The Junk Kicking Continues

Just a heads up. This is a really long post. 4 hand histories is probably too much. Oh well.

So this really is a bad beat post, but I'm going to disguise it in the form of a hand history post. Although my bankroll is still very much alive and $300 more than it was after I requested a check from FTP about 10 days ago, It's almost $1k below it's high water mark last week.

My session started off well when someone paid me off when I had nuts.

Full Tilt Poker Game #7160280903: Table Gentle Falls - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 3:04:21 ET - 2008/07/10
Seat 1: McAuliffe ($173.40)
Seat 2: mclarich ($98.50)
Seat 3: jarred blits ($220.55)
Seat 4: PokerN00B1E ($100.75)
Seat 5: ugly24 ($259.30), is sitting out
Seat 6: britesorb ($62)
Seat 7: Pabst Dry ($109.65)
Seat 8: mazzler ($116.70)
Seat 9: needtoowin ($188.25)
jarred blits posts the small blind of $0.50
PokerN00B1E posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mclarich [Ah 8h]
britesorb folds
Pabst Dry folds
mazzler folds
needtoowin raises to $3
McAuliffe folds
mclarich calls $3
jarred blits folds
PokerN00B1E folds

I didn't have any information on this guy, but on the button with a suited A, I decided to see a flop.

*** FLOP *** [Kd 2h 4h]
needtoowin bets $3
mclarich raises to $9
needtoowin calls $6

I figured smooth calling here might seem more like a draw, so I raised instead. If I face a lot of resistance, I probably fold, chalking it up to AK.

*** TURN *** [Kd 2h 4h] [9h]
needtoowin checks
mclarich bets $18
needtoowin calls $18

I make my flush on the turn and stick with the theme that I've got a strong K. Can't see why he's still calling but I don't mind.

*** RIVER *** [Kd 2h 4h 9h] [3h]
needtoowin bets $25
mclarich has 15 seconds left to act
mclarich raises to $68.50, and is all in
needtoowin calls $43.50

Obviously he's not folding now, must be on the K-high flush.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
mclarich shows [Ah 8h] a flush, Ace high
needtoowin mucked [Kh Jc] - a flush, King high
mclarich wins the pot ($195.50) with a flush, Ace high


That was my 3rd hand at that table - a nice way to begin the evening. But it didn't last that long. Here's the fallout from another table.

Full Tilt Poker Game #7160482364: Table Hauck - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 3:34:13 ET - 2008/07/10
Seat 1: iluvharisu ($104.10)
Seat 2: LivesUndrBridge ($102.75)
Seat 3: dikemp ($103)
Seat 4: kouun ($124.50)
Seat 5: mclarich ($100)
Seat 6: mazzler ($216.55)
Seat 7: TheWakko ($106.65)
Seat 8: LauraMac9900 ($100)
Seat 9: meatyballz85 ($110.10)
TheWakko posts the small blind of $0.50
LauraMac9900 posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mclarich [Ad 8d]
meatyballz85 folds
iluvharisu folds
LivesUndrBridge folds
dikemp folds
kouun raises to $4
mclarich calls $4
mazzler has 15 seconds left to act
mazzler folds
TheWakko folds
LauraMac9900 has 15 seconds left to act
LauraMac9900 calls $3

Again, I decide to see a flop with another suited Ace and end up in position. If I flop the Ace, I'm willing to fold to aggression if I think I'm up against a bigger Ace.

*** FLOP *** [4d 8h Ac]
LauraMac9900 bets $7
kouun folds
mclarich raises to $24
LauraMac9900 has 15 seconds left to act
LauraMac9900 calls $17

Again, I know nothing about this player as well, but it's a hell of a flop for me. There's very few hands that beat me, and I'm probably getting paid off against a bigger Ace.

*** TURN *** [4d 8h Ac] [7c]
LauraMac9900 checks
mclarich bets $72, and is all in
LauraMac9900 calls $72, and is all in
mclarich shows [Ad 8d]
LauraMac9900 shows [4s 4h]

I go for the OBFV and instead find myself pretty far behind. I don't know if I could have found a way to fold this given the way the hand played out.

*** RIVER *** [4d 8h Ac 7c] [4c]
mclarich shows two pair, Aces and Eights
LauraMac9900 shows four of a kind, Fours
LauraMac9900 wins the pot ($201.50) with four of a kind, Fours

That last 4 was pretty unnecessary.


I was able to recover about half that loss 2 hands later when AA held up against KK. Unfortunately, I didn't get completely paid since I was up against a tight player who didn't get overly aggressive.

Full Tilt Poker Game #7160503541: Table Hauck - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 3:37:32 ET - 2008/07/10
Seat 1: iluvharisu ($102.60)
Seat 2: LivesUndrBridge ($101.75)
Seat 3: dikemp ($103)
Seat 4: kouun ($120.50)
Seat 5: mclarich ($100)
Seat 6: mazzler ($219.55)
Seat 7: TheWakko ($107.65)
Seat 8: LauraMac9900 ($201)
Seat 9: meatyballz85 ($108.60)
LivesUndrBridge posts the small blind of $0.50
dikemp posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mclarich [Ac Ah]
kouun raises to $4
mclarich calls $4
mazzler has 15 seconds left to act
mazzler folds
TheWakko folds
LauraMac9900 folds
meatyballz85 folds
iluvharisu calls $4
LivesUndrBridge folds
dikemp has 15 seconds left to act
dikemp folds

The table was playing pretty tight, and I felt that reraising UTG+1 was too obvious. I liked having iluvharisu call; he was a fairly tight player and I would be able to figure out where I stand fairly easily.

