March 2, 2009

I have been logging some time, not much, but I have been playing the low stakes cash tables. I am just trying to find a comfort zone before my first session with my coach. I am looking forward to it because I think some solid advice can quickly push me up the learning curve.

Tonight, I played decent, but I think I am being too passive post flop and maybe a bit too loose preflop. Loose passive is not the type of player to be...so I need to tighten up preflop and work on my aggression. What I have been shooting for is to slowly trend upwards in between big hands. from my limited experience, you try to win a little money here and there, but the hands that you get all your chips in are the ones you really need to win, so you do not want to get it all in with marginal holdings. There have been a few hands where I was a bit frustrated with myself because in retrospect I was trying to make things happen. It is a bit frustrating when you lose your focus and find yourself pushing the action trying to double up. In doing so, you end up losing your stack and regretting the decision - even though as you were playing the hand you knew you were pushing the edges a bit too hard. There are very few instances where I get my money in and am surprised that i am behind. Usually, I just lose discipline and flush my stack.

I think that will be the lesson that I need to learn first...play smart and just be patient. tonight was a good example. I was fortunate that I had AA twice. The first instance I was down about half my stack already and ended up losing to J6s when he rivered the straight AND the flush...either way you look at it I was toast. The second time AA came around I was on the button and had been a little more aggressive on my button raises. I put in the 3.5xbb raise and was reraised by the BB. I paused for a minute and called. the flop was 269 rainbow and the BB lead out for just over half the pot, I potted it with my AA and he pushed. I called and he showed JJ. No J on turn or river and my AA held up :)

It is fun learning to play poker again and learning the same lessons over and over. I just need to stick with it and keep plugging away. I am looking forward to Saturday and getting my education underway!