Hey all, I took a break from Poker this weekend for few reasons, but mainly because I don't feel like I've been playing very well lately. I've taken a few bad beats, but also, I will spend an hour or 2 eeking out some profit, and then blow it all (plus more) on a stupid hand, it's always top pair or overpair that kills me, so I've been really trying to stay disciplined and get away from the hand when I think I'm beaten, well, low and behold, I manage to blow a stack again with an overpair, but this time, I really didn't think I was beaten, but I'm not sure if I was just "hoping" because I took a somewhat bad beat a few hands before and should have been able to get away from it, or if his tricky PF raise and my bad PF play is to blame. Anyways, I'll post the 2 hands for analysis:

Hand #1
I'm not really sure I did anything wrong on this hand, but wanted to post it anyways since I think the reason I blew the next hand is because I was a little tilted from this one and trying to make up for it.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed)

saw flop|saw showdown

MP2 ($9.75)
Hero ($26.50)
CO ($27.20)
Button ($25.10)
SB ($26.65)
BB ($10.30)
UTG ($17.15)
UTG+1 ($10.95)
MP1 ($26.95)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with , .
UTG calls $0.25, 3 folds, Hero raises to $1, 2 folds, SB calls $0.90, BB calls $0.75, UTG folds.

Flop: ($3.25) , , (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $3, SB folds, BB calls $3.

Turn: ($9.25) (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $6, BB raises to $6.3, Hero calls $0.30.

River: ($21.85) (2 players)

Final Pot: $21.85

Results in white below:
BB has 4h Ah (two pair, aces and fours).
Hero has As Th (one pair, aces).
Outcome: BB wins $21.85.

Hand #2
Another buy-in lost on overpair, too bad I reloaded after the previous hand. I think I screwed myself PF with a min-reraise (why did I do that?), probably should have made it 1.50 or 2. Anyways, I didn't peg him for aces or kings since I figured he would have reraised again preflop or led out for a bigger raise from UTG. I figured him for two big cards like AJ or maybe something like pocket 10's.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed)

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG+1 ($9.75)
Hero ($25)
MP2 ($27.20)
MP3 ($25.80)
CO ($25.65)
Button ($20.55)
SB ($16.65)
BB ($4.75)
UTG ($26.95)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
UTG raises to $0.5, 1 fold, Hero raises to $1, 6 folds, UTG calls $0.50.

Flop: ($2.35) , , (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $2, UTG raises to $4, Hero raises to $8, UTG raises to $25.95, Hero calls $16 (All-In).

Turn: ($52.30) (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($52.30) (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $52.30

Results in white below:
UTG has 5d 5h (three of a kind, fives).
Hero has Qd Qs (one pair, queens).
Outcome: UTG wins $52.30.

I don't think that is a completely horrible play. He could have something like 88-JJ, AKs, AQs and made the same play. I play $25 buy in as well and I have seen too many times where the exact same thing happens and the guy flips over 99.

Granted he is playing it just like a set would play it. So you have to consider him for it as well. But I still think I am calling here.

-twelver

Rule #1) When a guy min raises preflop he almost always has Axs or a low to mid pair.
You need to reraise him enough to make him really pay if he wants to chase a set or flush draw. You also dont want 2 more guys coming in behind you.

I would reraise to about $2.50 preflop. If he calls that, he'll still probably bust you, but the other 7 times he misses his set, you win much more money to cover the times he hits.

This is EXACTLY how I tilted a bit this weekend (ironic). I usually don't go angry tilt anymore, but instead my patience wears thin, and I press an overpair or two pair when I know I'm beat. I feel myself pressing because my thought pattern has turned from, "hey, the smart play is to fold and wait for a more clearer opportunity," to "I'm due because I've had some real bad luck lately on XYZ."

When I'm going well, I can tell by how I take a bad beat without much pause. For example, not too long ago in a nice winning streak, I raised X5 the BB with pocket Ks to be called by a J2s. You can guess what flopped for the guy the rest. Afterward I laughed and went on playing without much change. However, when I'm tilting I feel the subtle loss of patience creep into my game which plays itself out in your situation.