I'm sure you all know the old poker saying that if you sit down at a table and can't find the fish, then your the fish. I've been consistantly having 4 or 5 small winning sessions in a row followed by a crushing one. I've read, re-read, and re-re-read SSHE, most recently 2 weeks ago. I get great starting cards and raise, get great flops, but still lose the hand. Then I think I may have trouble finding the line between keeping up good solid aggressive poker and being overly aggressive and going on tilt when I have these streaks. Or maybe my opponents see that I'm losing and call me down more. I don't know. I can't most of the flaws in my game. I can find a hand or 2 that I've messed up and know it, but that's only a small portion because I know I've screwed up a few hands I've won. As you can guess, today was that particular session from hell that wiped out all of the past 4 days profits and then some.

This is all 1/2 limit at AP.

Stats looked good.
Table 1 - 158 Hands 20.25VP$IP - 7.59PFR - 1.34 AF - (-12.90)BB/100
Table 2 - 85 Hands 18.82 VP$IP - 7.06PFR - 1.13 AF - (-8.53)BB/100

AA None
KK - 1 for 2 +12.03BB/H
QQ - 1 for 2 (-3.25)BB/H
AKs/o - 1 for 4 (-4)BB/H

Somebody tell me which of the following hands are tilt, bad beats, or just horrid play on my part.

Table 1 - Hand 34
Don't have enough hands yet to rely on the stats, but opp. had seemed extremely aggressive so far. Later on, when the stats added up, they did show that he had been somewhat LAGGY. My mistake for calling pre-flop? What does his flop check say?
Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1/$2
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is SB with
UTG raises, 6 folds, PayMeDaMoney calls (3.5:1.5), BB folds.

Flop: (5SB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney checks, UTG checks.

Turn: (2.5BB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney bets, UTG raises, PayMeDaMoney calls (5.5:1).

River: (6.5BB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney bets, UTG raises, PayMeDaMoney 3-bets, UTG calls (11.5:1).

Results:
Final pot: 12.5BB
PayMeDaMoney Shows Qc Kd
UTG Shows Qd Qh

Table 1 - Hand 57
Opp w/ 90 hands 34%VP$IP, 4.44%CCPFR, 25%WTSD. Am I just supposed to believe that he CC my PFR and ended up with the only draw on the board? PS - didn't know I could use the big cards on the converter, but not all of them work.
Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1/$2
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is UTG+1 with
UTG folds, PayMeDaMoney raises, 3 folds, CO calls (3.5:2), 3 folds.

Flop: (5.5SB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney bets, CO calls (6.5:1).

Turn: (3.75BB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney bets, CO calls (4.75:1).

River: (5.75BB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney bets, CO raises, PayMeDaMoney calls (8.75:1).

Results:
Final pot: 9.75BB
CO Shows 2d Ad
PayMeDaMoney mucks Ac Ks

Table 1 - Hand 62
Now this is a hand I should probably get beat up on. Same opp from Hand 1. Still being very LAGGY here (15%PFR), pushing around the table, and he has the button. After I call, I plan to C/R the flop and lead out on the turn no matter what hits. He had 33.33WTSD and I thought there was a good chance my hand might be better anyway. Turns out that he did have the better hand, but was and plan ok and I just got unlucky on the turn, or was this just idiotic from the start? My bet on the end was just plain stupid, granted.
Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1/$2
8 players


Pre-flop: (8 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP2 with
3 folds, PayMeDaMoney calls (1.5:1), CO folds, Button raises, 2 folds, PayMeDaMoney calls (4.5:1).

Flop: (5.5SB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney checks, Button bets, PayMeDaMoney raises, Button calls (8.5:1).

Turn: (4.75BB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney bets, Button raises, PayMeDaMoney calls (7.75:1).

River: (8.75BB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney bets, Button calls (9.75:1).

Results:
Final pot: 10.75BB
PayMeDaMoney Shows Ah 9h
Button Shows Ac Qd

Table 1 - Hand 76 through 78
Since this is the bad beat section......
I lost hand 76 when I bet out with mid-pair on the flop vs a loose passive player who hit trips on the turn with his bottom pair on the flop.
Hand 78 I raised [Jc], flopped top pair, but split the pot with EP limper with [Jd]. Now I'm starting to wonder what I have to do to win a hand.

Table 1 - Hand 95
Won this one (finally), but I'm still not sure I played it right. Button, after 200 hands, seemed terrified whenever the board paired or any kind of scare card hit. He actually flamed me for playing A3 after the hand. If original raiser called my 3 bet I would have slowed way down. Maybe this one actually belongs in the limit section.
Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1/$2
8 players


Pre-flop: (8 players) PayMeDaMoney is SB with
2 folds, MP1 raises, 2 folds, Button calls
(3.5:2), PayMeDaMoney calls (5.5:1.5), BB calls (7:1).

Flop: (8SB, 4 players)
PayMeDaMoney checks, BB checks, MP1 bets, Button raises, PayMeDaMoney 3-bets, 2 folds, Button calls (14:1).

