Session Analysis Please (61 hands)

If someone has the time and doesn't mind, please review my (attached) 61 hand session and help me out. I feel like I keep running into cold decks, but maybe I'm not aggressive enough, too aggressive, need to quit poker, need to jump off the nearest bridge... OK, OK, don't get extreme... of course I shouldn't quit poker

Anywho, I listed all 61 hands, even those folded in case someone wants to tell me I should play looser... although I doubt that's the case. Please read them from bottom to top as that's how they actually played and you can get a better grasp as to when I may have tilted in areas.

These were all 6 max $.02/$.05 tables NLHE.

Any help is appreciated.

Everyone is going to say you're limping too much. I think you're limping too much and I limp alot more than is reccommended. Not that you're playing too many hands, but you're not raising enough. I don't think AQ is a good limping hand.
On your big winner you called reraise 2 to 7bb with 7/9s, but you're playing better starting hands for small pots. After hitting nut straight on rainbow flop i don't like betting big into 4 others including big raiser. Probably lost some value there.
Strange hand was completing the 4bb raise with J2s. Thats a loser, atleast 7/9s was multiway with nut possibilities.
A big reason to raise more is to disguise biggest hands. You rarely raised then had one big raise to 7bb with KK. Then you called big raise allin on low flop. After advertising your hand like that, you can't like the push there.
The flopped nut straight was just suckout chop. I've been getting those lately too. The gutshot raise/allin against preflop raiser (AA) was wrong time to get aggressive, waste of money.
On the flopped fullhouse I don't like minbet on turn, after checked flop. Not sure how to get most value most often but its not like that.
Don't be afraid to bet a huge hand (like nut flush flop). Sometimes trapping is best but alot of the time they just won't believe you if you come out firing. You can play scared if you're called.

D'wilius said:

Everyone is going to say you're limping too much. I think you're limping too much and I limp alot more than is reccommended. Not that you're playing too many hands, but you're not raising enough. I don't think AQ is a good limping hand.
On your big winner you called reraise 2 to 7bb with 7/9s, but you're playing better starting hands for small pots. After hitting nut straight on rainbow flop i don't like betting big into 4 others including big raiser. Probably lost some value there.
Strange hand was completing the 4bb raise with J2s. Thats a loser, atleast 7/9s was multiway with nut possibilities.
A big reason to raise more is to disguise biggest hands. You rarely raised then had one big raise to 7bb with KK. Then you called big raise allin on low flop. After advertising your hand like that, you can't like the push there.
The flopped nut straight was just suckout chop. I've been getting those lately too. The gutshot raise/allin against preflop raiser (AA) was wrong time to get aggressive, waste of money.
On the flopped fullhouse I don't like minbet on turn, after checked flop. Not sure how to get most value most often but its not like that.
Don't be afraid to bet a huge hand (like nut flush flop). Sometimes trapping is best but alot of the time they just won't believe you if you come out firing. You can play scared if you're called.

Click to expand...

A lot of good info, thanks! The gutshot push was one of those WTF type tilt moments.

I only looked at 2-3 hands, but I've noticed the following:

1) You are way too passive on the button with 1 limper in. Ever heard the term "isolating a limper"? Well this is what you need to be doing on the button.

When a weak/loose player limps in, and you have position on them, raise. Get the pot heads up between you and that player. Hands that you'll be playing are likely ahead of most fish's range. Plus, c-betting their weak asses = big profit, since they fold so many flops. So hands like this:

Dealt to 09kKahneFan [Th Jd]
carriebu: folds
TD'sTrevor: calls $0.05
09kKahneFan: calls $0.05 <-- you're on the button, isolate that limper & keep the blinds out.

2) When the small blind open limps into your big blind, you should be raising with a WIDE range. So for example, in this hand:

Dealt to 09kKahneFan [Ac Tc]
Deal_umm_Up: folds
joe52962: folds
carriebu: folds
TD'sTrevor: calls $0.03
09kKahneFan: checks

ATs CRUSHES his limping range from this position. You have got to raise this for value.

3) This is a little nit-picky, but you're calling raises without proper implied odds. You're playing 5$ NL. So buy in for a full stack. But here you're calling a raise from a player who is short stacked.

Also, suited connectors (in my opinion anyways) rely a lot on your ability to make moves postflop. They'll often give you a pretty good amount of equity to back up moves, so they turn into winning plays. But if you're up against a retarded short stacker, then suited connectors are NOT what we're looking for.

