Playing on the PokerStars Big Game

[fulksy]

so who do you hate watching on TV?

[donkbee]

Are you fucking kidding me? I thought I had a crush on you before I saw you here! You look seriously oh my god so hot!

gtfo you looked great. A little nervous obv but you played it all pretty classy without seeming uptight.

OK, so awkward, but must be said -- Courtie's really cute and the nervousness just made her even more adorable.

So jealous Courtie. DN is a tell machine. Also, you're hot.

now I look like I was fishing for compliments, haha. Thanks boys

Rank the pros by smell plz.

Halv > all of them

oh and lol @ the turds on 2+2 commenting, I've read/participated in a lot of the Big Game threads and everyone posting just hates on everyone usually.

when I'm in a good mood, I find the thread funny. When I'm in a bad mood, it's pretty tilting. The most annoying to read is, "Playing tight is only good if she's going to use her image later... but we all know this isn't going to happen." lol

1. pretty fking sick that Nano always has it against cb. Courtie, did you have a feeling that he had you crushed and that he was 3-betting a tight range against you when he was 3-betting wide against everyone else?

I was really sure that he would not be 3-betting me light (hence the fold). Obviously I know that he has been 3-betting everyone else a ton, but IMO there is just almost no way he 3-bets me light.

I really have to lol @ the commentators. To say that I should not be folding to someone that 3-bets so often is just so frustrating. Please give me credit for having a brain for once...? And then when I fold, it's "omg she's so fucking tight" instead of, "oh... I guess she knows that Lew isn't 3-betting her light." I can't win.

2. donking with AJo -- yes based on your image he should be folding a ton but have to say you looked very uncomfortable/weak (easy to say when I can see holecards, obv., but you made a little reflexive grimace after seeing the flop) and unfortunately he had a premium draw.

Ah well. Wasn't winning that hand no matter what I did, guess I should have saved myself a couple grand.

[donkbee]

i assume you were thinking/analysing/worrying (if you're anything like me) about the event in the lead up to the game. was the actual experience more or less nerve-wracking than you anticipated? do you feel you kept a level head at the table and played as best you could have expected yourself to? or do you think the adrenaline/excitement/whatever made you play differently than you would have if it wasn't for such high-stakes, against such big-names, and broadcast onto national television?

I definitely spent a lot of time preparing for the game. I mostly had to learn preflop ranges for deep cash games because I had zero experience playing that. I got some coaching from a few very good FTR players (thanks sauce123, Renton, and griffey24) and figured out a strategy. I didn't have a lot of options in the first two episodes IMO. Since it's so deep stacked, I was looking to play in position. Unfortunately I didn't get a lot there. If I was gonna play non-premiums OOP, I needed something like Ax suited.

I was EXTREMELY nervous the night before I played. I was definitely a bit nervous at the start, too, but I wasn't nervous once I'd been at the table for a few minutes. It doesn't appear that way, but I actually talked quite a bit at the table. Daniel was really friendly and we had some interesting conversations.

Did they talk to you before the show about how you are going to play and make any suggesstions or just let you play your way?

nah they just told me that I'm not allowed to mention FTR at all :P (they knew that I worked for them)

so who do you hate watching on TV?

haha I did reply to this! I actually said "those Full Tilt pros"... but I can see why they wouldn't air that :P

[baudib]

I was really sure that he would not be 3-betting me light (hence the fold). Obviously I know that he has been 3-betting everyone else a ton, but IMO there is just almost no way he 3-bets me light.

I really have to lol @ the commentators. To say that I should not be folding to someone that 3-bets so often is just so frustrating. Please give me credit for having a brain for once...? And then when I fold, it's "omg she's so fucking tight" instead of, "oh... I guess she knows that Lew isn't 3-betting her light." I can't win.

No one mentioned this but Lew is a live noob (don't know how much live experience you had before this, Courtie) and he was a pretty serious tellbox, esp. when he was 3-betting light. Kudos for picking up on it.

The most annoying to read is, "Playing tight is only good if she's going to use her image later... but we all know this isn't going to happen." lol

Sounds great! Hope you 5-bet shoved 98s and made Laak fold JJ.

I didn't have a lot of options in the first two episodes IMO. Since it's so deep stacked, I was looking to play in position. Unfortunately I didn't get a lot there.

yah, definitely looked like you were card dead. Only playable hands you had IP seemed to be K4cc (folded); you won with A9hh OTB vs. Laak and KJo vs. Nano's EP raise; no JTs/98s/Axs stuff, no ridiculous folds like Matusow folding KQs to a single raise from Dwan, Laak flat-calling with QQ in the SB or anything like that.

I think the most fascinating part of the show through two episodes has been Phil Laak, who check-raised flop with KQ on Axx board and value overbet the river and then barreled twice against DN with A2o.