Polarized

One of the fascinating features of poker is polarization. That's the state you're in when the betting pattern of an opponent can mean only one of two things:

1. your opponent has air
2. your opponent has the goods

In such cases, your only choice is to go with your gut. On the final hand of the first tournament I entered last night, I was polarized. I'd been dealt a big slick, and the flop came 8h 5d 5c. An opponent who started the hand with three times as many chips as me raised me big on the turn. I had the feeling he was trying to bully me off the hand, and called. He made a river bet big enough to put me all in if I called. I still felt he was trying to bully me, so I called again. He had the goods. I don't feel bad about the way I played the hand; if you can't go with your reads, you won't last long in poker.

style flavor buy_in entry players hands entries paid place winnings

MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    89      72   15    22        0
MTT-R NLHE    43500  6500       9    19      49   12    30        0

delta: $-300,000
MTT with rebuys NLHE balance: $33,256,500
2018 balance: $-125,000
balance: $45,388,260