Everything seems to be range versus range these days in the world of millionaire poker rangers, so you wonder why they don’t just set their ranges and bluff frequencies and play computer vs computer so that they can spend their time doing something else like making videos.
You never, ever hear about a player getting a read on another player from a tic or tell. It must happen, but I guess this is something the top players don’t ever want to discuss.
Meanwhile in the world of poor prole pokerists, discussion is at a much less elevated level.
Couple of days ago I played a hand in a 1-million-chip-entry tournament in which UTG put in a big preflop raise of 20BB early in a tournament. Everyone had stacks about the same size, so no pressure to play, and the blinds are miniscule. Button reraises to 60BB–what could his range possibly contain?
UTG then shoves all-in (as one does) and Button calls (as one does.)
UTG turns over AJ, and Button turns over AA. Looks like curtains for UTG, but with 2 Jacks falling on the flop, he makes it home comfortably and Button goes for an early bath.
We have a bit of discussion in the chatbox:
Player 1: “No bad play gets unrewarded on RP.”
Player 2: “What was bad about that play?”
BluffaloKing: " Well, what hands in Button’s range did UTG think he was ahead of preflop?":
Player 3: “What are you, a professional?”
That is the reality of life on RP. Even in a tournament in which nearly all the players are ranked within the top 2000 on RP, and mostly in the top 1000, with a sprinkling of players in the top 100.
Now here is a typical million-dollar pot hand in which every rule was broken. I can’t say I am proud of it, but this is how to win chips on RP.
This is in a 20000/40000 ring game with fairly highly ranked RP poker players, but no superstars.
On RP poker deception outranks ranges every time.
What might be interesting is to go into lower level paid games and see whether there really is a quantum leap from RP. It seems hard to believe that out of 1 1/2 million amateur players the top thousand or so are pretty useful, but maybe not. I don’t know.
It would be interesting to superimpose a bell curve of RP poker players poker IQ over that of players on, say, PartyPoker.