I just finished a 20 K game in which I lost 2 hands to the same guy. In the first hand, the board showed three fives and an eight. I knew he didn’t have the 5, from paying attention. I had an 8, with a strong kicker, had twice his stack, so I shoved. He had one overcard, a Q, which he called with, and hits on the river. No flush or straight draw, just someone who risks his stack on 3 outs. Basically, someone who didn’t care. A few hands later, I shove a pair of As, J kicker, to be called by the same guy. He gets 2 clubs on the turn and river to make a flush, and I’m out. This is not just bad beats. This is someone who doesn’t care if he wins or loses.
Please don’t see this post as someone just whining about losing to dumb decisions. I know it’s just a part of free chip poker. However, I do believe there is a point in the tourney in which people start caring and poker skills become relevant again. Players may not really care about the chips, but once enough time is invested, they start caring about that.
This brings me to the point of this post. I’m trying to develop a theory that will survive all the silliness to the point where 80% of the field is gone, the bubble is approaching, and at least an hour of time has gone by. I’ve noticed that even in the low entry tournaments, people start playing poker again. I have some ideas, but they all involve overfolding, and being a wimp.
I’ve decided to call it the Cockroach Poker Theory, or CPT. Any suggestions?