|
|
 You have to lose in Poker in order to get better at it?
This is simply a reflection of my first casino game, don’t expect any quality plays from me because frankly, I think I made some really bad plays despite being dealt good cards. Then again, they might be good plays, so I would really like some comments on the way I was playing.
Warning. A very long read ahead but if you're interested at what a newbie has to say, read on. Some feedback on my mentality and constructive criticism on some of my hands played well be GREATLY appreciated.
Background Info
I have been to this site for a couple of years now and it has taught me a lot, however, I find that the lessons that I've learnt here doesn't truly sink in until your first time playing formal poker and you lose. Home games unfortunately just don’t cut it – well, that’s just my experience anyways. This site has taught me to build a bankroll, to stop playing when tilting and don't get committed but heck, I ignored all that today and that is why I lost.
Ok, a little background - this will be my first official post. Yes I have posted before but I was under-aged  . However, today is my birthday (I AM LEGAL NOW) and I have just come back from my first trip to the casinos, where a couple of my friends gave me $100 as a combined gift to freeroll. I sat down at the smallest no limit holdem table I can find, which was unfortunately way over my bankroll. It was a ring game where the stakes were $1/$2 with a fixed buy-in of $80, it was $3 to play (or you can wait for BB), with an hourly pay of $5 and a 10% rake. Common sense told me that this is way out of my bankroll but I was already there and I didn't know where else I can find some smaller games (well, apart from the internet). Besides, I was so excited as this was my first formal game AND I was technically, on a freeroll.
Excitement soon turned into nervousness as I sat down thinking to myself that heck, I don't have much real money experience. I was probably the biggest fish, 3 years of playmoney poker on the internet and the occasional $5 or $20 tournament poker at home just doesn't cut it at this level. It was a full ring game of 10 players and I was playing tight for over an hour, folding all of my hands for twice the time that BB came around. At the same time, I was observing the players and the table seemed quite loose. Most of the time there would be about 5-7 limpers and a big bet (from almost ANY position) often 5x the blind and a couple of callers, often making it that 4-5 runners goes to the flop. My time at FTR tells me that this table isn't all that hard. I have spotted quite a few fish who would raise all in when they're on a draw or call when they have middle pair. At the same time, I notice 1 or 2 quite tight players. Funny though, I never notice these things at home games because everyone just goes crazy betting with any 2 cards, but here, I was able to see the patterns quite easily. And another thing, I was able to recall the main hands that I was involved with relatively good accuracy – something that I was never able to do in the chaotic environments of a home game.
A couple of big wins with questionable hands and hubris sets in
I think I was playing ABC poker at first, but soon changed my style as I got more comfortable. The first big hand that I was involved in, I was in late position, maybe 1 or 2 to the right of the button. I held AK suited clubs and had about $66 in chips. Apart from the blinds, there were 3 limpers in early to mid position and it was my go. I bet out $8 – the standard play. The blinds fold and so does the 2 limpers, however the guy just to the right of me re-raises to $15 and he had just over $35 left over. I made it $30 to go (a questionable bet now that I think about it) and the re-raiser called. The flop came J 3 Q rainbow and I pushed him all in with a $20 bet. The turn, river came 8 A and I sucked out on the river. He showed pocket 10s and I took down the pot worth over $100. Imo, I think I made a terrible raise preflop but it worked in the end – bad mentality I know. The next hand I remember is limping with pocket deuces with 5 people in the pot and folding on the flop.
By this stage, I think I have about $125 in chips but the house sucked up another $5 very soon. By this time, I’m getting a run of good cards, the next hand that I was involved in, I had A9 suited spades – a tricky hand to play in my experience. I was again in late position – about 3 from the button with 4 limpers and no raisers. I bet out $8 once again and 3 folded, leaving 4 players going to the flop – including me. Flop came 8 7 3 with 2 spades on the board. The play went check, check, bet $5, call, I made it $10 and the play went fold, fold, call, call. The turn bought a J of spades, the other guys checks; I made it $20, both calls. Final card was a 4 and I made it $40, they both fold. The very next hand I had KQ suited clubs, with a $10 raise in front of me and 2 other callers, I called. I’m probably at about mid position with 1 in front and 2 behind. Flop came K 3 K, person in font checks, I bet out $20, everyone folds. I counted my chips then and I was just short of $200 (about $188ish).
To be honest, I got a lot more comfortable with the table now, I feel like that I have good reads on most of them now and now that I think about it, I was probably a little over confident. I became looser with my chips, calling with suited TJ and raising with TQ unsuited on the button. Both these plays didn’t work out and I folded on the flop because of raises and a bad looking board. I took down one more small pot with top pair kings on the flop worth about $8 and I folded a couple of A3, A4, A9 preflop as well because I knew by the way that some players bet that they were no good (yes, I got quite a lot of aces today).
