Poker isn't about cards...

TheRealPage · Jan 20, 2019

A little story for these, blaming the cards...

I was watching Kevin Martin yesterday afternoon and he was talking about Doyle Brunson and how that man can claim to be able to win a tournament without even watching his cards. Was funny but also real...

Yesterday I played a 55¢ hyper tournament online. I finished 9th on over 1500 players. I never got better then pocket 10's as a pair.

I've got lucky with wome bluffs and I got my super hand :

once... and I hit foul house on the flop and the quads on the turn!

Some nights I get pocket A's twice and I don't even make it to the bubble..

So.... the cards won't change, but our game can!

-TRP-

FanatsLV · Jan 20, 2019

There I must agree with you not always the cards is that what decide you will walk away like a winner or looser but I could say it's about 50/50 skill and luck together. If you are lucky enough and got some skills to make a win than you're in good position.

david1bear · Jan 20, 2019

Brunson is a true cowboy poker player:0) even he can not win all hands without looking all the time:0) bluffing is poker but to be a bluffing son of a gun would be dumb you have to look you just gotta:0) Good luck out there hopefully you play peekaboo:0)

Joco413 · Jan 20, 2019

True enough. Cards don't matter as much as other aspects like your skill and your luck.

Mr_Hand · Jan 20, 2019

Annette Oberstad won a 180 man sng with a post-it note covering her hole cards just to prove to the poker community and to herself that position and betting matter more. This was done over 10 years ago. Despite the changes in the game over the last decade, I would agree that your chips and how you use them matters the most.

roger perkins · Jan 20, 2019

cards only matter when its a showdown. you need to learn how to win without ever getting to the river. but card lives do matter.

swannymojo · Jan 20, 2019

Its interesting to see the cardshark thread winnings online of live players playing online. It surprises me to see how many live players are break even players online. And visa versa. So many online players lose live because they play too agrresively. ie. 3 betting suited connectors out of position against passive opponents who cant let go of a hand like AKs pre flop

izpanol · Jan 21, 2019

Very good deliberation, in face-to-face games you can certainly intimidate your opponent with empty hands, but in online poker you have to capituate to statistics. Although the experience can equal to luck, and even overcome it.

Poker_Mike · Jan 21, 2019

Players talk about ranges and math.

But really it's a game of greed and fear!

Good luck !

Dark Army · Jan 21, 2019

False.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're gonna need some decent cards from time to time. It helps to know how to play your position with cards outside of your opening range, but if that's all you ever had you'd be screwed.

You cannot play your position with junk cards and win enough times before the river to make up for the times you'll end up losing on the river.

Think about what would be required in order to attempt this. You'd be a bluffing machine, raising or check raising every flop, then firing the 2nd and 3rd bullet like nobodys business. It doesn't work.

The only way to win before the river is with a bet or raise. You can't bet or raise with lousy cards and win enough times to make up for the times you loses. Good luck trying.

MagicDick · Jan 21, 2019

The very first live tournament I ever played (~136 players.) I took down and never had to show my hole cards until I was in heads-up play at the final table. That had a lot more to do with my chips versus the field and my betting position. For example I am pretty sure, as luck would have it, I was the aggressor in almost ever hand I played.

That gave me automatic respect from a field that was largely afraid to bust out.

crimsonblur · Jan 21, 2019

Well you can't play poker without the cards and your cards definitely determine your chances of winning against other cards so poker is definitely about the cards.

puzzlefish · Jan 21, 2019

MagicDick said:
The very first live tournament I ever played (~136 players.) I took down and never had to show my hole cards until I was in heads-up play at the final table. That had a lot more to do with my chips versus the field and my betting position. For example I am pretty sure, as luck would have it, I was the aggressor in almost ever hand I played.

That gave me automatic respect from a field that was largely afraid to bust out.

