Lower Limit Frustration

I have played two lower limit sessions this week at Parkers and have walked away frustrated both times. Neither one of them were big losses in fact last night it was a huge $15, but the sessions themselves were just painful. In these lower games $8/16 and $12/24 patience and discipline are key factors that go into the game. At these limits you are seeing many multi-way pots pre-flop, so not getting into trouble spots with weaker hands will pay off in the long run. I was lacking a little of the discipline but all in all I was happy with my pre-flop play. What was so frustrating was that I was not getting a lot of hands to play in position. I would look down at K,Q or AJ in 1st or 2nd position and have to muck them, but then in late when I could have played them in multi-way pots with position I could not find them. I was also not getting many big pairs or AK to play at all. Very tough to just sit there and watch.

When you are not getting a lot of good hands to play, the ones that you do play need to hold up. It was coming down to one pot where if a hand where I had a big pair or big A hit and I could hold I would win a decent amount for the night, of course those two pots went the wrong direction and turned a winner to a small loser. I also was playing after evening work events so I was not getting in as long a session as well, just little 3 hours sessions which I don't like. The hand that killed me the first night, which was typical swing session fashion, was I pick up Pocket KK's in 2nd position and raise, I get called in LP and then 3 bet from the button, blinds muck and I cap, both call and we take the flop off three ways. Flop came 10,10,7 rainbow. I bet out, get called in two spots, I am pretty sure I have the best hand, the guy in the middle could have the ten but the button cannot have it. The turn brings a 2, I check to get a read, and the middle player bets, the button calls and now I check raise. If he three bets I can either muck or call read dependent. He actually mucks right there and the button calls. Fade the river, nope, A on river. I bet out, putting him on QQ's or JJ's or lower pocket and bet for value, not putting him on naked A, to my surprise he just calls me and I ask you hit A huh? Yep he shows me AK and I lose the big pot, that's poker.

One of the cool things I do like about playing up at Parkers is all the new college age kids playing up there and seeing how they play. There are some good players up there today, I like the styles. They don't know me from boo, which is cool, they think I am just some older dude who just came in to play a little cards. I get to learn a bit and watch them as they may be in a bigger game when it counts latter on. All in all just some run of the mill poker session that went no where. Hope you are all winning and talk to you soon. Good luck to all the Bloggers and have fun down in Vegas this weekend, one the these trips I am going to make it. SJ