Fighting cynicism

I am getting better at guessing what people have (or putting people on a hand). Problem is, I don't believe them. Maybe I played too many games where people were too loose, and chased all the way down to the river with anything. Maybe I have been bluffed once too often, and refuse to believe anyone when they tell me what they have by the way they bet. But I'd like to know how to get past this.

For instance, in the session I finished a moment ago, someone suddenly raised when they got a 6 on the turn. I'm thinking "wtf they do that for ? They have pocket sixes or something ?" Sure enough, pocket sixes. I lost to three of a kind, sixes.

Second time, the same thing happened, different person, same session. Preflop raise : "He's got pocket aces". I have pocket tens. I flop a ten, great. Queen shows up on the river and he raises again. "Oh, so he has pocket queens now ? Or is he bullshitting ?" Nope : pocket queens. My ace-cracking three of a kind, tens have been beat by three of a kind, Queens.

How can I begin to trust what I observe other people do when they bet ? In both cases, they told me what they had, but I did not believe them. Any ideas on what to do about this ?

Those example sound more like fearing the worst case scenario than good reads. How many times do you fear the monster then forget about it when it isn't there?

On the 66 hand it is possible that the only thing that made sense was a set because of the board/action (that we aren't given)....but on the other one you put them on the nuts preflop and then changed your mind to a different hand that was the (near?)nuts on the river? What do you want, to learn to fold undersets?

You didn't mention what you had the first time, but I think the second example is pretty rare, where you have a fairly high set and get beat by a higher set.

I really think these are anomalies; I'd take a day or two off and I'm sure your luck will improve when you return. Also, in these situations, I try to think of the situations in the past where I got lucky in these type of situations.

you really got to put them on a range of hands and not one specific hand. in the 2nd eg how likley would AA, KK, AQ or maybe KQ fit into the action. If you think they may play those hands the same as the QQ then you got to pay off there. As a matter of fact you just got to pay off there. last night I was playing and had 55 the board came 444 there wasw some betting but still figured overcards where still a big part of the villians range. but the river action told me he ethier has A big pocket pair AA-TT or he got the 4. anyway the river was a 5 all my money went in and sure enough he had the 4. but I'd put all the money in again.

Thanks for the input guys,I'll go ahead and post the actual hand histories by tomorrow or so (gtg for now) in the appropriate spot. Take care !

PokerMagpie said:

I am getting better at guessing what people have (or putting people on a hand). Problem is, I don't believe them. Maybe I played too many games where people were too loose, and chased all the way down to the river with anything. Maybe I have been bluffed once too often, and refuse to believe anyone when they tell me what they have by the way they bet. But I'd like to know how to get past this.

For instance, in the session I finished a moment ago, someone suddenly raised when they got a 6 on the turn. I'm thinking "wtf they do that for ? They have pocket sixes or something ?" Sure enough, pocket sixes. I lost to three of a kind, sixes.

Second time, the same thing happened, different person, same session. Preflop raise : "He's got pocket aces". I have pocket tens. I flop a ten, great. Queen shows up on the river and he raises again. "Oh, so he has pocket queens now ? Or is he bullshitting ?" Nope : pocket queens. My ace-cracking three of a kind, tens have been beat by three of a kind, Queens.

How can I begin to trust what I observe other people do when they bet ? In both cases, they told me what they had, but I did not believe them. Any ideas on what to do about this ?

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Put fate in your reads, don't ever thing everyone is bluffing. I have that problem but i'm working on it, i am trusting my reads, you should do the same.