Kenna James

Host

POKER STRATEGY

Nov 10, 2012·36 visitors

Blake Ian

Cohost

Stage· 254 messages

Nov 10, 2012

Kenna James · 12:56 AM

Hi all! Blake is on his way to the TAWK ROOM! Yeah!! and is blindly finding his way through the New York streets and hopefully will fill this vacant room with his noise - just a few minutes late. Probably get going about 8:15 or before!

Kenna James · 1:01 AM

Hi All

Blake Ian · 1:06 AM

"Hey allllll"

Kenna James · 1:06 AM

And Heeeeeer's Blake!

Kenna James · 1:06 AM

So we're talking poker strategy are we?

Blake Ian · 1:06 AM

What's up bud

Kenna James · 1:07 AM

Just thinking up some strategies for talking about strategies

Blake Ian · 1:07 AM

No sir we are TAWKING poker strategy!

Blake Ian · 1:08 AM

That old spelling is very 2012

Kenna James · 1:08 AM

it reminds me how often we (people) do things to do something else

Kenna James · 1:08 AM

Ah - got it TAWK! yes. Let's Tawk some strategy. I love strategy man. It's so devious!!

Blake Ian · 1:09 AM

Hahah is the strategy devious? Or the strategist??

Kenna James · 1:10 AM

To my above comment...... like playing poker TO "make" money....or waiting tables TO be an actor...etc.

Kenna James · 1:10 AM

Hmmm.good question. Well...any strategy based on doing someone else in might fall under devious

Blake Ian · 1:11 AM

Hmmm both of your comments bring me right back to our never ending debate

Kenna James · 1:11 AM

in all games of competition you're defeating the other guy

Blake Ian · 1:11 AM

What is the point of playing (at anything)

Kenna James · 1:12 AM

Many points...here's only one: To challenge oneself

Kenna James · 1:12 AM

To have Fun is another

Blake Ian · 1:12 AM

Right! So are those devious pursuits?

Kenna James · 1:13 AM

Yes. I don't think poker players have enough fun when they're playing the game and so....

Blake Ian · 1:13 AM

Wow Jordan Sudy must be loving the QUICK philosophical turn this Tawk took from the audience!

Kenna James · 1:14 AM

in that way they are deviating from the Purpose of the game itself, which is to have fun. So they are devious in their behavior.

Kenna James · 1:14 AM

Well, I am called the Socrates of poker....

Kenna James · 1:15 AM

Have Fun, Make Money and Make a Difference is a nice philosophy and strategy to apply to poker

Blake Ian · 1:15 AM

Agree there... and life in general

Blake Ian · 1:15 AM

which I know is one of the main focusses of your life

Blake Ian · 1:15 AM

Poker as a microcosm of life

Blake Ian · 1:15 AM

correct?>

Kenna James · 1:15 AM

You can always expand outward from a game to life. One is just a microcosm of the other.

Blake Ian · 1:15 AM

LOL

Kenna James · 1:16 AM

wow, I was typing and didn't realize you were saying the same thing...lol

Blake Ian · 1:16 AM

beat ya!

Blake Ian · 1:16 AM

Though I was not intending to be devious

Kenna James · 1:17 AM

Well, you TAWK and Type fast. Yes, I know you were not "intending" and may even be unaware of your deviousness

Kenna James · 1:17 AM

So let's tawk about some devious poker strategies

Blake Ian · 1:18 AM

Sounds good. Since I am the student there... please begin

Kenna James · 1:19 AM

Each game format requires different strategies - so we should clarify what game we are talking about specifically first

Kenna James · 1:20 AM

I see only the 3 of us - and no comments - just our pictures

Blake Ian · 1:22 AM

right for now, we are doing a test tawk... with lots of sharing shut off.

Blake Ian · 1:22 AM

but just to keep in mind... sorry for the interruption

Blake Ian · 1:22 AM

to answer your question

Blake Ian · 1:22 AM

You know Im a Helmuth kind of guy... Only know one game well

Kenna James · 1:22 AM

Okay - no worries - So, do you want to talk about tournaments or cash games?

