Critique my downswing

[Bmxicle]

I've been running bad over the past couple weeks and couple thousand hands. This is definately another downswing that i'm experiencing but its not all variance, i know i'm making mistakes, but i'm having trouble discerning which hands were just unfortunate situations and what were bad plays. So i'm going to post my poker tracker stats over 10.5k hands at mostly 100nl and some 50nl. Also i'm going to post some specific hands that i'd like you to critique and tell me if i've done anything wrong.

POker tracker stats

VPIP: 14.5%
VPIP SB: 24.17%
folded to SB steal:88%
Folded bb to steal attemp 87.23%
Won $ WSF: 29.63
bb/100 hands 0.90
Went to SD: 17.3%
Won $ @ SD: 50.3
PF Raise%: 5.00
Flop aggression: 5.08
Turn aggression: 4.12
River aggression: 4.07
Amount won $203.96



Heres some hands that i want you to take a look at and critique, hands i seem to have trouble with are possible straights verse trips, and hands like AQ AJ AK

POKERSTARS GAME #1555983316: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.50/$1.00) - 2005/04/20 - 18:07:33 (ET)
Table 'Bishop' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: auswed ($116.20 in chips)
Seat 2: DakAgman ($29.05 in chips)
Seat 4: sno6 ($50.50 in chips)
Seat 5: Bmxicle ($97.50 in chips)
Seat 6: yrshooter ($75.35 in chips)
Seat 7: rackled ($104.40 in chips)
Seat 8: OnePScott ($81.20 in chips)
Seat 9: 3rdWave ($38 in chips)
yrshooter: posts small blind $0.50
rackled: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Bmxicle [8d 7d]
little momo joins the table at seat #3
OnePScott: calls $1
3rdWave: calls $1
auswed: folds
DakAgman: folds
sno6: calls $1
Bmxicle: calls $1
yrshooter: folds
rackled: checks
*** FLOP *** [9d 6s 4d]
rackled: checks
OnePScott: checks
3rdWave: bets $4
sno6: folds
Bmxicle: calls $4
rackled: raises $4 to $8
OnePScott: folds
3rdWave: calls $4
Bmxicle: raises $88.50 to $96.50 and is all-in
rackled: calls $88.50
3rdWave: folds
*** TURN *** [9d 6s 4d] [As]
*** RIVER *** [9d 6s 4d As] [7c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
rackled: shows [4s 9h] (two pair, Nines and Fours)
Bmxicle: mucks hand
rackled collected $203.50 from pot
rackled said, "thx"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $206.50 | Rake $3
Board [9d 6s 4d As 7c]
Seat 1: auswed folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: DakAgman folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: sno6 folded on the Flop
Seat 5: Bmxicle (button) mucked [8d 7d]
Seat 6: yrshooter (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: rackled (big blind) showed [4s 9h] and won ($203.50) with two pair, Nines and Fours
Seat 8: OnePScott folded on the Flop
Seat 9: 3rdWave folded on the Flop

POKERSTARS GAME #1534223416: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.50/$1.00) - 2005/04/16 - 17:20:12 (ET)
Table 'Procyon III' Seat #6 is the button
Seat 2: sherlock73 ($53 in chips)
Seat 3: catchseen ($78.45 in chips)
Seat 5: blkjck ($146.40 in chips)
Seat 6: ch'town ($87.20 in chips)
Seat 7: BenLongwood ($43.35 in chips)
Seat 8: Bmxicle ($134.50 in chips)
Seat 9: donandtricee ($101.85 in chips)
BenLongwood: posts small blind $0.50
Bmxicle: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Bmxicle [9c 9h]
donandtricee: folds
sherlock73: calls $1
catchseen: folds
blkjck: folds
ch'town: folds
BenLongwood: folds
Bmxicle: checks
*** FLOP *** [9d 2s 3c]
olemisrebl joins the table at seat #4
Bmxicle: checks
sherlock73: checks
*** TURN *** [9d 2s 3c] [5c]
Bmxicle: bets $1
sherlock73: raises $2 to $3
Bmxicle: raises $2 to $5
sherlock73: raises $10 to $15
Bmxicle: raises $25 to $40
sherlock73: raises $12 to $52 and is all-in
Bmxicle: calls $12
*** RIVER *** [9d 2s 3c 5c] [7c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Bmxicle: shows [9c 9h] (three of a kind, Nines)
sherlock73: shows [4s As] (a straight, Ace to Five)
sherlock73 collected $103.50 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $106.50 | Rake $3
Board [9d 2s 3c 5c 7c]
Seat 2: sherlock73 showed [4s As] and won ($103.50) with a straight, Ace to Five
Seat 3: catchseen folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: blkjck folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: ch'town (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: BenLongwood (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: Bmxicle (big blind) showed [9c 9h] and lost with three of a kind, Nines
Seat 9: donandtricee folded before Flop (didn't bet)

