Tuesday, December 9, 2008

My disagreement with MIKE CARO

What's up? So I am reading the november issue of bluff magazine, yes the one with the two blondes on the front cover and I work back to Mike Caros article called Mental Malfunctions. Mike Caro is brillant and has had a lot of impact in the world of poker. Today, I am going to have to disagree on a point that he made under his topic-The pot is too big to fold-at the end of this portion of his article he says this "Another mistake players sometimes make is to play low quality hands before the flop when many players have already entered the pot. You might assume you're getting good odds, but thing about this: Everyone can't be getting good odds, so someone must be taking the worst of it. If you're playing 8-7 off-suit, that someone is you."

I totally disagree, my understanding is that his many players refers to three or more limpers before it gets to you, 8-7 in a multiway pot is golden. This hand will hit or miss and when you miss it is easy to let it go. On the other hand, he might be talking about you being the second one in and than having many players limp in after, that would be a bad move because if they had not limped in after the price was not right. But in general when you have odds greater than 3 or 4 to 1, almost anything is playable in my eyes. I don't know maybe I'm wrong here hit me back and correct me, is Mike Caro right and I cannot see what he is talking about or am I right understanding that the odds before a flop with a holding of 8-7 off at 3-1 is not a bad play? Heck there may be even more that I am not seeing, help me see it. I know I kept it short and sweet, just going to wait for any responses.

Stay nice as rice and mello as jello!

3 comments:

C.S. said...

I think perhaps he wasn't refering to limpers...

"Another mistake players sometimes make is to play low quality hands before the flop when many players have already entered the pot."

I think this might assume a raise. Probably not for your standard 1-2 pot. That being said, as you know, even with limpers getting into a pot with a subpar holding can be dicey.

If the blinds have a player that is willing to raise to limit you have to ask yourself if you are going to price yourself in if everybody calls back to you.

You also have to be willing to pitch hands that get you into trouble. You hit your straight can you fold to a flush. Can you fold to a rivered paired board.

What if 910J is on there. You pitch this holding you don't have to make bad decisions in a multi-way pot.

I still play it. I'm hoping for 654 rainbow. I'm hopping for 887. And wary of a lot of other things. 77x will get you snapped off to A7 suited a lot.

C.S. said...

I guess the gist of my post is "pricing yourself in" will sometimes lead to costly pots.

Goondingy said...

Great feedback, my whole point are suited and unsuited connectors with the right price, 3 to 1, or more and you are last or close to last to act are great calls. When you hit a hand like that, implied odds and what have you factor in especially on a flop like A 4 5 and the turn is the 6...YAHTZEE. The price was small but the payoff will be so so so large!
Stay frosty bub!