confidence shot by bad beats - what to do?

[fnurt]

[ QUOTE ]
[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] You didn't make a large preflop raise. You made a nuisance raise. The size of your raise should depend on the number of people already in the pot. With two limpers, making everyone call an extra 2.5 BB is not a large raise. Make it 100 if you want people to take the raise seriously. This isn't limit hold'em.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes indeedy. You can't expect someone who has already limped in to fold for an extra T50.

"But I don't want to raise more," they always say, "because they just call me with trash and draw out on me." Be that as it may, it's a choice you make. You can't go making tiny raises and getting pissed at everyone when they don't instantly give you credit for AA.

[slogger]

First of all, streaks happen. I just posted elsewhere in the forum that through 36 10+1 tourneys I was doing really well (but those 36 tourneys included a losing streak of 6 straight). It's going to happen, but it doesn't mean you can't be profitable in the long run. You should try to play steadily at one level of buy-in over at least 100 tourneys in order to ensure yourself that you're playing winning poker and to ensure that you have a large enough bankroll to play at the next level without being so concerned about a little losing streak.

As for the hand, it's a tough beat that probably could not have been avoided (seems that this guy had his heart set on seeing that flop), but I don't think you played the hand as well as you could have.

Pre-flop: there are 2 callers to you in the SB, and you are out of position with a hand that does not want to see an A or K flop (you are vulnerable). Raise the pot (make it about 90-100 to go. If they all fold, you should be more than happy to collect 60 chips unconstested at this stage of the tourney. And if 67o is willing to put in another 80 as a huge dog, that's excellent.

Flop: Even though we know now that you were in big trouble, you have to at least bet the pot on this draw-heavy flop (280). If you're raised, you can toss it or proceed with extreme caution (unless you think the guy is a manic) and if called, I think you can safely slow down and look for a better spot when Button turns up the heat on the Turn. Of course, it would suck to have to throw away a big overpair, but you'd have over 500 chips left at a very early stage of the tourney...coming back from that shouldn't be too tough if you pick the right spots.

Point is, although you played it OK, I think you could have bet a little more both preflop and on the flop.

[Aneubis]

Thanks for all the advice. I did decide to take a few days off and do some study. My pattern seems to be study/read then improve, not study for a while then regress some. Only been playing about 9 months and only been playing NL about 4. I know there is plenty of room for improvement. The advice was good, alot of reinforcing what I knew in my gut. QQ seems to be a tricky hand for me too. Not sure how much to raise pre-flop, if it's to little I let people in with junk. If it's to big I worry that the people who call will have overcards on me. Then when the flop has a King or Ace how do I play the hand? Got a lot to learn, Thanks

[patrick dicaprio]

i think you misplayed this hand somewhat although i dont doubt that you have hit a rough streak. with two callers of the blind your pot sized raise is offering the next player 2-1 to call the next 3-1 and the next 4-1 (approx). with other callers in you either have to raise a lot more preflop or just call. nothing wrong with that with small blinds.

when the button calls a preflop raise and then calls your flop bet he is calling 200 to win 480. even if he has a mere draw you are still allowing him to play with +EV.

once you are called here and a 5 comes you shouldnt push in here. there is a straight on board and two of two suits. so if he had a straight draw he made it and he isnt going to fold a flush draw.

I can see why you thought this was a bad beat however, and if it was me i might feel the same way until i thought about it some more.

Pat

[gergery]

[ QUOTE ]
You didn't make a large preflop raise. You made a nuisance raise.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just to build on that, after your bet the BB needed to risk 50 to win 120 just on pot odds, and with implied odds it makes it correct for him to call with a reasonable set of hands even if you knew what you had. Once the BB was in, the next guy is risking 50 to win 170, which makes it correct to call with just about any hand that someone would want to limp in with in the first place.

Bottom line: It's highly likely you will be getting callers with that size raise, and it wouldn't be a terrible mistake on their part.

And 50 sngs is not enough to draw conclusions on. My first 70 sngs at $20 had me winning 23% and placing 48% for an ROI of 70%. Then a couple of 14 game stretches of GusHansenSyndrome (i will outplay them with my 62o!) brought me back to reality.

-greg