Question of the month - January

Dave Scharf

Question of the month



Every month Canadian Poker Player poses a question on www.PokerForum.ca. There is only one rule: answers must be limited to 100 words. The best answer, as judged by our readers, wins a free Canadian Poker Tour hat. Vote for your favorite answer by emailing info@CanadianPokerPlayer.com.

“How can Daniel Negreanu defend his big blind in no-limit hold'em tournaments with hands like 7-2 suited and still be so successful?"

Redington

Fear!

That's the difference between expert players and good players.

A poor player wouldnt know he is attacking anyone and really wouldn 't be a factor in this equation. If they raise 2nd to button or on button, they would be making a play based on their cards not on position. (and if they were at a table with Negraneau then who cares what the hand is)

So back to the situation at hand;

Lets pretend your Danny Boy in the BB, and next to button has made it 4BB to go. You have 30X BB and bettor has 15XBB. (Against a short stack, or Big Stack your play would be difference).

Everyone else has folded to you...

So 4BB to go and you see 7/2 off (lets not even hope you have sooted)

You can... call, raise or fold.

Call? with 7/2 offsuit? Are you nutz? You may plan on going all in on a low carded rainbow flop, as the set up to the play but if bettor did have aa or kk, your kinda screwed and why waste half you stack? Plus you only called and now your going to try and rep an ace if it is a high carded flop? Didnt set that up did you?... oh wait maybe you have a horseshoe up your ass and you think you can hit the flop and win with 7/2. If that's true then your my new best friend DM, no wait you don't even deserve to pretend to be Daniel...get the hell out of this message.

Ok so Calling ain't an option, how about folding? Seems pretty good, why get into a battle that your a dog in? Yah folding is good. Folding is safe...it's only a BB and I have 29 left.... better safe then sorry.
Huh? your a pussy! You have no guts, if this is the option then how did you even get up to 30XBB. Surprised you even got on the plane to go to Vegas and be in the tournament. Oh wait, you thought you were pretending to be Daniel's fluffy little girly dog.... ok then just don't pee on your pillow.

OK so you think your a man. Raise... damn rights! your Daniel.
No one is stealing off you. BUT you have to set this up; your table image is aggressive and good! Hell your even looking lucky cause you turned a str against AA (your 78 hit 2 for the open on the flop 6-9-K 35% for a 10% bet made you look lucky), and your small pckets hit a set on the flop... (no one saw you muck KK against a made flush)*

You have an image. It was a positional bet, 4BB.

As Daniel has consistently outgunned or outdrawn on each of his hands, maybe the bettor lays it down instead of going to battle with a bigger 'luckier' stack.

Your playing super tight all day, maybe now is the time to make a move? No one would expect the 72 Off, it is a brilliant super sneak hand (well maybe not but what the hell you can muck it and keep you image or maybe show it and start getting more action)

What happened when that player made a hand 3 orbits ago? Wasn't it a 3BB bet? Is something fishy about this bet?

The bettor just lost with small pockets against over pair. And it that was in the BB last time. Could he be a dog again? (or things just haven't been goign his way - tilt or loser syndrome)

Worst case scenario, you raise 4BB more and get called. Oh oh you read it wrong maybe he has a hand worthy to steal with. KQ, AT small pockets.
What does he do on the flop? You still have outs.

Not so bad worser worst case scenario, you get reraised. Wow, now is that a resteal ontop or your resteal of his original steal? Pretty easy to lay down and get away from this one...much harder if you had a pocket pair.

So does the bettor fear you? This play doesnt happen in the first orbit without any prior history. this play has been set up all day. That's why your Daniel, your thinking of all the angles, five orbits ahead and behind.
You've done your homework, your prepared and you realize it is much more then cards your dealt.




*Even the heaviest of the pro's think he is lucky. Annie Duke at the Championship 2 Million Tourny has QQ and see's Daniel turn over 89H for an all in. She is digusted to see his cards because as she says, "he is known for hitting crads like that!"

Redington

It is a resteal, based on Daniel's image.

As Daniel said on TSN, "I can't tell you how to play cards, thats the mechanics. I play situations and people. thats how I make decisions on my cards."

This play had nothing to with 7/2 and everything to do with the read of the situation and bettor (plus stack size, position, last hand, implied odds and what the cocktail watress said to the bettor with the last drink).

