boondockst
10-07-2005, 10:08 AM
I have zero confidence in my poker "luck". I regularly play NL25 and 0.5/1 6max and usually do really well. My problem (if you can call it that) is an innate pessimism in all-in situations.
It started from playing in a local mini-casino's $25 buy-in tournament. It was played at 2 in the morning and given the sobriety (lack of) and play of the people involved, i was easily one of the top players there. But as it was a relative speed tournament, many all=ins occur and i went on a streak of getting all in preflop as a 65/35 or often 80/20 favorite and losing to one card flushes, one card straights, etc. I've only started playing this year but I have about 80,000 hands of ring play in and a lot of SNG experience as well. I'm no stranger to beat but I started having no confidence in all-in situations. It didn't affect my play that much, if at all, but the mental strain hurts at times.
I went on a recent trip to Vegas for the first time. I trapped a younger player (well hell i'm only 21 but) into making a call of a huge overbet preflop. There's $400+ in the pot in a 1/2 NL game and I have queens and see he has sevens. I kid you not, I get up from the table, shake my head and say, "Don't worry, I don't win these." Sure enough, he flops a seven and turns another seven for good effect. I get all in later on the trip with pocket kings against someone with a flush draw and gutshot. The player needs a ten or a diamond. I walk away from the table towards the in-room buffet because I can't stand to watch. The table gasps as right on the turn the....10 of diamonds falls.
I understand losing these situations are a part of poker but if you seem to have a bad apprehension about all in situations what can be done? I hope this post doesn't sound childish. I thoroughly enjoy playing poker but if there was one thing that makes it unenjoyable for me, this is it. It's so bad that I actually typed this into the chatbox online today:
Dealt to manhost [ Ah As ]
urdaisyifudo folds.
AnAngryMan calls [$0.25].
manhost raises [$1].
copeadam raises [$1.75].
kylep0 folds.
ROCK46 folds.
AnAngryMan folds.
manhost raises [$5].
copeadam calls [$4.25].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ac, 9s, Th ]
>You have options at Table 36571 (6 max) Table!.
manhost checks.
copeadam is all-In.
manhost: wow
manhost: i duno
manhost: i have AA
manhost: i might fold
manhost: if you have some garbage and draw out
manhost: good for you
manhost calls [$12.86].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Qd ]
** Dealing River ** [ Kd ]
manhost shows [ Ah, As ] three of a kind, aces.
copeadam shows [ Js, Jh ] a straight, ten to ace.
copeadam wins $36.42 from the main pot with a straight, ten to ace.
This hand didn't cripple my BR or anything and I actually made up the money within a half hour on another table but I just sat there stunned at my computer for fifteen minutes as i played. I was obviously joking in the chat about folding but my mental state is sometimes that skewed that I foresee losing the hand and I honestly (stupidly) typed that in so that he knew how bad I had him on the flop so that even if he won he would have to sweat it hard.
Anyone ever felt this way for an extended period or am i just spewing random thoughts because i've been up all night?
It started from playing in a local mini-casino's $25 buy-in tournament. It was played at 2 in the morning and given the sobriety (lack of) and play of the people involved, i was easily one of the top players there. But as it was a relative speed tournament, many all=ins occur and i went on a streak of getting all in preflop as a 65/35 or often 80/20 favorite and losing to one card flushes, one card straights, etc. I've only started playing this year but I have about 80,000 hands of ring play in and a lot of SNG experience as well. I'm no stranger to beat but I started having no confidence in all-in situations. It didn't affect my play that much, if at all, but the mental strain hurts at times.
I went on a recent trip to Vegas for the first time. I trapped a younger player (well hell i'm only 21 but) into making a call of a huge overbet preflop. There's $400+ in the pot in a 1/2 NL game and I have queens and see he has sevens. I kid you not, I get up from the table, shake my head and say, "Don't worry, I don't win these." Sure enough, he flops a seven and turns another seven for good effect. I get all in later on the trip with pocket kings against someone with a flush draw and gutshot. The player needs a ten or a diamond. I walk away from the table towards the in-room buffet because I can't stand to watch. The table gasps as right on the turn the....10 of diamonds falls.
I understand losing these situations are a part of poker but if you seem to have a bad apprehension about all in situations what can be done? I hope this post doesn't sound childish. I thoroughly enjoy playing poker but if there was one thing that makes it unenjoyable for me, this is it. It's so bad that I actually typed this into the chatbox online today:
Dealt to manhost [ Ah As ]
urdaisyifudo folds.
AnAngryMan calls [$0.25].
manhost raises [$1].
copeadam raises [$1.75].
kylep0 folds.
ROCK46 folds.
AnAngryMan folds.
manhost raises [$5].
copeadam calls [$4.25].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ac, 9s, Th ]
>You have options at Table 36571 (6 max) Table!.
manhost checks.
copeadam is all-In.
manhost: wow
manhost: i duno
manhost: i have AA
manhost: i might fold
manhost: if you have some garbage and draw out
manhost: good for you
manhost calls [$12.86].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Qd ]
** Dealing River ** [ Kd ]
manhost shows [ Ah, As ] three of a kind, aces.
copeadam shows [ Js, Jh ] a straight, ten to ace.
copeadam wins $36.42 from the main pot with a straight, ten to ace.
This hand didn't cripple my BR or anything and I actually made up the money within a half hour on another table but I just sat there stunned at my computer for fifteen minutes as i played. I was obviously joking in the chat about folding but my mental state is sometimes that skewed that I foresee losing the hand and I honestly (stupidly) typed that in so that he knew how bad I had him on the flop so that even if he won he would have to sweat it hard.
Anyone ever felt this way for an extended period or am i just spewing random thoughts because i've been up all night?