Things I have noticed

I have had some thoughts that I wanted to put down for a little bit and so here goes. I have had some improved success the last couple of weeks and I have been trying to pinpoint what has changed about my game that has allowed me to go deeper in MTTs than before. I think there are a couple factors that have helped to take my game to the next level.

One of the things that I think I am doing more of is pushing my edge, or perceived edge anyway. In the past I would not commit my chips to a hand that I probably had the best hand and I allowed more aggressive players to take pots from me. I think it is very important to take advantage of those moments where it is most likely that you are ahead. This has meant that I have overbet some pots where it was a draw heavy flop in order to protect my hand. Sometimes you take it down right there, and other times someone calls you with a drawing hand or second best hand and I double through, and then there will of course be those times where they hit and you go out, which sucks, but that is how it goes.

I have also tried to not let any beat bother me, and yes, it is difficult, but what I have tried to do is focus and remember the hellacious bad beats I have put on people instead and really enjoy them. The cards all even out and so as much as it pains me to see my KK cracked by someone with TTs, at least 3 times this week, it is the call we want and that is the fact of the matter. We want the under pairs and drawing hands to call so we can double up.

The other thing that I would suggest people try and do is to slow down. You have X amount of time to act for each hand, and unless you know that you are folding without a doubt, use that time to think about what other people have, not just your hand. If you look down at TT and are in LP with a raise and reraise in front of you, a hand that you would have liked to play now becomes an unplayable hand, and for the most part you should be mucking your hand.

Take the time to think about what hands other people have and are playing, and why they are calling raises and not reraising, re-evaluate your hand on the flop and think, think, think. Just because you have AK does not mean you need to mail it in preflop, especially to a reraise of you raise. You should be asking what type of player this person is, tight, loose, would they reraise with AQ, AJ, or is it more likely AA, KK, maybe QQ and JJ, but you must think.

I have learned a great deal this week playing, and in the coming week I am going to change up a few things, because I believe that I have figured out a couple things about my own game and about how a lot of people are playing.

The third thing that I learned this week was to be more aggressive late, and to play back at aggressive players. I allowed myself to get bubbled due to not being defensive when I could and falling into the trap of thinking I need a hand to play back with, which I don't think is true at all. After all the guy that is raising every other hand is doing it with any two so why not reraise with any two if you have the chips to do it. I am not talking pushing all-in, although that is certainly an option, but instead I am talking a big reraise to find out if they are serious, and then re-evaluate the flop based on what happens. I am going to try several techniques in the future that I have seen in the past and that have given me trouble. Keep the pressure on, keep putting pressure on other people.

The final thought is playing against that loose donkey at your table. I think it is important to try and sucker them into bad situations, i.e. not raising some hands so that when you hit that big hand you can trap them with their non existent kicker, or play back at them with made hands, big pairs, and not just big drawing hands AK, AQ and the like. Keep an eye on the fish that calls down bottom pair and remember their betting patterns when they did so. Were they min betting that bottom pair, do they bet out on a flush draw hoping to build a big pot when they could have taken a card off and kept the pot smaller.

Pay attention always, and if you don't have Poker Ace HUD or something like it, I would recommend getting it to help you evaluate your table. What a great tool.