Turn: (7.5BB, 2 players)
PayMeDaMoney bets, Button folds.
Uncalled bets: 1BB returned to PayMeDaMoney.

Results:
Final pot: 7.5BB

Table 1 - Hand 105
One more time against my favorite LAG who OWNED me today. Funny thing was, even though he was out there playing and raising a lot of hands, I really didn't see him turn over any garbage. Must have just been his lucky day. There's plenty more, but this is enough to digest for now. This was the 6th hand of the session I'd lost to the river.
Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1/$2
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is Button with
4 folds, MP3 calls (1.5:1), CO folds, PayMeDaMoney raises, SB calls (4.5:1.5), BB calls (6:1), MP3 calls (7:1).

Flop: (8SB, 4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, MP3 calls (9:1), PayMeDaMoney raises, SB folds, BB calls (12:1), MP3 calls (13:1).

Turn: (7BB, 3 players)
BB checks, MP3 checks, PayMeDaMoney bets, BB calls (8:1), MP3 folds.

River: (9BB, 2 players)
BB bets, PayMeDaMoney calls (10:1).

Results:
Final pot: 11BB
BB Shows Js Ah

I lied. One more hand. I closed the AP hand history so this one is right from PT. This is the one that actually caused me to rip my hair out. Not necessarily because I should have won because SB probably had me beat, but because of the crap the guy that won turned over. SB had been re-raising me on 2 tables whenever I raised and he was in the blinds so I wasn't sure about him. Raised the flop for a free card, but that didn't work out and the pot got so damn big that I couldn't fold with the gutshot and 2 OC's. By the time the turn hit, I was only calling for my gutshot straight getting over 10 to 1. I don't know why the hell I called on the river. Absolutely no explanation for that. Just kick my ass for that one.
MR_WOLFF - Posts small blind $0.50
MADRID GUY - Posts big blind $1
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to PAYMEDAMONEY [Ah]
JJFEVER5K - Calls $1
PAYMEDAMONEY - Raises $2 to $2
STEVEBEV - Folds
J000HNNYD - Folds
ELKE11 - Folds
TOSHIE655 - Folds
RUXITABLE - Calls $2
MR_WOLFF - Raises $2.50 to $3
MADRID GUY - Folds
JJFEVER5K - Folds
PAYMEDAMONEY - Calls $1
RUXITABLE - Calls $1
*** FLOP *** [Qd][5d]
MR_WOLFF - Bets $1
PAYMEDAMONEY - Raises $2 to $2
RUXITABLE - Calls $2
MR_WOLFF - Raises $2 to $3
PAYMEDAMONEY - Calls $1
RUXITABLE - Calls $1
*** TURN ***
MR_WOLFF - Bets $2
PAYMEDAMONEY - Calls $2
RUXITABLE - Raises $4 to $4
MR_WOLFF - Calls $2
PAYMEDAMONEY - Calls $2
*** RIVER ***
MR_WOLFF - Checks
PAYMEDAMONEY - Checks
RUXITABLE - Bets $2
MR_WOLFF - Calls $2
PAYMEDAMONEY - Calls $2
*** SHOW DOWN ***
RUXITABLE - Shows [Jh] (Straight, eight to queen)
MR_WOLFF - Mucks
PAYMEDAMONEY - Mucks
RUXITABLE Collects $36.25 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total Pot($38) | Rake ($1.75)
Board [Qd][5d][9s][9c]

Good to see some action in the limit forum! I'm pretty new around here, but I'll give these a shot.

Hand 34: (HERO KQ) If I'm up against a LAG, I don't mind playing the hand, but I certainly 3-bet if I'm going to get involved. I usually won't play anything from the SB to a raise that I wouldn't raise with UTG, and I absolutely HATE making cold-calls in general. I would also have bet the flop there (were you going for a CR?). I would be cringing to see him check behind, not because of the free card but because when a LAG doesn't follow through with a CB HU, you're probably in a lot of trouble. You can be thankful he didn't cap the river (only KK and JT beat him there).

Hand 57: (HERO AK) Everything looks standard up to the river. I really like the river value bet! I think I would have taken the same line, but a b/f would probably be preferable as long as you don't make that play so much that it would encourage a river-raise bluff from your more perceptive opponents. I know you're getting 8.75:1 on that last call, but are you really ahead 11% of the time? Aggression factor stats will help a lot with this.

Hand 62: (HERO A9s) I would either raise or fold it pre-flop. I don't like to open-limp mostly for this reason. Your opponent might be LAG, but you show a lot of weakness with the limp and the majority of players will try to take advantage of it. The flop looks fine, and given his PFR% I can't really fault you on the turn call. I would probably either C/C or C/F the river though, leaning towards C/C. He's not folding to your bet with anything that beats you, and he's not calling with anything you beat.

Hand 95: (HERO TT) This looks standard, although I would probably 3-bet pre-flop.

