Trust me it works! (fully concentrated)

Ok.  While the new system has been working terrifically well this month at the micro stakes levels, BUT due to a lack of focus, as I played when I shouldn't have, I had a bad run this morning, and lack of focus on Pokerstars can lead to dire results, which it did for me this time around.  I've noticed a lot of the players for some reason like to protect their big blinds to the death, although this wasn't the reason I lost, except for one time when I got suckered.  Maybe it's an ego thing.  I know from my readings it is important to protect our big blinds sometimes, but also within reason.  Don't just raise with any old two just because the small blind has raised!  Blinds play aside, this morning I did get unlucky.

HAND 1

First off my AQ (albeit offsuit) got smashed by QQ on the river on a flop of A 💎  6 ♠️  7 ♣️  8 💎  Q ♣️  so my opponent hit a big one outer :)

As you can see, by the turn my opponent had a 2.2% chance of winning the hand

HAND TWO

Then my KK versus two short stacks on a flop of 5 - 6 - 8 lost to the short stack in the small blind.  I checked, was raised to my left, there was a re raise from the small blind, I decided to call.  An A hit the turn I went all in, the player folded (initial raiser) and the short stack turns over A10 offsuit.  Of course he does!

Daffy is about to knock his head against the wooden post!  I felt this way.

HAND 3

10 10 from the small blind was rivered by A ♥️  7 ♥️  when he hit his straight.  (He had re raised this hand before the flop) Although as I checked the turn after every calling his flop bet, it was my own fault really for not playing aggressive enough on the 5-6-9 flop.  Real loose players on Pokerstars though!

FINAL BEAT ( in bad beat city this morning)

I went down to 5% profit after my bluff was called with bottom pair on a deck 

7 ♥️   5 💎   8 ♥️  7 ♠️  9 💎 and my opponent snap called with 3 ♥️ 5 ♥️ versus my A ♥️ 4 ♥️ 

However, overall I feel I played too loosely myself and was unfocused.  Just goes to show if you lose concentration for one session you can be punished.  Still I am confident about my future chances and I feel I will fare well on the next level too.  We'll see...with my adopted strategy I am confident I have found a real edge and I will continue to learn and reinforce this edge.  

What I can share with you today is more of this strategy of 'how to play' from the big blind and small blind in tight games.  Then I will end with a quick poker quiz question for you to try to answer (with answer key at the end).

Before the bad session I won a few hands recently...

And now to finish, I will now give you some information on playing pre flop in tight games from the blinds.

From the big blind

If there is no raise

Raise: AA-99, AKs - ATs, KQs - KJs and AK - AQ

Against a raise: 

Play:  AA-99, AKs - A10s, KQs - AK, except remove the weakness offsuit hands A10, KJ-K10, QJ - Q10, and J10.  Play any pocket pair, many suited hands, AK-AJ, and KQ.

Reraise: AA-1010, AKs, and AK

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From the small blind 

If there is no raise

Play: Any pocket pair, AKs - A2s, KQs - K9s, QJs - Q9s, J10s - J9s, T9s - 98s, AK - A10, KQ - KJ

Raise: AA - 99, AKs - A10s, KQs - KJs, and AK - AQ

Against a raise

Play: all pocket pairs (as long as one player besides the raiser has also entered the pot), AA - 1010, AKs - AJs, KQs and AJ

Re raise: AA - 1010, AKs and AK

QUICK EVENING SUCCESS AND BOUNCEBACK!!

Fortunately I just made a come back this evening and back to winning ways.  Getting up to $72 on the 0.08c/0.16 tables :)

Thank you for reading.  Enjoy your poker!