How has it been working out for you in your subsequent MTTs live and online?

rudy988 · Jan 22, 2019

I totally agree with you , cards are less important , image is something else ! But you must take in consideration how often with any 2 cards (like 72off) u hit flop , or flop full house and later quads ... how often you do earn money on long run while playing those hands ... Those stats are way too funny , and totally unprofitable ! Ofc all of those matters depending if you're playing cash games or tourneys ... On cash games you can easily rebuy if you miss flops with like 72 off , while playing tourney you'll lose % of your stack and will hurt you , maybe won't even reach bubble cause of 3-4-5 hands u decided to play that way, or maybe you'll be #1 by far cause you do ...

My advice , position rules while doing those kind of plays !!!

And of course your and others table image

GL

rikisrakis · Jan 22, 2019

I understand the point you're trying to make, and to an extent it's true that there's much more to the game than just your cards, but at the end of the day if you're not looking at your cards and going in with 72 then you're going to lose money. Just because it's possible to hit a boat sometimes doesn't mean it's anywhere near +EV in the long run. I get what people are trying to prove when they play blind, and it's a fun idea, but at the end of the day you're just throwing away information and dishing out money to whoever picks up a good hand.

IAMMEUR · Jan 22, 2019

Poker isn't about the cards until it is about the cards.

TheRealPage · Jan 23, 2019

Hi!

Thanks for asking!

Not so bad... I made the money twice this week in very low stakes tourneys. Didn't won one yet.. working on it! But still, it's money in my bankroll.

I need to change my game a bit after a point when the bubble is past. I always played tight so I need to work on loosing my game a bit.

How does it go for ya?

puzzlefish said:
How has it been working out for you in your subsequent MTTs live and online?

TheRealPage · Jan 23, 2019

I only play that 7-2 off in particular.. not all of them.. Only 7d2c...

Years ago I was heads up in a home game and I 4th bet all-in totally bluffing with those cards. My opponent had aces so he called.. I flopped 7 full of deuces, he turned aces full of sevens.. I rivered a quads 7... I won the tourney... so since, when I get these specific 2 cards (which happen maybe once in a week if I play once a day), I play them and 3/4 of the time I hit big with them.

rudy988 said:
I totally agree with you , cards are less important , image is something else ! But you must take in consideration how often with any 2 cards (like 72off) u hit flop , or flop full house and later quads ... how often you do earn money on long run while playing those hands ... Those stats are way too funny , and totally unprofitable ! Ofc all of those matters depending if you're playing cash games or tourneys ... On cash games you can easily rebuy if you miss flops with like 72 off , while playing tourney you'll lose % of your stack and will hurt you , maybe won't even reach bubble cause of 3-4-5 hands u decided to play that way, or maybe you'll be #1 by far cause you do ...

My advice , position rules while doing those kind of plays !!! And of course your and others table image

GL

Lorpugo · Jan 23, 2019

There was an article about a girl who put sticky tape on her monitor where her whole cards are and took the tournament without looking at the cards. Google for it

TheRealPage · Jan 23, 2019

You're the second is the thread talking about that woman... I can't find anything for now but please DM me the link if you know/find it!!! Thanks

-TRP-

Lorpugo said:
There was an article about a girl who put sticky tape on her monitor where her whole cards are and took the tournament without looking at the cards. Google for it

Lorpugo · Jan 24, 2019

TheRealPage said:
You're the second is the thread talking about that woman... I can't find anything for now but please DM me the link if you know/find it!!! Thanks

-TRP-

The girl player took online sit and go with 180 players. She actually looked just once at hers cards at critical allin decision. Her name is Annette Obrestad. Google by name and you will find it. Good luck

Pokerberry · Jan 24, 2019

That is very true the real

Snedkeren · Jan 24, 2019

Ofc its possible to win a tournament without looking at your cards.
But in most times you will loose.

I imagine that thoose players who are capable to just that are amongst the best in the world (when they do look at the cards).

UncleConRon · Jan 24, 2019

My opinion

It seems a little different on on-line poker. You can't read the persons face. It does seem to help here with a limp bet and a pause to think about the bet rather then bet. What I dont understand is I know a player plays cards I am on the short end with but they are never on the short end. Shouldn't that be fifty/fifty.

nomorkevm · Jan 24, 2019

I think cards only matter if you want to be a long term winning player

Poker isn't about cards...

TheRealPage

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