Sunday 3 April 2011

Fox v Empire

Well, we're three days into April now and for the first time this year I'm in the unenviable position of being down at both the online game AND the live game for the month. I know, I know, it's very short-term and all that but it's still a first for the blog. Well, I suppose you'll want to know the figures: £110 down at the live game and $100 down at the online game. Bosh.

Nevertheless we learn mainly from our defeats rather than our victories and there's certainly something I've learned from last night. In my experience, cash games at The Fox tend to be fairly tough. I don't know why this is the case but The Fox just generally seems to have more knowledgeable players at the cash game tables and, hence, are just not as juicy as The Empire games. I've NEVER had a big major win at the cash games at The Fox. Not only, I think, is this because the players are tougher but also because a lot of players sit down with fairly shortstacks - and this obviously means winning less if I do actually crack 'em.

Last night, for example, in a hand where I lost about £60 the action went; limp, limp, limp, limp, limp, limp, raise 14BBs. Then it went fold fold fold fold fold back on me. I held AJs and should have insta-mucked them right there, obviously, but paused instead. I looked across at his stack and saw about £45. Now at The Empire a £45 stack is NOT a scarey stack. At The Fox it's a solid, middle sized stack held by someone who probably knows a little bit about what they're doing!! Anyway, like the mug I am, I incorrectly read this as a steal attempt and felt my hand was good and so re-raised all-in. But the main clincher that made me go all-in was that he "only" had a £45 stack. Needless to say he whipped over AQ and took down the pot. Apart from the fact that I played it badly I did get something from it:

Lesson Learnt: This £60 loss is payment for a MAJOR big lesson which will hopefully allow me to win bigger in the future. Rather than sitting down to a cash game at The Fox, I'm heading straight to The Empire baby!! 

When it comes to small buy-in MTTs though, you just can't beat The Fox and so, by amalgamating this fact with the lesson above, we've got the following rule:

1. For cash games go to The Empire.
2. For MTTs go to The Fox.

Simples (as they say).

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