***** Hand History for Game 1933122059 *****
$50 NL Hold'em - Friday, April 22, 12:11:50 EDT 2005
Table Table 36769 (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: TheReal_NUTT ( $26.9 )
Seat 3: Mstr_Predatr ( $19 )
Seat 4: peritonlogon ( $22.07 )
Seat 5: LecksLuther ( $75.65 )
Seat 7: ridoff7 ( $80.5 )
Seat 10: kydyl ( $56.75 )
Seat 6: bmxigan ( $49.5 )
Seat 2: balvord ( $52.05 )
Seat 9: scanurcards ( $37.25 )
Seat 8: JAMinKs ( $49.5 )
peritonlogon posts small blind [$0.25].
bmxigan posts big blind [$0.5].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to bmxigan [ Kd As ]
>You have options at Table 11295 Table!.
ridoff7 raises [$2].
JAMinKs folds.
scanurcards folds.
kydyl folds.
TheReal_NUTT folds.
balvord calls [$2].
Mstr_Predatr folds.
peritonlogon folds.
bmxigan calls [$1.5].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 8h, Kc, 9h ]
bmxigan bets [$4].
ridoff7 calls [$4].
balvord folds.
** Dealing Turn ** [ Td ]
bmxigan bets [$10].
>You have options at Table 11295 Table!.
ridoff7 calls [$10].
** Dealing River ** [ 6h ]
>You have options at Table 32751 Table!.
bmxigan bets [$5].
ridoff7 calls [$5].
bmxigan shows [ Kd, As ] a pair of kings.
ridoff7 shows [ Ac, Ah ] a pair of aces.
ridoff7 wins $42.05 from the main pot with a pair of aces.

This seems to be what regularly happens to me with AK, i make a continuation bet and get called, then i don't know what to do.

POKERSTARS GAME #1555773885: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.50/$1.00) - 2005/04/20 - 17:27:00 (ET)
Table 'Bishop' Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: mossles ($38.45 in chips)
Seat 2: DakAgman ($40 in chips)
Seat 3: jg_gomberski ($101 in chips)
Seat 4: hniddy ($73.30 in chips)
Seat 5: Bmxicle ($97.50 in chips)
Seat 6: hoggard ($16.10 in chips)
Seat 7: gobe ($46.60 in chips)
Seat 8: bl2ckh2wk ($112.20 in chips)
Seat 9: AppleG ($23.10 in chips)
bl2ckh2wk: posts small blind $0.50
AppleG: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Bmxicle [Ah Kc]
mossles: folds
DakAgman: folds
jg_gomberski: folds
hniddy: calls $1
Bmxicle: raises $2 to $3
hoggard: folds
gobe: folds
bl2ckh2wk: folds
AppleG: folds
hniddy: calls $2
*** FLOP *** [9c Js 2d]
hniddy: checks
Bmxicle: bets $6
hniddy: calls $6
*** TURN *** [9c Js 2d] [Tc]
hniddy: checks
Bmxicle: checks
*** RIVER *** [9c Js 2d Tc] [3d]
hniddy: bets $14
Bmxicle: folds
hniddy collected $18.55 from pot
hniddy: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $19.50 | Rake $0.95
Board [9c Js 2d Tc 3d]
Seat 1: mossles folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: DakAgman folded before Flop (didn't bet)


