Defending Jeff Shulman's 9-9 Fold at the November Nine

Defending Jeff Shulman's 9-9 Fold at the November Nine

Let's continue reviewing the lesson plan I created for Jeff Shulman at the World Series of Poker November Nine final table.

Starting play with $20 million in chips and blinds at $125,000/$250,000 plus a $20,000 ante, I advised Jeff to play super-tight and make five times the big blind opening bets when entering pots. Jeff's father, Barry Shulman, who recently won the WSOPE using this same strategy, agreed that this was the best way for Jeff to proceed.

By the way, I correctly predicted that Phil Ivey would also play super-tight poker. Why wouldn't he? Jeff and Phil were clearly the best players; they had ample opportunity to play patiently and wait for great situations to develop. Just let the amateurs melt down, blow up, and give away their chips!

Keep in mind, the pressure on all players was massive. Playing in front of a live audience and ESPN cameras for millions of dollars would surely cause a couple of the final table players to self-destruct.

With the blinds at $200,000/$400,000, Shulman opened for $1.75 million on the button with pocket nines and Ivey moved all-in from the big blind for $6.9 million more.

A little history: Shulman had already folded several times on the button when Ivey was in the big blind. This time, when Jeff raised it up, he assumed that Ivey knew that he had at least a semi-strong hand.

On the live internet broadcast, I said, "Ivey doesn't look super-strong. I think he would move all-in here with A-9 offsuit. Jeff should call with A-Q and maybe even A-J."

Well, Shulman actually folded his 9-9. Word rapidly spread that Ivey had K-Q, which happened to be true.

Pro players Barry Greenstein, Mike Matusow, and Howard Lederer all opined that it was a clear call situation for Jeff and his pocket nines. Not me, I'm in total agreement with Jeff. I think it was a clear fold.

I look at the whole story when I make poker decisions. Did Jeff's 9-9 figure to be good? Yes. Would I make that call in a side game? Yes. So, on the surface, it didn't appear to be a good fold.

But it was a fold that would leave Jeff with $14 million - more than enough chips considering the deep structure in place at the final table. With $14 million chips, Jeff could easily wait for a better situation where he could go against one of the weaker players.

A call, however, would leave Shulman with either $7 million or $25 million. The former would cripple him, put his tournament in jeopardy, and probably force him to play big pots with weaker holdings.

I love the fold because I love to protect my chips. Better to fold and wait until some other players are eliminated and then put your chips all-in when you know you have the best hand. That's how to make a big lay down.

Jeff followed his plan perfectly. A few hours later, he was able to move all-in with A-K against Joe Cada's A-J.

One all-in pot in ten hours of play is the definition of risk-free poker!

Then, with only five players remaining, Jeff again had Cada all-in with J-J against Cada's 3-3 but Cada got lucky and outdrew Jeff as a four-and-a-half-to-one underdog.

There's no doubt in my mind that Jeff's 9-9 fold was solid, especially when you consider the complete story. One thing's for certain, Jeff Shulman deserved a better outcome.

Next week, I'll discuss an even more controversial fold by Shulman with A-K pre-flop.

