I need to calm down

[Jman28]

I moved up from 20s to 30s this week, and I've played 83 of them. My numbers are worse at the 30s than the 20s, but I don't think it's necessarily the competition. I've been playing too agressive I think.

My ITM is a very weak 33.3%
My ROI is an average 22.8%

I looked at my finish detail and it shows that I'm going crazy on the bubble. It was something like...

1st- 17
2nd- 5
3rd- 6
4th- 11
5th- 10

I'm either busting out in 4th or 5th or getting a huge chip lead.

So far, it works okay, but I feel like I would do better if I relaxed some. The thing is, I don't really remember how I used to play.

I've heard others talk about taking some time off and rereading your books, but I don't really wanna stop playing for too long.

Any ideas?

If anyone has a few hand histories to post here, that could show me where I'm differing, and hopefully remind me why I didn't make some of the calls or raises I do now.

Thanks

-Jman28

[PBaek]

I think it would be a lot easier if you posted some hand histories so you can get comments on them.

Regards, PB.

[willie]

i did the same thing movin up to 20s and got deeeestroyed.

i thought the level of play would go up, but i've definitely played harder 10+1s than the 20s i played, but i just couldn't stop getting unlucky

all in preflop with queens vs ak, hit my set and loose to a runner runner flush

flop a set of 6s on a tj board. checkraise all in from like 150---600. called by an open ender that hits and i don't pair the board


it seems that every coinflip i've been in, i've hit the set and STILL lost.....yeesh it was a bad bad weekend. i'm gonna find some hands and see if i was the one making mistakes.

[Jman28]

[ QUOTE ]
I think it would be a lot easier if you posted some hand histories so you can get comments on them.

Regards, PB.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not sure how much good this would do, unless I posted the entire tourney history.

I think a lot of the decisions have to do with timing and players' perception of you, so any hand taken individually on the bubble won't mean too much.

[Burno]

Jman,

One thing I have found in higher buy-ins is that there are more players who are aware of your aggro bubble strategy. Therefore they are more willing to put all their chips in or play back at you with less than a premium hand, so some of the edge you gain in being a bubble bully is reduced. On the flip-side, you will encounter more players who themselves get aggro on the button so once you have identified them you have to start calling or playing back with less than premium holdings.

Stay aggressive, but try and figure out who knows what you are doing and who is trying to squeak into the money and play accordingly.

83 is definitely on the small side, sample-wise.

17 firsts in 83 is solid. For me, ROI is waaay more important than ITM.

Post a bubble situation or two you are unsure of.


Burno

[Jman28]

Okay... I know this looks ugly, but here are a few...

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (3 handed)

BB (t3640)
Hero (t2805)
SB (t1555)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t700</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB raises to t1555 (All-In)</font>, BB folds, Hero calls t855.

Flop: (t3410) K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Turn: (t3410) 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: (t3410) J/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t3410



Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (3 handed)

BB (t1455)
Hero (t5140)
SB (t1405)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 5/images/graemlins/club.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t5140 (All-In)</font>, SB calls t1255 (All-In), BB folds.

Flop: (t6845) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Turn: (t6845) 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

River: (t6845) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t6845


Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (4 handed)

Hero (t3400)
SB (t1938)
BB (t1337)
UTG (t1325)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t600</font>, SB folds, BB calls t300.

Flop: (t1350) Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif, 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets t737 (All-In)</font>, Hero calls t737.

Turn: (t2824) A/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: (t2824) 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t2824

[SmileyEH]

Either all in or fold these hands. Depends entirely on the circumstances whether or not you should be stealing with these hands.

-SmileyEH

[golFUR]

Personally, I expect to win from any stack size, anywhere in the SnG. I know my opponents don't though, and I remember that when we get down to the money. Most obvious example is the short stack who happily goes out the very hand after 4th departs.

Hand 1 - I don't know how you vary your raises but your preflop raise doesn't seem wrong. Calling the small blind's all in is questionable though. Regardless of 'image' questions, you have a pocket that isn't beating anything, that needs to hit to work. This call seems like you are giving away money because you feel pot committed. Again, personally, I think 'pot committed' is garbage. If you know you are lost, or even suspect it, in a tournament situation, every chip counts. The more you have when you double up off of the leader the better. Fold the 5 3 off, you were only looking to steal, not to take someone out.

Hand 2 - Same idea. I don't think there is anything wrong with raising on the button, neither do I think the pocket is speculative. In this case though you are telling the short stack that if he wants he can go out right here and find another SnG to start while you and the other big stack finish this one heads up. A lot of players are going to accept that offer with anything. With a suited K I'd raise enough to get the point across but still leave him the option to just call it and perhaps lose it on the flop (while keeping more chips and not turning the short stack into a freshly revitalized contender).

Hand 3 - This one I'm not sure about. He'd probably dump in whether he hit or not, so your 6 might be good.

Given only these three hands to look at though I'd say its fair to say you raise on the button a lot more than I do. Especially with a good stack, I prefer to outplay my opponents on the flop rather than guess which side of the coinflip I'm on preflop. From 5-6 left through to 3 left I play a curious mix of tight preflop/aggressive post flop with positional steals and such. IE I wait for good pockets to maximize liklihood of an allin preflop or on the flop holding up. I only steal when it seems 'obvious' enough. Being shortstacked rarely bothers me as your own hand examples show, it isn't that hard to get a call when you are small. From 3 players down I'm all 'sensible aggression'. I raise from the button, but not every hand. I look for any tiny edge and push hard. It's held up well so far...

I hope you find your game again though, I know where you are and sympathize. Though I don't have the numbers to back it yet (and don't expect anyone to believe them when I do) I pretty much destroy the $5s and $10s I play currently and I rarely have trouble when I venture upwards. I did go through a period of about 2 months though where I'd 'lost' my game entirely. I couldn't remember what it was I was doing that was working, I was thrashing about trying to figure it out. Eventually I just relaxed, I won one or two in a row after taking a week off from SnGs and playing only ring, and somewhere in that one or two I figured it out again. I'm still not sure where my game went those two months, or what made it go away, but its back and I'm destroying them again. Hope you do likewise.

[Jman28]

Thanks for the response.

[ QUOTE ]
This call seems like you are giving away money because you feel pot committed. Again, personally, I think 'pot committed' is garbage

[/ QUOTE ]

The reason I call here is not exactly what you are saying. I never use the term 'pot committed.' Okay, not never, but not here.

My reason for calling is simply this: My 53o against an AKo is still 36.25% to win. Since I win over 1/3 of the time against most hands and have to call less than 1/3 of the pot, it's plus Chip EV. In addition, this call will discourage anyone from stealing from me.

The reason I know there is a problem is that the hand with the 53o, I got shown a 87s. He has absolutely no respect for my raise. I need to find a medium where I steal a good bit, but still get some respect.


-Jman28

[zephyr]

Hand #1:

53o is not the place to steal. Of course the call is correct because of pot odds.

Hand 2:

Just fine imo.

Hand #3:

I don't think a min raise is really appropriate here unless you've observed your opponent folding to these kind of raises. I can't see you folding this one preflop if he pushes, so I'd go right ahead and either push or fold preflop. BTW I think your call on the flop is ok.

Only my opinion,

Zephyr