Scared Money

When it’s at the table, can you see it? Sometimes you’ll have to look in the mirror, but usually it will be there.

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Hank comes out of his FullTilt coding bunker with a post this week, which is nice to see. His bankroll-type post is spot on, as usual. I’d like to comment on his type #4 – Scared money.

Last weekend in Tunica I was both the hunter and the hunted. Rather than chronologically discuss my adventures, I’ll relay them as they occurred to me – which unfortunately was in a backwards fashion.

At the Golden Buddha 1/2NL game on Saturday, there was a young kid to my right who was stuck. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he just wanted to get even, but more than that, it was obvious to me that he was playing above his normal limits. Even though the 1/2NL game is the low-limit NL that you’ll find in casinos, online you have more lower limit choices.

I called a pre-flop raise from the kid with 47s, not quite a real hand. But, I had position and there was a legitimate possibility that I could outplay the scared money at the table. The flop came K-high with two hearts. The continuation bet from scared money told me everything I needed to know. He no longer liked his hand. So I smooth called because that’s the least information I could give about my hand to my lone opponent.

When the turn brought a 3rd heart and a check, I knew I could take the pot away. I even said aloud “I think I’m going to try to take this one away from you,” and made a pot-sized bet. He folded his pocket Queens.

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Rewind back to the debacle known as Thursday in Tunica. At the Grand Casino, 2/5NL was the only no-limit game in town. I sat down nonetheless without even two buy-ins in my cash roll. From Hank:

…but is playing a limit where a loss will put a serious dent in his bankroll.

I made my best efforts not to play scared. On one hand I believe I succeeded. With pocket Jacks, I raised and got the button and the big blind to call. The flop was King-high and I bet hard at it. I had to. A check would be waiving the surrender flag. Luckily, the other callers folded and I won. But disaster would not be diverted entirely.

…this player will usually “pick a hand and go with it.” …it is often difficult for him to get away from the hand.

Holding AK and having position on a limp-caller, I made a huge continuation bet on an KQT flop. My opponent check-raised me all-in. I could not get away and busted out to his KT. I should have folded; that board was obviously scary and TPTK was obviously no good. But my money was scared and I played like it.

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After playing on Saturday, if even I could recognize the scared money at the 1/2NL table, then regulars to the 2/5NL game should EASILY be able to recognize the scared money that I was. I walked right into the trap and suffered for it.