas

Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter. Here is a serving of poker related knowledge regarding on or off the table topics.

In this edition, we focus on getting back to the basics and what we should focus on when playing a hand of poker.

Tristan’s Topic Today:

A couple days ago I was engaged in a great conversation with a new friend and non-poker player. We were discussing gambling, poker, and what separates poker from the gambling sphere. This brought on a discussion about the basics, fundamentals, and information provided in the game of No Limit Holdem. Let’s dive into the basics today.

There are many variables to focus on which will help us make decisions in our assumptions when playing poker. The most important components to think about are:

1. Table Position
2. Stack Size
3. Number Of Players Involved In Hand
4. Board Texture
5. Player Types (helps define hand ranges and playing style)
6. History / Game flow
7. Intuition / Reads / Feel / Tells

Unless I’m forgetting something crucial, this list serves as an index of what we should pay attention to during a hand. It was arranged in order of importance. The first four categories are definite and should always be considered first and foremost. Once we get into player types, our assumptions will differ from our peers.

How closely have you been paying attention to what has been happening at the table? Did you join the game recently, in the last hour? Who are the people you are playing with? Have you seen any hands play out on the river? Maybe your opinion on a spot played until showdown is different than the person to your left. This could alter player tendencies when playing multiway pots. My point is: we all process information differently and view reality in our own way. Sure, there are some factual bits and pieces we digest, but others’ interpret these things or events differently. There is skill involved in making accurate assumptions and predictions, which largely comes from paying attention to the game and your own awareness.

The last tricky topic deals with our intuition, reads, and tells. These things can be deceiving. There are times when our feeling tells us to go against every piece of strategy we’ve studied. There have been moments when we were right, and instances when we were wrong. How do we know when to pull the trigger and listen to ourself?

The answer is that we don’t know! This is another skill (or aspect of variance in poker) where we accurately take the right side of a spot we are unsure of, which is always going to be 50/50. We either win the hand or lose it. We label this as “making the right read” or “following our intuition” or “knowing they were bluffing” and sometimes it is justified. In these cases, I tend to believe intuition and feel play a bigger role than tells. There is a reason why you “feel” something or are telling yourself a story about the hand and the player. When it comes to reading people, we don’t always have complete data to know if what someone is doing is constant. One person might get nervous with the nuts, rather than with a bluff. Being able to gather visual information on someone is huge, but a lot of the time this causes information overload. It shouldn’t be the only thing we rely on when making a big decision, unless you feel you have a confirmed tell. This is why these points appear last on the list. They aren’t always correct.

Poker is an incredibly complex game. There are countless situations that arise from the possibilities of your two cards and the five card community board. Add that with the uniqueness and absurdity of the human race, now we have some interesting circumstances we find ourselves involved in! As long as we focus on the constants, play a sound strategy catered to our worthwhile assumptions, and enjoy ourselves, we should come out on top more than not. Getting really good at the complex strategies is hard, focusing and following the fundamentals is much easier. Be careful and suspicious with interpretations and make sure to build from the ground up. Good luck!

“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” – Johnny Cash

Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter. Here is your weekly serving of poker related knowledge regarding on or off the table topics.

Today I introduce you to a book I just finished reading. There are many keys to success that the best do better than the rest. I explain parts of the book below. Enjoy!

Tristan’s Topic Today:

Recently I read a great book titled “Training Camp” by Jon Gordon. The premise of the book is a story about a young football player named Martin, trying to make a NFL team. He has a great first preseason game, scoring two touchdowns in his debut. On the second touchdown he hurts his ankle, and he needs to recover while uncertain if he will make the team. He meets Coach Ken who befriends him and introduces him to the “Training Camp Playbook: What the Best Do Better Than Anyone Else.” Below are the eleven tips for success and me touching on them.

1. The Best know what they truly want.
-Vision. They know what they are working toward. It’s often in the distance, but they have a clear picture of it in their mind.

2. The Best want it more.
-The best of the best are willing to do what it takes to be great. The best don’t just think about their desire for greatness, they act on it. They have a high capacity for work, do things others won’t do, and spend more time doing it.

3. The Best are always striving to get better.
-They strive for perfection. They pursue perfection with a passion and are willing to be uncomfortable. If you are always striving to get better, then you are always growing. If you are growing, you are not comfortable. Growth is a process.

4. The Best do ordinary things better than anyone else.
-This happens by practicing and practicing, focusing and improving every day on the little things. To be amazing you must practice more than others.

