When I first started playing at the local casino last year, 4/8 is what I mostly played, and did pretty well at, until I went on a pretty sick losing streak. This includes one night dropping 600+ which I didn't really think was possible at low limits.I took a major hit in my bankroll and it slowed me down from playing poker for a bit.
My problem, as I have come to realize, is I was trying to play 4/8 LHE like they play 4/8 LHE at Foxwoods. At Foxwoods, its a step up from the wildly donktastic 2/5 "anything goes" game, but mostly now its just regular grinders. Its why I failed to beat that game too, I didn't recognize how important hand selection is, at that game.
4/8, as well as 5/10 & 6/12 here locally is basically Foxwoods 2/4 with more money. Its VERY aggressive, and if you git the right table on the right day, every hand on every street has capped betting and you really don't know what might win. I have heard people mention over and over they either "want to win big or lose big".
So my mistake, as was really evident now, is that even though I have a tighter hand selection than most of the people here, I was still playing too many hands, and in terrible position.
This also is a good time to bring in the topic of "table selection". Normally, say at a Foxwoods, you can change tables if the table style is not where you want to be at. VQ has anywhere between 1-4 tables going at a time so its not really always an option. When your choices are "play or not play", well you tend to want to play.
Which brings me to about 2 weeks ago. While waiting forever for a 3/6 game to fire, I jumped in a 4/8 game. The style of play was mostly tight/passive but there 1-2 people who were aggressive and raising. I ended up making 200+ before giving about half back. The lady to my left even commented how she wished could be as disciplined as me. I told her "losing a bunch tends to make you reassess your game".
So yesterday was a similar scenario. I threw my name up on both lists, 4/8 gets called and the table that sits is older so it seems like it will be an easy table to run over a bit.
(Looks at poker session chart) So yeah, about that. It was fine at first, the very first hand I had AJo in late position, EP raises and I call. We end up checking to the river and he shows AK. I got involved with the same guy not too much later and he beat me again. It was a fairly quick drop to the first rebuy. Within an hour, I needed to buy back in for $100, and it didnt get much better from there.
I took a big L from the crazy player that sat down. She was down a buyin already then switched seats. Then this hand happened:
Our Hand: AQo
Pre-flop action was a straddle, and 4 raises (20 bucks to see the flop)
FLOP: Qx-4-x-4x
Bet in front of me, CL calls, I raise, call and CL calls
TURN: Jx
Still feeling ok here. Checks to me, I lead out, call call
River: 8x
Checks to me and I just check. I show my hand first for Qs and 4s with A kicker, first guy folds and I think Im in the clear when CL turns over her hand late and shows 10-9 for the rivered straight.
This is the kind of poker you see at the crazy action 4/8 tables here. Why did she call 20 bucks in EP with 10-9? Why did she call 2 bets on the Flop with NO DRAW? Turn bet I cant fault her for calling, but still none of that playstyle makes sense and thats what happens all the time.
Not too much later, I get involved in another pot with her where I made 2 pair on the turn, another made 2 pair on the river, but CL made a set with my 2nd pair card. Down a buyin and a half after not even 90 minutes of play.
I end up buying in again for another $100 not too long after that.
I finally win my first hand when AQ flops a Q and holds up through the river for a smallish pot.
The first biggish pot I won not much later played out like this:
Our Hand: 8c-8s
Flop: 8h-6h-2d
Someone bets, 2 calls, and I raise. I hadn't really shown much aggression, strength our anything over the course of my stay so I really wanted this to look like a flush draw raise. 3 callers.
Turn: Ax
Checks to me, I bet, 1 caller
River: 2x
Checks to me again, I bet, get called, show my boat for a decent size win. That is the good thing about 4/8 is is that a mediocre 20-30ish pot at 3/6 turns into a 50ish+ pot at 4/8
Won 2 more smallish pots while draining the bankroll. Then I take another nice pot with 2 pair from Big Lick (6,9). Won a hand with KJ when I flopped a J. Another when my A8cc flopped an A and held up through the River.
Got scared off by a new aggressive guy while holding 10-10 on a J-9-8-x board and he ended up winning with high card A(AQ).
Next hand with the mighty 10-4 sooted I flopped a flop of 10-10-x and added more to my stack.
The last big hand of the night, I made a mistake and I'll walk you through it, but ended up being a HUGE pot for me.
Our Hand: As-4s
Raise pre-flop which we smooth call because we are the button
FLOP: 9c-2c-8s
Bet in front of us and 2 callers, and HERE is where I make my mistake. I think I have A2ss. So I'm calling here to catch an A/2 to see if I can win with 2 pair.
Turn: Xs
Well now I have to stay right? Theres a bunch in the pot and I have a pair of 2s with a nut flush draw.
Bet, call, and I call again.
River: Xs
And naturally I hit the A high flush. I remember there was a weird straight flush possibility but i was just going to smooth call a re-raise. Checks to me, I bet, get both callers. Win with my A high flush, to complete the trek from $193 down at one point to now $63 up.
Ended up giving some back before taking off at 10:30, but just winning something felt like a major accomplishment when I wasnt getting any cards and the rivers were not going my way.
Until next time, thanks for reading!
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