I have found a leak

[twang]

This will be a bit embarrassing to admit: I take a stand in small pots and play passively in big ones. Sounds like I need to read SSH a few more times, right?

In small pots with few opponents I play pretty LAG. I try to push people off the pot with anything from nothing to bottom pair, lone overcard, weak draws etc. When I get callers, I usually don't get away if I think I'm beat. Instead I tend to go down to the river - I'm basically investing big to win small.

In big pots with many opponents it's the opposite: Even with very strong holdings I play passively and fail to inflate the pot (in case my hand holds up or my big draw hits) and push gutshots and underpair away.

I think this is some elementary psychological things going on in my head: A) Few opponents are easier to beat than many. B) Big pots look scary. Some people have some kind of silly respect for big piles of money - I know I have. It's probably because a big pot illustrates how much I have invested. In a small pot is not as obvious that I'm throwing in BB after BB.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? What did you do about it?

(Just for the record. Despite this leak, I'm doing pretty good overall, around 2BB/100.)

/twang

[toots]

Have your wife/girlfriend dunk you in the pool, and patch the part that burbles.

[Demana]

Two things:

#1 You're using your win rate for justification for poor play.

[ QUOTE ]
(Just for the record. Despite this leak, I'm doing pretty good overall, around 2BB/100.)

[/ QUOTE ]


#2 You're probably playing in too high a limit game. Try going down a limit and work on getting yourself into the correct mindset.

[Bluffoon]

I don't have a problem with the big pots but I will get stubborn in a small pot or if I am headsup. The worst situation for me for a long time was when I flopped a pair on a free play in the big blind.

One thing that helped me was to post a note on my monitor that says "FOLD WHEN YOU MISS YOU DUMBASS" If I don't learn after staring at this all session every session I deserve to lose my money.

This works great for all kinds of things you want to remind yourself. Currently also posted on my monior are "Fish Call", "No Free Cards", "Temper you Aggression" "Don't go too far with suited connectors" and a list of my biggest money losing starting hands.

[mosquito]

The big issue, IMHO, is once you have found it,

Where do you take your leak? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[twang]

[ QUOTE ]
Two things:

#1 You're using your win rate for justification for poor play.

[ QUOTE ]
(Just for the record. Despite this leak, I'm doing pretty good overall, around 2BB/100.)

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]
You are absolutely right. I've been semi-aware of this leak for a long time, but since the results have been ok, I have done nothing about it.


[ QUOTE ]
#2 You're probably playing in too high a limit game. Try going down a limit and work on getting yourself into the correct mindset.

[/ QUOTE ]
Don't know about this one. I have the BR to play two limits above the limit I currently play. But, yeah, it sounds like it's some kind of scared money-thing going on.


[ QUOTE ]
I will get stubborn in a small pot or if I am headsup

[/ QUOTE ]
That would be me. Good advice about the notes too. Thanks.

/twang

[glorfindel]

Your issue in small pots is probably a macho-ego, "I'm gonna outplay this guy" routine. Get over it. However, recognize that against a tight player this may be a profitable play at times. Against a loose player, just value bet if you have the hand for it; otherwise, let it go. Your profit against the loose player is from value betting, not bluffing.

Passive play in big pots is generally just bad poker. As you say yourself, apply SSH. Why you wouldn't when you know you should, I have no idea.

[Hellmouth]

I have this same leak. I have a hard time controlling myself when I think someone was passive and I can drive them out of a $1 pot for a $.5 turn bet.

Greg