Doyle Brunson is a Genius

I started the night (pokerpages.com) with $133K and finished with $159k (free play money). I dropped $8k to start and slowly got it back. I bluffed so much at the beginning to set my image that I couldn't push anyone out when I had top pair. I kept getting beat at the river. For example I had AK and limped in. Flop hit K 8 4 rainbow. I bet 2x the pot and got 2 callers. 3 on the turn and Q on the river. Lost to a guy with Q 8 in his hand. Lost a bunch on that one. Well it all came around because I hit a couple straights on the flop and everyone thought I was full of it. So much so that one hand a guy went all in over the top of my bet on the flop (789) with pocket 7s vs my 10 J. I think loose is good but not so much that you loose you ability to close people out when you have a good hand. Enough so they call when you hit. Enough so they are scared to come over the top of you with top pair when there is a draw out there. Although I won back the money I invested, I donated too much. I need to try for more balance next time. So that well timed bluffs are still profitable. I have learned through forcing myself to play hyper-aggressive that FBS (fancy betting syndrome) hurts you more than straight forward aggressive play. I know because I am now on the other side of the FBS plays. Once in a while I get taken but I have drawn out against a set from pocket pairs slow played to know that if you hit your set and there is a draw out there and someone bets into you... you should try to win the pot right there. Otherwise you are going to give some other guy the proper odds to chase. I thought Doyle Brunson was crazy the first time I read his book and tried to apply it. Now I am beginning to realize he is a genius!    read more...