Frittering away

I've probably been too tired to play poker over the last two nights but it hasn't stopped me from frittering away a few dollars at the tables.Part of my problem is that I never seem to know if I'm going to be playing at my best until I begin and most evenings I mess about a lot before finally sitting down to play.Anyway I came 3rd in my first $11 sng at FT before going out of my next one to a two outer.That tilted me a bit and was enough to see me crash out of one more at FT and two $11 speed sng's at Party.I managed to screw the nut and hit up a loose ( $16 ave pot,$30 buy in ) 6 max table for a little cash poker.

I'd played a couple of orbits when I get QQ in mid position and raise 4bb to $1.20 and get two callers.At loose tables I usually raise 6bb with premium hands but I was trying to get a feel for the table and was curious to see how many callers I would get.Two obliged and we saw a 4 6 7 rainbow board.First to act bet 30c into $4.30 pot.Why? I've no idea but my guess would be he had paired the 4 or 6 and was hoping I was on AK/AQ and couldn't raise him.I raised it to $3 and was insta-reraised to $12 by the player on the button.Hmmm the power of position eh.I had no information at all on the big raiser as he was even newer to the table than me and eventually I decided he could have A7 but could just as easily have 76 or a set so I folded.It was a real borderline decision and even now I'm not sure it was the right one but in cash games there is always another day and another game so I'll live with it.

Sometimes though it doesn't feel much like poker skill is invloved but just a guess based on not a lot other than my 2 years of online experience.In an sng the other day I'd raised with Kings and when I bet out on a J 4 4 rainbow flop ,I was put all in and had a tough decision to make.I concluded that if he had hit a 4 then he'd be more likely to try and trap than reraise me all in and that if he had JJ well I'd be in the dung.Once again we hadn't been playing long so I had nothing but instincts,the above thoughts and crossed fingers when I called his bet.( he had 77)

I'm not sure the above is actually a good example ( looks quite clear cut written down) but I suppose it all goes back to nothing being set in stone and the conclusion that so much really does depend on many factors.

I'm not sure where this is headed but I know where I'm heading and it's a poker table...