-Phil Hellmuth

Karmakrazy13 Pokerstars Multi Table Tournament Part 2

Karmakrazy13 Pokerstars Multi Table Tournament Part 1

205

Being Focused

Huckleberry Seed

November 24th, 2009

In the world of Full Tilt Poker avatars there are no bad hair days.
Not the type of thought I want to be having at an FTOPS final table. I want my mind absorbing and processing just the right information the best it can to put my creative mind in position to "play Mozart" to the ears of my opponents who I deem capable of appreciating it. I want to be focused. In the moment. In the flow of the game. In the "Zone".
A great way to enhance one’s ability to focus in my opinion is fasting. On a 15 minute break early in a 500 player field NLH tournament at Foxwoods several years back, I walked to the food court, in a conversation with an old school player from my table. I procured a calorie laden sandwich. "Want anything?" I asked. "A hungry dog hunts best" the wise old man replied. I took the saying to heart. I didn't eat the sandwich or anything else the rest of the tournament. I played very well, especially near the end (it was a one day tournament that lasted 22 hours) and won the tournament.
David Williams didn't need a wise old poker player to teach him the value of fasting for poker focus – he figured it out on his own. I was not surprised after his tournament successes to hear him tell me that he would eat nothing during his tournaments and just drink a bit of tomato juice here and there throughout the tournament to ensure his brain was getting sufficient glucose to function at its best.
Yoga and meditation can also be great ways to clear your mind and get you ready to focus on the game. Weeding through a yoga class that was just starting on our way out of the gym after a hoops session, we decided to jump in. We then headed to the casino and after that night’s poker session, my friend Joe said he had never played with such clear-minded focus, and accredited that to yoga. David Hayden, a Seven-Card Stud poker pro, swears by yoga to improve your poker game, golf game and most aspects of your life.
Dan Harrington attributes much of his ability to stay focused down the stretch of a poker tournament to his competitive chess career before he became a poker player. A competitive chess match can be quite long, six or even eight hours sometimes. In chess, one mistake can cost you the game, just as in NLH where one mistake can cost you your whole stack.
If the mental toughness Dan developed that kept him from making blunders in chess was transferred over to poker, your skills and mental focus developed at other endeavors may too. Try to be aware of any mental focus related skills you have and see how they relate to poker. Perhaps you’re just not too mentally tough yet. If something bad happens at the poker table you usually crumple immediately, and after an hour or two your mind always starts to wander. Maybe you need to try standing on your head for an hour while staring at a dot on the wall (I did it for a bet once).
As for meditation, I was first introduced to the world of Zen Buddhism by well rounded intellectual Howard Lederer. I really think practicing various forms of meditation will greatly help your ability to focus at the poker table. After experimenting a bit with various forms of meditation you could try to make poker your form of meditation! Personally, I enjoy the writing of Vietnamese Buddhist monk poet and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, as well as contemporary spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle (author of the bestseller "The Power of Now") and I would like to thank them for improving the quality of my life as well as the focus of my poker game.
I think simple desire and motivation go hand in hand with focus. Young players who have a strong desire to win or compete or improve their game are super focused without realizing it and probably don’t know what it means to be unfocused. It just comes naturally when you want it badly enough.
Well let’s leave it at that before I say "focus" more times than Alan Iverson can say "talkin’ about practice". I hope my writing has lead you on the path to be more focused in your poker and in so doing find that place deep in the flow of the game where plays that amaze are made and the joy of the game is found.

Lessons with Jeff Shulman - Part 2

Lessons with Jeff Shulman - Part 2

Last week I wrote that Jeff Shulman had asked me to coach him in preparation for the World Series of Poker November Nine final table.

To recap:I advised Jeff to play super-tight poker at the beginning of the final table, come in before the flop by raising about five times the big blind, and play low-risk poker because with $20 million in chips and blinds at $125,000/$250,000, there was ample time for him to sit back and let other players bust out of the tournament.

I built an advisory team comprised of Diego Cordovez, a WSOP bracelet winner in No Limit Hold'em, Barry Shulman, Jeff's father and winner of this year's WSOPE Main Event, Cy Young award-winning pitcher Orel Hershisher to sharpen Jeff's mental edge, and a few others to allow us to simulate final table action.

We played for dozens of hours.We reviewed every single hand that had been played by the other members of the November Nine.We watched every Main Event episode on ESPN, rewound and reviewed every bluff and every super-strong hand while looking for physical tells and discernable betting patterns.

All this so Jeff Shulman would have a great feel for his opponents once final table play began.

We set up chipstacks at a poker table in accordance with the seat order of the final players, including a picture of each player in front of his respective stack.We played countless hours of seven-handed, six-handed, five-handed, four-handed, and three-handed poker, with each of us assuming the identity of one of Jeff's competitors.

Whenever Jeff entered a pot, action paused while we dissected his tactics in detail.Was he playing tight enough?Was he moving his chips well?Were there alternative plays that better suited the particular situation?

I even pulled a new tactic out of my bag of tricks.I advised Jeff to make big pre-flop raises in order to keep the other players out of the pot with their small pairs and suited connectors.I wanted to deter other players from bluffing Jeff pre-flop.The plan was correctly based on the fact that it's next to impossible to bluff a guy like Jeff who's playing super-tight poker and raising big whenever he does enter a pot.

We wanted to keep Jeff in the game for as long as possible by winning small uncontested pots and keep him away from major catastrophes.

By the time Jeff sat down at the Main Event final table, with ESPN cameras rolling and thousands of spectators observing in the Rio's Penn and Teller Theatre, he was remarkably calm and confident.

Jeff stuck to the game plan.He pushed all-in only once in the first ten hours of play, with A-K against Joe Cada's A-J.When his hand held up, it appeared that the rest of the field was in real trouble.

Only fifty minutes later, however, Cada moved all-in with pocket threes and was called by Jeff with pocket jacks in a pot worth over $22 million.Win this one and Jeff would have $30 million at the start of four-handed play!

It didn't happen.Cada hit a miracle three on the flop and Jeff was left crippled with about $7 million chips and five players remaining.Then, Shulman lost a race with 7-7 against A-9 and was out in fifth place.

Would I have changed a single tactic regarding how I coached Jeff Shulman?No way.

If not for an unlikely three to hit on the flop for Cada, Jeff may very well have won the 2009 WSOP Main Event.Well played, Jeff!

