Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 2042 Location: Alameda, CA
Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:11 am Post subject: Tried to stay off tilt
Hi - I was playing 6/12 and I have been working hard to improve my game with advice from Ed Miller and others. I believe it is working. I have reduced my variances which I like.
TPM has great advice on controlling your emotions and psychological effect of the game. But, I am not there yet.
I was 1/2 through the session and I picked up AA. I have only been playing quality hands and not that many. I come in the early seats and it is for a raise and I have a hand. The player UTG raises, I 3-bet and the player next to me knows I have AA-KK but he calls anyway expecting a big pot. It gets capped 7 ways. No respect at these tables.
The flop is Q-9-6 with 2 clubs. UTG bets, I raise and 3 call. Turn is a club and I have black AA. Checked to me and I bet. River is a Q checked to me, I check and the player next to me bets. UTG calls and I call.
He had Q J offsuit - no clubs.
Now, I have to admit that this really pissed me off. Then he said I knew you had AA and I love to crack them. UTG showed me KK. I said good call with QJ off.
Well, I played one hand. I felt that my composure was slipping so I got up and took a stroll around the casino, made a pit stop, drank a bottle of water and took about 15 minutes to get it together. After that I had forgotten about the hand, pretty much.
I played about another hour and quit because I was getting tired.
The important thing is that you recognised that you were liable to go on tilt and took appropriate counter-measures. Lots of players carry on playing and steam off a load of chips there. Unfortunately when pots are going 7 handed on the flop, you are going to get a lot of hands like this.
Well, you were only a 43% favourite going to the flop if the have random hands. They probably have better than random hands so you may only be a 40% favourite, meaning you will lose this hand 60% of the time.
Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 2042 Location: Alameda, CA
Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 5:39 pm Post subject:
Piemaster wrote:
The important thing is that you recognised that you were liable to go on tilt and took appropriate counter-measures. Lots of players carry on playing and steam off a load of chips there. Unfortunately when pots are going 7 handed on the flop, you are going to get a lot of hands like this.
Correct - the point here is not that I lost a good hand. My aces lose 40%+ of the time. As you said the point is that I recognized it and I took necessary measures. That is all I can do.
The other point is that it actually upset me - I had hoped that I was past that point, but I am not yet.
Example today I raise with QQ and lose to A4o runner runner Q3567 - that I could take, I guess. He called 3 bets cold and I welcomed the action.
They know that I have premium hands when I raise and they call anyway. Yet, I refuse to play anything less not in the blinds.
As Willem said AA is not a huge favorite against a large field. It goes to the point that luck is king short term and I am just not lucky enough.
The downside of raising with premium hands is that they know that going in. If they miss completely they can fold and if the hit they will win a big pot. I think that they are losers long term but so am I. I just think that they lose more than I do.
Out of 76 hands AA-TT I have won 51%. That is probably pretty good. The tick is to win as much as possible and lose as little as possible with your good hands. That is where the skill comes in and I am lacking there.
BTW - I have finally discovered the secret to winning at hold'em: drum roll please:
Know when to fold, check, call, bet, raise not in any particular order.
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