Inspired by my readings of “Small Stakes Hold’em” by Miller et. al. I decided last night to test some of my new knowledge at one of the Poker Champs 5c/10c limit tables. I really wanted to play a little higher but there was a grand total of 3 limit tables playing and this was the highest limit I’m bankrolled for.

Anyway, I bought $5 worth of chips and sat down ready to crush this expectantly loose game as per Miller’s instructions… a couple of orbits later I’d dropped half my stack and had pretty much forgotten everything Miller and co. had said except for the following:

“Small stakes games tend to feature players who play far too many hands and almost automatically go to the later streets with them.”

The reason this quote sticks in my mind… I was one of those players!

I was playing a reasonably tight game preflop, my NL play has taught me how to pick a good starting hand, but I wasn’t properly paying attention to raises and even reraises and quickly fell into the trap of “it’s only a 10c, why not call?”. BIG MISTAKE!

Take this poorly played hand as as an example:

Dealt in middle position:

:Kd::Kc:

A player before me raises, I re-raise and get 4 callers. The flop comes:

:Jh::7c::Th:

Straight possibilities and a flush draw put my kings in a very vulnerable position, first player to act bets, I’m up second and raise, 2 players fold and the last position calls. Turn comes:

First to act bets, I raise, last position re-raises and first position calls.

It should be obvious that I’m beaten here, with this much action on a previously quite passive table it should be obvious that someone is holding the flush. I fall for the “it’s only 10c more” trap and call.

River comes a rag and first to act bets again, I call, last to act raises, first to act re-raises and I (for some inexplicable reason) call as does the last position who shows the flush, first to act shows the flopped straight and I sheepishly muck my kings.

All up this hand cost me 7.5 big bets when really it should have cost me 2.5 or 3.5 as I should have folded on the turn. Admittedly this was the most costly mistake I made for the session, I did calm down a little and start to remember some of the things I was supposed to be doing and ended the session only slightly down. Even so I was kicking myself for making such a stupid play!

I’m not going to be discouraged by one bad limit session, but it certainly did open my eyes to the fact that it’s not as easy as it looks and although in hindsight it can be easy to pick my mistakes only practice and experience is going to have me making the correct plays in the heat of battle.

For now though, it’s back to the books…