KEY LESSONS:
1. Table selection: I sat down at a table that didn't look too exciting from the outset. The table was 4 handed, with mostly everybody hunched over their cards. The body language wreaked of "this game is not lively". The average chip stack was definitely less than 2 buy-ins, so this wasn't a table where we were deep - chances are, it would be a game where the rake would win the game. Looking back at all the time I've spent at B&M casinos, I don't think I ever did too well at these types of tables. It was really only at tables where there were at least 3-5 deepstacked players, where I was able to grind out a sizable winrate. Ahhh, the moment of clarity.
It's not good to sit down at a table like this. When you buy-in, and look around and everybody who's already seated has just about the same amount of chips in front of them as you do - BEWARE. This table is going to be defined by nothing but limped pots and a heavier reliance on who can luckbox the board more often - effectively making the game just as variance-ridden as any other game in the casino. You might as well try the slots. Get out of there IMMEDIATELY unless something changes dramatically within the next couple of orbits. Like, 2 (preferrably 3) more players sit down and buy-in with more than the minimum.
RULE OF THUMB: When at a supertight, shortstacked table, exit if you either lose 4 big bets or only get 1 big bet average for the first 2 orbits.
Note: Some guy came over about 2 hours into the game, way past when I was already internally aching to play at another table, but wasn't savvy enough to actually change tables because people at the table (dealer included) was veering me to stay. (Do you need to care what your opponents think of you anyway? Their motive's are selfish obviously. You need to look out for your own best interest in these situations.) He asked if the game was juicy - if it was loose. Nobody answered. He asks again. Some guy at the table says, "No man, it's tight." So, guy railing us just simply leaves.
Later, after I'm essentially busted, I walk around the cardroom, and happen to see the same guy, this time seated at the juiciest 4/8 table going on. OMG. This table was in the middle of a hand, 4 handed, a huge huge huge pot (bigger than what I ever saw at my table, except once), and literally everyone there had at LEAST 2-3 buyins. Gosh I was so jealous. Trouble is, I could've been there, and would've been satisfied if I had gotten my money in at a table like that. I was just too much of an idiot and didn't change tables, and be more selective as to what kind of game I want to sit down at.
2. Run of Cards: If you're card dead, QUIT. Which is what happened to me. Not only was my KQ, KJ, AJ, K10, pocket Jacks, pocket Queens not hitting the board or holding up, but the majority of cards I was dealt was simply duds. This happened majority of the time I spent at the table. And this was a sign to leave the table, as, on the other hand, lady to my left was lucking out everywhere, and left the table with probably 4 more buy-ins than she entered with in about 3 hours total.
Lesson: If you're card dead, and you inherently feel it, leave. If the table is a juicy game, you could stand up and take a walk, making sure not to let your emotions make bad decisions for you because of impatience. However, if you're both card dead AND the table is bunk, switch games and get out of that place.
3. Emotional circuitry: Though emotion could be bad if you're tilting, you still need to be able to feel the game. By the time I lost my first buy-in, I suddenly became indifferent. Partly because of bad luck. The other part was because I was plain and simply too lazy to be emotionally attached to the game, because I had lost faith. This probably cost me more than it should have. Whatever the circumstance, if your head and heart isn't in the game, it's just not worth it to play for the night. Take a breather and refocus your energy, or just stand up and quit. It's that important.
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A few other spots to plug up:
- Keep focused on your player reads. You need to know when people left to act are telegraphing folds, raises, or flats.
- Pay more attention to opponent hand ranges, and from what position they're playing from.
- In tighter games, 3bets are bonafide strong hands. If you even THINK you're beat... you're usually right, and you've done a good job of this so far. The next step is actually folding those hands, and this is absolutely detrimental and critical to your success as a poker player. Fold 'em if you know it's the right move.
- Think harder than you ever have about the game. Not only will this allow you to be more engaged (and thus passing time faster), but you'll also find yourself a more profitable player guaranteed.
- Pot odds and position. CRITICAL. Do NOT play J9os from UTG. Pay attention to the action from late position. K10 is fair in a multiway pot, but if there are only 2 players in the pot, it's not worth entering in with, even if only against the blinds.
- Play YOUR game. Not anyone else's. You're a thinking player, and you take everything into consideration. This is how you make the game +EV. You CANNOT gamble it up and play the same marginal hands the next player is playing just because they're luckboxing the board. It just won't work out to your benefit on most sessions, so don't do it. If you make money grinding it up as a nit, then that's your place.
So, to recap: Table selection, Run of Cards, and think and feel harder about the game than you ever have.
Overview:
Time in: 9:00PM
Time out: 1:00AM
Total time: 4 hours
Total profit: -
Total loss: $260
Lossrate: - $65hr
Play rating: 6/10
Although tonight was a horrible fail, it still was a necessary obstacle to overcome on the path to being a winning poker player. Which is good to know. The game wasn't entirely unexploitable. There are still leaks to plug up. The game could absolutely be beaten, consistently in my opinion - but only if you bring your A game to the table every night, and never let the environment effect your absolute focus and hunger to win. Without this, you're minimizing the profit you should be winning. Next shot is probably not going to come around too soon, but, before you get back in the pits again, make sure you're running on all 12 cylinders.
Good luck.
