Another Live Win, On-line Donkey

I went to the East Side club this past week and played some solid poker. I was patient and waited for my opportunities and made them work.

In a stupid hand (by the other players), I was dealt pocket 8s and had 5 players in for a $10 raise. Flop was A-5-7, checked all around. Q on the turn and again checked all around, which I found odd that nobody had hit anything, but with that many players, I did not feel like leading out into it. The river was an 8 giving me the set. Player to my right leads out $20, I raise to $40, another player goes all-in for $54, the first raiser goes all-in for about $110 and I call. Initial raiser was slow playing an A, the other player was slow playing A-Q and because neither of them bet until the river, I ended up taking the pot when they probably could have gotten me out on either street with a good bet. Took in almost $350 on that pot.

One hand I did not like how I played. I am on the button with 3-2. It is me, SB and BB. Flop comes 3-4-J. SB checks, BB throws out $10. I fold, SB calls. What I don't like about my play is that if I am going to play more advanced hands, I need to think of a few things here. Another 3 gives me a set. A 2 gives me 2 pair, an A, 5 or 6 gives me at least a straight draw. And the initial raiser could have been playing nothing and stealing or maybe a weak J (which ended up to be what he had). With the SB calling, I was getting the odds, but more so, it was cheap and I was up. The turn came a 3 and the river was a 2. I would have had a boat and probably would have taken a $100 pot. I need to think more about those types of plays and not be as scared to mix it up.

I ended up leaving up $170 and I was happy.

But then there was the Internet. Ugh. My on-line play has been SO BAD. Not to mention the cards are simply not connecting at all. I am usually a pretty solid player, but I have been having a terrible run. I was up about 250% for awhile and now I am down to where I need to reload. It is really frustrating. It is as if every play I make fails, every good hand I get does not connect or gets bested. This evening I had AK probably 5 times and lost every one. 3 times I did not connect at all and when I pushed with the continuation, either I got caught or re-raised and had to much. 1 time I hit an A on the flop (A-Q-8) in a sit-n-go and my opponent had A-Q. The final time I hit the K on the flop (K-2-7) and the other player had a set of 2s. Other hands have been fairing just as bad. Looked at KK in a 90 person tournament in the SB. The button pushes a small raise, I figure he is trying to steal, I call. Flop comes Q-7-2. He bets 300, I push to 600, he goes all-in, I call figuring A-Q and he turns over AA. In a 1-2NL game I go from up 40% to busted in 30 minutes as virtually no flop hits me with good starting cards or the other players draw out. Lost $163 tonight alone. That is too much for casual wasting time on a Friday.

Not sure what to do with this. I think I am gonna lay off the on-line play for a while. Re-read some of the strategy books and get my head back in it. In the live games I can focus and enjoy it, but I do not think I am enjoying playing on-line and I am doing it out of habit, doing it while distracted and I am losing consistently right now. Time to break.

Going to Chicago next week, if I can I may take a night at a casino near there as I have had some luck at the casino tables in the last few outings.