Sitting Down With the Big Guys
There is a famous scene in the poker movie "Rounders" where Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon, gets to sit down at a poker table with Johnny Chan, 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker Champion. McDermott bluffs Chan out of a pot, and this experience inspires him to take a shot at being a professional poker player.
Unlike most movies that portray events that could almost never happen to ordinary people in real life, this scenario is a legitimate possibility. While few schoolyard basketball players will ever find themselves on the court with Kobe Bryant and it's unlikely that Tiger Woods will ask to join your foursome at the local links, professional poker players sit down with amateurs all the time. In fact, the amateur is the professional poker player's bread and butter. The question then becomes, what do you do when you find yourself sitting down with the big guys at the poker table?
Poker Stars in Tournaments
The most likely place you will face a recognizable poker pro is in a tournament. While many pros limit themselves to the big buy-in events of $10,000 or more, players like Men Nguyen, Eskimo Clark and Amir Vahedi can frequently be seen playing in lower buy-in events. Furthermore, you may win a satellite to one of those large events and find yourself up against a poker big gun.
You can allow yourself to be star struck for a few moments, but once the cards are in the air, you have to get past it. If your only experience with these players is what you've seen at WPT final tables, you may be surprised to see that your big gun does not play like a maniac, pushing all his chips into every pot as soon as it gets big in order to take it down. These are professionals because they know how to shift gears, know when to play tight and when to take a shot. They can lay down big hands as easily as make big bluffs. It's not just that they can shove all their chips in. Anyone can do that. If you let yourself just get into the rhythm of the game and treat these players like any other opponent, you should do fine. If you think you have picked up a legitimate read on this player from seeing them on television, go ahead and try to verify it. Keep in mind though that millions have seen these players on television, and if you've noticed something, others may have also and brought it to the pro's attention long before you ever get to take advantage.
Poker Big Guns in Cash Games
If you find yourself playing one or more poker big guns at a cash game, the first thing you should ask yourself is, "Do I belong in this game?" The famous saying goes that if you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, it's you. If you've brought the bulk of that big tournament win to the poker table and are anteing up with six of poker's finest, you may be playing over your head. On the other hand, if you've worked your way up through the ranks to a high stakes game, good for you! There's no reason you can't stay if your results merit it. However, you will probably want to target the player at the table who you don't recognize. In the beginning, those big guns may be targeting you, but if you know your stuff and can prove it, they'll probably train their sights on other prey.
- Date posted May 21, 2008
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Clark Jensen
The world of poker
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