Monday, February 11, 2008

Tilting The Table

In some games, it can be very profitable to tilt the table. I don't think that's so much the case in Razz. One of the ways you can tilt a table is by playing a few hands strongly when you are behind and getting lucky and winning a big pot or two. In hold em this works well because you can then adjust your game to capitalize on your opponents lack of respect for your future holdings. I don't think this works near as well in Razz where the players tend to remain steady and play the game one hand at a time and much less on emotion but it still has a little merit to it. Here are a few examples of me donking it up for your amusement:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5207247735: Table Seven Hills - $1/$2 Ante $0.20 - Limit Razz - 23:01:54 ET - 2008/02/10
Seat 1: CORNCOBBFLOP ($30.35)
Seat 2: Futher Mucker ($18.45)
Seat 3: koldhard ($109.25)
Seat 4: pokerenthusiast ($39.60)
Seat 5: SirFWALGMan ($13.30)
Seat 6: surflexus ($48.50)
Seat 7: Trendkill03 ($9.60)
Seat 8: Ramjet86 ($33.20)
SirFWALGMan antes $0.20
CORNCOBBFLOP antes $0.20
Trendkill03 antes $0.20
Futher Mucker antes $0.20
koldhard antes $0.20
Ramjet86 antes $0.20
surflexus antes $0.20
pokerenthusiast antes $0.20
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to CORNCOBBFLOP [8d]
Dealt to Futher Mucker [3s]
Dealt to koldhard [Jc]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [9d]
Dealt to SirFWALGMan [4h]
Dealt to surflexus [5h Ac] [4s] <--I don't slow play with 3 to a 5.
Dealt to Trendkill03 [5c]
Dealt to Ramjet86 [8s]
koldhard is high with [Jc]
koldhard brings in for $0.25
pokerenthusiast folds
SirFWALGMan completes it to $1 <-- He could be making this move with anything.
surflexus raises to $2 <-- I reraise to let him know I have premium starting cards.
Trendkill03 folds
Ramjet86 folds
CORNCOBBFLOP folds
Futher Mucker folds
koldhard folds
SirFWALGMan raises to $3
surflexus raises to $4 <-- Razz players typically don't like capped pots without a made hand so this is where I make my "Tilt the table" move.
SirFWALGMan calls $1
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to SirFWALGMan [4h] [6s]
Dealt to surflexus [5h Ac 4s] [Qs]
SirFWALGMan bets $1
surflexus calls $1 <-- I can feel the other players licking their chops and making notes.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to SirFWALGMan [4h 6s] [Qd]
Dealt to surflexus [5h Ac 4s Qs] [Ts]
SirFWALGMan bets $2
surflexus calls $2
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to SirFWALGMan [4h 6s Qd] [Qc]
Dealt to surflexus [5h Ac 4s Qs Ts] [As]
surflexus bets $2 <-- I continue to play the role and bet out.
SirFWALGMan calls $2
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to surflexus [5h Ac 4s Qs Ts As] [Td]
surflexus bets $2 <-- No way do I feel like I'm really ahead here but I make one last stab at the pot for maximum effect.
SirFWALGMan calls $2
*** SHOW DOWN ***
surflexus shows [Td 5h 4s Qs Ts As Ac] Q,T,5,4,A
SirFWALGMan mucks
surflexus wins the pot ($22.85) with Q,T,5,4,A
SirFWALGMan mucked [Jh 6d 4h 6s Qd Qc Ah] - Q,J,6,4,A
The table depletes after this.

Example 2:
Full Tilt Poker Game #5208613714: Table Spring Mountain - $0.50/$1 Ante $0.10 - Limit Razz - 0:57:21 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: surflexus ($29.45)
Seat 2: InstantTragedy ($21.25)
Seat 7: VictoRev ($5.50)
Seat 8: pokerenthusiast ($594.80)
InstantTragedy antes $0.10
VictoRev antes $0.10
surflexus antes $0.10
pokerenthusiast antes $0.10
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to surflexus [4s 3d] [Qs]
Dealt to InstantTragedy [Jh]
Dealt to VictoRev [6h]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [9d]
surflexus is high with [Qs]
surflexus brings in for $0.15
InstantTragedy folds
VictoRev completes it to $0.50
pokerenthusiast raises to $1
surflexus raises to $1.50 <-- 3 betting with "The Jordan"
VictoRev calls $1
pokerenthusiast raises to $2
surflexus calls $0.50
VictoRev calls $0.50
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to surflexus [4s 3d Qs] [6s]
Dealt to VictoRev [6h] [4h]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [9d] [Ks]
VictoRev bets $0.50
pokerenthusiast raises to $1
surflexus raises to $1.50 <-- Again I 3 bet with a queen showing.
VictoRev raises to $2
pokerenthusiast calls $1
surflexus calls $0.50
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to surflexus [4s 3d Qs 6s] [Ac]
Dealt to VictoRev [6h 4h] [7d]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [9d Ks] [6d]
VictoRev bets $1
pokerenthusiast raises to $2
surflexus raises to $3 <-- My hand is getting much better and I have a legitimate draw now. Victo could be ahead but PE is not and there is going to be a side pot.
VictoRev calls $0.40, and is all in
pokerenthusiast calls $1
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to surflexus [4s 3d Qs 6s Ac] [8h]
Dealt to VictoRev [6h 4h 7d] [2d]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [9d Ks 6d] [5d]
pokerenthusiast bets $1
surflexus raises to $2 <-- I'm ahead in the side pot now but he probably thinks I paired.
pokerenthusiast calls $1
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to surflexus [4s 3d Qs 6s Ac 8h] [6c]
pokerenthusiast checks
surflexus bets $1 He had very few outs to draw out on me so I continue to press even though it's a possibility I'm behind.
pokerenthusiast calls $1
*** SHOW DOWN ***
surflexus shows [6c 4s Qs 6s Ac 8h 3d] 8,6,4,3,A
pokerenthusiast mucks
surflexus wins the side pot ($9.20) with 8,6,4,3,A
VictoRev mucks
surflexus wins the main pot ($16.10) with 8,6,4,3,A
VictoRev is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $25.80 Main pot $16.60. Side pot $9.20.
Rake $0.50
Seat 1: surflexus showed [6c 4s Qs 6s Ac 8h 3d] and won ($25.30) with 8,6,4,3,A
Seat 2: InstantTragedy folded on 3rd St.
Seat 7: VictoRev mucked [Kc Ts 6h 4h 7d 2d 9s] - 9,7,6,4,2
Seat 8: pokerenthusiast mucked [8c 5s 9d Ks 6d 5d 3h] - 9,8,6,5,3

Playing this way gives you two advantages in future hands with these opponents. They will probably not bluff against you much knowing you are probably not going to fold. They will pay you off when you have a hand. They will be likely to not give you credit for a great hand. It is critical to know your own table image and use it to your advantage.

3 comments:

kurokitty said...

Wow. Your Hand #2 is amazing. Even if everyone at the table thinks you're a donkey, Poker Enthusiast has to get rid of the hand on 5th street. You have to imagine the range of your opponent's holdings compared to your own, not just go on the queen.

SirFWALGMan said...

I still hope you die.

The Poker Enthusiast said...

Ha ha...I had played this had for the same reason he did...I was trying to tilt the short stack and just donking it up...Surf failed to say that in his post...