Hands for review on this downward tumble

Haupt_234 · #1 05-17-2005, 10:28 PM

After reviewing my PT stats, I am down about 225BB over 70,000 hands in 5/10. I have been playing poker seroiously for a little over a year, and have built my bankroll up from .50/1. I was a winning player in everything up until 5/10.

I have come to the realization that I suck. Or atleast I am not nearly as good as I thought I was or, apparently, most of the players I have faced at 5/10. I'm not being the least bit sarcastic here, and I need some desperate improvement before I drop down to 3/6 due to bankroll loss for the third time.

There isn't too much to say about my play/stats. I have rocklike VPIP of 13.5% and a pretty standard PFR% of 12. I always looks for opportunites to openraise so I can "loosen up" and also try to play as many PPs and suited connectors when the pot is right. As far as table selection, I join random tables and quickly leave if it is too tight.

Well, enough of me trying to understand my breakdown at 5/10. Here are a few hands from my session yesterday that I felt uneasy about. Feel free to comment on any hand, any street.

Hand 1:

New at the table, no read on BB.

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, MP2 calls, 1 fold, Button calls, 1 fold, BB calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (10.40 SB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (5 players)
BB bets, UTG folds, Hero raises, MP2 folds, Button folds, BB calls.

Turn: (7.20 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB raises, Hero calls.

River: (11.20 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB bets, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 12.20 BB

Hand 2

Button is LAG.

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
2 folds, Hero raises, 2 folds, Button calls, 2 folds.

Flop: (5.40 SB) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets, Button raises, Hero 3-bets, Button calls.

Turn: (5.70 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets, Button raises, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 8.70 BB

Hand 3:

UTG+1 is 18/9/2.0

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG calls, Hero raises, 4 folds, CO calls, 3 folds, UTG calls.

Flop: (7.40 SB) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets, CO calls, UTG calls.

Turn: (5.20 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets, CO calls, UTG folds.

River: (7.20 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets, CO raises, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 10.20 BB

Hand 4:

An attempt to get aggressive and charge the fairly loose, fishy table... No specific read on MP2.

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
2 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, 1 fold, SB calls, 1 fold, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: (9 SB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 players)
SB checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets, SB folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

Turn: (6 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
MP1 checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets, MP1 calls, MP2 raises, Hero calls, MP1 calls.

River: (12 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
MP1 checks, MP2 bets, Hero folds, MP1 folds.

Final Pot: 13 BB

Hand 5:

UTG+2 is TAG.

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
2 folds, UTG+2 raises, 2 folds, MP3 calls, CO calls, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Flop: (13 SB) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 players)
Hero bets, UTG+2 raises, MP3 folds, CO folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (8.50 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+2 bets, Hero calls.

River: (10.50 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+2 bets, Hero raises, UTG+2 3-bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 16.50 BB

Every suggestion is appreciated, don't feel obligated to comment on every hand. I'll take all the advice I can get.

Haupt_234

Piiop · #2 05-17-2005, 10:53 PM

I didn't read all your hands (I'll try to later), but this stood out:

[ QUOTE ]
I join random tables

[/ QUOTE ]

This is just not acceptable for playing 5/10. Table selection and seat selection is VERY IMPORTANT. You know this.

Haupt_234 · #3 05-17-2005, 10:58 PM

[ QUOTE ]
This is just not acceptable for playing 5/10. Table selection and seat selection is VERY IMPORTANT. You know this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely agree... I have a buddy list and wait on tables that they are at, but join randoms while I am waiting (I am impatient).

I guess I just need some tips for table selection... Waiting for a table with one of the higher average pots takes 20-25 minutes each. Is there something I don't know about?

Thanks for the response.

Haupt_234

Piiop · #4 05-17-2005, 11:21 PM

Do you do any datamining? If you don't, you probably should. It's very useful.

Usually, I look around at the tables and put myself on the waiting list for a couple a few. If I'm able to join in a good seat, I join. If it's a bad seat, I'll take myself off the list, wait until someone else joins and then put myself back on. Hopefully, the next person who leaves will give up a good seat.

I don't always go for the highest average pot tables for a few reasons. Usually, there are already a bunch of good players on the waiting list ahead of me. A lot of times, all the action is because of 1 or 2 players so if they leave or go bust the whole table breaks up or turns into a rock garden. Some of the time, there aren't really any good seats (the LAGs are scattered around the table), so it will still be profitable but I may not want to deal with it.

A couple things I look for:

- Specific buddy list type players
- # of tight players, loose players, aggressives, passives, and unknowns
- My seat, in relation to the other players. I'm not going to sit to the right of two loose players and the left of 2 TAGs if I don't have to. Also, if there are already 2-3 Tags to the left of a big fish, theres no reason to be 4th in line.
- Stack sizes of the donators. If a couple players only have < 5BBs, they're probably not gonna last very long and the table will probably break up.
- A bunch of slightly loose passive players in a row. This is great for getting in big pots for cheap. People like limping after other limpers. The whole schooling effect or whatever. This isn't a huge thing that I look for, but it's something to keep in mind.
- # of people sitting out. I hate when there are a lot of people sitting out for a long time - it causes the table to break up. However, I won't bypass a good table simply because of this.

There may be some things I'm forgetting, but I'm pretty sure thats the most important stuff (for me at least). It really doesn't take very long to find a decent table this way, but it really is waaay better than joining random tables. Of course, this really wouldn't be possible without datamining cuz I wouldn't know nearly as many players.

Haupt_234 · #5 05-17-2005, 11:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]

Do you do any datamining? If you don't, you probably should. It's very useful.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just realized I do nothing as far as table selection. And I will admit, I am not real clear on what datamining means....

I have a good database on PT which I export notes with onto the players I am against. But if I look at a random table, I will have 4-5 notes max. So I am getting the idea that I should look for the LPPs and set up a tent...

Thanks a lot for the help so far.

Haupt_234

Piiop · #6 05-17-2005, 11:40 PM

Datamining is basically just leaving your tables open all the time (or just overnight) so you get as many observed HHs as possible.

4-5 notes per table is pretty good tho.