POKERSTARS GAME #1555752156: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.50/$1.00) - 2005/04/20 - 17:22:36 (ET)
Table 'Hubei' Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: Nightanday ($37.95 in chips)
Seat 2: princed100 ($49.55 in chips)
Seat 3: Bmxicle ($202.35 in chips)
Seat 5: USANAMACK ($61.75 in chips)
Seat 6: MikeGMi2 ($69 in chips)
Seat 8: spider44 ($60.30 in chips)
Seat 9: Sherif ($46.90 in chips)
Nightanday: posts small blind $0.50
princed100: posts big blind $1
Murs316: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Bmxicle [Jh Ah]
Bmxicle: calls $1
USANAMACK: folds
MikeGMi2: folds
spider44: folds
Sherif: calls $1
Nightanday: folds
princed100: checks
*** FLOP *** [4d Ac Kc]
princed100: bets $1
Bmxicle: raises $3 to $4
Sherif: calls $4
princed100: folds
*** TURN *** [4d Ac Kc] [7s]
Bmxicle: bets $8
Sherif: calls $8
*** RIVER *** [4d Ac Kc 7s] [Tc]
Bmxicle: bets $9
Sherif: raises $17 to $26
Bmxicle: folds
Sherif collected $44.25 from pot
Sherif: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $46.50 | Rake $2.25
Board [4d Ac Kc 7s Tc]
Seat 1: Nightanday (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: princed100 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: Bmxicle folded on the River
Seat 5: USANAMACK folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: MikeGMi2 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: spider44 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Sherif (button) collected ($44.25)

***** Hand History for Game 1951229024 *****
$100 NL Hold'em - Monday, April 25, 17:04:04 EDT 2005
Table Table 36534 (Real Money)
Seat 8 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 3: djtomyby ( $7.2 )
Seat 4: bmorebomber ( $151.45 )
Seat 5: Bmxicle2 ( $99.65 )
Seat 8: DirtMcGoo ( $20.94 )
Seat 6: skanegurra ( $107.6 )
Seat 9: littleboots4 ( $104.5 )
Seat 2: ChiLeNoCL ( $78.5 )
Seat 10: srbeech33 ( $70.8 )
Seat 1: chemma ( $158.55 )
Seat 7: cooldude_430 ( $50 )
littleboots4 posts small blind [$0.5].
srbeech33 posts big blind [$1].
cooldude_430 posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Bmxicle2 [ 2h 2s ]
chemma folds.
ChiLeNoCL folds.
djtomyby calls [$1].
bmorebomber calls [$1].
Bmxicle2 calls [$1].
skanegurra folds.
>You have options at Table 36962 Table!.
cooldude_430 checks.
DirtMcGoo raises [$4].
littleboots4 calls [$3.5].
srbeech33 folds.
djtomyby folds.
>You have options at Table 36962 Table!.
bmorebomber calls [$3].
Bmxicle2 calls [$3].
cooldude_430 folds.
** Dealing Flop ** [ Tc, 2d, 4h ]
littleboots4 checks.
bmorebomber checks.
>You have options at Table 36812 Table!.
Bmxicle2 bets [$8].
DirtMcGoo raises [$16].
littleboots4 folds.
bmorebomber folds.
Bmxicle2 calls [$8].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9d ]
Bmxicle2 bets [$1].
DirtMcGoo is all-In.
** Dealing River ** [ Qs ]
Bmxicle2 shows [ 2h, 2s ] three of a kind, twos.
DirtMcGoo shows [ Td, Ts ] three of a kind, tens.
Bmxicle2 wins $0.06 from side pot #1 with three of a kind, twos.
DirtMcGoo wins $50.28 from the main pot with three of a kind, tens.
wow

