Thursday, January 5, 2012

How Does This Happen

In just two short days I've gone from extremely well rested and chomping at the bit to play poker, to extremely fatigued, unable to sleep, and really having no interest in going in to work today. I guess it could be because I was out of the house for 15 and 13 hours respectively each of the last two days, and perhaps because the landscapers showed up at 7 this morning, but in general I'm just not super happy about it. And over the last two days I was actually able to feel my play degrading and slipping for the first time in a while, until last night around 7pm I was playing my usual "not that good" game and bailed. Here are some examples:

Hand 1, 20/40

Fishy limps, old school tag raises, a cold-call, I call in the blind with the mighty 74o, we see a flop of:

K63r

I check, fishy checks, old school bets, a fold and I...Raise! Fishy folds, tag folds, I pat myself on the back for a job well done. The play took awareness (fishy wasn't that interested) and cognition (old school will bet/fold a huge portion of his range on this board, giving me credit for exactly a king). Yah.

Hand 2, 40/80

Bad player limps, I raise, tag-fish calls, button calls, 4 ways. I have kings by the way.

932dd

Bad player donks, I raise, tag-fish snap calls, button calls, donker calls, I cringe. Tag-fish pretty much has a set of 3s or 2s here always, as I think he'd 3-bet a flush draw. There is a chance he has pocket tens, however, so I must bet/fold the turn to make sure.

Jr

I bet, tag fish raises, button calls, bad player folds, I fold. The river is a card and tag-fish shows the 333. This play isn't extremely difficult or anything, but it does qualify as a hero fold that, when playing poorly, I am unable to make. Like here...

Hand 3 40/80

Lady who just crushes me opens UTG but like 6 handed, I defend the QJcc

A44cc

I c/r which is probably bad in and of itself right from the start. She calls. I cringe and try to figure out what to do when:

Qr

Seems like I still have a value bet, right? Fail. There is no value, whatsoever. She will play perfectly against my bet, and the only hands I even remotely want folding are gut shots which I'd imagine she'd have snap folded on the flop. I suppose I beat QT, but again, I don't think that's even getting here. Anyway, I value bet.

Jr

I check/call like a fish, see the A6o, rack up and go home.

Seeing my play deteriorate like that was a little disheartening, to be blunt. I like to believe that I am capable of playing well for an entire day, but it's possible I've been lying to myself all this time. And tonight's horrible sleep definitely isn't going to help, so I guess the plan for today is just to take it one hour at a time, take lots of breaks, and try not to fight too dirty against my money.

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