Taking a Break

Well today started good. I made up all the money I lost minus $10. Figured I'd jump in a small SNG and win the money back (plus a little more) then call it a night.

In the first SNG I played in I had a complete donk at my table who just seemed to be hitting all his cards and no one catching a break. I lost a lot of money, most of my stack, when I bet 4x BB with K-K, and he called. Flop came down Q-J-9 rainbow. He checks, I bet 3/4 the pot and he calls. The Turn is an A and he pushes all-in. I fold and he shows A-5 OS. Few hands later I jam QQ and he calls with K-T suited. Before he made the call he announced he had a really good hand.





So I figured, "Ok, he's a donk and cards just went with him." I pulled up his profile on SharkScope and he is a break-even player at best. So all is well, I'll join another SNG.

In the second SNG on the road to win back my cash I lost half my stack when this happen:
UTG+1 limps, I am on the Button with K-J OS and make it 3 bets to go. SB folds, BB calls, Limper calls. Flop comes: 8s 3d 8d. Both players auto-check so I make a continuation bet about 3/4 the pot. SB folds, Limper calls. Turn comes 6h. Limper pushes all in and I reluctantly fold. I say reluctantly because I believe he was on a stone cold bluff but I haven't the cards to call him. I get card dead and the few times I try to steal someone comes over the top on me. With the blinds coming fast, I push UTG+1, first in with A-T. The same guy who took half my chips auto-calls with A-Q OS. I get no help and loose again.

So I think about it. I really feel that I play way above my level at these SNG. Prior to this weekend, out of 25 games I lost 3. That's an amazing record that got destroyed this weekend. So I figured I'll step up to the $30 game. I took down my first ever there and in my second game I lost to a BS call posted in the previous blog.

Well same old goes with the $30 table. Every time I entered a pot with a raise someone would push all-in on the flop. I wish I could talk with someone who really makes good profit from these games to figure out how they make decisions when people abuse the all-in factor. Because when I call I get sucked out on:



I raised 3x BB with A-Q on the button with one UTG limper. The Limper calls my raise with J- 7 suited. He checks the flop and I slightly over-bet the pot to chase draws away. He shoves immediately. I think about what he might be doing:

1. Came in with A-Q himself and figures he has the best had as well
2. Came in with pocket pair, Tens or better and wants to end this hand now
3. Has A-A or K-K and doesn't want to get a flush beat
4. On a Bluff, figures my over-bed missed the board
5. On a Semi Bluff (Draw, K-Q, Q-J)

Then I think back, it's early in the game and he's shoved his chips in two other times with no one contesting him. He might feel that he has an edge on the table and can bully people around. Before I make the call I notice I have 670 chips left and it's a pot of 1710. If I fold I leave myself semi-crippled. If I win I am 2nd in chips with good feeling I could win this SNG. Getting 2.5 on my money, I make the call with TPTK and the Turn gives him the flush with no help for me.

I lost a good chunk of change in the matter of an hour or so. I knew I should have never went on break when I was winning, but I wanted to enjoy some lunch and review my play.

So after battling to gain my losses I am slightly up for the day, but down for the weekend thanks to some more bad beats and bad calls from my opponents. I am officially taking a break. I will spend this time researching, ordering MOP (Mathematics of Poker) and reading that book, and maybe playing some live games. I tend to run much better live then online. I am even considering some AC play next weekend which I haven't done in a while (lazy to drive). I have a VIP card at the Hilton and met a guy recently who regulars there. Might see about running into him at the 1-2 NL tables. While on break I am going to invest on a notebook and start reviewing all my hand histories. I am going to write down all the times I lost a significant amount of chips and look for patterns. I feel this is the best way to really figure out what I am doing wrong.

No offense to my friends, your all good players, but I really wish I could talk with someone who is a "GREAT" player so I can find out what I am doing wrong... or am I just on a bad roll of luck this weekend. There is so much about the game I want to discuss but no one I can talk with who truly understands the game beyond my level. <- This is were I hope MOP helps.

In the mean time, I have some poker items I will review to keep this blog active as I break. I will also post some findings if I do find glitches in my play, and my results in AC if I go. Cheers all and I hope you have better luck than I have been getting.