***** Hand History for Game 1951351645 *****
$100 NL Hold'em - Monday, April 25, 17:28:54 EDT 2005
Table Table 36601 (Real Money)
Seat 9 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 3: Joppe_6 ( $210.2 )
Seat 8: ThatGuy615 ( $205.44 )
Seat 9: Pmedic232 ( $175.2 )
Seat 10: Bmxicle2 ( $106.1 )
Seat 7: Notaclue1 ( $21.66 )
Seat 4: j3p48 ( $92.85 )
Seat 2: bigfish73 ( $79.1 )
Seat 6: Mindolluin ( $85.15 )
Seat 1: JANICE1978 ( $101.6 )
Seat 5: TopCougar99 ( $76.86 )
Bmxicle2 posts small blind [$0.5].
JANICE1978 posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Bmxicle2 [ 8d 8s ]
bigfish73 calls [$1].
Joppe_6 folds.
j3p48 folds.
TopCougar99 folds.
Mindolluin calls [$1].
Notaclue1 folds.
ThatGuy615 folds.
Pmedic232 folds.
>You have options at Table 36962 Table!.
Bmxicle2 calls [$0.5].
JANICE1978 checks.
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ac, 8h, Th ]
>You have options at Table 36962 Table!.
Bmxicle2 bets [$3].
>You have options at Table 36812 Table!.
JANICE1978 folds.
bigfish73 raises [$6].
Mindolluin calls [$6].
Bmxicle2 raises [$12].
>You have options at Table 36962 Table!.
bigfish73 folds.
Mindolluin calls [$9].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Qd ]
>You have options at Table 36962 Table!.
>You have options at Table 36534 Table!.
Bmxicle2 bets [$35].
Mindolluin is all-In.
Bmxicle2 calls [$34.15].
** Dealing River ** [ 6d ]
Bmxicle2 shows [ 8d, 8s ] three of a kind, eights.
Mindolluin shows [ Jh, Kh ] a straight, ten to ace.
Mindolluin wins $175.3 from the main pot with a straight, ten to ace.

I'm still in the black and my bankroll is pretty llarge (at about 30 buyins) for the stakes i'm playing at, so i'm not to worried yet, but i do think there are some issues with my play that i need to address. Also tell me if i should post up any more poker tracker stats.

[JeffreyGB]

hand #1: You were the favorite to win on the flop. But only slightly. OESFD come in slightly under 60%. Playing them this way will make you money over time, but the variance is huge. You entered into the other 40% here.

hand #2: This is why I'm only in favor of slowplaying a flopped set on a board with NO draws. Been bitten in the arse way too many times playing it like this.

hand #3: Sucks. Nothing you could do.

hand #4: Good disclipline laying it down. Again, you hit the side of the % that you don't want to see. Over time, you'll make money from him calling bets against the odds.

hand #5: Sucks. Nothing you could do here either.

hand #6: I'd have reraised more. Obviously they like their hands. You probably weren't going to get rid of this guy though, and sadly he hit the 50% like you didn't in hand 1. No big problem with how you played this, except perhaps the huge bet when the draw came in...though I may well have done the same, having no clue that he'd stay in with that.

[Bmxicle]

My reasoning for hand #1 was the pot was getting fairly large, and i could possibly push him off it, and even if i didn't then i still had a 50/50 and luckily all of my outs were clean.

Another problem i have with AK is when people raise preflop. I don't like calling because i get no information, but i also don't re-raising, because big pots with missed flops are very bad things with AK, however i also feel that to your normal 3-4x bb raise doesn't warrant a fold for AK. What do you do when you run into a raise preflop and you're holding AK?

[JeffreyGB]

Small raise like that with no reads, I reraise. Bigger raise, I probably call. Any raise with adequate reads telling me it's a monster hand, I fold.

[JeffreyGB]

And I'd note that he's preflop minbetting his premo hands.

[Bmxicle]

Anybody have any comments on my PT stats? i know i play a bit tight, but anything else i should try to work on?

[JeffreyGB]

I don't see any screaming errors from your stats. I'd like to see a higher W$@SD, given how tight you're playing (makes me think you may be playing things a tad too far), and I wonder if your limited profits are due to playing so tight that you don't get action when you want it. I might like to see a higher pfr, but 5% is pretty good.

Nothing from the stats indicates this one way or another (save your VP$IP), but are you making use of position to raise with weaker cards than you would otherwise? I think that could help your payout.

[ville18]

I agree, do NOT give freecards on drawboards when you're on a set.

[DoGGz]

I never slowplay a set anymore, unless i'm playing very good players. Don't give rooks credit. They will pay you off on draws, but if you slowplay they never get the chance

[Lucid]

I think you played these hands well for the most part. You're a very tight player and at about the 100 dollar level the other players are going to start to notice more. This means you are predictable. Maybe you should incorporate a few unpredictable plays like raising with a suited connector from late position every once in a while. This has several advantages. You will be able to steal more pots because you have earned a tag reputation, other players won't expect you to have a strait or a flush when you make it, and when other players see that hand at showdown they will be more likely to call your raises latter on.