-Phil Hellmuth

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204

Using Aggression Wisely

David Oppenheim

November 17th, 2009

In the game of Hold ‘em, especially No Limit, aggression is usually rewarded. By being aggressive, you are putting your opponent in an uncomfortable situation and forcing him to either make a hand or make a bluff. You take over control of the pot and put yourself in the driver’s seat.
And yet, for as much good as aggression can do, I still see far too many players either being too aggressive or misusing aggression altogether. Aggression is one of the biggest tools a poker player has, but it needs to be used wisely at all times.
For instance, I see a lot of young players getting out of line and being overly aggressive with hands like A-Q and A-J. They put in huge raises with these hands thinking they’re making a smart move, but really they’re just scaring the dead money away. There are so many bad players in tournaments these days that there’s just no excuse for not being patient – eventually these players will make a mistake and ship you a lot of chips. There’s no need to risk such a large portion of your stack with a hand like that.
Many newer players are guilty of misusing aggression. They see their favorite player on TV pulling off a huge bluff or dominating their table with aggression, and they want to follow suit. The problem is that these newer players really have no idea how to be aggressive. You can’t just be randomly aggressive and hope to take control of the action; your aggression needs to be calculated.
Knowing when to be aggressive is something that comes with time and experience. If you lack that knowledge and have no feel for the game you’re playing, that aggression is going to come back to haunt you.
I would advise all newer players not to focus their game on aggression at first. You want to start out by playing solid, ABC poker. Focus on the basics and, when you have those down, you can start thinking about bringing aggression into your game.
Being aggressive in poker is a very fine art. Watching a player like Phil Ivey at the poker table can be every bit as awe inspiring as looking at a Picasso. But players like Ivey have honed their aggression over time, using their experience at the tables to shape the way they play. Put in your time at the tables, and you too may one day paint a masterpiece.

203

Don’t Waste Money on Advertising

Steve Zolotow

November 11th, 2009

Table image can be a very powerful tool at the poker table, especially in ring games where you can expect to play a long session against the same opponents. But when it comes to tournament play, trying to project a certain table image can often times prove to be a futile endeavor. Your attempt might end up costing you precious chips now without gaining a later advantage, since you may be at a different table against different opponents a few minutes later.
Many players try to project a table image that is exactly the opposite of how they actually play. Tight players might try to project a loose table image by showing a bluff early on, while loose players trying to project a tight image aim to showdown a hand with the nuts so other players think they only play premium hands.
While doing this might result in winning a big pot somewhere down the line, it can also cost you chips to “sell” this specific table image. You really have to ask yourself if losing this equity early in a tournament is worth the potential equity that may or may not be gained later. It is usually not worth making a suspect early bluff to convince your opponents that you’re a maniac. Even if they believe you, you might move tables. Are you really willing to invest more chips to sell that image again?
My advice, especially for novice players, is to let your cards determine your table image. If you’re running hot to start a tournament and winning a lot of pots without going to a showdown, you’ll develop an aggressive table image. This can lead to winning a few big pots down the line, especially if you run into a situation where you pick up a monster hand but your opponent puts you on a bluff. But be cautious about trying to steal pots, since your opponents are more likely to suspect your bets and raises.
Likewise, if you start a tournament by getting bad hands and folding a lot, you’ll develop a tight table image. If you pick your spots right, this tight image will enable you to pull off a few nice bluffs and pad your chip stack with some extra ammunition. You might also pick up a good hand that doesn’t get called. If you show it, it will reinforce their perception of you as a tight player, and create more bluffing opportunities.
I am by no means advocating playing poker strictly based on what hands you’re dealt. You always need to be aware of the other factors in play at your table. But letting the cards do the work for you is a risk-free and effective way to establish a table image. Otherwise, you’re essentially paying for a billboard above your head that either says, “Loose Player: I will bluff you,” or, “Tight Player: I’m waiting for Aces.” Image creating plays work best against moderate opponents who don’t know your game very well. Superior players will quickly work out your style – loose, tight, or a combination (gear-shifter). Playing well is a lot more important than creating an erroneous image.
Or, to put it another way, don’t waste your money on advertising. You are not a salesman, you’re a poker player.

202

Stack Size Limbo

Jeff Madsen

November 3rd, 2009

When you’re playing a tournament and sitting on around 15 big blinds, you can face some seriously tough pre-flop decisions. Welcome to stack size limbo. It feels likes you have too many chips to push all-in, but a standard pre-flop raise can prove disastrous if an aggressive player comes over the top and puts you to the test.

So, is it best to push or to raise in this kind of situation? First of all, it depends on what type of table you’re playing at. If it’s a table full of aggressive players who are likely to make a move if you come with a standard pre-flop raise, then pushing all-in is probably your best bet.

If you’re at a table that is playing tight, you might be able to get away with making a standard raise. Keep in mind, though, that if you do get re-raised at a tight table, it’s time to let that hand go.

I recently played in a tournament at the Bellagio where I found myself in stack size limbo. I was sitting on approximately 15 big blinds and, unfortunately, at a table full of aggressive players.