Blake Ian · 1:23 AM

I wanna TAWK about No Limit Texas Holdem

Blake Ian · 1:23 AM

I enjoy tournaments more

Kenna James · 1:23 AM

ah shit - this funny dude

Kenna James · 1:23 AM

Hellmuth won like his 13th bracelet in europe recently

Kenna James · 1:23 AM

that's two this year

Kenna James · 1:24 AM

guy's a joke

Blake Ian · 1:24 AM

Wow

Blake Ian · 1:24 AM

you know I have to say... I canceled my cable about a year ago

Blake Ian · 1:24 AM

and the thing I miss most is that I cannot keep up with Poker anywhere!

Blake Ian · 1:24 AM

as I can with HBO on the ipad... or Netflix and hulu on the apple tv

Kenna James · 1:24 AM

I've played with him many times. His strategy is to be very patient, play defensive style poker, make long or "hero" calls

Blake Ian · 1:25 AM

So I am totally out of the loop... Used to be such a committed viewer!

Kenna James · 1:25 AM

and wait for players to overplay their hands

Blake Ian · 1:25 AM

so lets back up

Blake Ian · 1:25 AM

and explain those points

Blake Ian · 1:25 AM

please

Kenna James · 1:25 AM

you are such a techno geek! lol.

Kenna James · 1:26 AM

this the challenge of communication....let's get on the same page. ROFL

Kenna James · 1:26 AM

OR Not....

Blake Ian · 1:26 AM

haha Tech KJ, Im a tech geek... Techno is music the kids dance to at a rave!

Blake Ian · 1:26 AM

so please start with point 1. Patient

Kenna James · 1:27 AM

yeah, well, funny how you knew what I meant

Blake Ian · 1:27 AM

cause Im a tech geek

Kenna James · 1:28 AM

Patience means "suffering in place" and in poker you must be willing to do a lot of suffering!

Blake Ian · 1:29 AM

wow heavy doc

Kenna James · 1:29 AM

You're face to face with loss all the time and when you're sitting in it, it can be painful

Blake Ian · 1:29 AM

it sure can be

Kenna James · 1:29 AM

lol

Kenna James · 1:29 AM

actually comes form the word patient - so your doctor reference was....as usual....impeccable

Blake Ian · 1:29 AM

so patience is not allowing the suffering to make you move?

Kenna James · 1:30 AM

sounds good to me...love that

Blake Ian · 1:30 AM

well thank you thank you... (though I was quoting Marty in Back to the Future) :)

Blake Ian · 1:30 AM

ok so in Poker... some people make moves because they lose patience?

Kenna James · 1:30 AM

sit there and take it Mother. ..... Fxxxxx

Kenna James · 1:31 AM

Yes, in order to get out of sitting in pain, they need motion

Kenna James · 1:31 AM

mentally and physically

Kenna James · 1:31 AM

but mentally they got to get involved because they are missing the connection to....their chips, winning, pots, etc.

Kenna James · 1:32 AM

So to eleviate the pain they play extra hands and make poor decisions

Kenna James · 1:33 AM

So the strategy is become a masochist

Kenna James · 1:33 AM

learn to first experience the pain, then live with it and finally - enjoy it!

Blake Ian · 1:34 AM

so from this first point of patience, its not too hard to understand the microcosm theory

Blake Ian · 1:34 AM

Kenna James · 1:34 AM

This is like a Tawk with myself...LOL

Kenna James · 1:35 AM

My thoughts just spill out onto the page and I just keep typing

Kenna James · 1:35 AM

No co-host needed...I'm just one run-on sentence

Blake Ian · 1:35 AM

Well yes but Im here to keep ya honest!

Blake Ian · 1:35 AM

and back on track

Blake Ian · 1:35 AM

though if that's my job, we may be in trouble

Blake Ian · 1:35 AM

ok so Point 2.

Kenna James · 1:36 AM

imagine that...a devious man keeping me honest...that's funny!

Blake Ian · 1:36 AM

"Play Defensive"

Kenna James · 1:36 AM

oh that's right....you don't know about your deviousness yet.....shhhhhh

Blake Ian · 1:36 AM

Spill some thoughts out on that

Blake Ian · 1:36 AM

hahah

Kenna James · 1:36 AM

okay

Kenna James · 1:36 AM

point 2 was what?

