Went to the Venetian last night. The Venetian is typically the busiest place for 2/5 NL in Vegas. They will often have 4-5+ games going even during the week.
Long story short, I got beat down. Here are some of the hands:
While waiting at 1/2 NL, a short stacked guy in early position raised to 7. He had about 40 more. I look down at pocket 7s. Can't call to flop a set, not deep enough. I didn't want to fold, so I just pushed him all in. He snap calls with 88 and lose.
First hand at 2/5 I have 44 in late position. I raise to 20 and the button calls. Flop is A-6-4 with 2 diamonds. I bet out 30, he calls. Turn is the 10 of diamonds. I bet out 65, he calls. I'm worried he has the flush at this point. River is a blank, offsuit 7. Well, he could have made a straight here too potentially. I bet out $85 trying to get a call from a hand like A6 or AT. He raises to 200, I fold. Not much I can beat. I think there is no way he is raising me with 2 pair after the flush hit and I bet it twice. Any set beats me. There's just nothing I can beat there. Plus this guy doesn't look like a super crazy player so I don't have any reason to believe he's bluffing me.
We were playing 3 handed for a little while at the must move game. I don't love that, but I do feel like I should get some practice playing shorthanded. I'll be dealing with that at the bigger games.
While 3 handed I raise the button with 76o. Personally I think I'm probably playing way too loose when we are that short, but I have to learn. Big blind calls. He has maybe $200 total. Flop is 5-4-2 with 2 diamonds. I have the 7 of diamonds. He checks. I bet $20. He check-raises to $45. With 2 overs and a straight draw I put him all in. He SNAP calls with 7-4 and I don't get there. It was a flip (I had like 43% equity) but the real problem here was raising. After he check raises me, there is really no chance of him folding his hand with $100 more behind. I had outs against most everything, but overall I'm losing money by doing this.
I raise AQdd to 20 and the big blind calls. Flop comes out Q98 with 2 hearts. He leads for $30. I raise to $90. He reraises to $200 and has $200 more behind. I just don't think I beat much of anything at this point - I'm up against made hands (sets, 2 pair, straight) and big draws. So I fold.
You get the point. Just getting my ass handed to me over and over. OK one more hand of a slightly different variety:
A guy with a full stack ($1000) limps and I limp with 85dd. The big blind checks and we see the flop 3 ways. Flop is KQJ with 2 diamonds. Checks to me and I bet $15. Full stack guy raises to $35. Call. Turn is the 3 of diamonds. He bets out $60. I call again. He could have a bigger flush, but I'll find out more on the river. River pairs the king. Terrible card for me since he appeared strong on the flop and all 2 pair combinations are in his range. Sets maybe, although it seems likely he would raise preflop with JJ+. He bets out $75. At this point I tank, and it's not thinking about folding. Just whether I should raise or not. I couldn't think of much he could have that could call a raise and lose. AT I guess. And T9s now that I'm thinking about it. AK although I don't think he had AK. There aren't many other hands. No lower flushes really. So I just call. He had QJ. Flopped two pair, river counterfeited him. I think I played that one pretty well. Could raise the turn but overall I'm happy with it and I don't know that raising the turn would be the best play.
So I ended up losing $730. It was a bummer and during the session it made me question myself. Am I cut out for this? Can I win? Are these guys just so much better than me? I'll never be able to just crush these games. Why am I even trying. All of this stuff goes through your head when you start getting beat down.
I left, did my cool down routine, and felt OK. I have reacted so much worse to big losses in the past. I'm not happy about it but I also know that this WILL happen. There is nothing I can do to avoid losses periodically. In the grand scheme of things this wasn't even that big of a loss. If I'm playing 2/5, 5/10, and up, I'm setting myself up for much bigger losses in the future.
I just have to take it in stride and keep putting hours in. The beatings will happen but the good times will happen too. I'll pair the river with my set against the guy who turned a flush. The river won't pair the top card, giving me confidence to raise and get max value with my flush. I'll hit my straight when I'm all in against a lower pair. These things WILL happen.
So even though I took my biggest loss since April last night, I'm feeling OK. I know it's not the people I was playing against. It wasn't my severe lack of skill. It wasn't the Venetian. It was just one of those nights. If I want to be the real deal, I need to let it roll off my back, accept it as the cost of doing business and move on.
Looking forward to my next session. Not tonight, probably tomorrow night though.
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