pgec311
01-07-2005, 04:38 PM
I have really been trying to get better at analyzing my play, especially tournamet play, after a session. I have found that when my game seems way off, it is because I have gone so long without analyzing my play and have allowed multiple leaks and weaknesses in. So I thought by posting them I could accomplish several things: 1. I can be sure I am really understanding why I am doing something and how to fix it 2. Others may identify a similar weakness in their own game 3. I can get some feedback. In short, I have not been playing real well for about a month. Thankfully, I had a nice two days last week with a 2nd, 3rd, 5th to keep the bankroll alive, but otherwise I have been in a slump. So here goes.
1. Overplaying big suited connectors,
1a. Not paying enough attention to flop texture. These first two have to go together because one is usually a result of the other. I often find myself pushing these hands too hard, especially on a garbage flop, and as a result I am not looking at what my opponent may be playing. Last night I had a picture perfect hand where both of these occured. I am dealt AQd on the button. 15/30 blinds. Three limpers, and I make it 150 to go. Folded to the cutoff, who smooth calls. flop is ragish - Jc 4d 7c. CO checks and I lead out for 300. Smooth call. Right away I should know, its either a flush draw or a set. Turn is 9s. Here is my mistake, he checks and I bet 500 into a 1000 pot. Smooth call. River is the Ac. The worst possible card for me. He leads for 300. I feel a call is mandatory, correct me if I am wrong, and he turns up K4c. Now, of course my first instict is to bitch and moan about players calling raises out of postition with K4, but the more I thought about it the more I realized how poorly I played the hand. You can't control the cards other people play, you can only try to play your cards better. But blindly trying to bet someone out of a pot without considering their range of hands will leave you broke most of the time. Edit- This seems to happen online more than live, maybe the speed of the game affects me.
2. Not giving enough credit to a late position raiser when I am on a steal. I have run into this several times lately and once put me out of the tournament. Folded to me on the button with KT. I raise it 4xbb and it is folded to the bb who pops me back. I think he put me on a steal and so I call and see a flop of 9QK, giving me top pair and the straight draw. BB goes allin. The all in at the time confused me and I called to see the old Rockets shoved down my throat. After thinking about it, the BB obviously knew that the flop could have hit me any number of ways, and I should have put him on a big hand. Some form of this play has happened to me several times lately, and three of those times the BB showed AA. Just absolute stubborness on my part and a real flaw in my game.
3. Playing to passive after winning a big pot. I do this way to often, I win a couple of pots or a big pot and the next hand I will get an above average hand and play it to passively. And in accordance with Murphy's Law, anytime I play passively and the blinds see a free flop, they hit their 2 pair or weak flush and straight draws. I wish I could figure out my mentality here. I guess I worry that over aggression will lead to either no play on my good hands, or getting called down on my bluffs. Either way, it has got to go.
Well, I guess that is a good start. I hope some will respond with critisicms or tips, and others might want to do what I just did. I can say that just by writing these out I can see how fundamental some of these problems are, and also I can already see some ways to improve. Good Luck at the Tables.
PC
1. Overplaying big suited connectors,
1a. Not paying enough attention to flop texture. These first two have to go together because one is usually a result of the other. I often find myself pushing these hands too hard, especially on a garbage flop, and as a result I am not looking at what my opponent may be playing. Last night I had a picture perfect hand where both of these occured. I am dealt AQd on the button. 15/30 blinds. Three limpers, and I make it 150 to go. Folded to the cutoff, who smooth calls. flop is ragish - Jc 4d 7c. CO checks and I lead out for 300. Smooth call. Right away I should know, its either a flush draw or a set. Turn is 9s. Here is my mistake, he checks and I bet 500 into a 1000 pot. Smooth call. River is the Ac. The worst possible card for me. He leads for 300. I feel a call is mandatory, correct me if I am wrong, and he turns up K4c. Now, of course my first instict is to bitch and moan about players calling raises out of postition with K4, but the more I thought about it the more I realized how poorly I played the hand. You can't control the cards other people play, you can only try to play your cards better. But blindly trying to bet someone out of a pot without considering their range of hands will leave you broke most of the time. Edit- This seems to happen online more than live, maybe the speed of the game affects me.
2. Not giving enough credit to a late position raiser when I am on a steal. I have run into this several times lately and once put me out of the tournament. Folded to me on the button with KT. I raise it 4xbb and it is folded to the bb who pops me back. I think he put me on a steal and so I call and see a flop of 9QK, giving me top pair and the straight draw. BB goes allin. The all in at the time confused me and I called to see the old Rockets shoved down my throat. After thinking about it, the BB obviously knew that the flop could have hit me any number of ways, and I should have put him on a big hand. Some form of this play has happened to me several times lately, and three of those times the BB showed AA. Just absolute stubborness on my part and a real flaw in my game.
3. Playing to passive after winning a big pot. I do this way to often, I win a couple of pots or a big pot and the next hand I will get an above average hand and play it to passively. And in accordance with Murphy's Law, anytime I play passively and the blinds see a free flop, they hit their 2 pair or weak flush and straight draws. I wish I could figure out my mentality here. I guess I worry that over aggression will lead to either no play on my good hands, or getting called down on my bluffs. Either way, it has got to go.
Well, I guess that is a good start. I hope some will respond with critisicms or tips, and others might want to do what I just did. I can say that just by writing these out I can see how fundamental some of these problems are, and also I can already see some ways to improve. Good Luck at the Tables.
PC