Why can't I seem to win at Poker Stars?
I don't know why, but I have always had bad luck at Poker Stars. I occasionally have built my bankroll there to a decent amount (~$200), but then it always comes crashing back down to Earth. I don't think I have the discipline to grind it out there.... I don't know. Whatever.
Anyway, I almost went broke yesterday at Stars. I started with only about $30 and I started playing some tournaments (heads up and one-table SNGs; $5 buy-in). I did not play well and I lost more money. My bankroll this morning was less than $20. Not good. After playing last night, I considered my heads-up play more carefully. I decided that I was simultaneously too aggressive (raising almost every hand) and too much of a call station (calling almost every river bet). So, I decided to tighten up a bit and to bluff less frequently and to be more careful about position.
Amazingly, my new strategy worked! (Duh!) I played two heads-up SNG's this morning and I won them both (well, I got lucky on the second one). The key hand of the first one was when I limped with 66, caught a set and made smallish bets on the flop & turn to build the pot. The river was my ideal card (3s), which put a 3-flush on the board while filling me up (I had my opponent on a flush draw). As hoped, my river bet got raised, and I re-raised but then he just called. I figured that I could get all of the money on that hand. But no, he flipped over 93o for trips. Oh well; that hand left him short-stacked and I closed him out soon-after.
In the second match, I played well again but I did make a bad decision. My opponent was loose-aggressive and so he was a little tricky. He had made some really bad plays, which allowed me to take a small lead pretty quickly. He had the button, but I raised with ATo; he limp-called. The flop was A 6 5; I bet and he raised all-in. I figured that he had Ace-weak kicker and I called (far too quickly). He flipped over 56s for two-pair. I was dead to an ace, ten, or runner-runner pairing the board. Luckily, an ace came on the river and I won. This is another one of Doyle's no limit lessons: Don't go broke with bottom two-pair.
In conclusion, I managed to plug one leak (too aggressive) but I still have to work on that call-station problem. There was no reason for me to call that all-in. It was early and I would have still had the chip lead if I had folded. Duh!
Anyway, I almost went broke yesterday at Stars. I started with only about $30 and I started playing some tournaments (heads up and one-table SNGs; $5 buy-in). I did not play well and I lost more money. My bankroll this morning was less than $20. Not good. After playing last night, I considered my heads-up play more carefully. I decided that I was simultaneously too aggressive (raising almost every hand) and too much of a call station (calling almost every river bet). So, I decided to tighten up a bit and to bluff less frequently and to be more careful about position.
Amazingly, my new strategy worked! (Duh!) I played two heads-up SNG's this morning and I won them both (well, I got lucky on the second one). The key hand of the first one was when I limped with 66, caught a set and made smallish bets on the flop & turn to build the pot. The river was my ideal card (3s), which put a 3-flush on the board while filling me up (I had my opponent on a flush draw). As hoped, my river bet got raised, and I re-raised but then he just called. I figured that I could get all of the money on that hand. But no, he flipped over 93o for trips. Oh well; that hand left him short-stacked and I closed him out soon-after.
In the second match, I played well again but I did make a bad decision. My opponent was loose-aggressive and so he was a little tricky. He had made some really bad plays, which allowed me to take a small lead pretty quickly. He had the button, but I raised with ATo; he limp-called. The flop was A 6 5; I bet and he raised all-in. I figured that he had Ace-weak kicker and I called (far too quickly). He flipped over 56s for two-pair. I was dead to an ace, ten, or runner-runner pairing the board. Luckily, an ace came on the river and I won. This is another one of Doyle's no limit lessons: Don't go broke with bottom two-pair.
In conclusion, I managed to plug one leak (too aggressive) but I still have to work on that call-station problem. There was no reason for me to call that all-in. It was early and I would have still had the chip lead if I had folded. Duh!
posted by frazwood at 9:39 AM
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