Know When to Fold 'Em

The games referred to today are all $1/$2 no-limit texas hold 'em.

A few weeks ago I was playing poorly, having negative thoughts and losing money.

I remember my last trip to the casino when nothing seemed to go right. One of the things that happens when you are not doing well is that you tend to start over playing your good hands in an attempt to force things to turn around - and that's exactly the trap I fell into. I was bleeding chips, and instead of tightening up I started playing more and more hands just hoping to get lucky. I entered a family pot with 4h 5c and when the flop came down 4s 5s 6c my only thought was protecting my two pair against a flush draw. I made a bet about twice the size of the pot and the guy right after me - a guy who had been playing tight and smart - moved all-in on me. When this sort of thing happens you have to accept that your opponent either flopped a straight or trips; those are the only hands a sane person would re-raise with in this situation - just as I put in a big bet to protect against the flush, he was sure he had a better hand and he had to bet big in case I was actually drawing to the flush myself. So what did I do? Like the desperate donkey I was, I called. Yes, he had the straight. No, I did not make a full house. I realized that making a call like that, among several other donkey plays I made that day, was a sign to take a break from the game.

Yesterday I went back to the Casino. I played very well, more than doubling the money I took in. But more important than making or losing money is whether or not you played properly, and as look back on that session I am very happy with the choices I made.

Know when you are probably beat. I was in late position with $140 in chips. I had been playing for twenty minutes without having a decent hand when I looked at AK offsuit. There were six limpers ahead of me, so I decided to raise it from $2 to $15. To my surprise three of my opponents called my rather large bet. One guy, a Grouchy Old Guy, even said to me "What do you have? Ace king?" When the flop came Ac Qd 3c I was pretty sure I was good, but like the previous week I was afraid of the flush draw. So I bet $50. Two guys folded, but Grouchy Old Guy didn't seem fazed at all. "Let's make it $150," he said while pushing a big stack forward. Now the the tilty-donkey me of a few weeks ago would have called - after all I'd already put $65 in to this pot - and I've got a pair of aces with a king kicker. Well that's donkey thinking. GOG knows I've probably got an ace, so he only makes that bet if he's sure he's got me beat. So why should I throw my last $75 bucks away too? I fold and GOG shows his pocket 3's - he flopped the set. Even while part of me is angry that my hand didn't hold up, I'm very proud that I had the discipline to lay that hand down. Instead of being busted out, I still had that $75 left.

Two and a half hours later I had grown that $75 to $370 and I left with a nice profit - which could never have happened if I had made that one donkey call.