Big Pots Small Pots

[Gabe]

I don’t have any specific hands to post, just a general question. What causes one to lose big pots and win only small ones for an extended period of time?

[PokerPrince]

Generally the larger pots which you refer to are being played multiway. This means that your chances of being victorious are obviously much less than against a smaller field(the small pots). You won't win very many large pots in comparison to the small/medium ones. Being human, we tend to forget the times we dragged a really monster 7way pot with our nut flush BUT we always remember that nasty 2 outer that landed on the river and crushed our dreams.

PokerPrince

[elysium]

hi gabe
what's happening gabe is that raises from early position are getting too much respect. how do you correct this? that's a good question.

whatever the answer is, it certainly isn't to limp in rather than to raise in. now, yes......you can and should limp in with ABC occasionally, but only very occasionally; once in ten times gabe. and only for a very good reason. and it's unfortunate, but also often, you must set the crowd against you, seeking revenge, doing everthing they can to get at you. i am troubled.

target the bullies gabe with your raise in with ABC. remember, gabe.....you like bullies in this spot.

[DanZ]

well, let's picture someone who plays very tight and predictably.

If their opponents are reasonably good, they will get into pots with this person, unless he has raised UTG at hold 'em,or raised with a live ace or king at 7 stud.

However, since everyone knows this player's patterns, they will ditch their hands very quickly unless they have big draws (which they will play passively if they are convinced this player has anything), or have made a hand that beats most of what the tight player is representing.

So our very tight player will win his share of small pots, but if the pots get large, it's usually because the opponent can beat what the tight player represents, and the tight player does not recognize this, so he continues smaking the pot larger. This is what Mason refers to as a "self-weighting strategy".

Just one possibility. Another is failing to knock out players aggressively (and this could mean waiting for the turn sometimse) in pots that project to become large.

Dan Z.

[LetsRock]

1) Your'e too tight and predictable.
2) You're going into showdowns with too weak a hand in big ppots.
3) You're VERY unlucky with suckouts.

(1 and 2 are the ones I'd be inclined to investigate the most. /images/graemlins/wink.gif)

[andyfox]

Only two ways to win a pot: show down the best hand or get everyone to fold before you do.

Small pots are easy to win because there are either few opponents, or a lot of checking because everyone missed, or both, or a bet that makes all opponents fold. This is especially true for a tough player like you who will get respect when against a smaller field, which implies the more solid players are in it.

When the pots get big it's because there are a lot of players, or because more than one player got a piece of the flop and/or turn or has a big hand anyway, or because the players are on the loose or wild or aggressive side, or some combination of all of these factors. It's almost impossible to get everyone to fold, given these types of players and the fact that the pot is so large by the river. So you've got to show down the best hand and that can be tough against a big field sticking around with all their thin draws who don't put you on a hand.