Learning from the Best –
Knowledge is POWER
Playing Pocket QQ’s Under the Gun
by Crystal Osgood-Gray
Amir Vahedi observed...
We all have played alongside a pro at one time or another. In these situations, it is natural to feel intimidated by those with more skill and experience. However, whereas many of my friends dread the prospect of competing against these pros, I relish the opportunity. The odds may be stacked against me, but I expect to learn something valuable that will improve my game. Every time I get the opportunity to sit on a table with a solid pro, I try to take in as much information as possible. They always have something to teach you. And generally, the lessons you learn are much easier to learn at the table rather than through a question and answer session or book. The lessons you learn at the table, through competition, hold the true power to elevate your own game.
Recently, I had the good fortune to sit next to Amir Vahedi in a $500 buy-in event at Commerce. It was a great tournament as usual for Commerce, run by Cheri Dokken.
We were in the middle stages of the tournament. I was sitting in the two seat and Amir was seated in the number 3 seat to my left. Amir had a median stack of chips of about $8K. While I was in the Big Blind, Amir, under the gun, limped in for $600. The player immediately to his left, who had played very few hands, made it $2K. Players folded to the 8 seat, who went all in for $3K. Action folded to Amir. Amir hesitated, called the $3K, wherein the player to his left announced All In. Amir then folded his hand face up showing pocket QQ’s.
“Nice!,” I thought to myself. He limped in because being under the gun gave him very little information. If raised he could observe the player and determine strength and then decide whether to call, fold, or re-raise. In observing the first raiser he felt he might have a solid hand as he had not played many hands and had raised a large amount in early position. When the 8 seat went all in, he called for value but knew he could get away from the hand with not much punishment, if he was re-raised by the first raiser. Going all in was never an option with two raisers in the pot. With QQ’s, JJ’s, and AK, in early position, sometimes you just have to see what is going on in back of you, or see a flop before making a decision about how you will play the hand.
Sure enough, the 4 seat turned over pocket KK’s and the 8 seat turned over AK suited. They went to the flop where the Kings ruled until the turn where the 8 seat caught an Ace.
In a private moment later I commended Amir on his decision in that situation. Amir’s response to me was, “Don’t go crazy under the gun. Never commit all your chips. What you need is information. You are always looking for information. If you don’t have it you must find a way to get it.”
I went home thinking about what I had learned that night, sighting this observation among many and wrote it down in my poker journal. My journal is now my most valued poker possession, thumbing through it now it is as thick as most poker books. I recommend to all players to keep a journal and observe the pros or any good players on your next table. It will pay off eventually.
