Hello!

I have played poker for 18 years and have seriously loved every minute of it. Even the bad times.

I think I have had a downswing for over two years now. Recently I have begun to doubt that I am a winning player. Therefore - I am here, and I want feedback to get myself out of this downswing.

How much am I playing? Probably 5-7 tournaments online a week and maybe 3-4 cashgame sessions.
Nicks: daws89 on Pokerstars (does not play there anymore because of Norway)
dawsroyale on Guts/Coolbet



I am going to post significant hands from the tournaments/cash games I crash out of - or go deep - and I want truthful and honest answers considering my overall lines and thoughts about poker. Because I dont play that much - it will not be many posts; maybe one every two days.

What is my goal? To have a graph that does not look like the hill outside of Bag End. And to be certain that I am a +-0 or a small winning player.

Thank you for even considering to comment!

First step

Coolbet - £50 NLHE 6-max , £27.5k guarantee

The tournament has lasted 3.5 hours. Average stack is about 30bbs.

UTG5 raises to 2.5x (130bbs), all fold , I call with --Ac3c-- from BB (55bbs)

Flop: Ad 3d 4s

Action: I Check, UTG5 bet 2.8bbs , I reraise 8.5bbs , UTG5 calls

Turn: 7d (Pot: aprox 20bbs, I have 45bbs left)

Action: I bet... 12bbs. UTG5 calls

River: 9s (Pot: apros 44bbs, I have 33bbs left)

I check , UTG5 ALL-IN



From a tournament perspective, I am thinking that my tournament life might be more important than bluffcatching a random Kd. I believe 95% of his worse made hands checks back. These spots will show up consitantly, and a definitive way to not reach my goal of being a +EV player is to constantly hero-folding / hero-calling in hard spots like this.

Can I get some thoughts on

• Pot-controlling hard spots?
  Sizing
  Tournament life vs value?

Updated progress from 12th of December
- $218

Goal: Being in the + the 12th of January

No interesting spots from last tournament that affects the goal of playing well and being +EV , just boring negative variance.

I realize that this thread will not become interesting before I try something extraordinary (high buy-in) or go deep in a tournament that might change the course of the downswing. But it keeps me reliable. I might share a total tournament handhistory, if any quick link works with twoplustwo (pop up hand replayer, for ex.)

£0.25 - £0.50 (Guts) , everybody 100bbs effective, table just started

4 handed

SB: As9s

UTG4 opens 2.5x , fold , I reraise to 8x, fold, call (too small maybe)

Flop: 5d-Qd-3s (pot 17.5bbs)

I bet 6bbs , call

Turn: 4c (pot 30bbs)

I bet 20bbs , call

River: 10d (pot 70bbs, or £35)

I ...


I do feel like going all in puts pressure on Qx. I also believe KQ is the top of his range, and there`s a ton beneath it.