Tight Poker

[mirage]

Lately, I've been playing my big PP's very carefully. It has saved me some buy-ins, I had to fold QQ yesterday more times than I care to remember, and JJ was also cursed (standard though eh? lol.)

I guess I just have a harder time getting away from the rockets. In the below hand, villain had JUST sat down, maybe 2 hands ago. No reads, tiny stakes. As I was being dealt AA I did a big sigh because I knew this could be bad. I thought to myself, "Be ready to dump this if the time comes." When the flop came with two 4's, I was concerned, but not overly concerned. I mean, calling the PF raise with a 4? What kind of hand does that? A suited Ace, obviously, but it didn't even cross my mind at the time.

Aside from calling the all-in, which was a mistake most of the time here, did I botch this up badly? Should I have potted the flop and folded to a raise? I think my cooler alarm still needs some fine-tuning.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP ($4.73)
Button ($2.78)
Hero ($2.77)
BB ($3.93)
UTG ($2.16)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, A.
1 fold, MP calls $0.02, Button calls $0.02, Hero raises to $0.14, 1 fold, MP folds, Button calls $0.12.

Flop: ($0.32) 7, 4, 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.2, Button calls $0.20.

Turn: ($0.72) 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.7, (Hero thought 'flush draw? I'd better pot this turn.) Button raises to $2.44, A 4? Pocket 9's? This has to be a bluff I mean wtf. Hero calls $1.73 (All-In).

River: ($5.59) 8 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $5.59

Results in white below:
Hero has Ad Ac (two pair, aces and fours).
Button has 4s As (three of a kind, fours).
Outcome: Button wins $5.58.

[randy72560]

A couple of things here.

1. Think positive man!!! There's not an indian behind every bush!

2. I think a lot of players sit at the 1c 2c nl games to blow off steam and they aren't usually going to fold very much. You really need to move out of the penny games. You can't play good poker against people who either don't know what their doing or don't care.

3. Think positive and try the $25 nl games. You seem to have a grasp on what you need to be doing and I'm sure you can turn a profit there. Don't drive yourself nuts over an unbeatable game.

[mirage]

Thanks for the tips. I would love to move up and I will when I can, but I busted my roll moving from 10NL to 25NL so I'm grinding it up from a whopping $25. I want to be overrolled when I get to 25NL next time so I can survive a downswing in case I'm not robusto as soon as I move up. I will move up to 10NL when I get to 8 buy-ins or so because I can only stand this grind for just so long and it's worth the risk, but moving up to 25NL will be done with extreme caution.

I am confident enough in my game to roll myself for 25NL, but with 3 kids there's not a bunch of discretionary funds just lying around

[neverthink]

What is your disposable income towards poker like every month? Of course you have kids so I know not much, but it seems pretty -EV timewise to be sitting at microstakes when you're likely good enough to beat NL100. Multitable a bit and you'll be earning more per hour than most jobs I can think of.

As for the hand, I think it's ok. Bear in mind though that he limped in before you raised, so be considering 45s on the flop as well as 56 and 67 that might call you. Don't pot the turn with one pair, if he is big he will let you do the betting for him, even at the risk of you sometimes outdrawing him. Make it about .45 - .50 on the turn and if he wants to make a big pot he can raise and let you know he has you beaten.

I can't remember who wrote this, but one pro says whenever he has "just" an overpair, he tries to play a small pot. Phil Gordon, that was his name.

[mervhage]

No offense to the stakes, but I will never fold this here, I don't care if Villain shows me the 4 (on the turn, that is ).

I feel your grind baby. I'm completely busto, so I'm waiting currently for.... I have no idea.

[mirage]

No offense to the stakes, but I will never fold this here, I don't care if Villain shows me the 4 (on the turn, that is ).

I feel your grind baby. I'm completely busto, so I'm waiting currently for.... I have no idea.

During peak (prime time) it's an easy call because that's when the donks really come to play. I play mostly during the daytime when the tables are tightest, that's why it's such a grind for me. I can kill at night because they pretty much throw money at you.

My plan is to get to 8 buyins for 10NL (almost there) and start taking shots, dropping back down if I get to 6 buyins. I don't have much choice, no way am I grinding all the way to 15 buyins on 5NL. I might end up scratching my eyes out before I get there