Believing your own reads

[LuckyNumberD]

I was playing on the 0.02/0.04 NL table, a while ago. And it was just one of those evenings the cards weren't running ok.
So I was playing well at first. And I had to fold a few premium hands like AK, JJ, and after a while I got dealt AA, I raised 3BB and one player called.
The flop was: 3, 7, T. so I bet about 3/4 pot, and he raises me...
and I said to myself he has Trips, I even said it out loud !!

guess what.... I call, and on the turn he bets again, and I just stick my remaining 30c. in. He had Pocket 7's.

I'm always afraid that my read isn't right, and i'll call... just in case he's bluffing. It feels so stupid, and I always end up throwing my profit away.

I think it's a bit insecurity, but also, I just couldn't believe that I had to give up another premium hand.. I guess it was sorta a tilt.

Anyone who has the same problem or may have some tips wich'll stop me from making these plays (although it is starting to get less... I want it gone NOW )

Thanks

[Green]

Reading hands is an artform man. And a strange artform at that. It takes a LOT of practice and a LOT of hours at the table to become good at it. You have to pay very close attention to your opponents even when your not in a hand. Watch what cards they are playing and in what position. Thats very important b/c they may play certains hands in late postion and not in early position. The betting patterns sometimes give you a clue to their hand also.

But if I had to give you one piece of advice on reading hands it would be that my first read is usually my best and most accurate one. Once you start thinking thru the hand too much, you will begin to second guess yourself. Many times I've tried to put my opponents on a hand then thought it thru more and changed my mind. I'd call a raise, only to find out my first read was the right one or the more accurate one. Trust your instincts.

[The Professor]

Reading people online is all about betting patterns and the only way you can get accurate reads on people and put them on an accurate range of hands is by studying them over a period of time and recognising a betting pattern that you have witnessed before.

Even if you can manage to do this you also have to consider whether the player is good enough to mix it up and not use the same patterns on the same types of hands - generally you won't have a problem with this at the lower stakes, and will only find players good enough to intentionally use the same betting pattern with a different hand to fool you.

Anything other than this with online poker really is just instincts without any solid evidence, and these cannot always be accurate.

The only way to improve reading players is to take extensive note on players and when you get to see them showdown a hand, write down what they did with that type of hand preflop, on the flop, turn and river. Did they raise preflop... did they slowplay... continuation bets... how much did they raise etc etc.

There is masses of information to take in, and once you get into the routine of noting all these things down, you will find that you start to retain this information in your head automatically and that's when you really start to be able to remember betting patterns and put accurate reads on players.

[XxLucky Me]

The only piece of advice I have is to not be afraid to fold. If you think you are beat chances are you are beat. If you have AA and think the other player has trips go ahead and fold. You will get dealt AA again eventually. Poker to me isn't about winning the huge pots. It's about not losing the huge pots. Live to play another hand is my philoshophy. If you got bluffed chances are they will try and bluff you again except the next time they try and bluff you, you will have the nuts and take all their money. Hope this helps.