One function of this thread, and my blog too, is that it helps put things in perspective.

I had my worst day ever BR-wise. I lost about 12% of my BR at the $100NL tables. Down $350. And that stings more than a little.

But before I'm tempted to be disheartened I can look back at earlier posts and see the bigger picture.
For instance I'm still 1k up form where I was less than a month ago and my BR is where it was about five days ago.

Sure I've lost a lot, but I'm still comfortably rolled for $100NL and I'll try to learn from my mistakes... oh and they were some terrible mistakes.

I'll take my howler on stars... made worse 'cos Renton was opposite me and so my humiliation was more "public".

No good reads which makes this all the worse.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

CO ($99.50)
Button ($85.30)
SB ($92.50)
BB ($119.20)
Hero ($95.50)
MP ($269.25)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with K, T.
Hero raises to $4, 4 folds, BB raises to $12, Hero calls $8.

Flop: ($24.50) 8, 6, 6 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($24.50) 5 (2 players)
BB bets $19, Hero raises to $55, BB raises to $107.2, Hero calls $28.50 (All-In).

River: ($215.20) 4 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $215.20

Results in white below:
BB has Qc Qh (two pair, queens and sixes).
Hero has Kd Td (one pair, sixes).
Outcome: BB wins $215.20.

This was too risky given villains pre-flop re-raise and my calling. Just really stupid.
I was soon down $150 on this table and it took a while to claw back some and finish just -$80

My experience would have been easier to handle had it not been for my nightmare on Crypto.

Made worse because I was up a little on this table... so getting stacked hurts more...

Hand 1:

No Limit Hold'em CryptoLogic ($100NL)
Converted by FTRConv
6-handed

StacksUTG: $62.18
UTG+1: $263
CO: $129.50
Hero: $130.75
SB: $100
BB: $34.50


Pre-Flop: Hero is BTN with A K
UTG raises to $2, UTG+1 raises to $5, CO folds, Hero raises to $18, SB folds, BB folds, UTG folds, UTG+1 calls

Flop:($39.50) K J 9 (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $30, UTG+1 raises to $245 and is all-in, Hero is all-in $82.75

Turn:($265.00) K (2 players)

River:($265.00) 3 (2 players)

Final Pot: $265.00

Don't know about this hand. I felt I had to pot it with such a connected board.
The emphatic push is a danger sign. I'm asked to put in $82 to a $180 pot with TPTK. Is this a bad call? He didn't 4-bet me, what does he have? AA-KK are unlikely. AK a possibility. Would JJ 4-bet?

Of course he had 99 and took me out. Did I have enough information to get away from this? Hmmm. Dunno.


Other hands were easier: this is just stooopid.

Hand 2
No Limit Hold'em CryptoLogic ($NL)
Converted by FTRConv
5-handed

StacksHero: $83
BTN: $80.40
SB: $51.75
BB: $10.50
UTG: $135


Pre-Flop: Hero is CO with 9 9
UTG folds, Hero raises to $4, BTN raises to $9, SB folds, BB folds, Hero calls

Flop:($19.50) J 4 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $14, Hero calls

Turn:($47.50) K (2 players)
Hero bets $30, BTN raises to $57.40 and is all-in, Hero calls
River:($162.30) T (2 players)

Final Pot: $162.30

I successfully determined that he'd missed the flop and I had the lead. The turn came and I bet.
What I didn't stop to really think was that given that he 3-bet and missed his flop what could he have? The chances that he's got a K is significant.
He had it and there goes the stack.

Hand 3
No Limit Hold'em CryptoLogic ($NL)
Converted by FTRConv
5-handed

StacksCO: $48.97
Hero: $90
SB: $101
BB: $148.75
UTG: $80.25


Pre-Flop: Hero is BTN with A Q
UTG calls, CO calls, Hero raises to $6, SB folds, BB calls, UTG calls, CO folds

Flop:($19.50) 3 Q 6 (3 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $9, BB folds, UTG calls

Turn:($37.50) 5 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $25, UTG calls
River:($87.50) J (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $50 and is all-in, UTG is all-in $40.25
Final Pot: $168.00

There's every chance he's playing a lowish flush and fears something higher. But I feel the flop and turn bets are okay. Especially as I'm drawing to the nut flush.
But the river bet is just stupid. There's little chance I can get them to fold a good hand and little of getting a call from a draw/weaker queen.

Checking behind would have saved me $50 against his pocket sixes.


And just to make me feel a little better:

Hand 4
No Limit Hold'em CryptoLogic ($NL)
Converted by FTRConv
4-handed

StacksBTN: $133.25
Hero: $96
BB: $127.25
CO: $29


Pre-Flop: Hero is SB with A K
CO raises to $29 and is all-in, BTN folds, Hero calls, BB folds

Flop:($59.00) 8 2 K (2 players)

Turn:($59.00) A (2 players)

River:($59.00) T (2 players)

Final Pot: $59.00

Felt the shorties range warranted a call from AKs. There may be those who disagree, but they're wrong. So there. It's like the third or fourth best hand and I'm not letting it go for $30.

After the flop it looks good, the turn looks even better. But his JQ now has 4 outs and that's what he hit.

So what do I take from this:
I think my play has gotten better of late. My willingness to stick in a meatey bluff here and there has actually paid off well. But there are some examples here of really bad timing.

I obviously need to be a better hand-reader to continue to function at this level; but I'm not scared off of $100NL yet. (Still intend to put in a couple k hands and I've still got 25 buy-ins).

Time my bets better.
Try to hit a better balance between value betting and getting cheap
showdowns.

I'll just have to take it out on my co-workers in tonight's work tourney