2 HU $5 + .50 End 1st 47 Hands

Been awhile since I've posted but a few thoughts passed through my mind while playing this session. As a brief catch-up I've been on a mostly downward spiral since about mid December when my bankroll hit a high of around $417 and I was feeling pretty good about seeing it get even bigger. Now I'm just over $300.

A good chunk of it is do RUSH that I still fall into the pattern of win little, lose big. Though mostly due to poor choices on my part there were a few bad beats as well. Some days it seems the cards just don't go my way and I let that put me into a down, funky mindset. Not good!! Sometimes that seems to bother me more than some of the costly, stupid plays I make, that I know better than to make! Noticing that down feeling in the Rush session, during one my semi-breaks (catching up marking were players are from) and keeping track on Poker Tracker if I'm up or down (yes I know it's suppose to be how I play the cards, but I feel better knowing where my $$$ are going, in part to know if it's probably best I stop playing at that point), I remembered from some of our guru sessions he had us start talking about how our week went, to begin with a positive affirmation. I have one in the front of my poker record book but for some time now haven't been checking it out before I start play, including this morning. Anyway the other night, when I was feeling on tilt before the next 25-50 hands I decided to read it: "I am a lucky person and a skillful, winning poker player. A powerful, winning force surrounds me." It does help quiet those doldrums and lets me concentrate on my play and not my negative feelings.

Anyway back to why I decided to make a post after that HU game this morning. Two items I believe.

 1) I pay attention to the other players moves, particularly how often they fold, and when I get a chance to see them, what kind of cards they are playing when they make moves. I often find players fold pre-flop or fold if I make a bet (small or large), then boom they'll make a bet, maybe a big one. That suggest to me they have something and if the board shows a likely straight or flush possibility, I'd better be able to beat it if I'm going to call their bet. What I find myself doing, all to often, is loving my good pocket cards (JJ-AA, AK, AQ), or maybe I've hit two pair on the Turn or the River and I can't let go of them and call, and of course, take a big hit, or I'm gone. This happened today and I had been remarking to myself about how I need to remember that this player is folding a lot and if he bets I need to remember that it means likely he has something, BUT when the time came where I should fold on the Turn and then on the River, I let those thoughts disappear from my mind.

Hand 16, blinds 10/20, I have 1770 chips, they have 1210.  I'm on the BTN/SB with Q7o and make my often 2 BB O-R in this situation with almost any two cards in HU. BB calls. Flop 2s Qd 6s, I pair my Q but don't have a very good kicker. We both check; I didn't want to push anything yet. Turn 5s. I now also have a flush draw with a low high card. BB checks and I bet 1/2 the pot (40)  and he raises me to 200. That's a flag indicating he has something and I wonder if he might have the flush and if he does and I hit the flush on the River could he beat my 7 high (very likely) and Call. River Kd. I don't hit the flush and now a paired K would beat me. BB bets the pot of 480. Another BIG flag to me. I don't think he has a K but there's an awfully good chance he has the flush that I can't beat. Do I listen to myself???? NO. I call and he shows As Qs, the nut flush that he hit on the Turn. I'm knocked down to 1050 chips. Not critical, but that was an unnecessary loss of chips for me.

2) This one was just a reminder to myself on the importance of having a good kicker!! Last hand.

Hand 47. Blinds 20/40, I have 1745 chips, SB 1195. I have Kh 3h. SB limps in for 40 and I check. Flop: 9s 3c 3d. How nice, I have trip 3's!! I decide to check to see what the SB will do, hoping he bets so I can call him without showing the strength of my hand, and he obliges by betting the pot of 80 and I call. Now what I didn't do at this point (as noted in point 1) is consider what he may be betting on. I make a general assumption that he has some kind of decent pair, I don't think at all of his maybe having hit a set with the 9; I only thought about MY hand MY cards!! Turn 10d. I check and he bets the pot again (240). Per my plan I only call. I worry a bit that he might have a diamond flush draw but I'm still married to my trip 3's. River 2s. I feel good about that card and I'm expecting to win this one!! I decide to bet almost 1/2 the 720 pot (320) as now is the time I want to act and get as many of his chips as I can. He raises me all-in with his last 855 chips and I instant call. Now why would he do that if he doesn't feel he has the winning hand? Why didn't I consider what he might have? He doesn't make bets when he doesn't have the goods.

Now I think that even if I had gone through this thought process I'd still have called. At this point I'm pretty much pot committed but if can get away from it I would still have a decent chip stack, where if I lose I'll be crippled with only 570 chips and blinds soon going up to the next level.

Maybe you're wondering what all this had to do with having a decent kicker, aren't you? Well, he had what I hadn't even considered. He had trip 3's too and also a decent kicker, but only a Q. So I won. In part I was lucky he didn't have an Ace. When I hit trips it's always hard for me to remember that someone else may have hit them too and I'd better have a good kicker when I find them challenging me.