Learning is always painful

Donked out of the Hoy last night due to my over excitement to get back into the big blogger 1/2 cash table. Call that mistake number 1. I have to focus and enter each event in order to at least end up in the money. If that isn't what I am feeling at the time I should just rail the event because the chat is a good part of the fun.

Got to the cash table sitting to the left of a guy who plays a very similar game to what Cardrunners tells people to play. Everytime he was on the button he raised any unraised pot ... usually a pot sized raise if a couple limpers or to $7 if no one else was in the pot. So I watched him to this for 6 orbits and finally decided to take a stand. He raises to $7.... I reraise to $23 and he is the only caller to a 10 high flop with two spades.

Flop couldn't have helped him so I lead out for a $40 bet into a $48 pot because I can't put him on a super strong hand just yet. He calls. Turn is another 10. Here is where I think I made the mistake by not going all in as I instead bet $66 which was about half of what he had left (also 1/2 pot). If he pushes I know I am beat and can fold and save some bucks.... he thinks for a long time before going all in. I fold. At least I am attempting a few things that I wouldn't have tried before but maybe learning should be done at a lower level than normal! That just wouldn't be my style.

Now on the turn I could have checked to see if he would bet and maybe get a free card or pushed... now anyone reading this far.... what am I holding and what is my opponent holding? Up to this point I am playing a TAG style of 22/11/3 and he was SLAGing it with a 35/17/4.5 with all his raises from the button or two to the left of it. So I know he is a strong positional player and I know I have them worried about my hand but couldn't get them to lay it down.

Positives: 1. Picked the player and figured out his game plan. 2. Built a plan to exploit that style. 3. Waited for my opportunity to execute and then took action. 4. Followed through and attempted something new. 5. Reviewed the situation to learn as much as I can from it.

Negatives: Played this hand about 2 mins later. Got sort of tilted and then I donked off my stack at the 1/2 game with TPnoK. Ugly. Back to NL25 6 max to learn how to play shorthanded and work up from there.

I did go to the B2B network and won back $60 and worked off 200 hands towards my 200 euro bonus so only 800 more hands to go. Will also get an additional PSO bonus with 1,300 more hands so I will definately play to get to that level. We will review where I should play at that point as the table selection on the B2B network isn't great as the Europeans are all sleeping. The guys I do get to play against are some of the most passive players around.... but I want to get back after those guys at Booyah where I had good success in the past.

Until then I will be Full Tilted until I win back some of my cash!