The Bears Suckfest, Poker and More Poker

Friggin Bears. Run the ball morons. It’s a downpour and the wind is blowing 20 miles an hour. Rex doesn’t have to do the same things that Colt’s quarterback does.

Donkeypuncher summed it up. That’s all I have to say about it for now.

Played like an idiot for the most part Friday night. I did go deep in a $5 MTT for a small cash but I donked it up in another tourney. I also played about 2 dozen sngs with limited success.

The sngs were the same as ever. I haven’t played many of these for a while so it was kind of fun to grind them. And other then getting all my money in as a favorite 7 straight times only to lose was frustrating. You know the story. Play pocket Aces vs. QJ and watch him hit runner runner for a straight. ButKarma came back later on to see me get my money in ahead, get behind on the turn and resuck on the river. I also hit runner runner to win another hand.

The $5 MTT was a nice grind. I never hand a really big stack and was never in any real trouble. I won a hand with 99 for a nice early pot before losing some on a steal attempt. I doubled up when I called a re raise while holding AK. The flop have me the nut flush draw, the wheel straight and straight flush draw and two over cards. I push and he calls with JJ and I spike the King of diamonds on the river to scoop with the flush. I had 18 outs twice so I think this is a good move. Anyway, I gained some more vs. a small stack when my KK held vs. AJ. Chipped up some more with AT suited when I came over the top of a weak turn bet. I held nothing but my read was that the small blind had a small piece of the flop and that I could represent a better hand. I won a pot with 34 suited when I flopped a pair of 3s. It was checked by all to the river when I hit trips and I reraised a steal attempt to take the pot. With the blinds at 150/300 I won a checked down pot while holding J6 after the SB, holding KQ never raised the pot prefolp. After getting blinded down some more I took at pot with 55. I finally double again when my KQ beat the all powerful K7 held by a big stack. I held my ground with some small pots until…..I don’t remember the last hand other than I was short stacked and pushed with two cards and lost. If I remember correctly the big stack called with any two and I was ahead like 60-40 and got out flopped. Still a nice run.

I’ve been looking at my game as compared to a few players whose games I am amiliar with. Now they all have the same tag as I do but I found a couple of spots that could make the difference between making deep runs on occasion and making regular runs at bigger money.

Player 1 is someone we all know as a good player. He has made some nice runs and continues to have success.

Player 2 is a solid player who has some success but has a tendancy fizzle out by giving away chips after getting a nice chips stack.

Player 3 is another solid player who from what I know has had some success.

Now I have been to final tables with each of these guys at some point and do have a good understanding of how they play. A few thing stand out.

Player 2 plays many more hands then 1 and 3. I have seen this when playing with him. When he hits a hand early his VPIP will go up in relationship to his stack. He likes to test but sometimes can't get away from a hand.

The difference I saw between 1 and 3 was 1st in raises and the ability to slow play a hand. Player one will do each in the right situation but player 33 has not shown that he will do it.

Now I understand that this is a small sample of information but these are also the reads I had before tracking.

Now how do I compare?

I don't see enough flops and I don't come in enough as the first raiser. These are one in the same in that I'm losing out on some blind steals that would increase my chip stack and get me through the bad beats. And though my aggresstion is consistant it coul maybe stand to move up. I'm not sure on that one but I will keep it in the back of my mind.

The proof is in the pudding. Many times I get to much respect for my hands and lose out on raises because I play to tight. I'm not sure I can change any of this. We shall see