What is your A game?
Man I’ve heard so much talk about ‘quitting when you’re not playing your A game’ or ‘improving your c game’ and while I understand it as a concept I feel like its retarded to think of it as a literal reality to which we can actively control. But then I thought what if I could actually create my “A,” “B,” and “C” games so I know when I’m playing like that and can both 1) quit when I’m not playing at a certain level (short term) and 2) work on improving that level (long term).
So here goes my attempt at my own play to find out what stage of play I’m at. I’ll try and do + or - for each level too as well as possible hourly rates but we’ll see.
C Game or Worse
I am not putting opponents on ranges. I’m instead ‘playing my cards’ and hoping to hit something so I can when a big pot. I am:
1. Not making any adjustments. I win when the player type matches up well with the current style I am playing; I lose when the player doesn’t match up well.
2. Incorrectly determining the value of hands. I determine on the flop how many streets of value I plan to get and follow those guidelines through out the entire hand:
3. I take bad betting lines to achieve these value standards definied above. I pot control too much and allow opponents with either balanced betting ranges or purely value ranges to influence my own play. Generally, they call more than they bet so I should be the one betting especially out of position.
4. I miss value with my strong hands on the river when a scare card doesn’t hit and my opponent will only raise with the nuts.
5. I make bad bluffs against opponents with no reads and they’re usually expensive. I then continue bluffing instead of tightening up.
6. I always think opponents are bluffing me and then become a calling station with MP/BP on more than 1 street especially after a tendancy of already calling down once or twice.
B Game
I’m trying to put opponents on ranges but am not doing so successfully. I then:
1. Make bad adjustments while trying to see a showdown
2. Giving inaccurate labels to players over a small sample of hands and keeping me from entering the A game
3. I improve the value lines above to:
4. I value bet too thin on the river on scary boards. Usually this is with two pair on 4 straight boards
5. I don’t let my opponent bluff into me when he’s shown aggression and I have the nuts and its easy to get stacks in.
6. I take small stabs at pots but give up after my opponent calls after showing weakness. I continue to just take small stabs.
A Game
I am accurately putting my opponents on ranges to the river:
1. I’m making good folds on the Turn/River and only because I can put him on an accurate range
2. I’m making good call downs with weak hands such as 3rd pair/Ace high
3. I can value bet 3rd pair/Ace high on the turn after checking the flop and not value-town myself
4. I can value bet 3 streets with top pair hands
5. I take good bluff lines and if I get caught I stop, tighten up and get value
I’m putting the A Game last only because I feel it deserves the least amount of importance. If we know that we’ll always play when we’re at least playing at a “B” level where we are showing a high hourly then knowing the difference between an A+ and A- game seems negligible. Especially when we should be spending most of our time improving the C and B game that we play.
Conclusion
I feel like over an entire heads-up match I go through all of the various game types. I usually start in my C game looking at how my opponent is playing. I then go into my B game and start adjusting and I keep adjusting until I am able to get into my A game and eventually stack him.
On my ‘C’ days that I play I take too long to make any adjustments or notice the adjustments to make. The longer it takes to go from C game to A game the more money I lose making incorrect adjustments and getting to showdown. By the time I hit my A game and start to win money back I have to hope I’ve not lost enough that my opponent hits and runs when he will feel like he’s getting outplayed.
