Suited connectors

[seanfaz]

Re: Suited connectors Yeah, i am aware of the differences in levels billy. your last comment i don't really understand, who are these players then? Surely, if they could tear Goodwin etc to shreads, then they would be doing, and i would have heard of them? i mean, Marc Goodwin is an exceptional tournament player, can you give me a couple of names? I may have heard of them, or even played against them.

[billy the punter]

Re: Suited connectors

Yeah, i am aware of the differences in levels billy. your last comment i don't really understand, who are these players then? Surely, if they could tear Goodwin etc to shreads, then they would be doing, and i would have heard of them? i mean, Marc Goodwin is an exceptional tournament player, can you give me a couple of names? I may have heard of them, or even played against them.

They play in different games - private games. So not necessarily. I've listed some names elswhere. When these types of players do play in the mainstream games they certainly do not worry about sitting with the like of Goodwin. Who do you think knocked him out the GKUPT Omaha this month??? ;)

[seanfaz]

Re: Suited connectors You talk about these players as if they are nothing, i don't quite understand. I mean you look at european rankings and stuff, and he is there or there abouts. If these players are so good, why are they not up there also? And why do they just play in private games? I don't quite understand mate

[billy the punter]

Re: Suited connectors

You talk about these players as if they are nothing' date=' i don't quite understand. I mean you look at european rankings and stuff, and he is there or there abouts. If these players are so good, why are they not up there also? And why do they just play in private games? I don't quite understand mate[/quote'] Ok, the European Rankings show the people who have aquired the most ranking points. Players like Goodwin, in the past, play so many of these ranking events due to sponsorship deals (was with Mansion - not sure now). There are many, many, many players who a) do not play tournaments at all b) only play a few tournaments a year It's impossible for them to appear on such lists. They play in private games due to the stakes, I think we differ in what we call big stakes. The games I'm talking about are £10/£20 pot limit, or £20/£40 pot limit, usually with 3-figure straddles most hands. At times I've been at the table where there has been over £100,000 in play. You cannot get this sort of action in non-private games. Some players do not want to galavant around the country or europe in a quest for ranking points. They are in it for the money. With regards to Goodwin, he is a profitable tournament player at the moment but I assure you, he is NOT the best player in Europe, regardless of what some irrelevant rankings say. A quick example, I've known for some years how good James Akenhead was, way before he had his big result in Vegas last year I booked him as one of the best players in the South. Now you have all heard of him due to his result(s). The point is, there are players around who are very good and very profitable despite not being "big names". -- Please note, for me it isn't a case of seeing these players in magazines and looking at results, I am in a position to give my opinions because I've played them many times.

[seanfaz]

Re: Suited connectors

Ok, the European Rankings show the people who have aquired the most ranking points. Players like Goodwin, in the past, play so many of these ranking events due to sponsorship deals (was with Mansion - not sure now). There are many, many, many players who a) do not play tournaments at all b) only play a few tournaments a year It's impossible for them to appear on such lists. They play in private games due to the stakes, I think we differ in what we call big stakes. The games I'm talking about are £10/£20 pot limit, or £20/£40 pot limit, usually with 3-figure straddles most hands. At times I've been at the table where there has been over £100,000 in play. You cannot get this sort of action in non-private games. Some players do not want to galavant around the country or europe in a quest for ranking points. They are in it for the money. With regards to Goodwin, he is a profitable tournament player at the moment but I assure you, he is NOT the best player in Europe, regardless of what some irrelevant rankings say. A quick example, I've known for some years how good James Akenhead was, way before he had his big result in Vegas last year I booked him as one of the best players in the South. Now you have all heard of him due to his result(s). The point is, there are players around who are very good and very profitable despite not being "big names". -- Please note, for me it isn't a case of seeing these players in magazines and looking at results, I am in a position to give my opinions because I've played them many times.

Good post billy. Yeah i agree, know what you mean. Some players are in for money, some for the competition etc. No, goodwin may not be the best player in europe, but he is one of the best tournament players in europe. I have found that the private games i played when i was in the north were quite weak - just my personal experience, with some terrible terrible players which the game was built around. That was actually the reason why i was told about the games - the easy action. There were some good players in that game, but on the whole, i think that games are much tougher in the midlands and in the south. I would actually like to get more involved in games like these, but at the moment i've been playing quite a few tournaments. I totally agree with what you are saying there though.

