Quote:
Originally Posted by MSchu18
we're always up for a good implosion.
J/K...
Funny you should say that...
Played an afternoon session at Graton, and the result is that I am a long way from being "prime-time Player.
Final tally at 1/3 and 2/5 was -$900 or so. First couple of hours were good and I did make some good plays, but met with some bad beats and cold deck, along with several missed draws - but those are to be expected, and I never tilt from bad beats. It is when I fail to think things through that cause me to go south.
I torched off $200 on a full on bluff bet/3-bet when I thought some kid was playing back at me on a small flop. I value-owned myself a few times - which is fine, except the amounts were too big and value was too thin. Of course there is a ton of folding that wears on a weaker mind. The evening ended when at 1/3 I raise to $18 utg in a straddled pot with AQ, got three callers and saw QQ9dd flop. I bet $45 and the SB, playing his 2nd hand called leaving roughly $65 behind. Turn was a safe-looking os7 and SB checked I put him all-in and he snapped called with Q9o. Poker is not dead when folks are calling $17 more at 1/3 in the SB with Q9o.
The main occurrence that has me down and questioning my potential to improve my abilities went like this:
A few hours in playing 2/5 and I'm up over $200. TTJ, an aforementioned good player, makes it $25 utg. Gets to a young player in the SB who calls. I look down at KK and bump it to $100. TTJ folds and kid calls. I have $700 more and he has me covered.
Flop($225): A
10
10
Yuck. However, he checks. I'm really only concerned about the ace. I don't think why, I just am. But with my older guy image and my 3-bet, I decide a $100bet is in order. He calls.
Turn($425): 8
He checks again. Is he reeling me in? But with what? In the back of my mind I'm thinking what 10 could he really have here? I'm still thinking he's check/calling an ace. Anyway, Maybe he's worried, so I bet $175. Now, I know these aren't huge bets compared to pot size, but in live games pushing out stacks of chips looks menacing...He makes it $475....
I have some small history with this guy. About a month ago I raised PF with 96s and paired the 9. I bet $30 into $45 and he raised to $90. It was a dry board and I definitely felt he was FOS. I re-raised and he folded and I showed my hand, and he comments, "You think you bluffed me?" Now, does he remember this? I'm guessing not, but maybe.
So here is where I screw the pooch. While his play in the hand was odd and I was not worried about the 10, my thought process was weak. I firmly had it in my mind that with the fact that I 3-bet PF and bet twice with an ace out there that I'm looking quite strong, and it would be a big spazz to bluff a middle-age guy in this spot. I'm pretty sure that he is a pro, or working his way to it. I muck without showing and he shows pocket 6's.
I am quite dejected by this because I thought I have been preparing for these situations by teaching myself to slow down and hand read. I've gotten better, but it appears I am still unprepared to fully dissect these situations. This one is second nature to you good, thinking players out there, but allow me to put together the pieces of this puzzle:
(1) Calling a 3-bet PF with any hand that includes a 10? Pocket 10's would be sick, so would A10s, but there would only be 2 combos of A10 possible.
(2) What hand with an ace? Since I have two kings that pretty much rules out AK. AQs seems possible, which is 3 combos. Seems that anything below AQ OOP is too loose.
(3) Set mines then floats with pocket 8's and gets there? Very sick.
(4) Any chance he just calls OR and my 3-bet and my flop bet with pocket aces? No way.
(5) Pot size. $900 and I have $425 remaining. If I had seen the obvious facts right in front of me, then I am well priced in to shove here.
So his possible range that beats me is an unlikely AQ. Also working against me is that I consider him a decent player, and it seems like massive spew to out right bluff this pot which caused me to decide too quick. Now I know that he is a "dick-swinger".
I listened to an Abe Limon podcast today. In reference to tilt he talked about how, before every session, he does a run-through in his mind about all the things that could occur: Winning big, losing big, bad beats, tough decisions, etc. Therefore he is always mentally prepared. This particular happenstance is uncommon I know, but not rare. I need to prepare myself for spots where session-changing analysis is needed. I messed up this one and things steam-rolled from there. How different would the afternoon been if I was up $900 and confident, instead of down $200, steaming and chasing?