Friday 21st March 2008

Welcome to Hold or Fold - The UK's only Poker E-Letter dedicated to helping YOU become a better player!

In this week's E-Letter -

       *How to answer those two little questions...

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Hiya there and how have you been this week??

Big sigh - My lean spell is continuing still and I'm starting to get a bit down-hearted - this happened to me not last christmas, but the christmas before, and it lasted for about 6 weeks - I just couldn't win anything -

This time is slightly better I guess - I came 6th in my Poker league last Friday but didn't make the money - At the casino last Saturday I just made the final table but didn't make the money - and in a Freeroll the other night, I came 22nd out of 3,754 players which has entered me for Round 2 on Sunday - this was a HORSE tourney and I have to admit - I'm enjoying HORSE alot more !

It's a great game to play if you ever get fed up with normal Texas NL Hold'em.

So it's not entirely absolute rubbish - but as near as dammit.... It can't last much longer and I'm sure I'll be winning again.. I'll let you know.

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How to answer those two little questions...

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Last week was the final of the Late Night Poker series that has been shown on telly - so I thought I would take a hand from this as a tribute....

But also - I've often wondered - how should I react when asked those little questions??

No - nothing to do with love - the questions are...

"Will you show me if I pass??"

and

"Do you want me to call??"

Well - in this hand - Andy Black is asked these questions and I think he has the right attitude in answering them...

Here goes...

Like I said - it's the final of the LNP series and there are seven players left...

Andreas Jorbeck on $64,500
Andy Black on $63,000
Surinder Sunar on $51,500
Ian Frazer on $51,500
Roland de Wolfe on $44,500
David Tighe on $36,500
Eddy Scharf on $23,500

It's hand No. 91 and the blinds are now 1,500/3,000

David Tighe is first to act and he passes - And so does Roland de Wolfe.

Action is now on Ian Frazer. Up until this point he has been fairly short-stacked but he won the last hand and has brought his chip-count right up. I know this feeling well - you feel like at last you can start to play some hands instead of hanging in there being really tight and waiting for the right moment.

Ian picks up AS 10H. He raises it up to $12,000.
 

Robert Williamson III (RW3) is commentating: "Ace-Ten off-suit - and er ... he just got a hold of these chips didn't he??"

Vicky Coren also commentating: "He did !"

Andreas Jorbeck (the internet qualifier who went on to win) picks up a pair of 3's and he folds !! 3D 3S
 

Vicky Coren: "And look at this - Jorbeck finds a pair of three's and does NOT want to get entangled with Frazer - he gives it up ! Can you afford to fold a pair of three's at this stage??"

RW3: "You can - especially with Jorbeck's stack position."

Surinder folds and so does Eddy Scharf.

Action now moves to Andy Black. He picks up AH & KC
 

He smiles, rubs his hands with glee and asks Ian Frazer how many chips he has left behind after his raise.

Vicky exclaims: "OOOOoooh - he's got the Ace-King !!"

Andy checks his cards again and announces: "I'm all in !"

RW3: "Ian Frazer's got a very very tough decision to make."

Vicky: "Oh I think he can get away from this - I mean - he's put in $12,000 out of $50,000 - he knows he's a long way behind - he's gotta know."

RW3: "Unless he thinks that Andy Black is trying to muscle him with a middle pair - and then he's got a coin-toss for all the money."

Ian sits there impassively - although he's slightly rocking his body as if to music - and he decides what he's going to do. He licks his lips and closes his eyes a bit and ponders the situation.

I think if it was anyone other than Andy Black - he would have folded very quickly - but Andy is known to be able to play any two cards and could easily be trying to bluff Ian out of the pot.

Andy sits with his elbows on the table and his chin resting on his hands - his blue eyes are glistening as he glances into the air and back at Ian and down to the table.

Ian looks at the dealer and says: "I'm not passing - I'm just taking the cards off the glass ok??"

The dealer says that's fine.

Ian looks at his cards again and starts counting out chips.

Vicky: "He might think that Andy Black has just seen him win a pot and... he might have to think that Andy thinks that Frazer's getting out of line with no hand - Ace/Ten is really nasty in this kind of spot."

Andy leans back in his chair and looks slightly relaxed and slightly nervous...