5. The Best zoom-focus.
-Success is about the fundamentals, which are often boring and ordinary. The best accomplish extraordinary feats by doing ordinary things with great consistency, commitment, and focus. Get better by focusing on the right things. The art is in committing to the process, focusing on the fundamentals, and executing.

~Ask yourself daily: What are the most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?
~Say no and yes. Don’t waste your time on trivial things that don’t align with the vision or goals, say yes to the priorities, no to the distractions.
~Tune out distractions. Don’t listen to what people say about you. Don’t compare yourself. Focus on continuous improvement and getting better.

6. The Best are mentally stronger.
-Being mentally strong means you are able to overcome any kind of situation. It means you stay positive through adversity. You are resilient when facing pressure, challenges, and change. Being mentally tough allows you to overcome distractions and self doubt. Mental toughness is a process that can be developed. Use the technique “weed and feed.” Our minds are like a garden, weed out the negativity and feed it positivity.

7. The Best overcome their fear.
-Confront the issue of fear before moving forward. Discover what you are scared of. Each fear reveals a deeper fear. Pride can separate us from love. Love casts out all fear. Love is more powerful than fear.

8. The Best seize the moment.
-The best don’t allow their fear of failure to define them. They know this fear exists, and they overcome it. Even if they lose, they are still on the path to greatness. Even though the best have a dream and a vision, it is the journey, not the destination, that matters the most. The moment is success, the moment is reward. Don’t let the moment define you, you define the moment. Define the moment by knowing regardless of what happens, you have given it your very best. You are more than your success or your failure, you are who you are in the moment. Make the most of it and enjoy it.

9. The Best tap into a greater power than themselves.
-Become a conductor instead of a resistor. Resistors hold on, conductors let go. Resistors rely on their own power, conductors empty themselves and let power flow through them. Let go. Surrender. Give all your pain, fear, anxiety, and junk to God. You don’t need to it alone, let your faith in God and a higher power help you. “I can’t do it alone. I need you, God.” Have faith.

10. The Best leave a legacy.
-You leave a legacy by living and working with a bigger purpose. You leave a legacy by making your life about more than just you, by moving from success to significance.

11. The Best make everyone around them better.
They do this through their own pursuit of excellence and in the excellence they inspire in others. One person raises the standards of everyone around them. They do this in both their work and life. The point is to strive to be your best and inspire others to be their best, because it’s in the striving where you find greatness, not the outcome. Eventually someone will come along and be better, so the person you become and the impact you have on others are timeless.

This book was great because it teaches many lessons about what it takes to be successful and what a definition of success is. We can be so worried about accomplishments, expectations, striving to reach our goals… but in the end the process of getting better and enjoying the journey is what matters most. In the quest for greatness, we really find out who we are. During this adventure, we need to have faith and remain focused. Who we are is shown throughout this period of development. We are human. Constantly evolving, always learning, becoming who we see ourselves as. This is a lifelong crusade that should be enjoyed. If you enjoyed this, I suggest taking the time to read the book. It is a good and quick read!

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” – George Sheehan

Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter. Here is your weekly serving of poker related knowledge regarding on or off the table topics.

How do you handle defeat? Are you able to get over a loss easily, or does the pain linger on…

Tristan’s Topic Today:

Anyone who is competitive doesn’t like to lose. There are some things in life that make you feel more like a loser than a winner, and poker can be just that. Since there is always a lesson in a loss, how can we move forward to lose like a winner?

The perspective we hold in our mind’s eye is key to determining our attitude when times get tough. If we enter a competition with a realistic expectation of the outcome, this can make it easier to handle the result. Also, if we enjoy the sport and make the most of the opportunity and experience, this should alleviate some of the pain that comes from losing. If we are having fun, it is much easier to accept defeat.

When it comes to poker tournaments, most of the time a player will not make the money. Almost all of the time, that player will not be the ultimate “winner.” This is the reality of a tournament. Therefore, there will be a lot of learning along the way towards reaching one’s goals. This is the beauty of the game, and the beauty of life.

When we lose, or things don’t work out the way we wanted, we should take something valuable away from the practice. Instead of wallowing in our disappointment, we should shift our mentality to a positive one. Thoughts such as: “Most people don’t take risks, so I am glad that I tried.” or “I have room for improvement, and this helped me realize where my weakness lies.” or “I was unlucky, but I was happy with the decisions I made. It just wasn’t meant to be.” and even general comments like “I had the opportunity to do something that only X people were able to do.” can help us move forward. All of these thoughts take us away from the expectation we once had, and let us relish in what did happen. These are transcendent thoughts. This can take us back to the present moment, and prepare us for what the future has in store.

