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Today in the 3-Bet we find Kara Scott crushing at WPT Venice and learning an important lesson in the process, Calvin "Cal42688" Anderson earning an extra pile of cash for surviving the Irish Open and the Mad Genius Mike Caro explaining why poker is just buying and selling rather than calling and betting.
1) Kara Crushes WPT Venice, Remembers Not to Worry
We love the latest blog post from Kara Scott for a few reasons - not the least of which because it's great to see "fun" and "poker" together a lot - but also for the lesson she shares that we struggle with in our own game.
That lesson? Quit worrying about looking stupid and trust your own instincts at the table.
Seems obvious, sure, but it's amazing how clouded your decision making can get when you're around good players and you start to outthink yourself. Says Scott:
"I had a great time. I got to know a lot of the Italian pros better. I practiced my Italian language skills and stuffed my face at the ridiculously tasty player’s buffet. And somehow, I played better than I have in a long time.
"I relaxed and enjoyed the experience. I stopped second guessing all of my instincts. I forgot about my usual worry of ‘looking like an idiot’ at the table, if a play goes wrong. I guess that I shouldn’t be shocked that this led to me playing a better game."
The result? A 13th-place finish, a nice cash, a new flag on her Hendon Mob profile and a great memory of a great tournament. Pretty win-win, yeah.
2) Cal Anderson Sole Survivor at Irish Poker Open
We've fawned over the talents of Calvin "Cal42688" Anderson before but it really does seem everytime he's around a poker table he finds a way to get more out of it than pretty much everybody.
Case in point -- the just-finished Irish Open. While Ian Simpson took down the title, €265,000 and had his marriage proposal accepted by his girlfriend simultaneously, it's hard to argue anyone made out better than Anderson.
Busting in fifth for €49,000, Anderson still picked up a nice bonus thanks to PaddyPowerPoker's Sole Survivor promotion.
As the last man standing of all the online qualifers, Anderson basically turned his free entry into an extra €50,000 plus WSOP and Irish Open main event entries.
Kinda reminds us of the time Dan Smith negotiated more than first-place money in a five-way Sunday Million chop. Some people just have that special something when it comes to poker, and Calvin Anderson is one of them.
Check our exclusive feature with Anderson earlier this year here.
3) Mike Caro: Poker is Really Just Buying and Selling
First off - who knew Mike Caro was still doling out poker strategy tips?
The Mad Genius - once one of poker's most famous names - hasn't been quite as high profile over the last few years but it turns out he's still quietly dispensing his wisdom over at Poker Player Newspaper.
In his latest tip Caro says a simple change of mindset - from thinking of poker as buying and selling instead of calling and betting - can lead to a lot more money at the tables. An excerpt:
"When you’re thinking about “calling” an opponent’s bet, imagine that you’re being offered something to buy. Why should you imagine that? It’s because you actually are being offered something you can either buy or decide not to buy. What is for sale in poker is always one thing.
"What’s for sale is opportunity – the opportunity to win the pot. It’s up to you to decide whether the opportunity offered is worth the price.
"So, instead of impulsively deciding to call or fold based on whim or weak evidence, base your decision on whether the opportunity is priced right. When you think about poker that way, you’ll magically make better decisions." Check the full piece here.
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