Texas Holdem Poker

Nitrodog · Guest

What do you tell yourselft to keep from losing your mind and going on tilt when you fold three straight bad hands pre flop that in the end would have won, and then play out a high pocket pair and lose that, too?
I mean, seriously, the other night I had 93 offsuit, folded it, and the flop came 993; the next hand I folded 64 offsuit, and by the end the other three 4's were on the table; the next hand came and I had J2, dumped it because it's a weak hand, and two jacks came on the flop.
I remained calm, thinking I didn't win, but I didn't lose anything either, then the next hand I was dealt QQ. I bet it out against a loose crowd because there was nothing on the table that could beat me. I was right, nothing on the board could hurt me, but the guy next to me who was dealt pocket aces on the same hand took me down.
I know there is no answer to the question, but it sure is frustrating.

webmaster · Site Admin Joined: Nov 26, 2003 Posts: 643

Understand Nitro - has happenned to every player at some stage. We both know that this works both ways and the chap sitting with AA must have been very happy to see someone betting into him.

The other night I had massive positive and negative variance. On the upside I flopped in cheaply with A3 suited. The flop came out A33 ! Better still the betting got aggressive on account of one guy having a AK and another going for and making an Ace high Flush! I cleaned up by betting lightly until the flush was on the board. About 5 minutes later I'm dealt KK (always nice) and hit the third King on the flop. I went all in for $200 to be called by a bloke who had 25 suited spades! He made the flush and the chips went his way. That is one of the worst feelings - you fully expect to win and then the chips go in another direction.

Anyone else got any similar stories ?

Big Slick · Guest

The other night I was dealt AK in a late position. It went around the table, and I raised pre flop. P1 called, one other guy called. Everyone else folded. The flop came out 8KA. P1 checked, the other guy opened, and I raised. P1 called, the other guy re-raised, I called and P1 called. At this point I knew the other guy had either A or K, but felt sure he didn't have both. I didn't pay much attention to P1 because he is a calling station. The turn was a 7, and it was the same scenario - a raise and I think two re-reraises. The river was a 2. Bets and raises all around. The table was 8KA72.
The other guy turned over AQ. I showed him AK for two pair and everybody said "good hand." Then all of a sudden, P1 slow rolls a pair of 2s he was holding for trips.
I let loose a profanity-filled tirade that would melt ice because 1) the monkey in P1 didn't know to get rid of garbage when the raises started coming and there was no single pair he could beat and played it out only to get the only card he could win with on the river... and 2) because he slow rolled the hand to let me think I'd won instead of showing what he had immediatley after call.

SureDeath · Junior Member Joined: Dec 19, 2004 Posts: 6

It's a mind thing really. The bad hands you mucked: be glad you did. The fact a miracle outcome turned up does not imply you should think you made a bad fold. those are awful starters, and you'd wanna muck these everytime. You want to play the best game and the winnings will come of you keep doing that better than your opponents. So if you focus on the question : "did I make the rigth play" instead of constantly seeing bad beats, or laydowns that would have won, plays that should have but didn't, you probably can feel a lot better about yourself and become far less dependent on what happens on the table. The luck part is required, but in the long run it's that tortoise called skill that beats that hare.

Guest · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:23 am Post subject:

Well you can either try to forget about what you had after you fold your cards. I look see I have a 2 7 offsuit and flop comes 222. Hmmm I think to myself was it a 2 7 or a 3 7. Didn't remember cuz they both sucked.

Otherwise just remind yourself that 99% of the time these bad hands are losers. You remember that times it comes up that they were winners because its a rare occasion.

A person in our games has a really large fondness for 5 and 10. I'm guessing he plays to much five and dime. He keeps these cards calling unreasonable bets with them. Fortunately, I know this and when I see him call my pocket Q's and a 5,5,10 comes out. I'm very weary.

Calling stations gotta get lucky every now and then. Long term poker is a game of skill. Short term poker is a game statistical improbability, luck, and prayer.

Repoman75 · Guest

The worst is when you lose a big hand to big hand... 2 nights ago, I lost a full house to full house, and last week I lost A high flush to straight flush.. that really hurts. One key from this experience is never bet All in, at least in cash games, unless you have the nuts OR you are willing and psychologically ready to lose it all. If you don't have the nuts, and make a nice bet and lose, I find you are more mentally prepared for that.

Hypnotoad · Newbie Joined: Mar 10, 2008 Posts: 3

I am the King of being beaten on the river I had a run for a while that no matter how strong my hand was on the flop. One of the worst was this.

I had A A and raised pre flop, I was called by one guy.

The flop was A 10 6.

I bet aggressively and he called me.

The next card was a 2.

I bet again he called me.

The next card an 8.

He called me again and he had 7 9 offsuit and said he always plays it because it nearly always wins for him, go figure.

In those cases I remember times like when I was dealt 2 2 on big blind and the flop came 10 2 2.

The turn was an A and the river a 6. I am sitting their with 2 2 2 2 and the other guy is going all in after slow playing pocket A's with a full house.

I called him and won the lot. So even if it happens to you, at times you do it to some one else as well.

sqwerty · Junior Member Joined: Apr 09, 2007 Posts: 5

My friend made the final table of an online qualifier to the WSOP....About 800 in the field and he won a satellite to get to the qualifier in the first place. Top 9 win a $10,000 seat plus spending money. He is chip leader at a table of 10....so only one to get knocked out.

Early on his pocket Aces get cracked and he is now running about 6th out of 10.

Soon after the chip leader in early position raises and my mate flat calls with KK.

Flop is K88. Chip leader goes all in and turns over AQ. My mate calls in a flash.

Turn is an 8

River is an 8

My mate puts his fist through his computer screen and goes to bed.

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