I guess it just happens this way sometimes

[Penguinfan]

Honestly, I'm not even mad right now, frustrated beyond belief, yes, but the title of the thread sums it up, I guess it just happens this way sometimes.

Decided I was gonna play a lot of poker, within my limited roll, but a lot. Today I sat down after getting home from work and turned on the Penguins game I DVR'd since it was a left coast game and too late for me to stay up for and sat down at two tables of $25 NL.

I know this is absolute peanuts to most people, and in reality it is. I play for two hours simply breaking even at one table, but up to $65 at the other table.

In one fell swoop I get stacked by the only guy at the table who could do it when he played his AA pretty much perfectly against my KK on a flop of A K 3, the Pens lose in overtime, and the 5643rd politician of the day calls to remind me to vote today.

It wasn't a bad beat and I don't think anyone avoids going broke on that hand, maybe they do, I don't know, but two hours of solid play right in the shitter on one hand.

Frustrating for sure.

[Reel Deal]

If anyone avoids going broke there they shouldn't be playing poker.

[melioris]

Hey, welcome to the micro grind!!!! Here is my 2 cents, FWIW. (I play 6-max NL). I am sure that this is all review to you, but it is what I got.

Don't let the big numbers that get thrown around here, along with the fancy plays that get discussed, tilt you. It took me a while to figure out that those discussions were having that affect on me. Micro NL is all about ABC poker, preflop, postflop. Every once in a while, maybe against someone you know is actually a good player, you can try something, but it is less +EV than just hammering the monkeys. But it is very easy to multi-table micro.

Lately I have been opening up 12-16 tables 10-20 minutes before I start playing to do a little datamining and choosing the best four (I could play more except FT doesn't allow you size the tables. Keep in mind that I am old guy and not some fast thinking kid that grew up with computers. The more tables I play in micro the easier it is for me to play solid ABC poker. So if you are not running well, although it seems weird, try 3-tabling). I like to sit at a table with at least 1 player VP$IP larger than 60 and 1 with VP$IP larger than 50. If you can't get two players above 50%, it isn't worth it.

I don't play for stacks with just a pair. This rule has two exceptions. First is unless I hold AA or KK and I can get it all in preflop. The other exception is if I have isolated one of the truly horrid players at the table and I have TPTK on a pretty safe board. Maybe I am losing value of some of this hands, but if I get raised or face serious aggression with just a pair, I check it down if I can and let it go if not. I can't deal anymore with AKs losing a stack to Q4o on a AQ4 board, and it happens a lot in micro.

The converse of this rule is true. If I have two pair or better, I am trying to get as much in the pot as possible. Hammer those hands. This rule has one exception. If there is a player I respect (and usually 4-tabling $25NL 6-max there is one player at one table), I will be careful with 2pair against his aggression and try for a cheaper showdown. For me, usually what happens is that I get a cheaper showdown and find out I was giving that player too much respect. But it is ok.


Take notes on players. I don't color code it or anything fancy like that, just simple info on moves that I can see the person make-if I don't know the hole cards then I can't make a note of it. Hunches aren't notes. My notes usually say something like "will play for stacks with TP2K" and "makes pot sized river bluff with busted draw" and my personal favorite (and this is a real note) "calls reraise AI preflop with Q9s".

Finally, You should go broke on that hand every time, in fact you should be allin preflop and broke.

[JDMcNugent7]

if ur gonna get pissed about 2 hours of breakeven poker its a good thing u werent me last month when the whole month ended up break even.

[Penguinfan]

Good post Melioris, thanks.

JD, I'm not pissed, just frustrated, thats all.

[Aequitas58]

P,

It's incredibly frustrating, and it's something you have to get used to. It's something that irritates me to no end, but that's the game we play.

When I have a lousy stint w/ ring games, I'll set my goal to play 10-20 single-table SNGs, or even (more drastically) switch to MTTs full time, which is what I'm in the middle of right now.