Confidence...

Well I would like to start by wishing my sister Tory a happy birthday!

I sit hear listening to the sounds of Ravel's Bolero. For those who aren't fimilar, it was the music that was playing while Bo Derrick and Dudley Moore had sex in the movie "10". An absolute gem of a classical piece. A must to listen to.

As for the poker, well let's just say it isn't happening right now. One thing I lack is confidence. I have been severely bruised and beaten. Man, when the confidence goes, so does the game. I have lost my full houses, yes plural, to quads twice within 15 minutes. My KK raise gets called by and suited 24, and wins! It has been one of those weeks. I actually take lesson (Fruitypro) and it helps, but not really. Here is what running bad does. I had a lesson today with Dan (fruitypro, IjustriveredU, vampitup) Weston. The lesson consisted of me watching him play on 4 $25NL tables. I swear, he must have caught 10-15 pocket pairs within the hour. He played them very strongly, however at the end of the session he was 2 buy-ins down! I believe it was from me watching. My bad run is now effecting others. I should be quarantined! Anyway, back to the confidence issue. I am really lacking confidence at this time. I seem to get run down, or make a bad river read. I don't know how to correct the issue. It's not like I am getting out of line. My PT stats for the week are very TAG (19/15/4). But I hear it goes that way. Talking to Dan, it is his belief that I don't play enough to overcome the short term variance, and that bad sessions just linger because of it. I two table at the $25NL level, however it is believed that I am rolled for 4 tables at the $50NL game. I played a little at the $50NL tables and won approximately a quarter of a buy-in, but I only played about 40 hands. It is hard to sit there with the weight of my losses. I actually didn't even see a flop, not true, I saw one. I was in the BB with a suited AK. I had no reads on anyone at the table. The guy MP raised 4X to $2, I re-raised to $6.50 with Big Slick and got called. The flop was K36 rainbow. The pot held $13 and the villain had $42 behind. I led out for $11 and he thinks a bit, and then POW! It's in the middle! I think maybe a set or AA. But does he call a large re-raise with 33 or 66? I think not. How about AA? Would he smooth call my re-raise with AA, or would he just stick it in pre-flop? Could he have KK? Well, I have a K and the board has a K so it is not likely. Maybe an under pair to the K? Well now I am in great shape there. So as I actually said out loud, "well here goes" I throw my chips in. The board brings another A for 2 pair. When the dust settles, AK v. AK and Poker Stars wins! OMG!

I think I may try and play a little more at the $50NL table. Seems people respect a raise and there is less idiot play. But then again, it was only a few hands. I hope I can shake this funk and actually re-gain some confidence. It really reminds me of golf, when you are on, nothing goes wrong, but one slip up, and you're on the bogey train.