Standard plays that simply fail at the WSOP

In poker, as in any game, there are levels. The skill of opponents increases with each level, and the arsenal of moves required to win becomes broader and more complex. The World Series of Poker is, of course, the pinnacle. Strategies that you often see and successfully employ in local tournaments often fail at this level. Renowned MTT coach Alex Fitzgerald highlighted five such moves. We decided to break down his advice and evaluate how well it applies to online play, with insights from Konstantin "Gambler14像", coach of the FirstFund's First League and author of the "Neukhodimka" Telegram channel.

Double-Barrelling Without a River Plan

The second barrel is a very common play. It often works because players easily call the flop and then fold when facing another bet on the turn. Fitzgerald warns that opponents at the WSOP are prepared for double-barrelling and will head to the river even with hands that other opponents would fold. 

"At the WSOP, you need a plan for the river to double barrel. Either prepare to triple barrel when the board justifies it, or use large sizing on the turn, including overbets in the right spots. Otherwise, do not waste your time with standard double-barrelling," writes Fitzgerald.

Commentary by Konstantin Gambler14: 

Without complex concepts and frequency tracking, it is only at showdown that we can understand whether opponents are reading our double barrel. If we are speaking about online play on a small number of tables or live poker, it is advisable to watch your opponents' showdowns, even if you are not involved in the hand. Sometimes a tracker helps with this, and sometimes the hand history replay button in the client.

If we are already in the hand ourselves, the method is quite simple: if we have bet twice, with the turn bet being quite large, and then on the river the opponent shows us a hand after a check-check that we planned to bluff out, we need to revise our strategy. We need to "target" a specific part of the opponent's range so we can get feedback if it fails and adjust our approach. You could say this is where the entry level of range building begins.

That being said, double-barrelling can still be highly effective. At low stakes, a standard prime spot to continue aggression on the turn is when an overcard hits the board. For example, you open from the button and the big blind defends with a call. The flop is Q72, you bet 33%, and the opponent calls. A King falls on the turn. In this spot, you can bet almost your entire range for 66%-75% of the pot. Simple and effective.

3-Betting Against Everyone

Constant and aggressive 3-betting in local games often brings players success and profit. The reason is that weak opponents call it even out of position, miss the flop, and then check-fold. However, more skilled opponents are ready to counter this tactic. They will employ small 4-bets, including bluffs, floats, and check-raises to define your range and apply pressure on the river. Some will even check-raise the flop just to make your life difficult.

"Do not start 3-betting as soon as you sit down at the table. Study your opponents first. Once you identify who struggles most with pressure, start widening your 3-betting range," advises Fitzgerald.

Commentary by Konstantin Gambler14:

The most common mistakes in 3-betting remain a lack of aggression and the absence of large bets on boards that warrant them. At low stakes, just like high stakes, this move will only be effective if you observe your opponents. At low stakes, players generally do not like to fold their cards, so this is not great for the bluffing part of our range. It is better to focus on 3-betting with the top of your range and straightforward, clear post-flop aggression.

If you are at the very beginning of your poker journey, it is best to choose situations where you avoid tough decisions and secure the maximum number of pre-flop folds to your 3-bet. Frequent 3-bets from the big blind against the button work brilliantly. Players will always open extra hands from there, and since poker ultimately deals with a finite number of combinations, an increase in pre-flop raises will automatically lead to increased folds to a 3-bet.

Predictable Pot Control

In local games, checking the turn with a medium-strength hand in position works perfectly. Opponents begin to think you have nothing and may even bluff big with air. Here, you call and take down the pot. However, at WSOP-level tournaments, opponents understand exactly what such a check means. If you check on a draw-heavy board, they will realise that you likely do not hold sets, two pairs, or overpairs. With the right blocker, they can overbet the river, putting you in an incredibly tough spot.

"Sometimes the lesser of two evils is to bet the turn. It is better to try a thin value bet with slightly increased sizing than to check and face a difficult decision on the river," advises Fitzgerald.

Commentary by Konstantin Gambler14:

Pot control via checking remains justified when our hand is not ready for three streets of value and is wary of raises on the flop—either due to the board texture or an overly aggressive opponent. It is better to check than to bet-fold with a hand that will often be strong enough to continue.

Personally, I determine the tactic for pot control based on the hand's equity against the opponent's perceived range, but for beginners, this is not the most suitable method. Intuitively, we must decide for ourselves on the flop how much our hand is worth and which scenarios we want to find ourselves in. Is the hand ready for three streets and can it stand a raise? Definitely bet. Not ready, but can pick off bluffs after pot control? That is suitable for checking in position.

The more draw-heavy the board, the more frequently we want to protect our medium hands with bets. In other words, the vulnerability of our holding is crucial. If the texture is completely dry, then we check all medium-strength hands on the turn with the intention of calling a river bluff from the opponent, provided we started the flop with a small bet. In this situation, after checking the turn, you can generally call any hand on the river that can beat bluffs.

Automatic Hero Folds

In local tournaments, players generally do not bluff often enough. If someone plays a large pot, fires a triple barrel, uses overbets, or raises in a multi-way pot, it usually indicates they hold a genuinely strong hand. In these situations, you can comfortably fold. However, high-calibre players are willing to gamble and put opponents in tough spots. When playing against such opponents, you should not assume every large bet is for value.

"You must observe people closely. Do they look nervous when they bluff? Are they relaxed when they have a strong hand? What do they show at showdown? Are they capable of semi-bluffing? You need evidence before making big folds," advises Fitzgerald.

Commentary by Konstantin Gambler14:

— Players do indeed under-bluff, but only in bloated pots. In small and medium pots, players bluff quite a lot. Of course, in live poker, people bluff much less on average, but they are more likely to overvalue the strength of their hand. For instance, they might bet three streets for value with something that should normally only get two.

My advice is to play your game; players are far too focused on themselves and will not adjust specifically to you that much. So, continue to fold with discipline.

Aggressive Check-Raising from the Big Blind

A check-raise from the big blind can surprise your opponents in local tournaments. They are not accustomed to such aggression, so this tactic is often used almost randomly, adding bets on later streets and collecting folds. However, WSOP-level regulars know this play inside out and know how to counter it. They will call the check-raise more often and do so more thinly. This is where a well-timed 3-bet will come in handy, helping you maintain pressure on your opponents.

"Incorporate more large 3-bets from the big blind. Fewer players have experience counteracting this strategy, and many will assume your range is stronger than it actually is," writes Fitzgerald. 

Commentary by Konstantin Gambler14:

At low stakes, it is just like with 3-bets—players generally do not like to fold. Therefore, check-raising remains a highly effective play, just not with bluffs, but with strong hands. They build the pot very well.

Fitzgerald's advice to 3-bet is geared towards live games, where people play slightly differently. At low stakes, the most profitable strategy is solid extraction with value hands. It is boring, but highly effective. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, we asked Konstantin Gambler14 to evaluate all of Alex Fitzgerald's advice. To sum up briefly, the moves the American MTT coach proposes are ultimately designed for live games, which differ significantly from online tournaments. They can be adopted even by beginners, but one should not expect them to serve as an ultimate weapon against online opponents.

Alex is writing for offline recreational players who come to the WSOP just to have a good time. Of course, this is not professional analysis or advice for aspiring professionals. His target audience is a dentist from Michigan who plays with friends in the evenings and comes to Vegas to play for the weekend. He hits this demographic perfectly, and so I agree with all his points. However, poker in Vegas currently lags behind European online rooms by about 5 to 7 years. That said, for an entry-level player, the listed tactics can still be useful. But not on the internet, of course.