I happened to make another Final Table this past weekend and although I busted out 9th I was quite happy with my play. It was a 90 player SnG and I didn’t pick up many hands pre-flop. However, I did have exceptional notes on the players at all three of my tables and I was able to use that information along with some reasonable assumptions to steal a few pots while in position. In most cases I prefer to make moves when I have position on my opponent. I do this for a variety of reasons.

1. I will lose less money if I get caught
2. I will earn more money against an aggressive opponent
3. I can get away from the hand if I am beat

Knowing this and the tendencies of my opponents via notes and watching their play gives me a little more of an edge. In a live poker game you have even more of an edge simply because you can monitor your opponents reactions. Ultimately, I stole 3 medium sized pots (one with an all-in push) when I believed my opponent was weak and it enabled me to survive long enough to pick up a few hands after the break and make my run. I suppose you could call it having a good feel for the game and your opponents. I still have not determined if “feel” can be learned. I tend to think not. However, if you do have a good feel for the game and reading players you can certainly sharpen that ability as you gain more experience.

Each of the hands I stole with I had either missed the flop or had no draw with small and medium pairs. However, I had good reason to believe that my opponent had not hit much either and followed my instincts in the hand. Therein lies the key. Sometimes you have to put it all on the line and follow your intuition even if you get bitten every now and then. If you don’t you will find it very difficult to make Final Tables in any tournament waiting for premium hands.