Confidence

I cashed in my last two Tuesday night league games, but still no victory. I am a little bumbed out by this. It honestly has made me re-evaluate my play. Why do I keep busting out? What hands get me in trouble? What hands would be the best for a given situation? The thing that really gets me is knowing the correct play, but not being able to pull the trigger. It's like I have some mental deficiency where I play weak...and I know it's a weak play when I am doing it. As soon as the hand is over I tell myself- You should have folded here. You should have pushed here. I should have called here. Who knows...maybe it's the second guessing that is killing me. I am not trusting my gut the way I should. Here is a perfect example:

I played in a new tourney this past weekend. It was a bigger buy in than I usually play. Let's just say that 1st place was paying out more than my entire bankroll. I sit at my table. I look around. I know exactly 2 people at my table. I have never played a hand with the other 7. The idiot to my left (lefty) had been playing really loose. He was not that good at all. He was coming into decent sized pots with weak hands and getting really lucky. So lefty min raises from under the gun there is a caller. I am in the BB and look down at a Ks7s. I decide to call (telling myself if I whiff on the flop I fold it). The flop comes out:

Jc 9d 7h

I flopped bottom pair. I check it. Lefty bets out. I sit calmly and watch his chips hit the felt, but in my head I am screaming to myself- "HE IS WEAK!! HE HIT NOTHING." It folds to me. I tell myself to re-raise big and push him out. I eyeball his stack. He has me dominated in chips. He just might be stupid enough to call me. That very next second is what killed me. I had the worst thought a poker player can have- I said to myself, "what if I'm wrong?"

Looking back on it, that one hand...actually that one thought is what screwed my for the rest of that tournament.I just gave up any and all confidence that I had in myself as a poker player.

I fold my bottom pair like a wuss. As I am mucking I tell him, "nice bluff." As he is mucking his cards he flashed them to me- 5c4c. I was right. He had no part of it. He would have had to go runner/runner to beat me.

At the time I didn't realize how much of an impact that decision had on my game, but over the last few days I am beginning to see just how enormous that was. I can't believe I didn't trust in myself.

Trusting my gut and my read is my number one goal for the next month of play. I will fix it. I will take a stand and trust my instincts.

As for the rest of the tourney: I made the final table just barely. I was nursing a short stack, and was resorted to just pushing. I hate that, but I did it to myself.

Just remember- Confidence is key to this game.

Random Ramblings...

So...Paul Wasicka takes down the National Heads-Up Championship. I wouldn't have guess that one. Not that I think he is a bad player at all. He is just a new player. Kind of like Hachem when he won the WSOP. Nobody really knew him, but since then he has proven himself to be a very solid player.

I know I said this last post, but I still can't believe Shannon Elizabeth got in the final 4. That is just nuts! I heard an interview with her on the Circuit a while ago. On that interview she was going on and on about how she wanted my junk. I mean Joe Sebok was getting jealous because I was all she talked about. No...but really. In the interview you could tell she was pretty new to the game. I am sure she has gotten better since then, BUT I still can't believe she took out the Bear!!

So my game lately has been doing pretty well. I had a couple decent finishes in my league games, but surprisingly enough it has been my cash game that has been doing even better! At worst I am walking away with 50% more than my original buy in, and at best a little more than 3 times my original buy in. I know people may be able to build their buy in's bigger in a session, but these sessions only last about 3 or 4 hours. It is not like I am in a casino for 8 or 10 hours.

I was going to head to Tunica in a couple weeks, but my plans fell through. I am kind of bumbed about that one. I was really looking forward to the trip. Usually I am the one who is getting everything together at the last second, but this time I was on top of my game. I checked on line for room availability, checked on flight prices, and even scoped out which tourneys and cash games I was going to hit. This time it was everyone else who bailed!! I guess I am going to have to reschedule it for this summer some time.

I was trying to think of a hand or two to share, but only one came to mind. Cash game at my place- There was a player who had been trying so hard to get under my skin all night, but I was having none of it. He started talking up that he could read me like a book. He was saying things like- "your so freakin easy" and "I always know what cards you have in your hand." I had a plan for him. I just needed to find the right situation.

I look down under the gun to see 9c 9d. I raise it up to about 4 or 5 times the BB. If folds to him and he shoots me the look and calls. I know that he has big cards (pretty much all he plays). But at the same time...he never gives me credit for having a hand. EVER. Which is fine by me!

The flop:
9s 3d 3s

I pretty much just flopped the nuts! I knew I had to play it fast and look like I was bluffing. He would call me down with any high cards, and just assume I missed the flop. I had a stack of chips in my hand (about 3/4 the pot)- as soon as the cards hit I threw them out there, quick. He quickly calls, and I know I am about to get more off of him! I eye-ball a stack of chips that I am about to throw in next.

The turn:
7c

I reach for the stack and knock it into the pot. He calls again.

The river:
Kd

When this card hit I change my demeanor, and not because I was worried about it. I was hoping so bad that he hit the king. I wanted him to think the card scared me a little. I bet out again- a little more than half the pot. He sat and thought for about 10 seconds , and calls. He shows big slick! Perfect!

I show my house and rake the pot. I usually don't talk a bunch of smack, but I couldn't resist. As I am pulling a mound of chips towards me, I calmly say- "Good read."