*** FLOP *** [7s 5s 8c]
kouun checks
mclarich bets $9
iluvharisu calls $9
kouun folds

I knew iluvharisu was pretty tight with a PFR% of 3 and only one 3-bet in over 900 hands. But he also like to smooth call a fair amount, although mostly in limped or min-raised pots. I probably should have bet more here.

*** TURN *** [7s 5s 8c] [3s]
mclarich has 15 seconds left to act
mclarich bets $20
iluvharisu calls $20

Not the best turn card for me. The smooth call on the turn doesn't really tell me much that I didn't already learn from the flop. I'm perfectly capable of folding to aggression here but harisu won't raise me even with a scare card hitting.


*** RIVER *** [7s 5s 8c 3s] [Qh]
mclarich has 15 seconds left to act
mclarich bets $21
iluvharisu calls $21

OK, here's my reasoning on the river bet. I'm still ahead of a lot of hands that harisu would call down with, but also beat by a couple as well. I figure that if harisu makes a big bet on the river, I have to fold. If she bets small, I'll call. So I bet an amount that I would be willing to call down with. If I'm raised, despite the pot odds, I was ready to fold.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
mclarich shows [Ac Ah] a pair of Aces
iluvharisu mucked [Kd Ks] - a pair of Kings
mclarich wins the pot ($110.50) with a pair of Aces

Shame, because if it was a player who 3-bet preflop, that money's going in on the flop. Probably some issues with bet-sizing again on my part but I was trying to figure out the best way to play cautiously yet get paid off by a lesser hand.


Here's the other hand that did me in. Obviously I could have played this differently and perhaps found someplace to fold but it'd still be tough.

Full Tilt Poker Game #7160630804: Table Hauck - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 3:58:36 ET - 2008/07/10
Seat 1: iluvharisu ($100)
Seat 2: LivesUndrBridge ($128.85)
Seat 3: dikemp ($111.65)
Seat 4: Wazzamaniak ($17.80)
Seat 5: mclarich ($153.60)
Seat 6: nellie1972 ($101.40)
Seat 7: TheWakko ($109.70)
Seat 8: LauraMac9900 ($218.80)
Seat 9: meatyballz85 ($87.60)
Wazzamaniak posts the small blind of $0.50
mclarich posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mclarich [Qc Qs]
nellie1972 folds
TheWakko has 15 seconds left to act
TheWakko folds
LauraMac9900 folds
meatyballz85 folds
iluvharisu calls $1
LivesUndrBridge raises to $4
dikemp has 15 seconds left to act
dikemp folds
Wazzamaniak folds
mclarich calls $3
iluvharisu calls $3

Obviously, there's an argument that I should 3bet this from the BB to find out where I'm at. Instead, I play it a bit for deception value, but able to fold if an A or a K hits and there's action.

*** FLOP *** [2s 9c Jh]
mclarich checks
iluvharisu checks
LivesUndrBridge bets $8
mclarich raises to $25
iluvharisu adds $4
iluvharisu folds
LivesUndrBridge has 15 seconds left to act
LivesUndrBridge calls $17

Not a bad flop for me. LivesUndrBridge puts in the expected cbet so I check-raise. The smooth call is a bit of a concern but I figured it would be more likely that if he had me beat, the money would go in here.

*** TURN *** [2s 9c Jh] [7h]
mclarich bets $62
LivesUndrBridge raises to $99.85, and is all in
Wazzamaniak adds $4
mclarich calls $37.85
LivesUndrBridge shows [Ad As]
mclarich shows [Qc Qs]

The turn isn't a very scary card, and I can't see check-folding at this point, so the money goes in.

*** RIVER *** [2s 9c Jh 7h] [7d]
LivesUndrBridge shows two pair, Aces and Sevens
mclarich shows two pair, Queens and Sevens
LivesUndrBridge wins the pot ($259.20) with two pair, Aces and Sevens

For the most part, I don't see how I'm getting away from that hand at any point. That's what makes this losing streak so difficult; sure, there's a handful of instances where I've spewed money playing hands badly, but more often, I'm either getting coolered like above, or sucked out on badly (AJ > AK, JJ > QQ). I know bad beat stories are a dime a dozen, so I won't trouble you with anymore, but suffice it to say that it's been a rough couple of days.

After the mouse-throwing incident, my girlfriend suggested that maybe a break is in order. Perhaps it would be helpful, but I don't really know. I feel like I've been more diligent at the tables and really cut down on some of the mistakes I was making previously. I'm not in the object-throwing mindset anymore, although the beats are still wearing on me somewhat. I feel like I just need to work through this, and sooner or later, the cards will catch up to me.

I'm also wondering if I need to drop down in stakes. Right now I'm just under 40 buyins at the $.50\$1 level. I believe I can still handle the monetary part of the swings a bit longer. I've worked hard to get my bankroll up over $4k, and it does affect me mentally each time I've seen it drop below that, so perhaps I do need to step down a bit, I dunno.

I guess I'm just looking for advice here, whether it be about how I'm playing or the emotional side of it. I know I could be much worse off & be back to grinding it out at $5 SNGs, but it's hard not to get caught up in this. From the middle of May to last week, I've been on a upstreak of more than $2k. I started feeling like I was turning the corner, imagining bigger & brighter things. Right now, it's hard to envision all that as being nothing more than a mirage.