About That Picture
... in yesterday's post? Yeah, well, every once in a while it doesn't work out exactly that way.
I mean I was set up for it. Not long into my session I picked up AA in the BB. One pot sized raise and a caller. I 3-bet it and not small. Both call. Flop of Q - rag - rag with no suits. I lead, get a call and a fold. Turn is an Ace, I underbet the pot, opponent shoves and was probably pissed that I re-sucked on his set of queens.
So: Instead of the usual ceremonial dusting off of a buy in or two I actually went up early. And I pretty much stayed there. Lockdown mode was definitely on.
It's pretty interesting to note the differences between the games. Rush NL50 to me plays a lot like pre-Rush NL100, except even more aggro. Lots of 3 betting. Compare that with Rush NL25 where I consistently pick up the blinds when I minraise any two cards from early position. Granted I don't do it with any two cards, but I might minraise a small pair or if I feel like playing a sooted connector. I'm flaky. If I tried that move at Rush NL50 I'm getting 3 bet 99% of the time.
Needless to say, different games require different play styles.
I really, really need to improve in a few areas. I am missing out on a TON of value when I don't follow through on a hand. Whether it's checking a river when I don't have the immortal nuts or stuff like this:
I have 22 in the BB. There is a pot sized raise from EP and a call from MP. I call closing the action.
Flop is T 6 2 with two diamonds.
I lead out with a pot sized or just smaller bet.
EP player calls. MP shoves.
Now this is the scenario I WANT. I have induced action. Sure I am behind TT and 66. I can't put either opponent on those specific hands. I'm sure that Ax of diamonds will come along, as will a whole bunch of dominated hands.
If I'm not going to call (or reshove, I forget exactly what the stacks were) here what the hell am I doing in the hand in the first place??
I finally decided that MP could well have TT or 66 since he flat called the preflop raise. I folded (IDIOT), sat out and watched the rest of the hand unfold.
EP thought for a few seconds and then called - he had QQ versus MP's KK and I completely missed out on a chance to take two players to valuetown. Ugh.
Learn how to play dummy.
Another area that I need to work on is dealing with squeeze plays. I had a hand at Rush NL50 recently where it folded around to me on the button. I potted it (1.75) with 99, the SB called and the BB popped it to 9. So I had would have had to call 7.25 into 12.50.
I think in this particular case it was a pretty easy fold - neither SS or BB had much of a stack behind (maybe 20 each), so not favorable odds for set mining. Without reads I didn't have a range pinned down for either but chances are very good that my equity isn't so hot.
At least in the 50 game there's quite a bit of squeezing from the blinds and I really need to sit down with a pencil and a computer and figure out exactly what kind of equity I need to continue with a hand.
Hmm. I've probably just offered up some more evidence for the 'wow you suck at poker' crowd, but I've never denied that. I have never made any kind of real study of "cash" (play chip) NLHE and after all these years still mostly play by feel and instinct - with instinct being wrong an awful lot.
Maybe I should title this section learn the game dummy or at least learn the math dummy.
I mean I was set up for it. Not long into my session I picked up AA in the BB. One pot sized raise and a caller. I 3-bet it and not small. Both call. Flop of Q - rag - rag with no suits. I lead, get a call and a fold. Turn is an Ace, I underbet the pot, opponent shoves and was probably pissed that I re-sucked on his set of queens.
So: Instead of the usual ceremonial dusting off of a buy in or two I actually went up early. And I pretty much stayed there. Lockdown mode was definitely on.
***
It's pretty interesting to note the differences between the games. Rush NL50 to me plays a lot like pre-Rush NL100, except even more aggro. Lots of 3 betting. Compare that with Rush NL25 where I consistently pick up the blinds when I minraise any two cards from early position. Granted I don't do it with any two cards, but I might minraise a small pair or if I feel like playing a sooted connector. I'm flaky. If I tried that move at Rush NL50 I'm getting 3 bet 99% of the time.
Needless to say, different games require different play styles.
***
I really, really need to improve in a few areas. I am missing out on a TON of value when I don't follow through on a hand. Whether it's checking a river when I don't have the immortal nuts or stuff like this:
I have 22 in the BB. There is a pot sized raise from EP and a call from MP. I call closing the action.
Flop is T 6 2 with two diamonds.
I lead out with a pot sized or just smaller bet.
EP player calls. MP shoves.
Now this is the scenario I WANT. I have induced action. Sure I am behind TT and 66. I can't put either opponent on those specific hands. I'm sure that Ax of diamonds will come along, as will a whole bunch of dominated hands.
If I'm not going to call (or reshove, I forget exactly what the stacks were) here what the hell am I doing in the hand in the first place??
I finally decided that MP could well have TT or 66 since he flat called the preflop raise. I folded (IDIOT), sat out and watched the rest of the hand unfold.
EP thought for a few seconds and then called - he had QQ versus MP's KK and I completely missed out on a chance to take two players to valuetown. Ugh.
Learn how to play dummy.
***
Another area that I need to work on is dealing with squeeze plays. I had a hand at Rush NL50 recently where it folded around to me on the button. I potted it (1.75) with 99, the SB called and the BB popped it to 9. So I had would have had to call 7.25 into 12.50.
I think in this particular case it was a pretty easy fold - neither SS or BB had much of a stack behind (maybe 20 each), so not favorable odds for set mining. Without reads I didn't have a range pinned down for either but chances are very good that my equity isn't so hot.
At least in the 50 game there's quite a bit of squeezing from the blinds and I really need to sit down with a pencil and a computer and figure out exactly what kind of equity I need to continue with a hand.
Hmm. I've probably just offered up some more evidence for the 'wow you suck at poker' crowd, but I've never denied that. I have never made any kind of real study of "cash" (play chip) NLHE and after all these years still mostly play by feel and instinct - with instinct being wrong an awful lot.
Maybe I should title this section learn the game dummy or at least learn the math dummy.
