Was I dumb? Or just unlucky? Also, table selection.

[fluffysnurgle]

I've been on a big losing streak which has seriously injured my bankroll and my sanity. So now instead of playing I will come and post here until I can get over my new "all tilt, all the time" feeling. In three days I had AA, KK, and/or QQ a total of 12 times (6 of which were AA) and lost them all but one. Most of them I was all-in preflop, but a couple of hands I have questions on. I don't have "real" hand histories but I remember the hands very well. I wish I could forget them.

1) I'm playing on PokerRoom 5-max (I do all my playing there because I like their software the best) at what they call $1/$2 but which everyone else calls $0.50/$1. I have QQ on the button, one player calls, I make minimum raise, he reraises to 5xBB. Opponent is not particularly loose or tight or particularly anything. I go all-in. Opponent calls, turns out he has KK, I lose. Was this a bonehead all-in?

2) Same environment (different table/opponent). I have AA in big blind. Everyone folds to the small blind, who calls. Not wanting to push him out, I make minimum raise, he calls (results $4 pot). Flop comes 6-8-9, two clubs. Opponent checks on the flop. Thinking this could be a bad flop to let him draw on, I bet $10, opponent raises, I go all-in, opponent calls. He turns over 7To, I lose. Was any aspect of this play stupid or did I just get unlucky?

3) Should I be playing at 10-max tables instead of 5- and 6-max? My pre-flop play is (in my opinion) pretty good, my post-flop play is ... not as good. I was more or less a break even player at the $100NL level shorthanded until this recent streak where I lose with AA all the time.

The reasons I have been playing at shorthanded tables are:
A. I started playing for play money at shorthanded tables because that's what's on TV; now my brain is calibrated to think in terms of 5 or 6 players and I never really tried full games. (I do play Omaha full tables, but that's very different).
B. It's easier to get the seat you want. If you want to sit just to the left of the maniac you can.
C. I only have to keep track of 4 or 5 players' playing styles instead of 8 or 9.

[JeffreyGB]

1) I'm playing on PokerRoom 5-max (I do all my playing there because I like their software the best) at what they call $1/$2 but which everyone else calls $0.50/$1. I have QQ on the button, one player calls, I make minimum raise, he reraises to 5xBB. Opponent is not particularly loose or tight or particularly anything. I go all-in. Opponent calls, turns out he has KK, I lose. Was this a bonehead all-in?

As a rule, I won't go all-in preflop w/ QQ. That's just me though. Too many of the hands that call have outs to beat you. I don't like being in a race if I can avoid it.

2) Same environment (different table/opponent). I have AA in big blind. Everyone folds to the small blind, who calls. Not wanting to push him out, I make minimum raise, he calls (results $4 pot). Flop comes 6-8-9, two clubs. Opponent checks on the flop. Thinking this could be a bad flop to let him draw on, I bet $10, opponent raises, I go all-in, opponent calls. He turns over 7To, I lose. Was any aspect of this play stupid or did I just get unlucky?

Better to win a small pot than lose a big one. The problem here was that you didn't raise enough to drive anything out. He had to pay before it got to you, so no matter what he was staying in. He got lucky, but to keep people from getting lucky, I wouldn't slowplay like that. By raising you gain the info that his hand totally misses a flop like that one. Mostly though, unlucky.

3) Should I be playing at 10-max tables instead of 5- and 6-max? My pre-flop play is (in my opinion) pretty good, my post-flop play is ... not as good. I was more or less a break even player at the $100NL level shorthanded until this recent streak where I lose with AA all the time.

I'd say that yes, you should play fuller tables if your post-flop play isn't very good. That said, you're probably going to find that you play too many hands at a full table.

In a full ring game, the cards become as important as the agression, so having less reads may not hurt you.

[fluffysnurgle]

Better to win a small pot than lose a big one. The problem here was that you didn't raise enough to drive anything out.

Here is my current line of thinking on the subject. The purpose of the small raise was to just build the pot, and was specifically intended to NOT drive him out, under the assumption that I was going to win at showdown. But this is one of those cases where the implied odds are extremely bad. If my opponent has wimpy cards and misses (most likely) then he will just fold on the flop, and I won't win much more than the blinds anyway. If he has wimpy cards and hits, then I won't be able to tell, and I will lose big.

With a big preflop raise, then the only sane callers are dominated by AA. Without it, the random chaff hands with the best chance of winning are going to be in the pot and they will be stealthy. The conventional wisdom about not slowplaying aces is that you will get too many callers and together one of them will probably outdraw you somehow. Here that wasn't an issue because I knew I would have at most one caller. But a more subtle reason is that, even 1-1, there's just not much upside to playing the hand against someone with wimpy cards.

Essentially the only thing I can beat here is a bluff. That's my #1 least favorite situation to be in.

Thanks for your advice.

[Fnord]

As a rule, I won't go all-in preflop w/ QQ. That's just me though. Too many of the hands that call have outs to beat you. I don't like being in a race if I can avoid it.

Short-handed and/or shallow money QQ/AK and sometimes even JJ/TT become all-in hands pre-flop. Just need to know your villian and play to his all-in range.

BTW, I REALLY REALLY REALLY hate the min-raise with QQ. You made it too easy for a wide range of hands to re-raise and failed to get lots of money in with the best hand pre-flop.

[JeffreyGB]

Short-handed and/or shallow money QQ/AK and sometimes even JJ/TT become all-in hands pre-flop. Just need to know your villian and play to his all-in range.

Quoted for truth.

[Rondavu]

You definately played that 6-8-9 flop hand wrong when you had AA. When someone goes over the top of you all in on a 6-8-9 flop after you raise significantly, it seems to me your way behind with one pair aces. If he had a high pocket pair he would have reraised you preflop if he was being that aggressive postflop, so you can't put him on JJ QQ or KK. I just can't imagine someone going all in on one pair 9 high or a draw here unless they're super aggressive. If you don't have an absolute aggressive read then fold this action everytime.

You only called him because you thought your aces were magic. It's a common problem.

QQ is a tough laydown. I would have probably layed down postflop after calling 5xBB. You raised, and then he reraised strong preflop. He's telling you he has something outstanding (unlike the 6-8-9 flop opponent who was weak preflop). Without a read you have to trust that. What are the chances an Ace or a King is involved in what he has? I'd say good. This is one you get away from fast, short of flopping a set. What I would do postflop here is throw out a 3/4 pot sized bet and watch him go over the top of me. I would then fold.

[a500lbgorilla]

The AA hand is silly becuase you don't figure to extract all that much more money out of him if he flops one pair. Just win it preflop and complain about not getting action,

-'rilla

[Minion]

Ouch man. All in QQ. Did you get excited or what? And you position at the table was important to. With QQ I would have raised... if re-raised you could at least think you opponent has AJ (or something to that respect) so you know if an A hits your QQ is nothing.