learning to fold

[MagicFlea]

I've been beating myself up lately over not folding to turn raises and the like... I've stopped winning lately, and its either a) my good luck stopped b)bad luck or almost certainly c) I'm not nearly as good as I thought I was.

Anywho

today I'm doing ok, but i'd be doing great if it weren't for
10 or so BB lost on hands where I get raised and I say "man I know I'm beat" then call down. So here's a couple of me trying to fix that problem

Hand 1;

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (7 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, CO calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG calls, CO calls.

Flop: (7 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG folds, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, CO calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 9.50 BB

Hand 2:

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. CO posts a blind of $2.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, CO (poster) checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Flop: (12.50 SB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets</font>, MP3 folds, CO calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 3-bets</font>, CO folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (9.75 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (11.75 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 12.75 BB

bleh... looking at these again its pretty obvious this is a huge weak spot in my game. These both look terrible... I'll try and give an analysis before I get ripped apart.

Hand 1: I think I either call the flop raise and lead again on the turn, folding to a raise, or 3-bet and check fold the turn, confident that if he bets the turn he's not fearing a check-raise and MHING.

Hand 2: The only thing I can think of here is to call the river and hope he had AJ... I had to call the turn because a river queen is going to win me 2 or 3 more BB giving me the right implied odds.

[Isura]

Hand 1: I'd usually call the flop and lead the turn, folding to a raise. 3-betting and leading the turn is probably overplaying the hand. Reads are pretty useful here, since you are often up against a smaller PP or a weaker king.

Hand 2: What makes you think that you can get 3BB on the river if a Q falls. I don't think you win more than 1BB on the river. I'd raise or fold the turn as probably the last money I'm putting in the pot.

[MagicFlea]

ok not 3 [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] 1 or 2 is really what I meant. even with 1 or 2 its still worth staying in though... just curious what good you think raising the turn would do here?

[alul]

[ QUOTE ]
Hand 1: I think I either call the flop raise and lead again on the turn, folding to a raise, or 3-bet and check fold the turn, confident that if he bets the turn he's not fearing a check-raise and MHING.

Hand 2: The only thing I can think of here is to call the river and hope he had AJ... I had to call the turn because a river queen is going to win me 2 or 3 more BB giving me the right implied odds.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hand 1: I think you played it fine.
Hand 2: I call the river. He may be playing AK this way (which by the way makes a Q on the river a very undesirable card).

[coolhanded]

May sound simple and silly, but this has helped me some with this problem------SLOW THE F*CK DOWN when you are in these situations. Use your available time to check PT stats and really think about what your opponent might have and which of those hands you beat. Many of my sub-optimal plays are a result of hurried decision making in the heat of battle. Cool off for a few seconds and make a thoughtful play. Don't wonder too much about it if you decide to fold-----it's only one hand.