The Pros Speak: Roland de Wolfe

Posted by The Captain | Filed under The Pros Speak

We have a very special The Pros Speak for you today, as Roland de Wolfe is letting us in on his simple three-step strategy to winning this year’s Main Event. We’ll let Roland take it from here:

1. Play as good as Phil Ivey

If you’re going to win the main event, you might want to think about bringing your “A” game. You have to be able to maintain your focus for not only hours on end but days on end. I’m the first to admit that staring at a bunch of other men day after day isn’t always fun, but paying attention to your opponent’s tendencies will pay off. Noticing that your opponent always continuation bets means you can often take pots away from them with a raise. Watching what they do with their hands after a bet may tip you off to the strength of their cards.

The Pros Speak: Roland de Wolfe

You will be surprised at how poorly many people play in the main event. An average player probably has an edge, and you should try to exploit it. You can do this by playing small pots and avoiding coin flips. It is truly bizarre just how many people are willing to race for all of their chips on the first day of the main event. With two hour levels, you should let your ability to outplay your opponents after the flop dictate the action.

As time goes on and the blinds get higher, sooner or later you are going to have to gamble—even if you’re playing as good as Phil Ivey. That’s why you can’t forget about #2:

2. Run as good as Jamie Gold

There does come a time in every tournament when you have to be willing to put in all your chips with J-J, knowing that your opponent will probably call you with A-K. If you plan on winning the main event, then you better plan on winning your coin flips. I recommend watching reruns of the 2006 main event to practice for this stage. And don’t forget that it’s always much more dramatic to hit the card you need on the river. If you’ve got A-K against Q-Q, why would you want to hit an A on the flop? It’s terribly anti-climatic.

Running good doesn’t just mean winning coin flips. It’s also important that when you pick up a big pair, make sure your opponent does too. For example, don’t waste pocket aces against someone with fours. You should really wait for aces until your opponent has kings. That way you can get all-in before the flop and either double up or bust them.

Another part of running good is mastering the suck-out. There are many types of suck-outs, but I prefer to save them up for when it really counts. If you move all-in on a flush draw, make sure it’s going to hit before you do it. That way you can show no fear, even if you’re called by a set or two pair.

Last year, I made the mistake of using up all my suckouts before heads-up play started at the Irish Open, while my opponent held onto his “get out of jail free” card for when it counted. When he moved in on me with pocket twos, I knew my threes were good but I forgot to keep my streak of running good alive in this hand and he spiked a deuce. Most importantly, you should do your best to save the one-outer for late stage play—when the pots are really, really big.

To sum up: pick up the right cards at the right time and you will the main event. Also, if you are going to experience a bad beat, make sure it’s one you put on someone else.

3. Look as good as Roland de Wolfe

I understand that this one might be tough for some of you. Actually, it’s going to be tough for all of you. But, truthfully, what good is winning the main event if you don’t look good while you are doing it?

Some people resort to gimmicky clothing like superhero costumes, lots of jewelry, or even bathrobes. Anyone can look silly, but it takes a sharp eye to dress properly. It doesn’t take a lot of clothes to look good, just the right ones. Two nice collared shirts—think floral prints—and one lucky t-shirt should be all you’ll ever need. Throw in some comfy jeans and white leather shoes and you are well on your way to winning the main event.

Three simple steps: Play good, run good, look good. If you put these into action, I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other at the 2008 main event final table. But—on the off chance these aren’t working for you—can always try to pray as hard as Jerry Yang.

Popularity: 3% [?]