Trouble Playing Poker

At any stage in my game there are poker hands that I like for no reason, and there are people or poker tables I have trouble playing.

Right now I really like hands like 7 2 off suit, the reason I like getting hands like this is because there is no thought process required.  I don’t have to do any thinking I just fold and I am on to the next table.

When I get a hand like A 9 and I am in early or middle position, now I have to start thinking.  

• Do I want to play this hand?


• Who at the table has been raising preflop lately?


• What are the chances this hand won’t get raised preflop?


• Am I playing conservative now or loose?


• Any chance I can get the table to fold if I bet?

I have to run through all these options and really think about do I want to play this hand.

I was on a .50/$1 poker table today and a guy raised with a A 7, I fold a decent hand and the guy bets to the river and is called down by one other player and ends up losing with his ace high.

It was a bad play but I don’t mind that I folded a king that hit on the flop and I would have won the pot if I had stayed in.  That’s the way poker goes.

What does bother me is that after everyone sees this guy raise pre-flop with any ace or any king.  Then other people start doing it too.

Then twice I get a full house and no one will stay in, I bet one time on the river and everyone folds.  The second one I bet on the turn and everyone folds.

Those are the hands I need to make up all that extra money I had to put in on all those pre-flop raises.

Now I am out all the pre-flop money, and I am not making anything off my great hands.  This is when it can get a little frustrating playing poker.