No Me Gusta

Poker content, (with non-poker content to follow):

Last night I finished the August Interpoker bonus. Net result: -$75, including the $100 bonus. No me gusta.

Then I downloaded PokerRoom, and started on the initial sign-up bonus. The $2/$4 tables were pretty nasty and tight, so I decided to play at 2 $3/$6 tables because at least their players/flop were in the low 30's. Net result: -$168. And I only bought in for $600. No bueno. I sure hope that I came really close to clearing the bonus ($180) on that piss poor run of cards.

I was trying to evaluate my play during that session, and I came up with one main leak. If I raise pre-flop, and there are 1-2 other callers, I almost always (95% of the time) make that continuation bet on the flop. I then, depending on if 1 of them folded or not, make a continuation bet on the turn about 80% of the time.

Now if there are 3+ callers, then I make that flop continuation bet much less frequently, maybe 50% of the time, depending on the texture of the flop, the type of players, etc.

Here's my question: Is it wrong to make the continuation bet with 1-2 other players that often? I don't think so, but if I'm wrong, that's a HUGE leak in my game. All I know, is that I got beoooooch-slapped last night on these exact situations. It didn't help that I completely missed the flop the VAST majority of the time either. I received more than my fair share of AK and AQ, but they just wouldn't hit.

So what are you supposed to do when you raise pre-flop in late position with AKos, and get 1-2 callers. Then the flop brings rags, let's say, 6s2hJc. They check to you, and then what? I think that you have to place the bet here. Right? Well, this is where I lost a large portion of my money last night. These exact situations. I would place that bet and 1-2 of them would call. Then someone would check raise me on the turn when another brick falls. What are you to do then? With nothing but Ace high, how do you call that check raise?

You have at most 5 outs, but in reality, it's probably more like 2-4, because the person most likely has a pair, at the minimum. He could have a hand like AJ, KJ, or even QJ. So if he has KJ or AJ, you're down to 3 little outs. If he has a set, then you're drawing dead. No bueno.

So, that is one of my biggest dilemmas, because it happens so frequently. There is a lot of gray area. I think it's extremely weak to simply check along with them, because you will often win the hand on the flop.

It's just that last night, I rarely won a hand on the flop. Check that. I rarely won a hand. Hence the -$168 at the 2 tables. It kind of goes without saying, I guess.

I'm just on a loosing streak, and you know how that goes. You start evaluating every move you make.

Sorry about the rant, but maybe it will get you thinking.

Non-Poker content:

I did something very interesting today. One of the dogs that was supposed to be spayed, swallowed a toy mouse (the kind for cats to play with) about 15 minutes before she got here. Not good.

Long story short, I had to go to surgery and remove the toy mouse from the dog's stomach. Pretty crazy, especially since I'm only supposed to do the appointments while I'm here. (They have a full-time surgeon here to do all of the surgeries).

So now I'm behind on my appointments, so now it's "Go, go gadget legs!"

Peace out. Keep on keepin' on.