Tales of an overplayer

First things first. Check out these blogs that I've added to my roll:

Threebet 33
The Armchair Fisherman
BadBlood
Catching the Antichrist
Poker Retards
Go Be Rude
Grinder's Warehouse
High on Poker
Sloe Times
Tripjax
Twenty-one Outs Twice

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One of the biggest leaks in my game continues to be my tendency to overplay hands.

I take rockets too far, I push in any time I think I have a coinflip situation, I refuse to believe I'm beat if I can't put my opponent on a reasonable holding that trumps my cards.

I've been thinking about what Phil Gordon says in his "Little Green Book":

"Very often the guy who flops the set against me will check-raise. When I get check-raised and have an overpair to the board, I will think long and hard before calling.
...

When I have only an overpair to the board, I do my best to play a very small pot."

Easier said than done, at least for me. I'm getting better at it, but I still am tempted to get it all in with Aces or Kings on the flop if I know the only thing that can beat me is a hidden set.

That can't be very wrong, considering the prior success I've had with such aggressive tactics, but I'm trying to get away from those big hands when I can.

Here's an example of a hand I wish I hadn't been stupid about:
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)



UTG+1 ($416.50)

Hero ($394)

MP2 ($256.20)

CO ($400)

Button ($200)

SB ($180)

BB ($308.70)

UTG ($1127.41)



Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Ac, Ah. SB posts a blind of $2.

1 fold, UTG+1 calls $4, Hero raises to $16, 2 folds, Button calls $16, 1 fold, BB calls $12, UTG+1 folds.



Flop: ($54) Qs, 8c, 7c (3 players)

BB checks, Hero bets $40, Button folds, BB raises $292.70 (All-In), Hero calls $252.70.



Turn: ($639.40) 4d (2 players, 1 all-in)



River: ($639.40) Ks (2 players, 1 all-in)



Final Pot: $639.40



BB has Qh Qd (three of a kind, queens).

Hero has Ac Ah (one pair, aces).

Outcome: BB wins $639.40.

I could have folded (obviously), especially considering that my opponent was in the big blind and could have made two pair with any random cards he decided to take a chance on. I couldn't believe that he would make such an overbet with a set. I'm a moron.

Here's another hand that I may have overplayed:

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ Hero (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)



UTG ($412.60)

UTG+1 ($435.04)

MP1 ($414.60)

MP2 ($366.74)

MP3 ($402.70)

CO ($404.50)

Button ($440.38)

SB ($882.96)

Hero ($398)



Preflop: Hero is BB with Qs, As. SB posts a blind of $2.

5 folds, CO raises to $20, 2 folds, Hero calls $16.



Flop: ($42) 9c, 8s, 6s (2 players)

Hero checks, CO bets $39, Hero raises to $120, CO calls $81.



Turn: ($282) Jd (2 players)

Hero bets $258 (All-In), CO calls $258.



River: ($798) 2h (2 players, 1 all-in)



Final Pot: $798



Hero has Qs As (high card, ace).

CO has Ac Kh (high card, ace).

Outcome: CO wins $798.

Based on the cards alone, I was a 66-34 dog on the turn, according to twodimes.

My thinking was that I had some fold equity with a push, and there was a chance that my hand was best. The more I think about this hand, the less good I feel about it. Someday I'll learn to slow down.

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Play some ring games. The games are soooooo good.