Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Wake up!

Here is a hand that I want to remember.

hand #1
9 seated live limit ring game. Solid players are all on my right, loose non-agg players are all on my left, I'm seated in MP+2. I just sat down 4 hands earlier, so this was a very rough estimate at that time.
- Folded to MP who raises, MP+1 calls, I call with 3d3s, folded to blinds who both call (5 players, pot size 10 small bets)
- flop comes 2h3cQc. checked to the MP who bets, MP+1 folds, I call, SB folds, BB calls (3 players, pot size 13 small bets)
- turn comes 2h3cQc2c. BB checks, MP bets, I raise, MP mutters out loud, BB calls 2 cold, MP folds (2 players, pot size 11.5 big bets)
- river comes 2h3cQc2c2d. BB bets, I raise, BB says "hey, I thought you had a flush" and then reraises, I 4 bet, BB raises just a little less than 1 big bet all in. I am still asleep at the wheel and do not hestitate to call. (final pot size ~21.25 big bets)

It doesn't take a genius to see that BB has the nuts. As the regulars at this poker room like to say, "four doose never loose!".

My mind got locked on the idea that BB had a Q. I have actually played with BB before and in retrospect I strongly believe that BB will only call the raise on the river with a Q (since he won't put more chips in a pot headsup that he thinks he is chopping). My puny mind neglected to reconsider my hand analysis after I had any new data. I definitely should have remembered he was playing from the big blind and could have any 2 cards.

I was not tired at the time of this hand. I was just being closed minded.

Let's count the mistakes in just this one hand.
Possible mistake: cold calling preflop w a small pair - this is debatable because I expect some callers behind me to get the right odds to flop a set
Marginal mistake: not raising on the flop where there is a good chance to get some draws out. I decided not to because I felt it would be better to wait until the turn to really make the draws pay. I strongly suspect MP will bet again on turn if no one raises (and he is on my immediate right). If I raise on the flop, I thought a flush draw and possibly an open ended straight draw would come along, and that if I raised on the flop then MP would not bet the turn. Additionally, I may fill up on the turn, which I did.
Small Mistake: raising on the river. However, calling is a pretty conservative play.
Big Mistake: 4 betting the river
It would not have been a mistake to call his 3 bet on the river, nor was it a mistake to call his all in. (the pot was too big)

You could argue that the pot was already big enough on the flop for me to raise and protect my hand, and probably 9 times out of 10 this would have driven the BB out (given his actual hand). MP would likely have called the raise and folded on the turn. I'm not too concerned about my flop play.

The only really bad mistake was the 4 bet on the river. I was 1 outed at the river, but I put in 2 more big bets than necessary. However, I did feel quite sick at myself because of the pot size.

My running average on mistakes is 1.6 mistakes per hour. Hmmm, it seems like an an awful lot of the hands I am posting about involve me being a donkey....

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