Folding for teh win!

[Soulless]

Ok for all of those whos having the same problem ive had for some time now, which is calling with good cards, even though youre most positive your beat, heres a tip that has helped me reduce my losses greatly.

First, remind yourself of the last few times youve done those stupid calls. Bring up a fresh memory where u cursed yourself after you lost your stack because you make a truly stupid call.

Secondly, take a look at the table. If your stack is allready too low then the only reasonable thing may be to call, but most of the time youll find that the money you still have if you fold IS worth protecting. It may be 20 bucks in a ringgame, or a decent stack in a sng/mtt where a double up at another time may bring you right back into the action for FT.

THird, with the memory still fresh in your mind, and your orientation of the table a little clearer, ask yourself what you would prefer.
Busting out now and going to bed in a bad mood while the whole world falls apart around you....
OR stay in the game for a while longer and thus still be able to win some (or even ALOT) of money.

If you prefer the latter, then just FOLD. Its not hard to do. Even though you might not think so, you WILL feel alot better busting out to a runner runner fish, then busting because of your own stupid play.

Im not gonna claim this will work for anyone and everyone, but it sure has helped me alot. I may not win alot more, but i lose a helluva lot less, and ive relized that the bad moodswings i suffered due to bad pokersessions has more or less gone away completely. I figure this is just because when i do lose its not because i did something really stupid, but because i was unlucky.

[aokrongly]

there's 2 sides to playing good poker. Winning more and losing less. Alot of discussion is on winning more. this is a good one on losing less.

nice post

[Soulless]

as you surely guessed aok, much of this "newfound knowledge" is thanks to your posts (book excerp)

And even though i play mainly sngs at the moment, folding is still the same no matter what game you play.

[iloveyoooo]

Nice post, but there's no way I'm letting some guy bluff me on the river

[flomo]

Great Post!
i have a list of 20 poker basics on a piece of paper next to my computer to keep me on track
NO DUMB CALLS is #1,6, and 18 on the list
the only other multiple listing is observe, observe, observe #2 and 15

[ekillian]

as you surely guessed aok, much of this "newfound knowledge" is thanks to your posts (book excerp)

And even though i play mainly sngs at the moment, folding is still the same no matter what game you play.

lol... no it's not in a sense.
Example. Cash game. You lose you entire stack except two BB's and then you find post the next BB and have just one more behind you. You are dealt 7-2o. UTG is deepstacked like everyone else at the table and he raises 3x the BB and the SB calls and the action is on you. This is a cash game and you're faced with what is at face vaule negative EV. Because it's a cash game this is indeed negative EV and you're best off unchecking "autopost blind" and folding and taking that tiny bit of cash with you.

Alternatively you're in an MTT. 90 people from the money. You lose you entire stack except two BB's and then you find post the next BB and have just one more behind you. You are dealt 7-2o. UTG is deepstacked like everyone else at the table and he raises 3x the BB and the SB calls and the action is on you. At it's face value again it's -EV. But this isn't a cash game and there's more to be considered. You can't just leave and take your last BB with you to the bank. You're here until you're done and you're in HORRIBLE shape if you fold. If you call you're likely behind, but at least you have a chance of tripling up. If you fold you'll need to win an all-in vs. 6 people the next hand to get the same stack as you'll have if you win this one. And if you fold your SB the next hand you'll need to win an all in vs. 6 people and then double up just to get your stack size where tripling it up with 7-2o would get it. Tripling up with 7-2o is very unlikely, but it's a lot more likely than building your stack to the same amounts in the other ways described. All that to say is in that situation you need to put your chips in and let it ride.

[givememyleg]

there's 2 sides to playing good poker. Winning more and losing less. Alot of discussion is on winning more. this is a good one on losing less.

nice post

Like the way you word that.

[Soulless]

as you surely guessed aok, much of this "newfound knowledge" is thanks to your posts (book excerp)

And even though i play mainly sngs at the moment, folding is still the same no matter what game you play.

lol... no it's not in a sense.
Example. Cash game. You lose you entire stack except two BB's and then you find post the next BB and have just one more behind you. You are dealt 7-2o. UTG is deepstacked like everyone else at the table and he raises 3x the BB and the SB calls and the action is on you. This is a cash game and you're faced with what is at face vaule negative EV. Because it's a cash game this is indeed negative EV and you're best off unchecking "autopost blind" and folding and taking that tiny bit of cash with you.

Alternatively you're in an MTT. 90 people from the money. You lose you entire stack except two BB's and then you find post the next BB and have just one more behind you. You are dealt 7-2o. UTG is deepstacked like everyone else at the table and he raises 3x the BB and the SB calls and the action is on you. At it's face value again it's -EV. But this isn't a cash game and there's more to be considered. You can't just leave and take your last BB with you to the bank. You're here until you're done and you're in HORRIBLE shape if you fold. If you call you're likely behind, but at least you have a chance of tripling up. If you fold you'll need to win an all-in vs. 6 people the next hand to get the same stack as you'll have if you win this one. And if you fold your SB the next hand you'll need to win an all in vs. 6 people and then double up just to get your stack size where tripling it up with 7-2o would get it. Tripling up with 7-2o is very unlikely, but it's a lot more likely than building your stack to the same amounts in the other ways described. All that to say is in that situation you need to put your chips in and let it ride.

What i meant was that its equally important that you know how to fold, no matter if you play SNG or RING. But why/when/how may differ, which you pointed out =)

[ekillian]

Ha. I just latch on to literal translations and pick them apart sometimes. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that sometimes calling with -ev as far as chips on the table is ok in SnGs sometimes but mathematically not so in cash. And when you said "folding is still the same no matter what game you play." that game me a perfect oppurtunity to write an essay on not folding even though the price is "bad".

[Soulless]

Ha. I just latch on to literal translations and pick them apart sometimes. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that sometimes calling with -ev as far as chips on the table is ok in SnGs sometimes but mathematically not so in cash. And when you said "folding is still the same no matter what game you play." that game me a perfect oppurtunity to write an essay on not folding even though the price is "bad".

Ya im with ya on that mate!
Appreciate your comments, keep em coming