Ups & Downs. WNP March 23, 2005

Last night was just one of those nights. I couldn't win, or I probably could have won, but I didn't. I'm not going to make excuses like "I couldn't catch any cards" or "I kept getting bad beats". It just wasn't happening for me last night. I found a certain focus this past weekend that I hadn't found before, I played my Friday night game, and a game with my family this weekend, and could read people very well...and because of that I was up for the weekend. But last night I just wasn't focused and for the most part the Wednesday night players are harder to read. I caught a few hands, made some decent plays, but lost most of my chips on a couple of key hands.

-I'm on the button with pocket 4s, there are a few limpers, I limp in as well (I'm thinking this was one of my routine mistakes of the night, limping in late postion instead of raising). The flop comes 8,8,8! It's checked to cake and he makes a moderate sized bet, I push it all-in (my second routine mistake of the night). I was thinking cake had an A, but there was no need to commit all my chips at this point. He calls and flips over pocket 9s, I'm drawing dead to an one outer...the 8 doesn't come.

-I was sitting in middle position and decided to limp in with 7,8c. The board comes 6,6,5 rainbow and I've made an opened ended straight draw. Cake is in the hand and he bets $3, Pete makes it $6, I make it $16 total, hoping to take the pot there or make my straight if I get called. Cake folds, Pete pushes all in with hardly any hesitation, and I know he's got a 6. Pete's a pretty solid player and usually when he goes over the top in a hand like this he's got the goods. It's $6.50 more for me to call and I'm committed to the pot. I call. He turns over 9,6 (he limped in from the BB). The turn is a 5 and he makes a full boat, the river is a 4 giving me the losing straight.

-This next hand I play terribly. I was on tilt and just wasn't making good decisions. I'm sitting in the BB with Q9, there are a couple of limpers but nobody raises. The flop comes (K,x,x). It's checked all around and the turn is a 9. It's checked to Andy who is sitting to my right and he bets $3, I'm thinking he's also paired his 9 (maybe holding A9) or is making a play at the pot. I want him to fold and I move all in with my Q kicker hoping he'll figure I was slow playing a big pocket pair or a pair of Ks. He calls and shows me two pair, Ks and 9s, he had checked his K on the flop. I didn't feel good about the all in when i made it, it was a terrible play. I was down to the felt and down $40 for the night.

I felt ok about the night, obviously I don't want to lose, but there are other games and I'll regain my focus. I've only seriously been studying poker for 3 or 4 months now and feel pretty good about the progress I've made so far. Let's see where I'm at in a year from now.