Blake Ian · 1:36 AM

listen man you want to start pickin fights... you know Im ready!

Kenna James · 1:37 AM

Nobody is tawking about our task....it must not be interesting

Blake Ian · 1:37 AM

we can roll up the sleeves and Tawk about our different views... but I say we hold off for a bit and I let you just teach :)

Kenna James · 1:37 AM

tawk not task....Okay, point 2 was.....

Blake Ian · 1:38 AM

Patience Kenna

Blake Ian · 1:38 AM

on the audience

Blake Ian · 1:38 AM

Blake Ian · 1:39 AM

Also remember to check the audience...

Kenna James · 1:39 AM

I was just making an observation...but yes, I am patient

Blake Ian · 1:39 AM

you MIIIGHTTT just see a familiar face in there right now

Blake Ian · 1:39 AM

and LISTEN to him

Blake Ian · 1:40 AM

hahah

Blake Ian · 1:40 AM

So when you've done that you will see that guy Im tawking about is prompting us to move along to point 2. "Play defensive"

Blake Ian · 1:40 AM

something I get accused of on and OFF the felt

Kenna James · 1:40 AM

Okay...

Kenna James · 1:41 AM

By defensive I mean he is playing approach to the game is more deflecting

Kenna James · 1:41 AM

what others are doing or trying to do

Kenna James · 1:42 AM

rather then Effecting

Kenna James · 1:42 AM

or trying to create an effect

Kenna James · 1:42 AM

You have to be a high level player to pull this style off effectively

Blake Ian · 1:42 AM

Got ya.. that's pretty broad though and can relate to soccer as it can to poker... could you be more specific to the cards?

Kenna James · 1:42 AM

sure

Kenna James · 1:43 AM

If a guy raises and I'm in back position with AK of hearts

Kenna James · 1:43 AM

If I'm playing defensively I will just call instead of putting in a re-raise

Blake Ian · 1:44 AM

back position meaning acting last or later than most of the table on each bet correct?

Kenna James · 1:44 AM

and if I flop a flush draw or a pair and the raiser bets, I would tend to just call rather the push it as a semi-bluff

Kenna James · 1:44 AM

yes

Kenna James · 1:44 AM

Let the board develop and my opponent over value and over bet their hand

Kenna James · 1:45 AM

From this position I believe I keep more of my own fate in my hands rather then the hands of the dealer or the cards

Blake Ian · 1:45 AM

Got ya... so it sounds like patience is required to play defensive?

Kenna James · 1:46 AM

Good observation man....I would say it does, yes

Blake Ian · 1:46 AM

So why can't everyone get away with the waiting game?

Blake Ian · 1:46 AM

because everyone isn't willing to suffer?

Kenna James · 1:46 AM

I can't speak for "everyone," but perhaps they lack patience! lol!

Kenna James · 1:46 AM

Some people like to be on stage and some like to sit in the audience

Blake Ian · 1:46 AM

And "Hero calls"

Kenna James · 1:47 AM

that is one of their glories

Blake Ian · 1:47 AM

thats a great observation man... one the Tawkers team has had to consider while building

Kenna James · 1:47 AM

along with defeating the "bully"

Blake Ian · 1:47 AM

you and I are on the stage actually... that's exactly what we call it

Kenna James · 1:48 AM

That's cool. I like it. I often find myself on stage...

Kenna James · 1:50 AM

So, in this world of 3 betting poker and overly aggressive young players.....

Kenna James · 1:50 AM

sometimes defensive play works

Blake Ian · 1:50 AM

(Hey steve, a little Tawkers support for your question in the audience... The two arrows at the top left of the Tawk, just under the logo.. will allow you to go to the beginning and the most recent ends of the tawk) :)

Kenna James · 1:51 AM

as a mentor once said to me; do the opposite of what you think you should be doing and you'll be closer to the truth

Blake Ian · 1:52 AM

got ya... so because all these aggressive young guns have hit the tables in the last 5-10 years...

Blake Ian · 1:52 AM

it becomes easier to play defensive

Blake Ian · 1:52 AM

like Judo

Kenna James · 1:52 AM

Do on point 2 on Hellmuth's poker strategy...Adopting a Defensive strategy and be used effectively to apply to todays game

Kenna James · 1:53 AM

Yes.