He knew the play and was aggressive enough to make it rather sit back and take it.

99 words! whew

Hork42

The top players have such an enormous edge when determining where they stand against the competition. This is the type of play that separates the “World Class Player” from the mere "Expert". They can go against the grain by pushing a very marginal hand when they know they have an edge, or by laying down a monster when know they have to. Everyone gets dealt the same cards over time. The edge comes from knowing how what to do when your cards are not the best. Players like Daniel specialize in this. Congrats on Player Of The Year, Daniel!

PokerEH.com

Daniel is not playing his cards, he is playing his opponents weakness.

In a situation such as this, he could make the same play withought even looking at his hole cards. He senses weakness from the raiser, and Daniel knows that his opponent thinks Daniels play is because of the strength of his cards, and not because of the weakness of his own play.

macbb

“How can Daniel Negreanu defend his big blind in no-limit hold'em tournaments with hands like 7-2 suited and still be so successful?"

Daniel reads his opponents as well as anyone can. His reputation of defending his blinds, actually *allows* him to be able to continue to do so, because no one knows what he holds. It could be 27s, it could be AA. But most important, in this age of stoic players, sunglasses, and death stares, Daniel plays like he's playing a Saturday night home game for quarters. He talks, jokes, puts his opponents at ease, and *looks* like he isn't paying attention. But he is. Even with earphones, or constant chatter. He takes his opponents off their games.

Tilter

A person of Daniel's level commands fear and respect whenever he places bets. He doesn't follow any textbook play, and has the ability to play any two cards as if they were aces. Daniel feeds off his opponents' weaknesses and tells and uses his instincts to make the best play. By doing this he could push 7-2 offsuit if he felt his opponent was weak. He is a rare breed of sly fox, and defending his big blind is easier than eating an OREO. Also because everyone fears a Canadian Poker Player!

magithighs

NL Tournaments are a game of chicken. When his opponent has more to lose than to gain, Daniel will push his opponent to the edge while leaving an escape route. It either takes the pot or sets up a monster hand down the road. Either way Daniel wins.

magithighs

Poker player answer: Daniel knows his opponent is a fox, and the range of hands that makes the raise is at minimum ten times bigger than the range of hands that calls Daniel's re-raise. It's a postive EV play and the aggression will pay dividends in future hands.

dl_brook

In a word: Respect. In two words: Skill. Negreanu is a poker heavyweight that forces a player to err on the side of caution when facing a close decision. He is able to play his opponents regardless of his cards; sensing weakness like a tiger smelling raw meat, the ability to outplay your opponent carries much more weight that having a great starting hand. If an untested, unproven player attempts the same move, they run the risk of being challenged and I think Negreanu is able to laydown in the face of counter-aggression.

PhallicPhil

The majority of players that Daniel faces play "by the book." And he'll be the first to say that he throws that book in the garbage. Daniel exploits the fact that these players usually aren't very tricky and are therefore pretty predictable -- particularly if their preflop raises have not been respected. Post-flop they will be too terrified to get out of line and they play the strength of their hand accordingly. Thus, their action is enough to dictate how Daniel will proceed with the hand and whether a bluff with 7-high is likely to be successful.

PhallicPhil

djw

Answer:

Daniel's skill in reading players and their hands, gives him a serious advantage on later streets. I think Daniel knows he can severely outplay most opponents post flop on any given hand.

Adam**

Daniel, of all players can and will play a hand like this. His power is in bringing opposing players into an "uncomfortable zone". In which he thrives and plays. If he can get the other player off thier game he can then attack. He will bet enough to make the other player fear that he has goods. Then confirm the thoughts by playing the way that person would play the hand, not how he would. He can play any hand at any time the way "you" would thus making you think he has it. And betting enough to do the job.

actyper

By using Evelyn to distract the other players.

gwh

Daniel can be successful playing this hand because of the combination of the following three factors:

1. His table image. He’s a nice guy to play against, people feel comfortable around him which may cause them to loosen up a bit too much.
2. His aggressive style. Most people realize he has a tendency to play a wide spectrum of hands, especially when it comes to protecting his blinds. This kind of unpredictable play makes it extremely difficult for an opponent to put him on a hand.
3. His ability to read his opponents and their hands.

Each characteristic feeds off the other resulting in an intimidating playing style unlike any other.