I DARE You

"If I keep experimenting with this I will start a new thread.
I will Label it " I DARE You. " and challenge others to post there best showings. "

I Dare You.

Play some Free Rolls
Play what ever level you're comfortable with.
I challenge you to play with out looking at your hole cards.


Objective:
Try a Crazy idea that may improve your game.
Take it Serious or in Fun.
Please post your thoughts and results.


The first time it was hard to hide the cards.
Moved the Table half off the screen so i wouldn't see the cards.
(Not good couldn't see my Stack size)
Second time I had a high tech solution: Cut a Post it note down and have it just covering the hole cards.
(High tech solution)
Ok at this point I have not put a lot of effort into the hiding of the cards but the post it not does make in playable.




1st Try:
Free Roll
Just tried it the 1st time.
It was crazy.
I didn't last long but I think I will experiment some more.

If you haven't tried this you have to give it a try.

First Feelings:
Helpless
Lost
What the?
Makes you take a step back.
Next time I will try and be more patient and get a better read on the table.
..........................

2nd Try:
Free Roll:
I Knocked out 3 players.
Then
Final hand another player pushed All in preflop.
I knew they had been Bluffing and thought was again.
I called.
Peeled the paper back and I had K 9 s.
Other player 4 6 os
lol

Flop A Q 4
Turn 7
River 10

He wins with pair of 4's.
lol


Thoughts:
It was not a bad exercise.
I sat and watched and watched before playing into a hand.
But as many have said Free Rolls?
Well if you get past some of the Donks.
Ok
Who am I kidding.
Donks are everywhere.

Either way it forces you to play the Situation not the Cards.

.............................

Personnally i dont see the point of this thread... You want us to not
look at the howl cards? Your challenging us? Whats this supposed to do
in the end? make us better players by playing the table? I believe there
are much more effective ways of becoming a better player. Now as u said
i could always try to do something new, a new technique, but most of us
do that all the time on the tables, so this isnt anything new... so could you
please point out the point of all of this?

I am sorry but I do not see the point of this exercise. Poker is hard enough when you can see your cards how can not seeing them possibly be of any value.

I guess it's something you could try for giggles but what exactly are you trying to learn from this experiment?

I suppose you would see who is paying attention to the player running with random cards. That could be some good info down the line. Let's be honest, some people just don't pay much attention to peoples tendencies.

Not sure if they still do it, but I've seen several WSOP specials where the pros play a buy-in game called "Blind Man's Bluff".

Everyone must put their hole cards on their forehead so all the others can see them, but not you, and you have to play accordingly.

Just something for fun - no real point I would guess. Probably not much different than an "all-in or fold".

Alright IM in I'll LEt you know how i do!!!!!!!

ibusted out in 16 this sucks!!!!!!!!!!!

3rd Try
3668 Players
Finished 152 place

Thoughts:
I never looked at the cards even to the end.
I have No idea if I had a good run of cards or not.
152 out of 3668 players

I was playing the situation more then anything.
I didn't over analyze the Bluffers this time.
To be honest it's kind of a rush to play with out knowing.
I admit I may have got lucky this time, because the results almost seem to good.
Either way it is a learning experience so far.


Try if you Dare.
Who's going to join the Fun?

I think its a good exercise. The point is that you play the position and other players more than your own cards.

I would suggest you don't shove all the time but raise and if you are re-raised.. you can fold.

How many times have you had AA in late position in an un-limmped pot and raised 4xBB and everyone folds.

Perhaps if you had 27 in late and no one limps and you raise 4 x BB they will fold as well.... They can't see your cards you know. (apart from people who think poker is rigged, because if you type in 'poker is rigged' to your computer it starts a virus that lets everyone see your cards.. O crap I just did it)

So - do it once or twice in $1 buy in or freeroll and see what happens.... It can teach you about position more.

Good luck.

Ok
Some don't like this idea.
I get that.
For those that don't cooool.
Nothing wrong with disagreeing with something.

But like many things if you don't give it a fair shot how can you criticize it.

And you must do it on-line.
In person every one would know your not looking and call you down and take your chips as easy as can be.

It's not all about position like they teach you over and over.
It is about situations.
I would call it Situational Theory.

Again if you just play your cards then you will only play as good as your cards are or your position lets you.
If you play the situation then you may discover a untapped Resource of chips.

Again this is only a practice exercise.
After you play like this then you combine it with your normal play and see where it leads.

Good Luck and always look for ways to improve your game.

Cool
Good Luck and Enjoy.
Look for the situations that allow you the edge.

Thanks for giving it a try.

4rthTry
5222 Players
Finished 1128th place

Thoughts:
I never looked at the cards even to the end.
1128 out of 5222 players

I have noticed that this is now slowly becoming part of my game when I play normal.


Very cool.

if you want me to post my best tourney results i placed ninth in a 7500 people freeroll. that was a very long night but it was well worth it and i was happy because not only did i make it to saturday i won a little bit of moneya s well.

So, I gave this a try on a freeroll at fulltilt, but did not really see any benefit as i found it hard to place a read on the sporatic plays and suckouts of the people at the table. I think this could be beneficial trying at a house game but online I am not so certain. Especially in the early stages of a large tourney.

Currently playing a $0.50 game on Full tilt... only 78 started and I'm sitting 28th..

Looked at my cards once when I went all in on the button and both blinds called.. I played against 9 10 and KK.. I had A9 and hit my A.. was fun..

Its hard to do this but I am putting in raises when I am last to act and winning pots. If I am re-raised I lay it down... Its mad as I have picked up 4 or 5 pots that I didn't know where I was...

Will keep playing this positional game.. Not sure if you can do it Heads up if I make it that far.. But its an interesting thing to do.

Its crazy that people will fold so easy!!!

Yea.. the early stages people are all in all the time.. I guess you could sit for 40 mins and not play any hands! I see what you mean!

i know what you are trying to do... you wanted to play the people not the cards. but doin it this way wont improve your game. better to play you normal game on freerolls and instead of covering your hole cards, try to study the players base on their stats and play them whatever hole cards you have. this way you may learn when or when not to bluff in a table or with a player.

I disagree completely.

This is not about: Bluffing

This is about playing Situational Poker.
A Training Technique to improve your game.


Positional Poker Combines:
Player Reads
Proper Bet Size
Raising techniques
Table Image (creating an Image and using it to your advantage)
Manipulating Position (not playing it)
Turning them into believers (telling the story)
On and on and on


This is not about:
All in Donk Fest.
Bingo playing.
Bully Big stack playing.
No Brain push push push.



This is about Situational Poker.
This is an Exercise.
It may add a new dimension to your game.
Perfect the technique and then morph it into your game.




Roller:
Situational poker is a phrase created and defined by Roller.
Please do not use with out permission.

I agree with uwlawdawg that it is hard in a freeroll to "play the players", not the cards, because the play is so random, especially early on. But this is still a great idea and a great post! Most of us know it sure worked for Anette Obrerstad. The following is from Wikipedia: In July 2007, Obrestad won a $4 buy-in 180 person online sit and go where she claims to have played almost the entire tournament without looking at her cards. She claims she peeked at her cards once during the tournament, when she was faced with an all-in bet. She did this to show "just how important it is to play position and to pay attention to the players at the table".

Isn't it crazy to find out what you can do with nothing.



Most people aren't getting this.
How can they criticize it without trying it.
This is not how you will play one day.
Thats stupid.
This is a technique to train you to observe and take advantage of situations.
Then combine this with your game and improve your skills.


Thanks for giving it a try.