I'll never learn...

Warning: I'm typing the following as tonight's poker tournament is still going on! I'm busted and hot, and ready to vent. Anyone in the league who reads this I hope knows that my comments are not about players personally, but rather about their game. Also consider, I'm learning myself, and this is just an expression of that.

No matter how much I think I know the guys in my league, I never learn. First my Queens run into Aces, then with the very same guy he calls me down with a pair of eights on a board of 3Q23. Of course I was bluffing, but I was in position, and he would have been crippled if I'd had a queen or deuce. But again, I give these ABC players way too much credit.

And it's my own fault.

Their game is in a different place, kindergarten. I need to recognize that I'm in grade school and deal with it, and start to crush them the way I crush play chip players. There are maybe a half a dozen guys who have some concept of the game in our league, and the rest just don't get it. I have no one to blame but myself for trying to pull a good move on someone who thinks pocket 8's never lose against a terrifying board.

I need to value bet my monsters and get paid - then I'll have cash money - like I have close to a million play chip dollars on Full Tilt right now. All I do is flat call and try to see a flop for cheap - then when I hit a monster I push, and typically get multiple callers, and then a monster stack. It may not be that extreme in the Flatline league, but it feels pretty close sometimes.

Stay tight, stay focused, get paid. Don't fear the suck out, embrace it - play kings and aces fast, get paid. Play flopped sets fast, get paid. Hang on with the nut flush draw for cheap, get paid. Value bet these fish into oblivion.

Hoo I'm hot! But that's poker! Better here in print than at a live game.

2008.1 Season Wrap Up

Yes, I've been a neglectful boy; but summertime is always crazy time for me - both at work and with family weekend obligations. Suffice it to say, this season went out with a wimper, with me failing to cash in the final 2 tournaments and the TOC. I didn't feel I was playing particularly poor, but I'm definitely not in my league crushing mode any more that I've enjoyed for the past 18 months.

Last night was T2 of season 2, and I busted out fairly early, firing with air against a resident calling station / luck box - yes, I should have known better.

We've changed our blind structure to a slower and more player friendly pace, I thought it would help my game, but against most of these guys I'm very impatient, because I know I'm a better player than all but a couple of them. I need to relax and let the good cards come. Now that I've established myself as wild/aggressive, I know that when I stumble across the nuts, or even the second nuts, I'm bound to get paid. Certainly if last night is any indication, I was called down with middle pair twice, back door flush draw and even when I went all in, I found myself up against a suited connecter that of course hit.

This is a good thing, I don't want to discourage such loose play - but I've got to adjust my game a bit, and think of it more like dealing with play chip players.