Ian leans back to and stares hard at Andy.

Vicky: "Nothing can be read there in the impassive face of the monk."

About ten-fifteen seconds pass which feel like three hours...

...Then Ian asks the first of the questions: "Will you show me if I pass??"

Andy's face goes from being totally impassive to a big grin and he says:
"That's a leading question!"

Note to self: GOOD ANSWER - REMEMBER THIS FOR FUTURE USE !!

Because - lets face it - the player asking the question hasn't made a move yet - he's neither called or folded - and the way you answer this question can have a DIRECT bearing on his actions.

Ian replies: "Cos I don't think I can stand to carry on playing if I ...if I didn't see your hand that's all !"

At this point - he's staring at Andy and looking like he wants to pass and yet - he wants to call - and blah - he's just confused...

Andy sits there - much more relaxed now - and he just sits and grins without answering for several seconds.

Then Andy replies: "I feel that it would incriminate me one way or the other if I answer that."

Note to self: GOOD ANSWER - Remember that one too !

Ian is now biting his lip and looking quite desperate while Andy sits there with a big grin on his face. He's made his decision so there's no pressure on him whatsoever.

Ian says a bit petulantly: "It's only showing a couple of cars ain't it."

RW3: "He might be going to call here. I can't imagine."

Vicky: "Ian Frazer is PLEADING with Black - he's saying if I don't see your hand after I pass - I'm going to crack up ! But Andy Black wants that to happen !"

RW3: "I know - he's saying all the right things to Andy Black."

Ian's body language now changes - he knows that he's going to get no clues at all from Andy. He picks up his chips and looks at Andy - then he says: "I think I'm in front - I really do."

Andy has stopped smiling and is back to being impassive.

Vicky: "Well Andy Black's happy now - I think he knows that even if he's behind, it's not by much."

Ian rubs his head - puts his chips down and stands up - he turns to Tomas Kremsner who is the Tournament Director and says: "Put the clock on me please!"

Tomas replies: "OK - one minute for decision."

Ian lets out a big sigh - he looks at Andy - he looks at his chips - and then he asks the next big question:

"Do you want me to call you Andy???"

Andy sits there with a small smile on his face and he doesn't answer.

RW3: "He'll be sweating like a prostitute in church ! Oh my GOSH !"

Ian looks at Andy again then he picks up all his chips and throws them into the middle.

Vicky and RW3 shout together: "OH HE's MADE THE CALL !!!"

Vicky: "OH he had a rush of blood to the head !"

Andy smiles and turns his cards over.

Ian sees Andy's better hand and throws his Ace/Ten onto the table saying: "I need a TEN man!"

He turns away in disgust and walks away from the table then he comes back to await his fate.

Vicky: "Ian Frazer is drawing to three tens in the deck - chip leader earlier in the tournament and known as the one- table-tv-maestro -"

The Flop comes down: KS 2C 3H
   

Vicky sighs: "Oh that's nearly all over isn't it - only two running cards can help Ian Frazer"

The Turn comes down: 8S


Andy Black stands up and walks around to shake Ian's hand.

Ian goes to shake Andy's hand and says: "Poxy Call - real Poxy Call !"

Ian shakes everyone elses hand and walks, disgustedly, out of the room.

Vicky: "That's really unlucky for Ian Frazer - he says he loves fast cars, fast boats and fast women but maybe he played a little too fast poker."

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Post Mortem

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When interviewed afterwards, Ian had this to say:

"What went wrong?? I just made the worst call of my life - I fancy if he had a big pair, you know, he would have just flat-called me and try to look at a Flop - I didn't want to call the hand - but he just looked really nervous to me like he didn't want it -

He probably didn't want it with the Ace/King - and I just kept thinking to myself if I win this hand I'll have 90,000 chips and then I'll just smash them to pieces every hand!"

So - remember - next time someone asks you those two little questions - here are two great answers to use...

"That's a leading question"

and

"My answer would incriminate me one way or another"

I'm sure we can think of some more - but those two are great for now.

PPS: If Andreas had called with his pocket-three's - he might have taken Andy Black out - but as it is - he went on to win anyways - !!

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Well I hope you have a good week - may the cards be with you and I'll see you again next Friday.

All the best

Meg Arana
Hold or Fold