Blake Ian · 1:53 AM

Which Phil continues to do well apparently

Kenna James · 1:53 AM

I don't how well...I can't get this image out of my head of him on one of those backround stories on espn

Blake Ian · 1:53 AM

13 bracelts... wow, are Doyle and Johnny still at 10?

Kenna James · 1:53 AM

he's laying in bed half naked looking like a semi-glazed donut

Kenna James · 1:54 AM

with the alarm going off

Blake Ian · 1:54 AM

LOL well, apparently he has some disconnect in his ability to apply his microcosm success

Kenna James · 1:54 AM

He had a defensive approach to the day as well

Kenna James · 1:55 AM

The strategy is to have both! It's good to have a good offensive game and a good defensive game and be prepared to apply them appropriately

Blake Ian · 1:56 AM

Do you play more one way than the other

Kenna James · 1:56 AM

The challenge is we (people) will work on what they do well more often then what their challenge areas are...

Blake Ian · 1:56 AM

or is it an even split for you in a day or a tournament

Blake Ian · 1:57 AM

and the fact that THAT itself is a challenge, makes it a bit paradoxical to address hahaha

Kenna James · 1:57 AM

A golfer who drives the ball well will often be found on the range but conspicuously absent from the practice putting green

Kenna James · 1:57 AM

Yes...I like paradoxs

Kenna James · 1:57 AM

Yes, I have and prefer a more aggressive style

Kenna James · 1:58 AM

and have a biasness towards that

Blake Ian · 1:58 AM

well nobody's perfect

Blake Ian · 1:58 AM

or else this whole Tawk would be pointless!

Kenna James · 1:58 AM

I guess it depends on your view of perfection.

Kenna James · 1:59 AM

but as long as you see things as imperfect, I suppose you are right.

Blake Ian · 1:59 AM

haha

Blake Ian · 1:59 AM

we seem to have some questions in the audience popping up

Blake Ian · 1:59 AM

lets throw the SPOTLIGHT on one and address it shall we?

Blake Ian · 1:59 AM

★ Spotlighted from Steve Grob

“if you have the ability to adapt and play in different ways you'll be better off.”

Kenna James · 1:59 AM

yes

Kenna James · 1:59 AM

let's shall

Blake Ian · 2:00 AM

haha well I put the spotlight on it... you address it!

Kenna James · 2:00 AM

Good point Steve. The ability to adapt is so crucial to survival.

Kenna James · 2:00 AM

Those who don't adapt, Die.

Blake Ian · 2:00 AM

The poker announces are constantly speaking about the great players' ability to "shift gears"

Blake Ian · 2:01 AM

thats adaptation yeah?

Kenna James · 2:01 AM

As my good old late friend Amir Vahedi use to say....

Kenna James · 2:01 AM

"In order to play poker well, one must be willing to die in order to live" and it's so true

Blake Ian · 2:01 AM

RIP Amir, great guy to watch play!

Blake Ian · 2:02 AM

it is very true.... If you aren't risking, you aren't growing

Kenna James · 2:02 AM

Yeah....Shifting Gears is all about ones ability to increase or decrease their hand frequency at will

Blake Ian · 2:02 AM

something I found (with your help) as one of my challenges early on

Blake Ian · 2:02 AM

in really trying to learn the game

Kenna James · 2:02 AM

appreciate that

Blake Ian · 2:03 AM

I found out I wasn't willing to risk... and you help me see exactly how it was affecting my game adversely

Kenna James · 2:03 AM

You have taken a huge risk with Tawkers, invested so much of yourself and your team has as well, and I believe for the risk y'all have taken, you will profit from it phenominally

Blake Ian · 2:04 AM

"going out like broomcorn's uncle" sometimes as Doyle would say

Blake Ian · 2:04 AM

Well thanks man! and it is definitely true of everyone that has been involved

Blake Ian · 2:04 AM

but the rewards have already been so incredible... and we have only just begun

Kenna James · 2:04 AM

So you have learned to step out and take risks....and the great thing about poker is that it is a vehicle in which we can drive and learn to take risks

Blake Ian · 2:05 AM

I would say my risk taking in poker and in general has increased significantly in the last few years... and I owe some of that to your poker lessons

Kenna James · 2:05 AM

★ Spotlighted from Steve Grob

“searching for dictionary, looking up 'broomcorn'”

Blake Ian · 2:05 AM

hahah

Kenna James · 2:06 AM

Too kind, too kind. So onto point 3.

