Shattered

"I'm in tatters... I'm Shattered. " -Mic and the boys

No matter how much I learn, I still can't crack the most basic of ring games. Namely, the PS $.50/$1 game. Lame. Here are the THREE hands that broke me.

Please, please, please help me understand what is going on!
Hand #1

PokerStars Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - FULL TABLE
Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Columbo777 ($42.85 in chips)
Seat 4: Saxbo ($47.75 in chips)
Seat 5: Wiggy1 ($37 in chips)
Seat 6: rty7aho ($49.60 in chips)
Wiggy1: posts small blind $0.25
rty7aho: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Columbo777 [Ks Qs]
airallnite: folds
Risingers: folds
ppj800: folds
Columbo777: raises $0.50 to $1 A micro raise just to weed out junk. I dont raise more because its a drawing hand. I should have made my std 3xBB raise though.
thangseller: folds
mb2808: folds
Saxbo: calls $1 heads up. So, it achieved the goal.
Wiggy1: folds
rty7aho: folds
POT is $2.50
*** FLOP *** [9h Kh 7h] Need to be careful here as 3 heart flop. I have just TP.
Columbo777: bets $1 So this probably should have been about $1.25, but close enough.
Saxbo: raises $1.50 to $2.50 wants to represent something. But he would only raise here if he does NOT have a flush. otherwise, he would smooth call. He may have a heart and a pair.
Columbo777: calls $1.50 based on the above, I call.
Pot is $5.50
*** TURN *** [9h Kh 7h] [7d]
Columbo777: bets $2 Now the 7 pairs. I figure I can reasonably represent a hand that could beat a flush now. K7, K9, or even just a 7 if he needs a fourth diamond. I bet $2 into $5.50 figuring to see if he is drawing. Probably too small? But I am AFRAID (bad) that he already has the flush.
Saxbo: calls $2 So, now I figure he is looking for the fourth heart.
Pot is $9.50
*** RIVER *** [9h Kh 7h 7d] [Ts]
Columbo777: bets $3 I try to make it look like I want the call as I figure him now for a 9 and a heart. This bet is too small, but the sin was on the turn.
Saxbo: calls $3 CRAP. He would only call here with a hand better than top pair.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Columbo777: shows [Ks Qs] (two pair, Kings and Sevens)
Saxbo: shows [As Kc] (two pair, Kings and Sevens - Ace kicker) Saxbo collected $16.90 from pot OMFG, I lost on the kicker. I missed the real inflection point on the turn and it was fatal. I bet $5 on the turn and he folds. But I was afraid of getting my money in dead. So I put in a lame bet. FATAL. Either bet to win, or CHECK.
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $17.75 Rake $0.85
Board [9h Kh 7h 7d Ts]
Being out of position cost me this hand as I was unwilling to put the pressure on his necessary to get him to throw away his better hand.

HAND #2
PokerStars Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 8 players at table.
Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: Columbo777 ($38.65 in chips)
Seat 6: rty7aho ($47.35 in chips)
mb2808: posts small blind $0.25
Saxbo: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Columbo777 [Kc Kd] FINALLY a hand.
Wiggy1: folds
rty7aho: raises $1 to $1.50 alright...
superman2121: folds
Risingers: folds
ppj800: folds
Columbo777: raises $1 to $2.50 good raise???
thangseller: folds
mb2808: folds
Saxbo: folds
rty7aho: calls $1
pot is $5.75
*** FLOP *** [7s 9h Qd] pretty good flop for me. Overpair. No flush draw. Can have a straight draw, but not a made straight.
rty7aho: checks Probably not TP.
Columbo777: bets $3.50 Bet more than 1/2 the pot here. Could of bet as high as $6. So why $3.50? Probably because I am figuring him for a lesser pair. probably A7 or A9 or even AQ. JT is also possible, not expected based on the pre-flop raise. I figure A9.
rty7aho: calls $3.50
pot is $12.75
*** TURN *** [7s 9h Qd] [4c] This looks like a blank to me.
rty7aho: checks I really think A7 or A9 now. (maybe even AK?)
Columbo777: bets $8 Now, I figure he is going to fold and I put some pressure on him to make a bad call here.
rty7aho: calls $8 Excellent, I think I got him. No reraise to me means no set.
*** RIVER *** [7s 9h Qd 4c] [Ac] No.............
rty7aho: bets $30 I put him on the Ace X, the Ace falls, and he is all in. Can I really make this call?
Columbo777: folds nope.
rty7aho collected $27.35 from pot
rty7aho: doesn't show hand
That sucked. I had not laid down a hand yet and there was no reason to believe I could be bluffed. No matter what the river card was though, I can't see calling a $30 bet with just a pair. At these micro NL tables, people go for the throat when they make a hand because they often get called. Despite losing almost $15 bucks here, I think I made the right fold.

Hand #3:

PokerStars Game Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) -9 handed
Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: Columbo777 ($25.30 in chips) started with $50. Ugh.
Seat 9: ppj800 ($53.35 in chips)
Risingers: posts small blind $0.25
ppj800: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Columbo777 [Kh Ad] Utg, but a decent hand.
Columbo777: raises $0.50 to $1 should have raised to $1.50
thangseller: folds
Saxbo: folds
BeeSharp: folds
rty7aho: folds
superman2121: folds
Risingers: folds
ppj800: calls $0.50 but, heads up, so I am looking good.
pot is $2.25
*** FLOP *** [Th As Js] tough flop. I have TP, yet there are draws a plenty. So many hands can play here.
ppj800: checks
Columbo777: bets $1 I take a stab here to see if he is just going to fold.
ppj800: calls $1 nope.
pot is now $4.25
*** TURN *** [Th As Js] [2s] Ugh. spades a plenty.
ppj800: checks why?
Columbo777: bets $2.50 I try and represent better.
ppj800: calls $2.50 not gonna fly eh?
Pot is now $9.25 and is now attractive. But am I ahead?
*** RIVER *** [Th As Js 2s] [2h]
ppj800: checks
Columbo777: bets $3 man, was that a lame bet.
ppj800: raises $7 to $10 did he do this because of my lame bet or because he has something?
Columbo777: calls $7 I think he is bluffing? Man, this is a lame call after a lame bet.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ppj800: shows [Td Tc] (a full house, Tens full of Deuces)
Columbo777: mucks hand TPTK.
ppj800 collected $27.85 from pot
Here is yet another case where if I raise more on the turn and get called, I know I am beat. Lets look at the numbers. I bet $2.25 (pot) on the flop instead of $1. Then I bet $7 on the turn instead of $2.50 and he called or raises. I can figure I am beat and fold or check the river. What is the cost difference? Well, I spend $1.25+$4.50= $5.75 more to save $10 on the river.

You can see from this WHY I AM AN IDIOT. Seems obvious now, doesn't it.

In summary, Why amateurs lose money:

• Call too much (be a better, not a caller. I did not have this problem for the most part)
• underbet the pot (now we know why this is important. I do this! and it probably cost me ALL THREE of the above hands)
• play "decision hands" out of position
• overvalue hands (I rarely do this)
• play too many hands (I dont do this)

In the imortal words of Danny Noonan to Judge Smales, "Oh, I wanna be good".

But for now... I still suck.