After 15 years of playing recreationally, last year was the first that I started taking the game very seriously (exploring tools, tracking every session/$, studying more, etc....). I cashed my only WSOP event and made $63 per hour on 275 hours (small sample) of 2/5 NL. I have a full-time job, so I can't play as much as I'd like.
I've played 3 sessions this year and have been a complete gamble / spew monkey.
Two examples from yesterday.
MP opens 20, I call A
3
, good Button raises to $85, everyone folds, I call. Flop KT2 one heart. Button bets $60, I call. Q no heart. Check Check. River 8, I bet $315 and get called by AA.
I straddle UTG, MP raises to $30. 3 callers, I call with 95o. Flop 268. Initial raiser bets $35, everyone calls I call. Turn 8. Initial raiser bets $100. 2 callers. I c/shove $500 and miss river.
I know these hands suck (hand one can just fold to 3 bet PF OOP (or 4 bet bluff with a read)) / hand 2 just don't straddle or just fold to the raise.
No need to comment on the hands.
Preflop patience is something that I've completely struggled with. I created this little "checklist" of things to think about before playing. I've reminded myself that preflop is the most important street, etc...but in-game, I keep doing dumb ****.
Maybe it's:
- After a nice profitable year, I'm starting to think I can outplay people with bs starting hands?
- I ran pretty well at end of last year, perhaps now I'm not running as well (although neither of the hands above would have been in the mix)
- I got my medicinal marijuana card and have been smoking high test stuff daily (I never smoke before I play though).
TL;DR: Does anyone else struggle with preflop self-control and have you successfully changed your ways? What has helped?