Hand 1: I think you played it perfectly.

Hand 2: The problem with slow playing the set is that its almost imposible to lay it down latter on. I agree with the other posters and think you should have bet.

Hand 7: . You have a board with both a flush and a strait draw. You bet and you were raised and then the other player called. Push in your chips.

[spino1i]

HAND #1: Your semi-bluff here is not exactly what I would do. In my opinion these types of semi-bluffs are kinda of foolish, you are still losing money if he calls (as opposed to if you just call his raise and see a turn and river). This is because you are more than likely to see your flush or str8 hit and if you do you get all his money and if you dont you get out. If you both go all-in on the flop, it turns into a coin flip only slightly in your favor.

So basically you are making a bluff and when you make a bluff you should know if the other guy is going to call. Since its pretty standard to go all-in with top two pair on the flop with no str8 possiblities, and he was giving signs he had two pair by raising the initial bet, i'd say its very likely he's going to call your all-in. So I would have just called his raise.

HAND #2: You checked on the flop and got burned when he got to a see a turn for free and hit his straight. I would have bet, but not a whole lot. Just enough to get the people with stupid draws (and there was only one draw on this board, the gut-shot he had) away and keep the pairs in. More than anything you just got unlucky.


HAND #3:
I would have played Hand #3 differently. I am not a big fan of betting big increasing amounts when i'm first to act in a raised pot. You never know what you're getting smooth called with. He could have had a set or two pair as well, instead of pocket aces; i think you are putting too much faith in TPTK.. I would check and let them do the betting. Sure if someone is on a flush draw and everyone checks around then the guy on a flush draw is real happy, but i dont think this is likely. Mainly because raised pots almost always have betting on the first round (a lot more so than non-raised pots). Second there are less draws period in a raised pot. Partly this is because there are a lot more pocket pairs in raised pots and pocket pairs dont really do much drawing.

Lets suppose you had checked. He prolly would have made a 1/2 pot sized bet charaterstic of bullets in a raised pot on the flop with a K on the board. after the turn bet I think it would be a dead give away that he had AA as opposed to AK or KQ. You would have saved yourself prolly around 15+$.

Hand #4: You made a typical semi-bluff with AK in a raised pot, the same as I would have done. Unfortunately for you someone had a pair they werent willing to let go of, or perhaps they had more, and you ended up losing the hand. Not a whole lot you can do, I would have played the same.

Hand #5: I would have played similarly, perhaps betting more on the turn (I would bet the pot, 12$, as opposed to 8$). However I would have checked on the river. Instead you tried to make a blocking bet (you bet 1$ more than on the turn in the vain hope that he won't think of bluffing you since you are showing aggression) in the hopes of seeing a cheap showdown against a possible flush. However, no person with a flush is going to agree to this and anyone trying to bluff you will still go over the top of you and unsuprisingly you got raised. You did make the right move of folding here though. I would have checked though, and folded to a large enough bet.

Hand #6: Absolutely nothing you could do here. Just bad luck..

Hand #7: I would play this a bit differently.. You bet a fair amount on the flop and you got called by a guy on a gut-shot straight draw. When he hit his draw on the turn, of course he went all-in. Back luck in my opinion, but it could have been prevented by raising a bit steeper.

With two other people in the hand and me having a set, I assume one of the other players is on a draw. So I like to make them pay to see the next card. I would have raised a bit steeper. Instead of just minraising another 6$ I would have raised probably 15-20$. There was a flush and straight draw on that board, and you cant let your opponents see that turn cheaply. Slowplaying a set against a bunch of draws is just foolish imo.

[Bmxicle]

Alright, so i've realized that ever since i read harrington on holdem (which is still a good book) i've been playing to tight and week, i really took alot of his advice seriously and changed things that were working well already.

So for the past two days i've played really aggressive and played about 30 percent of hands. Both days i did really well and felt much more comfortable with my play.

I';ve also started betting sets more aggresively and not being as concerned about getting as much money in the pot as possible with them.

So now that the cards seem to be back to normal and i'm playing the way that suits me i'm back to winning