National Heads-Up Championship

I just went over to cardplayer.com and checked out the heads-up bracket. I just wanted to see what was going on. Here is a link to the bracket:

Heads-Up Bracket

First and foremost I have to say...what in the world is going on with Shannon Elizabeth? She must be catching some good cards. I know I've never played with her (not that I wouldn't mind), but she has to be one of the weaker players in the bracket. Now don't get me wrong. She could be a studly player, but compare her to the rest of the field and you'll understand what I am talking about. She definitely gets a big congratulations from me. She beat Barry Greenstein. That in itself is a feat. Barry is one of the best around.

There were a few first round losses that I was a little shocked by:
1- Erick Lindgren lost to Vanessa Russo
2- Daniel Negreanu lost to Mike "the mouth" Matusow
3- John Juanda lost to Michael Mizrachi
4- Phil Ivey lost to Don Cheadle
5- Todd Brunson lost to Gabe "the worst poker announcer" Kaplan

The tournament started with 64 players, and at this point...there are 8 players left. Here are the match ups that remain:

1- Shannon Elizabeth Vs Humberto Brenes (I figured this match up would be Lindgren Vs Seed)
2- Paul Wasicka Vs Nam Le (I figured- Cloutier Vs Forrest)
3- Andy Bloch Vs Gavin Smith (I figured- Negreanu Vs Chan...although I am not surprised by Gavin. He would have been my next pick...other than Chan)
4- Kristy Gazes Vs Chad Brown ( I figured- Ivey Vs Todd Brunson)

Oh well, heads-up is a totally different game! If I had to pick the final match it would be- Gavin Smith defeating Nam Le.

We'll see if I'm right soon enough!!

Slow Play Suck Out

I know slow plays don't always go as planned, but geeze! Runner runner hurts. I hosted our league game last night. First hand there are a couple limpers. I look down at a 9 8 off suit, and decide to come on in. The BB raises but not by much. One other player calls. I decide to just see what I can hit. If I miss I'm out. The flop:

5h 6d 7s

SWEET!! I just flopped the nuts! The BB bets out the other guy calls. I was going to raise but I figured why push people out. I'm just going to take there chips anyway. Plus- the BB loves to bet, and constantly overvalues his hand. I definitely want to keep him in. I call. The turn:

Qc

The BB bets out again. This time fairly large. The other player in the hand folds. I think for a second. I put the BB on an over pair (he can never let one of those go) or a set. I was going to raise there, but I just smooth called. The river:

Qd

CRAP- I did not want to see the board pair. He bet out again. This time smaller. He definitely wanted a caller. I go back through his hand- my initial thoughts were over pair or set, but he could also have something like AQ (the only reason I throw this in the mix is because he is a known continuation bettor...and he could have just gone runner/runner for 3 of a kind). I have 2 of the three hands that I am putting him beat- so, I decide to call. he turns over pocket 5's for the boat.

He just went running queens to boat up, and crush my nut straight. Thinking back if I raised during the hand we might have ended up getting all our chips in the middle. Like I said this guy always over values his hand. He would have called with his set.

This was just the beginning- I also got nailed with runner/runner flush to kill my over pair (although I did get away from it on the river...he showed, and I gave him crap for it). Then my short stacked self picks up AK and I run into rockets. That was all she wrote for the tournament!

But...once again. The cash game saved the day. I cashed out as the chip leader with a little more than 1/4 of the chips in play at an 9 person table. I have always considered myself a better tournament player than cash game, but I have been rolling pretty good in the cash games lately. My bankroll is up about 35-40% in the last couple weeks thanks to the cash games.

Tuesday Night Results...

Played in the usual home tourney Tuesday night. I did OK. We had 27 players. I came in 4th. I played pretty good. Made a few good calls, a couple well timed bets, and some tough folds. I did have a little bit of a slow start, but then went on a little run.

I had just been playing solid, nothing spectacular. Then I took 3 good sized pots down in a row. All 3 of them went to a show down. So, since the table saw me show down 3 great hands in a row I decided now would be a good time to come in with some weaker hands to see what I could pick up. As Hannibal (from the A-Team) used to say, "I love it when a plan comes together!" Nobody wanted to call me down. After stealing about 5 of 7 pots I decided to slow it back down a little bit. Before long I'm sitting at the final table. Then we are down to 6. Then 4. Here is my questionable play for the night. It was 2 hands back to back...but it cost me all my chips.

We were playing 4 handed. I am under the gun (had a tighter image at the time) had A 3 off suit. I raised it to 3 times the BB. 2 folds behind me...then the BB looks down. He pauses for a second and then says he's all in. Great. I have him out chipped, but if I loose it I am going to have about 5 or 6 big blinds left (and I am BB next hand)I sit and think for a second. Am I dominated? Does have an ace? If so it has to be bigger than mine. Is he paired? I get him to talk a little, and it hits me. I am ahead. I put him on a couple face cards. I call. As my ace flips up I see his face drop. I know I am good. He flips over KQ. I am ahead but not by a huge margin at all.

My question is. Did I make the right call? Or should I have let my ace go? I put him on face cards when I called. My thought process was- I am about 60% favorite, and he is only going to pair his hole cards about 1/3rd of the time. So...bad call or not? I could have folded it to him, and still been in decent shape.

He ends up flopping a king and I miss my ace. I am down to about 6 big blinds.

The very next hand: The button raised exactly what I have left. I look down at A5 off suit. Just because of the player (I had been playing with him all night) I put him on face cards as well. I couldn't exactly fold anyway. I was already crippled. I called. Sure enough. He flips over KQ. I flop a 5, but then he turns a Q. I miss on the river. I am out in 4th place. That blows. Not the results I was looking for...but I did earn some league points.

Thoughts on the call?