Playing TAG

TAG as a poker term generally refers to the "Tight and AGgressive" style of play that is supposed to be the solid foundation on which to build a winning game.

On GOSCARS night at The International, it also referred to the style of tournament that we were about to take part in. Around 75 teams of 2 people playing a standard 6,000 chip freezeout, but with two players to one chipstack, "tagging" in and out every 15 minutes.

A fun tourney, but with some pretty serious cash on offer also - more than £1,000 for first place.

I was playing with Mat, a friend from Oxford. A solid player who got me interested in poker originally back in 2004.

I took the first stint, and I did play pretty tight, although the first significant hand I was involved in was with the rather less than premium QTs. I had raised to 175 (blinds 25/50) and received a caller in the SB.

I played the QT8 board (all red, two hearts) straightforwardly - betting 80% of the pot, and betting again when the 8 on the turn.

The river was an Ace - meaning I am now losing to quite a few hands. I checked behind, and announced "3 pair", turning over my hand.

A rather curious thing now happened. The other player threw his hand in face down and the cards were mixed inot the muck. As the chips were sent my way, the losing player suddenly realised that any Ace made a higher two pair.

He made a half-hearted attempt to try to retrieve his hand and claim the pot, but I think he realised that this wouldn't be allowed. Pretty sick way to lose a pot. I would never try to claim that pot when it wasn't "rightfully" mine but I realised, too, that even if I wanted to give him the pot then I couldn't. It's a very clearcut ruling. His hand is dead. The pot is mine with any cards.

Things were relatively uneventful. Our chips were at at 7,500 when Mat was involved with making a river bluff that "ought" to have worked, but didn't. I got most of our chips in preflop with JJ to a button push, and held against AK - back to 9,000+

I then lost a good chunk myself with AK - played out of position and badly.

Our stack became a push-or-fold stack. I had pushed in a couple of times already (AJs, 88, A8 in a SB vs BB contest) and the net result was that we had 5,100 left with blinds at 400/800.

I find pocket Tens in middle position. Easy shove. I am happy to be called, or not. The button makes the call with only 2,800 behind. Now the small blind wakes up and calls as well (somewhat reluctantly it seems). He has a lot more behind though.

So, a big pot if my hand can hold up! Nearly 16,000 chips.

The flop comes 743. Good news ! The button puts in his last 2,800 (not so good) and then small blind finds a check-call (hmm).

OK - now I get to see what I am up against !

66 (button) and 55 (small blind) !! We're all liking the flop. I have a good overpair. Both the other guys have seen only one overcard fall, and they each have the gutshot straight draw !

I was a good favourite pre-flop and NOW I am an 80% favourite to more than triple up, and move us into contention.

Facing just me, each of the smaller pairs needs to hit their set. Facing each other as well, however, making a set only make the other guy a straight ! They have each others' outs in a very special way.

Still, the main thing for me is that they only have 4 outs between them !

Turn - straight away come a 5.

Nooooooo! I'm drawing to 2-outs to split, and the river is no help.

Bad beat imo.

That's my live tourney career over for this year.

It's not the end of my live poker though. There is the PLO Cash to consider. Usually, one has to wait to be out of the tourney to get into the cash action.

Tonight though, in a victory for pure degeneracy, we already have a full table of 1-2 PLO going. It's a Tag-PLO table! Nearly all the players in it are playing the Tag tournament and sitting in the cash game as their turn ends in the MTT ! Like Mat and I, it is one stack/seat = 2 players.

The cardroom had quickly seen the sense in allowing this interpretation of the "one player to a hand" rule.

Great fun it was, and more on that in the next post !