The Journey by Piemaster

[AlamedaMike]

Ian, you have the most amazing timing. BLAM, hit on the head.

I have been considering things in your article, which is great, as usual. I ordered your book, BTW.

I am pretty sure that I am stuck in stage 3 and bouncing around like I was inside of a washing machine trying to figure out if I really suck as I often suspect or that I am really unlucky, which I doubt, but it sure looks that way.

Last night I flopped 2 pair out of the blinds and lost all three. I flopped 2 pair (T9s) and lost and posted it. Other players are lucky (short term) he flopped trips 2 times in a row - 73-1 odds to flop trips.

Now, on that hand (T9s), for instance, was it bad luck or should I have not played that hand in the first place? There were 2 limpers and I had T9s and called - it turned out that I had 14% preflop equity. Maybe a more disciplined player would have just mucked it? If you have time you can look at the hand and let me know.

The last few months have been rough on me and my mind is muddled with all kinds of thoughts banging around and it must be affecting my game. I am not sure how to turn this around.

I vow to play tighter like mucking a lot of off suit big cards (KJo) because I really need the extra edge of suited cards (3-6%). I seldom play any card lower than a 9 unless it is suited and connected - no gaps. I avoid big little like it is the plague with a few exceptions of Ace wheel suited.

Cold calling is one of the 7 deadly sins of poker IMO (Greed).

I am still getting beat like a red headed step child.

I will read What makes a bad poker player? and contemplate my navel for awhile.

BTW, I know that Matt has Poker Tutor which I have not used yet. Maybe this would help. But, I do have TTH V6 which is a pretty good poker simulation s/w and I practice with that a lot. I think that my basic technical aspects are sound but some of the strategic or psychological ones are off kilter.

[mchilger]

Pie, another classic. Great article.

Matthew

[krazytxan]

Awesome article!

Time to get the books out and study some more.

Can't wait for the Poker Mindset.

KT

[Piemaster]

[taz115]

Great article Pie.

The only thing I might add that in stage 4 not everyone is disillusioned with how good they are. I have probably been in stage 4 for the past year or so. I recognize that I am only studying enough to stay there although sometimes I do fool myself into thinking I am progressing. But I am able to make pretty decent money playing 2/4 - 10/20 over the past year as I see that as a result of my hard work put in during stage 3.

By sticking around ITH I probably stay sharp enough to remain in stage 4 but I realize that if I ever want to become a really good player I need to get my enthusiasm to learn back and hit the books like I did a year ago. I'm not sure if that desire will come back or not but for now I'm happy where I am.

Again, great article. I think you did a great job of representing the poker learning curve there.

[AlamedaMike]

[quote="Piemaster"]

[Willem]

I'm pretty sure I am in stage 3. I hope I can avoid ever getting into stage 4 and go directly to stage 5. I thank you for writing this article so I can avoid these pitfalls in the future.

I think playing multiple tables is one of the reasons many people get stuck in level 4. I tried it a few times before and it didn't feel like playing poker, I was just some poker automaton. Can't imagine anyone learning anything from playing 8 tables at the same time.

[AlamedaMike]

For live games only - Online need not read.

I have been thinking away from the table which is highly recommended. I have been losing lately even thought I think that I have a sound understanding of the game.

As we know, poker is situational, and hands that are playing in one situation are not in another, .

There are numerous examples of this and if I do not play attention then I am going to continue to lose money. I think this goes along with Pie's article on the Journey.

I also think that the public card rooms can be a dangerous place for the unwary (not to scare anyone since there are not likely to be cheated in a public card room) but someone has to lose in order for someone else to win.

I digress, one casino that I play is mostly patronized by regulars that have played with each other for years and know each other's play very well. If a newbie wonders in and gets in between about 5-6 regulars he or she just might get sheered. Need I expound? I have been playing there for about 3 years off and on and on some days I make a killing $800-$1000 up but on most days I take a licking $300-$1000 down.

So, on our Journey we need to be careful where we play and to adjust our play according to the group of players at that casino or card club. I am not saying that they will cheat you or overtly conclude together but they have a distinct advantage because 1) they are good players and 2) they know each other well.

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An example - I have JTs MP1 and a regular limps EP, I call as do 2 others. Then a regular with say a medium pocket pair riases. He knows that he is behind to the EP player but wants to increase the pot size if he hits etc. Seven (7) to the flop for 2 sb.

I hit the flop with a Jack and a back door flush draw. I end up getting sandwiched between the two players if I have odds to call and most likley lose to KK from EP or a set from the PFR.

Say it goes we check to the raiser who bets and now EP player raises. The pot now has about 18 small bets so I now call 2 small bets getting 9-1 odds and continue to chase 'because of the size of the pot, yaddy, yaddy'. I miss my outs and call on the river ... he has KK.

Does any of the sound familiar or even possible?

Where did I go wrong? Well, I could have folded for 2 bets back preflop but almost no one does that. I could have bet the flop and folded if the PFR raised and EP called - 1 bet back.

In the end the regulars keep the money from the newbies that feed the game. Each regular knows that if the money stays with them it will come their way from time to time. Sound paranoid? (I know for a fact that some of the players do team up at some clubs).

Sorry for the long winded story - this Journey is not all that easy and I need to be careful on the way that I do not get devoured but do the devouring.

[Bullajami]