Gut Feelings

I have been playing some bad to okay poker recently. Okay being I have played, well, okay the poor being that I failed to cash out in any of the tournaments I have entered.

It seems I lose the flow in the latter stages of the tournament and make even riskier moves than I would early in the game.

I embrace this acknowledgement of my play because I know exactly where I am making the mistakes and should learn from experience.

As an example, I just finished playing in a £5 tournament on William Hill's site. There were one hundred and one players and I made it into the final twenty. I had a pair of tens and the maniacal player in me was telling me to go all-in. My head was telling me to fold because I felt I was up against two overcards and may be beat on the board.

I took the risk and moved all my chips in.

I was right. My opposition had big slick. He hit a second king on the board and eliminated me from the game.

I just had the gut feeling it was the incorrect move to make. Other people would argue that I made the right choice considering what I had. He should have made a fold considering what he was playing with.

I left the tournament in twentieth place. I won £5.25 which is a loss of 50p when you consider it cost me £5.75 to enter in the first place. Still, that fifty pence will be used as a lesson learned.

Go with your head and not with your gut - unless you're feeling lucky.