[msk]

1. I represent a pair of Aces on third street too often, though not all the time.

It depends on what you have when you represent the Aces (and raise), and who and what are behind you. Here is something you can do: Represent Aces only late, and only when you have a pair in the hole, and perhaps only when the pair is either 99 or higher; or any pair as long as you have a 2 flush. (I generally raise with an Ace showing and a live 3 flush, so I think that's good).

2. I play nearly all pairs for the price of the bring-in regardless of how dead my hand is.

duh. Don't play pairs lower than 88 at all unless you are late, no raises, and you have a 2 flush. I would throw away pairs of TT or lower if one of them were showing. Sometimes JJ.

3. I play nearly all three straights for the price of the bring-in regardless of how dead my hand is.

Don't play 3 str8s lower than about 89T at all unless you also have a 2 flush and your cards are completely alive.


4. I, on occasion, can be bullied off a huge pot. This mistake hurts like hell, when I see some clown take down a pot with a hand smaller than what I had.

This is probably the worst mistake. If the pot is large enough, and it is one bet, and sometimes two, you must call. Many pots with AAxx (2 pr) and KKxx (2 pr)
against 2-3 players must be worth a call, since they are so large. I won a gigantic 5-10 pot online this week with KK88 when a guy with a low str8 folded to my raise of the bettor with QQxx; he went ballistic at himself when he saw my hand. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I rate these mistakes, from worst to least bad: 4, 2, 3, 1.
But 2 is pretty bad too. For whatever it's worth: I know what to do in both HE preflop and Stud on 3rd str. I cannot fold hands preflop often enough in HE, I just cannot. I do not play HE any longer. I can do the right thing in stud. I play a lot. (3-4 tables at once). I am not sure why I can at one game and not at the other. If you cannot follow the simple rules of when to fold and when to call and when to bet --- like those in the 2+2 stud book -- you should find another hobyy or game.


Mark