Sunday, December 30, 2007

Two bitches about poker

That's it.
I'm done.
Save for The Mookie, I'm completely giving up tournaments for a while.
There's no reason for me to play them anymore. In fact, I'm hurting myself by playing them. It cuts into my win rate at the cash games, and right now, that's nothing to fuck around with, given that I've successfully moved up a level, and I'm basically crushing them right now.
But I'm growing increasingly cynical about tournaments.
In a $22 SnG I played today, I made good moves and stole enough to be surviving despite shit cards until the bubble. I'm dealt A-A. My M is less than 5, so I push, hoping that it looks desperate. The big stack calls me with 5-5.
One 5 on the flop and IGHN.
This kind of shit has happened to me all through December, and it's made me hate tournaments at this point. I'm really, really sick of getting my money in good and getting screwed, and I'd feel better about it if I could win a race now and then, but I'm 0-10 in my last races, and I have yet to suck out on anyone.
This sounds like a Hoy rant, and honestly I can see why the guy seems so pissed off at poker all the time. He plays too many tournaments.
I don't see nearly as many stupid plays in cash games, and that's probably why I've done well in them. People don't suck out on me as often. They still do, by God, do they ever, but I win more than enough money to make it for that.
Perhaps I'm feeling the crunch that comes when you suffer the suckouts that you always will but don't make up for it by winning a race every once in a while. Whatever. I don't even want to analyze it right now.
I realize my tournament game needs work, but I also know I'll never be a great one. I don't steal enough, don't push people around enough and don't take enough advantage of situations where the other player shows weakness. So I need my hands to hold up to do well in them.
But I'm a good player, and I almost laugh now when Hoy said it takes more skill to be a tournament player than a cash game player. Bullshit. It takes more luck to be a successful tournament player. At least more than what I"m having right now.
I may play a few once again in February, but until then, I"m strictly a cash game player now, save for The Mookie.
My bankroll will thank me for it.

• • •
That's it.
I'm done.
I'm done playing Q-Q.
I don't know if I can bring myself to throw it away pre-flop, but I think I'm going to start.
It will surely save me money in the long run.
Last night I lost nearly a buy-in over several coolers, stuff like people getting a higher two pair, etc., just one of those frustrating nights when you're still playing well and saving yourself money when you know you're beat and yet you just keep getting coolered over and over and over.
Last night the Cunts cost me the most.
To understand how I truly feel about Q-Q, know that I hate that word. Tony Soprano saved the word for FBI informants. I reserve it for Q-Q only.
I had Queens three times last night and lost all three times with them. Standard. Once the guy playing K-Q got his flush on the river, which didn't cost me much, and the second time the guy had A-A, which only cost me a little more, and finally the third time the guy had K-K, which cost me more than half my stack.
Queens are my nemesis hand. I run into Aces or Kings probably far more often than statistically probable to do so. I mean it didn't even shock me when I ran into higher pocket pairs two of the three times because it happens to me all the time. And yet it happens live, too. In Vegas I lost a big pot pre-flop in a $1-2 NL game against a donkey who went all in with A-9 (I knew he had a weak hand) and got his A on the flop. I lost another hand in Black Hawk when the guy had Kings.
The thing is, I'm always careful with Queens. I know it's only a pair after the flop and only a good one at that. It's not like I push with them a lot. But I always seem to make a bad decision with them. When I'm aggressive with them, I run into Kings or Aces, and when I'm not, someone draws out on me by the river.
And let's not talk about when the other person has them. They're gold against me.
So, I fold them from now on.
At least for now.
What is your nemesis hand and why?

4 comments:

Dave said...

My nemesis hand has always been Ace King (suited or not). I always put way too much faith in it and get called by some low pocket pair and I can't hit the board. In a tournament where I'm near the bubble, I'm half tempted to fold this hand.

Mondogarage said...

AQ, by a country mile. I know it's not that strong of a hand, but it's so hard for me to fold pf to a single raise, or even a reraise with enough pot odds. Funny thing is, it's not someone else's AK that usually gets me...

Fuel55 said...

Dont blame Presto - it cant help being magical.

SirFWALGMan said...

An SNG is not an MTT so maybe you should quit. heh. Lotta swings in those kind of games. Just have to go with it.