I’m about to ask you the stupidest question you have ever been asked. In regards to poker anyway. In fact, I’m going to guarantee that your answer will be ‘Yes’ to the following question. Doubting me? Here it is … Have you ever run bad?
Of course, the answer is yes. If you’re a real poker player, then you have run bad before. It’s part of the game. Even if you’re consistently putting yourself in mathematically advantageous situations, you’re still going to have cold streaks.
There is a way to reduce Run Bad with a simple poker strategy, which is pot control. If you play Texas Hold’em poker regularly, then you are familiar with this strategy, but it doesn’t mean you apply it. I use this poker strategy for poker tournaments often, but it really depends on the tournament.
At the time of this writing, I’m playing online, and to a lesser extent, on apps. The field I’m playing against has a HUGE impact on how I approach the game.
For example, if I’m playing on Platform A (not going to reveal name), I know that I need to raise at least 4x the BB pre-flop if I want to get folds, or at least to isolate. If I raise less than that, I’m going to get at least two callers, usually 3-4 callers. However, from there, it’s a field where I enjoy playing post-flop. That’s why I want heads-up action, two opponents if necessary.
If I’m playing on Platform B (not going to reveal name), then I know I need to raise at least 6x the BB to get folds, or at least to isolate. And I know that since the pot is going to be bigger, I need to be very aggressive post-flop.
None of this would make sense in live poker. In live poker, you very rarely want to 6x the BB. You would never get any action. What many people don’t know about being deep in live poker tournaments is that you can raise LESS and get folds.
When you’re in a big event at a Mid-Major tournament series and you’re very deep in a tournament, you’re playing for fewer BBs. Therefore, even a min-raise clears the majority of the field in most situations. You will likely be called by the Big Blind, but that’s fine since you raised for a reason. You’re likely ahead. If you’re not, the Big Blind will let you know by re-popping you. It’s not complicated.
As you can see, during these Coronavirus times, I’m focusing on online poker and live poker, opposed to just live poker. They are very different games. It’s like comparing basketball and tennis. You run around in both of them, you keep score in both of them, and they both have a net, but they are very different.
Now let’s weather the Run Bad storm together.
RUN BAD: LEVEL 1
Level 1 isn’t so bad. What drives me nuts is when other people think it’s bad. It probably drives you nuts too. I’ll explain.
Level 1 of Run Bad is when you’re not getting good hole cards. You have to fold often while you watch other players go at it. And you have to watch other players scoop pots left and right. But is this really as bad as it seems?
First let me mention what drives both you and me nuts. It’s when you have been sitting there for hours, waiting for a good spot but only folding, and some dude that bought-in late to the tournaments complains that he’s not getting any cards after playing for 15 minutes. You know this guy? You know this guy! I know you know this guy because he’s everywhere! I do not like this guy. I find him annoying. I also do not like that he thinks anyone cares.
I would like it if someone one day would gather up the courage to stand up, lean forward across the table, and smack this guy across the face. I would like it even more if the guy’s head jolted to the right and stayed there for a solid three seconds in dramatic fashion so we knew he felt it. The mystery is what happens next.
When he turns his head back to The Smacker, what would he say? What would he do? Would he apologize? Would he say, “WHAT THE HELL?” Would he smack The Smacker back? Would he cry? There is only one way to find out, and I’m searching for a Hero to write about once live poker returns. Do you want to be The Hero? I will even refer to you as The Hero. Only one condition: I need to be at the table when it happens.
If you’re running bad Level 1, no big deal. If you really think about poker strategy for tournaments, you don’t need to run good early. You would rather experience your good run later. When you’re being dealt trash, it allows you to stay out of the way, which means you will last longer.
Not only that, but does anyone else realize that when you’re folding often early in a tournament you are gathering tons of information on your opponents without them gathering much information on you? The only thing you know they know is that you’re folding often. They think they have an edge on you by having this information, but you can use that to your advantage.
Do you have any idea how many times I have used this to my advantage? Probably somewhere between 300-400 times. The best part is that nobody ever sees my cards because they truly believe me. Set up that image! And that image can be set up for you when you run Level 1 bad early. Running Level 1 bad early in a poker tournament can actually help you. Do not complain about it.
As far as using my image to my advantage, I’ll tell you about a recent hand. The novice will think I lost. The pro will think I won. I lost the actual hand and busted on it, but the pro knows not to be results-oriented and that it’s all about good spots.
If you keep finding those spots, you will come out ahead. As some of you know, I’m currently writing SPATS 100, where I’m applying SPATS to 100 poker tournaments, and it’s going well so far, but I’m only 19 tournaments in. The key to SPATS is twofold. One, you avoid Tilt (big factor). Two, you avoid a ton of bad spots (HUGE factor). The cool thing about SPATS is that you’re playing tight, but it still allows you to be unpredictable. The following hand is a good example.
I was playing a tournament on Platform A, I was a little below the average chip stack in the middle of the tournament, I had been running Level 1 bad, and I needed to make a move.
I was in the Small Blind with
The Button raised 3x the BB. I raised 3x his bet. The Big Blind folded, UTG called (she had limped), and the Button tank-called.
