A terrible turn play in the heat of battle

[NLSoldier]

I think it is decisions like this, when I am caught up in the momment at the table that separates the player I am from the player I strive to be.

15/30 6 or 7 handed at Canterbury.

I have black tens on the button and open raise. Only the small blind calls. He is a mediocre player who is slightly loose, slightly passive, and pretty straightforward/predictable.

The flop comes Q97 with 2 clubs. SB checks, I bet, he Check raises, I 3 bet, He calls. I'm not sure what the general conscensous will be regarding my 3 bet, and the flop isn't really the street I am concerned with, but I'll give my thinking quick. I had been playing pretty agressively since we got somewhat shorthanded. SB is definately aware enough to notice this, so when he check raised I put him on any queen or nine, JT, T8, or clubs. I 3 bet basically for information, I figured he would 4 bet wtih a set or 2 pair, and call with everything else. I knew I wouldnt really be able to distinguish whether he had a queen which was the main card I was worried about obviously, but I dont think folding is an option in this spot and calling leaves me guessing on the turn, so I thought a 3 bet was my best play.

The turn brought the ten of diamonds. He checked, I bet, and he check raised again. At this point I went in the tank, debating whether to 3 bet or call. For some reason the board looked kind of scary to me. But when I stopped to think about it, really the only hands I am behind are KJ, J8, and 68, and I am almost positive he would not CR the flop with those hands and probably wouldnt have called PF with 68. Also the ten makes 2 pair a very likely hand for him, So I grabbed enough chips to 3 bet with, and then this stupid thought about how dumb I was going to feel when he 4 bet me and I got shown a straight popped into me head, so I wussed out and just called.

The river brought the king of spades and he checked, at this point I realized just terrible my non 3 bet was. I bet and he called and showed QT. I am pretty positive that he would have called my turn 3 bet and paid me off on the river.

Does anyone else ever have lapses in judgment like this while in the heat of battle? The fact that I knew the right play to make and I was too pussy to make it made me really mad and I beat myself up over it for a good orbit or two after this hand went down.

Any comments or wisdom would be appreciated. I'd like to confirm that the turn was as mandatory of a 3 bet as I think it was and I would also like to hear some thoughts on the flop 3 bet.

[Nick B.]

When you are at the table take a little longer to stop and think about it. Your initial read was that he didn't have J8 or KJ, and even if he does, you would have a lot of outs.

[TStoneMBD]

i think everyone has these lapses now and then, some more than others. its not +ev to take your time at a limit table. if you take time to think through a hand often, other players will as well. less hands will be dealt and other players will make better decisions. they will also recognize you as a thinking player, and this has been talked about in several books. you dont want players to realize you are thinking actively about your hands. you want them to think this is a game purely on the turn of a card, or chance. if they see you thinking they will often try to think as well to match you. however, when youre in a hand and are unsure about your play, take a little time to think it through to make sure you are confident with your move. thats not to say take your time every hand, but only when its necessary.

[payupsucka]

whats up NL? Yeah def.raise the turn, before i got to the end of the hand i put him on Q10. the only thing he will probably lead out into your raise is a Queen or possibly a club draw,depending how much action he wants. Although you are playing canterbury 15 so anything is possible.

[AviD]

NLSoldier:

I know exactly how you feel, and I find I make these same mistakes and miss these same bets when I am too deep into a session and not focusing enough.

It's easy to see when your mind is rested, away from the action and heat of the battle, and you have time to think about it. Transcending to the type of player that can maintain that focus and capitalize from it DURING the heat of the battle is an essential element to winning play (or at the very least significantly increasing your winrate), but easier said than done.

Rest assured you and I aren't the only ones that have walked this same path. At least you are recognizing the shortcoming in your game, and that's a great step to improving it. Funny thing is, I had the same revelation this past weekend while sitting with a better player that consistently "got the max" on his winning hands, and it was his phenomenal ability to focus on the current hand each and every time that allowed him to do it. Was impressive to just watch him play a hand and taught me a great deal in a short amount of time. I found that I got too lax at the table once I felt I was "ahead of the game" and the other players. It was only when he sat that I felt I "really" had to play in order to not get outplayed by him, not being really concerned with anyone else at the table.

The sad part to all of that is exactly what you were describing in ONE hand was applying to my ENTIRE session. I too have to start making it a point to focus more intensely and taking my time between decision points in EACH hand and cut down my sessions if I can't maintain it. It's easy to get "lazy" (at least for me) and start just playing an "automated" style of play...and the only thing that results in is lost bets and lost money (even if you are winning hands and winning money, you aren't getting the most out of your hands).

Seems obvious, but its often neglected in the heat of the battle.