Winning Again

So I'm beginning to realize that I like to blog when I win.  It's true.  No one, like to write while their on a losing streak.  I seem to notice this about other poker bloggers.  It's a little humiliating to have a blog and then begin to describe the spiral downward.  Also, if you're married, like me, to the most wonderful person in the world.  You don’t want her to know that you're in the middle of a losing streak.

What did I do while I was losing?  I did other things.  I worked on my home business.  Worked on preparing to start a family.

I also quit playing ring games.  I seem to be losing most of my money this way.  I realized about a month ago is that to win a loose ring games, you have to hit your flushes and straights.

Whenever I was chasing my nut flush and could not hit, I'd go on tilt and play top pair over aggressively.

Winning at Low Limit Hold'em requires patience and losing can cause you to lose patience.

I decided to play SNG's and I was actually doing pretty good at that.  I was slowly building my bankroll up again.

I was at Pechanga on the 26th.  I played in a No-Limit tournament that I soon found was a Limit Tournament and I was out quickly.  What a waste.  You have to get lucky pretty fast to survive Speed Limit Hold'em.

I then sat down at the $2/$4 table, which I had not done in months and actually won.  I came with $80 and walked away with $120.  How did I do it?  By hitting my flushes and straights.

Once I started following my own advice, I would win.  It's simple.

• Be patient.  You don't have to play every pot.
• Have two cards that can work together.  High suited. 1-gap connectors. Pocket Pairs.  Play the blinds. Throw away King-3 offsuit.
• The flop must improve your hand. If you hit nothing and you have an Ace.  Get out.  You'll lose a lot of money chasing an ace when your opponent just hit two pair.
• If you hit bottom pair, see the turn cheap, only 1 bet.
• Don't fall in love with top pair.  The other guy has two pair.
• If you have the nut flush or open ended straight draw, chase it.
• When you hit your flushes and straights, you will be feared at the table and you'll be able to bluff.
• Make calling stations pay for their actions.
• Make aggressive players pay for their actions, especially when you have two pair or higher.
• Check raises to define your hand and fold when they play back at you.

Good luck all.

Reading Players Online

I recently won a SNG at Full Tilt and I was presented with a hand that required a little reading of the other player.

We’re in the third level of the SNG and I'm the chip leader. 

I'm Under-The-Gun (first to act) preflop and have Ad-Qc. 
As chip leader, I decide to lead out and bet four times the BB to 200 to see if I can win this pot now.

Seat 4 and 5 fold.
Seat 6 calls
Everyone else folds.

The flop comes 4s-Jd-4d.

I'm guessing this flop didn't hit either of us.  But I don't want to lose a lot of money.

I check and seat 6 checks.

I'm pretty that flop helped no one.

The turn comes a Kh.

Since I'm in early position, I want to see what my opponent does.

I check.
Seat 6 bets half the pot at 250.

The only question I have at this point is "does my opponent have a King?"

My gut tells me that he doesn't based on his current chip stack which is at 1000 at this point.  The reason is that the half pot bet feels like a probe bet.  If he had the king at this stage in the tournament, he'd be all-in.

I call.

The river is 3h.  I'm 100% sure he doesn't have the 3.

I check.
Seat 6 goes all-in.

I think for a second.  With Ace-Queen, I have the high cards and I have the best hand.

I call.

Seat 6 shows 10d-9d. He's on a flush draw.

I win the pot and knock out player 6.  Another player at this point chats "UR kidding!"

I respond "I knew he didn't have it."  Come on, I would never have gotten that deep with a player if I thought he had a hand.