The action was folded around to me in late position, and I looked down to see pocket 4s. Not a bad hand, but also no reason to jump for joy, especially at a table full of players who have no problem re-popping you with something like 5-6 suited.

So, it was decision time. If I put in the standard pre-flop raise, there was a pretty good chance that someone would re-raise me and I’d have to make a decision for all of my chips. On the other hand, pushing all-in would pressure the other players and force them to make the tough decisions. Basically, going all-in takes the play away, which is to my advantage.

I decided to push and, although I wouldn’t have hated a call too much, wound up winning the pot when the rest of the players passed. If I’d had 20 big blinds in that situation, I would’ve felt more comfortable putting in a standard raise, since I’d still have enough chips left if I was forced to fold.

So, 20 big blinds for me is definitely too much to just push all-in. There are plenty of online players out there who’ll push with stacks as deep as 20 or even 25 big blinds, but I still feel like you have enough chips left at that point not to get trigger happy and ever have to make that decision.

If you read your table correctly and play your cards right, you should be able to move out of stack size limbo and into deep stack comfort.

Going With Your Gut

By Brandon Cantu

Although poker is a game of math, odds and optimal strategies, sometimes it all comes down to a feeling. Being able to trust that instinct and go with your read can be the difference between being a good player, and being a great player.

Let‘s look at a hand I played during the recent World Series of Poker Europe.

The blinds were 100/200 with a 25 ante and at my table was a Full Tilt red pro whose name escapes me. I was sitting on about 45,000 in chips and he had a little bit less with about 30,000. The action was folded around to me in fifth position and I made my standard preflop raise. The person in the cutoff called, and so did the pro that was on the button. The flop was 10-10-6, and although I missed it I felt that my opponents most likely missed as well, so I bet 1,600. The gentleman in the cutoff folded, and the red pro on the button just called.

As soon as he called my bet, my gut told me was floating. For those unfamiliar, floating, is calling a bet with absolutely nothing on the flop in hopes of either picking up a hand, or a draw on the turn or also to simply try and outplay their opponent, in this case me, on the turn or river.

Assuming he was going to play back at me no matter what the turn was, I decided to check raise before even seeing the turn card, which was an off-suit deuce. As I anticipated after I checked my opponent bet 3,000, a little smaller than a pot-sized bet and I raised it up to 10,000 total. My opponent than did something I was not quite expecting and put in another raise, making it 17,500 and leaving himself with 10,000 behind. Even though I had nothing in this situation, my instinct could not get past the initial feeling that he was floating the turn, and I decided to move all in causing my opponent to quickly fold his hand and watch I as I flipped over my ace-high with a seven kicker.

Playing this type of poker can be very stressful, as if you do get called a lot of the time people will give you odd looks and question your sanity. However when you do go with your gut, and it‘s correct it can give you a huge deal of confidence, which can help you focus even harder at the task at hand; winning the tournament.

Here are some tips to help you get your poker instincts finely tuned:

1. Don‘t be afraid to fail: So often you will here “I know your bluffing, but I just don‘t have a hand.” or I‘ll let you get away with it this time.” Instead of giving up, why not put your opponent to the test and go with your read. Sure there will be times that you are wrong, but that‘s OK. It‘s all part of the process of getting better as a player. Play some lower limit sit-n-go‘s or MTT‘s on Ultimate Bet and practice following your instincts. You‘ll be surprised at often your opponent will fold.


2. Understand the Situation: Its easy to get caught up in the moment when you are deciding to go with your gut, but be aware of all the factors at hand. If you move all-in, does your opponent have enough chips behind to fold, or will he have to call you? Is the player tilting due to losing a big hand just prior to this? Are there softer players at the table to pick on? Analyze everything, because although your read my be dead on, there are times when no matter what your gut says your opponent will call you, and his junky hand may even be ahead of your junky hand..


3. Mix it Up: Utilizing moves like this with no hand is extremely dangerous, because you can then use a similar play, or move when you actually have a monste.. In these cases, you‘ll still be using your instincts, but instead of feeling out if a player is weak, try and feel how strong he is. If you get a sense he can‘t get away from it, put him to the test, you‘ll happily take some huge pots on occasion.


4. It‘s ok to fold: Some times going with your gut means folding. We‘ve all been there wanting to just stick it in with aces, knowing full well our opponent out flopped us, but we still make the crying call. Stop it. If you think your beat, fold your hand and wait for a better spot. There is no reason to go broke when every ounce of you is screaming “Fold!”

Becoming a winning poker player does not happen over night. While using your instincts is an imperative part of the game, like anything else you need to practice and hone in on your skills before putting them to use on the biggest stages. So get out there on the tables and play, but remember to use some of that time to work on new ways to improve your game and if that means going with your gut, then go for it.