A big lesson in concentration

[colin_147]

Was playing the Ladbrokes Cruise Mania freeroll last night, 5500 entrants. I played tight to start and picked up a few hands along the way but am generally quite low down the field, but am staying in contention.

Anyway, we are down the last 60 players, I am sitting with 110,000 chips, which puts me in 26th place. Top 50 pays.

I am BB (6,000) and dealt 4 9o. Everyone folds, chip leader calls. I check. Flop comes 5 5 9. I figure a small raise wont get me in trouble if he is holding the 5 for trips. I raise 12,000, he calls. Turn comes J. I raise 18,000, he calls. River 7. No chance of a flush draw, so only a 5 or J beats my two pair.

I raise 24,000, he goes all-in. Now I am in 55th place at this point, but have commited half my chip stack to this pot. I wasnt worried about getting in the money, I am more interested in doubling my stack and being in a position to win.

I wasnt even looking at the community cards, I am just thinking I have won this and need to get rid of this guy.

I go all-in

Anyway, he shows J 7 to beat my 99 55. I was kinda gutted as I finished in 55th place but was more annoyed cos I was out due to the fact I didnt pay attention to the hand, I was more interested in pushing him out.

Oh well, I was happy with the way I played overall.

The lesson ...CONCENTRATE AT aLL TIMES!! :shakehand

 

[IrishDave]

Have done the same thing on many occasions myself. I'm focused so much on my hand and watching the betting patterns that I miss something from the board. Last night playing stud, I missed the possibility that a player had a straight flush draw. I caught my boat last card and yes, they caught the straight flush. I have a tendancy to focus on the flush/straight possibilites out against me and forget to consider big pocket pairs...

 

[bluedoggg]

Concentration is the key to winning trnys.You have to set yourself up with a gimmick so you dont lose it.For example, a post it on your screen reminding yourself to stay focused might do the trick.Remember its very easy to lose concentration in poker.:stupid:

 

[Askman]

Ohhh yes

I've tried that to often (loosing concentration), maybe I'll try the "post it" trick... gotta stay focused :fisheye:

Askman :wavey:

 

[Zypher22]

Maybe I'm missing something or maybe I'm just airheaded, but what does concentration have to do with the hand described? You said that you looked at it and if he had a J you were beat or if he had a 5 you were beat...he had a J. Concentration or not, you took a shot and missed.

I guess what I don't understand is how would you have played that differently if you had concentrated? He didn't go big until the last card, I probably would have assumed he was holding 7-8 or 6-7 hoping for a gutshot straight and hit his 7 so he had 2 pair(but lower than yours) or that he hit nothing and was trying to take down the pot. With him only calling your bet when the J came I dunno if I would have put him on one.

 

[Poker Player 100]

HOW CAN U NOT BE CONCENTRATING

 

[colin_147]

What I mean was I didnt give myself time to think about what I was going to do, I just hit the all-in button thinking "I have this hand".

You are correct in that I probably would have called anyway, but had I given it some thought, I might have folded, though I doubt it

 

[Four Dogs]

i see what your saying. I's not that you would't have called it anyway, you may or may not have, its that you called with absulutely no deliberation. That is probably my biggest leak.

 

[RammerJammer]

i see what your saying. I's not that you would't have called it anyway, you may or may not have, its that you called with absulutely no deliberation. That is probably my biggest leak.

I agree, 4D. It's so easy to get caught up in your own cards and blind yourself to what's actually happening in the hand. Thankfully, I've gotten burned enough by that bad habit that it's happening less often to me. But it's an easy trap to fall into, particularly toward the end of a long session, as colin was by surviving to the top 60 of a 5500-player field.

Btw, colin, well done, haste nothwithstanding.

 

[kidkvno1]

CONCENTRATE AT aLL TIMES good point and i have been there

 

[ncscout]

I am bad to do the same thing if I don't watch it. I see the flop hit me good and think I have it and then the turn (I think) doesn't hit anyone and I push. Last night I played a guy who had been chasing flushs regular and betting on hitting them. Flop was ace 10 hearts and a 8 of spade. I hit 2 pair aces and 10s. Made small bet he called. Turn was not a heart. I made about 10XBB bet. He shoved all inI called. He had flopped set of 8s. I went down.

 

[tenbob]

CONCENTRATE AT aLL TIMES good point and i have been there

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