Laying down hands
 

I hope this is the right area for this post. I have noticed a certain weakness I have (among others)is that when I am holding a really good hand, but not the nuts...if someone re-raises me, my mind automatically puts them on something crazy like 4 aces, a straight flush etc...I get the feeling that I am laying down winning hands a fair % of the time. Is there any way to overcome this "fear" of being up against the nuts......when in all likelyhood, it isn't the nuts? I am sure others can tell that I can be pushed to fold a descent hand, and I want to get out of that habbit.

Re: Laying down hands
 

a) call down more
b) you may suffer from FPS

Re: Laying down hands
 

I am almost afraid to ask......what is FPS?

Re: Laying down hands
 

It may be you haven't enough time yet to know what the probable hand your opponent holds is even if you have no idea what he holds, or the best probable hand for that round.

The average hand I think is two pair, but the best hand of each round depends a lot on what comes out and how the pf betting verses post flop betting. If you compare those it may help you find a small range of hands that may fit your opponents hand.

Not original but remember: buying in is just the ticket, lessons are what you get after the buy in.

The worst you can do calling someone down is lose a few bets if you feel your hand may be best.

Re: Laying down hands
 

FPS = Fancy Play Syndrome

Re: Laying down hands
 

You've got to realize that on the flop people will raise you on flush draws and on the turn some people will raise behind you with what they think is not the best hand but because

1) if they just call you on the turn, they will still have to call on the river(they have something like top pair weak kicker or second pair) and by raising you they get the free showdown or they improve on the river and they win an extra bet or you they get you to lay down a better hand [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

and some people feal when their draw gets there they ought to raise even if it's a fairly low flush or the bottom end of a straight [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Laying down hands
 

think logically about the situation, and do what the logic says. eliminate the greed emotion when evaluating

Re: Laying down hands
 

First of all, I worry that you might be playing in a game that is over your head. Can you afford to gamble for the stakes you are playing?

Second, you must have some kind of feel for what your opponent's are holding. Are you just playing weak-tight? Have you tried to put your opponents on a range of hands? If so, is the reraise consistent with your evaluation? Do you think there is still a good liklihood you are ahead and your opponent is either bluffing/stupid/misreading you?

Third, your opponents don't play hands the way you would. They have their own motivations for making raises/reraises. You can't assume a reraise means the nuts against everybody you play just because you might do that yourself. You've got to be willing to stay in there unless you've become convinced you're beat.

... unless this is Omaha. Then fold. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Laying down hands
 

When I play holdem I "usually" pay people off when I have the second nuts. Most of the time I find they didn't have the nuts after all and although I havent tracked it (I know I should) I'm willing to bet that I've won more money than I've lost by calling down with the second nuts. The biggest example of this is the K high flush, I know it's possible that people have the A high but I usually call anyways and I've only lost about 2 out of 20+ times.
As stated before though you have to be aware of the board, on a board of JTK6J your straight is no good, as many players love JT or JK so someone probably has the Boat, just one example.

Re: Laying down hands
 

[ QUOTE ]
When I play holdem I "usually" pay people off when I have the second nuts. Most of the time I find they didn't have the nuts after all and although I havent tracked it (I know I should) I'm willing to bet that I've won more money than I've lost by calling down with the second nuts. The biggest example of this is the K high flush, I know it's possible that people have the A high but I usually call anyways and I've only lost about 2 out of 20+ times.
As stated before though you have to be aware of the board, on a board of JTK6J your straight is no good, as many players love JT or JK so someone probably has the Boat, just one example.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like you fold too much, too.