Gremlins in your Game...

[TylerStroud]

Now I know I was running good for a 2 week period or so where I cashed 3 out of 5 MTTs and have got myself into a position to hopefully get a chance at the Invitational, but the problem that now faces me is I've got some nondescript gremlins in my game that I cant seem to pin down.

The only thing i can think it might be, is that my strength in these tournaments (and this leads to a lower degree of variance over time imo) is that I can take my ego out of the equation and play extremely TAG poker and just sit back and not worry about dwindling stacks // pretty hands that look like they want to be played because when I first played these, this was all the money I had in the world, and I had to be supertight else I'd go busto.

However now I have a good few buy-ins behind me and I seem to be losing that fear that caused me to make good folds which Im now not making.

My plan is to start playing the 20 30 and 50 freerolls where the TAG strategy is the only real way to get through them to avoid all the messy play from donks, but has anyone else had a similar problem when they first got on the bottom rung of the ladder as far as playing seriously goes? If so tips would be appreciated!



Cheers in advance,
Tyler


(Fold preflop is a valid reply but Im getting in there first.)

[Dice Man]

Push pre-flop.

[rfph1]

...give me most of your dosh, then you'll regain your fear of going broke.

[DanAngel]

Poker seems to be about playing yourself as much as other people. If you're battling with your own game, I think that shows at the table.

My best game is when I'm playing with money I can afford to lose, but don't want to (if you know what I mean), and playing people with a similar outlook. You have to make yourself a little nervous, I think it helps your game.

[Raiser]

Varience is your answer.

There is a point that eveyone gets to (which they wont admit) when you go on a run, you think you are the best in the world, you think you can do this full time as a pro and you start to dream that you will win the next WSOP.

Well..... welcome to the real world. 99% arent good enough to become pro and we are not as good as we think we are! Sorry to sound harsh but its true.

I know people, myself included, that started playing and after 3 months thought they were gods gift to poker and thought they could take anyone on only for my poker world to come crashing down and for me to realise i am no better than the average player!

It has nothing to do with you playing any different, its nothing to do with your 'respect' for money its all down to varience coming along and biting you on the arse!

Just because we post on a poker forum, know matt, win a few mtt's, read a poker mag, watch high stakes poker and browse the net for poker related stuff doesnt make anyone a winning player. Only a very small percentage 'win' and unless you live breath and dream about poker we dont have a chance of doing for a living IMO.

rant over

ps not directed at you tyler but just some general lessons i have learnt the hard way over the past few years.

[TylerStroud]

Tis cool dude wasn't taking it personally. I still think I'm playing a little different but could equally be variance.

[TylerStroud]

Ok - Pretty early in the Deepstack, my tables been an absolute train-wreck (to use Rod's term) so far and I pick up KJ in the BB. Would normally fold this but everyone limps so decide its worth a flop. Dont know what you put the guy on at the end but I eventually decide he has AK with a strange early position limp, or AJ // AQ and drawing to the straight.

***** Hand 1292796988 *****
10.00/20.00 Texas Hold'em (No Limit) - 25 October 2008 21:41:59
DEEPSTACK €3,000 GTD (Real/Tournament)
Seat 1: quinito2 (4500.00)
Seat 2: snakeeye69 (7390.00)
Seat 4: GuNNeR_CY (4950.00)
Seat 5: Juliet2211 (4585.00)
Seat 6: TITIBOND (11325.00)
Seat 7: malecova (4610.00)
Seat 8: asiertau (4280.00)
Seat 9: snakekal (3360.00)
GuNNeR_CY post SB 10.00
Juliet2211 post BB 20.00
** Deal **
quinito2 [N/A, N/A]
snakeeye69 [N/A, N/A]
GuNNeR_CY [N/A, N/A]
Juliet2211 [Jc, Kh]
TITIBOND [N/A, N/A]
malecova [N/A, N/A]
asiertau [N/A, N/A]
snakekal [N/A, N/A]
*** Bet Round 1 ***
TITIBOND Call 20.00
malecova Call 20.00
asiertau Call 20.00
snakekal Fold
quinito2 Call 20.00
snakeeye69 Fold
GuNNeR_CY Call 20.00
Juliet2211 Check
*** Flop(Board): *** : [Kd, 2s, Qh]
*** Bet Round 2 ***
GuNNeR_CY Bet 20.00
Juliet2211 Raise to 180.00
TITIBOND Call 180.00
malecova Fold
asiertau Fold
quinito2 Fold
GuNNeR_CY Fold
*** Turn(Board): *** : [Kd, 2s, Qh, Jd]
*** Bet Round 3 ***
Juliet2211 Bet 400.00
TITIBOND Call 400.00
*** River(Board): *** : [Kd, 2s, Qh, Jd, 5h]
*** Bet Round 4 ***
Juliet2211 Bet 1500.00
TITIBOND Call 1500.00
*** Showdown *** : Rake: 0.00 Total Pot: 4300.00
quinito2 Fold Win: 0.00
snakeeye69 Fold Win: 0.00
GuNNeR_CY Fold Win: 0.00
Juliet2211 [Jc, Kh] Two pair kings and jacks Win: 0.00
TITIBOND [Qs, Kc] Two pair kings and queens Win: 4300.00
malecova Fold Win: 0.00
asiertau Fold Win: 0.00
snakekal Fold Win: 0.00