Hand 105: (HERO QQ) Call me weak-tight, but I swear to God I'm folding that river. I know, I know, the pot odds, the pot odds. You only have to win one time in 10 to break even, but what in the hell do you beat there? Granted he's all LAG and what have you, but I can't remember ever calling a river donk-bet on a scare card and winning. I posted a similar hand a couple weeks ago where I folded KK on the river on a board of 23534. Comments on this would be appreciated.

Last Hand: (HERO AK) Everything's fine IMO except for the terrible river call.

I hope that this helps a bit, and I sure hope to see more posts in the limit forum.

Today I found the fish. 4 players with a VP$IP over 30% on an AP table. You don't find that too often. Here are a few hands from today's play. The 1st a questionable pre-flop decision. The 2nd a huge pot that I am particularly proud of my play. The last a hand starting to go on tilt.

Hand 1:
Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1/$2
8 players


Pre-flop: (8 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP1 with
UTG raises, UTG+1 folds, PayMeDaMoney folds, 5 folds.
Uncalled bets: 1 returned to UTG.

Results:
Final pot: 1.25BB


Does your action change when I mention that UTG, although only after 18 hands, was 56%VP$IP and 33% PFR. His numbers would remain over 40% and 20% after 50+ hands, but I didn't really know that at the time.

Hand 2:
Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1/$2
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is MP3 with
2 folds, MP1 calls (1.5:1), MP2 calls (2.5:1), PayMeDaMoney raises, CO 3-bets, 3 folds, MP1 calls (8.5:2), MP2 calls (10.5:2), PayMeDaMoney calls (12.5:1).

Flop: (13.5SB, 4 players)
MP1 checks, MP2 checks, PayMeDaMoney bets, CO calls (14.5:1), MP1 folds, MP2 raises, PayMeDaMoney 3-bets, CO calls (19.5:2), MP2 calls (21.5:1).
When the CO does not raise here, I know he is beat. MP2 check-raises, but what could he have here? He's a little loose (VP$IP about 30%), but I still don't think he's playing Q9 here or calling 2 bets cold with 44. If he has 99 he'll cap and I will have to slow down, but he only calls.

Turn: (11.25BB, 3 players)
MP2 checks, PayMeDaMoney bets, CO calls (12.25:1), MP2 calls (13.25:1).
His check throws me off, but when he only calls my turn bet I know I'm ahead and have him figured for KQ and CO for AK. I am value betting any card other than a K on the river.

River: (14.25BB, 3 players)
MP2 checks, PayMeDaMoney bets, CO calls (15.25:1), MP2 calls (16.25:1).
I now realize with both of them calling that I am probably wrong about either one having a K, but I was still correct about being ahead the whole way. I now think that CO had JJ and refused to give it up. He did have a WTSD over 40%.

Results:
Final pot: 17.25BB
PayMeDaMoney Shows Qh Ad
MP2 Shows Jh Qd


Hand 3:
The following hand took place during a rough stretch where I lost AJ to A5 and KK to a flush when the turn and river put 4 spades on the board. Where did I go wrong here? Would you have raised the flop to push LP out or called this river? Do I win this 20% of the time to make a call profitable?
Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1/$2
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) PayMeDaMoney is UTG+1 with
UTG folds, PayMeDaMoney calls (1.5:1), 4 folds, Button raises, SB folds, BB calls (4.5:1), PayMeDaMoney calls (5.5:1).

Flop: (6.5SB, 3 players)
BB bets, PayMeDaMoney raises, Button calls (9.5:2), BB calls (11.5:1).

Turn: (6.25BB, 3 players)
BB bets, PayMeDaMoney calls (7.25:1), Button folds.

River: (8.25BB, 2 players)
BB bets, PayMeDaMoney calls (9.25:1).

Results:
Final pot: 10.25BB
BB Shows 5c Kc

Reading your post, I kept wondering what your table image is?

Except for the last hand, none of these seem like really that bad of beats. The way you played them, I absolutely don’t think you are the fish, though. A thought for your game… You say one losing session wipes out your profit from a number of winning sessions. Are you MAXIMIZING your profit when you have the best hand? For you, it might make sense to go over your winning hands right now instead of your losing hands….?

Hand 34: Never call a raise with unsuited high cards. That makes it easy.

Hand 57: I would have check/called the river because of the flush. It would have only saved one bet, but the CO was calling you with something, right? Otherwise, there was no other way to play it.

Hand 62: Quote: “but was and plan ok and I just got unlucky on the turn, or was this just idiotic from the start?”
Never try sophisticated plays on unsophisticated players…. Aside from that, this seems more a NL play than a limit play.

Final hand: Don’t you just love this guy, RUXITABLE?

Hand 1, 99: It's a close decision between folding and reraising this hand. I would lean towards folding against a tight player and reraising against a loose player. Nothing really wrong with folding here.

Hand 2, AQ: Well done.

Hand 3, 77: Borderline hand to play. I fold this preflop in early, position, but not drastically wrong to limp or raise either, depends on the table. Afterwards, than hand becomes difficult to play. Knowing the result, a fold on the turn would have been obviously a good idea, but calling the hand down seems like a reasonable choice also. Knowing how your opponent plays, woud be helpful.