Ray Of Light
08-10-2004, 08:21 AM
Hello everyone!
I have just moved up in limits once again after grinding out 500 BBs to start playing the $0.50/$1 games on Party, (I started out on $0.05/$0.10 on Victor Chandler and Pacific). The thing is, I am having trouble beating these games and I can't see why, because the tables I select are super soft.
I admit, that since I started on Party, I have only logged about 19 hours of play, and I have been on a mere 25 BB down swing, so it is not enough for me to start questioning my strategy, but I feel that if the games are good, then the problem must be in the way I am playing them, so I am looking for any glaring leaks in my game play, so that I can start pluggin them from now.
So I have three hands here, that have had me woundering how I should have played them better...
HAND ONE
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)
Preflop: Ray Of Light is Button with T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO calls, <font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light raises</font>, SB calls, BB calls, CO calls.
Flop: (8 SB) A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, CO calls, Ray Of Light folds, SB calls.
Here is where I felt I was too weak in my play. Should I have raised to gain a sense of how strong their hand was? Or should I have just called all the way to the river?
I figured that if the board paired, it wouldn't be any use to me since I probably wouldn't have had top two pair, so that left me with two outs and not enough in the implied odds to chase for the trips.
Turn: (5.50 BB) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, CO folds, SB folds.
Final Pot: 6.50 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 5.50 BB, won by BB.</font>
<font color="green">Pot 2: 1 BB, returned to BB.</font>
HAND TWO
How could I have made more from this hand?
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)
Preflop: Ray Of Light is BB with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif. MP3 posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 (poster) checks, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, <font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light raises</font>, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls.
Flop: (12.50 SB) 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
Ray Of Light checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button checks.
I was first to act, I had the nuts, and I was hoping to check raise. In hindsight, I should have just bet out, as I was the preflop aggressor and so couldn't gauruntee that someone behind me would bet.
Turn: (6.25 BB) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
Ray Of Light checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button checks.
As soon as I saw the fourth diamond, I assumed that someone may have caught their flush and would be willing to bet it. I should have bet here. If the check raise doesn't work the first time, its unlikely to work second time round?...
River: (6.25 BB) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light bets</font>, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button calls.
Damn... Now I am exposed to a possible straight flush, and I haven't even maximised the pot in the process!
Final Pot: 10.25 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 10.25 BB, between UTG, UTG+1, Button and Ray Of Light.</font>
HAND THREE
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed)
Preflop: Ray Of Light is UTG with Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds.
Flop: (7.50 SB) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 raises</font>, MP2 folds, <font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 caps</font>, Ray Of Light calls.
As soon as he raised me, I knew I was behind to a two pair or better... Should I have slowed down after he raised? Or was I right to cap the pot?
Turn: (7.75 BB) 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Ray Of Light checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Ray Of Light calls.
River: (9.75 BB) T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Ray Of Light checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Ray Of Light calls.
Final Pot: 11.75 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 11.75 BB, between UTG+1 and Ray Of Light.</font>
I have just moved up in limits once again after grinding out 500 BBs to start playing the $0.50/$1 games on Party, (I started out on $0.05/$0.10 on Victor Chandler and Pacific). The thing is, I am having trouble beating these games and I can't see why, because the tables I select are super soft.
I admit, that since I started on Party, I have only logged about 19 hours of play, and I have been on a mere 25 BB down swing, so it is not enough for me to start questioning my strategy, but I feel that if the games are good, then the problem must be in the way I am playing them, so I am looking for any glaring leaks in my game play, so that I can start pluggin them from now.
So I have three hands here, that have had me woundering how I should have played them better...
HAND ONE
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)
Preflop: Ray Of Light is Button with T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO calls, <font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light raises</font>, SB calls, BB calls, CO calls.
Flop: (8 SB) A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, CO calls, Ray Of Light folds, SB calls.
Here is where I felt I was too weak in my play. Should I have raised to gain a sense of how strong their hand was? Or should I have just called all the way to the river?
I figured that if the board paired, it wouldn't be any use to me since I probably wouldn't have had top two pair, so that left me with two outs and not enough in the implied odds to chase for the trips.
Turn: (5.50 BB) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, CO folds, SB folds.
Final Pot: 6.50 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 5.50 BB, won by BB.</font>
<font color="green">Pot 2: 1 BB, returned to BB.</font>
HAND TWO
How could I have made more from this hand?
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)
Preflop: Ray Of Light is BB with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif. MP3 posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 (poster) checks, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, <font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light raises</font>, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls.
Flop: (12.50 SB) 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
Ray Of Light checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button checks.
I was first to act, I had the nuts, and I was hoping to check raise. In hindsight, I should have just bet out, as I was the preflop aggressor and so couldn't gauruntee that someone behind me would bet.
Turn: (6.25 BB) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
Ray Of Light checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button checks.
As soon as I saw the fourth diamond, I assumed that someone may have caught their flush and would be willing to bet it. I should have bet here. If the check raise doesn't work the first time, its unlikely to work second time round?...
River: (6.25 BB) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light bets</font>, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button calls.
Damn... Now I am exposed to a possible straight flush, and I haven't even maximised the pot in the process!
Final Pot: 10.25 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 10.25 BB, between UTG, UTG+1, Button and Ray Of Light.</font>
HAND THREE
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed)
Preflop: Ray Of Light is UTG with Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds.
Flop: (7.50 SB) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 raises</font>, MP2 folds, <font color="CC3333">Ray Of Light 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 caps</font>, Ray Of Light calls.
As soon as he raised me, I knew I was behind to a two pair or better... Should I have slowed down after he raised? Or was I right to cap the pot?
Turn: (7.75 BB) 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Ray Of Light checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Ray Of Light calls.
River: (9.75 BB) T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Ray Of Light checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Ray Of Light calls.
Final Pot: 11.75 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 11.75 BB, between UTG+1 and Ray Of Light.</font>