Really starting to focus on my game lately. Moved up from .25/.50 cash tables to .50/1.00
I would advise anyone previously playing at .25/.50 to do the same. That standard of play is far worse and (and its a BIG and) provided you can cope with huge swings, the profits can be enormous. I was fed up with grinding away multitabling 4 at a time and waiting for mistakes. At this level, mistakes are everywhere....including those found in my own game.
Having difficulty lately with regards to stopping drawing hands yet minimising losses. Here is the hand in question. I have KK in EP. I open for a raise of 5* the BB, a usual opener from me in ep. 1 caller, who i know chases without the odds. Flop comes the horrible 678 with 2 spades. I bet the pot ($12, he calls). Turn comes Jd (ie non scare) and i am in a total dilemna. Do i protect what i percieve as the best hand with a 2/3 pot bet, or do i check. Given the history, i bet 2/3, he pushes and i have to call $9 more so obv do and he smacked that flop with the str8 + str8 flush draw. Where did i go wrong?
Beginning to think that big pocket pairs and me in cash games is suicide. Also just shows how huge an advantage of position is in all forms of poker.
With scary board should i just check/fold? I think it may be the only way of winning on connected boards although he coulda done the same thing with a set of nines.
I might make big pair raises a compulsory 10* the BB bet preflop. Let him try that on for implied odds.

On the tournie side im going to play ALOT this weekend. Need to focus my game and sharpen up for the festival. Im not ffeling too confident about my game at the moment, just going over my player notes and re-reading nl HE tournies by McEvoy + Vines and Championship NL HE by Mcevoy and Cloutier. I know i can beat these guys, i simply must get cash games out of my system pronto. No fucking about. ABC poker until i get a read on my opponents, then try some aggressive shit later on, with possible moves around the button against the tight guys.

Winning the main event would be nice so im going to enter a couple of satellites after i win tomorrow......see the confidence is back already.. ;)

GL ALL

Tip of the Day. Be careful in cash games. They are mean on your money if you arent fully fit.