The Sun is Shining!
And I am feeling much more positive, having snuck in a crafty little 120-hand early morning session today, where I won a solid 2 buy-ins.
It is amazing how clearly one can think about the game, when things are running according to plan. (The concepts below are not new to me, or at all groundbreaking, but as I was walking to my office this morning, they really took shape in tremendous clarity).
It struck me that a huge part of my success or failure whilst playing poker depends upon getting well paid-off when I have a big hand. The whole reason that we strive to find sufficient spots to PFR around 20% of the hands we are dealt, is to disguise the spots where we have monster hands, and so increase the likelihood that we do get paid.
As usual today, I was splashing around, getting involved in a few pots, "giving some action", and generally running at about even, until I picked up the following hand:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1353883
Now, I know! This hand could not possibly have worked out any better. My slightly tricky call preflop was rewarded with the perfect flop. I had the luxury of being able to check the flop without fearing the flush draw, and the villain's flush presumably completed on the river, so allowing me to get it all in.
As this hand played out, I probably could have played it almost any way postflop, and got paid. However, I had been putting this guy to the test with a few aggressive plays, and so my apparent passive line on this hand, combined with what could have appeared to be a weak lead on the river sucked him in perfectly.
The point to this ramble, is that I think that if one can just show a break-even result on all the image-building splashing around, then that is an absolutely fine result. Most 200-300 hand sessions will likely have one or two big hands that will define the results for the session, hopefully in your favour. Sure, there will be times when you only have the 2nd best hand, your monster draw doesn't quite get there, or you suffer a horrible beat.
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To be clear about my new "unbreakable" rules for JJ and TT.
And I am feeling much more positive, having snuck in a crafty little 120-hand early morning session today, where I won a solid 2 buy-ins.
It is amazing how clearly one can think about the game, when things are running according to plan. (The concepts below are not new to me, or at all groundbreaking, but as I was walking to my office this morning, they really took shape in tremendous clarity).
It struck me that a huge part of my success or failure whilst playing poker depends upon getting well paid-off when I have a big hand. The whole reason that we strive to find sufficient spots to PFR around 20% of the hands we are dealt, is to disguise the spots where we have monster hands, and so increase the likelihood that we do get paid.
As usual today, I was splashing around, getting involved in a few pots, "giving some action", and generally running at about even, until I picked up the following hand:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1353883
Now, I know! This hand could not possibly have worked out any better. My slightly tricky call preflop was rewarded with the perfect flop. I had the luxury of being able to check the flop without fearing the flush draw, and the villain's flush presumably completed on the river, so allowing me to get it all in.
As this hand played out, I probably could have played it almost any way postflop, and got paid. However, I had been putting this guy to the test with a few aggressive plays, and so my apparent passive line on this hand, combined with what could have appeared to be a weak lead on the river sucked him in perfectly.
The point to this ramble, is that I think that if one can just show a break-even result on all the image-building splashing around, then that is an absolutely fine result. Most 200-300 hand sessions will likely have one or two big hands that will define the results for the session, hopefully in your favour. Sure, there will be times when you only have the 2nd best hand, your monster draw doesn't quite get there, or you suffer a horrible beat.
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To be clear about my new "unbreakable" rules for JJ and TT.
- I will always open for a raise in any position (as I do with any PP).
- If I am 3bet, I will fold. (Unless the 3bet is a min-raise and the villain is deep-stacked, in which case I will call)
- Facing a raise, I will coldcall for set value, only if the raiser has at least 10x the size of the raise behind.
- Against decent players, I will 3bet, particularly if the villain is OTB/CO and I suspect he may be stealing.
- If I am 4bet, I will ALWAYS FOLD!
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PS : Marc(Disconnected); In a feeble search for a humour, I butchered Albert King's Born Under a Bad Sign - "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all".
posted by robracing at
8:36 am
4 Comments:
You cannot possibly go wrong with those rules !! Except if you break them !!
By
grinder, at 10:59 am
I actually don't like the way you played this hand. You mention how you've been giving action, and how that leads to you being paid on your big hands, and then you elect to play this one passively. The whole point you were making is contradicted by not raising with this AA.
Also, if this guy has something like AJ, you're giving up a lot of value by not getting enough money in on the flop or turn (or river for that matter with the weak lead that'd just call with AJ).
By
DODGYKEN, at 4:05 pm
I know your reasons for the way you played the AA hand but I think you are running a risk by calling pre flop with it as it plays badly multiway. I'd probably have bet more on the turn most definitely and probably the flop as well.
I like the rules you've set for yourself with JJ/10's as Graham says you should be fine with them if you don't break them.
By
losbert, at 12:13 pm
Hand 1) perfect flop always hard to get paid you should be happy about it. Dodgyken makes an excelant point to.
By
RakebackFAQ, at 6:22 pm
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