[billy the punter]

Re: Suited connectors

I have found that the private games i played when i was in the north were quite weak - just my personal experience' date=' with some terrible terrible players which the game was built around. That was actually the reason why i was told about the games - the easy action.[/quote'] Exactly. Poor players, or "stars" or "mushrooms" as we call them down here are important if any private game wants to survive. Trouble is they do tend to run out of money which is why these types of games are a little stop and start. I'm currently starting back playing in a game at the moment, it's smaller than the ones I've mentioned above, but there is great value among it's regular players. Problem is though, it's so anti-social, with no closing time to worry about the games go on - I played a 16 hour game last Wednesday, it takes two days out your week basically.

[seanfaz]

Re: Suited connectors Yeah i don't have the time problem - as a student i don't do anything lol! So are these games in London? I played at the Vic at the end of November; i just started at LSE in october so i live in London now for half the year, and my mate came down for abit so we could play some GUKPT side events at the grand final. The cash action throughout that week was fairly poor at the £3/£6 level, and we were able to make a fair bit from it. I would love to play higher, not just for the money but also to test myself against better (or richer!) players. But i am just a student, at the moment poker just allows me to live less like a student and more like a normal person lol!!!!

[Tom Hedonist]

Re: Suited connectors There was a v. interesting post on 2+2 a short while ago, about calling a raise preflop, hoping to hit a set with your medium pair. I'd guess it applies equally to suited connectors. The suggestion was that its ok to call with these sort of hands, so long as you're going to get paid off when you hit. So often you'll miss, that it doesn't pay to play them against short-stackers. The advice was specific to cash games. I suppose it translates to tournies, but less so. As not only are the dynamics different, but also every player you knock out takes you one step closer to the money.

[SteveO]

Re: Suited connectors

Exactly. Poor players, or "stars" or "mushrooms" as we call them down here are important if any private game wants to survive. Trouble is they do tend to run out of money which is why these types of games are a little stop and start. I'm currently starting back playing in a game at the moment, it's smaller than the ones I've mentioned above, but there is great value among it's regular players. Problem is though, it's so anti-social, with no closing time to worry about the games go on - I played a 16 hour game last Wednesday, it takes two days out your week basically.

Is robbie box still on the scene Bill, or is he sticking to 5 card draw;)

[seanfaz]

Re: Suited connectors Medium pairs are similar but even more effective i think, they are my favourite starting hand in holdem and they deserve their own thread, i may start one tomorrow ;)

[billy the punter]

Re: Suited connectors

Yeah i don't have the time problem - as a student i don't do anything lol! So are these games in London? I played at the Vic at the end of November; i just started at LSE in october so i live in London now for half the year' date=' and my mate came down for abit so we could play some GUKPT side events at the grand final. The cash action throughout that week was fairly poor at the £3/£6 level, and we were able to make a fair bit from it. I would love to play higher, not just for the money but also to test myself against better (or richer!) players. But i am just a student, at the moment poker just allows me to live less like a student and more like a normal person lol!!!![/quote'] I gamble for a living so it's not that I have other things to do as such, I just don't want to regularly play 12 hour+ games, not anymore. It's no life. Poker is now responisble for just 15% of my turnover these days.

[billy the punter]

Re: Suited connectors

There was a v. interesting post on 2+2 a short while ago, about calling a raise preflop, hoping to hit a set with your medium pair. I'd guess it applies equally to suited connectors. The suggestion was that its ok to call with these sort of hands, so long as you're going to get paid off when you hit. So often you'll miss, that it doesn't pay to play them against short-stackers. The advice was specific to cash games. I suppose it translates to tournies, but less so. As not only are the dynamics different, but also every player you knock out takes you one step closer to the money.

Yes, when I was playing in those deep cash games spoken about above, I would rarely pass any pair preflop. Play any pair for one raise and even call one reraise (to my raise) with any pair. Implied odds and all that. In a tournament it's a little different as value means less in tourns. If I was in good shape in a tourn, almost 100% of the time I'd pass a 40% shot even if I was getting 5/2 or something - if it were for the majority (all all) of my stack. Survival is key isn't it?

[seanfaz]

Re: Suited connectors Oh yeah yeah tournaments are different like that, i hate those calls with 66 and 77 when the best outcome is 55%ish ahead and often youre an 80% dog. Terrible calls