[x] Atrocities

Leave it to me to be able to put a $10K day into a break even month, but that's basically what I'm about to do.  I just can't figure it out;  I'm consistently making large FTOP mistakes, and I think it stems mostly from not pushing the fold button enough.  This is weird, since one (large and successful) class of my friends (the online math guys) will tell me that I definitely don't play enough hands and definitely don't show down enough for how strong my ranges usually are.  But another class of friends, successful live pros, really make their money by exploiting the fish.  They play very tight pre flop and tend to just...have it...post flop.  And since the main mistake most bad live players make is passively calling too many bets on too many streets...well, you get the idea.  Anyway, I posted a couple of hands in mid-stakes on 2p2 in which I think I  made some bad calls, and in general I just seem to be mucking my hand at showdown a lot lately.  I dunno, I guess that happens when you lose, so it's hard to be sure.

I did, however, see some amazing things today.  Here are some hands.

Hand 1

Wild and Crazy Asian opens the CO, fishy SB calls, I 3bet KJss in the big blind, WACA caps it and we see a flop 4 ways.

KT9hhc

That's pretty good and I give 'em the old what for check/raise (dangerous, since WACA may have been using the old free turn pre flop cap).  WACA tanks for a minute and then 3-bets, and the tank is just kind of strange.  Like, for a minute it actually works and it crosses my mind that he could actually have something instead of attempting to get a free card with with JTs.  The astute reader will note that he hasn't actually gotten a free card yet, and therefore does not qualify to win the hand.  So I just call (the sb finally clears out, 5 small bets in lol) and

9c

....he takes his freebie.  Boy do I suck at cards.  To the river we go.

Qc

I now beat almost nothing, even though I just made "five in a row".  I mean, OK I beat some stuff, but I opt to play the hand badly and check again.  He bets, I call and he says "I have the nuts" and shows me...KJcc for the straight flush.

Hand 2

I open somewhere latish and the SB 3 bets.  The biggest fish in the game (heck, in the room) calls 2 cold in the big blind and we see a flop three ways.

943r

And it checks...right...thru.  I don't even remember what I had in this hand, it's not important.  The turn brings

943r-2

The SB bets and the BB calls.  I fold whatever it is that I had and we see a river.

943-2-3

Here is where it gets amazing.  The SB bets, the BB calls, and the SB sheepishly turns over...AJ.  That's right, the old "I think I have the best hand but forget to bet the flop, I'll now keep betting until we turn 'em over oh you called I guess you win".  In short, he was bluffing, but he was trying to bluff the biggest fish in the room who will never, ever fold a pair.  It's the worst river bet I've seen in a while.

Hand 3

This one is just...well, just dumb.  A whale limps in and someone else limps and I raise AK in the SB.  We flop

JT4tt

I bet, and only the whale calls.

4

I bet, and as he's calling he says "you have a 4?" and I am just in awe of the man as I realize he honestly believes that I could have the trip fours here.  I mean, he thinks that's possible.  This is why balance is so over-rated in these games.  I have ZERO fours in my preflop raising range here.  Zero.  But that's not important, he sees two fours and thinks I might have one.  Or does he?

6

I check because this fishy is a spazzy fish, and my best bet for a bet going in best is a check/call.  He fires immediately and I beat him into the pot with my 8 chips.  He shakes his head, pats the table in that "you got me" way and says "just a small pair" and turns over K6s.  No pair, no draw, king high double peel on the JT4-4 board, catch the 3 outter then bet your hand as a bluff (that's honestly what he thought he was doing, that I was going to check/fold something like 99).

Hand 4

Same villain as hand 2 opens on the button and I defend my big blind with...TENS.  Freaking tens.

954dd

As he's three betting I say to myself "this is just great he has nothing" and put the 4th bet in.  He just calls because eventually all free card plays must be abandoned and the turn comes

8r

He has 76o of course, as I find out after calling his raise, then getting a board pair on the river to ensure I never even consider dropping the hand.

Hand 5

This is my favorite one really, even though it really isn't that hard.  I open A2o from the CO (I had a fold telegraph but didn't need it honestly) and the SB and BB both call.  We flop

Q94r

They check, I bet, and the SB raises.  The big blind fold and I look first into my brain for memories of him raising flops in the past...all draws.....Like every single time....then into his soul and see it very clear.  The jack ten.  Somebody usually has jack ten, and since we are heads up and I don't have it, it's probably that guy.  So I resolve to call him down with ace high so long as I can defeat the jack ten.  Turn.

Q94-Qc

You see where this is going don't you?  Why would I note that the Queen was a club?

Q94-Qc-Ac

He pauses for a second, and I should immediately figure out what this means but don't really even pause to consider it.  He bets and I call and he shows me exactly the hand I'm expecting.  The jack ten...of clubs.  Flushie.....

I guess this sort of read as a bunch of bad beats, but really I wanted to illustrated just what I'm dealing with here on a daily basis.  Like I mean...really.