Blake Ian · 2:06 AM

"Going out like broomcorn's uncle" is when the blinds just take your last dollar away

Blake Ian · 2:06 AM

so the ante comes around and around

Blake Ian · 2:06 AM

and you sit there not wanting to risk your money

Blake Ian · 2:06 AM

only to look down and see there's nothing left anyway

Blake Ian · 2:06 AM

it's actually a lesson in my favorite book the alchemist

Kenna James · 2:07 AM

oooo...nothing worse then getting blinded out of a game....but that's what often happens to people in Apathy

Blake Ian · 2:07 AM

right, there's that story about the man who walked around with a bag full of money, afraid to spend a dollar... only to find when he finally opened the bag, a rat had gotten in and eaten it all

Kenna James · 2:07 AM

Yeah, you gave me a copy of that book. I loved it also, thanks for sharing it with me man. That and The Prophet are both great reads.

Blake Ian · 2:08 AM

I read the prophet last year... and again this year

Blake Ian · 2:08 AM

wonderful book

Blake Ian · 2:08 AM

★ Spotlighted from ed goldsmith

“like waiting for "someday" to do something...someday is not on the calandar!”

Kenna James · 2:08 AM

Yeah, I had that problem with my bag of money also

Kenna James · 2:08 AM

It may be Ed...but it may be on the Myan calendar

Blake Ian · 2:08 AM

@Steve - The Alchemist is by Paulo Coelho, who once responded to a letter of mine thanking him for writing the Alchemist : )

Blake Ian · 2:09 AM

great man.. writes truth like it's coming out of a faucet

Kenna James · 2:09 AM

wow.

Kenna James · 2:09 AM

Who can tell me what point 3 is on Phil Hellmuths tournament strategy?

Blake Ian · 2:10 AM

"Hero Call"

Blake Ian · 2:10 AM

taking on the bully

Kenna James · 2:10 AM

I have to leave for a poker tournament in about 15 minutes! lol! Tawking's great but Doing is better! - probably not a slogan we want to promote.

Blake Ian · 2:11 AM

haha well whatever you feel... but I think both are important

Blake Ian · 2:11 AM

and I know you'll be tawking plenty at the table!

Kenna James · 2:11 AM

Ah yes....that's a very popular topic of tawk actually..."Taking on the bully" or adapted to...."How do I defeat the aggressive player?"

Blake Ian · 2:12 AM

certainly not a sentiment I would put on any of our marketing materials! :)

Kenna James · 2:12 AM

LOL!

Blake Ian · 2:12 AM

ok so before we lose you... lets have a nice wrap up of things

Kenna James · 2:12 AM

But good that we can VOICE ANYTHING!

Blake Ian · 2:12 AM

and remember, we can always return to this tawk and so can others

Blake Ian · 2:12 AM

we can keep this tawk going for years

Blake Ian · 2:12 AM

and of course, start another about music!

Kenna James · 2:13 AM

That's good. There might even be something interesting that's been said..

Kenna James · 2:13 AM

that one could find in the recesses of these lines of diolouge

Kenna James · 2:14 AM

So the key strategy in playing against the aggressive opponent is to not play his game

Kenna James · 2:14 AM

don't let him fool you by drawing you into his game

Kenna James · 2:14 AM

if you do you won't win

Blake Ian · 2:14 AM

and generally speaking there are more aggressive than defensive players out there in today's game

Kenna James · 2:14 AM

the strategy is to maintain your own space

Kenna James · 2:14 AM

yes

Kenna James · 2:14 AM

and respond to the situation appropriately

Blake Ian · 2:15 AM

wow.. maintain your own space, another good point to apply to the macrocosm of life

Kenna James · 2:15 AM

if the situation calls for aggression (say you have JJ's or QQ's)

Kenna James · 2:15 AM

yes

Kenna James · 2:15 AM

then you get aggressive

Kenna James · 2:16 AM

if it calls for patience, as such with a hand like AQ or TT or 99's then proceed with caution rather then letting him draw you into a bettng war with susceptible type of hands

Blake Ian · 2:16 AM

great specific examples

Kenna James · 2:17 AM

or before you know it you'll be flipping for your tournament life with 99's agains King Jack and be left scratching your head how you were more patient then the maniac but he got all yoru chips

Blake Ian · 2:17 AM

LOL

Kenna James · 2:17 AM

Good point. Thanks Blake.