Think about that action prior to moving forward. If UTG limp-called a 3-bet, then we know it’s a marginal hand and she just wanted a shot at a big pot. If she had a premium hand, she would have raised UTG in the first place. And if she had a monster, she would have limp-raised. The Button tank-called, which means he thought about folding or raising.
Since he was on the Button and put in a standard raise with one limper already out there and two players yet to act, I think he would have raised more with a premium hand. Therefore, he was also calling with a marginal hand. This was valuable information because it meant I could represent a high and/or wet flop.
Flop:
rainbow.
SAY WHAT?!
I flopped the nuts. And there was no way in hell either of my opponents would see it coming. Most people check this spot, but in order to truly disguise my hand, I bet half the pot. This would further steer their minds away from what I was actually holding.
UTG called.
Button min-raised.
I raised 3x Button’s bet.
UTG min-raised my bet.
Button folded.
I jammed.
UTG called and tabled
Turn:
River:
I lost the hand.
But is that truly a loss? To the novice, yes. To the pro, no. This game is 100% about good spots. Do Not even think about the results. Once you let go of the results and focus on good spots, you become much more dangerous. Letting go of results and being decision-oriented is one of the most common poker tips pro poker players will give you.
RUN BAD: LEVEL 2
Level 2 of Run Bad in Texas Hold’em Poker is when you are being dealt quality hole cards, raising pre-flop, and then whiffing every flop. When you c-bet, you’re being called or raised. You end up raise-folding often. I would write: ‘It’s embarrassing,’ but if it’s embarrassing for you, then you’re letting emotion in the door.
I don’t find this embarrassing. I don’t care what my opponents think. I just want to navigate the tournament to the best of my ability so I can get to the final table, ITM, and beyond.
If you have to raise-fold, so be it. Take what the game gives you. Don’t force the action. Remain patient. If it’s meant to be, it will be. And by staying in the game, you at least maintain some chips for the higher blind levels when the pots are bigger.
This might at least give you an opportunity to open-jam with KTs. Not a great hand, but by being patient, you at least give yourself a chance to scoop a decent-sized pot at higher blinds levels, which will put you right back in the game.
RUN BAD: LEVEL 3
This is where we run into real trouble. And if you’re thinking like a pro, there is nothing you can do about it. Level 3 is when you’re losing with second-best hands and/or getting it all-in heads-up at 80% consistently yet only winning 50% of the time. That’s running bad!
Level 3 is unavoidable. There are no poker tips that can save you. Sorry. The following is an example of Level 3.
You have
on the Button, everyone folds to you, you raise, BB jams, you call
BB tables
Board:
What can you do? Nothing. Just accept it and move on. It was a good spot.
It can also be much worse. Sometimes you open-raise 3.5x BB in that spot and BB calls with 74s and hits. But stop and think. Is that really worse?
Even if that player beats you for all your chips in that hand, isn’t that the kind of player you want in the game? You need those players to be playing the game of poker. Don’t be mad at them. And PLEASE don’t call them out verbally. Never tap the glass!
There is another factor here that people overlook. When someone tells you a bad beat story like this, and it’s how they busted, if they busted on that hand then they had fewer chips than their opponent(s). How did they get fewer chips? Did they run bad or play impatiently?
Both are possibilities, but something to think about. And I’m not calling anyone out. I have played impatiently many times. However, since applying SPATS for tournaments, that no longer happens. Never. Zero.
RUN BAD: LEVEL 100!
I know we skipped many Levels here, but I would like to tell you about what happened to me yesterday. I took my laptop to the picnic area at the pool because it was 77 degrees and the picnic area is shaded. And there was nobody there. I used the pool code to access the internet, which was written on a note on the wall. I had played at this pool a few times before, and it’s a relaxing atmosphere. What can be better than playing poker while sitting outside next to a pool?
Applying SPATS, I had been playing in these tournaments for about a week, and I chopped one heads-up and finished 2nd another time. I have gone deep every time except once. So, I was feeling confident.
I was short-stacked about halfway through the tournament, but I still had enough chips to do damage. I still had 10 BBs. I don’t panic at that phase at all. Some of my biggest cashes have been from comebacks with fewer chips than that.
About halfway through the tournament, the internet went out. I tried to figure it out, and I thought it would just come back on in a minute or two because this had already happened to me twice. I tried for 30 minutes, thinking it was too late to make a run for home. Keith messaged me to tell me I was down to 6 BBs. I needed to make a run for home. When I got home, Keith messaged to tell me I was automatically all-in. The next message he sent me: ‘You’re out.’
Being in a poker tournament and not having a chance to play/fight, is Level 100. If you’re not there, you have no chance. I later learned how to tether my phone. I take full responsibility for this loss because I should have been prepared.
SUMMARY
Don’t sweat Level 1. It can be a blessing in disguise.
Don’t be embarrassed if you’re dealing with Level 2. If you can fade Ego, you’re still in the game.
There is nothing you can do about Level 3. It’s part of the game. Afterwards, just say to yourself, “That’s poker.” Though it sounds ridiculous, by saying those two words out loud, it helps.
As far as Level 100 goes, don’t be like me. Have a backup internet plan. And, yes, based on current global conditions, an internet plan falls into the poker strategy for tournaments category. See you at the WSOP!
♠ pokerjournal.org
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