/1
We're approaching a year on this humble poker blog, and I am unfortunately noticing that I seem to be blogging about the same leaks and issues in my game.
What's that they say about the definition of insanity?
Had a lot of fun at the game Friday night despite losing tons. There's more where the tons came from, but I can't sustain this loss rate in the long term. My post-babies poker break may be perfectly timed after all.
/2
I can't miss. I sat down for an hour and made a full buy-in. At .50/1 NL no less. Heck, if I had not lost to a set with Aces, I would have made much more!
And even when I miss, I still make money. Saturday I played for two hours, and despite totally overplaying a hand for my whole stack against a donkey who was dying to give his money away, I still made half a buy-in. Thank you, guy who tilted his whole stack in two hands.
/1
It's a matter of priorities. I spend a lot of time with my wife and our unborm twins and with family these days gearing up for fatherhood. That's awesome time, but when I get out into a different circle, I relish and enjoy the differeing social contact. I spend my time chatting and laughing and being social, instead of focusing on position, avoiding limping with bad hands, and reading faces and betting patterns.
The result is playing too many hands, playing out of position, and putting too much money in the pot when weak. It also is exploitable through bluffs at me when I am not certain of where I stand.
/2
I have some rigorous guidelines, because as it's been said it's like wiffle ball out there and much of the play is automatic.
I don't limp, with the occasional exception of suited connectors or small pairs. If I stay at a table long enough that people could pick up on that trend and exploit it, I stop doing it and raise with these hands if I decide to play them.
I play my position, but also demonstrate some patience to wait for good cards. I continuation bet strong, especially in position, and I fold if I am raised and I don't think a reraise will get them off the hand.
No set, no bet is not weak poker if you also mix up your play with other holdings.
/1
Sometimes as I fold I lament "what are those set odds again" as I muck my small pair out of position after calling a preflop raise on an Ace-high board. Other time I get caught overplaying Jacks because I am stuck or I am misreading my opponent.
Don't even ask why I'm playing those four cards in Omaha. Got a great nut low working in a non-split pot game though.....
/2
It will take a while because I can't do it as often as others, but playing is fun and I am not currently facing a mountain of variance. As I gain confidence, however, I will start playing a more aggressive style. As it is however, it's easy to play in position and cherry-pick.
Yes, those are both me right now. Personality 1 is my live game, 2 my online game. Why they are not the same is something I am struggling with.
Honestly, I think I may exude some tells in a live cash setting I don't throw off online (obviously) or in live tournaments. Of course, in tournaments, I have on an IPod, I am very rigid in my movements, and I know the structure and resulting strategy shifts intimately and have a system in place to ride the swings of tournament play. I've become adept at riding a short stack patiently until it's time to start moving.
I just can't get myself to hunker down that way when it's the same price every hand and I am enjoying myself with friends. Plus I like to straddle.
I have maybe three live games left. Next time I am going to set some overly strict rules for myself and see if it has an effect:
1. Polite chat, but no yammering on.
2. Do not look at my cards until action comes to me (I never violate this in a tourney, EVER, but I do in cash with people I know).
3. No limping under any circumstances. No exceptions.
4. Don't watch the flop, watch the opponent.
5. Continuation bet when checked to in position and when head's up. Otherwise watch the players before deciding.
6. Remember that percentages, pot size, pot odds and implied odds are relatively easy to calculate on the fly, and DO IT.
7. Play less Omaha and more Hold'Em.
8. Decide if this is a social outlet or a learning experience, and play that way.
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