Strategy with Kristy: Ryan D'Angelo Discusses Tourney Concepts
Ryan D'Angelo, better known as "g0lfa" to the online poker community, has accumulated nearly $2 million in winnings. His biggest cash to date came when he finished fifth in the 2010 PokerStars.net Caribbean Adventure Main Event for $700,000. For this edition of the Strategy with Kristy podcast, brought to you by South Point, D'Angelo talks about the concepts "way ahead or way behind" and "slightly ahead or way behind."
Here is a snippet from the interview:
Let's talk about the "slightly ahead or way behind" concept. Can you explain what it is?
It’s big for no-limit hold’em tournaments, I think. There are lots of times when you’re trying to decide whether or not to call an all-in or when you’re faced with a big raise on the flop and you put them on either a flush draw or two pair and you have an over pair. That’s a situation where if they have a flush draw or a pair and a flush draw, you’re flipping. If they have two pair or a set, then you’re way behind.
I see a lot of people who just put their opponents on the hand that they’re flipping with, instead of really evaluating the other person’s range. You should realize you’re not doing too well against this range. You’re flipping or you’re behind. So in spots like that, you want to make a little bit tighter folds. It’s really tough to do when you have a really strong hand deeper in a tournament. But, sometimes you want to take the low road, and let your hand go if you don’t think you ever have your opponent dominated.
Like on a nine-nine-six board with two clubs and you have two red jacks. Sure they might have some bluffs in their range when they check-raise you or when you raise a bet in a three-way pot and the third guy goes all-in for three times your bet, but you have to think about your equity against their range of hands.
If the guy has seven-eight, obviously you’re doing great, but if he has a nine, then you’re dead. You need to factor in, and correctly weigh those different situations where people could have you drawing dead. That will kill you long term. You have to make a bit tighter folds if you think that person has trips enough of the time or your equity is that low enough of the time.
Tune in every week for new episodes of Strategy with Kristy, brought to you by South Point. Feel free to send in questions, ideas or suggestions for the podcast to [email protected]. Also remember to follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