After this pick up 900 or so chips from a small ish pot with AJ vs a donk with an A High flop but eventually im sitting on about 2500 with the break and 100 / 200 level approaching. Need the double and decide 88 is as good a shot as any. Worth noting that these donks had been limping pre every hand and I expected them to all fold with the shove.

***** Hand 1292854959 *****
75.00/150.00 Texas Hold'em (No Limit) - 25 October 2008 22:26:32
DEEPSTACK €3,000 GTD (Real/Tournament)
Seat 1: charwell (10091.00)
Seat 2: babilo (24784.00)
Seat 3: bundus (4840.00)
Seat 4: roby_1108 (11229.00)
Seat 5: ANDREAX69 (8478.00)
Seat 6: St4nkov1c (4134.00)
Seat 7: SHADES11 (6091.00)
Seat 8: xHJ18x (10778.00)
Seat 9: antpoldan (5088.00)
Seat 10: Juliet2211 (2365.00)
antpoldan post SB 75.00
Juliet2211 post BB 150.00
** Deal **
charwell [N/A, N/A]
babilo [N/A, N/A]
bundus [N/A, N/A]
roby_1108 [N/A, N/A]
ANDREAX69 [N/A, N/A]
St4nkov1c [N/A, N/A]
SHADES11 [N/A, N/A]
xHJ18x [N/A, N/A]
antpoldan [N/A, N/A]
Juliet2211 [8d, 8s]
*** Bet Round 1 ***
charwell Fold
babilo Call 150.00
bundus Fold
roby_1108 Call 150.00
ANDREAX69 Call 150.00
St4nkov1c Call 150.00
SHADES11 Fold
xHJ18x Call 150.00
antpoldan Fold
Juliet2211 All-in 2365.00
babilo Fold
roby_1108 Fold
ANDREAX69 Fold
St4nkov1c Fold
xHJ18x Call 2365.00
*** Flop(Board): *** : [Ac, Qs, Kh]
*** Turn(Board): *** : [Ac, Qs, Kh, 5s]
*** River(Board): *** : [Ac, Qs, Kh, 5s, 9c]
*** Showdown *** : Rake: 0.00 Total Pot: 5405.00
charwell Fold Win: 0.00
babilo Fold Win: 0.00
bundus Fold Win: 0.00
roby_1108 Fold Win: 0.00
ANDREAX69 Fold Win: 0.00
St4nkov1c Fold Win: 0.00
SHADES11 Fold Win: 0.00
xHJ18x [5c, 5d] Three of a kind, fives Win: 5405.00
antpoldan Fold Win: 0.00
Juliet2211 [8d, 8s] Pair of eights Win: 0.00






Another lovely night for the Tyler.

[S6TAV]

Ty I would have to agree with Raiser
I went through the same thing as you, when I started playing on PCUK i thought I was the STT king. You only have to look at my sharkscope stats now to show how wrong I was.

I dont really know what advice to give but from this comment

I pick up KJ in the BB. Would normally fold this

I would say that you dont always have to stick to what the books say. Premium cards dont come everyhand yes i know you lost the hand but its just a cooler. Dont let it deter you from making a similar play again.
The jack on the turn is probably the worst card for you. Would you have carried on betting if that doesn't show?

[TylerStroud]

Nah without that J i woulda folded, because after the flop // turn I had put the guy on AK / AQ / AJ.

The "I would normally fold this" is just referring to other positions. If i was in early or mid pos id probably lay down KJo and id only raise if i was entering in from late. Agree its just running bad, had another sick one earlier today, J3o vs J2o on a J high flop. Should be a split pot 9 times out of 10 but the guy caught his Deuce on the river.

Insane.

[ajtombs]

No money in poker should be scared money - if so, you willprobably lose it all