Roadstar
12-02-2004, 03:13 PM
First of all thanks for everyone who helped me with the analysis of the many hands I had questions with. It has made me somewhat a better player by having +EV starting hand selection, better read of players, etc. (of course nothing statistically significant as I have not played 10,000+ hands to make any meaningful conclusions). I think I would categorized myself as a TAG right and think I should remain that way despite what transpired last night at the $0.5/$1.0 Pacific Poker (I hate their hand history btw /images/graemlins/mad.gif):
Beginning of session, Bad Beat
1) I sit down at this generally loose table with a couple of loose passives. I get some bad beats such as:
I get QQ in MP
EP raises, folds to me, I reraise, BB calls, EP caps, I call, BB calls.
Flop
AKQ (suits unimportant)
BB checks, EP bets, I raise, BB calls, EP raises, I Cap, BB calls, EP calls.
Turn: 10
BB bets, EP calls, I call (I think to myself why is BB betting? did he have AJ? or A10? I was more afraid of EP with AA or KK)
River: 4 (no flush possibilities)
BB bets, EP calls, I call.
BB shows J4os, EP says he had AK.
I told myself its ok because over time BB will lose call caps with J4os.
2) Later on in the session: I'm playing .5/1 at this fairly tight table and got tricked a couple of times (or was it bad play by them?). For example:
I had KQos on the button. Someone in mid to early position limps in, I limp in, SB completes, BB checks.
Flop: Q 9 5
SB checks, BB checks, EP bets, I raise (my thought: I have TPTK since AQ would raise preflop), SB folds, BB folds, EP calls.
Turn: Blank
EP checks, I bet, EP calls
River: Q
EP bets, I raise, EP reraises (whats going on??), I call
EP shows AQ.
After a couple more of these tricky plays and bad beats I seem to start playing more weak tight which is NOT what I want. By the end of the session I was down about 9BB (was up 20BB at one point).
3) Significant Other: Everytime I play, she asks if I won or lose. Just like most ppl, she thinks I should quit whenever I'm ahead and stuff like that. Usually happy to see me win and a little disappointed when I lose. I've been about +4 to 5BB/100 hands (mostly skewed by a monster hand with lots of action) but obviously I have some losing sessions.
My QUESTIONS:
1) Was the bad beat example really a bad beat or should I played it differently and worried about J10s or something to that extent? I know fish who play with terrible starting hands eventually lose over the long run but when I'm at these tables should I a) realistically adjust to the possibility of trash hands and "slow down" quicker in somewhat coordinated flops or potential flushes? b) continue to play TAG knowing the long run is what matters? (I think it would be this, I just somehow need to force myself to stay TAG instead of weak tight)
2) At a tighter table and somewhat tricky how do you adjust your play? I mean should I have been worried about the AQ in my example? After the AQ, I've seen another guy limp in with AK and end up taking the pot as well, sandbagging another fellow I bet. Are they playing wrong or are they just playing at a higher level? If they're playing at a higher level, what sort of tricky plays would you add to your arsenal? I know I'm no where close to moving up the limits yet, but I would expect that as you move higher up, textbook TAG type of play would not work and you would have to start playing tricky? Again, I'm concerned this would make me weak tight.
3) This is an interesting one /images/graemlins/grin.gif. SO seems to think of winning and losing a session at a time and to quit while you're ahead. I tried explaining the theory that as long as you play your hands right you will win over the long term (which could be a long time) and since it is unlikely I will stop when I win and never ever play again, quitting while ahead by itself is not a particularly good idea (unless the table becomes full of sharks). She sort of understands but sort of doesn't. For example, I said I rather have a losing session knowing I played perfectly than have a winning session because I outdrew everyone on longshots because over the long term, if I play right, I will win. She seems to have a "show me the money" attitude instead and its hard to convince her otherwise. I'm worried that this would also start making me play more weak tight than I should (especially when shes watching! /images/graemlins/shocked.gif)
Any constructive comments greatly appreciated!
Beginning of session, Bad Beat
1) I sit down at this generally loose table with a couple of loose passives. I get some bad beats such as:
I get QQ in MP
EP raises, folds to me, I reraise, BB calls, EP caps, I call, BB calls.
Flop
AKQ (suits unimportant)
BB checks, EP bets, I raise, BB calls, EP raises, I Cap, BB calls, EP calls.
Turn: 10
BB bets, EP calls, I call (I think to myself why is BB betting? did he have AJ? or A10? I was more afraid of EP with AA or KK)
River: 4 (no flush possibilities)
BB bets, EP calls, I call.
BB shows J4os, EP says he had AK.
I told myself its ok because over time BB will lose call caps with J4os.
2) Later on in the session: I'm playing .5/1 at this fairly tight table and got tricked a couple of times (or was it bad play by them?). For example:
I had KQos on the button. Someone in mid to early position limps in, I limp in, SB completes, BB checks.
Flop: Q 9 5
SB checks, BB checks, EP bets, I raise (my thought: I have TPTK since AQ would raise preflop), SB folds, BB folds, EP calls.
Turn: Blank
EP checks, I bet, EP calls
River: Q
EP bets, I raise, EP reraises (whats going on??), I call
EP shows AQ.
After a couple more of these tricky plays and bad beats I seem to start playing more weak tight which is NOT what I want. By the end of the session I was down about 9BB (was up 20BB at one point).
3) Significant Other: Everytime I play, she asks if I won or lose. Just like most ppl, she thinks I should quit whenever I'm ahead and stuff like that. Usually happy to see me win and a little disappointed when I lose. I've been about +4 to 5BB/100 hands (mostly skewed by a monster hand with lots of action) but obviously I have some losing sessions.
My QUESTIONS:
1) Was the bad beat example really a bad beat or should I played it differently and worried about J10s or something to that extent? I know fish who play with terrible starting hands eventually lose over the long run but when I'm at these tables should I a) realistically adjust to the possibility of trash hands and "slow down" quicker in somewhat coordinated flops or potential flushes? b) continue to play TAG knowing the long run is what matters? (I think it would be this, I just somehow need to force myself to stay TAG instead of weak tight)
2) At a tighter table and somewhat tricky how do you adjust your play? I mean should I have been worried about the AQ in my example? After the AQ, I've seen another guy limp in with AK and end up taking the pot as well, sandbagging another fellow I bet. Are they playing wrong or are they just playing at a higher level? If they're playing at a higher level, what sort of tricky plays would you add to your arsenal? I know I'm no where close to moving up the limits yet, but I would expect that as you move higher up, textbook TAG type of play would not work and you would have to start playing tricky? Again, I'm concerned this would make me weak tight.
3) This is an interesting one /images/graemlins/grin.gif. SO seems to think of winning and losing a session at a time and to quit while you're ahead. I tried explaining the theory that as long as you play your hands right you will win over the long term (which could be a long time) and since it is unlikely I will stop when I win and never ever play again, quitting while ahead by itself is not a particularly good idea (unless the table becomes full of sharks). She sort of understands but sort of doesn't. For example, I said I rather have a losing session knowing I played perfectly than have a winning session because I outdrew everyone on longshots because over the long term, if I play right, I will win. She seems to have a "show me the money" attitude instead and its hard to convince her otherwise. I'm worried that this would also start making me play more weak tight than I should (especially when shes watching! /images/graemlins/shocked.gif)
Any constructive comments greatly appreciated!