I just finished watching some of day 2 of the WSOP on ESPN. The broadcast really highlighted Daniel Negreanu who was bleeding chips. One thing that I love about the WSOP is that over 6,000 people pay $10,000 to play for a chance to win nearly $9 Million, and this means that lots of amateurs are playing along side serious pros. What other game / sport does that happen in? I'm never getting subbed in for Marion Barber and I won't soon be dishing it off to LeBron, but I could find myself sitting next to Negreanu at a poker table. If that ever happens, as much as I like Negreanu's playing style, I hope he plays like I just saw him playing tonight.
He mis-read his opponents' hands and mis-judged at least one guy's stomach for calling his large bets. I've said this before, but it applies here as well. KNOW YOUR OPPONENTS. If you can do this, you can anticipate what they MIGHT do, especially in response to your moves. Why bet $6,000 at a pot when you have NOTHING, NOT EVEN A PAIR, when your opponent is showing a propensity to call? Sometimes your beat, even by an amateur, but at least it can be a beat from laying down your cards and not your chips.
And when you're hemorrhaging chips, know yourself. A little self-awareness comes in handy. Know when you're pushing it too much. Know when you're making bets that don't make sense. Know when you're out of rhythm. A lack of self-awareness will cause you to miss-play hands.
Finally, when in doubt, understand the basic odds of poker. What are the best and worst starting hands? What is the likelihood that someone has a bigger pair than you do? What's the likelihood that someone has a better starting hand than you? Flush draw? Straight draw? What are the odds of hitting?
So, that's the lesson. To avoid mis-played hands:
1. Know your opponents.
2 Know yourself.
3. Understand the odds.
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