Kenna James · 2:17 AM

Let's do that. Thanks for joining our tawk everyone!

Blake Ian · 2:19 AM

play well tonight! Enjoy!

Blake Ian · 5:53 AM

Hey bud... stopped at Foxwoods for some tourny practice last week on my way back from Nantucket. Would love to tawk out some of the hands with ya... let's pick this tawk back up again soon!

Blake Ian · 5:53 AM

Plus, Adam Densky a friend and fan of yours from a trip to AC is in the audience now : )

Blake Ian · 5:29 AM

KJ I just watched Helmuth win his 13th at the wsope on espn...no mention if he is the only winner of both main events US and Euro... Is he?

Forum · 27

Forum· 27 comments

36 visitors

Jordan SudyNov 10, 2012, 1:26 AM

Fellas!

Jordan SudyNov 10, 2012, 1:26 AM

Solid start to this Tawk

Jordan SudyNov 10, 2012, 1:30 AM

"Suffering-- the hardest thing to do, and the only way to win" - PT

Jordan SudyNov 10, 2012, 1:31 AM

I like Kenna's

ed goldsmithNov 10, 2012, 1:31 AM

hey guys...Eddie G in the House!

Jordan SudyNov 10, 2012, 1:31 AM

Because it actually outlines the practice

Jordan SudyNov 10, 2012, 1:32 AM

rather than the benefits only :-)

ed goldsmithNov 10, 2012, 1:39 AM

just read the whole tawk so far and losing patience about point 2

ed goldsmithNov 10, 2012, 1:41 AM

i think that is point 2 ...get the other guy on tilt by being more patient

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 1:45 AM

Hey, I made it

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 1:48 AM

I can't seem to see the latest posts by Blake and Kenna. Is there a setting for auto scroll?

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 1:57 AM★ Spotlighted

if you have the ability to adapt and play in different ways you'll be better off.

ed goldsmithNov 10, 2012, 1:57 AM

@KJ...best offensive is a GREAT Defense...and vice versa best Defensive is to have a GREAT offense

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 1:58 AM

But overall, it's best to play to your strengths, wouldn't you say?

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 2:04 AM★ Spotlighted

searching for dictionary, looking up 'broomcorn'

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 2:07 AM

ty, nice compound word to know for Scrabble.

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 2:07 AM

who wrote the alchemist?

ed goldsmithNov 10, 2012, 2:08 AM★ Spotlighted

like waiting for "someday" to do something...someday is not on the calandar!

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 2:10 AM

If I knew this was going to be all about Phil Hellmuth I would have brought his book to the discussion.

ed goldsmithNov 10, 2012, 2:11 AM

good point KJ...however...this game of life no other calandar matters today like if you are in a tournament tomorrows game doesn't count yet

ed goldsmithNov 10, 2012, 2:13 AM

thank you both...great stuff!

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 2:14 AM

and don't let them run you over

Steve GrobNov 10, 2012, 2:17 AM

Adam DenskyNov 30, 2012, 4:00 AM

Love talking to a poker expert like Kenna, Your insight is magical and makes my trip to ac in a week feel like i am ready to take down the 2-5 table!!!

Adam DenskyDec 6, 2012, 4:24 AM

So i just tried giving tips to my sister in law who is getting ready for a poker night wtih her friends. Should i just try and get invited to take their money or actually teach her about poker

Adam DenskyDec 6, 2012, 4:25 AM

not to mention im going to borgata on the 14th for some good 2-5 games to take down the house!!!!

Adam DenskyFeb 23, 2013, 4:56 AM

so annoyed playing in games and getting knocked out with AA or QQ. when people call with 34 suited or 7 9 i mean all in on a 3000 tourn is just ridic