The downwards spiral
This next play costed me a fair amount of chips but I think I didn’t play terribly. I was dealt AQ unsuited (I think it was club heart or something) in late position – again probably 1 or 2 on the right of the button. There were again 3-4 limpers and I raised it up to $10. SB and BB folds, one guy calls (I shall call him chaser) and another behind him calls with the rest folding. The flop came down 3 4 5 with 2 clubs, chaser checks, guy2 bets $5, I made it $15 figuring that the $5 was a sign of weakness in comparison to how much is in the pot. In my mind, I thought that the chaser was chasing solely because I saw him call to the river with a flush draw THREE times. I didn’t notice the pot odds at the time but it seemed to me like bad calls – he lost 2 of those times. If guy2 calls or raises, then I was probably beat and I would fold, thinking that he had an overpair or a straight. However, the chaser raised to $30 and guy2 folds. I called, trying to take the pot from him later (I probably should have stuck to ABC poker and folded right there but again, I think it was my hubris talking to me – I trusted my read and thought I could bluff the guy out of the pot). The turn came a J of diamonds, chaser checks and I bet out $30, chaser calls. The river brought a J of clubs. I checked – just realizing that chaser may have made a flush or had a straight to begin with. I just couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger a third time. He turned over 5 7 unsuited and I lost a huge pot. Later on, through his conversation with his friends, I realized that he was a regular at the casino. Could it be that he read me perfectly? Maybe my read wasn’t all that great. Although he had a gutshot straight draw, could it be that he knew that I had a high ace and was just bluffing? I saw him staring at the betters a lot during his play; I’m thinking that this guy just plainly outplayed me. By this stage, I had just over $110 in chips. I take my hat off to him.
This next hand that I was involved in also made me uncomfortable, I had AJ unsuited (jeez a lot aces today). I raised it up in early position to $8 with 2 callers. The board came K Q 9. I lead out with a $10 bet and they both called. Turn came a J and we all checked to the river. I won the pot, and all of a sudden I had close to $140 again.
After a few rounds of blind, another $5 of hourly pay and a few folds, I decided to raise with 4 7 suited hearts at mid-late position to make it $8. I should have stuck with ABC poker which worked for me up until now but I guess I have no control at this very moment and just wanted to see some flops. There were about 6 callers and the flop came K 8 J of hearts. I have flopped a flush. The play went check, $10, call, I raised to $30 and the guys behind me folds. The initial better folds and the caller (I shall call him fish) looked distressed for a while and then re-raised me all in (which was $60, just $30 more to call). I read the guy perfectly; he went all in with marginal hands quite a few times before and got lucky on the river. If I had to label him, I’d say he’s a kamikaze player. I remember this one hand where he re-raised all in with middle pair against someone who obviously had hit his ace and came out on top by making trips. He was totally new to the game, which I could tell as he was showing a lot of hands to his friend next to him after going all in asking if it was the right move. Anyways, the thought that he may have a higher flush crossed my mind, but I trusted my instincts and called, putting him on either the top pair or a flush draw. He asked me what I had and I said, ‘flush’ and turned over my cards. He instantly closed his eyes and made an ‘aghhhhkk’ sound, covering his face and showed a Qh and a 5c. I stood up and said, ‘god, you have to re-raise me with that? – please no hearts’. I knew I was the favorite then, but his hand still made me nervous as hell. Turn came Tc and the river showed a dreaded Th. I was outdrawn but I knew I made the right decision and the fish got lucky once again. He was like a 3 to 1 underdog if I recall correctly. Heck, the fish’s friend next to him even shook his head at him and said, ‘jeez, you’re lucky today.’ Anyways, the fish went broke in the next half an hour, making the same move – I think he went broke before this hand as well and re-bought but I’m not sure.
Tilting truly is horrible
After a few more blinds, I counted, I was down to my last $50 and despite a part of me knowing that I should leave and cut my losses there, I wanted to make my money back. Oh god, that is the number 1 rule, to not commit yourself, to be interested but not committed. I was in a horrible mentality and I played badly. I think I played really tight after that but was getting frustrated that I got marginal hands every time. The blinds started to eat through me and I played a few trash hands at the button only to fold at the flop due to aggressive raises. Everything after my loss to the flush draw sorta went by like a blur and I finally threw in my final $25 with QJ suited when I was in the BB with 3 limpers. A guy with Kx called and flopped another king, ending my day. I think I bled away half my stack and then finally went for a bad all or nothing move.
Final Thoughts
By the end of the day, I sat for about 2hrs 50min. I think I didn’t plan out my day well enough, I knew I was breaking the rules of smart poker by not having a bank roll but I also didn’t set a time limit for how long I was staying – I pretty much played until all my money is gone. The worst thing is, I have no discipline in reflection to today’s events!! I couldn’t leave when I was winning and I couldn’t leave when I was losing. Even worse I went on tilt. Now obviously, I learnt my lesson that I should play with stakes that I can afford and not over-extend my bank roll. Btw, I have about $500 cash freed up. The thing that worries me the most is that, do I have a gambling problem? I don’t seek out poker games every chance I get, and I rarely play for money but today, I didn’t know when to leave. I guess today’s experience has taught me a valuable lesson BUT it has also created self-doubts. I don’t know where I should go from here, I’m not scared of playing the game, but I am scared of my lack of discipline. I really want to overcome my discipline issue but then again, I wonder, what about my plays? Did I do a good job at my first formal poker table?
|
Reply With Quote
