Quote:
Originally Posted by leavesofliberty
Thanks for checking the stats calli. I agree that it's a game of plugging the leaks for the OP.
Post some hands, OP.
Here are some possible leaks:
1. Playing too many hands and going to far with them. To prevent yourself from playing too many hands, use a chart and seldomly wiggle. In fact, while plugging leaks, some of the marginal winners are now marginal losers. Also, be sure to have something strong in 3bet situations.
Then, look at flop play. If you flop top pair out of the blinds in a multiway pot, it's often correct to check-raise.
2. Playing a hand too aggresively. For example, at this limit, many overplay their hands. For example, a player check-raises and your read that it's at least TPTK. You have TT in a 9hi rainbow that's uncoordinated. If the player is out of the blinds, it's very possibly two pair, and calling down is better than re-raising.
3. Calling down. Though it's often correct to call down, if you had 88 in the hand above with the opponent who has TPTK+, you should give it up right away. (Though in higher limits, there are far fewer opponents that match the passive description).
Passive players can be easy to exploit if you give them the least when they show aggression.
4. When to valuebet the river. If you have top pair of tens, and a king pops and the pot is mid sized vs 1 or more opponent, you should usually just bet given it did not complete an obvious draw (such as QJ completing a straight, or a flush hits), and against passive players, you can even bet/fold! But as there are more players you should just check so you don't valuebet yourself. The same is true for an A instead of a K, because an awkward ace frequently gets there, such as a busted backdoor flush, and is afraid of two-pair.
5. Bluff out of the blinds. You should sometimes check raise someone who may be bluffing or cbetting. You can pick the times you think they are weak with psychology, or pick some of your draw hands that need to improve to win, or both. Bluffing sometimes when a draw comes in on the turn or river is powerful, but don't overdo it, especially w call stations. You should very rarely fold for one bet on the river.
Also, Ed Miller's SSHE book is a must read. Read a chapter, apply, and re-read.
And after plugging post flop leaks, then ease more hands back into pre-flop. Most low limit losses are from a lack of discipline, imho.
I have read SSHE, and have re-read it. I am re-reading again. That said....
Your post is gold. So much of what I have been feeling is wrong, you have identified. Now, I have to work on how to fix.
I took about a year away from the tables before my recent return. I think during my time away from the game, I let a lot of leaks in my game. I am perhaps overconfident which has resulted in playing too many hands pre and playing the too aggressively post flop.
Here is an example:
10 handed table.
I am UTG+1 w red 88 I open with a raise pre flop. 5 callers (including both blinds).
Flop: A 10 8 rainbow.
Blinds check to me and I bet, hoping/expecting that any of the 3 behind me will be holding an A and raise my cbet. Villain at MP +1 raises. Folds around to me. I 3bet. Villain calls and we are now heads up on the turn.
In retrospect, I probably would have been better off with a check raise. Even if I did not get a 3 bet in, I probably would have gotten more overcalls and my hand would have been much better hidden.
Turn: A (second
on the board)
Again, I make the mistake of betting expecting a raise that I can 3 bet. While I know A 10 and A 8 are within Villain's range, I think A8 is unlikely given my pocket 8s, and I am playing against a range that includes almost any A + but not likely AA. So feeling pretty confident I am way ahead here, I bet. Villain raises. I 3 bet. Villain calls.
River: 4
Again I make the mistake of leading with a bet. I make a very bad read thinking Villain's range might include a flush draw. In retrospect, her range almost certainly was A+ something else, and therefore she could not have 2 clubs in her hand (since Ac was the turn card). But I did not think that through in real time. Instead, I had hoped and thought she likely had either trip bullets or the flush and would make the mistake of raising my bet or otherwise be too passive to bet if I checked to her. She raises. I 3 bet. She 4 bets. I'm screwed and call.
I am pretty sure the results don't really matter here.
Last edited by C Put 6163; 07-04-2017 at 03:09 PM.