| Michael Mizrachi |
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| Poker Pro's Corner - Poker Pro's Corner | |
 Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi is only 27, but already has raked in more than $5,800,000 in live tournament winnings. In 2005 he won the WPT L.A. Poker Classic and walked away with $1.8 million, one of his 68 cashes and 11 victories.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi is only 27, but already has raked in more than $5,800,000 in live tournament winnings. In 2005 he won the WPT L.A. Poker Classic and walked away with $1.8 million, one of his 68 cashes and 11 victories. He lives in Hollywood, Florida, with his wife, young son and daughter. He has an older brother, younger brother and twin brother, two of whom are also accomplished poker players. Despite the “Grinder” moniker, he’s anything but typical in his playing style. He answers questions from Poker Pro readers this month. It’s the last two tables of a tournament and one table will cash. I’m medium chip stack and the table is playing tight. The blinds are 400-800 and I have 27,000 chips. On the button I find 9-9. There’s a raise and a call in front of me. Should I gamble now or wait for a better opportunity, but maybe not as good of a hand? – Logan R., Las Vegas That’s a tough spot. I’d prefer just to smooth-call on the button and see a flop for cheap. This way I prevent them from seeing two free cards – turn and river. If I flop an overpair (as with a 4-5-8 flop) and they have A-K or A-Q, most likely they’ll fold if I bet big. Now if I pushed in preflop, I would’ve been called. Then it becomes a coin-flip. I really hate to play from the small blind and tend to fold hands, even good ones, to any decent raise. For example, I’m in the small blind with K-Qs and a loose player in middle position raises it three times the big blind. I fold. Should I be playing these hands more? – Darren in Primm, Nevada Depends on how the player is playing. If he’s been playing many hands, I might come over the top, but in most situations I would flat-call, but never fold. What’s an appropriate tip? Generally, I deduct the entry fee from my winnings and tip 10 percent. An experienced player told me that’s too much. – Monte R., Miami That is way too much! Usually it’s about 2 to 3 percent of the gross winnings. For example, if you win 100k and the buy-in is 10k, most of the time the money was taken out of the prize pool and you already paid 3k, but it’s always nice to give a little extra, maybe 1 or 2 percent. In a recent tournament with 30-minute levels, I’m at a very loose-passive table. I have about 4000 in chips and the blinds are 100-200 and there are many bigger stacks. I’m getting all of my good (but not great) hands, like A-10s, mostly when I am under the gun. When it’s my button, I’m getting lousy hands like 8-3, 6-2, etc. Should I limp and call any reasonable raises. Or raise? Or fold? – Vic V., Glasgow I’d only reraise a player who’s playing lots of pots and especially with many limps. But if a tight player raises, most of the time I’d fold. You still have plenty of time with those blinds to wait on a better hand. What does showing a bluff tell you? – GoGirl, Philadelphia Many players show their bluffs for one reason only: to put you on tilt and make you play bad. Better not to show, but some like to show because next time they’ll have it and want you to pay them off. I keep folding weak aces only to find they would have won the hand. I’ll fold my A-6 to a raise only to be shown some guy’s A-4. I generally only play these A-x cards if suited or if I’m in position in a limp pot, but then when an ace falls on the board, I fold to any action. Advice?? – Brian, Biloxi Depends on the size of my stack. Most of the time I’d limp with any ace suited in early position, but I might raise it in late position. If I’m real short and had an offsuit weak ace in late position, I might push all-in. It depends on the action! I love playing sit-n-gos and cash regularly in them. At one of the places I play, there are frequently players who I know play off the same bankroll. Should that bother me? – WildeChild, Florida If you see any bit of collusion where you lose your advantage, then you shouldn’t play. But if you keep cashing and you’re doing well, keep going for it. I recently had K-Q on the button and raised preflop three times the big blind at a limpy table. Three limpers folded and one guy called. The flop came K-Q-4, he bet, and I called on the flop. On the turn he went all-in and I happily called. I put him on A-K or A-Q. He had 4-4. What did I miss that could have helped me fold? – Chris N., Los Angeles Most of the time, nothing. Percentagewise you’ll have the best hand most of the time. You did the right thing! Just because you lost the hand doesn’t make it right to fold when the situation comes up again. There are still many hands you can beat in that spot. In passive games where everyone is trying to limp in, shall I take advantage of seeing the cheap card, or raise it up if I’m in position? – Loser, Phoenix I play different all the time. If most players are passive, then I’m super-aggressive, but if most players are aggressive, then I wait patiently for a hand and wait on them to double me up. I originally started playing cash games, then moved to tournaments. Now I’m trying to do both, but my cash results aren’t as good as they used to be. Should I just focus on one or the other? And I wonder why I did better at cash games when I had less playing experience. – Glenn, New Jersey It’s very hard to adjust from cash to tournaments or from tournaments to cash. I bet you it’s because you play more hands in cash where you’re getting less value for the hand, rather than a tournament. If you’re going to play both, play fewer hands in cash, and a lot more hands in a tournament. In cash games, blinds are always the same. Patience is a virtue. Sometimes my brain is thinking one thing and my hand and mouth are suddenly all-in. Frequently, it turns out to be a good move, but what’s with the disconnect? Someone told me that it’s good when your instincts are taking over. – Ifold, Mississippi You should always know when it’s a good spot to make that move. Occasionally, I like to wear headsets to block out either the casino noise or the people at the table if they’re being obnoxious. However, I do feel it’s important to stay connected to the table. Ideally, I can just ignore the bothersome people, but what if I feel I can’t? – Roz L, New York I never listen to music while I’m playing. I want to hear the player breathe and maybe table talk and give some information away. It can only benefit you by not listening to music. Only time I’d listen is if I’m playing limit poker where there’s not that much decision-making. On the first hand of a 30-minute round, 7500-chip tournament where the blinds start at 25-50, I raised on the button to 200 with A-Qs. There were four limpers, and one of them went all-in over the top. I folded and he showed 9-9. Actually, I think I would have folded K-K on that first hand with such a tournament format. Should I have called? – donline, Los Angeles If I had the A-Q, I’d fold, but K-K no question – I’d call. Why would someone play A-A like that? Most of the time a person with A-A would make a smaller raise to get action. A-Q fold. K-K instacall.
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