Fish?

I'm -63bb for the week, plus -$35 from trying $50nl & $25nl (-$25 & -$10, respectively). Where to begin...

My total losses are 100bb, winnings 37bb. I had winning sessions tue (+3bb) & wed (+34bb)...and that's it. My biggest loss was friday (-43bb) over two sessions. Last sunday was also a killer (-26bb). Mon, thu, & sat, were all around -10bb.

Why? Well, a combination of variance and bad play. Examples of variance: Dealt pocket Hiltons UTG, I raise and get 3 callers. Flop brings another two Queens giving me quads. I check, someone bets, someone folds, I call. Pot is still tiny. Turn is a King, checked around to me, I bet, someone folds, 1 caller. River is some crap, I think I bet here because I was worried that I'd just get checked, guy folds. My quads net me 6bb minus the rake.

Another one that stings: AQs (I think suited, can't recall) versus JJ. Two Queens on the board, jackjack calls me to the river with his two outer and gets his miracle Full-house.

This one from $50nl: AJ vs. AQ. Jack on the flop, I raise, AQ reraises to put me all-in. I am confident that I'm ahead here (and I am). Go all-in and he rivers a Queen. Checked the stats and I had a 70% chance to win AJ v. AQ with that flop. Another good decision with a bad outcome.

Bad play is mostly just not laying down when I know that I've been drawn out. E.g. jackjack raised on the river. I called. Worst single play I can think of is limping with QTo in $25nl, and going all-in with flopped two-pair. Lost to K9 flopped straight.

Annoying play is I folded a straight-flush (86h) to CO raise in the BB. Then again I'm not psychic and I think 'suited gappers' are for morons.

I'm really worried that I've become weak-tight since almost every time I get outdrawn. I've been a veritable ATM to people flopping sets (I can't remember the last time I flopped a set and won). I'm going to consider check raising the turn to protect my hands. I'm sure it will do no good.

I'm also going to cut back on poker since my BR is nearly 100bb lighter (in part due to trying NL but mostly due to Limit).

Off I go to the tables to burn some more money...

42

True to form I burned through 21bb in 40 minutes. Impressive! Nothing really spectacular. Got AA and played it hard, board flushed on the turn and I lost to Jack-high flush (I had the Ace). Threw the tit who called with J9s two extra bb after I knew I was beat. He raised on the turn, I called that and the river bet. Turn call wasn't terrible since I was looking for a diamond but didn't get it. River call was just plain crying.

Other than that and paying to see the flop (and not hitting a goddamn thing), I did nothing except fold and pay the blinds.

Great way to waste $42.

I've fucking had it. I'm either playing low NL or a lower limit until my luck changes. Edit: Actually, I think I'll limit myself to -10bb per session at current limit.

Oh yeah, and every hand I folded (98o, Q5s) hit the flop for trips or better. Fuck you, Lady.

Later that night...

Just finished an hour of $25nl...break even (well, +$0.06). I doubled up and stayed at the table until I was back to my buy-in. Last hand I played was QQ, raised to $2.50 preflop and folded to me. I guess I should have only bet $1.50 but there was mucho chat about my pre-flop raising so I was hoping to get one caller (I had raised the previous hand -- KQo -- preflop too but not as high). Oh well.

Things learnt: 1) With TPTK on a low board (A9s, 9 paired) I should bet enough to take it right there and then (e.g. 2x pot), not 1x bet and get called to the river where a Queen appears. 2) If I double-up (or close enough), I should leave. Sure there's the possibility that I could double-up again but when things start going south I should just leave. 3) I shouldn't loosen up too much. Yes, it's fun being able to steal blinds and limped bets but it can get out of control.