Mother Shipton's Diary

Decent sized session tonight; just over 1K hands and settling comfortably $15 up when – BAM BAM – down to zero and finish the session $5 down.

No complaints about the first big drop.

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold’em – 6 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

MP: $8.35
CO: $2.05
BTN: $21.75
SB: $10.90
Hero (BB): $9.35
UTG: $3.80

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BB with K A
3 folds, BTN raises to $0.40, SB calls $0.35, Hero raises to $9.35 all in, BTN raises to $18.30, 1 fold

Flop: ($19.10) 6 J 5 (2 players – 1 is all in)

Turn: ($19.10) 3 (2 players – 1 is all in)

River: ($19.10) 6 (2 players – 1 is all in)

Final Pot: $19.10
BTN shows T T (two pair, Tens and Sixes)
Hero shows K A (a pair of Sixes)
BTN wins $18.15
(Rake: $0.95)

PFR from the button, a fairly loose 31/26, looking all the world like a steal. Flat call from the SB, solid 22/12 ABC player. I feel that with AK in the BB this is perfect squeeze time. Button had me well covered so fine call from him with TT. Can’t complain about this at all – I didn’t make the coin flip but if you can’t live with this sort of result, poker really isn’t your game.

But the second drop is all my fault – stupid, stupid, stupid. Feel like bashing myself round the head like Dobby the house elf after doing this.

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold’em – 4 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BB: $7.80
CO: $2.05
BTN: $31.90
Hero (SB): $10.60

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is SB with A Q
2 folds, Hero raises to $0.40, BB calls $0.30

Flop: ($0.80) 6 T 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB checks

Turn: ($0.80) 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.70, BB calls $0.70

River: ($2.20) J (2 players)
Hero bets $2, BB raises to $4, Hero raises to $9.50 all in, BB calls $2.70 all in

Final Pot: $15.60
BB shows T T (a full house, Tens full of Sixes)
Hero shows A Q (a flush, Ace high)
BB wins $14.85
(Rake: $0.75)

My semi-bluff steal from the SB is standard. Call by the 15/1 passive rock in the BB should have set the alarm bells ringing. Both checking on the flop just sets me up to steal on the turn. Although the turn pairs the board I feel sure I may be able to take this away. His call should have been all I needed to give me a kick up the arse. For such a rock to call pre-flop and then again on the turn means he has to have at worst 2 pair and could be all the way up to quads. Nightmare river gives me the flush. Completely unable to get away from the nut flush, even after he re-raises me, sees me lose the max to his boat.

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. I don’t know how many alarm bells, wake up calls or big, fuck off, road signs I need to see before I stop losing money this way. I have to start trusting my HUD – I had over 100 hands on this guy at this table in this session – should have really been less quick to get it all in.

So, if you’ve survived reading my rant this far, I have a question to ask. How do you get away from good but second/third best hands. Any tips on slowing down and taking a few breaths? Do I need to stick pins in myself before calling re-raises

Going to bed angry now! Gggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.