[Solitare]

1. Trying to steal blinds too much. While in the midst of a big cashless streak I was reviewing my PokerTracker stats and discovered I was trying to steal the blinds over 45% of the time. Much more than I think is wise and much more than the 33% average I had over the previous three months. Leak found and plugged.

2. Not making the big laydown. I continue to cost myself ITMs and FTs by falling in love with hands that look big but are not near the nuts and not folding when I'm beating very few hands the raiser could have.

3. Weak big stack play. Too often when I get a big stack I blow it. When I get a big stack I start playing some hands I shouldn't, thinking I have the cushion to LAG it up a bit. I forget about the guideline to stay away from other big stacks and attack the middle stacks. I get caught up in the rush that got me the big stack and think I'm unbeatable. I generally abbandon the TAG play that got me the big stack in the first place.

Solutions:

1. This one is solved already. But the lesson is too continue to use the available tools to analyze my game and plug leaks.

2. Take the time to think. Figure out which hands the villain could have and what your chances are against them compared to the pot odds. Do the hand category analysis HOH and Gordon't LGB talk about. Don't get defeatist, a fold is not the end of the world. Recongnize that even if a fold leaves me with only 8BB, that I know I'm a good small stack player and that I can come back.

3. Play some NL cash games. When I've done this I know I've improved my big stack thinking. Stay within my game, I'm a TAG not a LAG. Despite spending the whole tournament watching bigger stacks LAG it up, don't automatically join the fun yourself.