July 5th Sunday Million

I didn't get to play poker last night...major bummer. Instead me and the wife took advantage of a 14 day pass at 24 hour fitness.

But...tonight is Friday and the weekend is here. My goal, as will be my goal every week until I reach it, is to win a ticket to the Sunday Millions. Lol.

I am going to try to embed the July 5th Sunday Million Final Table recap below.

Watch Online Poker Show: Sunday Million - July 5th, 2009 on PokerStars.tv

Okay - well that embed worked as planned. I will probably post these every week for you to watch now. Also, you can click the button and watch this video full screen - which is cool. I like watching these final table replays with commentary. One day perhaps you will see me at that final table. Even second place is 6 digit prize money.

Okay - I just watched this video. I just want to say the heads up match was silly. The USA player who lost was just gambling, not playing smart at all. Just because you make it to the final table, especially heads up, doesn't mean you should start bluffing away. I personally don't think you should over bluff or completely use the ICM (Independant Chip Model) at the Sunday Millions heads up. At heads up with the title at stake, it is much better to play more post flop and learn how to trap your opponent when you HAVE good cards. A middle or bottom pair is a good hand - but it doesn't qualify for calling an all-In re-raise.

I saw a lot of over-aggression at the final table. The chip leader at the final table, when there were 9 players, did the same thing and within ten hands was out of the tournament. It is so much smarter to have patience when you are so far ahead of the blinds. Why risk so much and play the luck card? Better to use psychology to trap your opponents when you catch the nuts.

I've played a lot of heads up and the reason skill wins over luck is because your goal is to trap your opponent. You fall into a routine with how you bet and you're waiting for the nuts for your opponent to foolishly play back at you. BUT if you don't have the nuts and your opponent plays back at you - you fold and start over.

The only exception to patient trapping is when you are very short stacked compared to the blinds. IF you get to the point when your opponent(s) have 3 times more than you and you have less than 3 orbits or so to play - then it makes sense to use the ICM and short stack strategies.

Silly. Amatuer, IMHO.