I know that to improve my game to the next level, I need to start learning to mix-up my play, but have a mental block trying to do so.
My table image is that I am tight-semi aggressive, and I feel I'm fairly easy to read. By changing gears I want to try to use that image to my advantage, and also lose the image. I have been doing all-right, but have noticed that I am generally winning small/medium pots and more often losing the large pots.
I tend to group the phrases "mixing it up" as "slow playing" as being the same thing. Thus, my mental block is that I'd rather win a small pot than take the chance of losing a larger pot by giving another player the chance at a cheap card.
An example would be I have KK and the flop has a K with 2 spades. My nature is to bet big now and win the pot instead of betting smaller and giving someone a cheap card at the flush. I'm thinking that to mix it up a bit, in a simialr situation I should once in a while go ahead and make the small bet, taking the risk, and then make my move on the turn. This play would have two affects, I might win a larger pot, and I would also start to lose my "tight" image and be more difficult to read. But it is just difficult for me to do because of 1)my thinking that $50 is nice, but $20 is better than losing $20, 2)it seems whenever I have a big hand, the flop is 95% of the time scary.
Mixing it up is very important, and in even more ways than you mention. I like to mix up my preflop play as well as my post flop play, including cards as well as betting.
What you need to keep in mind is that poker is a long run event and the numbers will work out long term. If you hold KK and flop K-s-s, you are at least about a 70% favorite, sometimes much greater than that. If you have a sufficient bankroll, why would you not want to get your opponents money in the pot with those odds. If you can get him to call, 70% of the time you win a big pot. The key is being able to withstand the times where you are drawn out on. If you can do that, your overall results in situations like these will be much greater than if you were to just take it down on the flop. I am not saying whether or not you should bet out on the flop, likely you should,
Anyway, my poiint is...you should not be playing trying not to lose hands...instead maximize value when you have the best of it, and minimize your losses when you don't. Simple as that. Mixing up your play is one very good way to keep your opponents guessing. You would be surprised how profitable a caught bluff can eventually be in the right game and circumstances.
Sometimes you want action on your hands, and sometimes you want fear and respect at the table. You need to be able to determine which of these is going to be the most profitable and aspire to creating the best situation to attain those results. This can change from week to week, table to table, and even player to player. If doing these "different " types of things are uncomfortable for you, I encourage you to step into this zone of discomfort occasionally until it is not longer uncomfortable.
This scenario happened yesterday, it was late in a satellite, 34 people left for 22 seats to a bigger tournment. I'm in 17th or so with 68K and the blinds are 4K/2K with 75 antes.
I pick up a pair of fish hooks under the gun,...how would you play them?
Some more info...I'm probably 6th in chips at my table, chip leader is at my table, on my left, with about 300K.
This is a tough one. You're not so shortstacked that you're forced in, but you can't afford to blow off a bunch of chips on this hand either.
I think limping is the worst option. It gives you no chance of winning the blinds, which is crucial at this stage. If someone raises behind you, you won't know where you stand. Limping may also entice limps from hands you'd rather not be up against, like KQ.
I don't think a fold is good either, unless there are so many short-stacked players that you could sit out the rest of the event and still win the satelite seat. Sounds like you've got an average sized stack, and you need to win a few more pots to be safe.
I think the best play is to raise, for several reasons:
1. It's close to the "money" and people will be playing tighter than usual. A UTG raise will command a lot of respect.
2. The big stack, who is your most likely caller, is to your immediate left. If he were in late position and everyone in-between folded, he might try to put a play on you, or limp with intention of using his chips and position to outplay you later. That's harder for him to do when he is at your immediate left. He's got the same disadvantages of early position that you do.
3. The table is shorthanded, if only slightly. You said there were 34 players remaining; based on tournament-direction principles, you are thus at a table of eight or nine players as opposed to ten. You've got fewer players to go through to steal the blinds. Every little bit helps.
4. You didn't mention if there were any tiny stacks, but if there are a desperate small stack might call you with a weaker hand than yours (a lesser pair or something like AT). That may also entice others to sit out the hand root for the small stack to lose, rather than call you.
5. Most importantly, you've got enough chips that you can make an aggressive stab at the pot pre-flop and still get away from the hand if you don't like how it unfolds. With 68K chips and about 6500 in the pot, you could raise to about 15K. That would be a strong raise, without getting your whole stack committed. Any reraiser would have to set you all in (thus risking a huge portion of their chips as well). If you have to fold you won't like it, but it won't ruin you either. You'll still have about 10 big blinds left after the blinds pass you.
You aren't in any danger of being anted to death right now, but unless there are lots of very tiny stacks it's too early to sit back and coast.
