PRO s CORNER

Lee Watkinson

The Full Tilt Poker pro is known for his calm demeanor  and calculated aggressive style. This month he is cashing in on Pro’s Corner.  How can you be sure you are ready to move up to the next level of cash-game play?  – Roscoe, Waupun, Wisconsin 

I think you have to have built your bankroll up to a certain level, then slowly move up, picking lineups you know to be soft and making sure you step back down if you lose back a chunk of your bankroll.   

I hear about so many pros going broke – what exactly does that mean and how do you avoid it? 

– Lou, Jacksonville, Florida 

It usually means they played over their bankroll and/or in games where they were not the favorite. In which case they are not really “pros,” as bankroll management is one of the most important aspects of being a successful “pro.” Often, there are also leaks that are not poker-related as well, such as other gambling, overspending, etc. 

A lot of pros say they  can watch a table for 30  minutes and have a grasp on most of the players at the table. I am very bad at figuring out someone’s image. How can I get better at this? 

– Image Conscious, Hollywood, California 

It usually takes me a lot longer than 30 minutes. That is why when I play cash games I like to find a game and settle in for months. That is when I really feel like I can dominate a game. I think it’s something that comes with experience. You have to watch, follow along and practice while you play.

In a low-blind NLH cash game, how do you play ace-king? There are no blinds worth stealing, and I want to see all five board cards with my A-K. What do I do? I don’t want to have to fold after a ragged flop. 

– Hate the Hand, Sparks, Nevada 

It depends on several variables. I play A-K differently depending on position, stack size and previous action. I play A-K very carefully. It’s a hand that a lot of players lose a lot of money with if they make one pair and they can’t get away from it. It’s a lot different playing it in an NLH game than in a limit hold’em game. A lot of players switching from limit to no-limit put too much value on A-K. In limit, if you make a pair, you are for sure in there to the river and if someone is betting you are just calling. In no-limit if you make a pair, you still have to worry if you get any action about what could the other player have. You really have to be more careful with an A-K in a no-limit game than you would in limit. 

I am going to start playing $1000 tournaments on a regular basis. How big should my bankroll be so that I don’t go broke before I find out how good I really am? 

– No Wallet, Minneapolis 

Just to throw a number out there I would say $50,000. I really don’t think many tournament players play within their bankrolls. Most players will borrow money to get into a tournament or put half their money in. Or some players will have $5000 and then think nothing about putting $1000 up for a tournament whereas you shouldn’t be putting 20 percent of your bankroll into one tournament. I don’t know the figures you would need, but Chris Ferguson had a really good formula for that when he did his $0-to-$10,000 challenge on Full Tilt.  

If you are in a $2-$3 cash game with $40 left and pick up A-K in second position, should you just push all-in even with only $5 in the pot, or should you just raise to like $10? 

– Two-Dollar Tom, Pompano Beach, Florida 

I think it depends on the game. I might just call, then reraise all-in if someone else raises. Otherwise, you just have to hope to hit the flop. 

What is the best way to control your table image, and should that matter? 

– Cyndy, Augusta, Georgia 

It definitely matters and is something you need to be aware of. You  control it by the way you play and to a lesser extent by the way you “act.” If you want to have a looser image, some people are able to talk loose and act crazy and get a crazy table image when in fact they are really tight. A lot of people like to do that – talk loose and play tight. Also, showing bluffs and stuff like that can help to change your table image. I never show bluffs, though.  

I can’t seem to figure out when it is a good idea to show my cards. Should I show bluffs if they think I am tight? Should I show a big hand so they know I am playing strong? 

– Easy Ed, New Orleans 

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. I don’t show bluffs, because I don’t like to make people feel bad. I usually show strong hands if I show at all, and usually only in tournaments where I want players to leave me alone.  

I have 7-7 in the small blind at a loose table and there is a late position raiser. I call and four other people call. I check in the dark. Is this a bad play? If so, why? I am looking for a seven and if I hit it would I want to bet out?

– Greedy in Gulfport 

It could be a bad play if you only check dark with small pairs, as that will tip your hand to an astute player. I think it is often best to bet a set right out because it seems like people hate to lay down when the first player just comes out betting. Of course, you need to do this with draws also so that they don’t know you have a monster every time you come out firing.  

How important is it to keep pots small, and in what instances should you be doing that?

– Limping Larry, Los Angeles 

With hands like A-K, I like to keep the pot small. When you have a good hand, you don’t mind calling a small bet, but you don’t want to risk your whole stack with top pair/top kicker. You really don’t want to make the pot too big or you have to play for your whole stack. In situations when you have medium to strong hands, I think it is really important to control the pot size.