Plugging the Leaks

A few small, miss-played, hands per session can be the difference between posting a profit or a loss. I define a leak as a missed opportunity, to either save money or make more money. Weak play that can lead to reduced wins or increased losses. 

Here we will look at the leaks in my game specifically, and leaks that I see in others that I can exploit.

 

Omaha 8

My leaks/Do's and Don'ts

  1. Don't Call a raise with a weak hand.
  2. Don't Play marginal hands out of Position.
  3. Don't  Play Tired (go home, another game soon)
  4. Don't Raise too quickly with Strong hands.
  5. Don't Call from the small blind.
  6. Don't Bet all three streets with draws against conservative players
  7. Do Put Tight pre-flop raisers on A23
  8. Don't  Raise to get people out, raise for value.
  9. Don't Be the third caller on river with a weak hand.
  10. Do fold flops with a small % chance of winning Half.
  11. Do play Bomb pots tighter.
  12. Don't make Hero calls, I need to stop that, unless I think A2 or A3 suited is drawing for nut low and nut flush and misses. There are not that many river bluffs in our circle.
  13. Don't Call when I know that I am beat.
  14. Don't Pay off the check raise, most check raisers have the nuts, not a draw.(see above)
  15. Don't Let my actions show my intention to bet raise or fold, before it's my turn to act.
  16. Don't Play uncoordinated big pairs.
  17. Do give up the chase when tights are betting.
  18. Don't Show hands.
  19. Do get in the habit of announcing raises and calls, speeds up the action, fewer errors
  20. Don't Play when Distracted (Phone, Sports)
  21. Do Looking at a players stack size when they raise.
  22. Do Check more, I tend to bet bet bet, checking the turn may save me 3 bets, When betting earns me  a ½ bet

Leaks that I see

  1. Limping in with very strong hands
  2. Only check raising with the Nuts
  3. Betting out when they catch the nuts
  4. Betting out 2 streets with nut/nut draw then checking on river
  5. Playing A5 low
  6. Calling 2 bets (Raised) on the flop or turn with a bad draw or weak hand.
  7. Short re-buys
  8. Seeing too many flops and turns. Playing marginal hands that lead to greater overall losses.
  9. Raising people out on the river. instead of letting them call (Raising when you should call)
  10. Bitching at the dealers. When the dealers aren't happy with you, they can make mistakes in others favor
  11. A player on the river saying "How did I miss this hand?" before the action is done, or showing there hand because they missed the draw,  Gives you the chance to pick up the pot with a bet when you also missed!
  12. Players that will bet you heads up saying it's just the 2 of us and checking to you. (they are weak or on a draw)
  13. Players will show intention to bet raise or fold, before it's their turn to act.
  14. Paying off on the river, the unbluffable.  Giving up that extra big bet
  15. Drinking and playing
  16. Not protecting there hands.
  17. Losing more than they wanted to. In home games they get a marker or venmo. in the card rooms they go to the ATM.  Take what you are willing too lose, when you lose it go.
  18. Players that flop the nut low and check flop and turn, they only bet the river when they are not counterfeited.

Thoughts

Bluff to exploit players that fold too often.

Value bet to exploit players that can't fold weaker hands.

Call to exploit Over Bluffers

Three bet player that raise too much

Straddle/Raise conservative blinds

Fold to river aggression

Lucky players are usually players that only chase Nut hands, When they hit the hand, it is a winner - Bad draw and all. If you are going to chase bad draws only chase Nut ones!

Losing Streaks: Every Poker player will have periods of losses that defy explanation. It is the wildcard nature of Gambling. Proper bankroll management and game management will allow the informed player to ride out the losses and return to profitability.

Running good bleed. When you play bad because you are up big, giving back 20+% of your winnings being stupid.

Running bad bleed: When you are running bad you try to bluff more, chase more and Tilt more. Players will pick up on this and generally call you more. They run you down and you respond by tilting even more.  When you are running bad, Pause, and  return to your A game. Play solid poker, the poker that has made you a winning player. We all want to get even, but it's not a requirement for profitable play, it's ok to lose today as long as we can play well and win next game.

Running Good Bonus. When losing players stop paying to see that you beat them. You are wining, they are losing, so they start to give up on marginal hands, Your opportunities to bluff increase

Poker is a continuing game!!! Fold this Hand there will be a better one in a bit. PLAY that one. Each day is just a small part of the whole, a win or loss today doesn't mean I played well or poorly.

Players

 

NL Holdem