From Losing to Breakeven... How do I now turn profitable?

Ray Of Light · #1 08-10-2004, 08:21 AM

Hello everyone!

I have just moved up in limits once again after grinding out 500 BBs to start playing the $0.50/$1 games on Party, (I started out on $0.05/$0.10 on Victor Chandler and Pacific). The thing is, I am having trouble beating these games and I can't see why, because the tables I select are super soft.

I admit, that since I started on Party, I have only logged about 19 hours of play, and I have been on a mere 25 BB down swing, so it is not enough for me to start questioning my strategy, but I feel that if the games are good, then the problem must be in the way I am playing them, so I am looking for any glaring leaks in my game play, so that I can start pluggin them from now.

So I have three hands here, that have had me woundering how I should have played them better...

HAND ONE

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Ray Of Light is Button with T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO calls, Ray Of Light raises, SB calls, BB calls, CO calls.

Flop: (8 SB) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, CO calls, Ray Of Light folds, SB calls.

Here is where I felt I was too weak in my play. Should I have raised to gain a sense of how strong their hand was? Or should I have just called all the way to the river?

I figured that if the board paired, it wouldn't be any use to me since I probably wouldn't have had top two pair, so that left me with two outs and not enough in the implied odds to chase for the trips.

Turn: (5.50 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, BB bets, CO folds, SB folds.

Final Pot: 6.50 BB
Main Pot: 5.50 BB, won by BB.
Pot 2: 1 BB, returned to BB.

HAND TWO

How could I have made more from this hand?

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Ray Of Light is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. MP3 posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 (poster) checks, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, Ray Of Light raises, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls.

Flop: (12.50 SB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (6 players)
Ray Of Light checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button checks.

I was first to act, I had the nuts, and I was hoping to check raise. In hindsight, I should have just bet out, as I was the preflop aggressor and so couldn't gauruntee that someone behind me would bet.

Turn: (6.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (6 players)
Ray Of Light checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button checks.

As soon as I saw the fourth diamond, I assumed that someone may have caught their flush and would be willing to bet it. I should have bet here. If the check raise doesn't work the first time, its unlikely to work second time round?...

River: (6.25 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (6 players)
Ray Of Light bets, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button calls.

Damn... Now I am exposed to a possible straight flush, and I haven't even maximised the pot in the process!

Final Pot: 10.25 BB
Main Pot: 10.25 BB, between UTG, UTG+1, Button and Ray Of Light.

HAND THREE

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Ray Of Light is UTG with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
Ray Of Light raises, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds.

Flop: (7.50 SB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
Ray Of Light bets, UTG+1 raises, MP2 folds, Ray Of Light 3-bets, UTG+1 caps, Ray Of Light calls.

As soon as he raised me, I knew I was behind to a two pair or better... Should I have slowed down after he raised? Or was I right to cap the pot?

Turn: (7.75 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Ray Of Light checks, UTG+1 bets, Ray Of Light calls.

River: (9.75 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
Ray Of Light checks, UTG+1 bets, Ray Of Light calls.

Final Pot: 11.75 BB
Main Pot: 11.75 BB, between UTG+1 and Ray Of Light.