The same frustrations that I experience with a ring game of NL Holdem are still there, but it isn’t as magnified. Also, I am playing Sit-N-Go’s and not cash games, so that helps. That reminds me of a talk I had with a friend of mine Mickey last night. He expressed that when he is running bad, the game affects his overall mood. I tend to sympathise with him. One thing that I mentioned to him was the fact that I tend to get frustrated more in cash games as opposed to Sit-N-Go’s. In SNG’s, once I pay the money, I consider it gone forever unless I cash. In a cash game, I see the actual money going up or down depending on how I am running. I am not like some people where the money doesn’t mean anything to me at all, so there is I guess the added psychological pressure. True, this is all in my head, but at least I admit it.

My Stud-8 game has been running really well lately. I’ve only had 2 losing session, and 0 losing days so far. I probably need to work on my Stud 8 tournament game some. It is still hard for me to find the patience to sit for a long tournament online. In a future blog, I will go over my Stud 8 cash at Binion’s during my Vegas trip.

I don’t really feel like talking about much else right now, so have a good one folks.

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I normally don’t look at my cards until it is my turn to act in Texas Holdem. It gives away less information, and it allows me to look at the other players. After a while, people learn your tendencies and many players will just assume you always do the same thing. Well, one thing people should learn is there is never an always in poker. The first example of how I play a hand blind usually occurs when I am getting short on chips. I take a very quick peak as each card is dealt to me. I try to make sure that people are not looking at me when this is happening. If I use this tactic, there is only one move, “Blind All In.”

Everyone will usually give me the “What the hell” look. I was in one game one time where it was three handed and I was short stack at the table, but it was still big enough to put a big hurt on the other 2 players. I had looked down to AJ and called “all in” before the last player got their cards. One thing I also will do is leave the card in the same position as pitched to me to give the illusion that I did not even look. I had done so in this case. The first player to act after me folded and then the other guy went into the tank. I REALLY wanted a call, and the guy that folded was trying to convince the other guy to call me. This is a rules violation and poor etiquette, but I was acting like I didn’t care. Finally the player actually folds pocket 10’s face up!! After that, every raise I made was called or reraised. Of course, I was playing strong hands and ended up coming back to take the chip lead in short order.

Another option in playing a hand bland is just that, playing it blind. However, I would recommend doing a few things when playing a hand blind. First, you don’t want to be calling raises blind typically. If you’re playing Limit holdem, and you’re in the big blind, you can call 1 raise. Second, what is the mindset or demeanor of the table? Will this move actually affect your table image? If you’re in a 2-4 game where you have 6 callers on average, nobody will really care, other than for entertainment value. However, if you in a NL tournament and you haven’t played that many hands that day, this may really screw with their heads. Last, pay attention to your position. You do not want to truly play a hand blind in early positions. There are too many people left to act and a better hand will of course raise. If I am going to play a hand blind, I typically will do it from the blind, the button or maybe one from the button.

If you play the hand blind, you have to decide how much you want to commit. If I play a hand blind and my opponent checks to me on the flop in Limit Holdem, I will bet. Since I am playing blind, most opponents will bet out at me if they hit the flop. They want to see if I am really going to play. At this point, it is up to you to decide which way you’re going to play the hand. Are you really going to play the hand blind, or are you going to look and stay in if you have a hand. That choice is up to you and what you want to accomplish from playing the hand.

It is a great feeling to play a hand blind and the hand hold up. Of course, it is pure luck, but it still feels good. Of course, few things are worse than some idiot playing a hand blind and beating your hand, especially if you started with a good hand. THAT feeling is what you’re trying to get from your players. You want your players grumbling about your play so that next time you’re in a hand; they will chase you down with inferior garbage. Do I recommend playing hands blind a lot? No. It is a tactic just like many others that have their time and place. If used properly, it will give you a reckless looking image that will either increase your stack, or get your opponents talking for a while. Keep them guessing. In the long run it will pay off.