Failure is only final once you stop trying. Knowing there is more ahead for us should help keep our heads up high. Having confidence in who you are, what you are capable of, and what you are willing to do, creates a winner’s mentality, even in loss. This is the biggest realization to succeed in life. There will be tough times, things will not go as anticipated, but if you are willing to work for what you want and have the patience to see it come to fruition, you can have that much more joy along the journey.

Lose like a winner and win like a winner. Then do it all over again.

“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.” – Malcolm X

Hello there. Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter. Here is your weekly serving of poker related knowledge regarding on or off the table topics.

Are you able to remain focused and disciplined? Or do you have a problem becoming distracted? Don’t let a flop distract you!

Tristan’s Topic Today:

Today’s hand comes from Day 2 of a massive tournament in Las Vegas, the $1500 WSOP Monster Stack. There are ~1,800 players remaining from over 6,000 entries, with the top 906 making the money. Unfortunately, we are still playing ten handed like we did on day one. This isn’t good for players because it becomes a tighter game and an uncomfortable experience, but it is great for the WSOP since they save space and require fewer dealers. No Day 2 of any poker tournament should ever be ten handed, but I digress… onto the hand!

The blinds are 1k/2k with a 2k big blind ante. Three people fold and UTG7 (which means seven players remain) raises to 4400 with a 400k stack. The cutoff calls 4400, who has 180k in chips, and I call with 34o in the big blind and a 200k stack.

The dealer spreads the flop, which reads Tc 3h 3s. I am the first player to check and the two players check behind me.

The 6d falls on the turn. I check. The original raiser bets 6600 into a pot of 16,000. The cutoff calls. I raise to 24,000. Both players call.

The river of 9h is dealt. Final board reads Tc 3h 3s 6d 9h. There is 88,000 in the pot. I bet 37,000. The UTG7 player folds and the cutoff thinks through his decision, then raises to 100k total. I study him for a minute, process the hand, and fold my trips.

It is never easy to fold a big hand, but we must remain disciplined and not get blinded by how strong we think our hand is. This is a perfect example of that.

The first player comes in for a raise, his range can be very wide having 200bbs and being in middle position. The cutoff, who has 100bbs, can also have a wide range. Both of these players can have any pair, suited aces, suited connectors, suited and unsuited broadway hands, and so on. We can exclude a few hands from the cutoff’s range that would 3bet preflop, such as JJ, QQ, KK, AA, AKs, etc. I will have the widest of all the ranges since I am in the big blind and getting the best pot odds. Any hand that is suited or somewhat connected allows me to make a profitable call.

The flop is gin for my hand and my only option is to check. When everyone checks the flop, we can usually remove some big hands from their ranges such as overpairs and a lot of Tx combos. They might check pairs that are smaller than the ten, or high cards such as the aforementioned broadway hands.

The turn changes nothing and I decide to check as a trap. I think checking is the best way to disguise my holding on a pretty mundane board against two players. The original raiser bets, the cutoff calls, and now I want to build the pot with likely the best hand, so I raise. My raise sizing is roughly the size of the pot, although it is almost four times the size of the turn bet. When both players call, I am a little concerned. Neither player bet the flop, now they are both putting 24,000 chips in the middle. The only hands that currently beat me are slow played full houses, such as TT or 66, or A3s that is being really tricky.
When the 9 falls on the river, I am not worried about 78. The UTG7 player could have slow played a big hand on the flop, like JJ-AA, albeit unlikely, and both players could still have some underpairs or Tx in their range if they think I am bluffing. This is why it is a safe spot for me to bet the river with trips. I am hoping one of them calls my bet. When I get raised it screams that I am beat. Most hands would call me (even A3 probably just calls) and only full houses would raise. So what could someone possibly be bluffing with? With no history or missed draws out there, this is hardly ever a bluff!

Although it is hard to let go of big hands, there is plenty of information given in this spot that shows this is an easy fold. Moments after my fold my opponent offered the info that he had flopped tens full. That makes sense. Having the discipline and clear-headedness to make big laydowns will transition a good poker player into a great one.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.” – Jim Rohn