No, No, No !

I do like to come into a tournament armed with a good acronym.

Recent examples include:

"TV poker" = play Tight, and Value bet - I used that one for the HORSE tournament at the LPM festival.

"TOP" (or "POT") = Tight Or Positional; this was supposed to be for cash games to remind me to think about hand selection relative to my position in the deal. Admittedly, I didn't really use that one. I just said "POT" a lot.

In my most recent outing to the £100 Wednesday Freezeout at The International, I came with "No, No, No" which stood for:

1. No Show: I tend to have a bit of an addiction to showing my hand (i.e. generally showing bluffs - I get many opportunities to do this; occasionally to show my hero folds). I think it is pretty clear that a good rule is never to show and so the first "No" was to remind me of this, and I stuck with it almost 100%

2. No Hurry: Many times in the past (often in big tournaments) I have regretted not taking a little longer to make a really big decision. I tend to act very quickly.

Online I will often finish an MTT without having used a single second of my timebank. Live, I have only been "clocked" twice ever - each time it was an all-in call in a bracelet event. So, I am not exactly pushing the boundaries of an acceptable pace of play.

I should take a little time when the big hands play out, and I did also consciously slow down my routine decisions a little so that I could start to get into a habit of thinking a bit more about my actions.

3. No Fear: a reminder to myself that if the conditions seem right then I must be prepared to put my tournament life in jeopardy - whether it be the important thin value bets, the all-in calls, the strong reads, the short-stack shove with air or the trademark H-bomb check-raise bluff.

As a rule, I am not exactly nitty but I do sometimes hesitate when it comes to being actually all-in, and even I do need to remind myself that it's important to be committed to the moves we have decided upon.

I think, as well, that it's important to try to project no doubts that our opponents may pick up on.


With this mantra in mind, I set out once again on my mission to finally win something at the club. I resolved to play a genuinely solid game and - to many people's surprise - I actually did tighten up a lot on the day.

Admittedly, first hand I opened UTG with 8s7s . I was paid off 3 streets of value as the board came K-7-2-7-5 . My opponent was a bit upset at himself.

I played relatively few hands (for me, at least) and I also found the fold button in many spots where I wouldn't normally. I raise-folded 77 - TT about half a dozen times at least to strong action. Normally I think "they must have AK - let's race !"

I had a lucky break when I raised AcKh from UTG+1, with a MP caller and Terry "Final Table" Simpson calling in the BB.

I decided to check the JcTc9d flop - checked around.

On the turn, good news/bad news: the Qc.

Terry led out just 500 into a pot of nearly 2,000. I was not quite sure what to make of it. I felt I had to raise for value and made it 2,300. MP folded and Terry insta-shoved about 6k more. I have to call, I think. He showed 6c2c . Luckily a club hit the river and I was sitting on a nice stack.

I was pleased at my play in one other pot that I remember. Having raised early with 7h4h and received a call from a loose player in the blinds, I checked the 5c3c2h flop and called when the BB bet the Ac turn.

The river was an offsuit King and I found raise on the river - called by Ace-Ten.

In this hand, I was pretty sure he did not have a flush but in the past I have generally worried that if I raise I may get bluff-shoved and have to make a hero fold.

In this case, I had decided I was calling a shove, but as it was I probably got full value anyway.

Talking of river shoves, there was a funny hand against Chen when I had KhTh.

On the flop (Q9x), I pick up a gutshot and a backdoor flush draw and call Chen's lead bet.

On the turn (Jack), I make the nut straight but somehow I don't realise, and I check behind even though there is now a flush draw on board.

The river pairs the nine and puts a flush there. I am thinking to myself that I may hero-call Chen with King-high if he bets (say) 3/4 of the pot.

However, he over-bet shoves more than twice the pot! I ponder whether I can hero-call now and then after a little while I check my cards as I go to fold, and see I have the straight!

Now, against Chen, I snap call and am good against his A-9.

I began to feel that I had a good chance at my first win but at the 2-table stage, it all unravels after we move up to the TV table.

Phil King opens in UTG+1. I have him well covered and raise with AK. Now the BB wants to shove,

Phil folds (TT apparently), and I have to call 13k into 22k leaving myself with 7k if I lose (about 9bb at that stage).

I can hardly fold (or can I ? If I fold, I have 25bb).

The BB has QQ and holds.

Soon after I shove KsQs and am called by A-8o in MP (a bit surprising !).

The first two cards out are Ts, 9s so I have 18 outs 3 times.....

3d ... No,
7d ... No,
4h ... No !

Need a new mantra for next time ...