Seat 1: TD'sTrevor ($1.52 in chips)
Seat 2: mhdfar ($2.88 in chips)
Seat 3: 09kKahneFan ($2.48 in chips)
Seat 4: Deal_umm_Up ($5.44 in chips)
Seat 5: joe52962 ($3.29 in chips)
Seat 6: carriebu ($8.63 in chips)
joe52962: posts small blind $0.02
carriebu: posts big blind $0.05
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to 09kKahneFan [8c 6c]
TD'sTrevor: raises $0.15 to $0.20
mhdfar: folds
09kKahneFan: calls $0.20

In this hand, you're getting implied odds of 6.6:1 (call 20 cents to win 1.32). That's not even good enough for a set mine, much less a hand that really needs deep stacks to play well.


So my general advice is to be *way* more aggro preflop. When I play 10$ NL I play about 30% of my hands in 6max (I'm a pretty loose bastard). Of that 30%, about 6-7% are calls, 20% are raises, and the remaining 3-4% I'm 3-betting or more. You really need to close the gap between your VPIP & PFR!

c9h13no3 said:

quoting for direct response

Click to expand...

So, basically I need to revisit the "If it's good enough to play it's good enough to raise" rule more? And then follow up with a c-bet.

Good tip on pushing the blinds out and leaving myself heads up. If nothing else, the original limper will fold giving me the free pot (center table pot, not plant pot )

I guess I've been bit so much lately that I'm playing scared. Watching HSP the other night a player talked about how Greenstein told her to be confident... I just need to work on my confidence and remember that the last hand has no effect on the next and to "clear my cookies", if you will, between hands.

pot and cookies in the same post...

pokerstars Game #18405947889: Hold'em No Limit ($0.02/$0.05) - 2008/06/26 - 21:24:21 (ET)
Table 'Kampala II' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: PapiLan ($8.22 in chips)
Seat 2: Baggio XX ($4.77 in chips)
Seat 3: zorin7 ($4.74 in chips)
Seat 4: BoySilly ($10.38 in chips)
Seat 5: 09kKahneFan ($3.27 in chips)
Seat 6: dude1101 ($1.82 in chips)
PapiLan: posts small blind $0.02
Baggio XX: posts big blind $0.05
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to 09kKahneFan [9c 9h]
zorin7: calls $0.05
BoySilly: folds
09kKahneFan: raises $0.15 to $0.20
dude1101: folds
PapiLan: folds
Baggio XX: calls $0.15
zorin7: calls $0.15
*** FLOP *** [3s 7s 5c]
Baggio XX: checks
zorin7: bets $0.65
09kKahneFan: folds
i was just wondering what u were thought he had here? he really didnt show strenght preflop, which could kinda rule out AA,KK,QQ and probably JJ, it is possible he is playing 46 or 86 or a set but i think it is most likely that he has like A7 or a flush draw, i would have most likely called this bet or even shove



Dealt to 09kKahneFan [Ah Qd]
09kKahneFan: raises $0.15 to $0.20
this is what i want to see more, a lot of times u were dealt AQ and didnt raise and just limped, hands like AQ, AK,AJ and to a less degree, A10 are raising hands in 6 max


Dealt to 09kKahneFan [4h 2c]
Baggio XX: folds
Todestom: folds
09kKahneFan: calls $0.03
, if ur going to plays hands like this from the sb, its best u raise and try to take the pot down preflop instead of just calling, 4-2 is garbage and limping is probably -ev

Dealt to 09kKahneFan [Ah Kd]
09kKahneFan: raises $0.15 to $0.20
4'sarewild: folds
requinmalin: calls $0.20
Baggio XX: folds
Todestom: folds
*** FLOP *** [2h 6d Ts]
09kKahneFan: checks

since u got this guy HU, i would have prefered to see a c-bet instead of a call, by checking u give him control of the hand and he could have easily taken it away from you


i also saw that u liked playing those kinda Kx and Ax suited hands, u would generally just limp in with them but i think if ur going to play those hands(and especially open the pot with them), its best u raise it up and try to thin the field and probably take the pot down

P.S, may i suggest u get a hand value chart and an EV chart, just to see the value of certain hands

Did it hand by hand in the attached file (slow afternoons at work FTW), had to go back over it a second time when I finally worked out it started from the bottom.

