Friday, March 28, 2008

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

In an earlier post, I spoke as to how I grind myself up with a few good sessions and tend to give it all back in one. Any guesses on what happened last night?

Originally, this was going to be a TV night with Mris Wonka as we were going to watch the finale of Celebrity Apprentice.. Good vs Evil; but she fell asleep while putting Toddler Wonka to bed. So to begin with, I just fired up 4 Turbo SNGs as I figured it may take her 30-45 minutes to read books and put her to bed. I didn't fare to well as I had a 3rd, 4th and 2 6ths. I should have seen the foreshadowing as almost every time it came down to push/shove time and I shoved (correctly, I think. I have not reviewed with SNG Wiz); but ran into TT, KK and AA. One hand with QQ I ran into both KK and AA. After those 4 SNGs, that left me down around $33 ($12 Turbos).

Oh, btw, a little SNG Wiz news; but I will throw that in at the end. I will be curious to see othere opinions on this.


I decided to fire up 2 Micro NL tables with the mindset that I wanted to make up that $33 and then go watch TV with Mrs Wonka or at worst go watch NCAA Basketball. It wasn't too long before I reached the $33 and was getting reading to shut down when I was dealt good hands on both tables. Of course, neither them worked and now I was below my $33.

I decided to keep playing. About now, it was becoming obvious Mrs Wonka was gone for the night so I decided to settle in, if necessary to a night of degenerate activity.

A couple buy ins later, I decide to add another table to help with make up my losses. I'm not sure that I regret this decision as 3 tables is really not that many and certainly within my comfort level.

All in all, I finished down a whopping 7 Buyins down after about 1,000 hands. Perhaps I tilted some of it away; but for the most part, I did not. I may have loosened up a bit and tried to see a few more flops; but never went crazy. Some of my big mistakes were open raising from button and not folding to some 3 bets; especially from some tighter players.

For the most part, I was not getting paid for my big hands, people were obviously drawing out against me and I wasn't hitting flops. Typically, I have been seeing 23-25% of flops. I was around 31% last night which tells you that I was getting cards; albeit, not pocket pairs but hands like AK-AJ and mid pocket pairs. I'll spare you the bad beat stories this time.

I can't remember too many specific situations situations; but want to throw some general ones out there.

Situation #1

You have 88 on button, it is raised before you and you 3 bet and they call. The board puts 3 of one suit out there; but you hit your set. Other person leads out about a little under the pot; but it more or less committs them. What do you do?

Situation #2

KQ from button and you raise and get reraised from BB. Flop KK8. Checked on Flop. You raise on turn and get raised all-in. Any way to get away from this hand?

Situation #3

I raise in LP with AQ. Fairly tight player three bets me. I call. Flop gives me a gut shot broadway and I raise the flop. He take his complete time and even all of his time bank and pushes all in. I am gettin almost 4-1 to call? Do you call knowing most likely that you are beat?

If needed, I will supply more information once I reivew hands.

I used to be a fan of stop losses; but haven't been recently. At some point, though, I need to figure out that it is just not my night.

Have a good weekend!!

5 comments:

Alan aka RecessRampage said...

Situation 1 - if the shorty is committed, just get it all in there.

Situation 2 - I'm not good enough to get away from the hand.

Situation 3 - I don't like overplaying AQ like you did but if I did and I find myself getting 4:1, then I'll call... with two cards to come. Not with one.

TechGuyTom said...

If you post SNG questions and not cash game questions I would offer up advice. :)
What was the sng wiz news?

***Off Topic***
My url has changed so your feed isn't updating. The new url is http://lifesagrindpoker.com
***Resume Topic***

Unknown said...

Situation #1

Would he bet the pot with a flush? On that one, yeah, I'm re-raising all in depending on his stack size.


Situation #2

OK, here's the thing. I might fold here. You were re-raised, which people usually only do at your NL levels (mine, too) with AA-QQ and A-K. He had AK didn't he?
I fold there. I don't call a three-bet preflop with KQ ever. Sometimes I don't even call raises with KQ. Period.



Situation #3

Why are you calling a three bet with AQ? I fold it.
The key to NL is staying out of trouble pre-flop and betting aggressively post flop. AT least that's the way I see it. Fold your gutshot.

Klopzi said...

Alan's got you covered here with his answers. But I'll still throw in my two cents.

Situation 3 does not look good. Calling a re-raise OOP leaves you having to hit the flop pretty damned hard to continue. You're better off folding AQ pre-flop in this spot against a tight raiser unless you're both deep and you're absolutely positive that you'll own post-flop.

In all three of your situations, you're playing in large pre-flop pots that makes your play after the flop more or less automatic (unless both you and your opponent have stacks larger than 120 BB). It sucks being forced to get all-in when you don't have a lock on your hand, but it's this willingness to play your made hands hard that'll win you money over time (though some would argue that folding when you "know" you're beat makes you money too).

A couple questions:
1. When you 3-bet with 88 on the button, what would you have done to a 4-bet or shove from your opponent?
2. What range of hands did you think you were up against with the AQ hand?

I only ask because it can be hard to properly assess your situation at the table when you're down a few buy-ins and trying to get back to even. I did this for the bulk of the month of March...

RaisingCayne said...

Situation #1... I think you have to get it all in with a set against a pot committed villain, despite the all-suit flop.

Situation #2... I don't see a means of getting away from the hand as described. (Albeit the preflop call of the 3rd bet was a bit loose with just KQ.)

Situation #3... I don't know if I can get away from getting 4:1, and am likely to call here. But I have to say, I really don't like the betting out with just a gutshot after calling a third raise from a tight player pre flop. Seems to me this is a great way of increasing the chances of pot committing yourself with just a gutshot. I'd definitely prefer the check/fold with AQ in this spot.


I'm guessing from the tone of the post that you lost in all three spots here.(?) Don't kick yourself for the first two, as both these situations sure appear to be spots where your money was bound to get in the middle. Good luck in the future...

Who links to my website?