Barry Tannenbaum seminar

Here's the gist on the seminar last week from the Danny DeVito of poker players:

People have different goals in tournaments.

That was the theme of a seminar given recently by Barry Tannenbaum, a professional limit player in Las Vegas and a Card Player columnist.

Some players just want to make the money while others will be unhappy with anything less than first place.

“If you’re playing to make the final table or to win you won’t cash as often,” Tannenbaum said. “If you’re intent on winning, at some point you will have to sacrifice safety for gain.”

The bespectacled poker pro said he is annoyed by players who say they just want to make the dinner break. He said those players won’t stand a chance at being successful tournament players.

Another bug in his ear is those players who lose most of their chips and go on tilt.

“People give up in no limit tournaments,” Tannenbaum said. “They get short stacked and they lose heart.”

Tannenbaum gave two tips for playing hands while short stacked to prevent going all in, including the famous stop and go trick. Using this maneuver, a player should call a pre-flop raise from the blinds and then push no matter what comes on the flop. That way their opponent may fold without seeing all five cards as they would have had the short stacked player raised all in before the flop.

Another tactic Tannenbaum recommended to listeners is to “call and wait” with a draw. He said to call a reasonable amount of chips with a short stack on the flop in position in hopes of either hitting the draw on the turn or possibly getting a free card if the opponent doesn’t bet the turn. If the short stack goes all in with the draw, he or she must hit the hand to avoid elimination.

“When there’s life there’s hope,” Tannenbaum said. “Chip and a chair is a real concept people.”