Money Matters - It has to make you sweat!

So. This week I’m on a course in Preston. Pretty boring, and Preston's a S**T hole! But it’s allowed me a little time to play poker. Here’s what I’ve learnt this week.

1)

Money Matters

So. This week I’m on a course in Preston. Pretty boring, but it’s allowed me a little time to play poker. Here’s what I’ve learnt this week.

I generally make poor ‘value’ calls. Calls when I figure I’m beat, but also figure I may as well call, under the guise of value. Example.

Very tight guy calls UTG calls BB. I raise mid position to $6 ($1/$2) with JJ. Folded back to UTG. Flat call. I’m thinking AA maybe, more likely suited connectors, small pair. Flop was 10 5 2, 2 clubs. Checks to me. I bet about $14. Quickish flat call. Turn fills the flush. He checks. I check behind, trying to keep the pot small. River is a 6 (non club). He bets out $40 after a fairly lengthy pause. I tank, but eventually call. I’m unsuprised to see 56 for two pair.

This was a very bad call, and I think this call highlights a major leak in my game, that I’ll try and fix. I constantly make bad value calls. This guy is never bluffing here, and the only hand he may have that I beat is J10, QJ, KJ or A10. There is a myriad of hands that beat me, and given the guys line, and previous hands, I don’t figure him for value beating with any of the above. Overall: BAD PLAY

I’ve made a very minor profit this week, but I’ve decided I’m much happier playing at ½, than 0.50/1.00. Players are generally less aggressive, more passive, and tighter. This suits my more loose aggressive game. I like to take lots of stabs at smaller pots, in a more generally small ball approach.

This leads me on to my second major leak: not backing off, when players show strength. This is a basic error, and I’ve cut back on this a lot since my earlier playing days. But it still rears it’s ugly head now and again.

This is the point of my post. Money matters. If you play at stakes you see as fairly trivial then you make poor decisions, I believe. In tournaments I can play really low stakes uber serious, because what matters there to me is the winning. In cash? You can’t win all the chips, which is what I love about tournaments, and therefore I need a higher stake to keep me focussed.

I also think a third leak I have is not making enough of my bigger hands. I think I’m too aggressive, and perhaps don’t let people catch up enough. It’s fairly rare for my big hands to go to a showdown. But maybe this is quite common? Maybe it’s only monsters and mediocre hands that should get to the showdown. Hands where your gtd to be in front, or where you’ve controlled the pot very well. Maybe this isn’t a massive leak, but I do think sometimes I don’t milk the pot enough. And this in itself is a leak.

I just read C’s (A Year in the Life) blog. Dude. How can you have a social life, work, a girlfriend and play a 3-4hr session more than once a week?!

Anyways, see you on the weekend C

N-Dog