In general, no offence, but you're playing a style that's designed to lose you money. You're calling off way too much money with medium-to-awful hands before the flop. The loose calls are causing you to bleed chips.

You're not getting enough money into the pot when you've got a good hand either, (the abovementioned AQs hands, for example - I've noted them in the analysis as well) and when you've got a really good hand, you're overbetting it and driving away your action. So you're not winning back any of the chips you've bled off when you do have a good hand.

Playing at 6-max tables will only compound the problems you're facing, BTW - you need to open up your hand ranges a bit when you're playing short handed, but you also need to play aggressively and that's the area where I think your game is falling over: I think you're getting bluffed out of a lot of pots.

Don't take that as encouragement to start seeing monsters under the bed and think everyone is bluffing you all the time - rather, try a few bluffs or c-bets of your own to even things back out.

Is there a reason you're playing 6-max rather than full ring?

OzExorcist said:

Is there a reason you're playing 6-max rather than full ring?

Click to expand...

That's a pretty good question...

Full Ring, IMO, is much easier to adjust to than 6 max.

OzExorcist said:

Is there a reason you're playing 6-max rather than full ring?

Click to expand...

@ work and have not reviewed the zip, but I will @ home.

As for 6-max:
- Can open up starting hands
- Faster action

1) I know my hands are too broad, so 6 max gives me a better chance to have something when I hit. I try to tighten up, but sometimes I get loose and 6-max is better at hitting than FR. However, as all have mentioned above, I need to be more aggressive when I do hit... or even when I don't. When I realize I'm bleeding, I'll tend to tighten up for a while... then I'll try this, or that, or that, or... oh crap, tighten up! Then...

2) Most times I prefer to single-table just because my phone may ring, someone may come to my door, my wife comes home with the kids and I need to help,.... and I have to close the table. It's harder to MT and have to close/re-open 2-4 tables sometimes, especially if I just need to take a call or what not. Whereas with 1 table it's easy to close and re-open 1 table as needed. With that said, I like to see action and I get to see more at 6M than FR. So, if I play FR, I tend to loosen up even more just to see action... which is the complete opposit of what I need to do.

I will say, I've been able to at least hold steady with my BR @ 6M than @ FR. At FR I was really bleeding since I wanted to see too many flops.

pantin, I'm guessing a hand value chart will tell me the strength of pocket cards (?), but what's an EV chart?

Correct me if I'm wrong, summary so far:

- play less hands
- stop protecting SB and seeing flops (again) I shouldn't be in
- don't just limp with a hand worth playing
- don't give free cards after the flop


Question (example): [I know, it depends: say you have no reads yet]

1: fold
2: fold
me: bet 3 - 5xBB
button: call
sb: fold
bb: call

board:

scenario 1 -
bb: check (basically this would also apply to no BB and me 1st to act)
me: ?
button: still to act

scenario 2 -
bb: bets 3xbb
me: ?
button: still to act

K_Kahne_Fan said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, summary so far:

- play less hands
- stop protecting SB and seeing flops (again) I shouldn't be in
- don't just limp with a hand worth playing
- don't give free cards after the flop

Click to expand...

In general terms, these are some of the things you need to focus on, yeah. All things in moderation, of course - it's OK to limp AQs occasionally, especially at 6-max where is value goes up compared to full ring.

If you asked me what your biggest leak was though, I'd say it was calling raises before the flop, with average hands, and then check-folding them when you don't hit. If you cut that alone from your game you'll be doing yourself a big favour.

With the AK hands, in both cases I'd probably throw out a bet / raise on the flop.

One last thing, don't be afraid to get caught bluffing occasionally - if you show down the occasional bluff, you'll get more action on your big hands. At the moment, your opponents are able to interpret your actions after the flop very easily: if you're checking you're weak and if you're betting you're strong. You need to put a bit more doubt into their minds in order to beat them.

I don't know why I said (like nut flush flop) ignore that. I meant like fh w/ fl and str draws. Plenty of microstakes players like to draw to these hands on paired boards.

Pantin, use the chart below and only play if I'm in the black?

Poker Hands - Expected Value chart by position

Better yet, For 6 Players

I'm not a big fan of hand charts, since the value of hands changes dramatically with who raised, how the table is playing, and stack size. Sure 43s may be a playable hand on the button according to the chart, but not if the two stacks in the big blind are short & aggressive.

Who knew hand selection could be all that tough.

So my general advice is to be *way* more aggro preflop