This is an illegitimate poker post. I have absolutely no business sharing poker knowledge with anyone. Really I haven't got a clue what I'm talking about. Also, I should mention that the following story is fictional, because I'm not sure... but it might be illegal for me to be "gambling" online. So with that said....
I had a couple of online poker accounts with a few dollars in each. After the recent legislation making it illegal for US banks to transfer money to certain gaming sites (poker being one) I thought I would close out my accounts. I have been in house cleaning mode these days. Of course it wasn't worth the trouble to get the few dollars that were there so I decided to play.
It still makes me laugh to tell you that instead of buring through the $5 I had in my account I won a small tournament and $216 playing no limit hold'em. That was a couple of weeks ago. So I've been playing here and there doing fairly well for a beginner.
This past weekend I played in a private tournament held by the Ante Up podcast. The game however was limit hold'em, which I had never played. It didn't take very long for me to catch onto the concept.
In no limit, I know what cards I'm holding and that is the most important thing. The second most important thing in no limit is to figure out what your opponents are holding. You do that by pushing around chips and paying close attention. After that you either protect your hand or you throw it away. It's pretty simple.
Limit is a game for wishers and dreamers. There is very little you can do to protect your hand. It's about odds. It's about deciding if the two cards you're holding have the potential to be the two best cards to be holding by the time you see the river.
So this game theory has me thinking about my current situation. Am I a limit player or a no limit player. How should I play my cards. Do I make a decision based on what I already know or what I'm hoping for?
In the Ante Up limit hold'em tournament.. out of 71 players I managed to limp up to the final table with a very short stack... if you can call 2-3 chips a stack. BTW the hosts of the show went out before I did. Which should tell you that sometimes the cards you get matter more then any theory you can make up. Like I just did.