Trapping or Scare Tactics

I quit playing poker 4 monthes ago, and i recently picked it back up again because i was bored and wanted to make some money. I was doing well +500 dollars in two weeks until today when i lost 120 bucks in overall around 3 hands. I was discussing the way i play with my friend and he was overly critical on the fact that i like to trap players. It's common knowledge to us and the rest of my friends that i have extraordinary bad luck when it comes to poker (some of you may not believe me thinking i'm just a bad player who recieves bad beats like everyone else but that is not the case), so what he proposed was that i stop trying to trap players.

In 2 of the hands i lost $100+ sized pots with were when i had AA. The way i play AA is always trap unless it's obvious you need to just punch AI, like if people are raising like mad in front of you or calling someone else's AI. I don't overbet and i try and feign that i have a decent hand instead of a monster hand.

For example.
the blind are .50/1
I'm dealt AA in the BB with a $65 stack
Everyone else folds, and the SB with a $180 stack raises to $5.
I reraise to $10*

Flop is 8 7 2 rainbow.

He bets $12.
I call.**

Turn is 10

He bets $18
I reraise AI.
He calls.

He flips over 1010, the river is garbage, and I lose.

At the * I know maybe i could of raised more, but i didn't want to scare him off. I thought he would reraise me and it would lead to an AI. But maybe i should of raised to $15 or $20.

At the ** I should of punched but this was the flop i wanted. All really low cards and a trap in place. I thought it would be good to show a little weakness and jump on him at the turn.

My friend tells me i should of just went AI on the flop because people usually outdraw me, and i should just take what i can and leave. Oh and this type of play is what resulted in me losing a lot of money when i use to play. Lots of outdrawn all the time which is partially the reason why my name is synonymous with bad luck in our circle.

But anyways, I just want to know what you guys would do, and what i should of done?

Your no more lucky or unlucky than any other players.

It looks like he has AA/KK/QQ/JJ/TT. You just have to realise that occasionally he will have the TT. I personally don't think the push on the turn was great but that isnt because he has TT. It is because the card that came just completed a straight and made it less likely for him to call with just the JJ since there are so many hands ahead of him. I like reraising the flop because it looks like he has an overpair that he likes alot and he may be willing to put alot more chips in now before he outdraws you. That will also pot commit him so that he wil put the rest of his stack in on the turn whether hes winning or not. The reason i dont like waiting until the turn is because if the 10 comes you lose (without realising) and if the A,K,Q or J comes it kills you action. Thats alot of cards you dont want to see on the turn. Get it in quicker. Having said that, i don't think you played it too badly. Hes still probably losing his stack there with KK, QQ, and maybe even AT so i guess you got unlucky.

I really don't think its healthy blaming luck for your long term results. It may prevent you from actually seeing and fixing the leaks in you game. I think it was Gary Player, who said “The more I practised the luckier I got.” Think about it

Well if you slowplay all your best hands of course you're going to get outdrawn!! (Not that I can really talk - I'm so scared of getting outdrawn I usually play fast every single time and I'm sure my revenue is far from maximised as a result)

Originally Posted by hoaznod

My friend tells me I should of just went AI on the flop because people usually outdraw me

First off you don't go all in because someone might outdraw you on a 2 outer. Your friends are somewhat right however, even though they don't know why. generally speaking, high pockets are strong to the flop hands. It's good to get a lot of money in on the front end, because a lot of the time you're going to be taking it down before the turn, or at least isolating a worse top pair for 4th and 5th street. That's because you have only ONE PAIR. Your hand gets weaker with each card that drops.

I will slow play a high pocket against an isolated aggressive opponent, when the board is relatively drawless. This is not too often. Make sure you don't play slowly against passive opponents either. Your value is in their loose calls, not their loose betting.

Most of the time when you slowplay a high pocket, you're losing tremendous value while giving away cheap cards. Just bet it baby.

Your luck is no worse or better than anyone elses. Until you get this through your head, I will not respect you as a human being with a brain.

With AA, don't slowplay. You hand is not going to get any better on the turn or river, only your opponents. It is your job to make sure that their hand does not improve, so bet the fuck out of it without pushing AI.

I will only slowplay aces if one person raises, everyone else folds, and I am in position. I will just make a smooth call. The opponent can't possibly put you on aces. I love it when an Ace flops and your opponent is holding the other ace. Get ready to get paid!

Lodogg. how often is that really going to happen? If you have AA and they hold AK and an A comes they are going to pay you anway. You may as well bet it for them. If you hold AA and they hold KK and an A comes on the turn after you slowplayed it then you just lost a huge amount of value. If i think they have a big hand i want money in on the flop before either of the following happen

1) They suck out on me
2) An overcard comes to their overpair and they don't want to pay me any more.
3) They decide there is now only 1 card left to try to outdraw me and arent prepared to pay as much to see what it is.

If they have a strong hand on the flop then go for it. Your hand is pretty unlikely to improve, and when it does "improve" it stops the majority of hands from giving you any action.

I agree that the dream flop doesn't happen that often. I have recently moved from always playing Aces very fast to slowing down in the right spots, and it seems to be working great! I have won a few stacks playing like this. It really is only a decent move if there is only one opponent. With multiple players, always play them fast.