by Degenerate with Pokerism
Every time I call off my tournament chips I hear this little voice in my head. It says "Fold. You are beat. Fold." Today I called a pot that I smooth called, then was raised, then reraised all-in. I had AK and the flop was K54. My voice said this guy flopped two pair. My voice said the guy behind me may have flopped a set. Then the degenerate gamble idiot voice in me said "Call! If you are beat you have alot of outs. Besides he probably has KQ. The reraise was a steal attempt. What kind of wussy lays down top pair with top kicker? Besides your stack isn't that great. You need to pick up some chips here." BAM! I call, the guy behind me calls. I am dead. He has AA and the Big Blind who moved in Had top two pair. Anything that helps me against one of them kills me against the other.
Now I have learned alot about poker in the last few years. I read the books and I play a good bit. I make money over all but my losses are all the same. I can't stand the idea of being bluffed. Something inside of me knows I am beat and I can't lay it down on the off chance that I am wrong. That and bad beats, overplaying my hands, and bluffing off all my chips.
The scenario I described earlier would not even be an issue in a cash game. I make the call and I rebuy. Why? Because people are looser in cash games and I have a good shot of having the best hand. Why is it a bad play in a tournament? Because when I am wrong I'm gone.
They say the difference between a good player and a great player is the great players ability to lay down a big hand. Maybe it is true that they can look right at you and tell for certain if they have the best hands. I think it's not that they know they are beat but that rather they feel they can win by dictating the action rather than making the big calls. Probably a little of both. Well I've said it before and I'll say it again. I am going to trust my insticts from now on. Starting now. OK now.
