Am I getting outplayed, or am I just unlucky?

[chopchoi]

I win at $1/$2, but it seems that everytime I decide to move up to $2/$4 or $3/$6, I get my ass kicked. I used to think that my game was o.k., and that, coincidentally, I just got unlucky when I moved up. But now it has happened so many times that I have to wonder whether I'm getting outplayed. Here are a few hands from a recent $3/$6 game I played.

I enter the game and post in the cut-off. I get AJo, with 3 late position limpers. I raise to buy the button and fold the blinds. My raise accomplishes both objectives, but one of the limpers re-raises. The flop is J high. The player who 3 bet the flop bets, I raise, he 3 bets, I call him down, and he shows aces (I think I was a little fishy here).

I get 45 in SB with 4 limpers. Flop is 4,5,8. I check-raise the button. One player cold calls, button calls. Turn is a 7. I bet, MP calls, button raises. O.K., he has a 6, but I'm getting odds to chase the FH. River doesn't help. MP bets into button, button raises and I fold.

I get J7 in BB. Flop is J,9,3 rainbow, with one club. It checks around to the button, who bets. I don't believe he has a J, so I CR to thin the field. One player cold-calls, and button calls. Turn is a rag. I bet, MP calls, button folds. River is a K. I check, MP bets. I call, he shows K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

I raise with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] in EP. I get 3 callers. Flop is Q high, with 2 diamonds. I bet and get 2 callers. Turn is a third diamond. I bet, and both players call again. River is a rag. I bet, MP calls, button raises. I make a crying call, and he shows K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].

Anyway, I know that my play is not spectacular in any way, but then again, niether is my opponents'. I try to objectively analyze the situation, and I conclude that I play worse than some, but better than most of my opposition.However, people tend to be biased in favor of themselves, so I would really value other people's opinions.

[brazilio]

I don't like your hand 1 play. Reads would help, but I'm probably still calling down from the flop or dumping it on the turn if you played it the way you did and you're confident he's got aces.

And I don't like your hand 3 play either, although I think that's less questionable. A non-donk player that raises after you've got a caller is almost never worth a crying call. He played his flush draw oddly, but you've got TPTK and there are a lot of hands that beat you.

[JoshuaD]

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I raise to buy the button and fold the blinds.

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Not to nit-pick, but you're raising because you have an equity edge too.

I play hand 1 the same way, hand 2 looks good.

[ QUOTE ]
I don't believe he has a J, so I CR to thin the field.

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Doesn't really matter what he has yet. Even against a TP-P I'll raise there. What sort of odds would you have been laying if you just bet out the flop? If you're laying 6:1 or worse, I'm betting out instead of C/R'ing.

Bet the river in hand 2.

I think you can Fold the river in the AQ hand.

[eleventy]

I've recently moved up from 1-2 to 2-4 4 tabling on Party. The 2-4 is much looser with more bad players. Try to find good tables and position relative to the bad player.

Also if you multi table try just adding 1 2-4 table. My bankroll is fairly big for even 2-4 but I think it is important(at least to me) to confidently be able to beat a level before moving up, not moving up just to take shots at higher limits.

[Pocket77s]

On your second hand, personally, when I flop bottom two pair like that in early position when there is three to a straight, I will just check and call the flop. The reason why I do that is because I'll wait for the turn to protect my hand. If the turn card comes up blank I'll check and let the button bet again and then raise so I can face the rest of the field with calling two BB cold. If the turn gives four to a straight on the board I can check on fold easier.

[Aaron51_lz]

I would say your a little unlucky. Your play hasn't been steller, but definitly not bad.

Your 1st hand, with AJ. I think you have to pay him off. Having just sat down at the table you cannot throw away your hand. I probably would not have 3-bet against the 3-better preflop. Since you just sat down at the game you do not have enough information to fold your top pair. Bad Luck.

2nd hand. I think your 2nd hand is pretty good. Without knowing the players tendencies I still think its a reasonable laydown. I probably would have also called the turn and I like the fold on the river. This is because even if you are not up against a straight with the action your opponents are going to turn up hands that beat you more than you will beat them. The could have trips or a higher two pair, so I think that is a good disciplined fold.

3rd hand is good reasonably good play and you got unlucky that he hung around with a hand he shouldnt have and got lucky. however I assume the pot was small and if you fold to the buttons bet, I dont think you are loosing to much. If people have limped in, someone holding J10s or QJs is quite common so you could be beat there. If the pot were larger I would love the play, but in a small pot I dont think you need to be so aggressive with it. But lastly I think it is a raise/fold situation. You cannot call with it.

Hang in there, seems like your playing pretty well and have just had some unfortunate hands.

[pyroponic]

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I think you can Fold the river in the AQ hand.

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Actually the pot was 9 BB if I counted it correctly, so maybe the call wasn't that bad. I mean he probably has you beat, but I think the pot is big enough where you can call. Whether to call/fold is also player dependent, i'd be more inclined to fold against a mouse or calling station.