Poker Post

OK....I'll try to start talking about poker again. I posted some links to poker blogs that I like to read. I will possibly add more in the future. I'll talk about my current run.....It is an interesting point when you start to realize how you are playing and can act on it. Here's an example.

Three weeks ago I help organize a tournament for a website that I frequent. It is not a poker site, and I will not post the address, but I'll say it is a website dedicated to nothing in particular..off topic ramblings and such. Anywho....I set up the tourney on Pokerstars and helped to fund several (~6) people get into it. We turned out 39 people with about 10 of them who I would consider 'solid' players.

I played only premium hands until I could get a feel for the table...I stayed away from big pots and pushed hard when I was in. I stayed near the middle of the pack until we got down to 2 tables, then began to push. The play for the most part was weak, and I picked up hands when needed and didn't take any unnecessary beats. I made it to the final table in 5th or 6th place and stayed solid/passive until I get to QQ UTG. Short stack to my left goes all in and chip leader calls. I put chip leader on A-x or suited cards and short stack on any thing in level 1 -3. I decide to smooth call the all-in, praying that A-K doesn't show up. Flop comes J 9 (c) 5h, Chip Leader checks and I make a pot sized bet (about half my stack) to push him off a draw. He comes over the top all in. So I think he has hit the Jack, has a flush or straight draw, which I also have a piece of. No way I put him on AA KK or JJ, just didn't feel right. I call off my chips and turn over the queens. He turns over AJ and the peanut gallery goes nuts. The turn and river comes up blanks. What a feeling. 2 hands later I get AA and have two all in callers. Down to 3 players and Previous chip leader had taken a big chunk of #3 to get a small lead. Short stack whittles away 3 blinds and goes out to chip leader. He had about 2-1 on me going into heads up. This is where I know my game needs work. We go heads up for 20 minutes, I play aggressive, he folds a lot. A big hand comes A10 for me and I double the blind. He raises, and I call ....I get blanks on the flop and he makes a pot size bet...Most likely pockets here, so I fold. At one point he had more than 3-1 on me.
There was a turning point in which I had put in half my stack in on a blank board and he called. After two more cards, I had J high and went all in, to which he folded!! Unbelievable, he gave me ammunition and I began to trap since he would weak call any bet now. I eventually came out on top, not by any remarkable hands or beats, by simply outplaying him...

Outplaying is an often over used term, and having been on both sides of the player/playee equation, I'd like to examine what it means exactly.

There are times in a given session or series of session, where you can feel like you are making every call properly. Everything works; bluffs, slow plays, raise/reraises etc.. The last few times playing, I've actively searched to get that feeling. It is like imposing your will on players and the cards....sometimes it lasts days or weeks, sometimes one hand. If there is a way to harness this, to feel it out....it would be incredible.

Every poker player I've read or talked to knows this feeling. Do the pro's feel this or get this more often? I really don't want to equate this with luck, because I've been on a lucky streak before....this is more than that. It has to do with confidence and will. I know when I have it, I know when I don't, now I want to go and get it anytime.

OK, so I can ramble a bit, but I will do my best to test my writing skills other than train of thought.